This listing is for one braid of Sweetgrass harvested and braided in Massachusetts.

Many indigenous native tribes and spiritual leaders throughout North America have long used Sweet Grass in prayer, smudging or purifying ceremonies  and is also used intensely in healing as well as talking circle, round table, and even in some council meetings  because it has a calming effect. This is a big reason why many consider it a very sacred plant medicine for spiritual and medicinal bundles to have and keep on hand as you never know for what intent it may be needed to serve it’s purpose for the good of the people and whatever their situation now before you may be. Sweet grass was used around religions elsewhere too, but with less regard and honor than the tribes of Turtle Island. For example, Sweet Grass was strewn before church doors on Saints’ days in northern Europe, presumably because of the sweet smell that arose when it was trodden on.

Sweet Grass is one of the four medicines in the sacred hoop… it is the plant medicine we use to honor our elders, which we do in the direction North.  which comprise a group of healing plants used by the people in Anishinabe, Bode’wad mi, and Odawa societies.

The other three are Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica, Nicotiana tabacum), Cedar (Thuja plicata, Libocedrus decurrens), and Sage (Salvia apiana, Artemisia tridentata).

Usually people identify Sweet Grass when it’s  braided,  To us, it is the sacred hair of Mother Earth; its sweet aroma reminds people of the gentleness, love and kindness she has for the people, which might now make more sence to those of you who’ve seen it braided… but did you know What the 3 strands that makes a braid Mean? Mover the years, but so few Know the symbolism that once upon a time was connected to it anymore…To our tribal ancestors, any people who have braided their hair were representing themselves as having love, kindness and honesty in their character and integrity… not all people have those three things, therefore not everyone should wear their hair braided.

Gifting a person with Sweet Grass is an honorable token offering of respect, love and well wishes

Sweet grass is often dried, and burned although it’s important to note that Sweet Grass braids smolder, meaning that they don’t produce an open flame when burned therefore will not stay lit until gone as would say an incense stick or cone.

Generally speaking, upon your official entry to a properly conducted ceremony, one of the conductors or other appointed officiants Should be initially greeting you and smudging you with Sage (Salvia apiana)  so to fan and wash all the stresses and dissension and all the various ails of your recent days away and then welcoming you in to be among the other participants. Usually there is a sort period of some casual socialization and then short after all gather at the gathering place and then the commencement of ceremony officially begins,

Without going into every aspect of the initiation of the ceremony itself, ultimately spiritual leaders, medicine persons, or otherwise apprentices/assistants of the conductor(s) will initially perform a smudging  of the area and people participating in the ceremony with Sage  so again first purify with a cleansing effect to to drive any bad medicine (negativity) out and away and will Then “smudge” with the smoke from burning Sweet Grass so to initiate the beginning of a prayer or ceremony to attract positive energies because tribal elders know and whole-heartedly believe that Just as the sweet natural vanilla smelling scent of this grass is attractive and pleasing to people, so too is it attractive to good spirits as well. If the ceremony calls for Sweet Grass throughout the ceremony, such as do Healings, Sweatlodge and many ceremonies utilizing a burning fire, it will be used accordingly by the conductor.

All Individuals smudge others as well as themselves with these smoke, that the person being smudged should be looking and physically washing the eyes, ears, heart and body as if it were water and they were at home in the bathtub trying to get clean from a hard Dirty day’s work, whatever degree They feel is beneficial to that purpose for them. Another important thing to note  is that when being smudged, smoke is and should Always be used by fanning it onto the people, objects and areas encompassing and involved in the ceremony Away from them as if they’re being brushed off from the top of their heads front and back top to bottom all the way to the undersides of their feet, if the smudging aspect of ceremony is being conducted in honorable way.

At the end of ceremony, only a light smudging with sage is usually done and too, usually not with as much detail as In the ceremony but more like the pre-ceremonial “Greeting smudging”  just so you understand and don’t think it wasn’t properly conducted because the entry and exit smudging weren’t as intense as was any smudging that may go on During ceremony… most conductors are honorable and perform their ceremonies with sincere integrity.

Remember, one can never have too much Sweet Grass in their spiritual medicine bag!~from Sweet Grass Org

This listing is for one braid of Sweet Grass. Blessed Be!