Great Balls of Burning Rosemary!
- Mariah W.
- Aug 10, 2016
- 4 min read
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, is rich in vitamins A, B6 and C. It is also a rich source of calcium, magnesium, and iron. Somehow I managed to acquire two orphan rosemary bushes over the last two years. Their pungent spike shaped leaves and sturdy perennial nature have made them a durable - and growing - addition to my patio garden.
My sons like to pull off the leaves daily, crush them in their fingers, and sniff them during walks around the neighborhood. I like to chew rosemary throughout the day, after a run on a hot afternoon, or add it to my chicken simmering in my slow-cooker. We've used it in so many ways in our diet since its so great to eat. In spite of constant use, this year I have a bumper crop of rosemary. So what do I do with the extras as I prepare to trim it back? No one wants it.
Instead of throwing it away, I decided to burn it.
Seriously, burning herbs is another viable use of herbs, albeit not commonly practiced in most households. I decided to make smudge sticks out of my extra sprigs. Have you ever heard of smudging? It’s an ancient form of ritualistic cleansing of your home and environment with smoke, somewhat similar to burning incense but with dried herbal components in pretty much their natural, dried state. It’s pretty popular in Neo-Pagan circles, and has deep religious meaning to many worldwide. Smudging has been used by many Native American cultures for specific ceremonies for thousands of years.(3) Out of intense respect for all religious view-points, I’m going to clearly state that my meager attempt at creating my own smudge sticks was constructed out of respect and as a curious historian, as I have only read about smudging in books and on the internet.
Smudging in the Neo-Pagan sense seems simpler to attempt, since smudge sticks are larger than my hand and looks less likely to cause personal immolation or the flame-filled total destruction of my home. I don’t think I made mine correctly – normally smudge sticks are constructed with an outer layer of sage or mugwort with an interior core of another plant like cedar, tightly bound like a cigar. I chose rosemary as I possess a bumper crop of it this year, in addition to the fact that, as an herb, it has properties of cleansing, improving clarity and focus, as well as repelling negative spirits / bad magic.(3) I just tied up sprigs of rosemary from my garden with hemp and let them dry naturally in my kitchen, for several weeks in a bowl.
To properly smudge, you need a non-flammable bowl (or earthenware pot, giant abalone or seashell) and of course, an item to burn.(3) Your non-flammable bowl acts as a sort of ashtray for a giant herby cigarette. I chose to practice my first go at smudging outdoors – which was an excellent idea. I banished my family and dog indoors while I tried this one - because its end result was nearly a disaster. All I can say is…flames, not smudging, FLAMES!!
My homemade rosemary smudge stick went up like a spark to gasoline as soon as I lit it! No kidding, I squeaked and dropped it straight into my fire pit (filled with Japanese cedar wood), where it proceeded to fill my entire back yard with billows of white aromatic smoke, scented of rosemary with hints of weed-like THC-free hemp string scent. Fascinating, yet still a failure. I am genuinely afraid to try this again IN my house until I reconstruct my bundle into a thicker less air filled ball of flame, as it will SURELY set off my smoke detectors. And scorch my hand! I made my smudge stick all wrong because I lacked comprehension of how quickly herbs burn when exposed to air - they need to be tightly bound in order to smolder. But on a positive note, all flying insects rapidly evacuated my back yard and the air seemed cleansed. Rosemary smells weirdly good when it burns.
My rosemary-in-flames smudging experiment reminded me of watching burning frankincense resin smoke emit from the censer (or incense burner) when I was a guest at Mass with my Catholic friends. The burning of herbs ritualistically is not limited to Catholicism or North America; in Japan (where I currently reside), the practice of moxibustion, or the burning specific herbs by points of the body, is still utilized and has been for thousands of years.(2) Herbs, such as ginger or mugwort, are shaped into cones and wrapped in paper, then lit but are not allowed to actually touch the skin with the smoldering herb.(2) I’ve only witnessed it in passing whilst traveling with my family here in Japan. I had to look it up online to understand to process due to my limited Japanese language abilities, but I find it intensely intriguing and it smelled quite interesting.
Lessons Learned: I need to construct any future smudge sticks more thickly, with a non-toxic species of sage, cotton string, and MUCH less room for air in my herb bundle. Rosemary burns excellently. My binding was too loose and enabled for rapid incendiary action, when really you want a smoldering, slow burn.
After this experiment, I kicked back with a cold beverage, some soothing lavender essential oil on my burnt fingers, and enjoyed the rest of my fire with my family. I'm not a pyromaniac - just intensely curious about herbs, herbalism, historic contexts therein, and practical applications. Next time, I won't let my homemade smudge stick turn into a great ball of burning rosemary!
Resources:
WebMD. Rosemary. http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-154-rosemary.aspx?activeingredientid=154& (retrieved 10 Aug 2016.)
Encyclopedia Britannica. Moxa Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/moxa-treatment (10 Aug 2016)
Tierra, Michael and Cantin, Candis. The Spirit of Herbs: A Guide to the Herbal Tarot. US Games Systems, Inc. 2014. (pg 83)
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