burning sage

so there’s a whole school of thought on this. a whole field of study, really.

it is believed that burning the herb, sage, in one’s space will cleanse its energies and make the space sacred and pure. sage is like a plant version of rubbing alcohol, it kills spiritual germs and such.

though i’ve always been one to appreciate and delve deeply into the topic of spirituality and self awareness, i’ve never really grasped the concept of sage, crystals, yoni eggs or anything of the sort. i’m probably too simplistic and cynical a personality to attach sacred properties to a bunch of leaves or a smooth stone. this is not to say i’m closed-minded, but rather I don’t understand – a whole other discussion to be had (call in the theologists and machiavellians) – the attachment of sacredness to materials. I don’t understand how dried bushes can “cleanse” a space. though i’ve read countless essays and opinions and angles and scientific explanations, none apply to what I naturally think or can grasp without coercion. but guess what, sage is still my shit.

I burn it all the time. I think it lightens my spirit, through my space.

but I attach that solely to its scent. I think that my journey through finding out how sage could possibly work, made me subconsciously attach a positive meaning to the smell of it. now, when I smell burnt sage, I smell sisterhood and power and self love and sensuality and spirit. I smell flavour and I smell strength. just as I attach a mood to the fragrances I wear everyday – one perfume for my get-it-done self, and one for my girl-you’re-so-hot-right-now-self. I attach the scent of sage to the essence of sanity, deliberate sanity – to the essence of deciding to not be affected by anxiety, and to be at ease. so burning sage for me, is to light new opportunity ablaze – something I can decide to do every night in my room, which is so profound to me that I can’t believe I didn’t think of doing this earlier.

I buy mine (cue, shameless plug: take note howard students) from the cutest, quaintest, black-owned, brick front gem on georgia avenue – blue nile. it’s literally $2.

it makes me wonder if whatever you want sage to be for, is what it is for. what if you could pick any tiny ritual for yourself that clears your mind in your own kind of way? what would your ritual be?

#everbless,