New Age ritual sends ’bad energies’ and foreign wild plants up in smoke

A commercialized New Age ritual is causing not only ’unwanted energies’ to go up in smoke, but also foreign wild plants. A study by Utrecht University researchers Isabela Pombo Geertsma and Anastasia Stefanaki, alongside colleagues from Wageningen UR and Naturalis Biodiversity Center, reveals that dried plant bundles sold in the Netherlands for ritual burning often include plants from distant regions. In a paper in the scientific journal Plants, the researchers show that many of these bundles contain white sage (Salvia apiana), a North American plant that may be harvested unsustainably to meet the rising demand.

For thousands of years, religious ceremonies around the world have involved burning or smoldering dried plant material, releasing smoke. The smoke is often used to create a 'sacred' atmosphere or for the purpose of connecting with ancestors and spirits.

In North America, various Indigenous groups use tightly bound bundles of dried plants in their traditional ceremonies. These bundles, known as smudge sticks, are lit at one end. The released smoke is used, for instance, to 'purify' a home after illness or with the intention to promote success in hunting. Different Indigenous groups utilize various types of wild plants for these rituals, including sweetgrass and white sage.

Modern witches and New Age

The use of smudge sticks has been adopted relatively recently by New Age practitioners. Pombo Geertsma, a PhD candidate studying the plant use of witches, discovered this through interviews with modern witches. Pombo Geertsma: “Modern witches told me they use these smudge sticks. But I discovered that they are actually much more commonly used in the New Age movement to cleanse spaces of unwanted energies.” New Age is a Western spiritual movement.

White sage

Pombo Geertsma became curious about the types of plants found in commercially available smudge sticks. Particularly since there is evidence that plants traditionally used by North American groups are now being harvested unsustainably to meet rising global demand. However, no research had previously been conducted on the types of plants present in smudge sticks sold in Dutch stores, whether online or in physical shops.

I think these people want to connect with nature, yet they purchase items that come from the other side of the world.

The researchers found that 10 out of the 29 bundles examined were made of or contained white sage. They also identified other North American plants, including various species from the genus Artemisia. Berber Zandstra collected most of the smudge sticks for her Honours thesis at Wageningen UR.

Impact on nature and indigenous people

The possible overharvesting of white sage in the wild is problematic not only for the plant itself, but also for the Native North American communities who use it in their ceremonies. However, Dutch consumers who purchase smudge sticks often appear unaware of these potential negative impacts.

People buy smudge sticks made with white sage because that is the plant that is traditionally used by certain cultures. But what also contributes is the fact that the New Age and modern witchcraft movements have become commercialized, leading to the widespread availability of smudge sticks containing white sage in retail stores.

People often claim that these kind of traditions do not exist in the Netherlands, but they actually do

Connecting with nature

Through interviews with Dutch people who use smudge sticks, Pombo Geertsma discovered that nearly none of the users went outside to collect plants themselves. Pombo Geertsma: “I think these people want to connect with nature, yet they purchase items that come from the other side of the world.” Some interviewees also mentioned that they believed that the American plants simply worked better or had a more pleasant scent.

“Does not exist in the Netherlands”

According to the researchers, Dutch people generally have limited knowledge about native plants and their traditional uses. Adopting exotic rituals can fill this gap. Pombo Geertsma: “People often claim that these kind of traditions do not exist in the Netherlands, but they actually do. In the southern part of the Netherlands, dried and blessed plants were burned for protection during lightning and thunder. Older individuals shared in interviews that they had to get out of bed at night during these storms. Their parents would then throw parts of bunches that were hanging by the front door into the fire. The smoke would fill the house and escape through the chimney, protecting the home.”

Alternatives

In fact, there are suitable Dutch alternatives to North American plants. In some of the bundles examined, the researchers identified plants native to the Netherlands, such as common mugwort, common sage, and chamomile. Pombo Geertsma: “You can use all sorts of wild and garden plants for burning. Just think of lavender, rosemary, tansy, and rose. These plants have recognizable scents and evoke specific associations for many people.”