We all learn things at different times and in different ways. When I first learned that white sage had been repeatedly overharvested to the point of landing on the United Plant Savers At Risk list, it was a few years after other people were talking about it.
We can't know what we don't know.
But, it's always a little disheartening when someone asks us if we sell white sage sticks, and when we tell them outright that we don't carry them because white sage is over harvested and is now at risk, they ask us where else they can find it.
Even if you don't care about a plant, where it came from or how it was harvested, for whatever reason, if you want something to help clear negative energy, it's probably not a good idea to knowingly do it with something that was created with negative energy.
I'll say it again - we don't know what we don't know. If you've asked for white sage bundles in the shop, or if you've been using them at home, that's ok! I have some old bundles and gifted bundles that I still burn with good intention.
Now that you know, you can make the best decision for your rituals going forward.
There are tons of long articles and blogs about white sage out there, so if you want to know all the details, there are lots of resources explaining why we should avoid white sage bundles.
For the people who need it, here's a quick and to the point overview:
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White sage only grows in a small area of southern CA and Baja. When it's wildcrafted, that small area is where it's all taken from. Always assume it's wildcrafted unethically unless you know otherwise for sure, because it usually it.
- Unethical wildcrafting is taking plants without care. This usually include taking too much of a plant so it can't grow back, and/or taking too much of a group of plants so their population dwindles.
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"Smudging" is considered a closed practice, only open to certain Indigenous peoples. "Smoke cleansing" or "energy cleansing" is practiced by cultures all over the world and is an open practice.
- Working with white sage is generally considered an open practice. Cultivated white sage is ok, and it even grows in NH as an annual. You can grow your own and make your own bundles.
- Lots of other plants can be burned for smoke/energy cleansing! Not just sage. It became the most famous through pop culture, but any plant can be worked with in this way. Some ideas: garden sage, lavender, rosemary, cedar, pine, mugwort.
We make a loose leaf smoke cleansing blend, and we usually make herb burning bundles from our garden each summer, but it's really easy to make your own!
As with anything, you will feel the intention the maker puts into something, whether that's you or someone else, especially when working energetically.
Xo,
Lisa