Across cultures and traditions, incense has been used as a bridge between the seen and unseen — a tool for purification, prayer, and connection with spirit. Here's a guide to four beloved ceremonial plants and how to use them with intention.
🌾 Sweetgrass – The Braid of Blessings
Sweetgrass is one of the most sacred “smudge” plants in Native American traditions. With its sweet, vanilla-like scent, it is used to bring in blessings, peace, and harmony — often after a cleansing with sage, to invite in good spirits and positive energy.
✨ Did you know? In Native tradition, it is believed that if sweetgrass is bought, its magic is lost. That’s why it’s traditionally gifted or gathered, never sold. When offered as a gift, it carries the energy and intention of the giver, making it even more sacred in ceremony.
When to use: After cleansing rituals, before prayer or intention-setting, or to bless a new space.
How to use: Light the tip of the braid or a small piece. Let it smolder gently. Waft the smoke over your body, objects, or around the space using your hand or a feather.
🌿 Sage – The Great Cleanser
Sage is one of the most widely used plants for energetic cleansing. White Sage, in particular, is known for clearing negativity, stagnant energy, and emotional residue. It is often burned at the start of rituals or after emotional releases.
When to use: Before meditation or ceremony, after conflict or illness, when moving into a new space, or when feeling energetically heavy.
How to use: Light the tip of a sage bundle, blow out the flame, and allow the smoke to rise. Move it around your body, home, or altar. Open windows to let the energy shift.
🌳 Palo Santo – The Holy Wood
Palo Santo comes from South America and means “holy wood.” It is often used to clear a space before prayer, but its energy is more gentle and sweet than sage. It clears low vibrations while inviting in positive energy.
When to use: For energy resets, inviting peace after stressful days, or to prepare your space before meditation or sacred work.
How to use: Light the stick, let it burn briefly, then blow it out. Waft the fragrant smoke through the space or around yourself.
🔥 Copal – The Resin of the Ancients
Copal is an ancient tree resin used in Mesoamerican traditions — especially by the Maya and Aztecs. It connects us with the divine, opens the heart, and is often used in ceremonies, prayers, and offerings. There are different types, like white copal (purifying and divine) and Mexican copal (earthy, grounding).
When to use: In ancestral work, deep prayer, spiritual offerings, or for powerful energetic shifts.
How to use: Place small pieces of resin on a hot charcoal disc in a heatproof bowl. The rich smoke will rise immediately.
💬 Final Thoughts
Each sacred plant holds its own spirit and purpose. Whether you are clearing, blessing, grounding, or calling in light — choose the incense that speaks to your soul. May your rituals be meaningful, and your connection to spirit ever-deepening.