What Native People Say About The Use Of Sage: You Can Use Sage, But You Cannot Smudge As Nothing You

What Native people say about the use of sage: you can use sage, but you cannot smudge as nothing you are doing (waving sage around) is actually smudging. Smudging is a ceremony and you are, we promise, not smudging. Please buy sage from either us, or someone who sources the sage from us. White sage may not be considered endangered by the US government but corperate sourcing is making it difficult for us to source sage for our own religious purposes. Let alone to sell it.

What white people hear: never use sage ever, don’t ever buy it, don’t own it, don’t even look at it.

Look, y’all. There’s a couple of facets to my talk today.

1) Yes! You can buy sage! You really, truly can! Buy it from either native sellers (go to a powwow! Eat our food, buy our stuff, watch some dancing!) Or buy it from a seller who sources the sage from native people. Pick one. And no, buying it from 5 Below doesn’t count.

2) you CANNOT smudge. This isn’t just you “shouldn’t”— this is a YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF SMUDGING. Waving a sage stick around your doorways IS NOT SMUDGING. It is smoke clensing. Smudging, depending on the tradition and tribe, could easily have dancing and drums involved. You, as a white person, do not have the cultural BACKGROUND to even know how it works. At all. Period.

3) please, for FUCKS SAKE, stop making posts here on tumblr where you tell other white people about cultural appropriation and what they can and cannot do. Please stop, your license has been revoked because none of you bother to get the facts right. We native people are FULLY CAPABLE OF DOING IT OURSELVES. Consider instead: a) reblogging our posts where we talk about it! We’re here! We have made posts!! b) Making a post that states what we said and then LINKS BACK TO US. Screenshot with a link if you must. Stop centering your own voices in these conversations. You are already centered in everything, stop centering yourselves in a native space.

I’m tired of this nonsense, y’all.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk ™

I saw your ask on animal guides! I recently decided to reach out if I had any who would like to work with me, and I entered this kind of partnership with the collective spirit of Owl. I had a feeling they were around, I always felt weirdly drawn to owls out of seemingly nowhere. So far I'm kinda just working on getting to know them and asking for occassional help. Do you have any ideas on how I can further connect when I live in a city and owl sightings are extremely rare (Never see one before but google confirmed they're around)?

That is amazing, I'm so happy you've found and connected to this relationship and I'm sure Owl has so much they can teach you!!

I have plenty of ideas on how you can further connect to them!

Owls are difficult to spot generally, but if you're determined to try - find and join birdwatching groups (there's almost definitely at least one local group on facebook) and ask for advice, locations etc!

Research owls! Everything from the different species (local to your area and outside), to how and what they hunt, to their breeding habits, familial groups etc! There is so much information you can learn!

If you visit a forested area with owls, look for owl pellets! These can help you see what they've eaten recently and are just super cool generally (or I think they're cool)!

Paint, draw, write poetry about owls! Be creative and express your appreciation and devotion through art!

Read folklore about owls - there's a lot of different interpretations of owls in different cultures from being wise, magical birds to harbingers of death.

Just speak to the Owl spirit - a simple goodnight, offering of water or basic conversation is all it takes. Just speak to them without expecting a response all the time.

These are the main few ideas I can think of!! I wish you luck with your relationship. PLEASE keep me updated, I would love to hear more about your relationship and don't hesitate to dm me or leave another ask if you want more advice or just a conversation!

I haven't prayed to god in a church in ages. I pray in libraries, in fields, in the summer heat and in the first bite of a warm meal.

I don't pray to god anymore, I don't think I ever did.

I pray to the world around me, to the bugs in the fields, the sunflowers on the side of the road, the water in my garden and to the rain coming down.

I pray to everything beyond this world, to the stars, the planets, all the different masses that fill the space around us.

Telling the bees

The custom of "telling the bees" is a charming and ancient tradition where beekeepers inform their bees about significant events in their lives, such as deaths, births, marriages, and other major occurrences. This practice is believed to have its roots in Celtic mythology, where bees were seen as messengers between the human world and the spirit world. The presence of a bee after a death was thought to signify the soul leaving the body. The tradition became particularly prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries in Western Europe and the United States.

To tell the bees, the head of the household or the "goodwife" would approach the hives, gently knock to get the bees' attention, and then softly murmur the news in a solemn tone. This ritual was believed to keep the bees informed and prevent them from leaving the hive or dying. The custom underscores the deep connection and respect that people historically had for bees, viewing them as integral members of the household and community. (The Historian's Den)

I can easily see how you can turn this in a magical tradition with some little adaptation: plant flowers and plants for bees in your garden, invoke the spirit of the bees, keep bee-telling to the bee-spirits and take care for the plants. I am sure that one day the spirit of the bees will be your ally and that you will learn from it. And a big plus: you are helping the bees to survive in a world full of mono-cultures and poisons. Witchcraft and care-taking for your environment can go hand in hand if you wish to.

Every time I lose a strand of hair while in outside I like to think it’s an offering to the hummingbirds and other critters who need it for their nests! 🪺✨💁🏻‍♀️