Herbs As Incense

Historically, sick rooms were once cleansed using the smoke from burning sage and rosemary. A fragrant wood, Cedar is known to have expectorant, antifungal, antiviral and lymphatic cleansing properties. Pine, Spruce and Fir needles contain shikimic acid, the main ingredient in Tamiflu, which is used to fight the bird flu. Respiratory ailments have been helped with the application of incense made with Frankincense. Other similarly beneficial herbs are Eucalyptus leaves and Mullein.

The slow burning of plant materials release essential oils into the smoke which – when inhaled – are then carried into the lungs. Using this method, inflamed bronchial tissues can be relieved as they are coated with the beneficial herbal properties.

I know of one instance of a woman that was left struggling for air, choking and vomiting from a strong cytokine response during the flu. The man of the house closed the damper on the wood stove and placed cedar in the fire box, which produced a cleansing smoke. The cytokine storm stopped right away. Within 20 minutes, there was no mucus and she felt as though she hadn’t had the flu at all. Since that time, they have used this same remedy on other family members to good effect (of course, they air the house out afterwards).

North American tribes regularly used Cedar smoke to cleanse dwelling places. Smoke can be used in rustic conditions as a cleanser to rid a person, bedding, clothing or shelter of vermin, viruses and harmful bacteria. The last part of Leviticus 14 records that priests were instructed to cleanse a house of the plague using Cedar.

USING HERBS FOR INCENSE

Using tongs, place a hot coal or ember from a hard wood fire onto a heatproof dish. Assemble the herbs around and onto the ember and watch for smoke. Gently breathe the smoke that results. The goal is to encourage the plant material to produce smoke, not to ignite into an open flame. The smoldering is accomplished by using hot coals rather than an open fire; you can also tie your herbs or wood into tight bundles.

Tightly bundled herbs are called smudge sticks. Sometimes, the stems and leaf material can be formed into tight braids. If you only have dry leaves, these can be tightly wrapped in unbleached paper and tied with cotton thread. Use a smudge stick by setting one of the ends aflame. Then the flame is gently blown out leaving the plant material to smolder and smoke. These smudge sticks make it easier to direct the smoke, and they tend to smoke longer than loose plant material.

BE SAFE

Never inhale or come near the smoke of a plant to which you are allergic. This article is only for the information of the reader. Readers that incorporate these methods do so at their own risk and should utilize safety precautions. This information cannot replace the care of a trained medical professional.