Baskets, mats, and hats
Sweet weaving and prayer
Love, peace, and harmony
From Mother Earth's hair

Sweetgrass is one of the four sacred herbs in Eastern Woodland Native American spirituality.  The other three are tobacco, cedar, and sage.  The tradition that I follow puts sweetgrass in the southern position on the medicine wheel.  There are several species of perennial grasses that are commonly called sweetgrass in North America and Northern Europe.  The one that is generally used for ceremonial purposes is Heirochloe odorata. (I believe that I saw two different spellings, so... It will look something like that.)  It is sometimes also referred to as vanilla grass, holy grass, or buffalo grass.  This is a fine grass that is about two feet tall and thrives in moist soil conditions in the Northern Hemisphere.

This beautiful grass has a number of uses besides ceremony, which I will get into later in the article.  Yes it is a favorite forage grass for both domestic and wild herbivores.  It also has a long history of use by Native Americans and Celtic Europeans for weaving.  This grass makes beautiful baskets, mats, and hats that are practical and have a nice scent when they are used.  It can be used in closets and drawers to keep linens and clothes smelling fresh.  Sweet grass does have some medicinal qualities as well, but it contains toxic compounds when ingested by humans.  It should only be used with trained guidance.

Now for the real reason that sweetgrass is cherished and revered.  As one of the four sacred herbs, it gives a lift to ceremony and purification rituals.  In Native American culture, sweetgrass is seen as the hair of Mother Earth.  It is always cut and never pulled.  It is frequently braided and secured before it is cut, but not always. 

The sweet scent of this grass is believed to promote love, peace, and harmony by Native Americans.  The Celtic cultures associated sweetgrass with strength, purity, and positivity.  It is often burned with sage for smudging, or, I follow the sage smudge with a sweetgrass smudge to bring in the positive spirits and energies into my life.  In some cultures, it is burned as a smudge or incense as a purification ritual to ready people and spaces for ceremony.

When the Cree, Ojibway, and some other Native American cultures prepare sweetgrass for ceremony, it is collected with ritual and the three strands of the braid usually represent love, peace, and harmony.  When Celtic traditions prepare sweetgrass for ceremony, the three strands represent strength, positivity, and Gaia.  

Either way, sweetgrass represents bringing good into life and spaces.

According to Whitehorse Woman, a Native American elder and Medicine Woman, "use sage to remove unwanted energy and sweetgrass to invite wanted energy."  (Native American Today)

Smudging, incense, and purification rituals are culture dependent.  You should do your own research and talk to elders to find out what is the best practice for you to follow.  Here are my sources for this article and a good place to start.
outofstress.com
learnreligions.com
nativeamericatoday.com
creehealth.org
native-languages.org

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Let go of the past
With the Joy of the Mountain
Hear the magic of dreams
From negative get protection

Like most of the "Italian" herbs, oregano originates from the mountains around the Mediterranean.  The word oregano is derived from the Greek term for Joy of the Mountain.  This highly useful herb is used to flavor foods from around the world but is most closely associated with Italian, Greek, Egyptian, and Mexican foods.  This is a strong herb in the mint family that is often used interchangeably with marjoram.  In my area, oregano is a slightly woody herbaceous perennial where marjoram is an annual.  I choose to grow oregano for its flavor and medicinal properties.

Many people find oregano is useful to calm aches and pains, digestive distress, and other minor issues.  When it is used as an aroma therapy, it might calm nerves.  It definitely gives a spicy aroma to the home.  The flower heads can be used to produce a reddish brown dye and the leaves can be used to polish wood.

Oregano symbolizes love, family, and joy.  It is frequently used in bouquets for weddings to encourage love and fidelity.  It is believed to encourage strong family ties.  Its uplifting scent and flavor can brighten a day.  Some people add a few sprigs to a hot bath to calm the nerves and bring courage and clarity into their lives.

For those who work with the more energetic aspects of herbs, oregano carries a wealth of potential in a small plant.  When it is used in a candle or burned as incense, it can be used to bring good luck, abundance, or protection.  Planting it around the house is believed to protect the home from evil and unwanted guests.  Burning the leaves is believed to bring justice to a situation.  Oregano can also be used to release us from the past and from negative thought patterns.

This calming herb is one that is used for deep spiritual listening.  Some use it under the pillow to promote psychic dreams, dream recall, and dream work.  It is often used to promote spiritual work.  It is used to aid ancestral work.  

No matter what your purpose, oregano is a good herb to have around.  It flavors food and drink.  It promotes good health and calmness.  It helps you hear the lessons of the past and let go of the attachments to what was.

Best of all, it is an easy herb to grow.  

Tree of the Oracle
Help me to manifest
Through healing and wisdom
That which is true success

Bay leaf or bay laurel is an herb that most cooks are familiar with.  This Mediterranean herb has been widely used since the times of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt.  This is a plant of warm climates and moderate moisture.  In areas that drop below 15*F, it is best to grow it in pots and have a place indoors where it can over winter.  The photograph above is my bay tree which is about 2 years old.  I intentionally keep it small.  It is right now in the beginning stages of bonsai training.

Bay is best known for the use f its leaves for flavoring meats and stews.  Just a few leaves gives a beautiful flavor to a fatty stew.  The berries have been used to flavor alcohol.  If your bay is big enough, the wood can be used to smoke foods.

Herbalists love bay for its health benefits.  It seems to aid in digestion, especially for fatty meats.  It has also been used to relieve aches and pains and promote scalp health.  Some find that these mildly narcotic leaves soothe stress and may help relieve migraines.  There may be some overall beneficial effect for the body, mind, and heart.  I keep a few leaves scattered around my food storage areas as a pest deterrent.  Before using any herb for its health benefits, be sure to thoroughly research the herb or consult an herbalist.

While I love cooking with bay leaf, and like having its other benefits, I really grow it for the energy of the plant.  In ancient Greece, bay was used as a symbol of victory and success.  It was used by the Oracle at Delphi to see into the past, present, and future.  In ancient Rome, bay was worn by the victors, the nobles, and the sages.  In ancient Egypt, it was seen as the cure for hang overs.  In the middle ages, it was believed to protect against lightning, negativity, and problems.

Bay is believed to be an herb of healing and protection, victory, and strength.  It was chewed and burned for its mildly narcotic effects by the Oracle at Delphi.  Many believe that writing your wish on bay and burning the leaf makes the wish come true.  It is burned to cleanse stagnant and negative energy from a space.  Or it can be used to sprinkle blessed water as a cleanser.  It carries a calming energy that helps reduce stress and promotes focus and concentration.  It is seen as an herb of wisdom, poetry, and learning.

Bay laurel is a plant that I connect deeply with.  The one in the picture is my second bay bonsai.  It is one of my top five plants that I keep in my life.  I keep it and nurture it because it nurtures my focus, concentration, and vision for the future.  She helps me stay in that vision no matter how challenging life's lessons get.

Additional sources for this article:
wiccanow.com
plentifulearth.com
flythehedge.com
outofstress.com

First gift of the creator
Carry my prayer to spirit
Gift to the wisdom keepers
Gratitude of living Spirit

According to the spiritual traditions of many of the Native American Nations, tobacco is the sacred herb of the east.  (This is often referred to as sacred medicine.)  In Native American tradition, this is a plant that is associated with prayer, illumination, and gratitude.  This is a group of over 60 species closely related to tomatoes and peppers that primarily originated from North and South America.

Tobacco is believed to be the first gift of the creator, with evidence of use for at least 18,000 years.  It is the first of the four Native American sacred medicines.  The other three are sweetgrass, white sage, and cedar.

Before I go any further, I think that I need to address the elephant in the room.  Europeans were introduced to tobacco when early explorers and conquistadors  encountered Native Americans in Central America.  By most accounts, it was given as a gift to the guests.  The result was the misuse of this herb in ways that are highly addictive and damaging.  If tobacco is used for recreational or control purposes, it is both addictive and toxic.  Most of the world right now uses tobacco in ways that are highly damaging to the heart, liver, and lungs, and has the potential environmental consequences.  That said, tobacco has been used wisely and safely in the Americas for many thousands of years.

Each culture in the Americas uses tobacco for ceremony in slightly different ways.  I am only going to cover a few of them.  I used a different set of resources than my usual ones for this article.  I invite you to check these sources out for more information.
wickapedia.com
keepitsacred.itcmi.org
takiwasi.com
ainschgo.org
strongnations.com
tribaltrade.com

The most common use for tobacco in ceremony is to connect to the divine or spirit realms.  Natural tobacco is often used alone or in blends in a sacred pipe to send prayers to the Great Spirit, Great Mystery, or Spirit World.  This is believed to be a direct connection between the human and the spirit.  This sacred pipe is used to promote and ask for aid in the achievement of harmony, peace, and balance.  Sometimes a smudge bowl is used for a similar purpose, but this is not as common.  Sometimes, the tobacco leaves are added to a ceremonial fire along with the prayers that the community wishes to be heard.

The second use of tobacco is as an offering of gratitude.  Since it is seen as a gift  from creator, it is often used as an offering when the people are foraging.  When herbs are gathered for medicine or food is gathered from the environment, an offering of tobacco is given to Mother Earth.  If a bird or other sacred animal gives its life or feather, often tobacco is offered in gratitude.  Any time blessings or abundance is received from Earth, an offering of tobacco is a common way to show gratitude.

In most Native North American communities, tobacco is offered to the wisdom keepers.  If a person is asking council from an elder, medicine person, healer, or other respected wisdom keeper, a gift of tobacco is often given.  If a favor is asked of someone, it is usually preceded and/or followed by a gift of tobacco.  Tobacco is often a gift to honor a guest.

There is so much more that could be said about tobacco and its respectful uses, but then I'm getting into the nuances of specific cultures and traditions.  So I will just leave this article with this last little bit.  Tobacco is considered to be a living spirit that is connected to the four directions and the elements.  It is a powerful spirit that should be worked with respectfully and carefully.  On a personal level, I can say that tobacco isn't always an easy herb to work with.  I have a difficult relationship with this powerful herb.  The spirit of tobacco and I tend to clash, so we work together with a great amount of caution.

Consult your roots
For strength and mastery
Tree of the World
Her health is prophecy

Beautiful and stately ash is the Celtic calendar tree for February 18 to March 17.  Ash is believed to be the Yggdrasil, the Norse World Tree.  This is the connection between worlds.  The roots dig deep and wide into the underworld and spreading wide enough to encompass our ancestors.  The branches reach high to the heavens, touching the gods and spirits.  The trunk is strong and resilient, withstanding the winds and trials of the physical world.

The ash tree is a tree of wondrous practicality.  This bottom land tree provides food for birds and mammals and habitat for morel mushrooms.  The wood is strong and elastic.  It is ideal for tool handles, paddles and oars, furniture, baskets, crates, and flooring.  It is used for baseball bats, sleds, and snowshoes.  Native Americans used it to relieve toothache, sore throats, digestive distress, and rheumatism.  It is one of the few woods that will burn when green.  

As useful as ash is on a practical level, it is considered to be even more powerful on a metaphysical level.  In Celtic lands, it is part of the triad of fairy trees, along with oak and hawthorn.  This is the tree that holds universal truth and wisdom from which Odin gained his power.  It is seen as a tree of initiation.  Ash is believed to be linked to the health of the world and the health of humans.

Magically, ash has been used to bring love and prosperity.  It is believed to protect people and homes from negativity and dark magic.  The Druids often made their wands from ash and an ash wand is often used to direct spells of healing.  Leaves are placed under the pillow to encourage prophetic dreams.  The magic of ash is believed to heal, remove warts, and deter snakes.

On a personal level, ash teaches us to consult our roots to find inner strength and the wisdom of our ancestors.  If we follow the wisdom of the ash, we use the trials and challenges of life to develop knowledge, strength, and mastery.  Our own personal power comes not from the domination of others, but rather, from the strength of self mastery, self knowledge, and overcoming our own demons.  This is the true alchemy.

In the United States, where I live, the ash is under threat from serious challenges.  When we view the ash as the tree that spans the world around us and our inner worlds, we do have to wonder what it tells us about ourselves and our future.  This tree of healing is dying.  This tree of the world is giving us hope in its resilience and survival.  This tree of connection is losing its footing.  We need to ask ourselves:  What does the Yggdrasil prophesy for us.

Inspiration of the mountain
Intuition powered by logic
Charmed wood of runes
Spirit's wood of magic

Rowan of the high mountain is the tree for January 21 to February 17 on the Celtic tree calendar.  This is a hardy and long lived tree that grows where most other trees won't.  It finds a foothold in the cracks and crevices of the high mountains and thrives where other trees fail to grow.  Rowan has long been used as a nutritional boost and medicinal tonic wherever it grows.  It is seen as a symbol of vitality, tenacity, courage, and inspiration.

The word "rowan" is believed to have been derived from the word "runa".  In Sanskrit, runa refers to magician.  In ancient Norse, runa means charm.  According to Norse legend, the first woman was formed of rowan. 

Rowan, or mountain ash, is a tree of magic for a number of cultures.  The Celts believed it held the hidden mysteries of nature and nature's life force.  It is also seen as a tree of sacred fire and spiritual awakening.  It is used to awaken psychic abilities, visions, and insights.  Because it grows where other trees struggle, it is believed to impart a strong life force, power, and vitality to those who use its wood and fruit.  It is believed to also impart success and healing.

Rowan is believed to be a tree of the Goddess Crone and a tree blessed by the fae.  It is a tree of wisdom, vision, and connection.  Some use it as an aid in meditation and communication with the spirit realms.  Its connection to the sacred feminine encourages intuition and the ability to see beyond the ordinary.  

The wood from mountain ash is strong and elastic, yet easy to carve.  It is used for drop spindles, spinning wheels, and tool handles.  It is used for runes, dowsing rods, and magic wands.  A staff made from rowan is believed to protect a traveler on his journey.  The leaves and branches are used for divination and rowan creates a black dye that is used for dying ceremonial leather, and robes.  Incense made from the leaves, berries, and wood is used to aid in meditation and to increase psychic powers.

Some see this as a tree of the feminine.  Some see this as a tree of the masculine.  I would say that it is both.  It seems to be a tree that balances the feminine and the masculine.  It connects to intuition and spirit and promotes clarity of mind.  It promotes psychic communication and protects from the negative influences.  It promotes both the opening up to inspiration and strength, power, and tenacity.  It is a plant of harmony and courage.

According to thegoddesstree.com,
"Rowan is the power of the logical mind blended with intuition.  She calls you to your path, symbolism, and spirituality, and to act on your dreams."

Sweep out the old
For new beginnings possibility
Healer of the forest
​In winter's ghostly white
​

Beautiful, ghostly birch is the tree for December 24 to January 19 on the Celtic tree calendar.  There are a number of species of birch in the US, Europe, and Asia.  All are considered pioneer species.  Birch is usually a short lived tree that is often the first tree to repopulate an area after fire, storms, or logging.

Birch is more than just a forest healer,  It also has a number of medicinal properties and uses.  Birch is also used for flavoring drinks and sweets, and the sap can be boiled into a syrup.  The bark has been used for paper, baskets, canoes, and to cover houses.  The wood is used for flooring, construction, and crafts.  Some of the other uses of birch are dye, leather making, and broom making.

Traditionally, birch is the wood used for the yule log and for magical brooms.  Both are symbols of transition and renewal.  The burning of the yule log marks the cleaning out of the old and celebrating new beginnings.  The broom is used to sweep out the old energy so the new beginnings can take place.  Birch is used for purification and to mark those new beginnings or initiations.  It symbolizes the potential of the new year and the determination of making dreams come true.

This is a tree of both fire and the goddess and feminine energy.  Cradles were made of the wood to protect babies.  Talismans and runes are frequently made from birch.  Birch is used as protection from evil and to encourage spiritual growth.  It is one of the woods used in shamanic rituals.  

Birch is one of the trees that grows abundantly in the damp areas in my part of the world.  When I am looking for wood to do rustic construction, this is one of the trees that I look for.  Birch is a beautiful and comforting wood for creating bed frames and chairs.

Earth Mother, Elder Mother
Fairy Queen Tree
Magic of enchanted flute
Call spirits to me
Guardian of the boundary
Mirrors back to thee

The elder is the tree on the Celtic tree calendar for November 24 to December 23.  It is also known as the country medicine chest, the Fairy Queen Tree, or the tree of transition.  There are 26 varieties found around the world, some of them toxic.  The species of black or deep purple elderberry found in Europe and North America are used interchangeably.  It is one of the plants that our ancestors always seemed to have around for its medicine and magic.

On a purely practical level, elderberry is used as a very nutritious and healing food.  It is used for drink, jam, flavoring, and a variety of medicines and tonics.  The flowers are widely used for medicinal teas.  The other parts of the plant have been used medicinally but are toxic.  The wood has been used as maple syrup taps, straws, and fire blow tubes.  Flutes and pipes of pan are often made from elder.

These musical instruments are considered to be magic and to sing a song to call spirits.  Magicians treasure the wood for magic wands and other tools,  Our ancestors carried many parts of elder for protection and luck.

Traditionally, elder is planted at the corner of the house, the corner of the garden, or the corner or gate of the property.  It is seen as the guardian of borders.  It was planted at the corner of the house to protect the house from evil and negativity.  When it was planted in the garden, it was seen to bring prosperity.  When it was planted at the boundary of the property, it acted as a shield.  It was also seen as the gateway between worlds.

This tree of transition is seen by some as the gate to the fairy realm and sacred to the Fairy Queen.  It is seen as the tree gate or boundary of life, health, and spirit.

Some see it as the home of the Elder Mother, or home of the Elves.  It is associated with the goddess in all her forms, and a plant of earth magic.  As a tree associated with the sacred feminine and the darkest part of the year, she encourages healing and the exploration of the transitions of your life.  She represents the cycle of life in all its aspects.  She is the duality and magic of light and dark, good and evil, life and health and death.  She is food, medicine, and poison.

Elder is seen as the mirror of your life.  If you treat her with respect, reverence, and wisdom, and use her for the good of all, she nurishes, heals, and protects.  If you treat her with disrespect, foolishness, and ill intent, that ill intent comes back to you.  She is the duality that reflects back to you that which you put into the world.

Voice of the spirit
In a song of communication
Conduit of service
For harmony and transformation

Reed is the plant on the Celtic tree calendar for October 28 to November 24.  For a plant that is considered to be sacred and as useful as reed, I didn't find a lot of information.  Reed of some sort is found in many parts of the world, usually in wet or swampy ground.  It is known by a number of names depending upon the location.  Some of these include sweet flag and myrtle grass.  The Celts harvested a variety that they called ngetal that grew up to 20 feet tall.

In every area where reed grows, the local culture found a number of practical uses for the plant.  The Celts and other cultures used it for thatched roofs and for flooring.  The stalks soaked in fat can be used as candles.  The straight stalks can be used as arrow shafts.  Flutes of various types can be made from the stalks.  They can also be used to create writing pens and brushes.  

Reed is actually edible, or at least not toxic.  Native Americans used the seeds for food.  They also boiled the young shoots as a vegetable.  The roots can be ground into a healthy flour.  The Chinese use the roots and rhizomes as medicine.

Reed has magical properties as well.  If you have ever been near a stand of reed in the wind, you have heard one of these.  The wind in the reeds is believed to be the voices of other worlds.  If you listen carefully, you might hear the messages that they carry.  Reed is a symbol of communication and the magic music of a reed flute is used to communicate visions and stories.  The roots of reed run deep and is the strongest part of the plant.  It speaks to the secret strength that each of us possesses if we dig deep enough to find it.  Reed is hollow and is seen as the door to the inner consciousness and what is hidden in the shadow.  Many cultures consider reed to be the mother plant, protecting those in her charge and providing for the needs of her community,

There is one more aspect of the symbolism of reed.  It parallels the concept of the hollow bone.  It is the ideal of emptying yourself of the self centered and ego driven desires.  It speaks to being the conduit for spirit to flow through to serve the community.  It is the ability to provide and serve your community in balance and harmony and to take collective responsibility for the health of the community.

Woodrow Wilson summed it up in this way:
"The provision for others is a fundamental responsibility of human life."

Protect the bird, Protect the bride
Sacred to the god of wine
Endurance, tenacity, passage of time
Bind all together with humble vine

Ivy is the "tree" on the Celtic tree calendar for September 30 to October 27.  There are at least 10 species of Hedera, but the species that is usually referred to is Hedera helix or English ivy.  This is the ivy that is most often found climbing up old buildings and rock walls.  It is a food source for bees and other insects and a source of food and shelter for birds.  English ivy produces flowers in late autumn and the berries ripen in late winter.  Even though it has some medicinal properties, all parts of this plant are toxic to both humans and pets.  This is not a home remedy.

The Greeks dedicated ivy to Dionysus, the Romans to Bacchus.  Both are the god of wine.  In Europe, it is considered to be a symbol of the goddess and the spiral of life.  It is believed to protect the feminine, bring her good luck, love, and fidelity.  An ivy wreath was placed in the home for abundance and protection from negative influence.  Ivy growing on the house is thought to protect the house from disaster and bring peace and abundance.  A wreath of ivy is traditionally given to a new bride or is worn by the new bride as a symbol of fidelity, friendship, and luck.

As a clinging and climbing plant, it is often used on alters and during spells for binding.  The leaves have been used for divination, most often in matters of love, marriage, and family.  For those so inclined, it has been used for love and fidelity charms.  Personally, though, I find the spell of charming and beautiful personality a better idea.  Save the ivy for luck and abundance.  But, that's just me.

Ivy sends out small rootlets as it grows, allowing it to cling and climb even the most unlikely surfaces.  Because of this, it is a symbol of tenacity.  Where it thrives, it is evergreen in the winter, so it symbolizes endurance.  It is dependent on strong structures in its environment to thrive and it takes a bit of time for ivy to cover a wall.  Thus the symbology of the Ivy League, endurance, tenacity, dependence, prestige, tradition, and the passage of time. 

Even with the beauty of the plant and its symbolism, this is one that I do not recommend that most people grow.  Here are the reasons:
1)  It is considered to be invasive in most places out of its native habitat.
2)  It is toxic to people and pets.
3)  Even though it can help cool a building, it can also destroy the mortar bind the buildings and walls.

​This is one to enjoy from a distance.