Midsummer Smoulder Sticks

The Summer Solstice has long been believed to be the most potent time of the year to gather herbs as they are filled with vibrant Midsummer energy. This time can also be a wonderful time for crafting herbal remedies or tying herbs up to dry and store for the months ahead.

It has become a tradition for us to gather herbs around this time to dry for our Incense Blends or weave into our Smoulder sticks.

This year, being met with a clear and beautiful day, I gave thanks for all of the growth in our herb garden before gathering bunches of fresh Sage, Rosemary, Bay, Marjoram, Lemon balm and Feverfew. Some of these when dried will also go into our own tea and herb blends that we use throughout the year.

Sat beneath the Midsummer Sun I crafted a small batch of Herb and Flora Smoulder Sticks. This is one of my favourite mindful practices. Grateful for the potent, precious herbs that go on to clear and energise your home and spaces.

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Make your own smoke cleansing stick

• Gather your herbs on a dry day. Some of our favourites to work with are Lavender, Sage and Rosemary but you can choose any aromatic herbs or flowers, so long as they are edible.
• You can use dried or fresh herbs to create your stick, if using fresh keep in mind that your stick will shrink as it dries so make it a little bigger than you would like the finished stick to be.
• Arrange your herbs, guided by your own creativity, trimming them to a size you are happy with.
• Once your bundle is loosely formed in your hand begin to tie your bundle and for this there are various methods. I prefer to tie my herbs around the middle of the bundle first with one piece of twine. I then tie the bundle in regular intervals up and down the stick. A more traditional method ties the bundle at its base and then wraps the twine all the way up and down in a criss cross manner and ties again at the base. Feel free to experiment with what feels best for you.
• Once you are happy with your finished bundle, it is ready to dry. You can do this by hanging it up in a warm, dry and airy place away from direct sunlight. Drying time will vary, but usually takes between 1-2 weeks in the Summer.
• You can find more on how to use and care for your stick in our previous post.

With love and plant magick,

Nicola and Chris