A smudge stick is a bundle of dried herbs, most commonly white sage. Often other herbs or plants are used or added and the leaves are usually bound with string in a small bundle and dried. Some other herbs and spices that are often used include cilantro, cedar, lavender, and mugwort, none of which are native to the Americas. They have a strong, pleasant aroma when burnt.The term "smudge stick" entered the English language through Indigenous American Indian traditions in America via cultural exchange and were propagated in traditions of shamanism. The binding of smudge sticks for many traditions was a sacred intentional process in and of itself.
