I gave a lot of thought to what I wanted to experience over the holidays this year, and narrowed things down to three goals:

• maintain my childlike spirit
• be true to my heart
• heighten my vitality

I’ve never done this before, never laid out what I really wanted my holidays to be like for me, but I want to do this every year now, for it’s been the loveliest holiday I’ve ever had. Bear and I have looked at each other so many times over this break and grinned in sheer happiness and peace because we’d built a holiday around what we really needed and wanted.

We met up with people we love and who love us back, and visited happily over Christmas cookies in the kitchen and cold drinks at the beach.

We had together time, going to op shops and watching movies, chatting over cuppas on the veranda and on long drives through the mountains.

We had alone time, reading books and writing poetry, painting pictures and polishing knives, doing whatever popped into our heads that sounded like something we would enjoy.

I loved it. So much.

We have 4 1/4 days of holiday left, and it’s so great to wake up every morning and ask excitedly, “So, what are you going to do today?

Today I wanted to do sketching and watercolouring, make Caesar salad, and gather herbs from my garden to make smudge sticks for the new year.

I filled my basket with sage and pineapple sage, flowering oregano, yarrow, lemon thyme, and rosemary. They smelled so good still warm from the morning sun.

I found a shady spot on the veranda, and trimmed each bundle to size with my trusty knife before binding them tightly with twine into sturdy batons of herbal goodness.

What are smudge sticks?

Smudge sticks are simply bundles of fresh herbs tied tightly together and dried thoroughly. They can then be lit with a match and the smoke allowed to fill an enclosed space such as a bedroom, office, or entire home. In ancient times it was believed that the smoke from burning medicinal herbs such as sage, rosemary, and thyme would either remove evil spirits from a space or connect with good spirits to provide balance and harmony to the inhabitants.

Does smudging work?

Well, I don’t know about ousting evil spirits, but a scientific paper published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology revealed that studies have found that burning medicinal herbs in an enclosed space eliminated airborne bacteria by 94%. Tests conducted a day later found the space still disinfected, and a month later most of the bacteria was still gone.

I think that’s amazing.

I’ll be burning my smudge sticks in the new year, not just to cleanse the air in our home, but also because I love the physical act of burning out the harmful and welcoming in the good.

I’ve found that often new goodness doesn’t have room to fit into our lives because we haven’t gotten rid of the bad and useless. I’m working steadily to remove all that no longer serves my goals in life so that I have abundant room for what I cherish and value. It’s a wonderful way to prepare for this new year and all it holds. xo

How to Make Smudge Sticks

Supplies:

Fresh herbs: sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, yarrow, lavender, etc

Cotton string or twine

Sharp knife or scissors

Directions:

1. Divide your herbs into even piles with leaves and flowers pointing up, and stems pointing down. Adjust them to make an even thickness down the length of the stick. (Thin sticks will dry quickly and burn quickly, thick ones with take a longer time to dry and burn.)
2. Grasp one pile by the stems like you would a bouquet, wrap the twine around once or twice and tie a knot to secure it.
3. Wrap the twine tightly along the length of the stick, double back once you reach the top. When you reach the bottom, tie it tightly in a knot.
4. Trip the ends of the stems with your knife or scissors.
5. Repeat steps until all smudge sticks are made. Set in a shady, dry place for 2-3 weeks until dried through. Store in airtight container until ready to use.
6. When ready to use, close all doors and windows in the room/building you wish to smudge. Light the tip of the smudge stick and set it in a shallow, heatproof container, letting the smoke fill the room. Do not leave unattended. You can also carry it and wave it gently through the space, being careful to catch any ashes or embers that fall.