Incense in The Wind: White Sage

Thursday 9 May 2024

White Sage

Californian white sage, which grows in Southwest America, is used by American Indians / Native Americans as a ritual purification known as smudging, which may have taken place for thousands of years. Apparently, the commercial exploitation of white sage and smudging has upset some Native Americans - partly due to over-harvesting of the white sage, and partly due to misappropriation of a sacred ritual. I suspect the white sage scent in most white sage incense is either synthetic or comes from plants that have never been near California. And while I am always prepared to listen to and am empathic towards a culture or religion who feel abused,* I think that sometimes people can protest too much. *(For example, while I feel some of the responses have been highly immoral and reprehensible, the behaviour by Salmon Rushdie and Charlie Hebdo in deliberately ridiculing sensitive aspects of another people's personal beliefs to be inappropriate. I don't believe we should have Hate Speech laws, as that creates both a chilling effect and an imbalance in relationships, but I do believe we should not deliberately ridicule and insult each other. And that "freedom of speech" does not mean we can say shit to each other and be protected from the consequences). The scent of white sage is generally herbal, cleansing, slightly sharp, kind of green and fresh.

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