Dear Curiosity Journal,

While collecting sage for smudge sticks, I consider her herbal constitution and our sensory connection. Although this particular variety is a culinary sage, I’ve been burning it for years. I’ve sent far more into the sky than the oven. A little goes a long way in the kitchen, but I can smolder a smudge stick away before I’ve had my morning coffee. The sweet earthy scent accompanies my regular cleansing rituals and half charred bundles lay around the yoga room and kitchen. Sage is associated with purification, protection, and peace and I light it for both the sacred and the practical – meditation and making the house smell musky, warm, and woody. The trail of smoke disappears into the ethers, a connection to the spirit world. The slender cloud climbs to the ceiling, still clinging to my nostrils, calling me into conscious awareness for a twinkling of clarity, comfort, and calm. As I harvest, the pungent resin gathers on my fingertips, and I cup my hands over my nose for a whiff. The fresh cut aroma has the same effect, sweeping me into the bright present, the crispness in this very second, a snippet of sensory felicity, inter-being, and gratitude.

~Joy