Gatherings

What the Smoke Carries: The Origins and Meaning of Smudging
What the Smoke Carries: The Origins and Meaning of Smudging
Smoke rises, and something in the air shifts. Banned in Canada from 1884 to 1951, illegal in the U.S. from 1883 to 1978, smudging survived criminalization to remain one of... Read more...
Smoke as Welcome: The Aboriginal Australian Smoking Ceremony
Smoke as Welcome: The Aboriginal Australian Smoking Ceremony
At a rock shelter in Mirarr Country, archaeologists found evidence of continuous human life stretching back 65,000 years. The smoking ceremony carried there is still practiced today, and still means... Read more...
Sahumar: The Latin American Tradition Behind Palo Santo
Sahumar: The Latin American Tradition Behind Palo Santo
Long before Palo Santo showed up in gift shops around the world, it had already been doing quiet work in kitchens and doorways across Peru and Ecuador for millennia. The... Read more...
The Long Thread: A Brief History of Burning Botanicals
The Long Thread: A Brief History of Burning Botanicals
Long before it had a name, burning botanicals was already a global instinct. A journey through thirteen traditions, from Peru to Tibet, that arrived at the same idea without ever... Read more...
More Than Smoke: Why a Burning Practice Engages Every Sense
More Than Smoke: Why a Burning Practice Engages Every Sense
A burning practice isn't just about smoke. It engages sight, scent, sound, touch, and something deeper... interoception, the awareness of what's happening within. Here's why five minutes with a botanical... Read more...
Embracing Authenticity in a Loud World: Finding Calm Through Nature and Ancient Traditions
Embracing Authenticity in a Loud World: Finding Calm Through Nature and Ancient Traditions
We live in a world that rarely slows down. Notifications, expectations, constant comparison, endless noise — it can begin to feel like there is very little space left to simply... Read more...