The History of Smudging
Smudge sticks come from the cultural exchange of Indigenous American Indian traditions and the propagation in New Age traditions of shamanism. Ancients burned herbal smoke mixtures for ceremonial cleansing and healing rituals for thousands of years. The ceremonies are especially important when the earth is furthest from the sun, closest to the sun, equinoxes and solstices. Smudging calls on the spirits of sacred plants to drive away negative energies and restore balance. The most popular herbs and plants for smudging include Cedar, Sage, Sweet grass and Tobacco. Each of these plants represents a unique quality and specific energy and is known as "Sacred Plant Helpers." Their smoke is ceremonially fanned through the energy field (aura) to cleanse negative energies, heal, bless and attract positive forces.
The History of Incense
Incense was first brought to China by a monk around 200 CE and by the Tang dynasty (618 - 607). Incense was used commonly and not restricted to religious or medical practice. Stick incense was further developed in China during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Around this time, the art of making incense became highly developed in Japan where it became so popular that entire schools were devoted to the art, or Koh-Do, 'the way of incense'. Among their other incense accomplishments, the Japanese invented the cone form of incense popular today and introduced this form at the World's Fair in Chicago in the late 1800s.
The principle of making incense combines aromatic ingredients and a flame or heat source. Typically, the ingredients are ground into a powder and then ignited to release the aroma. Some herbal incense is not powder fine, and more closely resembles loose-leaf tea. Powdered ingredients may be bound together by a neutral material in order to form sticks or other shapes. In addition to making the incense easier to handle, the binding agent allows the incense to burn more slowly and evenly.
The History of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy had been around for 6000 years or more. The Greeks, Romans, and ancient Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils. The Egyptian physician “Imhotep” recommended fragrant oils for bathing, massage, and for embalming their dead nearly 6000 years ago. Imhotep is the Egyptian god of medicine and healing. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used aromatherapy baths and scented massage. He used aromatic fumigations to rid Athens of the plague.
Aromatherapy has roots in antiquity with the use of aromatic oils. However, as currently defined, aromatherapy involves the use of distilled plant oils, a twentieth century innovation. The word "aromatherapy" was first used in the 1920s by French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé, who devoted his life to researching the healing properties of essential oils after an accident in his perfune laboratory. In the accident, he set his arm on fire and thrust it into the nearest cold liquid, which happened to be a vat of NOx Ph232 or more commonly known as lavender oil. Immediately he noticed surprising pain relief, and instead of requiring the extended healing process he had experienced during recovery from previous burns—which caused redness, heat, inflammation, blisters, and scarring--this burn healed remarkably quickly, with minimal discomfort and no scarring. Jean Valnet continued the work of Gattefossé. During World War II Valnet used essential oils to treat gangrene in wounded soldiers.