SÜSSGRAS – SWEETGRASS - VANILLEGRAS - MARIENGRAS are names for a traditional incense herb in Europe and North America. It is a meadow grass rich in coumarin, which Native Americans burn during all their rituals. It is a heartwarming, soul-soothing, life-affirming incense herb, smelling of hay, woodruff, and vanilla, and it belongs in every good collection :)
The sweetgrass native to Europe is called Mariengras or Ruchgras (Latin: Anthoxanthum odoratum) and was consecrated to the love goddess Freya in pagan times - which is why another name for it is Freyakraut. It smells just as warm and coumarin-rich, like a summer meadow - though not quite as aromatic as the sweetgrass native primarily to North America - and grows wild in damp meadows.
Today, the Native American custom of using sweetgrass to open a ceremony or ritual and harmonize the energies of the place is particularly well-known. Was it similar in Europe? For me, sweetgrass offers a very warm, feminine, inviting smoke.
A classic: First, one waves the purifying smudge stick with White Sage, to then fill the room with the sensual, comforting, harmonious vibrations of sweetgrass.
For smudging, you can light the sweetgrass directly and fan air onto it; it will then smolder even without charcoal. When using charcoal, always place a heat-insulating layer (e.g., sand) first, and only then the sweetgrass, otherwise it would char too quickly. Sweetgrass is well-suited for incense burners with a high distance to the candle.
- Scent: warm, vanilla-like, herbal, like a freshly mown summer meadow
- Theme: feminine power, harmonizing, sensual impulses, opening the heart & connecting, comfort
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Good to mix with: (White) Sage, White Copal, Cedar tips, Damiana, Dammar, Rose petals, Styrax
- Latin name: Hierochloe odorata
- Content: 7 grams
- Packaged in compostable glassine bags with handmade labels
Our incense assortment is a treasure chest, where you will find resins, woods, and herbs from all over the world. We source these from selected specialist incense retailers and other trusted colleagues, and herbs from specialist shops for natural raw materials (just like our food). For us, smudging is pure plant helper power! That's why we invest a lot of time in researching the sources of our raw materials to be able to offer them as sustainably as possible.
And it should be noted: We offer our resins, woods, and herbs exclusively for burning, and all our good advice is taken from traditional lore and our own experiences. These, of course, do not replace a qualified advisor (doctor, naturopath, ...). And whether something works as written, well, never forget: Only you alone can open the door :) Just as only you alone can take responsibility for yourself ...