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It’s spring! Birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, and flower petals float through the air. Spring is the season of renewal. Just as Gaia is waking up and stretching her leaves, we too are immersed in the resurgence of life and rising energy. Tis the season to let go of things no longer serving us, create and hold space to cultivate fresh ideas, and channel the rejuvenating energy that so characterizes springtime.

This spring season, we’ve joined forces with Anika of Trigger Hippie Co. to bring you two herbal smoke recipes for rejuvenation.

Smoking Rosemary Flowers

Everyone’s familiar with rosemary’s leaves and their distinctive flavor, but it’s not often that the flowers of rosemary get the spotlight. Rosemary flowers are a true springtime delight and are completely edible and smokable.

If you have a rosemary plant at home you may have noticed numerous, small flowers emerging the past few weeks. Depending on the cultivar, rosemary flowers can be white, purple, blue, or pink in color. My rosemary plant has beautiful periwinkle blossoms:

Rosemary flowers are a beautiful addition to spring salads, and I personally enjoy them as a colorful topping for deviled eggs. You can just pick them and sprinkle them on top, raw. The flavor of rosemary flowers is lighter and sweeter than the leaves, but still with the pineyness that the leaves are treasured for.

The subtle pine-like flavor of rosemary flowers makes for a really nice addition to your herbal smoke blends. Rosemary leaves are pretty strongly flavored and can easily overpower a smoking blend, but the flowers offer us a gentler, and, frankly, more beautiful, way to work with the plant.

Smoking rosemary flowers has very similar effects to smoking the leaves: heightened focus and mental sharpness. This is perfect for channeling the rising energy that characterizes spring, which you can direct into a spring cleaning session or tackling a challenging task on your to-do list.

Preparing rosemary flowers for smoking

All herbs and flowers must be dried before smoking in order to burn properly. My first attempt at drying rosemary flowers resulted in them turning brown because I left them exposed to too much light, so to keep their color you’ll want to make sure to shield them from light as much as possible while they’re drying. Instead of drying the flowers on top of a paper towel, I folded them inside one and hid them behind a book so they’d be in darkness.

It’ll take longer to dry this way, but the pop of color in your smoke is well worth it. The color also shows that the secondary metabolites, like terpenes, didn’t evaporate and are still present which means more flavor and effect. The color of my periwinkle rosemary flowers deepened into this rich blue when dried:

ROSEMARY FLOWERS HERBAL SMOKING BLEND RECIPE

This is a simple herbal smoking blend recipe with rosemary flowers, raspberry leaf, mullein, and optional cannabis or hemp flower. The beauty of this blend is that you could harvest all of your own ingredients, but if you don’t have these herbs on-hand then the Puff Herbals Stimulating Smoke blend with raspberry leaf, mullein, and other bright, crisp herbs is a perfect substitute.

Red raspberry and mullein leaves, like most herbs, are best before the plant has flowered, which makes spring the perfect time to harvest. You’ll want to pick young, healthy-looking leaves that are lighter in color to dry for smoking. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 parts cannabis or hemp flower (optional)
• 1 part dried raspberry leaf
• ½ part dried mullein leaf
• ¼ part dried rosemary flowers

Alternatively: Just add rosemary flowers and optional cannabis/hemp to Puff Herbals’ Stimulating Smoke loose-leaf blend.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Break apart and rub raspberry and mullein leaf between with your fingers until the two herbs begin to clump together.

1. Optional: Grind cannabis or hemp flower and mix thoroughly with the raspberry and mullein leaf.

1. Add the above blend to your rolling papers or bowl first, then sprinkle rosemary flowers on top in an alluring fashion.
2. Admire your flowers and set an intention for channeling the rejuvenating energy you are about to receive.
3. Enjoy while listening to a nice playlist and picking a spring bouquet, or while getting sh*t done.

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Cleansing Herbal Incense
by Anika of Trigger Hippie Co.

Throughout the ages and across cultures, people have turned to herbs as tools for restoring the mind, body and spirit. But did you know you can work with plant botanicals to cleanse and purify your home as well? Crafting and burning an herbal incense blend can help clear the air of stale smells or stagnant energy that may be lingering from wintertime. If you want to welcome fresh energy into your home and breath new life into your space, try a smoke cleanse with these herbal allies:

CEDAR TO RELEASE NEGATIVITY & ATTRACT POSITIVITY

When waving goodbye to clothes that no longer spark joy, a cedar smoke cleanse can be a symbolic way to cleanse your closet. On the flipside, maybe you’re welcoming some upcycled, new-to-you items into your home. Wave cedar smoke over these items to cleanse them of their previous owner’s energy.

THYME FOR STRENGTH & COURAGE

Associated with courage and bravery, thyme is a great fear-busting botanical. Burn some thyme to strengthen your resolve, and then tackle your goals with gusto.

ROSEMARY FOR CLEARING THE ROAD AHEAD

Smoke cleansing with fragrant rosemary can rid your home of negative energy, and help you create a fresh start. Sometimes known as “compass weed,” rosemary is a powerful plant that can provide clarity as you embark on new paths this spring.

BAY LEAF FOR MANIFESTING ABUNDANCE

Bay leaf is often worked with to create a sacred space for manifesting success and abundance. Write your goal on a bay leaf, light it on fire, then visualize yourself achieving that goal as the leaf is consumed by the flame.

ROSE FOR MATTERS OF THE HEART

Sometimes our hearts need to be cleansed of relationships that are no longer serving us. Rose can help mend a broken heart, and instill the self-love needed in order to move on from the end of a relationship.

LAVENDER FOR PURIFICATION, PEACE & TRANQUILITY

Lavender’s calming properties can help you overcome the restlessness and agitation of cabin fever and pandemic fatigue to help you spring forward into a new chapter.

MUGWORT FOR STRENGTHENED INTUITION AND LUCID DREAMS

Mugwort is a magical weed that’s been worked with for centuries as a tool for spiritual cleansing, protection, and healing.Fragrant and aromatic, it can be a powerful plant ally to help cleanse your space of anything that keeps you asleep to your own magic.

CLEANSING HERBAL INCENSE RECIPE 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED: 

• 1 teaspoon cedar tips
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon rosemary leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon rose petals
• 1 teaspoon lavender flowers
• 2 teaspoons mugwort
• Sand
• Charcoal Disk
• Lighter or matches
• Small Cauldron or heat-proof dish

METHOD: 

1. Grind your dried herbs into small pieces, mix to combine, and set aside.
2. Add a layer of sand to your small cauldron or heat-proof dish.
3. Place your charcoal disk on top of the sand. Light the charcoal, blow out the flame and allow the charcoal to smolder.
4. Sprinkle the dried herbs onto the smoldering charcoal, and enjoy the aromas of your homemade herbal smoke cleanse.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you don’t leave your herbs burning unattended!

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For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.