Spring is the best time to prune and harvest your lavender shrubs. You want to give them a good prune to encourage fresh new growth and lots of flowers. It also keeps them under control, I've made the mistake of letting them get too big and woody in the past. They're a beautiful addition to any cottage, medicinal or aromatherapy garden. I've always hated to waste the gorgeous harvest so will use my lavender in lots of ways from tea, tinctures and baking.

Today I'll show you how to make your own Smoke Cleansing Bundles.

I have a giant French lavender just off my back deck. It's given me years and years of enjoyment. The fragrance from the French Lavender variety is just divine. This well known floral herb has been used for centuries for calming and soothing, keeping bugs and pests at bay, pain relief, low-tox cleaning and so much more.

Smudging or smoke cleansing is am ancient spiritual ritual performed traditionally by indigenous Americans, by burning a stick of sage to cleanse the energy and call in their spirits guides. Today it's been adapted for our spiritual practice, much like we would use incense and essential oils to cleanse the energy, auras or homes.

I used lavender here but your could use any other herbs that you have growing abundantly like rosemary, clary sage, thyme, lemon balm, mugwort burdock, peppermint, the possibilities are endless. You could also add other flowers

Lavender is used as a smudge will bring out the powers of calming and cleansing. She has a calming effect on on the nervous system. Lavender brings a clean positive energy, opens the heart chakra and calms situations. Magically it can be used for protection and also for love as well. Some traditions maintain the scent of Lavender wards off evil.

Now let's get down to business!

What you will need:

• A large bundle of lavender or other her, fresh or dried
• A roll of jute, hemp or cotton yarn. It's important that you don't use a synthetic yarn as you will be burning it and they tend to catch light quicker than the herbs
• Scissors
• Secateurs or herb snips

How to:

You're about to create magic, so you want to be infusing it with your own postive energy, a little meditation and smoke cleanse ritual before you start will be perfect.

1. Gather your herbs into bundles depending on their length, I found I had two sizes so I made small and large bundles.
2. Line them up at the flower end
3. When your bundle is about 3-5cm thick it's time to bind.

I hope you enjoyed this pretty DIY? If you give it a go please tag me on Instagram or drop a comment and photo below. I love to see your creations! If you have any questions about how to make your own Lavender Smoke Cleanse Bundle please don't hesitate to email me or get in touch via the socials.

Love Edwina xx