Curious — who really owns the “good vibes” in your crystal shop smudging kit?

You might be grabbing white sage, palo santo, or that pretty “manifestation” tea because it looks spiritual — but are you also unknowingly participating in cultural appropriation, environmental harm, or unsafe herbal use?

This episode peels back the sparkle: herbs are living medicines with stories, lineages, and sacred protocols. When we strip those stories away and turn plants into trendy props, we flatten relationships, fuel exploitation, and sometimes put our bodies at risk. The fix isn’t shame — it’s curiosity, care, and returning to relationship-based practice.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why burning white sage or slapping together cross-cultural herb mixes can be harmful — to ecosystems, communities, and the plant’s lineage.
• How herbs function as teachers (not shortcuts): why intention, preparation, and relationship matter more than packaging.
• Practical safety: sourcing, dosing, and why Amazon/cheap supplements can be risky (heavy metals, contamination, mislabeled bottles).
• Smart, simple steps to move from appropriation to reverence — kitchen herbalism, supporting local wisdom-keepers, and building a respectful plant relationship.

Closing thought: The medicine is not the bottle or the brand — it’s the relationship you build with the plant, the people who steward it, and the practices that honor its origin. Treat herbs like lineage, not like lifestyle props.

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