Herbal Smoking
Our line was created by herbalist, Siena Perez del Campo & her partner and creative entrepreneur, Gabriel Vicente. Driven by her lifelong love of plants, people, and the stories that connect them, Siena founded this small herbal product business with the hope that her products would do just that. She is a graduate of the Roots of Herbalism program with her studies highlighting Herbal Therapeutics, Medicine Making, & Growing Plant Medicine.
When reflecting on how HOLY.SMOKES came to me (Siena), an encounter I had around six years ago stands out in my mind. I was working on a photo campaign with a production team in the rural areas of Argentina. In late July, we found ourselves in the depths of the jungle of Moconá, a lush region in Misiones, Argentina. Our van driver, Carlos, stopped us in the middle of a field of citronella, & he had all of us get out & smell the fresh scent by rubbing the leaves of this bright green plant. He told us how he used to grow citronella in his field at home, but that a big tobacco company had convinced him and his neighbours to grow tobacco instead. They enticed them with a premium insurance policy that would cover his family. Sadly, the toxicity of chemicals that he was asked to spray on his new crop affected his whole family, since they also ate food grown in the same soil. After only a year or so, his teenage son was battling cancer & his wife was dying. Carlos prayed for his youngest daughter to be married to a foreigner & move away so that she wouldn’t have the same fate as that of her family.
This moment with Carlos in the citronella field deeply affected me & brought my awareness to the drastic effects our consumption and addictions can have on our global community. When I returned to the States, I found myself leading a more conscious, sustainable lifestyle, surrounded by people who cared for plants and used plants to care for others.
When a friend came to us for help with weaning himself off tobacco, I thought of Carlos and all that he put at stake to create a livelihood for himself as well as his family. We wanted to create an alternative to tobacco that had the stories of the plants & their caretakers in mind. HOLY.SMOKES was born from a desire to create a conversation around people & plants. which has been steadily expanding ever since. Here is a little bit more behind what MMM means to us.
Smoking is a practice that has been used by cultures around the world for many generations. The act of lighting rolled, dried plants & inhaling the smoke therapeutically or using aromatic plants as incense to perfume the air & purify a space for ritual is ancient. To the reluctant nonsmokers, we don’t recommend taking up smoking. To those who are tobacco smokers, however, we have received more & more testimonials from people who have ceased smoking entirely with HOLY.SMOKES as a smoke cessation aid. We are hoping to revitalise the sacred aspect of smoking, bringing it away from a ‘mindless consumption’ model & towards a ‘conscious collective’ mentality.
Here’s a little bit more about each blend for those who may be curious:
INKA.PINKA
A sweet & uplifting. It nourishes the heart with its rosy cloud with each puff. Best for social situations.
DREAM.TIME
A relaxing & full of velveteen mystery. It incites a colorful conversation with the subconscious dream mind. Best for inner reflection, listening to music, or just before sleep.
FOCUS.POCUS
A spritely blend that excites the mouth with minty freshness. Herbs are chosen to activate a meditative, focused mindstate. Best for writing, reading, or taking a break from studying, then getting back into it.
