Sage or ‘Salvia Officinalis’, also known as Garden Sage, Common Sage or Culinary Sage, is a commonly found herb. The Salvia genus has over 900 species throughout the world. Sage has a very long history of use from California to Australia. It is mostly found around the Mediterranean region, but its use has spread far and wide. Sage is part of the mint family of herbs.

What does it look like? 

Appearance wise, sage can be green, to white and purple. It has purple flowers. The white on the green leaves are tiny little hairs called Trichomes. 

Sage and Spirituality

Spiritually, sage is burned to cleanse and clear people and spaces. It has been, and is still used by many Native American peoples, including the Lakota, Chumush, Cahuilla and possibly others. 

Sage and practical uses

Practically, it also has been used in cooking, medicine for snake bites and even warding off the bubonic plague. Sage has been said to cleanse bacteria from meat which would have been extremely important to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. It has also been used as toothpaste when mixed with salt and other herbs. It has also been used in fertility rites. It is said to keep the mind sharp and can aid in alzeimers, and can help aid in attention spans in the young and old. It was also used to wash hands in the Middle Ages. 

Sage can be used as an essential oil or spray to cleanse and clear energy.

Sage and religion

Religiously, it was used by the Romans. They referred to it as their ‘holy herb’. They often kept stores of sage in their officinas, the traditional store room of a monastery, where the official name originates.

Scientifically proven 

Most types of sage have anti-microbial properties, which means that they can keep infectious bacteria, viruses, and fungi at bay. White sage is anti-microbial. White Prairie Sage (artemisia ludoviciana) is both anti-microbial and anti-bacterial. Both types of sage have been known to repel insects. 

A 2007 study by Russian scientists which was said to prove that sage is anti-bacterial up to 94%, proving what spiritual users have claimed for centuries.

Scientifically unproven, burning sage is said to release negative ions. Negative ions are not healthy for the human body. Some positive ion allergens are mould, dust and pollution. Burning sage is said to release negative ions that neutralise or counteract these positive ions. 

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