The magic of sage

Sage is a perennial, evergreen shrub, also called Salvia Officinalis, with woody stems, blue-grey flowers and fuzzy greyish leaves. Frequently used in cooking, whilst it is very tasty, it is more than just a culinary herb.

In fact, the very meaning of the name ‘Salvia’ means to heal, or to salve, (meaning to soothe) deriving from Latin.

It’s one of the staple herbs that many naturopaths will have, so that they can frequently use in their tinctures and medicinal plants mixtures. Sage is a powerful healing herb.

Sage Lore

Way back into Egyptian, Greek and Roman times, sage was a staple herb, commonly used for a variety of reasons, in particular, for its purifying and medicinal properties. It was used to treat fevers, liver disease, epilepsy, to strengthen the memory, and even as an antibacterial aid, or to clean teeth.

Sage’s antibacterial properties were considered so profound back in the Middle Ages that they used the plant to eat with rancid meat and it’s hardly surprising, given its reputation of being a strong tool for purification.

English lore goes even further and it states that it’s possible to attain immortality, if sage is eaten every single day in the month of May!
Other lore includes the notion that if a woman ate sage cooked in wine, she’d be unable to conceive. If sage grows well in the garden, according to lore, you can assume that the wife rules, and the business of the household is thriving.

Romans, Greeks, and Native Americans all consider sage, in its various forms, to be sacred, particularly white sage for the Native Americans. It was sacred, and celebrated, and given sage’s beneficial properties, even in this modern day, it should still hold its title as a sacred herb.

Planetary and Elemental Connections

Understanding the planetary connections of a medicinal plant, or any element used for natural treatments, will enhance your understanding of its relevance in your own tinctures or mixtures, simply because you can use the relevant plant to reflect those properties you need for your wellbeing.

It is said that sage is the plant of the wise, that it is protective and brings good luck and prosperity. The leaves contain tin too, and if there’s a planet that can be most associated with these properties, it has to be Jupiter. Therefore, sage brings the properties of the planet Jupiter to the one consuming it.

Uses of Sage

Sage can be used to heal, preserve, or redeem – and also to bring wisdom.

Use sage to heal emotions, grief and loss for example, as sage can build a person up emotionally, so that they become strong. It can also heal and preserve memory. It can bring wisdom and therefore, answers to your problems, or questions.

And of course, sage can banish – for this you can rely on smudge sticks. Use sage to clear energy, and even to grant beneficial wishes.

How to Work With Sage

1) Prosperity – Create a pouch, and add in some sage, to resonate with prosperity. Don’t just stop with sage though, add in other items that represent abundance and wealth.
2) Cleansing – Smudging, of course, is one of the most well-known uses of sage, but you can also diffuse the essential oil to create a cleansing effect.
3) Mental Clarity – Consume powdered sage, or macerates. Use it in food as well.
4) Break Free from Old Habits – Burn sage incense stick every night with a symbol representing what you want to break free from and visualize the separation of you from that bad habit as your sage stick burns.
5) Grant A Beneficial Wish – Write your wish on the back of the sage leaf, or add sage leaves into a pouch and add your wish to the pouch, then sleep with it under your pillow praying also for your beneficial wish to be granted if this is the Will of God.
6) Bless Your Space – Sprinkle crushed dried leaves of sage around your sacred space, or outside your house to create a sanctuary of protection and blessings.
7) Banish Nightmares – Place some sage underneath your pillow at night, or around your bed, as you sleep and pray to be protected as you sleep.

Sage enjoys a warm environment, it’s easy to grow, and can grow in pots or in the garden; but take heed, according to lore, it’s unlucky to plant the sage at your home yourself, and its equally unlucky to plant one lone plant – they like company.

yogaesoteric
July 30, 2019