Herb of the Season: Sage by Dawn "Belladonna" Thomas

Sage

(Salvia officinalis)

Folk names: Sawge, Garden Sage, Red Sage, Healer of All Ills

Planet: Jupiter

Element: Air

Powers: Immortality, Longevity, Wisdom, Protection, Wishes

Parts Used: Leaves

Botanical:

The Garden Sage succeeds best in a warm and rather dry area but it can grow well in almost any condition. It likes ordinary soil and thrives in a situation when slightly shaded.

It is a hardy plant and even though it is a perennial, it does not last more than three or four years without degenerating. The plant should be renewed at least every four years. It is propagated occasionally by seed, but more frequently by cutting. New plants are readily made by pulling off the young shoots from three year old plants in the spring. This is most favorable in the month of April. As soon as they are hardy enough, they can maintain themselves from the moisture of the ground and in the air. The young plants need to be watered frequently to survive and should be pinched back to promote bushy growth.

Native sages are Artemisias but when used for spiritual purposes it is interchangeable with Salvia. Salvia is used by many people to fumigate or sense a sacred space which brings purification and cleansing.

A native to the Mediterranean region, sage likes a sunny climate and dry soil, and does not need fertilizer to fare well. Sow the seeds in early spring, separating them to 18 inches apart after sprouting. Harvest in the summer and protect the plants with mulch in the winter. Toads are known to love sage.

History and Folklore:

Sage takes its name from the Latin word salvare, meaning "to save." Among Greeks, people ate sage to improve the mind. It was a sacred herb among Romans, who first offered the plant wine and then harvested it without any iron tools. They felt that sage protected pregnant women, improved fertility, and extended life.

Sage was favored by Zeus, and the people of the Renaissance combined sage and honey to heal throat infections, a combination still useful today. Egyptian women sometimes drank sage juice before lying with their husbands to ensure immediate conception.

Roman god Consus was a harvest deity whose realm included sowing and reaping. At a later time, Consus was invoked at councils; his presence believed essential when important decisions were being made. Sage is an appropriate herb for bringing the energy of wisdom into a meeting.

In the language of flowers, sage is a petal of domestic virtue. If you are wise, it will always grow abundantly near your home, but if the head of the house is sick, it will likewise wilt. A young maiden will see her future marriage mate if she picks twelve sage leaves on Saint Mark’s Day as the clock strikes the midday hour.

To encourage prudence, protect yourself from wandering spirits, and turn away the evil eye, carry sage with you at all times. Drink a tea from sage as Gypsies once did, believing it will improve hair growth and enhance color.

Tradition holds that those who eat sage become immortal both in wisdom and in years. Sage is used in wish manifestation and to attract money. A medieval tradition claims that sage growing in the garden indicates the prosperity of the household.

According to Mrs. Grieve in A Modern Herbal, there is an old tradition which recommends planting rue among the sage to protect its health. This belief may come from the ancient Arabian belief that sage was an herb of immortality. It was also believed that the health of your sage plants reflected the health of your business affairs. Another folk belief was that sage grew best when the woman was the person in charge of the gardens and the household. This belief leads to the conclusion that women who desire to hold their own in the world, either in business or life should use sage. It is also recommended to be useful to single mothers.

Some legends maintain that sage’s healing powers were first discovered by Cadmus, brother of Europa, whose mythological life was filled with adventure. Sage is also considered to Zeus and Jupiter. It is an excellent herb to use when consecrating and is associated with the Temperance Card in the Tarot.

There are a few gardening tips concerning sage. It is bad luck to plant sage in your own garden. You should have a stranger plant it for you. Sage should not be planted alone; it should be planted with other plants.

Magical Uses:

Sage has been utilized to ensure a long life and sometimes immortality. This is done by eating some of the plant every day or at least in May, for:

He who would live for aye
Must eat sage in May.

Sage is carried to promote wisdom, and the leaves are used in countless healing and money spells. To guard against contracting the dreaded evil eye wear a small horn filled with sage.

If you desire to make a wish come true, write it on a sage leaf and place it under your pillow. For three nights sleep upon it. It once you dream of what you desire your wish will be materialized; if not, bury the sage in the ground so that you do not come to harm.

Herbal and Medicinal Uses:

Generally, purple sage is used for medicinal products, with the exception of gargles which use wood sage. The best time to harvest and dry sage for medicinal use is spring.

Sage is also useful as a digestive aid. Add two or three fresh leaves to your coffee or a cup of hot water and leave them for about five minutes, then drink. This same tea can be chilled to provide relieve for diarrhea in children, but is best not used by pregnant women as it is a hormonal stimulant.

If you feel a cold coming on, place the sage leaves in a cup of warm milk and drink it before bed. Rub fresh leaves on insect bites for relief. Drink an infusion three times a day for sore throat or irregular menstruation. For chapped lips, boil 4 tablespoons of sage in ½ cup of water for about forty-five minutes or until the juice cooks down into almost a syrup. Apply as needed.

As a healing tonic, sage is more than remedial for it can be used to promote health throughout one’s physical, spiritual, emotional and mental being. Sage may be used to purify one’s self, removing negative energy and providing a healthy attitude toward life. It helps one deal with grieving and loss, both through healing and by helping one see beyond the immediate loss. Old folklore recommends eating fresh sage leaves nine mornings in a row in time with either a new or full moon.

Sage is a drying agent for the body. The tea of the leaf will dry up night sweats, breast milk, and mucous congestion. It benefits the nerves and the menstrual cycle as well. Being astringent, it helps with diarrhea. Use it as a sore throat gargle and as a poultice for sores and stings. Use two teaspoons of the herb per cup of water, steep for twenty minutes and take a ¼ cup four times a day.

A gargle for a sore throat: a small glass of port wine, a tablespoon of Chile vinegar, six sage leaves, and a teaspoon of honey, simmer together for five minutes. A cure for sprains: Bruise a handful of sage leaves and boil them in a little vinegar for five minutes; apply this in a folded napkin as hot as you can stand it on the sprain.

When using it as a tincture: use fifteen to forty drops up to four times a day. Sage can also be used for night sweats, coughs, and to dry breast milk.

Sage rinse is good for dandruff: combine two teaspoons of sage, 1 cup of water, and 1 teaspoon of alcohol, shake and apply. Sage can be used as a deodorant as a fine powder. You can also add two teaspoons of sage to ½ cup of cornstarch for the same effect. This can be sprinkled in shoes to control odor. Sage water mixed with rubbing alcohol can be used as an aftershave. Sage is sometimes used as an herbal tobacco. It helps eliminate odors in the house and alleviates airborne germs.

Culinary and Crafts:

Garden sage is the most common type to appear in cooking. It has a slightly bitter, lemony flavor and is a regular ingredient for poultry seasoning.

Sources:

Beyerl, Paul. A Compendium of Herbal Magick. Custer, Washington. Phoenix Publishing; 1998

Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia & Magical Herbs. St. Paul, Minnesota; Llewellyn Publishing; 1985.

Dunwich, Gerina. The Wicca Garden. New York, New York. Kensington Publishing Corporation; 1996

Grieves, M. A Modern Herbal. New York, New York. Dover Publications; 1971

Hopman, Ellen Evert. A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year. Rochester, Vermont. Destiny Books; 1995

Telesco, Patricia. The Herbal Arts. Secaucus, New Jersey. Citadel Press; 1998.