White sage

Generally about sages

Plants belonging to the sage family are among the plants with mighty magical abilities. Wherever the plants of this powerful family are able to grow, they have become part of the local spiritual traditions. And because they have such magical abilities, they have been used in other parts of the world.

Not all sage plants are the same - they look different, they smell different, they are used differently, and even their safe use depends on the specific plant.

The best known plant from the sage family used in spiritual practices is white sage (Salvia apiana), which in Estonian is also called as witch's sage. It is called white sage because of its pale whitish-green leaves. It is known for its cleansing and protective effects and is therefore used in many different rituals.

Where does it grow?

White sage, also known as sacred sage, is an evergreen perennial shrub that grows in the deserts. It originates in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico and is found mainly in the coastal areas of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave and Sonora Deserts.

For growth it needs sandy, dry, and well-drained soil, direct Sun without any shade and very little water (if any). This plant also prefers very warm temperatures - less than 25 ℃ has a poor effect on it, not to mention the cold temperatures. Therefore, this is a very suitable plant for a "lazy" gardener!

Indigenous use

Native American people have used and still use a variety of plants for spiritual rituals, cleansing, and healing. Of the sages, white sage has not been the only one used for this purpose. In fact, the use of white sage was common only among the tribes living in the deserts of southwestern America because it simply did not grow elsewhere.

Among indigenous people different sage plants have been popular, including white sage (Salvia apiana), blue sage (Salvia azurea), garden sage (Salvia officinalis) and black sage (Salvia mellifera). Although nowadays the distribution area of ​​black sage has started to expand more and more to the north, taking over the former growing areas of white sage, black sage is not used for exactly the same purposes as white sage. Salvia mellifera has a sharper and more pungent aroma, and was used only during very specific rituals and ceremonies. Salvia apiana has a more herbal and mild aroma (although also with a strong scent) and is used more on a daily basis.

Native Americans have used white sage in their ceremonies to release energies and souls, increase and amplify protection, and seek blessings of health. Since in their culture all living beings are one, including plants, then according to their beliefs, white sage also has its own Soul. The task of the Soul of white sage is to provide protection, blessings, and purification. Holy sage amplifies all the other cleansing and protective rituals you already use.

White sage has also been used for food seasoning and, of course, due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, also as a medicinal plant.

For example, some California tribes used sage leaves as a mouth freshener and, on hot days, as a thirst quencher. It is because the leaves of white sage contain a large amount of eucalyptol and when chewed, they leave a refreshing mint taste.

When the leaves were boiled, their steam was inhaled to relieve cold symptoms. Tea was also made from the leaves, which increased sweating and salivation. Cold tea was used as an abdominal tonic, while lukewarm tea was used to treat a sore throat.

During the long-term boiling of the leaves, a potion was also prepared, which was later used for washing the hair and body due to its antibacterial and cleansing properties.

For medical purposes, even the roots of white sage was used to make the tincture. The latter was thought to provide strong support to women who have just given birth to recover faster after giving birth. At the same time, the tea from the leaves were used to prevent heavy bleeding during their period, but it was not recommended for breastfeeding mothers, because the tea also reduces the amount of milk in the breasts.

However, the seeds of the plant were ground and used to flavor food.

How to use white sage for energy cleansing?

As I wrote before, white sage has been used for centuries in Native American cleansing rituals and healing ceremonies.

White sage can be used to cleanse yourself, your home and your belongings. Suitable for daily use.

Sage smudging helps clean the air and kill bacteria, viruses and fungi, and is also a good insect repellent. It also helps increase intuition, improve mood, relieve stress, and anxiety.

Start the smudging ritual followingly:

Light a sage smudge stick with a candle, lighter, or match.

It would be convenient to use a white candle, for example, because during each cleansing ritual, a white candle should burn at the same time and after the ritual, so it will charge you and your home with new clean fresh energy after cleansing and removing negative energies.

It would also be good if you kept at least one window open during the cleansing ritual, so that negative energy could leave the room!

Hold the torch at a 45-degree angle to ignite and slowly swirl it in the flame to allow it to catch fire properly. If the torch does not want to light well, wave the "wind" by hand so that it starts to smoke properly. According to the wisdom of the indigenous people, neither the sages used for the cleansing ritual nor the wooden stick of Palo Santo should be blown, because for them it meant that you blew your soul away.

Let the torch burn for about 30 seconds and then shake gently until the flame goes out or, if you prefer, sprinkle some sand or other non-flammable material on the smudging dish and extinguish the flame by pushing the tip of the torch into it for a moment. The torch can then be placed on a smudging dish or other heat-resistant tray (a bowl is also suitable).

Keep in mind! Cleansing should only be performed with good intentions. Be sure to think positive thoughts before and during cleansing and pray or just ask the smoke of the plant to remove all negative and bad energy that is not in your best interest and for your highest good.

Every ritual must begin with yourself. This means that first you must cleanse your own aura and energy field and only then can you start cleansing the home, crystals, or other items that need cleansing.

Start cleansing yourself from your hands, moving them inside the smoke as if you were washing your hands. Then lift the palms with the smoke (as if you were taking water with your palms) and cleanse your ears, so you could hear good things, then your mouth, so you could say good things, your eyes, so you could see good things, and your heart, so you could feel good feelings. If you wish, you can also use the smoke to cleanse your hands and arms, so you could do good things, and also your knees and feet, so you could walk through life in a good way. You can repeat the same ritual when you have finished cleansing your home, crystals, or other things.

If you do not want to perform such a detailed ritual, it is enough to move the smoking sage torch over your body, simply letting the smoke do the cleansing.

When cleansing your home you should start from the front door of your home. If you live in a house and have several exterior doors, you should start with the main door.

According to the wisdom of indigenous people you can move in both directions - clockwise and counterclockwise. When you start moving clockwise, you cleanse and bring new good energy instead. However, if you move counterclockwise, you are asking negative and bad energy to leave your home. You can actually use both ways for cleansing. However, it is worth keeping in mind that moving counterclockwise may clear the whole home of any kind of energy. This means that along with illness and negative energy, good spirits and good energy also leave. At the same time, it helps if you apologize to the good spirits and simply ask them to come back after cleansing.

Remember that when you cleanse, you make room for more energy and nature does not tolerate an empty space. Therefore it should be filled immediately with new good and positive energy. For this you can use positive sounds: either sing or say something positive or play harmonious music in the background. If music or singing is not your thing, then just saying positive words will also help. At this point, be sure to notice what intentions you are entering into this space. Say those words by listening to your heart.

For objects (like crystals), you should also start the cleansing with good intentions and state what exactly do you want to remove. The item should then be kept inside the smoke until you feel it is cleansed. Since some of the energy has been removed, it should be recharged immediately with new energy. You can say positive words (intentions) or charge it in the moonlight or in the sunlight. The Sun charges objects with stronger and more active energy because the Sun represents masculine energy, and the Moon charges objects with softer and lower energy because the Moon represents feminine energy. Don't forget that we all have both masculine and feminine energy, and choose the charging method according to which energy you need more to support you at the moment.

After the cleansing rituals, it is always recommended to cleanse yourself again, so that negative energies don't get stuck in your energy body. When you finish the cleansing ritual, you can leave the torch on the dish to smoke. After a while, it goes out on its own.

Do not leave a burning torch unattended! Keep out of reach of children and pets!