Spirit | History | Healing
Sage is a family of potent allies, each with distinct voices in both spirit and science. Let’s begin with an in-depth exploration of the different types of sage you might use in your practice, starting with three of the most common and sacred: White Sage, Desert Sage, and Garden Sage.
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White Sage (Salvia apiana)
The Sacred Cleanser
Spiritual Use:
White sage is one of the most revered plants in North American spiritual practices, especially in Indigenous traditions where it’s used in smudging ceremonies to cleanse the aura, space, and spirit. Its smoke is said to carry prayers, dispel negative energy, and clear spiritual debris.
In witchcraft and contemporary ritual, white sage is also used to purify tools, banish stagnant energy, and create energetic boundaries before spellwork.
Historical Lore:
Native to the Southwest U.S. and northern Mexico, white sage has been used for generations by Indigenous peoples like the Chumash, Cahuilla, and Lakota for purification and healing. The smoke was seen not just as a cleanser but as a living spirit—a sacred breath carrying offerings and intentions to the spirit world.
Medicinal Wisdom:
White sage has antimicrobial properties and was traditionally used to treat respiratory issues, headaches, and wounds. It can also be brewed as a tea to soothe sore throats, though it should be used sparingly due to its strong potency.
Magickal Notes:
- Element: Air & Fire
- Planet: Jupiter
- Chakra: Crown
- Energetics: Protective, clearing, uplifting
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Best paired with: Sweetgrass (to invite blessings), lavender (to soothe), black tourmaline (to ground)
Note on Ethics:
Due to overharvesting and misuse, white sage is endangered in some wild populations. Be sure to source it ethically, support Indigenous growers, or grow your own.
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Desert Sage (Artemisia tridentata or Salvia dorrii)
The Wild Shield
Spiritual Use:
Often confused with white sage, desert sage (also called sagebrush) is a different plant entirely, with a drier, more herbal scent. Used for protection, boundary-setting, and masculine solar energy, it’s often burned in rituals to fortify and strengthen the auric field.
It’s especially potent in rites of release, shadow work, and banishing what no longer serves.
Historical Lore:
Used by many Southwestern tribes, particularly in sweat lodge ceremonies, vision quests, and personal healing rituals. The Hopi and Navajo used desert sage for cleansing and dream protection.
Medicinal Wisdom:
This sage has powerful antimicrobial and antifungal properties. It was traditionally made into poultices, salves, and smudge bundles to treat cuts, infections, and respiratory issues. The essential oils in the leaves also act as a mild insect repellent.
Magickal Notes:
- Element: Fire & Earth
- Planet: Mars
- Chakra: Solar Plexus
- Energetics: Protective, strong, drying
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Best paired with: Cedar (for strength), myrrh (for depth), hematite (for grounding)
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Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis)
The Witch’s Herb of Wisdom
Spiritual Use:
Beloved in European folk magic and kitchen witchery, garden sage is used to enhance wisdom, protect the home, and increase psychic clarity. A bundle above the door wards off ill intent; a tea before divination sharpens insight. It’s also used in ancestral rites and spirit communication.
Historical Lore:
The name “Salvia” comes from the Latin salvare—to heal. Used by Greeks, Romans, and medieval herbalists, sage was a cure-all, a protector against plague, and a tool of seers. Charlemagne ordered it grown in all imperial gardens.
Medicinal Wisdom:
Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and loaded with antioxidants. Garden sage supports digestion, relieves sore throats, eases menopausal symptoms, and can reduce excess perspiration. It’s also used in mouthwashes and throat gargles.
Magickal Notes:
- Element: Air
- Planet: Jupiter
- Chakra: Throat & Third Eye
- Energetics: Warming, drying, insightful
- Best paired with: Rosemary (for memory), mugwort (for dreams), lapis lazuli (for truth)