Sage
The Healer
Beside the laughing boy a Sage-plant grew,
That in luxuriant growth its foliage threw;
He tried the verdant leaf with art to strain,
The verdant leaf but yields a darker stain.
She caught the leaves, and with a gesture bland,
Played o’er his teeth her soft and sportive hand.
Wise old sage. Evergreen, he has squarish woody stems like most in his family. Generally, he is not the star of the garden. At roughly two feet tall, this shrubby perennial is a patient old man. His graying leaves are nearly white on the underside and speak of vast wisdom collected over centuries. Soft and dawny, these oblong leaves can be rather large, are deeply veined, wrinkled and grow in pairs. His flowers are usually lavender, although they can also be white or pink. This gentle spirit makes strength look effortless. Sage is our guide when we get lost. He seems to find a place to thrive wherever he goes.
The Magic of Sage
Correspondences
Element: Air, Earth
Gender: Masculine
Sabbat: Unknown
Planet: Jupiter
Chakra: All
Spellwork
Longevity
Wisdom
Protect
Clean
Grief
Proverb
Latin: Why should a man die who has sage in his garden?
The Medicine of Sage
Ayurvedic
Not Applicable
Herbology
Antigalactagogue
Anti-inflammatory
Antimicrobial
Antioxidant
Antiseptic
Antispasmodic
Antisudorific
Astringent
Carminative
Cholagogue
Circulatory Stimulant
Diaphoretic
Emmenagogue
Expectorant
Hypoglycemic
Nervine
Tonic
Infusion: 1 cup of boiling water to 1.5 tsp herb
TCM
Not Applicable
Science of Sage
Botany
Botanical Name: Salvia officinalis
Family: Lamiaceae (Mint Family)
Type of Plant: Herbaceous perennial
Habitat: Average soil, Sun
Zone: 4-8
Bloom Time: June
Height: 2 feet
Spread: 2 feet
Propagation: Seed, Cuttings
Harvest: Sparingly the first year
Part Used: Leaf
Constituents: Flavonoids, Tannin, Rosmarinic acid, Phytoestrogens
Native Region: Southern Europe
Sustainability: Good
Leaf
Structure: Simple
Arrangement: Opposite
Shape: Ovate
Length: up to 4 inches
Margins: Entire
Surface: Bumpy pubescent
Flower
Inflorescence: Compound whorls
Sexuality: Perfect
Stamen: 4
Petals: 2 lipped tubular
Color: Blue
Size: 1 inch
Sacred Story
The Hasinai tribe native to the region now called Texas, has a tale about a beautiful young woman who fell in love with a star. She wanted to join him in the sky, but the elder woman said that she had to fulfill her destiny on Earth. Heartbroken the maiden was inconsolable, so the elder agreed to make her a potion. This drink rooted her to the desert and she became a beautiful bush. Her lover so admired her that he fell from the sky and covered her with stardust. Joined together they became the sacred purple sage.
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