by Lyssa Delgado
Welcome to my new weekly article, The Heretic's Herbiary! In this weekly article, I will be discussing different herbs and plants and their connections to witchcraft through different cultural histories. While I will be taking requests for herbs to cover, this week will be my choice: sage!
Sage is a popular garden herb with a sweet and savory aroma. Sage grows well in most temperate climates. Its velvety leaves release their fragrance when rubbed.
Sage was used medicinally in Egyptian, Roman, and Greek medicine. It is now best-known as a culinary herb for the dishes of Autumn, from roast turkey to sausage stuffing to pumpkin soup. An Old World herb, Sage was brought to the Americas by colonists for use in their gardens and kitchens.
This article refers to Common Sage or Garden Sage, Salvia officinalis. It is distinct from the White Sage commonly used for smudging. However, both plants have a solid magical pedigree, and many of their correspondences are similar. In fact, I recommend using common sage ONLY, as white sage is becoming endangered due to overharvesting!
In Roman times, Sage was sacred to Jove and was gathered with great ceremony. The genus name Salvia is related to the Latin word salvere, meaning to heal, preserve or redeem. Sage was associated in European traditions with wisdom, long life, and even immortality. An Italian proverb states, “Why should a man die when he has Sage in his garden?”
Sage is used to promote wisdom and bring in good luck. It builds emotional strength and may help to heal grief. Magically, Sage is associated with protection and the granting of wishes. It appears in countless spells of kitchen witchery, especially those stemming from European traditions.
Sage is available in both fresh and dried forms. If you wish to try to grow your own, just know this: Sage prospers in most home gardens (even in pots). However, it is said to be unlucky to plant it for yourself. Get a seedling from a friend or have someone else do the job. Sage is said to love company—it is similarly unlucky to plant the herb in a pot or flowerbed by itself.
Sage leaves and bundles retain their shape well when dried and make an attractive addition to sachets and potpourri bowls. When crushed, the dried herb is added to purification incenses. Sage essential oil is readily available. Because Sage naturally repels pests and thrives without much intervention, organic Sage products are neither rare nor expensive.
Sage’s reputation for wisdom, protection, and good luck cast it squarely into the bounds of Jupiter. Like that most paternal of planets, Sage’s energy brings prosperity and guards over the home. The leaves even contain trace amounts of tin—a Jupiter metal.
The usual elemental tag for this fresh-smelling herb is Air. However, given Sage’s loyalty to hearth and home and links to manifestation magics, an alternative correspondence could be Earth.
Overall, Sage is an incredibly potent if common magical herb! Give it a shot in your magic--or in your kitchen!
That's it for this week's Heretic's Herbiary! Remember to comment with an herd or plant you'd like to see in the article next time! Have a magical day!
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