Sweet sage is one of the most popular herbs for smudging. This aromatic plant has a vivid and long history when it comes to medicine for the body and the mind. The benefits of using sage in smudging or burning include cleansing a space, clearing out negativity, improving your mood, and boosting your brain.
Sage has been around forever. This potent silvery leaf belongs to the Salvia family. The Latin word for sage is salvere which means ‘to heal’. It is a potent plant that has a long history in traditional medicine and is used by shamans and healers across the world. Native Americans and other indigenous people have been burning sage for a long time, as part of their spiritual practices. Often called upon to cleanse spaces, shut out negative energy, and welcome wisdom in, burning sage can be a beautiful remedy. It was also used by ancient cultures like the Ancient Romans and the Ancient Greeks who turned to this medicine to help them with everything from digestion issues to sharpening memory tools.
In our modern world, sage is used in the art of smudging or spiritually cleansing a space. Outside of the kitchen and the sage we use to bring aromatic taste to our thanksgiving dinners, there are many different kinds of sage. Herbalists love this plant for its wealth of unique properties and next we take a look at the different kinds of sage that are common in spiritual practice.