Sage Artemisia Ludoviciana (Page background: A ludoviciana) Wild sages of almost all species are herbs of great beauty and power. The sage that we recommend most highly is Artemisia Ludoviciana ( A . Gnaphalodes Nutt.) Even though it is a member of the same family as Tarragon and Wormwood, it was called 'sage' by the early white settlers in America and the name stuck. (It is called 'Pezhihota blaska'[1] by the Lakota.) Regular table sage is a member of the Salvia family. Another sage that is revered by many American Indian tribes is the White Sage, Salvia Apiana.
Sage is said to be strongly repellant to evil and spirits who would cause harm. "The spirit in the smoke of the sage is very offensive to all evil beings and they will fly from it. They even fear the herb of sage and will not stay where it is. So if anyone carries sage, or keeps it near, the evil beings fear to come near such a one."According to Lakota legends, Tate the wind, son of Skan, the sky, is said to get his power from sage. Some say that sage gets its power from the Spirit of the North from whence come the cleansing snows of winter. Sage is made up into small bundles, tied with different colored string (cotton or linen) and used for smudging. Most herbal or new age stores carry them for an outrageous price. Save your frog skins and go pick the sage yourself! (See our page on harvesting and collecting.) It is also traditional to roll up some leaves into a ball about the size of a walnut and burn them for incense in an abalone shell. Sage will burn nicely because it seems to generate some of the oxygen that is used in the process. Just strip the dry leaves off the stem and roll them between the palms of your hands to make a ball. Never wash the abalone shell, just brush the ashes off with a small brush[2]. Always return the ashes of your incenses, reverently, to Mother Earth - she needs them to nourish more plants.
|
|
Home |
|
Notes: [1] Source: Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region by Melvin R. Gilmore, 1919 |