Some Ways to Work With This Plant:

Stimulate Sweat: Prepare a hot tea to bring out the aromatics which will stimulate sweat, salivation, and internal secretions.

Digestive Aid: Sage is often used as a culinary herb when cooking fatty meats because the bitters and oils in sage stimulate the gallbladder to release bile which improve digestion and absorption of fats and oils. Increased bile also supports with the eliminative function of the bowels.

Sore Throat: Sage tea sweetened with honey and lemon is classic remedy for sore throat. Tea can also be gargled to support sore throat.

Oral Health: Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties make it supportive for oral health and gum disease. To work with sage in this way, rinse and gargle with sage tea that has been cooled down.

Respiratory Support: Sage’s drying and warming nature can be supportive in drying mucous and it’s ability to bring up mucus can support in aiding respiration.

Herbal Preparations:

• Tea: 1-2tbs dried sage in 1 cup of boiled and steaming water. Add lemon and honey to taste. Do not take for no longer than 3 weeks.
• Tincture: 3-30 drops, 1-3xday for no longer than 3 weeks.
• Sage Infused Olive Oil
• Sage Oxymel: Chop up sage and fill jar 3/4 of the way with it. Cover with the sage with equal parts raw honey and apple cider. Shake daily for 2-6 weeks and then strain and rebottle in fresh jar. Add to hot water, eat by spoonful, use in salad dressing, add to bubbly water.
• Sore Throat Spray
• Brown Butter Sage

References:

Wood, M. The Earthwaise Herbal, Volum I. North Atlantic Books, 2008 .

Community Medicine Shares

The best way to learn about a plant is by hearing other people’s stories about their experiences. Has this plant ever come to you in a dream? Have you sat with the plant and received messages from them? Does your family have a special way they work with this plant? Is this plant a plantcestor in your lineage and are their stories about it you’d like to share? Do you have any artwork you created inspired by this plant? Or do you have a favorite way to be in relationship to this plant? We’d love to hear all about it. Feel free to share below. You can choose to sign off with your name or remain anonymous :)

Latin Name: Salvia officinalis

Common Name:  common sage, garden sage, kitchen sage, true sage, culinary sage, and broadleaf sage.

Family: Lamiaceae

Contraindications: Do not use medicinally for longer than 3 weeks because it is drying. Do not use if chest/body feeding unless you are wanting to dry up supply.

Native To: Mediterranean region

Botanical Description: perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers.

Habitat: It is often found on sunny, dry shrub lands and grasslands on the coastline and on hillsides and mountains. Also found in dry banks and stony places in limestone areas.

Parts Used: Leaves

Key Constituents: Fixed and volatiles oils (including thujone), tannins, bitters

Herbal Actions: Astringent, antispasmodic, antiseptic, digestive

Taste: Pungent, oily, astringent, butter

Energetics: slightly warming, drying