Sage for Wisdom

Sage, Salvia officinalis

Sage’s message is wisdom. None of us can be wise consistently. But we need wisdom to guide us through the difficult and potentially treacherous area of truth telling. Memoir writing requires truth, our individual truths. We need to have the wisdom to tell both the emotional and the factual truths, slighting neither, giving in to the pull of not one nor the other. This may be an ongoing struggle as we work on our memoirs. What happened when? Why did it matter? What did we think or feel at a given time or place?

Sage is another herb that originated in the Mediterranean area centuries ago. From there it spread to many countries where it was used in medicine, cooking, soaps, perfumes, and for spiritual ceremonies. From Native Americans we have the use of sage bundles for smudging, which brings purification and removes gloomy feelings. Other groups have adopted this practice.

I currently have one sage plant in my kitchen garden. When I first moved here, I read that deer don’t like sage, so I liberally planted it – Golden, Berggarten, Clary, Pineapple, and Tri-color. Their leaves ranged from silvery-green to red-tipped. Their flowers brought a lovely variety from white, to blue, to scarlet. However, after a year of success, the deer changed their minds. One morning I awoke to find only a few, well-chewed stems remaining. I started to replant, but was advised that once the deer decided they liked it, there was no turning back. The only variety that escaped the deer midnight munch was the White sage used in smudging. Year after year, it continues to grow and thrive. I’ve never cut sage sticks and wrapped them for smudging, but may some day. Its aromatic smoke is said to help us walk in beauty, in balance between ego and heart, and with respect to all other beings.

Sage grows in our Memoir Garden as a reminder to seek wisdom in our research, our reflections, and our writing. We’ve chosen a mixture of varieties that collectively delight the senses and provide guidance.

Visit our Writer’s Store with its products for encouragement and sharing that feature many of the herbs from our Memoir Garden.