Indigenous Sourced Sacred White sage is salvia apiana, also known as buffalo sage. Salvia is from the Latin word salvareî which means to heal. Names for white sage in Native American languages include qaashil (Luiseño), shlhtaay or pilhtaay (Kumeyaay), kasiile (Tongva), we'wey (Chumash), qas'ily (Cahuilla), shaltai (Paipai), and lhtaay (Cochimí).
Sold by the gram, $0.1927/g without a container. Please bring or order a bag.
Full 1 lb bag is 20% off = $69.98
MAIL OR PICK UP ORDER (pre-packed)
You must (please) order a minimum of 100g and buy a biodegradable bag or container. We reserve the right to change your container to a more appropriate size as needed and to credit or invoice you for any difference in your total order cost.
ETHICALLY SOURCED FROM INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
Our sage is harvested by selected indigenous companies that employ people in their community. We selected these suppliers specifically because it supports the local communities they reside in and follows their customs and traditions. The Sage is wild and is harvested by individual pickers (no big cultivation or farms involved). They harvest responsibly, to ensure they are leaving enough plants to self-populate next year. The bundles are created by our suppliers and then shipped to us.
OVERVIEW
This natural, freshly picked white sage has long been used in smudging ceremonies by indigenous practitioners.
The white sage, bee sage, or sacred sage, is an evergreen perennial shrub that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, found mainly in the coastal sage scrub habitat of Southern California and Baja California, on the western edges of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.
PROBLEMS WITH THE USE OF WHITE SAGE
The overharvest of the species is commonly attributed to the increased popularity of new age spiritual practices that borrow the use of white sage from Native American cultures. Overharvest of wild white sage populations is a concern held by many Native American groups and conservationists. Over-harvesting negatively affects the wild population and distribution of white sage and is occurring on public lands and non-permitted harvesting on the private land of others. Although some companies harvest white sage legally and sustainably in privately owned open space - this sage is cultivated in the US - or from farmed white sage, it is generally difficult to know whether it was harvested ethically or not.
Many Native American activists and activists groups believe that the use of white sage by new age spiritual groups appropriates from North American cultures without proper knowledge and respect.
At Anarres, we encourage you to explore how your own ancestors practiced cleansing and which herbs and botanicals are used.
Sages are used for clearing, culture-specific smudging ceremonies, and cleansing. Place a few dried sage pieces in the bottom of an abalone shell or other heat resistant dish. It's also wise to add a little sand for insulation. Ignite the leaves, blow out the flame and the sage will release a cloud of white, purifying smoke. The smell of white sage brings a sense of peace and clarity while clearing negativity from the room.
What is smudging and how is the term abused?
Smudging is a cultural ceremony practised by a wide variety of Indigenous peoples in Canada and other parts of the world. Although practices differ, smudging is used for medicinal and practical purposes as well as for spiritual ceremonies. The practice generally involves prayer and the burning of sacred medicines, such as sweetgrass, cedar, sage and tobacco. Indigenous peoples have their own terms and phrases for smudging, including atisamânihk (Cree for “at the smudge”) and nookwez (Ojibwe for “smudge medicinally”).
While colonization has continuously repressed such traditions, the practice of smudging has survived to the present day. indigenous people are still fighting for the right to practice smudging. Please learn more here https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/smudging in this ongoing colonial context, cultural appropriation of smudging with sage is all the more harmful and hurtful.
if you are non-indigenous and burning sage, you are nevertheless not smudging. Please explore the sacred herbs, traditions and terms belonging to your own heritages. Perhaps you are practicing saining, the Scottish Folk magic act of purification and consecration. Learn more here https://cailleachs-herbarium.com/2019/02/saining-not-smudging-purificati...
DISCLAIMER
The information presented on this website is for informational, reference and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a health care practitioner.
Photo thanks to Bri Weldon, CC BY 2.0
Photo thanks to Wikimedia Commons and Dionysia, CC BY-SA 3.0