Sage is a wonderous plant with the ability to cleanse our bodies and our spaces spiritually but it offers us so much more. It's actions are vast and varying depending on the person. Sage can be either cooling or warming depending on your constitution or how it's prepared. If you tend towards the dry side, it may be best avoided or taken only in small doses.
When I think of sage, I think of it's astringent, stimulant, antispasmodic & antibacterial properties. I tend to use sage during the transitional seasons of spring and fall when we are most vulnerable to the elements. Sage is my go-to for those scratchy throat mornings. Adding a spoonful of Sage Honey to my morning coffee, hot tea, taking a spoonful straight or using Sage & Echinacea Mouthwash to gargle is cleansing & healing the respiratory system. If you have congestion, it's anticatarrhal actions help to break up mucus and it's antispasmodic properties help to relieve tension throughout the respiratory tract.
If you have an abundance of sage growing use these recipes below to create some magical medicinals for the turning of the season. If you don’t have sage on hand, no worries, I provided links to order a jar of dried sage from my garden! Enjoy!
Fresh Sage Tea
Roughly chop a handful of fresh (or dried) sage leaves and add to a mason jar
Pour over 8-10 ounces of just boiled water
Cover & let steep for 10-20 minutes
Strain & add a spoonful of honey
Simple Sage Infused Honey
What you need:
Jar of choice (I typically use a 12 ounce mason jar)
A bunch of sage (if using fresh, enough to fill your jar of choice, if using dried you only need to fill a 1/2 way)
Scissors or a knife
Raw honey (enough to top sage & fill your jar)
How to:
Chop or cut sage in small pieces.
Add sage to a jar and top with raw honey. Stir until incorporated & make sure all the sage is covered by honey.
Cover & let sit for 2-4 weeks in your cabinet.
Add a spoonful to hot tea, hot water with lemon or take straight by the spoonful.
Sage Oxymel
To make a medicinal oxymel simply add equal parts ACV to your sage honey & stir until incorporated.
To use, add to hot water with lemon or take straight by the spoonful as needed.
Sage & Echinacea Mouthwash
What you need:
Echinacea Tincture (*currently out of stock, swap it out for Yarrow Tinc*)
Sage (fresh or dried)
Steep about a 1/2 cup of sage in just boiled water, covered, overnight.
Strain & add 1/2 ounce of Echinacea tincture into a glass bottle or jar with a lid.
To use:
As a daily mouthwash, gargle & rinse.
As a gargle for sore, scratchy throats.