DAY 29 "Salvia Apiana"

Salvia Apiana is commonly know as White Sage (or sacred sage...the Chumash Indians called it "we'wey" (pronounced waykway) and can be found along the chaparral, coastal sage scrub and other locations along California.

This plant is by far my favorite. The smell, the feel and taste are wonderful. They call this plant the sacred sage and rightfully so. It has excellent healing powers and cleansing abilities. When the ancients speak, we should listen. I always have a good dried bundle of it at hand and also a potted plant (rubbing the fresh leaves immediately clears your mind...wonderful how plants work). If you're any bit interested in natural medicines, I would highly suggest looking into this. The medicinal properties are wonderful. I use this plant several times a day for many different purposes.

Here's a statement from a local Chumash on this plant:
"It is our everyday plant. It is a spirit plant. If you don't have it, everything is going to bother you. You drink it in water or you suck on a leaf everyday. You are going to be calm enough to be rational. It will enhance any medicine you take and protect you from the toxicity of the medicines. It tickles your spirit, your conscience, and helps you keep your integrity. If you drink it everyday, you won't get as many colds. Some people have very harsh communication skills. If they smoke white sage, they're just a little gentler. I smoke it because I need to be a peace keeper. If drug addicts smoke it, it helps give them direction. They're not aggressive. It cures their addiction one hundred percent."

Mother Nature...you've got to love her.