California White Sage

In the mid 1970s, Arche Fire Lamedeer honored me with the task to prepare the Inipi (sweatlodge) with Mugwort for the floor, and to tend Fire.

While gathering sacred herbs for the Inipi, the plants “SPOKE" to me, telling me to pay attention. My plant teachers lead me to understand their gifts of wisdom. Mugwort, Yerba Santa, and Sage taught me the gifts they offer to the two-legged. The earth remembers, only man forgets. On vison quest, Hamblachi, the vision came to me to follow Bear Medicine, the wisdom of healing plants.

White Sage was largely unknown to the world at that time. She spoke to me to learn her ways. The path led me to eat, drink and smoke her. These plants have helped and healed my body of misunderstanding the plant world.

In silence, under the stars on my Hamblache (vision quest), Wankan Mato called me to learn the way of herbs, roots, and flowers. At that time this was esoteric, and not popular. Bringing this to Pow Wows, the world responded with a resonance that was unexpected. Many years later the response has only increased. Please try to understand that the response was, and continues to be, overwhelming. Now, the three year drought in Calfornia, combined with over-harvesting, has stressed the limited habitat of White Sage.

The habitat has also been reduced due to fire, development, and flood control. The cultivation of White Sage looks to be the only sustainable way to keep this sacred plant thriving, and here for the next 7 generations. Please check back soon for a blog about our White Sage cultivation efforts here at Native Scents, in Taos, New Mexico.

Please pray for rain and be informed. Aho!