On the dry hills of Baja California, in Mexico, and north into southern California, white sage grows in silver-green clumps. The peoples of these lands have burned it for generations to purify a home, a person or a gathering.
This page covers what white sage is, where ours comes from, the sizes we carry and how to use a bundle.
What White Sage Is
White sage is a plant of the sage family, Salvia apiana. Its name in botany means “of the bees”. The pale leaves are tied by hand into a bundle and dried. Lit at the tip, the bundle smoulders and gives a clean, herbal aroma.
Many people burn white sage to clear a room, to mark a clean start or before guests arrive.
Where Ours Comes From
Our white sage is cultivated in Mexico. It is not taken from the wild. We work with the people who grow it and tie the bundles, and we have worked with the same makers for many years.
Sizes
- 4 inch: for one room.
- 6 inch: for a whole home.
- 9 inch: for large spaces and gatherings.
Some bundles are tied with sinuata, a flower that keeps its colour when dry. They are often given as a gift, and to purify a new home.
How to Use a Bundle
- Light the tip and let it burn for a few seconds.
- Blow out the flame so the bundle smoulders.
- Carry it through the room over a shell or a bowl.
- To put it out, press the tip into sand.
Keep a window open, and never leave a smouldering bundle unattended.
White Sage at Maison Éthérique
- White Sage · Mexico · 4 inch
- Dragon’s Blood Sage: white sage tied with Dragon’s Blood resin
The other sizes and the bundles with flowers are at the House. At Warehouse 23, Alserkal Avenue, you can compare them side by side with blue sage, cedar and the other bundles. We are open daily, 9 am to 9 pm.
