Sage advice

CHANCES ARE YOU KNOW the scent of white sage as well as you know patchouli. The sweet aroma of its dusty, pale green leaves permeates New Age spirituality shops across the Western U.S. The burning of California white sage, especially, has become an accepted form of cultural appropriation. Today, shops that carry sage, whether in mountain tourist towns or on Etsy, rarely consider its Indigenous origins or the current-day implications of its use.

California white sage, or , is a perennial desert shrub that grows several feet high. During April, the plant’s flowers, which range in color from white to pale lavender, attract bees, giving it the nickname “bee sage.” Indigenous cultures have collected, dried and burned the plant for centuries, using its smoke as medicine