Sage is a perennial, evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region, with woody stems, greyish leaves and blue-purplish flowers. The numerous healing properties of sage are difficult to list – from improving memory and quickening the senses to warding off the plague, which, thankfully, is no longer on our radars. Sage was used in religious rituals as a holy herb, and it was long associated with wisdom, feminine power and protection. Smudging is a method of energetically cleansing an area to attract positive energy. When it comes to cooking, sage appears in many signature dishes of European cuisine, particularly Italian, Balkan and Middle Eastern.