Elsa the Witch Pt. 2: Sage and Rituals

I particularly enjoyed this section about the magic of plants and their healing powers. In my last blog post, I mentioned my personal interactions with our local witch. In addition to her crystals and their healing powers, she also believes strongly in the healing powers of plants. She sent us home with a few bundles of sage and instructions on how to perform a cleansing ritual on our house. 

To successfully cleanse the energy in our home, Elsa told us that we needed to open every door and window in our house to give the energy a place to escape. She told us to light the sage and to set the intention of removing all negative energy from our space. Next, we were to walk through every door in our house and run the burning sage through each doorframe in the house in a clockwise motion. Once we hit each doorframe, we were to smudge out the sage and fan the smoke out through the open doors and windows. Once we had closed the house back up, the energy left inside was supposed to be clear. We have done this ritual on New Year’s Day for the past two years as a fun way to reset the house for the new year. 

The History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult talks about various healing plants that witches use as medicines meant to cure and heal. These therapeutic qualities have been long believed in since prehistoric times, and they have since been verified through modern research. Sage comes from the Latin word Saliva which means healing and rescue. It was used for a long time to reduce fevers. Some also believed that it could make one immortal or bring immense wisdom. Other popular healing plants include apple blossom, rosemary, basil, aloe vera, and lavender. Many of these plants and herbs are used for the same functions today as they were years ago; for things like better sleep, calming the mind, and treating wounds. It is also believed that some of these plants and herbs protect from spirits, invite in wealth, and promote a long life. 

The textbook also discusses ceremonial or ritual magic that gained popularity in the Renaissance. Rituals incorporate a specific set of actions, ceremonies and tools and often have the aim of summoning spirits. The practice of rituals is deeply embedded into the Catholic Church, with priests following specific rituals before each mass service called the array of rites. 

The energy cleansing ritual that Elsa recommended to us represents an interesting convergence of these two ideas. The sage has the capacity to heal or cleanse negative energy while the ritualistic nature of the burning and walking through the house could aid in removing negative spirits. Whether this ritual is effective or magical or not, it has been a fun reminder for my mom and I over the years to let go of the bad things from the past and to welcome in the good.