HISTORICALLY, sage was consid-ered the “sacred herb” by the ancient Romans and used for many complaints including respiratory, digestive and menstrual problems.

The Chinese used sage for fertility, believing it cured sterility while the Romans used it as a cure-all, believing it to promote longevity and wisdom.

In the Middle Ages it served as a nerve tonic and was part of a simple regime for dental care, as the velvety leaves were believed to whiten teeth and clean the gums.

Sage imitates the female hormone oestrogen and consequently can help to regulate the menstrual cycle.

It acts as a tonic to the female reproductive system and is said to increase fertility and aid conception.

This astringent oil is useful to control hot flushes and excessive sweating in menopausal women. Oil of sage is suitable for treating vaginal thrush, using it well diluted in a wash. Sage’s ability to stultify perspiration means that a small amount can be added to deodorants to increase their efficacy.

Where there is loss of appetite, sage helps stimulate a healthy digestion and a healthy desire for food.

Sage oil helps digest fats and can be of use where excess meat is consumed and constipation is a common problem.

The oil and oleoresin are used commercially for flavouring with meat

products and alcoholic beverages especially vermouth; where its digestive properties can be of use.

In cases of oedema and fluid retention, sage helps with the flow of urine and can be a tonic for the kidneys and the liver if used mindfully

Sage oil clears mucous from the membranes of the mouth, throat and stomach and consequently can be used as a mouthwash to treat gum diseases such as gingivitis and ulcers.

Add sage oil to a massage blend with cypress and lemon oil to improve lymphatic flow and stimulate sluggish circulation. This is a very cleansing and detoxifying routine to employ, which will even raise a low blood pressure.

Add sage oil to a blend of niaouli, pine and rosemary to use in an aromatiser to clear congestion colds,

catarrh and bronchial infections. This same blend would be effective

to massage into over-exercised or aching muscles and exert pain-relieving properties where it is needed. Stiff necks or cases of fibrositis or inflammation of muscle will also benefit from such a sage blend. It is said to ease trembling and palsy.

Sage oil assists in the formation of scar tissue, while also stopping bleeding in cuts and wounds.

Combine it with tea tree or manuka oil and dilute it well with water for an effective antiseptic wash. Add sage oil sparingly to lotions to ease dermatitis or psoriasis or to facial toners to counter large pores.

Its addition to shampoo or hair conditioning blends will bring lustre and shine to dull hair.

Sage energy accesses ancestral knowledge encoded in our DNA that activates and filters into the conscious-ness to manifest.

Its energy accelerates the process of turning inward to realise our inherent wisdom and recognise negative behavioural patterns.

Sage oil embodies wisdom, as the meaning of the name itself. Energeti-cally, sage unlocks the deep wellspring of ancient knowledge.

Traditionally, Native Americans used sage in purification rituals to instil the harmony of Nature.

These peoples lived in a state of sacred reverence attuned with the land and sage strengthened communication with the unseen Realm.

They burned sage and blew the smoke around a person’s body to release negativity and purify the spirit.

We too can burn sage oil in an oil burner to achieve the same cleansing effect, to clear the environment of emotional burden.

Use sage oil in meditation, as its vibration encourages introspection and acts like a mirror to truthfully see ourselves for who we are.

It casts a clear light on our self-destructive characteristics that impede our spiritual progress. Using sage addresses the thought patterns that block the ability to receive and accept.

Sage gives us independence and resourcefulness, it connects us to the wisdom of the elders; bringing us confidence to face the fears of moving into new situations that lead to growth.

Sage energy comforts the digestive system; our resistance to new ideas or clinging to old worn-out beliefs often creates digestive illness.

CHEEKY HERBSmonthly newsletter from tinderbox

PAGE TWO: SAGE MASSAGE TIPS

ISSUE No. 46AUGUST 2012

Sage oil quickens thesenses and memory

Sage and the Psyche

FACT FILEName: SageLatin name: Salvia officinalis Family: Labiatae (mint family)Scent: Sage oil has a clear herbaceous smell with sharp, camphorous top notes and a warm-spicy undertone. This smell is best suited to masculine perfumes. The essential oil is distilled from the dried leaves. An oleoresin is also produced from the exhausted plant material. Blends well with: Rosemary, ginger, geranium, bay, lavender, niaouli, orange, lemon and other citrus oils. Oil properties: There are many varieties of sage; the oil is steam-distilled from the common one with

purple–green leaves with blue flowers that grows to about half a metre high. Origins: Sage is an evergreen perennial herb that is native to the Mediterranean region where it is cultivated for much of the oil today. This plant grows wild in Yugoslavia and Dalmatia and also grown commercially in France, China and USA. Therapeutic properties: Anti-galactagogue, anti-rheumatic, anti-spasmodic, antiseptic, aperitif, astringent, depurative, diuretic, emmenagogic, hepatic, hypertensive (lowers blood pressure) tonic, febrifuge, insecticidal.Sage and the mind: In very small doses has a calming effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, which can be useful for nervous

exhaustion and where depression and grief has left one depleted. The scent of sage quickens the senses and aids the memory. Sage oil is used in the following Tinderbox products: Hair Conditioning Oil, Face Scrub, Cleanser.Precautions: Avoid use of this oil orally. Do not use during pregnancy, as it could also induce uterine spasms, nor during breast-feeding. Use sparingly and with great care because in extreme cases, sage oil could adversely affect the nervous system, causing convulsions, epileptic fits or paralysis. Clary sage is generally a safer alternative. Sage is best used in a blend for inhalation with an aromatiser to strengthen, cleanse and balance.

Ancestral herbaccessesancient wisdom

Sage oil is used in Tinderbox Hair Conditioning Oil.

CHEEKY HERBS AUGUST 2012 Page 2/2

Hair oil sets a shining example

www.cheekyherbs.com

THE IDEAL of an abundant head of shining hair that gleams with health is much sought after by both men and women.

The type, texture and amount of hair that you are born with cannot be changed; it is however certainly within your power to improve upon its natural state, ensuring it is in peak condition and health.

The condition of your hair is usually a good indication of your state of general health and nourishment from within is the foundation for beautiful hair.

You must ensure that you are eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in vitamins B complex, vitamin A, calcium, silica, iron, zinc, protein and unsaturated oils or fatty acids.

Similarly, it is then wise to choose the most natural nutrient-rich products that are plant-based to care for your hair.

If your hair is damaged, brittle or has split ends, it could well do with a pre-condition before shampooing to massage, feed the scalp and stimulate the hair follicle.

Tinderbox Hair Conditioning Oil is just the thing; a collection of healing, hair-loving herbs and oils, with exceptional nourishing qualities to use in a pre-shampoo treatment which will enhance your hair’s natural beauty, imparting lustre and softness.

Like organic gardening, healthy veggies grow form a rich wholesome soil; so too does hair sprout from a healthy well-tended scalp; especially one that you have massaged with herbal oil, bringing fresh blood supply to the surface, all ripe and ready to drink in the precious nutrients.

The silica-rich nettle and bay extracts increase peripheral circulation, promoting growth and condition, while the chosen essential oils treat pruritic, flaky scalp conditions, soothing irritations that are otherwise stubborn to clear.

The inclusion of manuka oil is significant as this is an efficacious specific for alopecia, or falling hair.

Problem hair will respond rewardingly over time to such deep oil treatments applied once a week.

For thousands of years Indian and Island woman have kept their tresses lovely with healing scalp oils from herbs, nuts, spices and flowers.

Scalp oils promote thick, lustrous, healthy hair. In some traditional cultures the use of scalp oils are also used medicinally to ward off colds and flu, relieve headaches, and repair frayed nerves.

Rubbing warm oil into the sensitive and receptive scalp area is a wonderfully calming experience that buffers the mind from the storms of everyday stress and overstimulation.

Finger comb the oil through your hair and leave on for at least 15 minutes as you relax.

Gently shampoo the hair with a natural cleanser, towel dry and allow the hair to dry naturally.

Another option is to wrap a hot towel about the head and let the oil seep deep into the scalp while you relax in a hot bath, or watch a movie.

In fact you can even slick back the hair in this moisturising and protective oil while at the beach to help prevent sun and sea onslaught and you can also leave it in overnight for excellent results.

Tinderbox, 37 South Western Highway Balingup, Western Australia

How to massage Sage oil using the meridians

Massage sage oil into the solar plexus meridian to facilitate the ability to easily and comfortably process change, in the physical body. Massage sage oil also into the stomach and bladder meridian to rejuvenate tired legs and swollen feet.

This will also alleviate back pain and promote feelings of support.Sage oil also relieves sciatic pain; use it on the gallbladder meridian for this purpose.Massage sage oil into the legs to shift a stagnant

density in the legs that prohibits us from moving forward; aches, pains and cramps in the legs can be overcome along with a resistance to change. Rubbing sage oil on the legs releases energy blocked by prolonged standing or poor circulation in the feet.

Firstly, brush the hair thoroughly and then wash out any hair products.

Warm 2-3 tablespoons of Tinderbox Hair Conditioning Oil, checking that the heat is just right for the scalp, which is very sensitive to temperature compared to other parts of the body. Apply the oil to the crown of your head working downward

and outward with the fingertips. Massage your scalp using a pinching motion, bringing the fingertips and thumbs together.

Follow a favourite technique or trust your instincts, maintaining an even and enjoyable pressure as you work from the hairline back to the base of the skull. This is an effective way to relieve tension; of course this treatment

is all the more pleasurable if you can coax your mate to do the massage;

perhaps you can swap one.

Top scalp massage tipsPRODUCT PROFILEHAIR CONDITIONING OIL

‘“May the wind blow sweetness,The rivers flow sweetness,The herbs grow sweetness,

For the people of truthSweet the night,Sweet the dawn,

Sweet the earth’s fragrance,Sweet be our heaven

May the tree afford us sweetness,The sun shine sweetness,Our cows yield sweetness

Milk in plenty”

INSPIRATION . . .

- Rig Veda 1