Sage is an herb native to the Mediterranean. It belongs to the same family as oregano, lavender, rosemary, thyme, and basil.

Sage has a long history of use in Egyptian, Roman, and Greek medicine, as well as in Native American healing traditions. Dried sage is burned as a way to heal, protect, increase wisdom, and boost defense against disease. That process is called smudging. 

Smudging is a Native American tradition that utilizes the smoke from burning dried plants in a ritual to cleanse and purify an object, place or person and to bring it to a place of balance. It is powerful because uses all four elements found in nature: water, earth, air and fire.