I’ve met several people recently who believe that burning white sage smudge sticks will remove evil spirits from their house. Yesterday, someone told me that she burned white sage for cleansing her house, but it didn’t work.

I suggested that she might consider planting a white sage and caring for it as a more healing practice.

How can we make growing live white sage more valuable than buying dead sage smudge sticks?

The Orange County chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OCCNPS) has created a campaign, A Sage in Every Garden, to promote the benefits of growing white sage by giving away 2,000 four-inch white sage plants to Orange County homeowners.

The white sage giveaway will begin on Wednesday, November 9 at 6:45 p.m. at the Norman Murray Community Center in Mission Viejo. OCCNPS will be giving away 96 white sage plants to attendees (one per resident while supplies last).

Also that evening, the award-winning documentary, Saging the World, will be screened at 7:30 p.m. The movie discusses how “saging” has become popularized in movies, television, and social media. People worldwide are burning sage bundles in the hope of clearing bad energy. Instead of healing, the appropriated use of “saging” is having a devastating impact on our environment. Poachers are stealing metric tons of this plant from the wild to supply international demand.

Saging the World spotlights the ecological and cultural issues intertwined with white sage, focusing on the voices of Native advocates who have long protected and cherished this plant. Directed by Rose Ramirez, Deborah Small, and David Bryant.

Heidi Lucero, of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, will attend the meeting and lead a discussion after the movie screens.

Join us at the Norman Murray Center on Wednesday, November 9, and let’s start sharing why growing white sage is more valuable than buying dead smudge sticks.