I have been trying to research this topic for a while, where i live, mexican sage is a more common occurrence than garden sage, I personally see no reason why one could not be substituted for the other, but than again I have found very little that says it can or can't...
I prefer collecting my own herbs and we have a Mexican sage plant, which when i bought was simply labeled "Sage" so I guess what im asking is a two part question.
1. Has anyone substituted "Garden sage" with a different variety?
2. Do you think it will have the same effects?
I'm pretty sure it'd work the same. At least I haven't heard anything that might indicate it being radically different, as far as I can see the only issue would be if you doubted it working in the same way or had reservations about it which might throw your energies off a bit but it seems like a more than reasonable substitution to me.
I think as long as you truely believe in it. It shall work. A lot of us are limitied on herbs, items, crystals etc just based on our location, so we have to subsitute. So just believe in it and i think it shall work :)
I personaly will not substitute salvias for all purposes .Salvia is big genus and one of its members is psychodelic plant .Different species within the genus will have difference in their chemichal content .For example the level of thujone will vary within the species .
You never told us with what purpose you are intending to use it .Either for smudging or for infusion for extracting essential oil and so on .Many different kind of herbs are called simply sage ,which is why you are better off looking for its botanical name .Botanical name of garden sage is Salvia Officinalis .Officinalis suggests that the herb indeed is used as medicine .Botanical name of the Mexican sage is Salvia Leuchanta .
If you are intending to use it for smudging you are better using neither of both, but so called white sage (Salvia Apiana ).
If you are inteding to use it as tea or infusion or for potions i recommand using salvia officinalis ,you do not know how much thujone contains the Mexican sage or is it in safety dose .Thujone can be poisonous in highter doses .If it has highter ammount you need to change the dose that you are intaking .
I would think to substitute both mainly in powders ,mojo bags ,washes and so on (things that do not involve you intaking it in some way either through inhaling or either through drinking and eating .)
When it comes to magical properties plants of same genus and family have some similarities ,but they also have thier differences .For example in magic mugwort is much more used than wormwood ,despite they are both artemisias and they are used for different purposes in same time .
I would actually say that this is something the common name can help you with more than the scientific classification. To say that all salvias can be substituted a different thing from saying all sages can be substituted. Not all salvias are referred to as sage and indeed not all sages are salvias. I would agree however that substituting Mexican sage for garden sage is probably not advisable if you're eating it, the plants regarded as ornamental because the leaves actually have little taste and this could stand to throw off your focus quite a bit. Mexican sage is not inherently toxic and shouldn't cause too many issues whilst burning to your health BUT due to its lower aromatic qualities there's a temptation to burn more of it which I would avoid, as previously stated all salvias are at least mildly toxic and you should avoid overdose.
Ultimately I to wouldn't use it in tea or burning, I just don't think it'd be all that pleasant and there's a temptation to up the dose which whilst probably harmless (you'd need to do a lot of brewing to make it dangerous) it does have a few risks associated with it. The only sage plant that I know of which should be avoided in either tea or smoke is diviners sage as it does have some relatively strong psychedelic properties.
Thanks, I have done a bit more research, and for the purposes i need it for Mexican sage is a safe, non lethal substitue. I will be substituting it for garden sage in making essential oils, and possibly smudging.
Yakov common name can be helpful to search the plant online if purchasing it or it can give you idea what kind of properties it has ,however many herbs have similar or same common names ,so they can be confused very easy .For example so called Russian Sage (Perosvkia atriplicifolia)is not actually Salvia ,same is valid for so called Texas Sage (Tleucophyllum frutescenshere).They are called sage, but as you can see from their botanical name they are not even from same family plants . .If something simply states sage and i can not see the plant either if it is powdered then i am stuck with its uses ,because i do not know how much dose i can use and for what .
Randalsscott the only one sage that is considered enough safe to be used by not qualified aromatherapist is clary sage (Salvia Sclarea ).Essential oils derived from plants that contain thujone are not recommended for beginners .You can mess up the dose and poison yourself .Also to obtain essential oil you will need to use distillation method and need a lot of time and a lot of raw green material .
Herbs are medicines and as you do not go and drink diazepam instead of aspirin you should not consume or use a herb you do not know what is and how much it is safe to use especially if it has a compound that is considered toxic in big doses .
Same goes for essential oils ,essential oils can penetrate our skin and their chemichal compounds can reach the bloodstream and all organs from there ,also breathing them is not good idea they are anyway volatile and evaporate vast .
The main point is do very good research before even thinking to use something and that is in case you know what that herb actually is .
So I agree but at the same time don't. it is just that some other types of sage works same in general but have slight different uses. ex. white sag and blue sage can be used for the same thing but white sage is better for cleansing than blue.