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Re: Salvia Means what?

At 02:50 PM 7/10/98 +1000, you wrote:
>OK
>I have a little radio programme on the local community radio station.
>Each week we have  a competition
>This week as I will be talking about salvias,I was going to ask the meaning
>of the word "salvia"
>I thought I knew till I started to check the dictionary.
>What do you think I should accept?
>"to save"??
>or perhaps wise?
>healing balm?
>Come on all you frightnigly wise Medit gardeners what do you think?
>
>Michael Bailes.

Michael:

Put them both together!

As a result of studying sages, I like to say that I am working towards the
salvation of wisdom and to learn about the wisdom of salvation.  Both
meanings of sage come from the Mediterranean branch.  The first noun, for
the plant, comes from Old French , sauge, from Latin, salvia, sage, from
salvus, safe, sound,  and relates to the plant's healing attributes, as in a
salve, and the second noun, for the person, is likewise from Old French,
saige (from LL., sapius, from Latin, sapiens - wise, from sapere, to know,
taste), as in the wise man, shaman, Druid, rabbi, etc.

I learned organic Chemistry in grammar school by `tasting' (i.e., using my
senses to prime my intuition).  Of course, the very first lesson is to
recognize poisons or danger, so the result of evolving caution is to develop
safe and more powerful extensions for `tasting', like analytical instruments
and procedures.  The resulting wisdom comes from developing both left and
right brain functions well and in balance.

By extension from the herbal and medical, one goes into the psychological,
ethical, and theological realms for further alchemical transformation of the
soul.

Rich Dufresne
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