Hyoscyamus niger – Black Henbane
Black Henbane, also known by the scientific name of Hyoscyamus niger, is a member of the Nightshade family. It is acknowledged in ancient literature as “apollinarix,” the plant of the god Apollo....
View ArticleBrugmansia versicolor – Amazonian Tree Datura
B. versicolor is one of the most important shamanic plants in the Amazonian portions of Ecuador and Peru. In Peru, it is used as an ayahuasca additive, and is cultivated in home gardens for just this...
View ArticleValeriana officinalis – Valerian Root
Valerian is an Old Germanic magical healing plant that was sacred to the earth goddess Hertha. The root was used by the shamanic smith of German mythology, Wieland, to heal diseases. It was hung on...
View ArticleCrocus sativus – Saffron Crocus
The saffron crocus is one of the oldest cultivated plants, and wild forms are no longer to be found. It was cultivated in Crete and Thera during the Minoan period. It may have been used as a substitute...
View ArticleArgemone mexicana – Prickly Poppy
There is little documented evidence regarding the psychoactive properties of this plant, although there are two important and reliable reports. First, in India (one of the places this plant is common...
View ArticleCalea zacatechichi – Dream Grass
The Chontal Indians of the Oaxaca region in Mexico have used C. zacatechichi, which they call Thle-pelakano (meaning Leaf of God) for centuries as a medicine that clarifies the senses and allows the...
View ArticleVerbena officinalis – Vervain
Verbena is much esteemed by European herbalist traditions. Priests in ancient Rome used bundles of vervain to sweep and purify altars to Jupiter. They also used it in rituals for purposes of promoting...
View ArticleCannabis sativa – Fiber Hemp
Today, the United Nations Council on Drugs and Crime lists Cannabis sativa as the most widely used illicit drug in the world. The popularity of Cannabis sativa may partly reflect its relative...
View ArticleErythrina berteroana – Pito Coral Tree
The young flowers of E. berteroana are eaten as vegetables in Guatemala and El Salvador. If large amounts of the flowers are consumed, sedation occurs and the individual will sleep deeply. The tree is...
View ArticleLobelia inflata – Indian Tobacco
L. inflata is used by the Crow of the Yellowstone River Valley as part of rituals, and also has a history of use in the love magic of the Pawnee of Oklahoma and the Mesquakie of the lower peninsula of...
View ArticleMelissa officinalis – Lemon Balm
Lemon Balm has long been known for its aromatic qualities and its culinary uses. The Greeks used Lemon Balm to treat insomnia, to calm nerves and alleviate anxiety. It was used as an ingredient in...
View ArticleCannabis indica – Indian Hemp
The oral preparation called majum in India, composed of Cannabis indica resin or foliage with other ingredients, was reported to induce euphoria, feelings of flying, sexual desire, and enhanced...
View ArticleAgave americana – Agave
According to Aztec historical records, the fermented agave beverage pulque was first created in Central America after the Aztecs had migrated there from the north just after 1000 CE. It has probably...
View ArticleAcorus calamus – Sweet Flag
Remnants of the plant were said to be found in the tomb of Tutankhamen. Throughout the Middle Ages, A. calamus was well known and widely used in Europe as a medicinal plant of extraordinary reputation....
View ArticleNicotiana rustica – Mapucho
Nicotiana rustica remains have been found in graves in the Andes dating back to the Tiahuanaco culture. It was originally known as Peruvian henbane in Europe, and its psychoactive properties were...
View ArticleGalbulimima belgraveana – Agara
In Papua New Guinea, the bark and leaves of Galbulimima belgraveana are boiled along with the leaves of Homalomena belgraveana and the root of Zingiber zerumbet to produce strong visions and powerful...
View ArticleNymphaea caerulea – Blue Lily
The Sacred Blue Lily of the Nile was found scattered over Tutankhamen’s body when the Pharaoh’s tomb was opened in 1922. Many historians thought it was a purely symbolic flower, but there is mounting...
View ArticlePassiflora spp. – Passion Flower
In Pre-Columbian times, many South American natives used some of the up-to-sixty edible Passiflora species as food, as well as as a source of medicine and sedatives. When Spanish missionaries invaded...
View ArticleAnthemis nobilis – Chamomile
Chamomile, in all of its forms, has been used for its scent and sedative qualities for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians held that Anthemis nobilis was sacred to their god Ra, and they used...
View ArticleBrugmansia x insignis – Magnificent Angel’s Trumpet
The Mascho of Peru hold B. insignis as their most important shamanic plant, and call it xayapa. For them, ingestion must occur at night, and the individual should then lie on the ground somewhere where...
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