Myrddin's Garden
Aconitum Lycoctonum
Aconitum Napellus L.
Amanita Muscaria L.
Artemisia Absinthium L.
Arundo Donax L.
Atropa Belladonna L.
Cestrum Parqui
Cannabis Sativa L.
Claviceps Purpurea L.
Conium Maculatum L.
Datura Stramonium L.
Hyoscyamus Niger L.
Lactuca Virosa L.
Mandragora Officinalis L.
Papaver Somniferum L.
Phalaris Arundinacea L.
Psilocybe Semilanceata
Salvia Divinorum
Scopolia Carniolica
Bufo Vulgaris
Salvia Divinorum
Leaf of the Shepherdess
Salvia Divinorum
Leaf of the Shepherdess
Synonyms
none
Folk Names
Aztekensalbei, blatter der hirtin, diviner’s sage, foglie della pastora, hierba de la pastora, hierba de la virgen, hoja de la pastora (Spanish, “leaf of the shepherdess”), hojas de adivinacion, hojas de maria pastora, la hembra, leaves of the Mary shepherdess, mazatekischer salbei, pipiltzitzintli, sage of the seers, salvia, salvia of the seers, ska maria pastora, ska pastora (Mazatec, “leaf of the shepherdess”), wahrsagesalbei, yerba de maria, yerba maria, zaubersalbei.
The evergreen plant is an herbaceous perennial that can grow to over 1 meter in height. Its most characteristic feature is its completely four-sided, sometimes even square stem, which can grow as thick as 2 cm. Its edges are angular. Both the opposite leaves and the side branches develop from nodes on the stem. The light to dark green leaves are entirely covered in fine hairs and attain a length of over 20 cm and a width of some 10 cm. The leaves are lanceolate and tapered at both ends. The panicled inflorescences appear at the ends of the stalks and look exactly like those of Coleus blumei. The campanulate calyxes are bluish or purple in color, while the petals are always white. In Mexico, the plant blossoms between October and March but primarily in January. In cultivation, the plant seldom flowers, and fruits almost never develop. Recently, however, one clone has been discovered that develops fruits and seeds more frequently. A hummingbird has been observed as a pollinator. The seeds germinate and begin to develop, but with our current gardening techniques, they all eventually die.
Salvia divinorum can be confused with a similar, closely related Central American species, Salvia cyanea Lamb, ex Benth.
Appearance
Salvia divinorum is endemic to the Mazatec region of the Sierra Madre Oriental in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Apart from this, the plant is found only as a cultigen among “neo-shamans” and in botanical gardens. It occurs naturally in tropical rain and cloud forests at altitudes between 300 and 1,800 meters. Because of its small original range, the plant is one of the rarest of all natural entheogens. It is now grown by plant enthusiasts around the world.
Distribution
Propagation is performed with cuttings or layers/shoots. All leaves except the topmost pair are removed from an 8 to 12 cm long branch tip, which is then placed in water. The cutting should develop roots in about two weeks. It can be planted in soil after about four weeks. Salvia divinorum requires a great deal of water and prefers high to very high humidity. If the edges of the leaves turn brown, this is a sure sign that the air is too dry. As a shade plant, it does not tolerate any direct sunlight, prefers dark soil, and needs copious amounts of water, i.e., it should be watered almost every day. Although the plant is sensitive to cold, cultivated Salvia divinorum can survive a mild frost.
Cultivation
The Aztecs knew and used a plant they called pipiltzintzintli (literally “the noblest little prince”) in entheogenic rituals in a manner very similar to
the ways in which they used mushrooms (Psilocybe spp.). A number of authors have suggested that this plant was Salvia divinorum.
Gordon Wasson discovered the plant and its divinatory use in 1962. That same year, the plant was first botanically described by Carl Eplingand Carlos D. Jativa-M., botanists from UCLA. In the 1960s, Albert Hofmann was unable to discover any active constituents in an initial analysis of juice pressed from the plant.
The chemistry and pharmacology was not clarified until the 1980s and 1990s, when salvinorin A was discovered.
History
Indians use nonpsychoactive preparations to treat defecation and urination disorders, headaches, rheumatism, and anemia and to reinvigorate the infirm, the aged, and the dying.
Medicinal Use
The shamans and shamanesses of the Mazatec of Oaxaca use Salvia divinorum in divinatory and healing rituals, usually as a substitute for the preferred psychoactive mushrooms (cf. Psilocybe mexicana, Psilocybe spp.). Only a few shamans prefer to use this Salvia. The ritual use is very similar to that of the mushrooms.
Salvia divinorum rituals almost always take place at night in complete darkness and silence. Either the healer is alone with the patient or other patients as well as healthy participants are present. Before the shaman and perhaps other people chew and suck the leaves in the form of a quid, the leaves are fumigated with copal (cf. incense) while prayers are spoken and the quids are consecrated to the higher powers. After chewing the leaves, the participants lie down and try not to make any sound. Both sounds and sources of light will greatly disturb the visionary experience. Because the effects of the leaves are much shorter in duration than those of the mushrooms, Salvia rituals rarely last more than one or two hours. If the visions are sufficiently pronounced, the shaman will have identified the cause of the illness or some other problem. He then reports to the patient, provides appropriate advice, and ends the nocturnal meeting.
In Mazatec folk taxonomy, Salvia divinorum is related to two species of Coleus. Salvia is la hembra (the mother), Coleus pumila (a species introduced from Europe) is el macho (the father), and Coleus blumei is both el nene (the child) and el ahijado (the godchild). It is this relationship that is responsible for the psychoactive reputation of Coleus.
In the region of Puebla, a similar and botanically as yet unidentified species of Salvia known as xiwit is cultivated for use in treating the folk ailment susto (“fright”) and in rituals. The ritual is said to be very similar to that practiced by the Mazatec
Ritual Use
Fresh or dried leaves (salvia divinorum leaves, folia salviae divinorum, divination leaf)
Psychoactive Material
The leaves contain the neoclerodan diterpenes salvinorin A and salvinorin B (= divinorin A and divinorin B) as well as two other similar sub- stances whose composition has not been completely determined. The main active constituent is salvinorin A, which can induce extreme effects in dosages as small as 150 to 500 g. Loliolide, a substance known from Lolium perenne L. (cf. Lolium temulentum), has also been detected.
Neither an essential oil nor thujone, which is known to occur in other Salvia species, has been discovered to date.
Constituents
The Mazatec take thirteen pairs of fresh leaves (twenty-six leaves in all) and roll them into a kind of cigar (quid) that they place in the mouth and suck on or chew while retaining it in the mouth. The juice is not swallowed, as the active constituents can be absorbed only through the mucous membranes of the mouth. At least six fresh leaves are needed to prepare one quid (threshold dosage), while more distinct effects will occur with eight to ten leaves. When consumed in the form of a quid, the effects appear after almost exactly ten minutes and persist for some forty-five minutes. The dried leaves are best smoked by themselves. Here, as little as half an average-sized leaf (two or three deep inhalations) can be sufficent to elicit profound psychoactive effects. Usually, however, one or two leaves are smoked. The dried leaves can be soaked in a Salvia divinorum tincture, after which they should again be allowed to dry.
Dried Salvia divinorum leaves are becoming popular as an ingredient in smoking blends and even in the manufacture of psychoactive incense.
Tinctures are prepared from fresh or dried leaves by using an ethanol-water mixture (60% alcohol). The tincture can be either used to impregnate dried leaves, thereby potentiating their effects, or applied sublingually. Dosages appear to vary considerably in their effects among individuals. In addition, several experiments seem to be needed before the effects become apparent. Looking back, however, one realizes that there were noticeable effects before.
For information concerning the use and dosage of the primary constituent, see “Constituents” and also the discussion of salvinorin A.
Preparation and Dosage
Most people who have ingested Salvia divinorum in the form of a quid or tincture or by smoking have reported very bizarre and unusual psychoactive effects that are difficult to compare to the known effects of euphoric or psychedelic substances. Space is often perceived as curved, and surging and rolling body sensations or out-of-body experiences are frequently described as typical. Reality curls up in a spiral and clearvoyance (seeing into the future) can occur if used in high doses.
Daniel Siebert has summarized the phenomenology of the effects of Salvia divinorum in the following way:
Certain themes are common to many of the visions and sensations described. The following is a listing of some of the more common themes:
1. Becoming objects (yellow plaid, French fries, fresh paint, a drawer, etc...).
2. Visions of various two dimensional surfaces, films and membranes.
3. Revisiting places from the past, especially childhood.
4. Loss of the body and/oridentity.
5. Various sensations of motion, or being pulled or twisted by forces of some kind.
6. Uncontrollable hysterical laughter.
7. Overlapping realities.
8. The perception that one is in several locations at once.
These effects are strongly reminiscent of those that are experienced at subanesthetic dosages (50 to 100 mg) of ketamine.
Effects
Source: Christian Rätsch: The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants
