The Salvia divinorum Research and Information Center - Shroomery

Daniel Siebert Speaks…
quite opposed to this practice and said that it was extremely
disrespectful to use the plant in this way. She said that this
was equivalent to burning your own children. Obviously she
feels quite strongly about this. She made it very clear that
when dealing with sacred plants, honor and respect are of
paramount importance, and that las hojas should not be taken
without observing the appropriate ritual diet and using them
in a proper ceremonial context under the guidance of an
experienced and reputable shaman such as herself.
I should mention here that there are now non-Mazatec
entrepreneurs who are going into the region and purchasing
Salvia divinorum leaves from less scrupulous Mazatecs for
export. These export operations are removing hundreds of
kilos of dried leaves from the region annually. Obviously the
Mazatecs who are selling to these buyers are beginning to
realize how popular their sacred herb is becoming abroad.
Will: What other research do you plan on conducting in
México?
Daniel: Primarily, I am interested in spending more time with
some of the Mazatec shamans who use Salvia divinorum so
that I can develop a greater understanding of their use of this
plant, and their particular perspective with regard to it. I think
that it is very important that people who are experimenting
with this herb have some knowledge about its traditional use.
These shamans know a great deal about how to work with this
plant in a meaningful way. They understand what can be
accomplished with it and how to use it to achieve specific
goals. As is true in many indigenous cultures around the
world, shamanic sacred traditions are quickly disappearing.
Few young Mazatecs are interested in learning these
traditions. Much of this knowledge will be lost in the next 20-
30 years as the current generation of elderly shamans die out.
Very little information has been recorded regarding the
Mazatec traditions surrounding Salvia divinorum. If this
knowledge is to be preserved, the time to do it is now, before
it disappears.
I am interested in determining whether or not some of the
Mazatec's immediately contiguous neighbors, the Cuicatecs
and Chinantecs, also utilize Salvia divinorum. I would also
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