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The Salvia divinorum Research and Information Center - Shroomery

The Salvia divinorum Research and Information Center - Shroomery

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tripzine.com : Sage Wisdom: <strong>Salvia</strong> <strong>divinorum</strong> Branches Out , by Robert Campbell<br />

It was not surprising that the ceremony was very similar<br />

to those involving psilocybian mushrooms that Wasson<br />

had previously participated in, as the plant <strong>and</strong> the fungi<br />

seem to be used almost interchangeably in divining<br />

ceremonies. <strong>The</strong> velada did not begin until late at night.<br />

C<strong>and</strong>les <strong>and</strong> copal incense were lit, <strong>and</strong> pairs of leaves<br />

were laid out for each participant, with the cur<strong>and</strong>era<br />

judging the dose —six pairs for both herself <strong>and</strong> Wasson.<br />

Hofmann was ill, so he refrained from ingesting the<br />

leaves, opting instead to just take notes.<br />

<strong>The</strong> cur<strong>and</strong>era crushed the leaves with a stone metate,<br />

<strong>and</strong> the liquid was squeezed into cups. <strong>The</strong>se cups were,<br />

as a final measure, bathed in copal smoke. Before<br />

consuming the potion, the participants were asked to<br />

make vows regarding their faith in the truth <strong>and</strong> holiness<br />

of the ceremony. <strong>The</strong> bitter potion was ingested, <strong>and</strong>,<br />

with the flames of the c<strong>and</strong>les snuffed, the journey<br />

began.<br />

<strong>The</strong> results of the velada were certainly intriguing<br />

enough to warrant further investigation by modern<br />

researchers. After 20 minutes, one member of the party<br />

saw "striking, brightly bordered images." During a later<br />

ceremony, the whole party, under the guidance of famed<br />

cur<strong>and</strong>era Maria Sabina, took psilocybian mushrooms<br />

while Hofmann alone took a potion made of the leaves.<br />

Hofmann described the effects of the potion as a "state<br />

of mental sensitivity <strong>and</strong> intense experience." He did not,<br />

however, experience any hallucinations.<br />

Account<br />

"I closed my eyes <strong>and</strong> lost all sense of my physical self. I<br />

roared through a void. I was surrounded by a space of<br />

myriad expanse, yet there was nothing there. I was<br />

exploding in all directions at once, exp<strong>and</strong>ing, twisting<br />

outward, yet there was nothing through which to be<br />

moving. I flew, I floated, I flourished. <strong>The</strong> dark matter<br />

sang with energy. Just as the abyss about me had a<br />

form, so its silence was an ecstatic polyphony. My senses<br />

rang with delight."<br />

http://www.tripzine.com/features.asp?id=salvia (3 of 11) [04.09.01 10:22:33]

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