The Salvia divinorum Research and Information Center - Shroomery

Erowid Salvia Vaults : "Sage Wisdom" by Robert Campbell
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Sage Wisdom
Salvia divinorum Branches Out
by Robert Campbell
The Resonance Project
Issue 1, Summer 1997
An intriguing member of the enormous botanical family Labiaceae (mint) has recently exploded onto the
entheogenic scene. Due in part to a wealth of new information on the subject, as well as the legal availability of
both dried leaves and live cuttings, Salvia divinorum has become a center of interest for a new breed of
psychedelic explorers. Through knowledge shared on the Internet, by word of mouth, and in recent books, this
humble, rare plant from the highlands of Mexico has been able to rapidly propagate itself throughout the entire
world.
Salvia divinorum has been known by a host of other names through time, including Yerba de María ("Herb of
María"), hojas de la Pastora ("leaves of the Sheperdess"), Hierba de la Virgen ("Herb of the Virgin") and most
commonly, simply "Salvia." The English translation of the Latin name Salvia divinorum is also commonly used,
with some referring to the plant as "Diviner's Sage" or "Diviner's Mint."
In Plants of the Gods, Hofmann and Schultes describe Salvia as "a perennial herb 3 ft (1 m) tall or more, with
ovate leaves up to 6 in. (15 cm) and finely dentate along the margin. The (white flowers, bluish in old age) borne
in panicles up to 16 in. (41 cm) in length, are approximately 5/8 in. (15 mm) long."
Account " ... A typical element of the Salvia experience seems to be spirals and recursions. During one song, I
was in a kind of tube which wound into a spiral and became more and more complex in more and more
dimensions. I was completely stuck in this thing and thought I'd never be able to escape. Then the song stopped,
and I was free."
Traditional Usage Little is known about Salvia's traditional use as an entheogen. It has been suggested as the
most likely candidate for pipiltzintzintli, an ancient Aztec shamanic preparation. Some researchers dispute this
claim, believing that pipiltzintzintli is in fact Cannabis sativa. At any rate, the Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico,
are the only people known to use Salvia in curing rituals at the present time (with the exception of recent
experimentation by Western enthusiasts).
In the autumn of 1962, R. Gordon Wasson, (famous for having brought the ritual use of psilocybian mushrooms
into the public eye with his Life magazine article), and the noted chemist Albert Hofmann took part in an
expedition attempting to secure a sample of the magical plant for chemical analysis. The Mazatec curanderas
(shamans) who had helped Wasson find the famous mushrooms were again very generous, and introduced the
plant to Wasson and Hofmann's party. After securing the leaves, it was agreed that a velada (divining ceremony)
would be held. Hofmann presents the details of this ceremony in a wonderful essay entitled "Ride Through the
Sierra Mazateca in Search of the Magic Plant 'Ska Maria Pastora.'"
It was not surprising that the ceremony was very similar to those involving psilocybian mushrooms that Wasson
had previously participated in, as the plant and the fungi seem to be used almost interchangeably in divining
ceremonies. The velada did not begin until late at night. Candles and copal incense were lit, and pairs of leaves
were laid out for each participant, with the curandera judging the dose —six pairs for both herself and Wasson.
Hofmann was ill, so he refrained from ingesting the leaves, opting instead to just take notes.
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