Salvia Divinorum - The Diviner's Sage

Salvia divinorum plants, varieties “Luna” with round leaves and “Blosser” with oblong leaves, growing out after harvesting and a long wintering over in the greenhouse. Wandering Stars Cottage May 2023, photo by author.

Salvia Divinorum
The Diviner’s Sage

by R. Shane Clayton

Salvia divinorum, often called the Diviner’s Sage, is a psychoactive plant in the Labiatae family (the “mint” or “sage” family) that is endemic to the Mazatec region of the Sierra Madre mountains in Oaxaca, Mexico, also known as the Sierra Mazateca.

One of the very few psychoactive varieties among several hundred other non-psychedelic Salvia species, Salvia divinorum was so-named by the first botanist to identify it in 1939, Jean Basset Johnson, due to its use among the indigenous Mazatec “seers” of Oaxaca, Mexico, in their divining and healing practices. Called “curanderos” or “curanderas” in Spanish, these specialized healers were referred to as “Cho-ta-ci-ne”, meaning “one who knows” in the Mazatec language.

These Oaxacan “seers” also utilize psychedelic Psilocybin mushrooms that they call Teonanacatl “the flesh of the gods” in their shamanic practice; in fact, it was a Mazatec Cho-ta-ci-ne named Maria Sabina Magdalena Garcia who, at the urging of “La Maria” - the “quiet voice” of Salvia divinorum, gave Psilocybin mushrooms to amateur mycologist R. Gordon Wasson in 1956, who in turn introduced them to the Western world.

In this way, she single-handedly ushered in the psychedelic revolution of the 1960s and the paradigm shift that followed. Just one small but decidedly powerful woman and her sacred plant - channeling her native mother goddess with the aim of healing Western society!

"Heal yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With the sound of the river and the waterfall. With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds.

Heal yourself with mint, neem, and eucalyptus. Sweeten with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile.

Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a hint of cinnamon. Put love in tea instead of sugar and drink it looking at the stars.
Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain.

Stand strong with your bare feet on the ground and with everything that comes from it.
Be smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with your forehead. Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier.

Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember... you are the medicine."

- María Sabina

Maria Sabina - photo courtesy Don Juan Peralta.

Some twenty years after his monumental discovery of the synthetic hallucinogen LSD, Albert Hofmann was the first person to isolate the active psychedelic ingredient ‘psilocybin’ from samples of Maria Sabina’s local “magic” mushrooms. It was at this time that in addition to acquiring copious specimens of mushrooms through her in 1962, Hofmann and Wasson were also the first to collect and propagate living Salvia divinorum plants.

Hofmann objected vehemently to the species being named divinorum:

"... Salvia divinorum... is a wrong name, bad Latin; it should actually be Salvia divinatorum. They do not know very good Latin, these botanists. I was not very happy with the name because Salvia divinorum means "Salvia of the ghosts", whereas Salvia divinatorum, the correct name, means 'Salvia of the priests'." (Grof & Hofmann 2001)

Still, there is something to be said for the term “ghosts” in regard to the indigenous belief that this plant medicine engenders a connection with ancestral spirits. Either way, it is yet listed in the botanical literature under the name Salvia divinorum due to priority rules.

Nearly all the cultivars grown today are clones from these first “mother” plants collected by Hofmann and Wasson, which bear one or both of their names, with one of the more notable exceptions being the variety “Blosser” also known as the clone “Palatable”. Collected from Huautla de Jiménez in the Sierra Mazateca in 1991 by anthropologist Bret Blosser, it’s the hardiest and most vigorous grower and is actually the preferred clone here at Wandering Stars.

There is another important variety developed in Hawaii called “Luna” grown here too, the descendant of a small sport (mutation) growing underneath a var. “Wasson” clone, found by Daniel Seibert in Hawaii in 1994 - possibly a seedling. It has a radically different leaf form, quite round with the leaf margins more serrated than all of the other clones or cultivars.

Other cultivars include the following:

“Cerro Quemado”: A descendant of a Salvia divinorum plant collected by L.J. Valdes III, the first person to isolate the psychoactive compound, Salvinorin A, near the village of Cerro Quemado, Mexico in the 1990s. Two good links for background information on this strain: Valdes, 1987, and Valdes, 1983.

“La Fuerza” (The Force): A strain collected by Kathleen Harrison, ethnobotanist and former wife of Terence McKenna, in January 2001.

“Owens”: A strain collected by Jack Owens on Cerro Rabon in the Sierra Mazateca, Mexico in June 2003. Owens was a major supplier of dried Salvia divinorum leaves to the US from Mexico. Jack died in September 2004 and this strain is named in his honor.

“Julieta”: A variety collected by Daniel Siebert from a Mazatec shaman in Huautla de Jimenez, Sierra Mazateca, Mexico in 1999.

“Paradox”: A cutting from a seed-grown strain raised by Daniel Siebert in 1994.

“Resilience”: A cutting from a seed-grown strain raised by Daniel Siebert in 2002.

Salvia divinorum cuttings derived from seed-grown plants are very rare and therefore valuable genetically.

Credit must be given where it is due - the eminent ethnobotanist Daniel Siebert mentioned above has done more horticultural research with the plant than perhaps anyone else, and his efforts to raise awareness and protect the legality of the Salvia divinorum are the main reason that you are reading this article today. He sells dried leaves imported from Qaxaca and an excellent ethanol tincture from his online store, Sage Wisdom Botanicals.

History

Prior to the Spanish Conquest, we know that the Sierra Mazateca peoples saw the Salvia divinorum plant as a sacrament and regarded it as an incarnation of their pre-eminent goddess deity, “Our Mother” Tonantzin. In a miraculous stroke that surely saved countless innocent indigenous Latin Americans from genocide at the hands of the Spanish Catholic inquisitions, the people came to view the plant as the Virgin Mary, “Our Lady of Guadalupe” and converted to Catholicism, albeit with their indigenous spiritual undercurrents.

To this day, the Cho-ta-ci-ne begin every ceremonial communion with the plant that they call “Ska Maria Pastora” (which means “the herb of Mary the Shepherdess”, a nod to her official title in the Spanish Church) with invocations to Mary, the Holy Trinity, and various Catholic Saints, including Mary Magdalene.

It is this identification of Salvia divinorum with the mother of Jesus by the contemporary Mazatecs that proves the previous connection with their goddess Tonantzin, whose sacred temple once lay at the foot of Tepeyac Mountain in Mexico City before it was destroyed in 1521 by the Spanish when they conquered the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe now stands upon the ancient footprint of “Our Mother” Tonantzin’s temple in mute testimony to this fascinating, though tragic, merging of cultures. The story is explained in the foregoing Wiki link, for those with the eyes to see.

Above: Stone figure of Tonantzin found at Tepeyac Hill housed at the Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones, Mexico City.
Below: Original image of the Virgin de Guadalupe housed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Tepeyac Hill, Mexico City.

Although the invocations are veiled in Christian symbolism, the ancient Mazatecan undercurrent of ceremonial communion using Salvia divinorum (called a “velada,” tongue-in-cheek vernacular for a “cocktail party”) continues with their present-day shamans. After first consulting with the patient or questioner, the Cho-ta-ci-ne will most often first use the plant personally, journeying into the supernatural spirit world to gain insight and possible solutions to their particular issues, ranging from physical and mental health to relationships, finding lost objects, etcetera.

It's worth noting here that the Mazatecan people also use S. divinorum to treat various conditions, including insect bites, eczema, candidiasis, cystitis, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, menstrual cramps, rheumatism, and even depression or alcohol addiction. Whenever it might appear necessary for internal medicinal treatment, whether physical or mental, the patient will undergo the Salvia “velada” themselves. Sometimes the Cho-ta-ci-ne will accompany them, with an additional sitter or two present.

The “velada” ceremony involves either the “seer”, the “patient”, or both, lying down in a quiet, dark, consecrated space after either chewing fresh leaves or holding the juice from crushed leaves in the mouth for around 15-20 minutes. The ritual is scheduled for the dark nights of the New Moon, when the Mazatec shamans tell us the colorful visions are more vivid, and "La Maria speaks with a quiet voice." The experience and effects can last anywhere from half an hour to an hour and a half for some. After that, the only side effect is just a distinct sense of clarity and well-being.

Origin

Before 1939, Salvia divinorum was unknown outside of the Sierra Mazateca, and its true origin remains equally unknown. It is an interesting case since the plant’s pretty little purple/blue and fuzzy white flowers rarely produce viable seeds, requiring hand pollination due to the lack of a particular pollinating insect, and the pollen is often sterile anyway. Rather, the plant primarily reproduces clonally by trailing on the ground and rooting into moist earth from its nodes.

This suggests a long history of human propagation and cultivation leading to an inbred cultigen, although the hypothesis is debated. Even so, its range and proximity to the ancient Olmec civilization, which is famous not only for the colossal stone heads found scattered in the jungle but especially for its intensive agriculture, are suggestive of its origin as a semi-sterile clonal cultivar. Botanists remain undecided as to whether it is a hybrid or cultigen, although they do agree on likely human horticultural intervention.

Endemic range of Salvia divinorum courtesy C T Johansson - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27760137

Giant Olmec head at Las Venta museum. Oaxaca. Courtesy wikimedia.

Flourishing from 1400 to 400 BCE in the area of the Sierra Mazateca mountain range where the plants are endemic, the earliest known Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmec, had developed a quite advanced agricultural-based economy, establishing an impressive empire coast to coast in the area of Oaxaca and Veracruz.

For this reason, it is widely thought that the Olmec were the cultigen’s most likely origin due to the necessary long-term cultivation in the area required to develop the plant’s genetic clonal reproductive nature. Note that Salvia divinorum’s range did not cross over into Maya territory, but stayed centrally adjacent to Olmec and later Aztec cities. Meanwhile, archaeologists tell us that the Mesoamericans' use of the plant’s companion, the Psilocybin mushroom, goes back over 3,000 years to pre-Colombian times.

Blooming Salvia divinorum “Blosser” and “Wasson” at Wandering Stars overwintering greenhouse. It blooms every November with the shortening of days.

Psychoactive Properties

Salvia’s bright green leaves contain the potent psychoactive compound Salvinorin A, which was first identified by botanist/biochemist A. Ortega in 1981, with further studies by L.J. Valdes, who was the first to substantiate Ortega’s findings and isolate the substance in 1993.

When presented orally and sub-lingually, it can induce profound dissociative states, hypnagogic dreams, and recollections of memories, along with colorful vistas of wheeling visual patterns, cartoon-like imagery, and audio effects, including voiced messages that seem uncannily alive - even encounters with otherworldly entities.

Similar in some ways to Ayahuasca and DMT, very high doses appear to transform one’s perception to a wider if not entirely different bandwidth, as well as affording profound personal insights and nearly unlimited possibilities for exploring one’s consciousness.

“Salvinorin A challenges our conception of what psychedelics are,” says Peter Addy, a psychotherapist who has done extensive research on the subjective effects of salvia while working at Yale. “It’s the only psychoactive substance that is more potent than LSD.” Actually, while taking a small amount of Salvinorin A produces a large effect on consciousness, it is just slightly less potent than LSD, but close enough microgram per microgram.

Closing the eyes in darkness deepens the inward yet strangely out-of-body journey and makes the audio-visuals more vibrant and alive. It is often perceived as imparting deeply personal messages, sometimes in a soft, feminine voice. Some report experiences similar to the state between waking and dreaming, others something akin to astral travel or even near-death experiences. And, then again, some few people (-5%) feel very little, if any effect at all!

When Salvia is smoked or vaped, the effects come on quickly and can last for up to 30 minutes with enriched leaf, though generally dissipating after 10 minutes in most cases. When chewing freshly picked leaves, or using sublingual tinctures or extracts, it takes 15 minutes for it to take full effect, and the experience can last for over an hour, though most report 30 - 45 minutes.

As with DMT, the subjective effects depend on how much Salvinorin-A one absorbs into the bloodstream fairly quickly, with higher doses generally increasing its effects, intensifying the visual hallucinations and cognitive changes.

Unfortunately, Salvia divinorum has garnered a difficult reputation due to its misuse as a recreational drug by young, inexperienced thrill-seekers who smoke or vape enriched dried leaves, and it remains a relatively unknown and sorely misunderstood psychedelic to the general public.

When coated with the plant’s extracted psychoactive compound, Salvinorin A, these “gas station” or “Sally D” products yield a far higher potency - many times that which occurs naturally, i.e. 10x to 50x; and this exponentially raises the potential for physical and psychological impairment and/or distress when misused.

This is the only circumstance where Salvia divinorum use might be viewed as dangerous, with extremely intoxicated and dissociative smokers of 50x set free to move around in public and likely harm themselves and others through accidents, misadventures, and unpleasant experiences.

Notably, the Mazatec believe that the plant does not like being burned; so, like the Cho-to-ci-ne, I strongly recommend against smoking Salvia, much less recreationally, since your source and additives may have dubious origins anyway.

Conversely, these isolated contemporary instances of undesirable experiences are far outweighed by Ska Maria’s long history as a universally accepted non-toxic healing plant medicine used by the indigenous Mesoamerican peoples, likely going back well over 2,500 years to pre-Colombian times.

The Mazatec state that they have always had it, utilizing the plant for its healing properties with no reported toxicities, abuse, addiction, or any other notable deleterious effects since anthropologists first arrived in 1939 to study them.

Safe in the arms of “Our Mother”…

Long and Short-Term Effects and Risks

All in all, there are as yet no known long-term risks or any side effects from Salvia divinorum use. The latest research has shown no reports of addiction or dependency, nor any other related health risks or contraindications with food or pharmaceuticals, besides blocking the effects of the prescription drug Naltrexone. (See Medicinal Properties below.)

It is important, however, to note here that clinical research is still sorely lacking in this regard. Inhaling smoke or vapor ignited by super-hot butane torches is never a good thing anyway, of course, especially for those predisposed to asthma, COPD, or other cardiovascular issues, which is the final good reason to reconsider smoking it.

Subjective experiences can vary widely, but the general short-term effects of Salvia divinorum include the perception of colorful moving visual patterns, aural effects/hallucinations, dissociation or feelings of detachment from the physical body, hypnagogia, dream states, and various other changes in perception, sensation, and mood. Any discomforts, i.e., temperature, uncomfortable clothing, itchy blankets, extraneous noises, and even certain music, will tend to be magnified.

Associated short-term side effects include a loss of equilibrium or a sense of being in a turning wheel, loss of physical coordination, and a decreased ability to react coherently to people and surroundings.

As with other dissociative substances such as DMT, the short-term negative side effects of salvinorin A may include acute fear of the loss of mental control, possibly frightening visual and aural hallucinations, and the sometimes unexpected recall of disturbing personal memories; and it may induce a kind of panic arising from a rapid onset of unfamiliar physical/mental sensations, powerful visions, and a detachment from reality into a more dreamlike awareness. This may cause increased respiration and heart rates, but the Salvia leaf itself doesn’t cause these physiological changes, posing no clinically known risk to those with cardiovascular issues.

Such negative experiences as these are usually associated with smoking or vaping enriched leaves or ingesting huge doses anyway, being very rare when one uses the natural sublingual method and is well-informed and prepared beforehand. When the experience takes place in the proper “set and setting” with experienced guides, the expected and anticipated effects become quite pleasant and entertaining, and far more meaningful.

Additionally, although the plateau experience is relatively short-lasting, dissociation and physical sensory impairment can pose a danger for those careless folks who might attempt to drive a vehicle or be in public when under the influence. The lack of a proper situation and a sitter exponentially increases the possibility of harming oneself and others due to the general detachment from reality and a decreased ability to interact with physical surroundings and others.

This is where all the public concern over Salvia divinorum comes from, and rightly so. Unfortunately, these rare instances have mostly been over-sensationalized by the typical anti-drug coalitions.

Such lamentable interactions with the plant as these are easily dispensed with through regulation and education; that is, limiting access to Salvia divinorum products by minors under the age of 18, along with the promulgation of respect for it as the powerful herbal medicine it is. Ska Maria should therefore be used in an appropriate space with experienced guides, sitters, and/or psychedelic integrators.

There is no good reason to ban the plant outright, as some states and countries have, based on a few isolated instances of Salvia-related misuse and/or resulting harm.

The most basic of regulations is the key, along with easy access to factual, not sensationalized, information. The fact is, folks who use it reverently as a medicine and/or sacrament will always do so while sitting or lying down in a safe space with an experienced sitter for the duration of the journey, thereby posing an infinitesimally small risk of danger to themselves or others.

Legal Status

Largely as a result of the pioneering work of the Californian ethnobotanist Daniel Siebert mentioned earlier, Salvia divinorum is legal to grow and use by persons over the age of 18 in California, where Wandering Stars is located. Unfortunately, a handful of other states are not so open-minded. The same goes for laws regulating the plant internationally, with many countries allowing it, and others banning it. (see Legal Status of Salvia divinorum.)

From Wikipedia:

“In the United States, Salvia is not regulated under the Controlled Substances Act but some states, including Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, and others, have passed their own laws. Several other states have proposed legislation against Salvia, including Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Many of these proposals have not made it into law, with motions having failed, stalled, or otherwise died, for example at committee review stages.

National legislation for amendment of the Controlled Substances Act to place salvinorin A and Salvia divinorum in Schedule I at the federal level was proposed in 2002 by Representative Joe Baca (D- California). Those opposed to bill HR 5607 include Daniel Siebert, who sent a letter to Congress arguing against the proposed legislation, and the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics (CCLE), who sent key members of the US Congress a report on Salvia divinorum and its active principle, along with letters from an array of scientists who expressed concern that scheduling Salvia divinorum would negatively impact important research on the plant. The bill did not pass.

Salvia cultivation may prove difficult to police. The plant has a nondescript appearance; unlike cannabis, the leaves are not distinctive and it does not have a distinctive odor. Salvia divinorum looks like and can be grown as an ordinary houseplant without the need for special equipment such as hydroponics or high-power lights.”

The author with his first cutting of Salvia divinorum var. “Blosser”

Medicinal Properties

Thanks to its still general legal status in the US, laboratory and clinical research has demonstrated several medically significant neurochemical properties of the psychoactive ingredient Salvinorin A. Unlike the traditional tryptamine psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, DMT) that work with serotonin receptors, Salvinorin A is a kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist.

The same goes for the related psychedelic Ketamine - both share the same properties in directly easing opioid or cannabinoid receptor stresses. Ketamine therapy has a documented track record in treating opioid and alcohol addiction, depression, PTSD, etc., as a synthetic pharmaceutical and a controlled substance regulated by the FDA for prescription and physician treatment only. The other downside is that it has several undesirable side effects that have not been reported for Salvinorin A.

Meanwhile, Salvia divinorum is arguably a far more desirable alternative, being a mostly legal and relatively harmless, naturally growing green plant. Ethnobotanists had already noted its use by the Mazatec for alcohol addiction and depression, and Salvinorin A became of great interest to clinical psychologists over the past decade.

Even so, its rapid metabolic uptake and dissipation had “proven unsuitable for clinical research,” so it was dropped in preference for the more profitable, controllable, and easily administered synthetic Ketamine (which, like Salvinorin A, also has the unusual property of having absolutely no effect on some 5% of people). That means the only way to find out is to try Ska Maria Pastora for oneself, and the only way to enjoy its benefits is through its fresh green leaves or tinctures in those states where it remains legal, such as California.

On a side note, the non-psychedelic pharmaceutical called Naltrexone is also a KOR agonist like Ketamine and Salvinorin A., and is prescribed by physicians to block the craving for alcohol in patients suffering from acute alcohol use disorder. Naltrexone has also been demonstrated in clinical studies to block the effects of Salvinorin A, and vice versa (see linked papers below). Even so, it has several undesirable side effects, as most pharmaceuticals seem to do, with no visionary properties.

Based on the above, I have no doubts whatsoever as to the efficacy of Salvia divinorum as a natural, non-clinical, non-pharmaceutical alternative to both Ketamine and Naltrexone in the treatment of depression and alcohol use disorder, along with other trauma and addiction-related issues. Most especially, I wonder if the healing benefits of “juicing” the kappa-opioid receptors still occur even in the 5% who do not enjoy the full psychedelic experience.

Unfortunately, we do not yet have any real clinical trials on humans for Salvinorin A as a treatment for these, even though the personal experience of myself and some visitors to Wandering Stars who have undergone Salvia vision quests tends to suggest their efficacy.

It has recently been shown that Salvinorin A has analgesic properties for pain and inflammation (see article linked below). As mentioned earlier, the Mazatecan cho-to-cine use S. divinorum for healing multiple health issues, including skin maladies, inflammation, GI issues, and menstrual cramps, et al, as well as depression and/or substance addictions.

These multiple therapeutic applications suggest a complex mechanism of action for our mystical plant that demands further study. Again, pharmacology has two main issues with Salvinorin A as an analgesic: its rapid uptake and dissipation, and most especially, its pronounced hallucinogenic properties.

There is much more work to be done with Salvia divinorum, especially in the psychedelic healing community. After comparing the clinical data offered below, we can safely and readily assume that the same benefits that contemporary psychotherapy is now ascribing to Psilocybin mushrooms and Ketamine may also be readily attributed to Ska Maria Pastora. Meanwhile, its use as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory medicine remains experimental.

Here I will quote the final paragraphs from the first paper linked below:

“Today, we are facing a crisis in relation to the use and abuse of opiates and related molecules. In fact, new molecules are not being developed as analgesics, fundamentally because of the long time taken by the processes to position these new agents until they are properly marketed. One solution in this regard is to look back at the ancestral ethnobotany and the repositioning of existing molecules for new clinical applications. In this sense, S. divinorum can be used as an alternative therapy for inflammatory and neuropathic pain, due in part to the presence of salvinorin A, a powerful KOR agonist and an allosteric modulator of CB1 (Cannabinoid) receptors.

The experimental evidence supports the fact that S. divinorum, SA, and their analogues decrease the pain induced by neuropathy and inflammation. Moreover, the fact that S divinorum administration does not increase the release of dopamine in the Nacc suggests that salvinorins and their analogues can be a suitable therapeutic alternative without the risk of producing addiction.

Long-lasting pain has been among the major therapeutic challenges of the 21st century due to its disabling effects, especially with the growing population of the elderly. In this regard, finding new molecules or associations to decrease or alleviate pain is of utmost importance.”

Check the following NIH Frontiers in Pharmacology scientific papers for up-to-date details of the clinical research:

Salvia divinorum: from recreational hallucinogenic use to analgesic and anti-inflammatory action

Salvinorin A analogs and other kappa-opioid receptor compounds as treatments for cocaine abuse

Salvinorin A, a kappa-opioid receptor agonist hallucinogen: pharmacology and potential template for novel pharmacotherapeutic agents in neuropsychiatric disorders

Salvia divinorum var. “Wasson” cutting after one growing season. About one moderate dose worth.

Application and Dosage Suggestions

Salvia divinorum is not effectively dosed by ingestion; that is, it does not work via digestion in the gut, likely due to monoamine oxidase-type enzymes that neutralize it. It isn't particularly water-soluble either, so brewing and drinking Salvia tea wastes the active ingredient. So, unless it is swished around in the mouth for quite a while, it’s not a very effective way to dose.

Salvinorin A is readily dissolved in ethanol alcohol, however, and, like DMT and even cocaine, it is most effectively absorbed into the bloodstream through the epithelial cells of the mucous membranes, in this case, inside the mouth, particularly under the tongue or sublingually.

When Mazatec shamans talk about ingesting Salvia at a velada “cocktail party,” this is really what they mean, and this is why ethanol tincture is still the most effective and accurate way to dose. As for the ethanol, there is not enough in a full dose to add any alcohol effect, at under 10 ml. Its only drawback is the stinging/burning sensation of the tender tissues in the mouth.

This, too, is why smoking both “Sally D” and DMT or even “snorting” cocaine or psychoactive “snuffs” is so fast-acting, coming into direct contact with the high surface area mucous membranes of the nose, sinuses, mouth, throat, and lungs. While vaping may be the desired delivery method for DMT, I trust that I have sufficiently dissuaded you from smoking the dried leaf of Ska Maria. Let’s take a look, then, at the three preferable sublingual options:

Freshly picked Salvia divinorum var. “Blosser” leaves ready to be washed and rolled into quids.

1) Chewing freshly picked rolled-up leaves or ‘quids’:

In this case, opposite pairs of leaves are taken together from the plant, and are rolled into a singular ‘quid’ and then chewed, releasing the juice which is held sublingually and between the cheeks and gums. After 5 minutes, this mass and copious saliva is spat out, and another freshly rolled quid is chewed. Saliva only serves to dilute the dose, so expectorating as much from your mouth as possible at first before chewing will help a lot.

One should also avoid swallowing the juice, as most find it unpleasant tasting and possibly gag-inducing, although others have no problem swallowing it. One may take a sip of sparkling water to clear the back-of-the-throat taste between quids, but care should be taken not to rinse the mouth - and lose your dose with it too! Try to avoid pausing in between quids as well, as this diminishes the cumulative effectiveness of each dose.

Generally, five two-leaf quids will do the trick, though some may require six to feel moderate to strong effects. For a very strong dose, one should double the quids for each 5 minute chewing period. Don’t waste more leaf, however, if little or no effect whatsoever is felt after four or five quids, that means the person is among those who are unaffected by Salvinorin A.

This is a traditional Mazatecan method that some people have no problem with, preferring it to the sting of ethanol tincture, but most find the mass of chewed leaf and copious saliva from quid to quid to be singularly distasteful and unpleasant. It takes anywhere from 10 to 20 leaves for a moderate to strong dose, and one tends to end up with a lot of green stuff lodged in their teeth afterward. That is, only if you happen to be fortunate enough to have access to living plants.

60 ml Wandering Stars Salvia divinorum tincture and 2 grams of evaporated concentrate from the same amount. Contains about 3 or 4 strong doses undiluted.

2) Ethanol tincture, sublingual:

Since Salvinorin A is readily dissolved in ethanol alcohol, sublingual delivery of a tincture is by far the most effective and accurate method of dosage since both the alcohol and medicine are readily absorbed by the epithelial cells in the mouth.

The tincture is most potent and effective when used undiluted, but because it is dissolved in 190-proof pure organic corn ethanol, it can sting in the mouth like the dickens - like moonshine! The irritation can be similar to burning your tongue with hot cocoa, though not quite so bad, and the sensation may last for up to 24 hours for some people. Essentially, you have to weigh the comparative effect and cost of diluting, which requires nearly 50% more of the tincture or extract to maintain the same potency per dose.

Dilution instructions:

Single or staggered dose methods: As with the quids, swallow or expectorate to eliminate as much saliva from your mouth as possible first. Then you can either pour the whole dose under your tongue and hold it in your mouth for 15 minutes (any longer won’t increase the dosage/effects) and then spit it out.

First-time users may wish to keep it simple and just use 4 ml tincture with 3 ml hot water with a single dose. The less heroic but still effective staggered method divides the dosage by 3, with a 1/3 dose taken every 5 minutes, like with the quids.

If you are diluting with hot water, prepare and dilute each dose separately, taking great care not to get water into your main tincture bottle. This is where an assistant can really help - especially when you get to that third dose! Again, the faster you move between doses the more of the total amount absorbed into the bloodstream.

Use a ratio of 1 to 1.5 ml of hot water to every 2 ml of tincture. Shaking the bottle of tincture well first, use a dropper to put the measured dose of tincture into a small shot glass, then add the measured hot water and pour the mixture directly under your tongue, holding it there as long as you can before swishing it around your cheeks and gums. It will still sting, but nothing like the pure tincture.

As with quids, try to avoid swallowing as the taste in the back of your throat can be unpleasant. You may swallow water or sparkling water (better) between doses to clear this, but avoid rinsing the tincture from your mouth with it, and keep in mind the imperative to work quickly and efficiently, since pausing unnecessarily between the doses will diminish the effectiveness of each dose.

Dosage Suggestions:

(To stagger moderate and stronger doses, simply divide amounts by approximately 3)

Micro - .5 ml undiluted. Best for regular analgesic purposes.

Mild - Full dose 1 ml undiluted, 3 ml diluted with 1.5 ml hot water

Moderate - Full dose 3 ml undiluted, 5 ml diluted with 2 ml hot water

Strong - Full dose 7 ml undiluted, 9 ml diluted with 3 ml hot water

Very strong - Full dose 10 ml undiluted, 12 ml diluted with 4-5 ml hot water
Breakthrough - 12 ml undiluted, 15 ml with 6 ml hot water.

3) Extract concentrate, sublingual:

The extract is still in the experimental stages here at Wandering Stars. In this extremely sticky form, it is both difficult to weigh and to come up with an effective delivery method. I suspect that perhaps using a small bit of cigarette rolling paper with a full dose of 1/3 of the total concentrate, placed under the tongue for 15 minutes, will do the trick, but I have yet to try it. Personal experimentation has shown that a tiny amount taken on the end of a toothpick has a subtle perceptual effect. I am suspecting that administering such microdoses as cravings arise would be ideal for alcohol disorder treatment, or when taken every few hours as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory medicine. Check back for the results of further experiments…

Onset of Effects:

Most people begin to feel some effects after 5 or 10 minutes, increasing exponentially after that, reaching a peak after about 20 minutes after dosing began. This plateau lasts for 30 to 45 minutes, then quickly ramps down after an hour has elapsed. Very strong doses can last longer – some up to two hours.

Mild to moderate doses give one a somewhat “floating” sense, releasing one’s attention from focus on activity. This helps to calm and quiet the mind, which is very helpful for meditation and introspection. Mild doses have also been reported to have sensual aphrodisiac effects. For smaller, mild doses, the full amount held in the mouth for 15 minutes is best.

Moderate doses are great for deeper inner journeying and memory enhancement, and are very helpful for recapitulation practice and shadow work (recalling life events and attached feelings). Similar to the moderate dosage in effects, strong doses shift consciousness to another level, radically altering perception while producing incredibly rich and colorful fractal-like visions, hypnagogia, insights, or even whispered messages. Very strong doses are for those experienced psychonauts who are prepared to be whirled into transpersonal and multidimensional inner space, similar to Ayahuasca or DMT.

Inside the Wandering Stars vision quest tent, ready for a Ska Maria Pastora velada, with fresh leaves for quids on the offering plate, a glass of sparking water, and a copper spitting bowl. Under the Hopi blanket is a comfortable Thermarest inflated pad.

Preparation

Wandering Stars recommends first reading this article and the medical links in their entirety to help decide whether or not Salvia divinorum is right for you. Positive experiences depend on being well-informed beforehand, as does being in a safe, relaxing, and supportive environment. Like with the more well-known psychedelic mushrooms or LSD, set, setting, and the support of experienced others are critical to having an enriching experience.

The Mazatec Cho-to-ci-ne prefer the days around the New Moon to provide a dark environment more conducive for visions, a time traditionally valued by wise healers and farmers for planting, whether it be actual seeds or the seeds of intention. At Wandering Stars, we schedule our Salvia vision quests for the dark nights beginning with the Balsamic Moon, through the New Moon, and ending with the Evening Crescent Moon. Here, like the Mazatec, we suggest that the seeker fast for at least half a day, not eating any solid food after a light lunch at noon.

A safe, peaceful, clean, dark, and quiet space with a comfortable place to lay down, especially one consecrated for a Ska Maria Pastora velada or vision quest (such as our tent out in the country here at Wandering Stars), is a prerequisite. So is showering or bathing before the vision quest, and wearing loose-fitting, comfortable, simple clothing, preferably either cotton or linen. After bathing, use your favorite emollient to prevent itchy, dry skin. Comfort is Queen in the Salvia velada!

Importantly, it is highly recommended to brush your teeth and lightly brush your gums and tongue right before the velada, being sure to avoid scratching them to minimize the sting of the ethanol. A salt water rinse afterward may help to clear away mucous and saliva, making the absorption of the Salvinorin A and alcohol into the mucous membranes much more effective.

You will need to have everything ready to go: the washed pairs of leaves on a plate for the quids, ready to be rolled, or the tincture, hot water, shot glass, and droppers placed on an easily accessible and stable table or stand. An analog clock or kitchen timer is necessary too (I prefer to use a minute hourglass here).It is always best, especially if you are new to it, to have a trusted sitter with you to assist wherever needed.

Having soft ethnic or meditative music playing also seems to enhance the experience for many, while others find it an unnecessary distraction. It’s totally up to you. It seems to help newcomers relax, so we have put together music playlists developed expressly for our Wandering Stars veladas. I also suggest a time of silence, perchance to hear "La Maria's quiet voice."

A fan for air circulation can be pleasant, but my experience has shown that the plant and/or journeyers generally do not appreciate the noise, nor do they care for radiant electric heaters, except perhaps for the liquid-filled radiator type. The same goes for blue LED indicator lights or the glow of digital phone screens.

I recommend a single bright candle for light during dosing and no other open flames - most especially in a tent - my favorite being the familiar Our Lady of Guadalupe tall glass votive candle with white wax for brightness. It should be lit before the dosing process and blown out once the effects come on and the seeker lies down in the darkened space. A lighter can be used to find and relight it after the effects have fully diminished. A handy small flashlight placed in a strategic location can be used to locate objects like the lighter, should the need arise. A red astronomy flashlight is best to minimize visual disturbance.

The Mazatec Cho-to-ci-ne shamans also like to use copal incense during the Ska Maria Pastoravelada. Wandering Stars follows suit, using an electric censer for safety and to control the fragrance with little or no smoke. Copal aromatic resin incense is taken from the Protium copal tree (Burseraceae family - the same as Frankincense and Myrrh) and was burned ceremonially as incense and as a purifying fumigant by the cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Copal is still used by a number of indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America as incense during sweat lodge ceremonies, as well as sacred mushroom and Salvia divinorum ceremonies.

The tent at Wandering Stars, where our Ska Maria Pastora veladas are held.

Summary

Salvia divinorum, the Ska Maria Pastora of the Mazatec people of Mexico, is an incredibly powerful healing herb when used responsibly and intelligently in a safe and informed way, as explained in the foregoing paragraphs. An extraordinarily potent, mystical, and enchanting plant medicine, Salvia divinorum deserves an important, if not exalted, place in the herbalist's apothecary, with a virtually untapped potential for healing, personal growth, and self-discovery.

Not holding back on his use of superlatives, Daniel Siebert says it best:

“Salvia divinorum transforms the fundamental material from which our perception of reality is woven. Its effects range from the subtlest of perceptual changes to experiences that are so utterly bizarre that they transcend the ordinary limits of imagination. The states of consciousness afforded by this herb are magical and profound. It is an incredibly effective ally in the exploration of consciousness - one that can provide tremendous insight and reveal extraordinary new vistas. It can take you on a journey through your entire life, from birth to death. It can transport you to other places and times. It can show you the creation and end of the entire universe. Such experiences are tremendously enriching.”

Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember... you are the medicine."

- María Sabina

𓁧 Wandering Stars

Salvia Divinorum - The Diviner's Sage