Geography and traditional uses

The Salvia divinorum plant is native to the north of the state of Oaxaca, in Mexico, being found in the Sierra Mazateca within the Sierra Madre Occidental. It grows between 700 and 1,800 meters above sea level.

It grows in tropical forests, commonly on the banks of streams or in the extremely humid twilight.

The ska Pastora has been used by the Mazatec ethnic group for hundreds of years. The Mazatecs consider Salvia divinorum as the incarnation of the Virgin Mary. A Mazatec name is unknown, and it is speculated that the original Mazatec name may have changed due to Christian influence in a post-colonial introduction.

TRADITIONAL USES

The first academic report that is presented is in 1939, where the Mazatecs are described using the juice of the leaves of a plant that they called "Hierba María" for divination.

Therapeutic use with Salvia divinorum leaves is mentioned in other readings, where the medicine man collects the leaves (between 50 and 100, being the highest dose used for example for alcohol addicts), prepares the potion, and administers it at night to the patient. In addition to curing addictions, it is also mentioned that it is used to guess where an animal, or a person had been lost, or who had stolen something.

Effective pharmacologically documented treatments have been mentioned, such as treatment for arthritis and inflammation and eliminatory dysfunctions.

Likewise, it is attributed general relief, and its use as a tonic for the sick, anemic or dying people.

S. divinorum also seems to be an initiation herb for the future Mazatec healer, since it is considered for them as the "easiest plant to handle", ascending through the learnings of "the seeds of the Virgin" (Turbina corymbosa seeds) called "naxole natjaoná" in Mazateco, and ending with the learning of the control of hallucinogenic fungi.

For ceremonies, a healer and a patient will have to abstain from certain foods, sex, and situations such as funerals for a few days or weeks. The ceremonies are usually held at night in the dark and in front of an altar, and it is accompanied by prayers and songs; White candles, cocoa beans, fresh flowers and ground tobacco leaves mixed with lime (called "San Pedro") are also used during the ceremony.

Depending on the purpose, it is the use of the Hierba María: in ceremony for example, chewed and swallowed leaves is used, or a mixture of crushed leaves and water is drunk, being needed in the last method a higher amount of leaves.

The dose of the ceremony patient varies according to his physical constitution, previous experience and the origin of the problem to be treated (50-100 leaves). The effects in a Salvia ceremony start around 20 or 30 minutes, and last for 4 or 5 hours.

The effects that have been reported in the ceremonies are feelings of well-being and inner peace (which lasts for days after the experience), as well as out-of-body experiences, physical sensations of flying, of being touched or massaged, organic visions with elements of nature (animals, plants, people) and auditory hallucinations.

Otherwise, when looking for medicinal remedies, its used to drink the juice of 20-40 leaves just before going to sleep (to avoid the "psychedelic" effects).

During recent works, the use of ska Pastora has been reported as a poultice, to treat insect bites, eczema and fungi, as well as being pointed out by Mazatec women as a remedy for candidiasis, cystitis and menstrual pain, while different members also report a significant and lasting remission in the symptoms of pain, bronchitis, fever, back contractures, and fluid retention.

Sometimes it is also used to improve mood by chewing and eating two fresh leaves in the morning. Even numbers are always used to respect the duality of masculine and feminine.

The Mazatecos relate the female presences that are experienced with the Virgin Mary, and believe that the plant is a doctor who works inside to restore health.

Consulted sites:

Diaz, J. L. (2014). Salvia divinorum: enigma psicofarmacológico y resquicio mente-cuerpo. Salud Mental, 37(3), 183-193.

(http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0185-33252014000300002)

Maqueda-Sánchez, A. E. (2018) Farmacología humana de la Salvinorina A: estudio del mecanismo de acción central mediante bloqueo farmacológico de los efectos(tesis doctoral). Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, España.
(https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/tesis/2018/hdl_10803_666961/aems1de1.pdf)

Schultes, R. E., y Hofmann, A., (2000) Plantas de los dioses: las fuerzas mágicas de las plantas alucinógenas, México DF, Fondo de cultura económica.
(https://archive.org/details/PlantasDeLosDioses/page/n3/mode/2up)