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Salvia divinorum

Botanical name: Salvia divinorum
Also known as: Salvia, Diviners Sage, Pipiltzintzintli, Hierba de la virgen, Yerba de maria, Ska maria de pastora, Sally-D
Family name: Labiatae (Mint family)
Natural habitat: Mexico

Salvia divinorum is an extraordinary powerful plant from the rain and cloudforests of Mexico. It has a long history among the Mazatec Indians for healings, meditation and divinatory purposes. In the wild this plant only occurs in the Mazatec region of the Sierra Madre Oriental in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

History
The usage of the leaves of Salvia divinorum goes back probably thousands of years. In the national archives of Mexico City, there are a number of observation reports found from the Spanish inquisition. These reports speak of an intoxicating herb that the Aztecs used during rituals which they called Pipiltzintzintli (literally 'the purest little prince').

In western literature it is first mentioned in 1939 by ethnobotanist Jean Basset Johnston who was then busy researching the use of psilocybin mushrooms by the Mazatec Indians. It was R. Gordon Wasson who, between 1951 and 1962, confirmed the psychoactive effects of Salvia divinorum after he used it himself.

The rituals wherein the Salvia divinorum is used, show a remarkable resemblance with the mushroomrituals. They are held at night, in the dark, in the presence of a shaman, alone with the patient or in a group. The traditional way of the Mazatec Indians of consuming Salvia divinorum is taking 13 pairs of fresh leaves rolled into a kind of cigar, which they call a 'quid'. Then they suck and chew on the quid before they spit it out again. They spit it out again because the active constituents are only absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth, so it has no use swallowing it. Dried leaves are always smoked. It is believed that the potency of the leaves is at a maximum when the temperature is high, so it is preferred to pick the leaves on the long, hot days of the summer.

Upon today the Mazatec Indians still use Salvia divinorum in the traditional way. The Cuicatecs and Chinatecs, neighbors of the Mazatecs, are known to use Salvia divinorum as well.

Salvia divinorum does not belong to the most used teacher plants. It is mainly used in times when the mushroomsupply is small. Maria Sabina, the famous Mazatec mushroom curandera, once said: ‘When I am in the time that there are no mushrooms and want to heal someone who is sick, then I must fall back on the leaves of pastora (Salvia divinorum). When you grind them up and eat them, they work just like the ‘niños’ (Sabina’s pet name for the mushrooms).'

The Latin name Salvia divinorum translated means "sage of the seers". The genus name Salvia is derived from the Latin salvare, meaning "to heal" or "to save". The words salvation and savior also come from this root.

Salvinorin A
The major active principal of Salvia divinorum is Salvinorin A. Salvinorin A is an extremely powerful consciousness altering compound, chemically completely different from any other hallucinogen. Salvinorin A is a diterpenoid, not an alkaloid. Users have reported bizarre and unusual psychoactive effects that are difficult to compare to the known effects of other psychedelic substances.

Salvia expert Daniel Siebert is the designer of the 'S-A-L-V-I-A Experiential Rating Scale' which describes the different stadiums of Salvia-use:
S stands for Subtle effects. A feeling that 'something' is happening but it is hard to tell what.
A is the stage wherein Altered perception takes place.
L is for Light visionary.
V stands for Vivid visionary or visions.
I refers to Immaterial existence. No longer conscious of your body.
A at last, stands for Amnesic effects or loss of memory, often caused by unconsciousness.

Description of the plant
This evergreen plant is a perennial herb which can grow to a height of over 1 meter. The serrated leaves are situated oppositely on the stem and are light to darkgreen. The leaves are entirely covered with little fine hairs and can become about 20 cm. long with a 10 cm. width. In the wild Salvia divinorum flowers between October and March, while it seldom flowers when cultivated. A very specific characteristic about this plant is the four-sided, sometimes even square, stem. Also, the stem is hollow in the center, another not very common characteristic. The plant has a specific subtle mint odor

Cultivation
Salvia divinorum grows in the wild only in the rain and cloudforests of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, where it is moderate warm, humid and the ground is rich in nutrients. It grows mainly at an altitude of 300 - 1800 m.

It is very well possible to cultivate your own Salvia divinorum at home, although it requires some more attention then most other plants.

The Salvia divinorum plant produces only very rarely seed. Reports of successfully germinating these seeds are even more rare. This implies that the cultivation (which is widely spread around the world these days) almost in all cases start with cuttings.

When a fresh cutting is gained, it is important to start as quickly as possible. The first thing to be done is let the cutting start to grow roots. Fill a small bottle with purified drinking water and place the cutting in the water. There should be at least one node above the water line and one under the water line. Finally put the bottle with the cutting in a humidity chamber and give it a good mist. Place it in a sunlight space, but beware to avoid direct sunlight! The optimum temperature is 18 - 19 °C and the humidity should always be kept at a high level (>95%). Under these circumstances the cutting will start to form roots within 2 - 3 weeks.

When the roots have reached a length of around 2,5 cm. it is time for the next step: placing the cutting in potting soil. Salvia divinorum requires a rich potting soil which is very loose. In most cases standard potting soil is very well suited. The little cutting does not need a large pot. But Salvia divinorum can become a large plant, so to avoid a lot of transplanting you can choose to go for a bigger pot immediately. Always choose for pots with drainage holes at the bottom. Be very careful when you place the soil around the roots; the roots are very vulnerable. Gently tap the soil around the stem, so the cutting stands firm. Finally water the plant thoroughly, yet gentle, and place it back in the humid chamber at the sunlight space. Take care that the humidity within the chamber stays as high as possible.

After 1 - 2 weeks the little plant starts to show signs of new growth. When the plant is growing nicely you can choose to let it getting used to normal circumstances. The plant is still very vulnerable, so you have to do this very slowly. You can do this by making one or two small holes in the chamber each day. After a while the plant will be used to normal room conditions and it can be placed outside the chamber. The plant still needs a lot of watering and misting.

When the leaves start to turn black at the sides, this is clearly a sign of a too low humidity.

Salvia divinorum can be grown outdoors, but it does not tolerate low temperatures. Temperatures lower then 12 °C will certainly stop the growth of the plant. Frost will let the plant die within short time. For a lot of people this means they will have to place the plant indoors during the winter.

Links about Salvia divinorum:
Website of Daniel Siebert
Salvia.net
Erowid about Salvia divinorum
The Salvia Center
The Lycaeum about Salvia divinorum
SalviaSource.org, cultivation community

Related products
Salvia divinorum leaves
Salvia divinorum extracts
Salvia divinorum cutting (rooted)
Book: The Salvia divinorums grower's guide