Eyes of the Shepherdess I'm not sure how many of you oldheads and psychonauts know about this amazingly powerful and endlessly intriguing plant called Salvia Divinorum. Many call it Salvia. Some call it Seer's Sage or Diviner's Sage. Fewer, ancient shamanic peoples refer to it as Eyes of the Shepherdess or Herba de Maria Pastora, Eyes of Maria the Shepherdess. It is a very rare plant, native only to a small part of Mexico in the mountains. However, many ancient Mayan and Aztecan shamanic priests use this plant in ritual ceremonies held when attempting to navigate a large roadblock in their lives. The resulting experience is powerfully profound and the priests often report gaining incredible personal insight and wisdom. Moreover they report in their altered state of consciousness their creative and abstract thinking were powerfully enhanced, allowing them to view problems and solutions in entirely new perspectives. Now, some of you may be thinking . . . "Okay cool, a really trippy psychedelic plant. What's new?" Well a lot is new. Salvia Divinorum is wholly unique in that it affects the brain in a way that no other plant, drug, or psychedelic does or ever has. From this comes a completely new and unmatched experience. It is the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen next to di-methyl triptamine (DMT), a topic I plan to cover in the near future. For all the chemistry/neurobiology/ethnopharmacology buffs in the audience, Salvia Divinorum is a potent and selective kappa-Opioid receptor agonist. However, it is an even more potent D2 receptor partial agonist, and it is likely this action plays a significant role in its effects as well. Salvinorin A has no actions at the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, the principle receptor active during the effects of "classic" hallucinogens and psychedelics such as mescaline or LSD. Many of the users claim contact with a gentle and kindred spirit or consciousness, some reporting strong maternal energy/vibrations from this decidedly female entity. Few users experienced consciousness shifts such as inhabiting inanimate objects, fewer still reported "bad trips" and experiencing very great and profound fear. A very high number of users report the female energy explaining to them that the Shepherdess can only guide you if you let go. You must fully surrender yourself to the experience in order for her to help you and guide you through your "trip". Many users report experiencing or relate the experience to lucid dreaming, out of body experiences, near-death experiences, altered states reached through meditation, and most frequently: ego death. This plant has been perplexing and intriguing citizens, professors, botanists, psychologists, neurologists, ethnopharmacologists and philosophers alike. Many think it is key to evolving into higher states of consciousness and tapping into the universal collective conscious. Is it true? Or is it a bunch of hippie bullshit? You tell me. Suggestions for further reading:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_divinorumwww.erowid.org/plants/salvia/salvia.shtmlwww.sagewisdom.org/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_deathwww.shroomery.org/4018/Howto-Ego-Deathascensium.com/ego-death/
I used to use Salvia when it was legal. For me it was a beautiful thing that I miss very much. Ive had about 30 complete breakthroughs. For me I didn't really "learn" anything or get "insight". All It took was one hit through a bong ( I highly recommend smoking it through water) and within 20 seconds I had dropped into a new dimension. There was nothing recognizable, There was this elf that was falling with me and ripping what I think was the veil, once I stopped dropping I was in this room and the elf was showing me different what I think to be different sacred geometry's. Everything was red. I don't remember much else. I would recommend having a notepad and when you come out of the trip write everything you can remember because after time the details will fade away from your memory. Well that was my first trip. Have fun let Lady Salvia speak to you. Enjoy!
It's a plant. It's a disassociative. The Mazatec don't smoke it. It's probably going to cause many people psychosis. Sure, you'll get hallucinations and you can call it a "goddess" to sate your curiousity for the plant. But it is a plant that has developed a molecule, Salvinorin, so that people or creatures are deterred from eating it. You probably shouldn't mess with it, especially if you are prone to low mood and psychiatric disorders.
I can say for sure it wasn’t pleasing to ingest, it was certainly psychedelic but in the moment from what I recollect I was on a pinwheel and some entity was throwing knives at me and they weren’t missing. It was like being killed but not able to die. I’ve done it a few times but the first was the most intense, I came out of it and ran outside and laid on the grass, I had completely forgotten that I had taken it and then slowly I remembered. The rest of the times were hindered but like the last poster said salvinorin is a molecule that is basically trying to protect the plant because I have been told by it not to come back. Trippy shit, if you can draw something from that experience I commend you.
Salvia Divinorum is indeed a fascinating and complex plant with deep cultural and historical roots. Traditionally used by the Mazatec Indians in Mexico for healing and divination ceremonies, it holds significant cultural and spiritual importance. They refer to it as the "Eyes of the Shepherdess" or "Herb of Mary," highlighting its revered status in their rituals. Salvia's psychoactive compound, salvinorin A, is unique in that it acts on kappa-opioid receptors, unlike classic psychedelics which primarily affect serotonin receptors. This leads to profoundly different experiences, often described as intense and transformative. While many users report encounters with a guiding female entity and experiences akin to ego death, it's crucial to approach Salvia with respect and caution. For more in-depth information about Salvia's traditional uses and effects, I recommend reading this detailed article: Salvia Divinorum: Meet the Sage of the Diviners Stay safe!
