S. Whitcomb

Salvia divinorum, Herb of Mary, the Shepherdess

January 1, 1998 S. Whitcomb

Salvia divinorum, a member of the mint family native to Oaxaca, Mexico, is used by the Mazatec Indians as a ritual entheogen and divinatory aid, similar to psilocybian mushrooms and morning glory seeds. The plant is propagated vegetatively, with no wild specimens observed. The diterpene salvinorin A is responsible for its visionary effects. It now sees limited use among some in the North as an entheogen akin to LSD and psilocybin mushrooms, sometimes cultivated for that purpose.