Salvia divinorum is used by the Mazatec Indians living in remote regions
of Oaxaca, where it first came to the awareness of western researchers
in the first half of this century. Little is known regarding the plant's
use before this period, although there is some indication that it may have
been used by the Aztecs in earlier times. The first description of this
plant in western literature was made by Swedish anthropologist Jean Basset
Johnson in 19391. Johnson. who was investigating psilocybe mushroom use
amongst the Mazatecs, also noted their use of Salvia divinorum in healing
ceremonies.
Salvia divinorum is a very rare plant, being found in only a few ravine
locations in the Sierra Mazateca mountains. The plant is easily propagated
by cuttings, and during the past few decades it has made its way into numerous
botanical gardens and private collections around the world. Virtually all
of the Salvia divinorum in circulation has been vegetatively propagated
from two parent clones of this species. The first specimen was collected
by R. Gordon Wasson in 1962. A second, so called "palatable" strain was
collected by Bret Blosser in 1991. The "palatable" variety is actually
still quite bitter, although less so than the Wasson clone. There are a
few other strains being maintained, some of which were grown from seed,
but these are not in general circulation.
Cuttings of Salvia divinorum placed in a jar of water will begin rooting
within two to three weeks. When the roots have reached about 1", the cuttings
may he transferred to pots. Salvia divinorum likes humidity and moisture,
moderate but indirect sunlight and warm temperatures. In most parts of
the United States it will grow best in a greenhouse and appreciates frequent
misting. Too much sunlight will turn the leaves a pale green. If the leaves
curl up and dry at the edges, it is a sign that the temperature is too
warm for the amount of humidity they are receiving. The plants should be
kept from freezing at all times, although they may grow back after a light
frost that does not freeze the roots.
Salvia divinorum grows into a vine-like bush with branches frequently
reaching 7 to 10 feet in height before bending over under their own weight,
often rooting where they fall. The plant has jagged- edged leaves that
reach 4" to 6" in length. The amount of leaf is typically sparse in proportion
to the stems, and often the plants have a slightly straggle appearance.
The stems are square-shaped and hollow with winged edges. Under proper
growing conditions the leaves have a beautifully deep, rich, almost velvet-like
sheen, and appear quite sensuous. In the fall Salvia divinorum produces
delicate flowers with white corollas and purple calyxes. Salvia divinorum
sets seed rather infrequently, and only on rare occasions have these seeds
proven to be viable.
It is thought by many botanists that Salvia divinorum is a cultigen.
It is not known to exist in the wild, and the few patches that are known
in the Sierra Mazateca appear to be the result of deliberate planting.
A Mazatec shaman informed Wasson that the Indians believe the plant is
foreign to their region and do not know from where it came. And if Salvia
divinorum is a hybrid, there are no commonly held theories on what its
prospective parents may be.
Amongst the Mazatecs, Salvia divinorum (Diviner's sage) is known under
such names as ska Maria Pastora and Hierba Maria, which translate as "the
herb of Mary" or "leaves of Mary the Shepherdess". In a recent paper, Jonathan
0tt has noted that the Mazatecs lack an indigenous name for Salvia divinorum,
both the Christian theme of Mary, as well as sheep, having been introduced
to the region during the Spanish conquest. The Mazatecs also list a method
of consuming this plant that does not efficiently utilize its psychoactive
content, and seem to be generally unaware of its tremendous potency. Based
on this information, and the likelihood of its being a cultigen, Ott has
suggested that Salvia divinorum may be a post-conquest introduction to
the Sierra Mazateca. However, it has also been suggested, initially by
R. Gordon Wasson, that Salvia divinorum may be the Aztec plant Pipiltzintzintli,
an entheogen that was briefly described by a 17th century Spanish friar.
Ott has found that the little information available regarding Pipiltzintzintli
supports this hypothesis, while ruling out several other plants that have
been suggested as candidates for this Aztec sacrament.
R. Gordon Wasson, the famed ethnobotanist who introduced psilocybe mushrooms
to western society, was also the first to personally describe an experience
with Salvia divinorum. In July of 1961 he participated in a healing ceremony
performed by a Mazatecan curandera. Wasson ingested the squeezed juice
of 34 pairs of leaves, and described the results as "coming on sooner (than
the mushrooms), being less sweeping, and lasting a shorter time. It did
not go beyond the initial effects of the mushrooms - dancing colors in
elaborate, three- dimensional designs." In 1962 Wasson was joined in Oaxaca
by Swiss pharmacologist Albert Hofmann, inventor of LSD, who also first
isolated psilocybin from mushrooms gathered in this same region. Hofmann
brought an alcohol extract of Salvia divinorum back to Switzerland where
he attempted to isolate the active component. He was unsuccessful, finding
the extract to no longer be active, and suggested that the plant's active
principal was unstable.
