Salvia divinorum

Salvia Divinorum, also known as Salvia Sage is one most powerful psychoactive plant species. It is not a party drug and should be taken seriously. It is unlike any other psychedelics, only used by people looking for a deeper, fulfilling experience.

The name Salvia Divinorum roughly translates to Sage of the Diviners. It's native to the cloud forest in the isolated Sierra Mazateca of Oaxaca, Mexico where it grows in shaded moist locations.

Other names of Salvia Divinorum

Though commonly known as Salvia or Salvia Sage, Salvia Divinorum is also known as;

• Sage of the Diviners
• Ska Maria Pastora
• Seer’s Sage
• Yerba de la Pastora
• Lady Salvia
• Magic Mint
• Sister Salvia
• Shepherdess’ Herb

History of Salvia Divinorum

Salvia Divinorum is native to Oaxaca, Mexico where it is primarily used by Mazatec shamans to induce deep reflective visions and in ritualistic healing ceremonies. The shamans use only the fresh Salvia leaves and see the Salvia Divinorum plant as an incarnation of the Virgin Mary. Ritually a quiet place is chosen for the ingestion of the leaves – the Mazatec shamans chant the name of La Maria while chewing the Salvia leaves.

It is safe to say that this best kept Mazatec secret was first introduced to the rest of the world by Jean Basset Johnson in 1939 while he was studying Mazatec shamanism. However, the plant itself remained a secret for a much longer time.

In 1962, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann and ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson traveled throughout Sierra Mazateca researching Mazatec rituals and looking for the Salvia Divinorum plant. They needed the flowers for the definitive identification of the species. Unable to locate the plant, eventually, they were provided some flowering specimens by Mazatec shamans. These specimens were sent to botanist Carl Epling and Carlos D Játiva who described and named the plant as Salvia Divinorum.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that the psychoactive effects of the plant were discovered.

How is Salvia Divinorum different from other psychedelics?

Salvia Divinorum is unique psychedelic and cannot be compared with other such substances. While others including mushrooms, LSD, DMT bind primarily to serotonin receptors, Salvia binds to the kappa opioid receptors (KOR) and slightly raises the levels of dopamine. Salvia gets its potency from its primary constituent, Salvinorin A, an opioid-like compound with non-opioid-like effects.

Effects of Salvia Divinorum

Salvia Divinorum’s active ingredient Salvinorin A is believed to be the cause of the plant’s potent effects. Salvinorin A is a strong dissociative hallucinogen that affects the kappa opioid receptor, the part of the brain that regulates perception.

Salvia has powerful effects even when used in the smallest of dosage and is mainly used to expand one’s mind, have a mystical experience, and enter an alternate reality while potentially leaving the physical world aside. Regardless of whether you are new to psychedelics or an experienced user, Salvia should be treated with the utmost respect. When treated carefully, Salvia can give you the most profound experience of your life, treat it otherwise and you will find your world turned upside-down.

The effects of Salvia have been categorized in their own unique scale ranging from intense to most intense with each letter of the name Salvia corresponding to a different level of effect.

S – Subtle Effects

This is the mildest effect of Salvia. You would barely notice them and would make you feel relaxed and reflective. Some may even experience a feeling of deep focus.

A – Altered Perception

The second level of Salvia effects can be compared to that of cannabis. Music may sound more meaningful. It will alter the way you perceive everyday things, your thought pattern might change and your surroundings may feel different.

L – Light Visionary State

This is the state when you first experience the hallucinogenic effects of Salvia. You can expect light visions, both aural and visual. These might appear in form of geometric shapes of different colors and sizes. The user is still aware of its surroundings and itself.

V – Vivid Visionary State

This is a higher level of the light visionary state. You will still experience visual and aural hallucinations, however; they are more vivid and last longer. With eyes closed, some users claim to have hallucinatory journeys to other landscapes and dimensions.

I – Immaterial existence

This is the stage when you experience the full power of Salvia. The hallucinations become stronger and the user’s hold of reality begins to loosen. While they are still aware of themselves their perceptions of their surroundings are highly influenced by Salvia. Many users claim to have deep conversations with themselves or some divine being. This stage is often the goal of serious users.

A – Amnesic Effects

Even though Immaterial Existence is considered as the peak of the Salvia effects, there is one final stage to Salvia experience. It is Amnesic effects – when a user is not aware of who or where they are and that even the fact that they are under the influence. Some might be able to sit quietly while the effects wear off while others may move around and make noises. The user behavior can become quite unpredictable at this stage and is best to have a sober partner, often called a trip-sitter with them. Those who manage to achieve this level mostly won’t remember anything about their trip.

How to use Salvia Divinorum?

Salvia can be used in many ways, you just to find a way that works best for you.

The Mazatec Methods

Being the original and hence the most experienced users of Salvia, Mazatecs preferred to use fresh leaves.

Drink – A large quantity of leaves is ground and made into a pulp. The juices of the leaves are then mixed with water to prepare a tea that is drunk during ritual ceremonies. Salvia tea is not palatable. Those who want to go this route can add honey or other flavored teas to make the infusion taste better.

Eat – The other method used by Mazatec shamans was simply chewing and swallowing large quantities of Salvia leaves. The effects come more slowly through this method, over a period of 10-20 minutes.

Both eating and drinking Salvia infusion are not very effective methods. Mostly because a large quantity of Salvia leaves is required and the taste is not bearable for most users. The active ingredient Salvinorin A doesn’t absorb as well in the bloodstream via the stomach and the digestive system limits its potency.

Modern Methods

Inhalation – This is probably the most commonly used and effective way of using Salvia. Salvia requires high temperatures to release the active ingredients (about 240 °C). The effects come as quickly as a minute and will last up to 15-20 minutes with no lingering effects.

Chewing – This method is similar to the traditional Mazatec method of eating Salvia leaves. However, instead of fresh leaves, dried leaves are used in form of a ball, called a quid. The active ingredient Salvinorin A is absorbed through the oral mucosa. The effects are milder than when Salvia fumes are inhaled but last longer, ranging from 1-2 hours.

Drinking – A small quantity of about dried or Salvia leaves can be a boiled with 1 and a half cups of water to make a tea. One can add other flavored teas or honey to make the taste more palatable. One should start feeling the effects within 10-30 minutes and should feel normal again in a few hours.

Sublingual – Salvia can be made into a tincture by extracting Salvinorin A in alcohol. The duration and potency of effects will depend on the strength of the extract.

Types of Salvia Divinorum

Salvia is available in two forms – dried leaves and extracts.

Dried leaves – The dried Salvia leaves can be used in making tea or in form of a quid.

Salvia Extracts – Salvia extracts are more commonly used forms of Salvia Divinorum. They come in different strengths ranging from 5X (5 times the strength of dried leaves) to 80X (mainly for more experienced users). When it comes to Salvia, less is more. Even with the mildest of doses of lowest strength extracts, one can achieve potent and very noticeable effects. Even if you have prior experience with using other psychedelics, take it easy at first with Salvia. It is unlike any other psychoactive substance out there and should be approached with caution.

How to prepare for Salvia Divinorum journey

Salvia is not a party drug and shouldn’t be used as a chill drug like cannabis.

Setting – Salvia effects are best experienced in a calm, relaxed environment. Remove yourself from all the distractions such as television or other noises. Soothing, calming music can be played in the background.

Trip-Sitter – A trip-sitter is your sober partner who keeps an eye on you when you descend into your Salvia journey. Many users experience extreme visions and can behave unpredictably. A trip-sitter makes sure that you are safe but does not interfere with your Salvia experience.

Mindset – Your mindset before entering the Salvia journey will affect your experience of it. Being tense or having a negative mindset will make for a bad experience and discourage you from using it in the future. It is best to go in with a calm, relaxed mindset with neutral if possible positive thoughts.

Why does Salvia sometimes have such intense effects?

There are a few reasons your Salvia trip may take an intense turn;

• The legal status of Salvia is often mistaken for it not being a strong psychedelic. You cannot buy an 80X or 100X strength DMT in a shop but you can with Salvia. Many novice users end up taking way more than the advised dosage for Salvia and end up having a bad trip.

• Salvia can cause massive synesthesia – merging of the sense. While all psychedelics are capable of it to a certain extent, with Salvia the effects are really pronounced.

• Salvia is an atypical psychedelic and behaves unlike any other substances out there. While other psychedelics bind to multiple receptors producing an overall effect, Salvia binds to only KORs, making the ffects more powerful and intense.

• Salvia creates the sense of mind and body separation that can be quite overwhelming for a lot of users. Added to the fact that Salvia’s effects come very quickly, the trip can become intense and scary.

Can you overdose on Salvia?

The toxicity levels of Salvia haven’t been researched which makes it technically difficult to answer if an overdose is possible or not. Having said that, Salvia is an extremely potent psychedelic and its very easy to take much of it. No matter how experienced you are with other hallucinogens or how many ties you have used Salvia, its always best to start small. When it comes to Salvia less is always more.

How to cultivate Salvia Divinorum?

A true Salvia fan would always want to try to grow its own plant. The best way to grow Salvia is with a plant cutting as it doesn’t produce a lot of viable seeds.

Being tropical plant, Salvia will require similar envorinment to grow which means 505 level or more humidity and a minimum of 15-27 °C temperature. Salvia had weak and vrittle stems and requires support to help it grow.

When harvesting Salvia leaves, its best to wait for them to dry and fall out on their own. However, if you cannot wait for the plant to shed its leaves naturally, wait for at least a year and harvest with restrain.

How and where to buy Salvia Divinorum?

Being a powerful psychedelic, it is important to buy it from a trusted store. Luckily, you can get high-quality Salvia extracts ranging from 5X to 80X at Worldherbals online store. If you still have a question and need some personal advice, you are more than welcome to visit our store.