Connecting with the Unseen: Traditional Use of Psychoactive Plants on Turtle Island
“Plants have long been primary teachers for those who travel deep into the heart of the world, for those who seek the soul teaching that only the wild can bring.”
- Stephen Harrod Buhner
These plants offered more than just sustenance; they provided materials for clothing, shelter, healing, pain relief, and sleep. More importantly, they enabled mind-altering experiences that allowed people to access other states of being and deeper understanding.
In the cultures of Turtle Island, various methods of altering consciousness were employed to connect with the divine and the unseen. Psychoactive plants played a significant role in these practices, helping individuals to embark on profound spiritual journeys and communicate with the sacred. Alongside these plants, fasting, solitude in the wilderness, and other rituals were essential in transcending ordinary consciousness and engaging deeply with the divine. This article explores key plants used by Native Turtle Islanders in their spiritual practices, detailing their botanical names, descriptions, and traditional uses.
The Plants
Datura (Datura stramonium)
Datura, also known as Jimsonweed or Devil’s Trumpet, contains powerful alkaloids like scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine, which can induce intense hallucinations. Tribes such as the Ashiwi (Zuni), Inde (Apache), and Dine' (Navajo) use Datura in initiation rites and vision quests to facilitate communication with spirits and ancestors. However, due to its toxicity, Datura must be handled with extreme caution.
Description: Datura is a bushy annual plant with large, toothed leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers that can be white or purple. Its spiky seed pods contain numerous highly toxic seeds.
Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor)
The seeds of the Morning Glory plant have been used by the Culhua-Mexica (Aztec) and other tribes in Mexico for their psychoactive properties. These seeds contain LSA (lysergic acid amide), a compound similar to LSD. Morning Glory seeds are traditionally ground and consumed to induce visions and divination.
Description: Morning Glory is a climbing vine with heart-shaped leaves and trumpet-like flowers that can be blue, purple, pink, or white. The seeds are small, hard, and dark brown to black.
Mushrooms (Psilocybe spp.)
Various species of psilocybin mushrooms have been used by tribes such as the Mazatec, Mixtec, Nahua, and Zapotec. Known as “teonanácatl” or “flesh of the gods,” these mushrooms contain psilocybin and are traditionally consumed in ceremonies aimed at healing, divination, and spiritual exploration. These rituals often include chanting and prayer, creating a sacred space for participants.
Description: Psilocybe mushrooms are typically small to medium-sized, with brown to yellow-brown caps that are often conical or bell-shaped. When handled, they bruise blue, indicating their psilocybin content.
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii)
Peyote, a small, spineless cactus containing mescaline, has been used for thousands of years by tribes such as the Huichol and Tarahumara and by members of the Native American Church (NAC). Peyote ceremonies involve consuming the cactus in fresh, dried, or tea form, accompanied by singing, drumming, and storytelling. These rituals facilitate communication with the divine, offering participants visions and deep spiritual insights.
Description: Peyote is a small, blue-green cactus with clusters of rounded, button-like protrusions. It lacks spines and has a tuft of fine, white hairs in the center.
Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica)
Tobacco holds significant spiritual importance and is often used alongside other sacred plants. Among tribes such as the Tsalagi (Cherokee), Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), and Lakota, tobacco is considered a "talking" plant that enhances prayers, offers gratitude, and communicates with the spiritual realm. Wild tobacco (Nicotiana rustica) is much stronger than commercial tobacco, containing up to nine times the nicotine content and mild psychoactive harmala alkaloids. These alkaloids act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), similar to those found in coffee beans and Banisteriopsis caapi (ayahuasca).
Description: Wild tobacco is a robust, leafy plant growing up to three feet tall. Its large, sticky leaves and yellow-green flowers emit a strong, sweet fragrance.
Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria)
Yaupon Holly, native to the southeastern United States, contains caffeine and theobromine, which produce stimulating and mildly psychoactive effects. Tribes such as the Muskogee (Creek) and Tsalagi (Cherokee) traditionally use it to prepare a ritual black drink that induces purging, used in purification ceremonies.
Description: Yaupon Holly is an evergreen shrub or small tree with dark green, oval leaves and small red berries. It is a relative of the Yerba Mate Holly found in South America. The leaves are dried and brewed into tea for ceremonial use.
Cultural and Spiritual Significance
The use of these plants is deeply rooted in the cultural and spiritual practices of Native North Americans. Stories and myths often accompany their use, imparting lessons and conveying their sacred nature. For instance, in Huichol tradition, peyote is a deity central to their cosmology and pilgrimage rituals. Each year, the Huichol undertake a spiritual pilgrimage to collect this sacred cactus, guided by shamans who lead participants through prayer and ceremonial consumption of the plant, resulting in visions interpreted as messages from the Gods.
Similarly, the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico, use psilocybin mushrooms in their sacred ceremonies. Known for their profound spiritual significance, these mushrooms are consumed in a ceremonial context, often led by a curandera (healer) who guides participants through the experience. The ritual involves chanting, prayer, and the invocation of saints and spirits, creating a space for healing and spiritual communion.
Tobacco, particularly Nicotiana rustica, is integral to the spiritual practices of many Turtle Island peoples. The Tsalagi (Cherokee) use tobacco in rituals to connect with the unseen world, offer prayers, and act as a protective agent. Tobacco smoke is believed to carry prayers on the wind to the four directions, bridging the gap between the physical and spiritual realms. Among the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), tobacco is used in the "Thanksgiving Address," a ceremonial expression of gratitude for the earth's bounty and the blessings of the Great Spirit.
The Culhua-Mexica (Aztec) use Morning Glory seeds in religious tradition, consuming them to induce visions and communicate with the gods. Culhua-Mexica priests used Morning Glory to enter altered states of consciousness, seeking guidance and prophetic visions. The seeds were seen as a medium through which the divine could speak, offering insights and wisdom.
The Ashiwi (Zuni) and Dine' (Navajo) peoples use Datura in rituals to connect with the spiritual world, often during vision quests and initiation ceremonies. Due to its potent and dangerous effects, Datura is handled with extreme care and respect. The plant is believed to open the mind to the spiritual realm, allowing deep introspection and communication with ancestors.
Yaupon Holly is traditionally used by the Muskogee (Creek) and Tsalagi (Cherokee) to prepare a "black drink" known for inducing purging, seen as a form of physical and spiritual cleansing. This ceremony, often conducted before significant events or decision-making processes, aims to purify the mind and body, enhancing clarity and spiritual connection.
References
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Zak Baker founded Bushlore Press, a publishing company rooted in Earth-based wisdom and ancestral skills. With over 25 years of experience as an outdoor skills instructor, author, and naturalist, he has shared his knowledge with diverse groups, including the Sierra Club, USGS, the State of Utah, and countless students. He has received traditional teachings from indigenous elders and is a certified Master Herbalist, Backcountry Guide, Wilderness First Responder, and Wilderness Quest facilitator. Zak's passions include ethnobotany, Earth-based ceremony and cosmology, and ancestral skills. He resides with his family near the Rocky Mountains of Utah, where they live deeply connected to the land.
