Mind altering substances and practices have always been a part of paganism from the earliest of times, ancient pagan mixed herbs and plants for ingestion or application or even as incense.
These herbs and plants where used by priest, priestess, and shamans too help encourage visions or change their mental state so that they could directly contact the divine source, Higher spirits or spirits on who they could call on the aid in their works.
Many of these herbs and plants where hallucinogenic or have psychotropic properties. These mind-altering substances are used today as recreational drugs or as pharmaceutical drugs to treat illness.
The big question regarding drugs and legal or illegal in neo pagan paths is a matter of ethics. Although as part of reclaiming our heritage we have to understand that these herbs have benefits and a uses.
According to Carlos Castaneda in his books he spent the beginning of his training under Yaqui shaman Don Juan Matus using drugs so that he could learn what is was like to connect the forces and forms of the divine, he claims that the drugs where used just to shift his perception just enough so he could see, after he new what he was looking for drugs where no longer used as he could then reach the state of mind where he could recall the feelings and senses that he experience. He claims that each hallucinogenic induced session was like gaining the pieces of a map to the available natural spirits and powers and once the map was completed the hallucinogens where no longer need to see the pathways.
The oracle of Delphi who was one of the most famous and accurate Oracles is claimed to of gained her insights from hallucinogenic vapours, which emanated from the 2 faults under the temple. There is academical evidence to support the fact that the Oracle was tripping comes from a reported in Geology magazine, which reveals that two faults intersect directly below the Delphic temple and the study also found evidence of hallucinogenic gases rising from a nearby spring and preserved within the temple rock.
It is also claimed that the much of the witchcraft hysteria during the burning times could have been a result of ergot a fungus produced on Rye and other cereals which produces Ergotism in humans and animals.
The symptoms of Ergotism symptoms include painful seizures and spasms, diarrhoea, paresthesias, itching, headaches, nausea and vomiting as well as hallucinations similar to LSD. All these symptoms at the time would have been seen as bewitchments. It is also believed that the reason why many of the accounts of flying of to Sabbats and having orgies with the devil and demons share similar traits is due to the fact that a similar concoction was used similar to a flying ointment, Flying Ointment a highly dangerous concoction of poisonous plants which was mixed with fats and applied to the body and broomstick would give the ware power of flight, In experiments where these potions have been used researchers and have been tested on live subject whom in questioning on their experiences have expressed the feeling of flight or flying or of travelling also they experienced vivid feeling of sexual arousal (this is likely to be due to the fact that this ointment would be applied to or come in contact with the genitals). It was found that subject reports showed similarities to some confessions gained during the witchcraft trials.
Even today many tribal cultures where magicks still has a place in the day to day the shaman / shawoman or holy man or woman will often ingest herbs which will cause a psychotropic effect which when mixed with ritual and drum beat will help the sha-person or holy person reach a state where they are able to communicate with the spirits.
The states that are created when natural drugs (legal and illegal) are used can be recreated to some extent without the help drugs, Things like fasting, cord magicks and dancing to exhaustion can raise the spiritual conciseness to a higher plane in the same sense as drugs.
Drugs play a major part of modern witchcraft and the reclaiming of the traditions and before everyone goes all Mr Mackey (Drugs ‘R’ bad) they bring about change whether as mind altering substances or a healing cures and medicines or poisons. A good witch will know how sometimes by instinct, which plants, or mix of plants should be used for healing purposes.
It is very important for any pagan, neo pagan, witch, Wiccan or any one dealing with plants for healing and other purposed to understand the law and let deal only with natural drugs or what I consider to be a natural drug.
So lets start with natural drugs: what is a natural drug? It is a plant which only requires chopping, blending with other plants,being dried, boiled or burnt / heated to release it benefits an un Natural drug is something that has been chemically reproduced or is designed some drugs can fall into both categories.
Examples
| Name |
Natural version |
Unnatural version |
| Aspirin (legal) |
Willow bark |
Aspirin tablets |
| Cannabis (illegal) |
Cannabis herbal such as Weed, grass, sensi etc |
Cannabis resins such as soap bar, leb, rocky etc |
| nb. Legal issues if you prescribe a drug without correct legal right to do so will open you up to prosecution |
Each country has its laws on drugs and no matter your views on drugs you will have to abide by that countries laws if you live or visit that country.
Since I live in the UK I will look at the law and it interpretations so let start with a definition:-
1. Drug
a. A substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication.
b. Such a substance as recognized or defined by the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
2. A chemical substance, such as a narcotic or hallucinogen, that affects the central nervous system, causing changes in behaviour and often addiction
In the UK we have 2 laws that cover drugs the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and The Medicines Act 1968 and without knowledge a witch can end up breaking the law and find themselves open to prosecution and a jail sentence. In the UK as far as the drug laws go there are huge loopholes, which can turn into a noose. Magic Mushrooms! There is not law preventing you picking them but dry them out and you could face 7 years in prison and a fine if you have too many your sentence could be life under the Misuse of Drugs act 1971 and with the same silliness you have a friend who is stress you say drink camomile tea nothing but say I would prescribe camomile tea in the morning and evening one cup when you wake and one before retiring you can face prosecution under the Medicines Act 1968.
When you deal with herbs plants etc for healing purposes you have an obligation not just to the people that visit you but also to your self to be aware of the law ignorance is not a get out.
I hope that this will encourage all you that read that plants have benefits as well as their flaws and the issues of drugs and magicks are not as simples as they seem.
The issue of drugs in the community has an impact on life and that is an issue that should hit every heart.
On a serious note if your casting a circle with a joint rather than a wand you have a problem! drug issues can effect everyone around you and the more you connect with a drug the less you connect with the magicks Carlos Castaneda explains this in his books.
If you need help or advice on drugs in a pagan life or daily lifecontact:-
Frank http://www.talktofrank.com/section.aspx?ID=108
Pagan federation http://www.paganfed.org/ (sorry can only give home page but call you local group and I am sure that someone will be able to put you in touch with someone one)
The priory http://www.priorygroup.com/
Further reading castaneda
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Originally posted 2011-03-13 22:38:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The following is a rest of your level of enlightenment. Score one point for each correct answer, subtract one point for each wrong answer. Add your total number of right answers to the total number of wrong answers, divide by the total number of questions on the test, then wonder why you’ve tried to follow it this far.
