Witches and sorcerers cultivated plants with the power to…
““Witches and sorcerers cultivated plants with the power to "cast spells" -- in our vocabulary, "psychoactive" plants. Their potion recipes called for such things as datura, opium poppies, belladona, hashish, fly-agaric mushrooms (Amanita muscaria), and the skin of toads (which can contain DMT, a powerful hallucinogen). These ingredients would be combined in a hempseed-oil-based "flying ointment" that the witches would then administer vaginally using a special dildo. This was the "broomstick" by which these women were said to travel. (119)””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Historical witchcraft used psychoactive plants in “flying ointments,” administered via a specialized device, reflecting early pharmacology and myth.
In simple terms: Witches used hallucinogens for rituals.
Key Takeaway
Explore ethnobotany and myth.
Themes
history
ethnobotany
rituals
Mood
analytical
curious
Type
academic
historical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- historical reenactment
Key Concepts
psychoactive substances
cultural practices
Questions to Reflect On
- What cultural needs drove these practices?
- How do modern views differ?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize dangerous substances.