EXPLORING PLANTS USED FOR BROOMSTICK ADVENTURES

Nicole Telkes RH(AHG)

wildflowerherbschool.com

 

Datura and Snakeskin gathered 9/2023 for Flying Ointment

 

 

Flying ointment, also known as witches’ flying ointment, green ointment, magic salve and lycanthropic ointment, is a traditional hallucinogenic ointment made of entheogenic, and/or psychedelic plants said to be used by witches in the Middle Ages (referred to as early as 1200 and first described by Alice Kyteler in 1324) in Europe. 

Entheogens are chemical substances, typically of plant origin, that are ingested to produce a non-ordinary, or altered, state of consciousness for religious or spiritual purposes.

An Invocation

I call you now, Sisters of Night,

Winds are rising, brooms in flight.

I call you now, Brothers of Cloak,

Summon the Towers as we invoke.

A whispering voice echoes the chants,

And a thousand Witches return to dance.

Gathered among stray Witches found,

Encompassing the moon to draw it down.

Our forces joined and our hearts as one,

The magickal feast has just begun.

The power is rising in valleys and fields,

Harnessing the enchantment we easily wield.

From the mountains to the sea,

The universe exudes our energy.

The Witches spell now cast and spent,

The moon is drained without relent.

Return to home and hollowed ground,

For next time when the moon is round,

 

The Witches will whisper the tune of night, Gather ye Witches, tis time for flight!

Author Unknown

1571 Woodcut

My Relationship to Flying Ointment

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Part of the traditional Earth-based celebration of this time of the year in Europe was to celebrate Samhain, meaning “Summers End”. There is belief that at this time of the year the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. It is also thought to be a great time to scry(have visions that help to predict the future), see the truth better, or give you important information. Traditionally, witches were said to have created ointments and ritual wines that would help them scry better at this time of year, the shadow time. It is a time to slow down and move inward to experience more of the shadowy, deeper, (or yin) aspects of yourself. The light is fading away, and the nights longer. The mysteries are closer. Altars to the dead are constructed and we acknowledge the wheel of the year shifting, yet again. The intention of this class is to help you to gain a better understanding of the symbolism and tradition of making divinatory ointments for and get closer to these wisdom remedies, or visionary flights, although sometimes termed hallucinogenic poisons.

From the book Pharmakopoeia by Dale Pendell:

Bring Them On, The Power Plants

All the palmate-leaved ones, the

pinnate, and the pinnatifid, the entire-

Rosy Hawaiian babies, wise Mazatec sages,

and the old Indian rope trick.

Come on you indoles, you terpenes,

you alkaloids, you medicine plants.

Hello, star-eyed betel juice plants, Amazonian

vine plants, Chihuahuan cacti,

Come, blue-eyed witch plants; come you

dung-loving fun guys….

Come on O rueful Syrians,

and all you thick-smelling

solanaceous plants;

You cultivated in rows tobacco and coca plants;

You maligned poppy plants and worshipped

grapevine plants-

All forgotten plants, and fad plants:

Come forth, you motley troop-

not a gentleman among you-

Not one that won’t lie cheat or swindle

a ride-

Come, all ye ruffians:

Be fruitful ,we have need of Poison

Traditional Flying Ointment

Flying Ointments were traditionally made by combining multiple plants and other substances into an oily balm. Many of the plants employed are quite poisonous containing tropane alkaloids, put into a subclass of hallucinogens called deliriants.   It is thought that witches and shamans using these ointments could go deeper with divination and scrying. The ointments were created within sacred space, or holy space.  A base such as lard (which was what was readily available) was used and then “power plants” were ritually collected and added to the oil (as well as the addition of things like toad skin and soot). This cooking could take place in a cauldron, or other slow cook method. The herbs were cooked for many hours into the oil. The infused oil was then strained, and a thickener like beeswax was added. This warm mixture was then poured off into jars for later use. Part of the power of the preparation is in the intent and focus created within sacred space when the oil was made. The stronger the intent and focus, the stronger the ointment.

These were not used recreationally, and still should not be. Using these ointments can be extremely intense on the body, whether or not they cause you to hallucinate.

 

What are Power Plants?

The ingredients in flying ointment vary, but many are often referred to as Power Plants. Typically, they may include some poisonous, anticholinergic, hallucinatory deliriants. Keep in mind these were used by healers to help invoke strong visions and help them with their shamanic work. This doesn’t mean that some of the visions didn’t also come with vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors or other side effects that come from the ingestion of alkaloids like atropine, scopolamine etc. You may adapt these recipes to plants you feel drawn to in your own area. Remember that part of what makes this a strong ointment is the intent and focus, not necessarily just the ingredients.  Some of the plants in traditional recipes.  I have found that employing the plants at a spirit medicine, rather than physical medicine dose can also create profound effects.

Deliriants: Agents that cause hallucinogenic, dissociative, anesthetic effects. 

Anticholinergic: Agents that block the action of acetylcholine, a type of neurotransmitter at both the central and peripheral nervous system synapses. As a result, they stop involuntary muscle movements and various bodily functions.

Some of the more toxic power plants used included (not recommended)

• Jimsonweed Datura stramonium
• Wolfsbane Aconitum spp
• Angels Trumpet Brugmansia aurea
• Deadly Nightshade Atropa belladonna
• Mandrake Root Mandragora officinalis
• Hemlock Conium maculatum
• Henbane Hyoscyamus niger
• Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria

Mandrake Root Woodcut from Johannis de Cuba ” Ortus Sanitatis”, Strasbourg, 1483

 

Alkaloids: are naturally occurring toxic amines produced by plants mainly as a defense mechanism to protect themselves against herbivores. The main toxic effects of alkaloids result in disturbances of the central nervous system, digestive processes, reproduction, and the immune system.

Tropane alkaloids belong to the world’s oldest plant medicines and their ethnopharmacological applications include analgesia, hallucinogens, and poisons.

Examples: Atropine, Scopalamine, Hyoscyamine

Solanaceae Family Importance: Solanaceous plants are important foods and medicines but also include many of the poisonous power plants with tropane alkaloids.  Solanaceae family plants are generally herbs and shrubs with simple leaves.  They have solitary or clustered flowers, 5 fused sepals and petals, superior ovaries and fruit is often a berry.

Other Ingredients sometimes included:

• Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris
• Mushrooms: Psilocibyn, Reishi, Lion’s Mane or other wild non-lethal mushroom–for the transformative ability
• Sage–like Salvia divinorum
• Less deadly nightshades like Solanum nigrum or dulcamara may be used, even Tomato Leaf
• Basil Ocimum spp
• Catnip Nepeta cataria
• Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans
• Yarrow Achillea millefolium
• Dittany of Crete Origanum dictamnus
• Mullein (Graveyard Dust Substitute) Verbascum thapsus
• Nutmeg Nux muscatus
• Ghost Pipe Monotropa uniflora
• The Devils Lettuce Cannabis sativa
• Hops Humukus lupulus
• Poppy Papavar somniferum
• St John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum

Other Ingredients

• Soot
• Baby’s Fat
• Toadskin
• Snakeskin

Traditional Use of Flying Ointment: The Broomstick

Witch on Broom Depart for the Sabbath by Albert Joseph Penot

 

You know how witches are always shown with their broomsticks? Well, brooms have multiple functions. Brooms of course can be used to sweep dirt off the floor, but they can also be used to sweep negative energy out of a space. Broomsticks can also double as a magic wand. Some believe a popular way of applying flying ointment, was to apply it to the broomstick tip and then masturbate with tip of the broom, until the ointment got to work and induced a sense of “flying”. Mucous membranes absorbed the ointments more quickly and fully than drinking or smoking them, and it also sounds like it would be more fun! So, in the same way that martial art forms like Capoeira in Brazil were hidden within dance, witches in Europe used something as benign as a broom for all sorts of magickal purposes. Think about that next time you sweep something or see a picture of a witch flying on a broomstick!

• Toad skin or Snakeskin—Disclaimer: please don’t sacrifice any, but if you find a dead one you may want to save its skin for later use
• Soot(optional)

Creating Sacred Space:

Some people have their own lineage and traditions to call from.  In the case, you are coming from broken lineage or do not have someone to teach you, I offer a simple ritual for creating sacred space before doing work with power plants.

• Clear the space you are working in using smoke, sound, or water
• Draw or imaging a circle of protection around your work
• At each cardinal direction invite in the elements of Nature: something to represent Air in the East, Fire in the South, Water in the West, and Earth in the North (or whatever associations to the directions come from your own culture and directions
• Invite in whatever Spirit or Ancestors you feel aligned with to guide you by lighting a candle or other symbol to guide you in your work
• Choose a chant to use while you work to focus intent. This can be a word, a sentence, or a spell.  It’s your choice.

(Once you have finished, always remember to release the energy and open the circle)

A Modern Flying Ointment Recipe

You will need for the ointment:

• 2 cups of a base oil like olive
• 2 oz of a thickener, like beeswax
• 1 a cauldron or crockpot or other way to infuse plants into oil
• 2 weighted oz of your choice of dried plants
• Soot (optional)
• Toad skin or snakeskin(optional)
• 1 or several containers to decant mixture into
• A wooden spoon
• A knife, cutting board

Process

• Create sacred space
• Gather up 2 oz of plant material–less if dry, more if fresh
• Pour 2 cups of olive oil into crockpot or cauldron
• Add in plant material and other ingredients
• Add heat, do not let it boil! Let infuse for at least 4-8 hours. Overnight is best
• Stir regularly (every 15 minutes or 30 minutes) repeating a chant with your intent
• Strain off oil from herbs
• Put warm oil back into crockpot adding thickener, repeating chant
• Once thickener has dissolved, pour off into container. Hold container up and set your intention one final time,
• giving thanks to your ancestors and whatever spirit you choose
• Close the sacred space, say goodbye to spirit and the directions, open the circle
• Clean up.

Oil may be applied to the body or third eye area on forehead, on armpits, or other areas in ritual to help induce visions. Amount varies per person.

Dose varies by ingredients and person using it. Some people have gone so far as to try it out the traditional way, internally with a broomstick.

Disclaimer: The information contained within this article is for information Purposes ONLY. This is a fun tradition to read about, but many of the plants discussed can be extremely dangerous if used improperly. The difference between medicine and poison is dosage and application…and depends on the person. Please be very careful if you plan on trying to make a flying ointment.

Sources

Much of this comes from personal experience, reading lore over the years, working with witches, and meditations.  Here are some of the sources I pulled from when presenting:

https://guides.library.uab.edu/c.php?g=1048546&p=7609204

Poison Prescriptions: Power Plant Medicine, Magic & Ritual by The Seed Sistas

The Witches Ointment: The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic by Thomas Hastis

Witches, Broomsticks and Flying Ointments by Abigail Lance

Caveat Anoynter: A Study of Flying Ointments and their Plants by Sarah Penicka

The Poison Path Herbal by Coby Michael

https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/3/2/article-p164.xml

LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury [Internet]. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Bethesda (MD): Jul 7, 2017.

Anticholinergic Agents. [PubMed] 

 

More Adventures with Making the ointment from my original post from 2009


Create sacred space
Gather up 1-3 oz of plant material–less if dry, more if fresh
Chop up the plant material with gloves on
Pour 1 cup of oil into crockpot or cauldron
Add in plant material

Add heat, do not let it boil!  Let infuse for at least 4-8 hours.  Overnight is best
Stir regularly(every 15 minutes or 30 minutes)
repeating a chant with your intent
Strain off oil from herbs
Put warm oil back into crockpot adding thickener, repeating chant
Once thickener has dissolved, pour off into container.  Hold container up and set your intention one final time, giving thanks to your ancestors and whatever spirit you choose
Close the sacred space, say goodby to spirit and the directions, open the circle
Clean up.


Oil may be applied to body or third eye area on forehead in ritual to help induce visions.  Amount varies per person.  8 oz of oil may be used in dabs, if you are sensitive to herbs, or may be scooped out in globs and smeared all over the body.  Dosa varies by ingredients and person using it.  Some people have gone so far as to try it out the traditional way, internally with a broomstick.  


Disclaimer:  The information contained within this article is for information Purposes ONLY.  This is a fun tradition to read about, but many of the plants discussed can be extremely dangerous if used improperly.  The difference between medicine and poison is dosage and application…and depends on the person.  Please be very careful if you plan on trying to make a flying ointment.

Personal Experience:

 A fellow massage therapist asked me if I could make him some flying ointment in 2009. I decided that instead, I would host a flying ointment party where folks could do their own research, bring ingredients, and make a collective batch. We used a couple of different websites.