Silene capensis

[hebrew]

ok after doing a search here on this great plant i thought i might supply some interesting information shared by a friend in south africa who has done alot of work with the xhosa in the past.

Firstly, the root material. For the best effects, well developed roots are essential. I would avoid the powdered crap I notice is being sold on the Internet at ridiculous prices. As soon as one crushes some plant material, it's chemistry will start to oxidize. And if powdered material has been laying round somewhere, even sealed in a bottle, it is something less than it was before it was crushed. Healers always keep material in root form for good reason. Our current research shows that stored plant material degrades rapidly over time. Dose 250-500mg of the powdered root. It should be properly dried (sun dried is best). Secondly, the finely ground material must be mixed in at least 500ml to 1 liter water and beaten up with a forked stick. A hand held or electric mixer is useless because all the ground particles adhere to the mixer. Pharmacological research on the root at the moment indicates that there is more chemical load in the water fraction than in the dry or oil fraction - novel acids and probably diterpenoids are present. Although the dreams are particularly vivid, this is not exactly an hallucinogenic experience. Regard it more as a clicking back to normal night time dream mode. One is supposed to fill one's empty gut with as much of the white foam, which is produced by vigorous mixing, as possible. A Xhosa initiate is never finished drinking from the can until he/she belches. This is repeated three times a day for three days at full moon. No psychedelic effects ensue. One might perhaps notice a sudden sharpening of one's intuition, though. Just at night when one sleeps, one is going to dream like Rip van Winkel (ever heard of that dude?). Use the medicine for about three months, as described, and you'll never need to use it again. On the psychological level, the dreams are very resolving of current problems and issues.

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A little bundle of really good roots costs about R5-R10 here (remember a dollar is about R7-R8). Naturally, healers use additives, namely other similar but possibly less potent roots, to improve taste and effect. An important one often mentioned is impendulo ('the question') (Dianthus spp.), which has a deep red root bark and a very beautiful red, sweet pea-like flower. The additives also increase dreaming. Indaw'luthi ('place of this tree') is a type of Acorus calamus and unkomentaba ('cattle of the mountain') a frank, somewhat harsh tasting but otherwise effective, ubulawu ('frothing root') [many nouns in Xhosa are coined from verbs - hence, ubulawu is derived from the verb ukulawula, to control - obviously the idea is to be in control of one's dream life. A healer might make a cold water infusion of a mixture of the roots including Alepedia, which is tonic and also increases 'short limb tension' . Put it all in a clean liter Coke bottle and shake it up something chronic and take a tablespoon three times a day. We know the roots contain saponins, but analytical work currently underway in Zurich suggests a novel and complex chemistry.

The forked stick is straight and bifurcated at the end. It symbolizes both the difference, yet unity of the paternal and maternal ancestors (like right and left hands - clapping hands makes the ancestors present and Xhosa clapped hands as an accompaniment to song and dance long before they acquired drums) - an extremely important consideration in the initiation of a Xhosa healer because after the main induction rituals are performed by the agnatic group (one's paternal relatives) the rituals involving the slaughter of a white goat without blemish and an ox are repeated by the healer's maternal relatives. So, one finds Xhosa healers who say, "I am initiated on both sides, in the river and in the forest." Healers speak of themselves as 'white people (abantu abamhlophe)'. Initiation as a healer makes a person 'clear'. Beautiful symbolic chain radiating out from the scented white flowered Silene to white froth, white goats and wearing white beads. I can write more on the topic if anyone is interested.

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The little side tendrils on the root, which have very resinous bark, are very good for smoking when cut up fine - stimulant and a bit colourful. My teacher always made a fat cigar whenever we went off on a journey, like to pick it on the mountaintop. He always told me that when we pick it, uGqoloma, a large Cape python-like creature, would send a mist to make us lose our way. He said that a few times before we actually went to pick it. Actually, the Xhosa man, a schoolteacher living at the foot of the mountain, told us there was a leopard up there and several sheep and cattle had been carried off by it. So, when we got to the dolerite cliffs we had to scale to get to the summit, the diviner pulled his big cigar out and lit it and passed it round. We had a herbalist with us. We said nothing - just smoked silently. When just above us we heard a cough leopards are known to make. The diviner raised his eyebrows, so did the herbalist. I just looked straight ahead down the mountainside wondering how long it would take me to get to the line of trees in the distance (grin). We sat there for some time. It was a very hot September day. There was not a single cloud in the sky. The diviner handed the herbalist an ax and asked him to mark the trail because a mist would be descending soon and we should by all accounts not lose our way especially since there was a leopard living up there. When we finally got to the top a half an hour later, we found large clusters of Alepedia 8-10 feet tall. Each plant had sufficient roots to fill a large bag. We picked only a few plants and nearly filled our hessian bag. The diviner was always very firm about leaving plants "for next time". Anyway, you must know what it's like carrying just one bag down a mountain (hell, that's another story). Still, we rambled through the dry plants and knocked many of their seeds earthward. When next I looked the mist had descended and I could hear the diviner calling the herbalist and myself. One couldn't see one's hand in front of one's face. I was pleased we had marked the trail. Once we had scrambled down the cliffs again, we emerged back into the sunlight. Looking back, it was as if a small cloud had surreptitiously crept up and lodged itself on the summit of the mountain. It's nice to cut the wet roots down the center with a very sharp knife and pull the two pieces apart and put it in a plastic bucket so that the thick white latex can ooze out; the latex quickly oxidizes to a brown colour. According to the diviner, use of the root, among other things, makes one invisible to people one dislikes and I can tell lots of anecdotes about this. Hemp smugglers use it a lot so the feds can't see them (grin).

The story of my initiation and my dreams was published a few years ago in Eleusis and not having all my published material on computer file, I will have to extract some of the material manually sometime for your enjoyment (?). We can have an informal healer's tutorial on the topic (grin).

R7-R8 = $1,00

R5-R10 = just under a dollar to just over a dollar.

A small bundle of roots lasts a healer months.

A pity it's winter now. When the German pharmacologist was here in February, the roots were in very good shape because of the excellent rains. Now is not a good time for roots. As the Chinese guy in Burroughs' famous book always says, "No glot, klom fliday."

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The common garden carnation is a member of the Dianthus family - this is an area poorly researched by botanists and not being one myself, I don't know a more accurate botanical ID for impendulo. ++++, one is talking about 250-500mg - naturally the material is not consumed all at once but over a couple of days (taken on an empty stomach - eat later). What remains of the material afterwards should be used for washing the body. I rarely mix it in water myself - I just chew on the root (without swallowing said material) and afterwards, I spit the cud out onto the threshold of my doorway to draw people to me and to ensure the one's I do draw are friendly and peaceful. Consuming ubulawu gives the perspiration of the user a scented, musky odor. In one of its senses ubulawu is translated as 'perfume'. Healers dance a lot and they produce a good smell when they dance together in a large group. Xhosa has a feminine form for healer - a female healer is igqirhakazi; the kazi ending refers to a female. Yet, Xhosa people rarely refer to a female healer as a 'female' healer, but as igqirha, the same term used with reference to a male. All of which suggests that the sex or gender of the healer is not an important consideration. Women are not allowed to enter the cattle-fold when slaughtering takes place, but a female healer is expected to be present - so her gender doesn't count for much since she is a healer. Before they dance, males and females help each other, in various stages of undress, to dress up in their regalia and the fact that men and women are exposed hardly draws anyone's attention. I think they first noticed it when I actually commented on it to them. Fortunately, they didn't take much notice and were mildly amused I should notice it in the first place.

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I omitted to mention that in my haste. As long as one consumes the material on an empty stomach - remember, it is essentially an emitic that is used to induce vomiting - it's fine and one can always eat later. I used it a lot during my own initiation and experienced no noticeable side-effects (and I have a pretty sensitive gut). Also, I wouldn't use it in conjunction with other medications or drugs. Camagu ('be appeased and blessed'),

hamba gahle, pupa gahle ('go well, dream well').

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Edited August 15, 2009 by VelvetSiren

[t st tantra]

very interesting post....thanx!

a bit hard to follow in places....i assume cos the writer is still in iboga transition.

so silene capensis can also be smoked,or chewed and spat out or ground and swallowed ?

the soap bubbles doesnt sound appealing to me,though i prob will try it once from curiosity.

does it clean your inside out?......serious q!

can you give more id for the dianthus?

google of chitwan gives place of that name in nepal?

was said not to use other drugs with s capensis but traditionally mixed with other plants and this fellow has a nice mix going?

smoked about 50mg the past 2 days, seems to be some change in consciousness going on,became continuous sometime after 2nd dose,something like tinitus but a deeper tone.

keep me awake a lot the first night....dream herbs usually do!

not aware of dreaming at all but have a background feeling of intensely coloured dreams?

googling gave some answers here of course!

http://tribes.tribe.net/vegetalismo/thread...72-64bb14c9c659

found this too....still looking for sources forum.....

http://www.drugs-forum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=17666

t s t .

Edited August 23, 2008 by t st tantra

[hebrew]

ahh yes tst that is where i took the information from.

very good place that vegetalismo tribe although tribes sucks

i will come back to your questions although i am not sure i can answer all of them

[Auxin]

Thanks for finding the source tst, that sure clears up something. The bit that starts:

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The little side tendrils on the root, which have very resinous bark, are very good for smoking when cut up fine - stimulant and a bit colourful.

in that quote sounds as if its talking about Silene capensis! It sure surprised me anyway, but from the source we get

How do you plan to use Artemisia? As soon as I run into some good A. amatymbica I will get you a couple, for sure. The little side tendrils on the root, which have very resinous bark, are very good for smoking when cut up fine - stimulant and a bit colourful.

So what was smoked was A. amatymbica and theres actually no mention of Silene capensis being smoked in any form?

I think your recent test, tst, is the first actual report of smoked S. capensis I've actually seen.. there have been scattered rumors before but no meaningful data.

[t st tantra]

yes,it appears your correct.......there is a report on erowid of insufflating a small amt.

seems like a little bit of gas from smoking too!

this quote from the first thread may be interesting for my rls,it was less troublesome lastnight......

'And it may be something else, i havent had a long perview of this plant, but it seems to positively affect my lower leg neuropathy- It has largely receded since using silene.'

from the second link........

Dream inducing herbs (oneirogenic) :

Impendulo - Rubia petiolaris

Isidala - Dianthus crenatus

A cold water root infusion is used by diviners to ensure visions and sharpen their divining faculties. Also of interest is the fact that this plant is in the same family as the Silene that is an oneirogenic (dream-inducing) plant.

Lesoko - Alepidea amatymbica

Maranga - Albizia adianthifolia

The Chwabo tribe know it as `maranga'. They use the roots to induce dreams and to enhance memory. The bark is also snuffed.

Ubhubhubhu - Helinus integrifolius

Diviners use saponin rich species like Helinus integrifolius in an ubulawu mix which enables them to interpret dreams clearly. (Saponins are a highly bioactive group of molecules.) It is prepared by stirring with cold water until a froth appears.

Umagupu - Maesa lanceolata

The tree yields 3% embelin. A host defence stimulant, dioxybenzoquinone, has been isolated (Kubo et al. 1983, 1987). Maesaanin, isolated from fruit, has antifungal activity against Candida utilis (Yano et al. 1989).

Uqume - Hippobromus pauciflorus

Uvuma-omhlope - Synaptolepis kirkii

The tuberous root is cut into chunks. These chunks are remarkably pure white in colour (`omhlope’ = white), and easy to identify. They have brown fibres embedded in them, and appear like pieces of plaster of Paris. Uvuma-omhlope is used to produce clear vision when entering into a trance. Root infusions are also used in rituals and assist diviners to `see’ in a metaphysical sense. An unusual diterpenoid ester known as Synaptolepis factor K, has been reported from a Synaptolepis species (see Zayed 1977).

For sources see the sources forum

another good link........

http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id186.htm

http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/id233.htm

t s t .

Edited August 24, 2008 by t st tantra

[hebrew]

ohh sorry about that, i should of taken more time to bring it across here.

my apologies for that.

[t st tantra]

no probs.....sometimes the spirit moves in mysterious ways!

last night........

after 2hrs sleep,woke up and was awake most of the night,felt wide awake!

eventually slept a little and had a dream i could recall fairly well.

earlier in the evening i was surprised by the intensity and connectivity of visual enhancement of another plant.connected very strongly with the new batch of rats in my roof with strong empathy for their situation........turned it off ok,as i need to get rid of them!

this is my usual response to dream herbs.....cant sleep and much increased visual enhancement but little dreaming.......calea,mugwort and now silene!

the silene is an interesting experience though.........background feeling of an agreement with the plant that continued use will produce good results.

t s t .

[hebrew]

yes this herb is very special herb i have been taking it for a week now and have had some good effects stronger in the full moon it was.

in the future i will diet this herb and work in more detail with it.

thigns i have noticed now are.

when asleep it is like being awake sleep my thought patterns are very similar to when i am awake, in the dream or after a deep dream my mind will talk like when it does awake doesnt usually do this when asleep will talk about the dream remember it file it away so then upon waking it is easier to remember.

although i have a deep sleep it is like being awake kinda

hard to describe i spose

also noticed that if you are looking for answers to something meditate upon these before sleeping and usually the dreams will give some clarity about your musings before sleep.

have to keep it focused as you fall asleep i have foudn otherwise the dreams can wander

i will be taking a few weeks rest from silene and then next full moon continue my work with this plant.

great plant i am making it a mission for this comgin growing season to grow as many as i can and collect seed and continue to create a garden full of silene.

i do not know a great deal abotu mugwort and have a few big bags of the stuff i should look into this one as well calea i like but in tincture form, but to me it does not carry the wisdom silene does.

[t st tantra]

maybe the saponins are a drug extraction system,like detergent 'dissolves' fats,extracting fat soluble substances like maybe terpenes........talking esp about use with other plant additives?

add some erb.....

think i'll see what happens for a couple more days......would like to check the reversibility though.

t s t .

[t st tantra]

where is the place that thinking and feeling become the same thing?.....intuition?

another very impressive meditation last night........given my next step?......time to come back and be better prepared for my next time!

t s t .

[Nobun]

Awesome herb Silene Capensis' 150mg chewed before breakfast' have you dreaming like Rip-Van-Winkle inside of two days'

She gives you strenght to body' somwaht like Caffiene without the edge and a visionary state during the day' Technicolor dreams at nite'

Mixes very well indeed with Iboga' also Chitwan (Nepalese Cubensis) and L-Dopa'

The Mucuna added makes for the experience to be very flowing'

I still say Silene has a water spirit' you eat her an your energies just begin to flow' very gentle' but the movement is noticable'

If you take her for 3 months' you never need to take her again' unless you kill your dreams with weed that is'

Nice writeup Velvs' good work bro'

Bliss

Nobunoni +

[hebrew]

ahh bro i cant take the credit for that write up mostly mantons words.

and yours ;)

yeah man 3 months i hope to do that one day

[Nobun]

ahh bro i cant take the credit for that write up mostly mantons words.

and yours ;)

yeah man 3 months i hope to do that one day

Yay good ole Manton'

One thing I forgot to mention of this plant Silene Capensis is the effect she has on nerve pain'

I used to suffer some ghosting from nerve damage' One week of Silene' never had the problem since' also sciatic pain is deminished whilst you take this herb'

A friend of mine takes her for the pain in his feet from diabetes' he says he gets a good dreamfilled nites sleep off of her with no feet pain' So there is more to this lady than just a dream herb for sure'

Bliss

Nobunoni +

Edited August 27, 2008 by Nobun

[t st tantra]

seem to be having problems returning to previous mental state.......still have background effect of silene after about 6 days of stopping use.have had something similar with a different substance which took a month to wear off!

if i had to pick a new state to live in this would be high on my list.....but it is unexpected!

vs and nobun,how long do you find it takes for silene to wear off?

t s t .

[hebrew]

last time i took silene was i spose about a week ago i noticed effects last for about 3 or 4 days after stopping silene

i am about to start another week of silene shortly. finishing my last supply of the herb, i should keep a diary of it ay

[t st tantra]

i lie down and dream while awake sometimes.

t s t .

Edited September 1, 2008 by t st tantra

[Nobun]

ts t tantra'

How long did you take Silene'

If you eat her for 1 week' she shall hold you for a month' unless you kill the re-wiring'(in the end you can in no way change of what she does to you)

This lady works by resseting brain wave patterning'

As I said if you eat her for 3 months' her job is done'

Like many of the African plants and their misteries'

You take them' they cause permanent change'

If you only take a little Silene' the effect is pemanent'

This is of why the herb is only taken for thre months in a traditonal setting' there is no thing to be gained from continuing the use of this herb after 3 months' unless you like the uplift she can bring during the day'

Folks smoke the tender roots for an added boost' but the dream state' REM' is the same'

You become a dream walking upon the land'

Iboga has very similiar properties' in that there is no return to so called normal state after ingestion'

These substances permantly alter the wiring of the brain ! !

So you shall find if you eat Silene' she shall teach you of her mystery'

This in the end becomes the only way to know a plant' for we can read of what we like' take them to get high'

But as of when we diet of them' we see through the eye of the plant'

Symbiosis'

Man and plant the same'

Of all my years of research I have seldom found accounts of folks actualy dieting with one plant and learning of her secrets'

And now I smile'

Cos'

No arrogance on my part here'

I took a real rough road to climb my mountain'

I have dieted on five plants' (Cappi vine' then added light plants' Iboga' Mushrooms' Spice until they broke me' scared the living shit out of me' killed me of all memories attachments'

made me lose of MIND' self' sent me quite crazy for a while'

But'

They never hurt me' only gave me serious lessons to learn' show of what needs changing' even forced me to accept that change even if I wished in no way to accept and go' (Iboga made me drum upon a stool in my hallway for nearly two hours each day' because I wished to continue as I had always done' by using memory to move foreward n' eating valium' until I gave in' and moved' to a different location upon the table of God' she finaly let me go' allowing me to sleep and dream for a while' then each morning' the same again' for five days' until all of my conflicts' problems had been ressolved'

So' these plants become a way of life' a way of seeing without blinkers'

I am quite suprised after my years of self ingestions' the very little amount of information is out there about the psychic effects of these plants'

After all'

They are psycho-active substances' that require a knowledge of use' the same as one would need knowledge of how to drive a car'

I see the human body as no different' the same as the psychi' they must be in tune with each other' like two cross weber carbs' so as the energies run clear and true' never allowing for the lines to get clogged'

OK too much baccy'

Shall shut up now'

Silene changes you for good ! !

Bliss

Nobunoni +

[t st tantra]

i only smoked a small amt in the morning for 3 days in a row....i was aware that longer term usage could be permanant so stopped after a few days.

'If you only take a little Silene' the effect is permanent'

i thought more than a little would be needed for permanent change?

'Folks smoke the tender roots for an added boost'

wasnt this a reference to artemesia?

t s t .

[Auxin]

When one is in the prolonged-effects stage, ie. after all of the drug has likely metabolized but while the effects persist, what happens if a different oneirogen such as Calea is used? Does it just pile the Calea effects on top of the Silene effects, produce some synergy, cancel out Silene in favor of Calea, etc?

Kind of intimidating that with enough use it becomes permanent, fortunately not many would use it every day for 3 months straight.

[Nobun]

Auxin' I shall leave the experimentation up to you'

Mix Silene with Iboga and see of what I mean' =)))

Synergy is expected )) with any other herb' even Kratom'

Bliss

Nobunoni +

[t st tantra]

auxin,i think calea is very mild in effects compared to silene......silene gets in deep and like i said effects were continuous from the second dose.if i dont return to normal state i plan on trying a challenge dose of silene to see if i am able to come down from that.

i think my effects are lighter now than a couple days ago,so assume they are receding.......

possibly my experience is unusual,i expect so.......a possibility is that other substances i consume have kept the silene active in my system for longer.

silene has been around here for a while but i gather hardly anyone has tried it?

t s t .

[Auxin]

I've tried it. Harvested a 1 year old plant and got 4 grams dried root. Used 200 mg a day in a few short series', then 250 mg a day for 4 days then a end dose of 500 mg in the last series. Got clear effects of increased dream vividness, imagery, and meaningfulness without it disrupting my sleep cycle and causing hangover like Calea. The effect was milder than expected, I assume this may be attributable to the root being too young and weak. Comming up on the 2 year old mark on the remaining 3 plants so I have seelings going and when ones ready I'll harvest a 2 year plant and replace it with a seedling. Hopefully 2 year plants are higher yielding and more potent but I'll keep the others going for year 3.

Auxin' I shall leave the experimentation up to you'

Mix Silene with Iboga and see of what I mean' =)))

<___base_url___>/uploads/emoticons/default_biggrin.png Well i wont do that since iboga is highly illegal and intensely rare here, but I do plan to pay attention to interactions with other things <___base_url___>/uploads/emoticons/default_smile.png Experimentiation will be minimal though, since I expect yield to still be under 12 grams this year.

tst, you seemed to have a heightened sensitivity to many entheogens- even more than me- please keep us informed as to how long it does end up lasting, it could be quite informative.

Edited September 2, 2008 by Auxin

[t st tantra]

smoked a dose of calea leaf yesterday.......definitely seemed more active with some silene effect still in my system.

the artemesia ties in with the use of mugwort,artemesia vulgaris as a dream herb.

come late summer i'll harvest some roots from my plant for testing.

maybe absinthium too.

t s t .

Edited September 3, 2008 by t st tantra

[t st tantra]

prob back to usual state,reluctant to call it normal,yesterday.

had calea for 2 days.nothing much from second dose.

one interesting thing about the silene was how it effects the experience of other plants.

there were definite differences to usual .need more experience to define it .

t s t .

Edited September 5, 2008 by t st tantra

[t st tantra]

hmm,a friend came around a couple weeks ago,he was in a state of finding himself so i thought to offer him a few doses of silene.

saw him again last night.

he had dosed,chewed i think,maybe 100mg doses[?],for 4 days.

things became 'difficult' at some stage i gather after initial positive effects.

effects ended about a week after dosing ended.

other substances were used in his self discovery......his patterning mechanism worked overtime......his parents called a locum.......we both think he will be off the antipsychotics soon!

silene seems deep stuff,complicated chemistry,i tried earlier to capture the nature of the state.......something going on with the hemisperes......interacts with other drugs in qualitative and quantitative ways.would recommend 1 or 2 days of dosing increasing with experience.

there is comment about avoiding meat/protein when using seline,this could be a good idea.my digestion seems altered,slowed?

start eating protein when dosing ends aparently.

t s t .