Prickly Poppy (Argemone mexicana)
This ethnobotanical enjoys a rich history in ritual and Shamanic practice. Known by the Aztecs as "nourishment of the dead", Prickly Poppy is only recently being rediscovered by modern-day Shamans and spiritual explorers everywhere. All parts of the plant have psychoactive properties, and until recently, only the dried leaves were available for making into a tea, or used in smoking blends.
We now offer the seeds, which are easy to grow in almost any condition and soil, and which are popular for grinding and mixing with your favorite smoking herbs or blends. In addition, during the summer months, we offer the dried latex of the plant, but due to high demand and a very limited supply, it disappears quickly. This is a favorite ethnobotanical here at the shop, and if you are interested in finding out more, there is extensive information in the Argemone mexicana (Prickly Poppy) article found at Entheology.org.
Since we handle so much volume, we not only rotate our stock more than any other online shop, we pride ourselves in aquiring the freshest and most potent Prickly Poppy available. This is one of the plants where we have several suppliers to choose from, and we test every harvest to choose the one highest in alkaloid content. This entheogen is also been used in combination with Tagetes lucida; another plant that has only recently been rediscovered by psychonauts everywhere.
Prickly Poppy Products...
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The herb and flowers are smoked by natives to produce both a euphoric and a mild sedating effect. The whole plant has often been extracted to produce a substitute for a well-known herb, giving it much stronger sedative and analgesic properties, but the latex from this plant is the most potent part, but the most difficult to find as well. Often, just like the Mexican Dream Herb, the dried herbage is often rolled into a cigarette, while a tea is enjoyed to strengthen the effects.
It has also been mixed with Tagetes lucida, another herb that is only recently regaining attention as an important psychoactive in the spiritual explorer's arsenal of tools, with many positive and interesting reports. Sometimes, blends of herbs are part of the fun of exploring Shamanic plants rich in historical tradition and folklore such as this one.
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This product is similar to our Prickly Poppy Resin, but offered in a granulated/powdered form instead. This allows the extract to be mixed with other blends more easily, or allows it to be sprinkled in with a favorite smoking herb to help enhance the effects. It's concentrated to a standardized 12:1 ratio, making it the most potent Prickly Poppy product available, and the easiest one to work with as well.
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This Argemone Mexicana (Prickly Poppy) resin is well-known for its sedative and calming qualities around the world. This resin is a 10x extract, and is made with our all-organic Prickly Poppy herb found elsewhere in the shop. This resin is a full spectrum resin made from the entire plant and flowers, but does not contain the latex from the capsules, or the seeds that the plant produces either. Latex is difficult to acquire and available here in limited quantities, but this resin is well worth investigating.
Extracted from fresh, not dried leaf for maximum potency. It mixes well with Tagetes lucida, which helps to enhance the effects of the Prickly Poppy Resin.
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The Aztecs use of Prickly Poppy seeds ritualistically is well documented. What is less documented is the fact that they also reportedly smoked the seeds, to quote a source; for their "cannabis-like effects" as well. There is little known about the psychoactive consituents of Prickly Poppy though, as information is scarce. The use of this plant was limited to the priests, and as Christian Ratsch stated in 1995; "[Prickly Poppy seeds] may have been utilized for Shamanic journeys into the worlds beyond. This is enticing and exciting for spiritual explorers who want to learn about the place that plants such as this have in Shamanic historical contexts.
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Tagetes lucida is a beautiful, bright green perennial herb from the Sierra Mandre Mountains of Mexico. It is used by the local Indians recreationally as well as in the kitchen. It has a very mild anise flavor and a sweet taste. In Mexico, it is used as a tea to calm stomachs, relax nerves and to alleviate the symptoms of a hangover.
In ceremonies, the Huichol Indians from the Sierra Madre Mountains reportedly have visions when smoking the herb in combination with the consumption of fermented Tarragon tea, which is prepared the same way Sinicuichi is prepared. Tagetes lucida has been used since pre-Hispanic times and when smoked, is said to produce everything from euphoria to "closed-eye-images" similar to other herbs that were used used for divination.
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Although the word "narcotic" has taken on a very negative connotation in recent years, Tagetes, in the classical sense of the term, is reputed to be narcotic in many countries. Narcotic, in the past, simply meant "psychoactive" in terms of its effects, and applied to a large number or natural herbs.
In ceremonies, the Huichol Indians from the Sierra Madre Mountains reportedly have visions when smoking the herb in combination with the consumption of fermented Tarragon tea, which is prepared the same way Sinicuichi is prepared. Tagetes lucida has been used since pre-Hispanic times and when smoked, is said to produce everything from euphoria to "closed-eye-images" similar to other herbs that were used used for divination.
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