Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa)
This is another one of those plants that is steeped in mystery and misinformation. Historically, the Hopi smoked the dried resin that they obtained when the flower was cut off of this plant. This resin would then be air-dried and later smoked in ritual. Similar effects could be obtained from smoking dried Wild Lettuce leaves, but never as potent as the resin extracted daily from the flowers. Furthermore, the Hopi believe that induced dream states contain more information about reality than the conscious waking state. Wild lettuce was not only used in ritual to help achieve visionary and trace states, it was used to enhance the vividness of dreams when smoked prior to sleep.
Since the Native American Indians were so conscious of their relationship with plants and the spirits that they believe are contained within them, they would only collect a little bit each day, ensuring that the Wild Lettuce plant could regenerate, providing an endless stream of "Lettuce Opium" as they called it. This is why Wild Lettuce is one of the main ingredients in our
Dreamer's Blend; an immensely popular herbal blend we offer exclusively at our shop. It's one of our most popular blends, and one that several other venders have attempted to imitate!
A typical Wild Lettuce recipe is simply this: Lactucarine, the active alkaloid in the plant, extracts well enough into water. So, natives would gently simmer 1 ounce of Wild Lettuce dried leaf per person over a period of 8 hours, stirring often. As the water evaporated, a gummy residue wuld be left behind. This resin would be carefully removed from the cooking vessel, and then sealed in a container to prevent it from drying out. One ounce of material tpyically produces about 1/2 of a gram of resin, and the 1/2 gram of resin was smoked in one sitting during rituals.
There are a lot of venders who claim that they have "true" Wild Lettuce, but only the Lactuca virosa strain contains a reasonable concentration of the typically sought-after alkaloids. There are multiple strains of this sacred botanical, just as there are of so many other psychoactive plants such as Kratom and Calamus, but often times, as with those plants as well, only one of the strains have a place in Shamanic and Spiritual tradition.
Wild Lettuce Products...
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The Hopi smoked the resin (or sap) obtained from the Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) plant. The flower would be cut off and the sap that ran from the stem then would be collected. Each day, for a few weeks, another tiny bit was cut from the stem and more sap collected. This sap was then air-dried and later smoked in rituals that were intended to help induce vivid dream states and lucid dreaming. The Hopi believe that induced dream states contain more information about reality than the conscious waking state, and I can't say that any of here disagree, especially with the state of affairs in the world these days.
Wild lettuce, a.k.a. lettuce opium, is said to enhance the vividness of dreams when smoked prior to sleep. This is exactly why it's part of the Dreamer's Blend that was conceived and perfected by The IAmShaman Shop over a number of years. Many have tried to imitate it, but they are the originals.
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The Hopi smoked the resin, or sap obtained from the Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) plant. The flower would be cut off and the sap that ran from the stem would be collected. Each day, for a few weeks, another tiny bit was cut from the stem and more sap collected. This sap was then air-dried and later smoked in ritual. The Hopi believe that induced dream states contain more information about reality than the conscious waking state. Wild lettuce, aka lettuce opium, is said to enhance the vividness of dreams when smoked prior to sleep.
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This is the same formula as a popular and infamous resin that originated in the 60's and was called by various names. It has an extremely distinctive scent to it, reminiscent of violets, and contains a blend of natural herbs that includes Wild Lettuce, among others. We offer it here simply because we like to offer as wide a range of products as possible for our customers, and it actually is quite flavorful.
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To Native Americans, herbs represented not only food and medicine but also spirit and magic. They were used with great respect and had had life and power.”
Using these principles, our chemist developed a blend of herbs, that can be used in the traditional herbal method of native American medicine men. This blend can be smoked, used as a smudge and in combination with the tea, and is intended to help alleviate feelings of sadness and negativity, inability to focus and provide clarity of thought.
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We get tired of saying this, but don't be fooled by imitators who have stolen the recipe for this trademarked blend, developed by me out of a passion for dreams and Lucid Dreaming. Others only know what ingredients I have written here, which states that we have combined 4 powerful dreaming herbs with one sleep-inducing herb for this Burning Blend. But, the exact proportions, as well as the complete list of ingredients is kept strictly under wraps for that very reason.
The main ingredients are organically crafted Calea Zacatechichi (used by Mazatec shamans to induce vivid dreams), a rare African Dream Herb, Blue Vervain (used by Pawnee Indians), as well as Wild Lettuce (well-known dreaming aid). California Poppy is added to aid in ensuring restful sleep. Some use Dreamer's Blend as a tea and also roll it into a cigarette at bedtime to help induce vivid dreaming.
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