Sacred Datura — Image by kenne
Sacred Datura As Teacher
The trumpets blow
In the rite of passage
Near the desert stream
White and lavender-tinted
Colors known to the Shaman
To purity the soul
Datura is the sacred
In Carlos Castaneda’s
Supernormal perceptual state
Real or imagined
Around the Sonoran
Mountains and desert
Having a chance encounter
With a mushroom hunter
Influenced by diablero
The journey begins
In the rituals of Datura
Taking flight as a crow
Opening the doors
Wide into the night
Welcoming the duende
Freeing the poet
Of habitual trains of thought
Bringing love and understanding
Enhanced by the occasional
Encounter with black coyote
Ensuring the diablo’s existence
— kenne
Sacred Datura As Teacher — Image by kenne
I carried around some Datura seeds for awhile for a plant project in my herbalism class. The assignment was not to carry them, but I did. The days that I did were a bit nuts. I have never consumed it, and I don’t think I would. Sitting with the flowers and dried pods was enough. Lovely pictures 🙂
The only other image of a Datura I’ve seen was in a Georgia O’Keeffe painting. They’re lovely. Kind of like a petunia on steroids.
“. . . petunia on steroids,” I like that!