The particularly striking fly agaric is not only a fascinating creature in nature, but also has a long history of use in the world of witches and magicians. In this article, we will take a closer look at the mystical use of the Amanita muscaria effect by witches as well as the rumors and myths surrounding it.
The fly agaric - a magical mushroom
The bright red hat with its white, scaly speckles is a bold and unmistakable sign of this mushroom. Every child knows the infamous fly agaric. It is a familiar image in popular culture and widely known as a lucky mushroom. It can be found in countless children's books illustrating innocent fairy tales. Like no other species, the fly agaric symbolizes the magic of an enchanted forest with its magical groves. Everyone knows that fairies, gnomes and above all witches live there...
Myths and realities in witchcraft
Mythologies from all over the world reflect the mystery of the fly agaric. Everywhere it is regarded as a semi-divine being, and it is often associated with the mighty thunder gods and their cosmic fire. In India, for example, Amanita muscaria is sacred to Agni, the god of fire. His worshippers made offerings to the fly agaric and took it as a sacrament. It is said to have helped them communicate with their god.
In the Mayan dialects, the fly agaric is known as “Kukolja”, which also means “thunder”. The Lacandon Maya call it “Eh kib lu'um”, which translates as “the light of the earth”.
And what was it like in Europe?
The mysterious use of the fly agaric in witchcraft practice
The fly agaric not only has a fascinating presence in nature, but also in the world of witches and magicians. Since time immemorial, Amanita muscaria, the Latin name of the red and white mushroom, has been used in witchcraft due to its supposed mystical properties. In ritual ceremonies, the mushroom often played an important role in establishing spiritual connections or influencing dreams and visions. Some witches are convinced that eating the fly agaric can unleash their inner powers and help them to further their spiritual development.
According to popular lore, witches use the mushroom to contact dark forces or to go on magical flights. This has led to the fly agaric being seen as a symbol of evil or sorcery in some cultures.
The hallucinogenic ointment formerly known as “fly ointment”, which is said to have been used in European witchcraft since around 1400 AD, is now known as flying ointment. Detailed recipes for the preparation of such flying ointments were recorded for the first time around this time. The lists of ingredients of this plant mixture, also known as green ointment, sleeping ointment, magic ointment and witches' flying ointment, vary minimally, but apparently contain the fly agaric as one of the main substances. Belladonna, the deadly nightshade, was also one of the ingredients, but also an interesting other ingredient of an animal nature!
The toad not only gave the fly agaric its nickname toadstool because, according to legend, it liked to sit on the fly agaric, but presumably also because its secretion was just as essential an ingredient in the fly ointment as Amanita muscaria itself. These amphibians produce a toxin called bufotoxin in their parotid glands, which causes hallucinations and an accelerated heartbeat, among other things. Some evidence of the use of this poison by five witches in Fago (Aragon) can be found in the records of the Inquisition when they were put on trial in 1657: “The accused said that she had a toad, and they whipped her with sprigs of heather, they took what they made squirt out of her, rubbed themselves with it and went wherever they wanted” (source: https://sacredearth.com, Fericgla, 1996)
In her unique blog article “Healing the Witch Wound”, Alissa from Sagesistas gives further insights into this extremely exciting but also dramatic time in human history.
Witches' Sabbath
Witches' Sabbath or Devil's Dance was the term used by both so-called witch theorists and the church inquisitors to describe regular, secret witches' meetings held at night in remote places by so-called witches and sorcerers. It was said that they performed wondrous rituals and communicated with the devil at the place known as the witches' place.
In the Middle Ages, four main festivals were regarded as witches' Sabbaths:
The evening of February 1 - Maria-Lichtmeß
The night of April 30 to May 1 - Walpurgis Night
July 1 - Lammas evening
and October 31 - Samhain, the festival of the cult of the dead (known to most people today as Halloween)
In fact, there are a few more dates when witches came together and celebrated:
The winter solstice or Yule festival around December 21
Imbolc - the festival of lights or day of the oracle on February 2
Ostara - the beginning of spring and the festival of fertility around March 21
Beltane - the festival at the beginning of summer, which falls on the first full summer moon around the end of April or beginning of May: Walpurgis Night emerged from this festival, which was later fixed on April 30th
Lithia - the summer solstice is around June 21
Lammas/ Lughnasadh - the festival of the harvest on August 1
Mabon - the beginning of autumn around September 21 (harvest festival)
In conjunction with the dates, it is fairly obvious that witches celebrated one thing in particular, the transformational energies that bring about the changes of the season. This power is best felt in the open, wild nature. No wonder, then, that witches' dance sites were usually located deep in the forest.
Samhain
Samhain is considered the Witches' New Year because with the beginning of the cold season, the land falls asleep and a new cycle begins. Samhain is one of the most important festivals of the afterworld, some say the most important of all. It celebrates death and rebirth, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.
During Samhain, the veil between the worlds is very permeable, which is why it is also considered a festival of the dead. Even though experts still argue about whether there is an afterlife, and even the existence of ghosts is doubted by some witches and shadow beings, people gather at Samhain to honor the deceased.
The inhabitants of the shadow world do this, for example, by telling stories about their ancestors or preparing a place for them at their table and leaving food out for them. Rituals are also performed to guide lost souls into the afterlife and bind negative feelings and energies left behind by the deceased so that they can no longer harm the living.
As this festival marked a new beginning, all new witches whose powers had awakened since the last Samhain were traditionally welcomed into the circle of witches through a ritual.
It was also customary to inscribe stones with the names of the young witches and throw them into the fire that night. When the fire had burned down the next day, the condition of the stones indicated their magical power and what powers were yet to come.
Samhain was also the time when the most powerful seer among the witches made a prediction for the coming year concerning the fate of all night creatures. It was also the best day of the year to look into the future and find out what fate awaited you in the coming months.
Needless to say, the fly agaric was consumed on this occasion to establish and deepen the connection and communication with the ancestral and spirit world.
Amanita muscaria is magical and spiritual - The Amanita muscaria effect
To summarize, witches and sorcerers were and are simply people who already have a strong connection to nature and spirituality. As such, they have a heightened interest in natural medicinal plants and their powers and strive to expand their consciousness. In the Middle Ages, when magic was used by the church to keep the population in check, it became the norm to denounce dissenters and thus find a seemingly legitimate way to eliminate them. With their knowledge of the power of nature and the use of various plants such as the fly agaric, they almost automatically came under suspicion and were sometimes mercilessly persecuted. It is therefore all the more gratifying that in recent years there has been a major rethink about natural healing, including eating Amanita muscaria. It is simply wonderful to observe this newly awakened interest in Amanita muscaria, because the fly agaric effect is magical in many ways and can accompany us on the path to a completely new attitude towards life.
If you are interested in the fly agaric and many other ways to restore your inner balance and personal development, we would like to recommend the inspiring website Sagesistas.com! Alissa takes us on a unique journey into the depths of ourselves and explains in a versatile and comprehensive way how we can rediscover our divine powers and grow beyond ourselves!
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