Xhosa dream root is commonly sold and marketed as a dream supplement(oneirogen). It's a perennial plant native to Eastern South Africa. There, it's regarded as a sacred plant with the remarkable believed ability to induce vivid and what is often falsely marketed as "prophetic" dreams.Take HEED: Divination and prophecy are NOT THE SAME THING! While people do experience results from this, it can open doors and one must follow the rules of the Bible ( see psalm 91:1 ) I don't know to tell you if it's cursed all around or not, but I'll say that I choose to avoid it these days.A lot of these plants come from cultures using them in un-biblical ways(shamanic context, divination, etc), so if you're a Christian, be careful and do your research on what certain botanicals are known for. Xhosa root has often been referred to by the name of "Ubulawu". Often times Silene capensis is described to be more powerful than even Calea Zacatechichi, or even the Entada rheedii seed. Note that there are quite a few of these types of herbs, and not too many of them are known for this type of classification. In biblical doctrine, the appreciation of various ethnobotanicals is displayed; However the morals inspired by the Most High clearly make known to us the rules, which requires knowledge and discernment.The emphasized warnings on this site are there because of certain practices common with cultures who made these plants known to the world. The rules can be more complex than it seems on the surface. See the following quote for further meditation.
Mathew 11:33 "Fruit Reveals Character" "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. you brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good, and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil."
Job 33:14-17 "For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, That he may withdraw man for his purpose, and hide pride from man." There are other citations which discuss God using dreams to speak prophecy to his people.( Numbers 12:6 : And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream." ) It's still important to not get steared down the wrong path though because it is very easy to do so. Divination does not exalt the Most High God, and instead deceives one into worshipping a false God. It tries to force things that only God can bless you with, such as prophecy and or prophetic dreams. 2 Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man" It's the deception of idolatry, and it happens through indoctrination. Isaiah 44:17 "and the residue thereof he maketh a God, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prays unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god". Just remember these things if you came here interested in this plant.
A very small amount of the root is said to be needed for desired effects. It can be boiled ( a decoction ), ground into a powder and eaten, or made into a tincture. It has a very bitter taste when eaten. A decoction or tincture is more bearable. The taste can easily be modified by using Cinnamon, Ginger, and other flavorable herbs. The reason I suggest this addition is because Ginger root is believed to aid in digestion and can enhance the infusion. The art of synergy and symbiosis is prevalent in herbalism. It's something you'll gain more and more insight into as you gain experience. This website is a great place to learn such insightful acquisitions. In regards to the Cinnamon, it's said to remove plaque from arteries and benefit the brain. I challenge anyone to further research my statements via scholar.google.com People grow this stuff in the USA, and according to reports on YouTube, it doesn't taste that bad. It originally comes from Africa, but it has spread around the world recently.
Although the roots of Xhosa were traditionally the main part used as an oneirogen or "plant ally" by the Shamanic culture of Xhosa people, in order to induce lucid dreams, and enhance overall dreaming, all parts are consumed by many. The beautiful white flowers are a sight to behold. You can capture some incredible oils from the fresh organic material, also known as "essential oils". Flowers in general are said to be useful in tinctures and infusions. High priced professionally branded essential oils are made using fresh flowers for example. Tea is one thing but a lot of herbalist can tell you that the entire essence of the herb is important as a whole in many cases
Xhosa Essential Oils
Xhosa flowers are beautiful or "dreamy", and have a nice tame fragrance to them. They are bright, white, and resemble the appearance of black berry flowers. They have this sort of "glow" that almost speaks to you. There are two ways to go about this, one is ghetto, the other is expensive. You can use water and flower, or you can buy steam distillation systems. The kits come with instructions. For the ghetto method, take your freshly harvested flowers, and simply add them to water in a mason jar. Let them set, squeeze out the oils and wait. Once everything has settled, you can get a dropper and carefully suck up the oils right off the top of the water! Remember, oil and water don't mix! Another option is to use a steam distillation system.
Growing Xhosa
In general these Xhosa plants are very easy to cultivate. Don't worry about over watering Xhosa ( Silene capensis ). This plant loves and requires water more than most other plants. You can water them once in the morning, and by the end of the day they may require to be watered even more. Generally, water once to twice per day. There are exceptions to this rule so use common sense. If they begin to wilt, water immediately. They are not easily cultivated via clones or cuttings. You can over do it and kill them so be careful. I have no idea why but on the bright side the Xhosa seed are easy enough to germinate. Start them in a small pot indoors and cover with a thin layer of soil. Use some good rich organic soil with excellent drainage. Perlite can be added to improve drainage and airation. Later this year I will add some high quality images of some live Xhosa plants.
Constituent Effects
The effects are from my experiences, vivid, colorful, and more complex, crystal clear dreams. They tend to have more of a color nature to them, nothing narcotic by any means. In general, the phytochemicals commonly suspected to cause the oneirogenic effects are called triterpenoid saponins. A lot of plants contain saponins and not all of them are known oneirogens. Triterpenoid saponins are naturally occurring compounds that exist in multiple plants. The ability of the plants to create these pharmacological constituents is wired into their DNA ( Deoxyribonucleic acid ).
I noticed no wierd or ill side effects, and prayed for permission basically before consuming it. I never got a creepy vibe from this particular plant upon doing much research, but the cultures that made it known are known for doing things the bible says don't. I pray for discernment if I am unsure anything, but it has generally become more obvious over the years. I'll tell you straight up there's some plants I won't consume or even posess (even legal) because I consider them bad joo joo for different reasons.
Organic Xhosa Dream Herb Scientific Name: Silene capensis
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Note: This website is divided into two categories of plants: Ethnobotanials, and Herbals. The Ethnobotanicals section contains: a mix of Christian Biblical warnings about occultic practices involving certain plants used by other cultures, and warnings on certain toxic plants being marketing irresponsibly by certain online vendors, but it also has a few other more common items such as Tobacco, Hemp, and more common items like Kava, anything potentially "psychoactive", is under ethnobotanicals. For everything else that's strictly health related, ie:Peppermint, Echinacea, Chamomile, Lavender, Mullein, etc, is under the Herbals section.