From "Plants of the Gods" by Richard Evans Schultes & Albert Hoffman Common Name: Badoh Negro, Piule, Tlitlitlzen Botanical Name: Ipomoea violacea L. Usage: Oaxaca, southern Mexico. Known to Aztecs as Tlitliltzen and employed in the same way as Ololiuqui, Ipomoea is called Piule by the Chinantec and Mazatec, and Badoh Negro by the Zapotec. In southern Mexico this vine is respected as one of the principal hallucinogens for use in divination, magico-religious and curing rituals. Preparation: A drink is prepared from about a thimbleful of the crushed seeds. Effects: The alkaloid content is 5 times that of Turbina corymbosa: accordingly the natives use fewer seeds. The same alkaloids are found in other Morning Glories, but usage is restricted to Mexico (see Ololiuqui) Common Name: Ololiuqui, Badoh Botanical Name: Turbina corymbosa [synonym: Rivea corymbosa] History: The seeds of this Morning Glory, formerly known as Rivea corymbosa, are valued as one of the major sacred hallucinbogens of numerous Indian groups in southern Mexico. Their use goes back to early periods, and they were important in Aztec ceremonies as an intoxicant and as a magic potion with reputedly analgesic properties. Usage: At the present time small round seeds are utilized in divination and witchcraft by Chinantec, Mazatec, Zapotec, and others and, as has been recently stated, "today in almost all villages of Oaxaca one finds seeds still serving the natives as an ever-present help in the time of trouble." Preparation: The seeds, which must be collected by the person who is to be treated, are ground by a virgin on a metate, water is added and then the drink is filtered. The patient drinks it at night in a quiet, secluded space. Effects: Ergoline alkaloids were found to be the psychoactive principles, lysergic acid amide and lysergic acid hydroxyethylamide, closely related to the potent hallucinogen LSD, being the most important constituents. From: "Plants of the Gods" By Richard Evans Schultes & Albert Hoffman --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Another Morning Glory, Ipomoea violacea, was valued as a sacred hallucinogen among the Aztecs who called the seeds Tlitliltzin, from the Nahuatl term for "black" with a reverential suffix. The seeds of this Morning Glory are elongate, angular, and black, whereas those of Turbina corymbosa are round and brown." "Ipomoea violacea is used especially in the Zapotec and Chatin area of Oaxaca where it is known as Badoh Negro, or in Zapotec, Badungas. In some Zapotec villages both Turbina corymbosa and Ipomoea violacea are known; in others, only the latter are used. The black seeds are often referred called macho ("male") and men take them; the brown seeds, called hembra ("female") are ingested by women. The black seeds are more potent than the brown, according to the natives, an assertion borne out by chemical studies. The dose is frequently seven or a multiple of seven; at other times, the familiar 13 is the dose. As with Turbina, Badoh Negro seeds are ground and placed in a gourd with water. The solid particles are strained out, and the liquid is drunk. Revelations of the cause of illness or divinations are provided during the intoxication by "intermediaries" - the fantastical badu-win or two little girls in white who appear during the seance. A recent report of the seeds of Ipomoea violacea among the Zapotec, indicates that Badoh Negro is indeed a significant element in the life of these Indians: '...Divination about recovery in sickness is also practiced by means of a plant which is described as narcotic. This plant ... grows in the yard ... of a family who sells it's leaves and seeds ... to administer to patients ... the patient, who must be alone with the curer if not in a solitary place where he cannot hear even a cock's crow, falls into a sleep during which the little ones, male and female, the plant children [bador], come and talk. The plant spirits will also give information about lost objects.' " "The modern ritual with the Morning Glory seeds now has incorporated Christian elements. Some of the names- Semilla de la Virgen ("seed of the Virgin", and Hierba Maria ("Mary's herb") - show union of the Christian with the pagan, and clearly indication that Turbina corymbosa and Ipomoea violacea are considered gifts from the gods." (Photo of a Curandera with a girl about 5 years old, and a male patient. The woman burns incense in a clay pot as the girl offers a cup to the reclining man.) CAPTION: "The shaman administers the infusion to a patient assisted by a young girl. The brew must be taken at night in a secluded and quiet place. The patient's problems will be diagnosed by the shaman from interpretation of what he says during the course of the intoxication."