The Herb Weavers Journal #44 - Belladonna - 10th Dec 2024
Belladonna
Also known by the name - Deadly Nightshade.
Belladonna is highly toxic. It was used for forgetting past loves. It can also be used for protection, beauty and adding energy to any rituals or spell work.
Belladonna was also included in the original flying oil recipes, these of course where not drunk or eaten, the oil was part of a fatty solution, that was rubbed on the handle of the witches besom and inserted up her rectum. The thought of it is quite off putting to most witches now adays, but in olden days, it was a very clever way of bypassing the digestive system and stomach, therefor giving them all the hallucinogenic benefits, but without the excruciating pain and death that followed if administered through the mouth.
In the absolute correct doses of course Belladonna can be used and is by the pharmaceutical companies.
The chemical parts of atropine and scopolamine which come from belladonna have almost the same uses in medicine. Namely they are most effective in relaxing muscle spasms and regulating heart rate. It is also used in drop form to dilate the pupils during an eye exam. It can also help with motion sickness and excessive stomach acid.
Don’t try picking your own and using it for herbal remedies, it really is minute and specific quantities we are talking about. But if you happen to have it growing in your garden, then using it in charm bags, sealed witches bottles and the like is no problem.
ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHING.