Tobacco

TOBACCO

(Nicotina spp.) poison

Folk Names: Tabacca, Tabak, Taaba

Gender: Masculine

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Powers: Healing, purification

Ritual Uses: Candidates for some shamanic systems must drink tobacco juice to induce visions as part of their training. Tobacco has long been used in religious ceremonies by some of the American Indians. Indeed, many peoples still regard the plant as sacred.

Magical Uses: South American Indians smoke tobacco to allow them to converse with spirits. Tobacco is also thrown into the river when beginning a journey by boat to propitiate the river gods.

  Burning tobacco as an incense purifies the area of all negativity and spirits (both good and bad), and to cure earaches tobacco smoke is blown into the ear.

   If you have nightmares they may cause sickness. To prevent this, immediately upon waking wash in a running stream and throw tobacco into the water as an offering to the Water Spirit who has cleaned you of the evil.

   Tobacco is a magickal substitute for sulpher, as well as for datura and nightshade, both of which are related to tobacco. Althought it is regularly smoked by millions, tobacco is a very poisonous plant and can kill.

[From Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs)

Rabbit Tobacco, Everlasting

Gnaphalium obtusifolium                      

Unmistakable by its creamy appearance in the still green background of the early fall meadows. Leaves long, elliptical and silver green colored.

Plant up to one meter high. Unusual fragrance. Can be smoked for respiratory ailments or made into a relaxing tea. A common tobacco substitute used by young boys in rural areas.

Photo and description by Karen Bergeron, Copyright 2001


WILD TOBACCO (Nicotiana attenuata, N. trigonophylla, N. glauca) Other names: Punche, Indian Tobacco, Coyote Tobacco, Mustard Tree, and Tree Tobacco (N. glauca).

Nicotiana glauca, Tree Tobacco, is a perennial plant and not native, but originally from Peru. It has naturalized in Southern California and has even spread out to the southern regions of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The true native tobaccos are annuals, coming up in the spring after rains and not lasting long after the heat of summer arrives. They like dry stream beds, meadows, flats, flood plains, rocky outcroppings and the desert. Both the leaves and blossoms are used.



The various species of Wild Tobacco are mainly used externally as an analgesic poultice and in liniments and salves for its analgesic qualities on sore muscles and joints, sunburns, or any external pain. Add a strong infusion of the leaves to bath water to relieve the pains of hemmorrhoids, menstrual cramps, muscle bruises or muscles sore from over use. Tobacco neutralizes skin reactions to bites and stings, stopping the swelling, burning and itching. Fresh leaves can be crushed and applied to insect bites and stings, dried leaves should be moistened before applying. Even processed commercial tobacco (N. tabacum) can be used on insect bites and bee stings, so if no tobacco plants are nearby, look for a cigarette butt and moisten the tobacco in it to apply as a poultice.



A liniment for sore joints and muscles can be made by steeping one cup of dried wild tobacco leaves and one tablespoon of cayenne pepper powder in a quart of alcohol for at least two weeks. An olive oil base may also be used if the alcohol liniment is too drying to the skin. Tobacco is also useful as an insecticide: steep one cup of dried, crumbled leaves in a quart of boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add one tablespoon of liquid detergent; cool to room temperature. Strain and spray onto plants. Do not use commercial pipe, cigar or cigarette tobacco as an insecticide on plants in the Solanaceae family, such as peppers, tomatoes and potatoes, as it often contains the mosaic virus which will infects plants of this family.

Tree Tobacco Blossoms

Tobacco should not be taken internally.                                             


The smoke from tobacco is also used ceremonially as a means of communication with spirit and to facilitate peaceful communications between those in the ceremony. It emphasizes the inclusiveness of those partaking. The smoke travels to the land of the spirits and it is thought that the ancestors remember the pleasure of tobacco smoke used in ceremony and thus return to partake of the essence of the tobacco, bringing with them their wisdom and assistance. Tobacco and tobacco smoke were used in divination among some indigenous peoples.



(Refer to Moore, Michael, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West Museum of New Mexico Press, 1979; Savinelli, Alfred, Plants of Power, Native Voices, Summertown, TN, 2002.)