Henbane: The Crown of The Dead
Hyoscyamus Niger, commonly called black Henbane, stinking nightshade or hog beans, is a baneful herbs with an extensive history, largely amongst the Greeks, Celts, Nords and Egyptians. Often labeled "The witches drug", it was used in visionary brews made by witches across Eurasia and northern Africa. It was also a main ingredient in "the soporific sponge", an anesthetic used widely from the 12th to 14th century due to how strong of a pain releiver it was and its ability to render one unconscious with doses high enough. The Egyptians would smoke the leaves often as well, both as a visionary aid and as a medicine to relieve tooth pain. It was often associated with weather magic, and was included in many spells and rituals to bring on rainstorms. Another fascinating use of henbane was that it was the main ingredient of pilsenkraut, a psychoactive and entheogenic beer made with henbane as the bitterant and an additional inebriant. It was extremely common amongst Germanic people for almost 2000 years, until the Bavarian purity act of 1516 strictly forbade it. According to Greek mythology, henbane was made into crowns for those who walked the banks of the River Styx. It was also the plant that granted Circe her power.. Historically, this plant has been used medicinally for pain, IBS, motion sickness, impotence, arthritis, bone pain, lung problems, anxiety, Parkinsons and as a narcotic. Magickally, henbane is used in weather magick, necromancy, capomancy, death rituals, curses, hexes, astral projection, visionary states, clairvoyance, sex magick and shadow work.