Whole Syrian Rue Seeds
Information Pamphlet
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The Plant:
Syrian Rue (Peganum harmala) is a perennial plant which dies back each winter only to grow back from its strong roots each spring. It hails from the Mediterranean and Middle-East, where it survives in climates which range from sweltering desert heat to freezing winters with a dusting of snow.
The History:
Around 60 CE Syrian Rue was described by Dioscorides in his botanical De materia medica. According to him: ‘wild rue mixed with honey, wine, chicken gall, saffron and fennel juice is useful for weak vision.’ Dioscorides equated Syrian Rue with “moly”, the mythic herb that Hermes brought to Odysseus. It protected him from the spell of Circe, a witch who had transformed his comrades into swine.
Dioscorides already noted that the plant was used to ward off the evil eye. Another folk name of Syrian Rue was Besasa or ‘plant of Bes’. Bes is an ancient Egyptian dwarf-god that protects people against all kinds of evil. Small statues of Bes were fumigated with Syrian Rue seeds. Up until the present day, the burning of harmala seeds remains a popular custom in the Near East and North Africa.
Syrian Rue is further known as an aphrodisiac. Pregnant women, however, shouldn’t take it as it also has abortifacient effects. The seeds induce contraction of the muscles in the uterus. For this reason, they were also applied to induce abortions, to induce labour, and to promote menstruation.
The Chemistry:
Syrian Rue plants contain an array of alkaloids which can interact with the human body and mind. The most prominent of these alkaloids have been named in honour of the Peganum harmala plant as Harmine, Harmaline, and Tetrahydroharmine. These alkaloids also occur in the plants used for the preparation of the Ayahuasca drink, such as Banisteriopsis caapi.
These alkaloids act as selective Monoamine Oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitors, this shifts the way monoamines such as DMT and many medications are broken down and contributes greatly to the psychedelic effects of Syrian Rue.
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