
Entheogens For The New Gen: Using Poisons, Psychedelics and Cannabis in Witchcraft and Magick
Article Photo is Original Design by Author
***The author of this article and PaganPages.Org are not liable for the use and/or misuse of poisonous plants, fungi, or any other plant substance, regardless of legality in your area. Each reader consumes these substances at their own risk. The information within this column is meant to be informative, and does not form a medical diagnosis or cure***
Updated for Trigger Warning:
TW
**This post contains topics like substance use, suicide and mental health issues**
Introduction to the New Column
Hello friends, and welcome to 2025! I’ve returned from my break for the holidays and am brimming with excitement to start my new columns and get our rebrand off the ground. If you haven’t already gone and checked out our social media pages with all of our new designs, writer intros and more, you’re really missing out! Enough with that, this is my column! So, why choose to write on this subject?
The use of Cannanbis, Psychedelics such as amanita and psilocybin, as well as poisonous plants such as atropa belladonna and datura stramonium in witchcraft, shamanism, and magick is well documented, even if the original source of these associations comes from tales that are flat out lies from the Witch trials, where individuals were put under extreme duress and tortured for confessions of such things. Luckily, we’re out of those dark ages and we can now openly talk about what really happened and what’s really happening when it comes to using these plant allies for spiritual growth, transformation, healing and inducing visionary states. Even now, the use and discussion of these subjects is still taboo, even within the Witchcraft and Pagan community (those pesky gatekeepers seem to always have an issue with something, don’t they?)
What exactly is an entheogen? Without getting too wordy, it’s a plant that contains certain compounds that then induce certain physical and psychoactive effects. For instance, the compounds that cause the effects and reactions that are contained within atropa belladonna are referred to as alkaloids and specifically in the case of the nightshades, they are deadly. Each nightshade has its own make up of toxic alkaloids, as do other poisonous and baneful plants such as datura and monkshood. The psychoactive compound in “magic mushrooms” is psilocybin, and within cannabis it is THC.
To further complicate things, certain plants that are or could be considered psychedelic, such as certain fungi within the amanita genus, are also known to be poisonous, as there are different members of the amanita family, and some are deadly no matter what (Deathcap Mushrooms, or amanita phalloides, as well as Destroying Angel Mushrooms, or amanita verna are good examples). These highly toxic fungi are often incorporated (not consumed) into poison witch practices, while the more tolerable and safe(r) amanita muscaria and amanita pantherina are consumed for their psychedelic and entheogenic effects.
That brings us to the Nightshade family and related poisonous plants. Many in the witchcraft community have heard or read about the confessions of supposed witches using “flying ointment” to attend the Witches Sabbath or Black Mass. While this column won’t touch much on the validity of those confessions, it will focus on the use of the plants used in those confessions to create the (not so) mythical witches flying ointment. My personal favorite of the poisonous plants is atropa belladonna; it’s the first poison I developed a relationship with as a plant spirit ally, and later, after consuming it, a plant ally. Bittersweet Nightshade, which grows wild alongside Poison Hemlock in my area, are others I’ve come to know and develop a relationship with. Not only do these powerful plants induce visionary states and the like, but they can all also be used in spell work and magick! Of course I’ll include spells, rituals, meditations and the like peppered in as I see fit.
So, this new column will cover not only the psychedelic, trance inducing qualities of these plant allies, but also their spiritual uses, magickal uses, their spirit’s energetic signature, and more, as well as consumption tips, and scientific knowledge and research, sometimes as it becomes available concerning these plant allies. Aside from the more spiritual pursuits with these plants, I will also discuss some of the physical healing qualities these plants may have. The information in this column comes from trial and tribulation, personal experience, and lots of research into these subject areas. Of course, use all of this at your own discretion, I’m not a medical professional. Now that I’ve introduced some of the basics of this new column, let’s get on with our first column topic!
Atropa belladonna: a (not-s0) cruel mistress
As I’ve stated before, Belladonna is my absolute favorite poisonous plant to work with spiritually. I’ve induced many visionary and ecstatic trance states with it, have worked with it for lucid dreaming, astral journeying and have even had success with it to help with insomnia and anxiety. I’ve harvested this beautiful plant myself, and made various concoctions with it, including a flying salve, and I’ve also purchased pre-made oils with atropa belladonna in it, such as the one I now have from Coby Michael’s store, The Poisoner’s Apothecary.

I’ve heard some mention that Belladonna can be a cruel mistress; let’s face it, she’s killed people before! Robert Cochrane committed ritual suicide using belladonna, and legends abound of it being used throughout history to poison people. In the right dose, the poison becomes medicine. I take this a step further, by calling the healing effects of poisonous plants specifically, “Spiritual Antidotes”. I like this term because it turns the poison motif on its head in a way; what to many is simply a poison to be avoided, the Poison Witch knows that in the right dose, the poison is a medicine. Another poisonous plant, Foxglove, contains a compound used to make heart medicine (although now it it made synthetically), known as digitalis. The same idea can and does apply to Belladonna and the other poisonous plants; for instance, datura is known to provide effective pain relief and also lessen the addictive hold that opioids have on the body.
What does Belladonna have to offer, both as a spiritual antidote and as a plant ally for physical healing? We need to be careful here, because again, Belladonna is poisonous, and is known to cause cardiac issues as well as nervous system issues, especially in fatally toxic doses. While yes, Belladonna does work on the heart, it’s more of a flushing feeling. I’ve always compared this to a spiritual cleanse of your heart space. Another antidote that belladonna provides is with anxiety and panic; for those who have never consumed belladonna, you feel a “falling” sensation when the alkaloids take effect, and this can be pretty intense and induce anxiety in some.
Belladonna, when first worked with as a plant spirit ally, can help us with this. That’s right, you really shouldn’t just jump into using belladonna for any reason, but spiritually, it’s smart to first develop a good relationship with the plant spirit itself. Doing this brings the spiritual end of the plant ally into the working and will provide guidance from the plant itself. Not doing this has resulted in severe panic attacks for someone I knew, and when they finally listened to my advice on garnering a relationship with the plant spirit itself, the anxiety went away and the sensation became much more bearable.
Belladonna asks us to face our fears and shadows head on, face to face. There is no turning back once you’ve consumed belladonna, and she will likely make you face these fears and shadows; that’s not to say that she doesn’t also bless us with certain things. Belladonna is seductive, sexy and beautiful, and her plant spirit reflects that; she loves glamour, sexuality and everything dark, taboo or “dirty”. Working with belladonna in any form for glamour, love and sex/passion spells will increase its power tenfold! Need to banish someone, or put their nasty $h*! back on them? Better yet, need to lay someone the f*$k out? Belladonna

is your girl, with her Saturnian influence, she can banish, bind and curse, seemingly all at the same time. Belladonna is also known as “devil’s berries” and are a good way to connect with the Devil/Dark Man figure, as well as the Witch Father (whom some would argue are one and the same) in more Traditional Witchcraft practices. Before you clutch your pearls, don’t worry, “The Devil” in Witchcraft isn’t what the Christians claim he is, but that is a topic for another column, at another time.
These are just some of the reasons that atropa belladonna is my favorite poisonous plant to work with, and I can’t wait to share more about her in due time. I hope you’ve all enjoyed my introduction to this column, as well as the inaugural entry to it!
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Author Bio:
The Modern Merlin has been a Polytheist and Animist Pagan, Witch, Sorcerer, Wizard, Druid, Mystic, Ceremonial Magician, Occultist, Shaman, Seer and Soothsayer for 15 years, worshipping and casting magick with deities and spirits from many cultures, including Ancient Greece, Rome, Norse & Germanic, Celtic, Egyptian, Sumerian, as well as many Faeries, Nymphs, Dryads, Ancestors and other nature and land spirits and spirits of place. He is a Priest of Hecate, Diana, Hades, Lilith and Persephone. He has experience in the Left and Right Hand Paths, working with both hands as needed. He currently practices Necromancy and Deathwalking, as well as Traditional Witchcraft, Druidry, Hellenism and Ceremonial Magick, incorporating all of them into a cohesive practice, with some shamanic touches. He studies and practices Astrology as well as Tarot and other forms of divination such as Runes, Palmistry and Ogham. He has also been investigating the paranormal for over 10 years and has a keen interest in researching various mythologies, cosmologies and folklore from around the world. He is the Co-Editor of PaganPages.Org and he has a personal blog where he shares Astrological, Pagan, and other magickal wisdom for free! He gives readings and other spiritual services on his Facebook Page, The Modern Merlin, as well other free informational posts for everyone to see!
