Some researchers say that the broomstick should be smeared with ointments made with these herbs and then put into the woman's vagina so that the balm would have more effect and be absorbed more quickly. Be that as it may, it seems logical to think that these "witch flights" may have an experiential basis derived from the use of psychotropics, amplified to a greater or lesser extent by the effect on the unconscious of the stories of the people and the ecclesiastical authorities.
What is flying, my dear, but the maximum expression of freedom of repressed women
When you know the art of plants well, you know what it is to fly
It's heretical superstition believe in these evil women who claim to fly on the back of certain beasts alongside the pagan goddess Diana in the middle of the night and fly across the earth
Canon Episcopi, 10th century
The broom is a symbol of spiritual flight, of the journey between worlds, It is a symbol of purification and rebirth
Many performances and rituals carry in their entourage a man or a woman carrying a broom
The books of the inquisition collect a multitude of testimonies, which claim to have seen women flying their brooms to the covens, among many other fantastic acts
Some statements are collected from women, who were later judged, who claimed to have lived this experience themselves
There were, and are, ointments made with certain plants which, when put on certain areas of the body, produce a mystical state or journey that is known as the journey to the sabbath
These types of herbs contain a substance called atropine, a powerful alkaloid that causes strong hallucinations
Belladonna was among them along with the mandrake root, datura, henbane, hellebore and balm of gilead
These are plants that should never be ingested, but can be applied to the skin for a specific purpose, with the utmost caution
Some researchers claim that the broomstick had to be smeared with ointments made with these herbs and then introduced into the woman's vagina, so that the balm had a more intense effect and was absorbed more quickly
Be that as it may, it seems logical to think that these witches flights can have an experiential basis, derived from the use of psychotropics, amplified to a greater or lesser extent by the effect on the unconscious of the people's stories and the ecclesiastical authorities
Always remember this, Diana
The desire to fly begins
when the repression begins
Audio:
Subtitles:
The witches flights
XII-XV century
Intuitive knowledge and rituals: a new perspective
Magical thinking
A more direct and magical perception of existence
XV - XVIII century
The archetypes of feminine energies
The 4 elements of nature and the 4 seasons
The Coven / Sabbath
Women in the pagan world