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shroomydan
exshroomerite


Registered: 07/04/04
Posts: 4,126
Loc: In the woods
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Native Amercan Medicine ID Request
#5778172 - 06/21/06 09:11 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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I have recently been working with Fr. Michael F. Steltenkamp SJ, author of Black Elk: Holy Man of the Oglala , trying to figure out some of the medicines Black Elk used in his shamanic practice.
I have made my best guess that his Glowing Medicine is Fox fire, the mycelium of the Honey Mushroom. But Fr. Mike's latest request is baffling me.
The only information I have about this plant is that "It has two stems and has red, white, blue, and yellow flowers." I don't know if that means all the colors are present in one flower, or if the given plant produces different flowers of the four colors. There is a possibility that the plant doesn't really exist, and that it's description is purely symbolic...
The plant, if it exists is native to the Black Hills region of South Dakota.
My best candidates so far are Orchid, Iris, Poppy, Columbine.
If anybody can shed some light on this enigma, it would be greatly appreciated.
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Organic
Lloyd

Registered: 04/14/02
Posts: 5,774
Loc: Overlook
Last seen: 14 years, 7 months
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Re: Native Amercan Medicine ID Request [Re: shroomydan]
#5779922 - 06/22/06 09:31 AM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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I would guess an Orchid...Lady Slipper of some sort?
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Vertigo6911
Entheobotanist



Registered: 12/04/04
Posts: 1,834
Loc: Netherlands
Last seen: 17 years, 2 months
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Re: Native Amercan Medicine ID Request [Re: Organic]
#5780064 - 06/22/06 10:35 AM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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red, white blue and yellow could refer to mushrooms in general. 2 stems = 2 species, blue and white for psilocybe and red and white for amanita, and yellow for urine, wich contains the purified amanita chemicals.
thats one possible interpetation assuming symbolism. were both psilocybes and amanita used?
another possible interpetation could be gemini, assuming its stars include all mentioned colors.
it doesent sound very symbolic though, is there nothing u can tell us about the context in wich this info was found?
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shroomydan
exshroomerite


Registered: 07/04/04
Posts: 4,126
Loc: In the woods
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Re: Native Amercan Medicine ID Request [Re: Organic]
#5780562 - 06/22/06 01:46 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Orchid was also my first thought.

Calypso bulbosa is native to the Black Hills region of South Dakota where Black Elk lived. It could certainly be described as having two stems and the flowers are red, white, yellow, and purple. Perhaps the purple could be described as blue?
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shroomydan
exshroomerite


Registered: 07/04/04
Posts: 4,126
Loc: In the woods
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Re: Native Amercan Medicine ID Request [Re: Vertigo6911]
#5780580 - 06/22/06 01:59 PM (17 years, 7 months ago) |
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Very interesting interpretation Vertigo!
Yellow could also refer to the yellow patches on Amanita muscaria var. flavavolvata <-(sp?)

However, neither Amanitas nor Psilocybes were used by the Sioux.
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pod3
Stranger

Registered: 12/22/04
Posts: 362
Last seen: 17 years, 30 days
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Edited by pod3 (10/26/06 09:35 AM)
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