The Sacred Datura, common at Zion, is a flower I find endlessly fascinating. It has a long bloom period - from about March through November. The blooms are large - about 6 inches in diameter by 9 inches long. It is difficult to photograph them in conjunction with background rock formations because they begin blooming at night and are withered by early afternoon. I find it difficult to coordinate the light shining on the cliffs with Datura flower's short period of bloom, a fact which intensifies their mystique. At one location, I tried on three separate occasions - at various times of day - to get the lighting right, but couldn't. However, the blooms are unforgettable in their beauty. Other names include jimsonweed, moonflower, moon lily, angel's trumpet and belladonna ("beautiful lady"). In the deadly nightshade family, the Datura is highly poisonous. However, it is used by experienced shamans in many Native cultures as a hallucinogen.
Indeed, the name Datura comes from the Sanscrit word "dhat," which means "the eternal essence (of God)." It is a member of the class of substances called "entheogens," meaning "generating the divine within." Chumash, Mohave, Yuma, Cahuilla, Zuni, Huichol and other tribes have historically used the plant for its spiritual qualities by making a tea from the seeds. Carlos Castaneda used it as well. For me, it is not necessary to ingest the plant to partake of its spiritual qualities. Just the sight of the flower, especially when the morning light first hits it, is effective in transforming my consciousness. It seems to hover - ghostlike, almost - above the desert, teaching all who pass by that ALL of reality, although seemingly solid, is actually TRANSLUCENT to divine Reality.
Photo: Sacred Datura, Zion National Park, UT; August 30 and 31, 2014
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