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These plants, funghi and insect illustrations
are part of my botanical oracle deck

Brugmansia suaveolens | Angel’s Trumpet

Botanical Overview:

  • Family: Solanaceae (Nightshade family)

  • Common Names: Angel’s Trumpet, Snowy Angel’s Trumpet, White Angel’s Trumpet

  • Plant Type: Small tree or large shrub

  • Native Range: Southeastern Brazil

  • Key Identifiers:

    • Large, pendulous, trumpet-shaped flowers that range from white to pale pink or yellow

    • Leathery, lance-shaped leaves with a slightly fuzzy texture

    • Can grow up to 3–5 meters tall with a dense, spreading canopy


Properties:

  • Active Compounds: Scopolamine, atropine, hyoscyamine (tropane alkaloids)

  • Pharmacological Actions: Hallucinogenic, anticholinergic, sedative, and parasympatholytic

  • Toxicity: All parts of the plant are highly toxic if ingested


Distribution and Habitat:

  • Prefers warm, humid climates with partial shade to full sun

  • Thrives in fertile, well-drained soils and is often cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide

  • Native to Brazil but widely naturalized in other parts of South America and beyond


Medicinal Uses:

  • Traditional Use: Rarely used medicinally due to its toxicity, but in some Indigenous traditions, it was used in controlled doses for treating pain, inflammation, and respiratory conditions

  • Modern Context: Its alkaloids have been studied for their potential in medicine but are primarily associated with toxic and dangerous effects


Psychoactive Properties and Effects:

  • Psychoactive Nature:

    • Contains tropane alkaloids that cause intense delirium, vivid hallucinations, and altered states of consciousness

    • Effects are often described as dream-like, confusing, and immersive, with complete disconnection from reality

    • Can cause paranoia, disorientation, and amnesia

  • Psychedelic Nature: Considered deliriant rather than psychedelic; it induces confusion and hallucinations rather than insightful or transcendent experiences

  • Caution: Use of this plant is extremely dangerous and can result in severe poisoning, coma, or death


Magical Correspondences and Uses:

  • Element: Water

  • Planetary Association: Moon

  • Magical Uses:

    • Associated with dreams, the spirit world, and divination

    • Used in rituals to induce visions or connect with spirits, though historically only by experienced shamans

    • Symbolizes transitions, such as life to death or waking to dreaming, and is used in rites of passage

    • Planted near homes for protection or as a spiritual guardian, but with great respect for its potency


Folklore and Mythology:

  • Revered in Indigenous South American cultures as a sacred plant used by shamans in carefully controlled rituals to communicate with spirits or access other realms.

  • In folklore, Angel’s Trumpet is said to act as a bridge between the living and the dead, often associated with night and moonlight.

  • Some legends warn against the misuse of the plant, stating that its spirit can punish those who disrespect it by leading them into madness or danger.

  • Its fragrant blooms are considered mystical, with some believing they possess protective or enchanting qualities.

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