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Changa - what parts of the herbs?

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GobblinTorch

GobblinTorch

Rising Star
There's lots of excellent advice on this forum on which herbs to use for smoking admixtures, however when I go to my local herb store there are many different parts available for each herb. Flower, leaves, etc.

Specifically I'm wondering about:

--Mullein (flowers or leaves? I know not-completely-dry is the best, but without picking them myself this probably isn't possible)
--Passionflower (leaves or flowers?)
--Calendula
--Damiana
--Peppermint

I know to remove stems and seeds from the herbs before mixing, but I smoke flowers normally .. but leaf seems the "obvious" choice.

Thanks Nexus!
 
GobblinTorch said:
There's lots of excellent advice on this forum on which herbs to use for smoking admixtures, however when I go to my local herb store there are many different parts available for each herb. Flower, leaves, etc.

Specifically I'm wondering about:

--Mullein (flowers or leaves? I know not-completely-dry is the best, but without picking them myself this probably isn't possible)
--Passionflower (leaves or flowers?)
--Calendula
--Damiana
--Peppermint

I know to remove stems and seeds from the herbs before mixing, but I smoke flowers normally .. but leaf seems the "obvious" choice.

Thanks Nexus!
Click to expand...

Mullien leaves are most commonly smoked.
Passion flower, leaf or flower is fine, but make sure it's passion flower incarnata. Most commercial Passion flower does not have harmalas in them.
Calendula flower is wonderful when added to it after infused. It's mostly for color really. Makes it pretty.
Peppermint either flower or leaf, damiana is the same.

When looking for blends really think about what your trying to accomplish and why. Really I suggest just sticking with caapi leaf and chalipoonga maybe some Palo santo, mapacho, Florida water, or just keeping it with caapi leaf. Or thinly shredded vine even. You can take a really sharp pocket knife and make little spiral shavings of vine... Always makes it look good and Has an effect to the blend.
 
Thanks.

The mixture I'm thinking of preparing is, for this summer at least, Caapi/Chapiloonga free. One reason is It'll take about 1 week too long for any to get shipped to my location. I'm not really in a hurry to try DMT, but on the other hand I'm going away for two weeks and will be with some lovely people at a place I feel very at home.

The other reason is I think I want to make it MAOI free so that I can choose to take/not take MAOI's at my leisure. With both safety and experimentation in mind. Also if I decide to share any of this for consumption not in my presence (and I'm serious about the share, giving feels good) I don't really want to trust that my normal safety speech will neccessarily be completely understood. MAOI's can be pretty complex, and while I'm willing to trip sit .. a 24 hour trip sit is a little tricky without a leash. Safer to just have MAOIs on the side.

0.3g DMT/1g leaf material
Blue Lotus 20%
Mullein 15%
Peppermint 15%
Damiana 15%
Wormwood 20%
FINAL 15%=
--5% Calendula/10% Passionflower--Harmala extract if I can't find the right genus of Passionflower, which I expect I might not be able to
--Sinicuichi/or extract depending on how I like smoking it on it's own. If I don't like it that much then I'll ad 5% to Wormwood and Peppermint. or add 15% Mugwort.

My rationale on these choices are mostly that I enjoy the flavour of Damiana .. in moderation .. a little heavy if you use too much, Blue Lotus I figure will make the whole thing quite relaxing, an effect the wormwood will synergise well with (my experience with wormwood is an odd sort of relaxation combined with mental stimulation and lucidity .. great herb!), Mint and Mullein to tie it all together and even it out.

I'm sourcing everything but the Blue Lotus and Sinicuichi from my local healing herb shop (pretty small town)—with the exception of the DMT and Harmalas .. no doubt.
 
Without a maoi it's not changa it's an enhanced leaf... Of which you might as well just vap spice alone. absolutely no need for adding herbs to spice with the maoi IMHO
 
GobblinTorch said:
The mixture I'm thinking of preparing is, for this summer at least, Caapi/Chapiloonga free. One reason is It'll take about 1 week too long for any to get shipped to my location. I'm not really in a hurry to try DMT, but on the other hand I'm going away for two weeks and will be with some lovely people at a place I feel very at home.

The other reason is I think I want to make it MAOI free so that I can choose to take/not take MAOI's at my leisure. With both safety and experimentation in mind. Also if I decide to share any of this for consumption not in my presence (and I'm serious about the share, giving feels good) I don't really want to trust that my normal safety speech will neccessarily be completely understood. MAOI's can be pretty complex, and while I'm willing to trip sit .. a 24 hour trip sit is a little tricky without a leash. Safer to just have MAOIs on the side.
Click to expand...
This is why I've chosen to make changa without a MAOI as well. I respect your opinion Dorge, I've read tons of your posts, and it's partly because of you that I decided to start with changa instead of just freebasing pure spice. I just think 'enhanced leaf' also has a place, especially in the beginning, and for different situations. And there's always the option of taking the MAOI separately if you so choose.

My first blend of Salvia leaf, Calea leaf, and spice was just perfect as a starting point. I was already familiar with the two herbs on their own, and with the spice added it just took it to the next level. I've only made enhanced leaf so far, trying out different herbs that I'm already familiar with. I do like to share my enhanced leaf with my partner especially, so I think that it's a good way to start out introducing someone to changa. And the herbs do seem to add different qualities to the experience, however subtle they may be.

My next batch is going to contain some freebase harmalas, now that I've gotten to know the spice a bit better. I've taken some harmalas before smoking the enhanced leaf, and it was quite intense. So I'm looking forward to my first true breakthrough with this new batch of true changa. Just thought I'd say that I feel enhanced leaf to be a great starting point for beginners, as it was definitely for me and my partner.
 
Yeah DIOXI, enhanced leaf has a place, especilly to me like you, who are at first more familiar with salvia.
Enhancing plain salvia leaves with fb n,n and a little calea and blue lotus was my first batch on enhanced leaves mix, if I recall well..
I tend to do only changa mix now, but half of my changas do contained either salvia leaf or salvinorin A.
 
I really do think enhanced leafs only real benefit is on a sneaky mode of transportation of spice. There's no other real practical value. It doesn't prepaid you for changa really, and ts no different then smoking straight up spice.
I think people tend to be intimidated by caapi or rue. Maois freak people out. Truth is changa is much kinder and centered, balanced and grounded then dmt, in most peoples observations. It's easier to work with, you can start with a small dose and work your way up over hours taking larger or smaller hits as you go. You can't do that with "enhanced leaf" the lack of maoi makes that not possible. Enhanced leafs no real training wheel for changa either really. Swim really doesn't care for smoking spice on it's own with out the harmalas.

I dont mean to trash anyones opinions or preferences, but if you like enhanced leaf for no other reason then caapi has you a little intimidated.... Trust me the waters fine! jump in. Start small... Just infuse the spice onto just straight caapi leaf, no 10x caapi leaf or anything like that. It's very mellow and very kind.
 
harmalas used to freak me out as well..but I have taken them with all kinds of tyramine loaded foods without any problems. I read alot of reports lately where people have horrible experiences becasue they worry about dying or that they ate this or that 2 days ago etc..there really is nothing to worry about IMO, UNLESS you are taking another substance or medication that it could interact with. Foods have never been a problem for me. I have intentionally eaten loads of sour kraut and other fermented foods while on ayahuasca with no problems.

I am weary about ever giving harmalas to other people though. I wont just give them away becasue I dont trust people to not take mdma or something like that with them. I personally dont think you should give DMT to anyone anyway until you are very experienced with it yourself. If you extract DMT, you are responciple for that DMT, and you are also responciple for who takes it, and how they take it. Everything that happens due to anyone interacting with that DMT is on you and you alone.
 
It's not the MAOI that intimidates me, it's the combination of the MAOI and the DMT :) My few ayahuasca/pharmahuasca journeys were very intense and, well, intimidating :) Most people in the beginning are a little hesitant to do something so 'exotic' as DMT. And yes, even though it's a very talked about and common thing here, there are tons of people who have never even heard of it. Then when you try to explain to them that it also contains something called a MAOI which can interact with all these other drugs (and potentially some foods), it does tend to freak people out. Enhanced leaf isn't really meant to be training wheels for changa, but for DMT by itself. People are more familiar with some leafy material than they are with straight up vaporizing some crystals. That also tends to freak people out. It's about easing into the experience by making it as simple and familiar as possible, IMO.

fractal enchantment said:
I am weary about ever giving harmalas to other people though. I wont just give them away becasue I dont trust people to not take mdma or something like that with them. I personally dont think you should give DMT to anyone anyway until you are very experienced with it yourself. If you extract DMT, you are responciple for that DMT, and you are also responciple for who takes it, and how they take it. Everything that happens due to anyone interacting with that DMT is on you and you alone.
Click to expand...
I also feel that way. Small tokes of some enhanced leaf is one thing, but some changa that contains extracted harmalas, something that potent, I would be very careful who I gave that to.

I've never had a bad reaction from eating certain foods then taking a MAOI either. I'm sure some people might have a bad reaction, but I certainly haven't.
 
It really isn't more intense then smoking "enhanced" lead though, you can Gage your dose very easy and just go slowly into the warm waters. It's not like pharma or tea at all.
 
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