SYRIAN RUE Seeds | Peganum harmala

STEP 1 - Peganum harmala seed need to be Halo Primed before sowing. Halo Priming is a process of soaking seeds for 24hrs in a salt water solution. Measure out 1.75g of regular table salt and add it to 100ml of water to create the Halo Priming solution. This will achieve a salinity roughly equal to 50% of what sea water is.

STEP 2 - After 24 hours of soaking, drain the solution and allow the seeds to dry off. This method greatly increases the germination rate and strength of seedlings.

STEP 3 - Sow seed just under surface of a custom made seed raising mix (see below for our mix recipe) in full sun in Spring or Summer or when daytime temps are 25ºC - 35ºC and nighttime temperatures are above 15ºC.

STEP 4 - Once 5cm tall the seedlings can be separated and planted out in the garden. You can also direct sow to avoid disturbing the bright yellow, β-carboline rich roots.

CUSTOM SEED RAISING MIX - Peganum harmala needs to be sown and grown in a soil mix high in inorganic material (pumice, sand, perlite, gravel) and low in organic material (coco peat, pine bark, compost). The ideal ratio is 70% inorganic material to 30% organic material. This enables sharp drainage and excellent survival rate of potted plants. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES - A plant native to arid regions, Syrian Rue likes well drained, poor soil, in full sun. Avoid overhead watering and don’t water at all during Winter. 

Syrian rue is one of the plants that has been suggested to be the original Haoma plant of Persia. It may have also been used as a sacred plant medicine by the mystery religion that surrounded the god Mithras. In the Koran, it is stated that “every root, every leaf of Harmel, is watched over by an angel who waits for a person to come in search of healing.” Therefore, Dervishes in Uzbekistan are said to worship and use Peganum harmala for its mystical effects.

In Iran, incense balls made of Syrian Rue seeds are burned in great quantities as offerings for the festival of Nouruz. The smoke is said to keep away all misfortune and the evil eye, and is also thought to dispel outbreaks of disease.

In North Africa, Syrian Rue has been used as a magical tool and a medicine for thousands of years. The seeds are used as an incense to ward off the evil eye and dispel disease, and a combination of Syrian rue seeds, Alum and Olibanum resin is burned on the wedding night to increase sexual desires.

In the Himalayas, Shamans use Syrian Rue seeds as a magical incense, inhaling it to enter a trance state in which they can engage with divining goddesses, who are said to give them information and great healing powers.

Reportedly, an especially effective smoking mixture was made from 15g of the seeds and the juice of a lemon. The seeds were ground with a mortar and pestle, and then put into a boiling pot over an open flame with the juice of a lemon. This mixture is then boiled down until a resinous paste is left. It is then mixed with Mapacho (Nicotiana rustica) for a smoke that is both inebriating and a potent aphrodisiac.

In Morocco, the seeds are simply added to red wine to make Harmala Wine, or are powdered to make a nasal medicine that is supposed to cause a “clear mind”, according to some reports.

Since Syrian Rue is a powerful Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), it can also cause serious reactions when combined with certain foods. Typically, when used as an MAOI, 3.5g are ground up and extracted into water. However, the seeds are rarely eaten. If you intend to work with Syrian Rue, please consult a list of foods which need to be avoided when taking an MAOI in order to avoid dangerous or uncomfortable effects.

In recent years, Shamans have been known to combine Syrian Rue seeds with various Spirit Molecule containing plants to create  Vine of the Soul analogs. It is important to be very, very careful when doing such experiments.

As a medicine, Syrian Rue has primarily been used to ease the birthing process in women and to help with menstrual difficulties. It is usually administered as an incense. The smoke is also inhaled to cure all manner of other afflictions, as well.

In Asia Minor, Syrian Rue seeds are used as aphrodisiacs and purifiers. The herbage is also sometimes used to treat skin disorders and a decoction of the seeds is taken for stomach troubles, heart troubles and sciatica. A very strong decoction also acts as a tranquiliser. Syrian Rue has been shown to be an antibiotic, and the stems and leaves are abortifacients.

The seeds and roots of Peganum harmala contain a mixture of the Harmala alkaloids, Harmine and Harmaline. These unusual alkaloids are active derivatives of β-carboline, When administered to humans, the Harmala alkaloids act as Serotonin antagonists, CNS stimulants, active agent and extremely potent, short term MAOI.

The alkaloids in Syrian Rue occur in roughly the same proportions as in Vine of the Soul. 10g of Syrian Rue seeds provide about 400mg of total β-carbolines, about the amount found in a typical dose of Vine of the Soul. The Harmala alkaloids may be extracted from the seeds and roots of Peganum harmala and purified as crystalline bases. French Chemist Hasenratz first described this process in 1927.

Syrian Rue seeds are said to have an anti-depressive effect, and are also reported to stimulate the imagination. Dreamlike states are said to occur. The alkaloids in the seeds inhibit the enzyme Monoamine Oxydase, which metabolises neurotransmitters that are in the body but outside of the brain. Thus, ingesting Syrian Rue allows medicines such as The Spirit Molecule to be orally active, as in Vine of the Soul preparations.