Introduction Syrian rue (Peganum harmala, known as espand in Persian and harmal in Arabic) is a deceptively humble desert shrub whose chemical talents have carried it into ceremonies, medicines, and household routines from Iran to the Amazon. Its tiny seeds are packed with β-carboline alkaloids—harmine, harmaline, and harmane—that can kill
Nowruz Etymology & Timing Nowruz, also spelled as Norooz or Navruz, is a compound of two Persian words: now (new) and ruz (day), meaning New Day and marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the new year in the Iranian solar calendar. Nowruz corresponds roughly to March
From ancient shamanic traditions and Indigenous use of psychedelic plant medicines to Tibetan “dream yoga” practices, the desire to expand and explore our consciousness is an ancient, deeply rooted part of the human experience. For millennia, people have sought to transcend their ordinary, waking consciousness and enter non-ordinary states of
Introduction Chinese New Year is the largest and most important holiday in Chinese culture and is marked by feasting, gift-giving, and public displays of celebration. Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and is celebrated on a different date each year, depending on the phase of the
