Nay Noordmans

Lecture & Workshop Host

LECTURE: Call of the Nightfall Bloom: Datura Beyond Flying Ointments

“At the time of the White Dawn;
At the time of the White Dawn,
I arose and went away.
At Blue Nightfall I went away.
I ate the thornapple leaves
And the leaves made me dizzy.
I drank thornapple flowers
And the drink made me stagger…”
(Pima “Datura Song”, trans. 1901)

Jimson weed. Thornapple. Toloache. Momoy.
While Datura has achieved a prominent place in contemporary witchcraft and among practitioners of the Poison Path, this spirit is known by many cultures throughout the world –  nearly all of which revered the plant for its vision-producing and pain-killing properties. Archeological evidence shows that Datura has been in use for at least 3,000 years in the Southwestern United States and even longer in other parts of the world. From India we learn from the Vamana Purana that Datura emerged from the chest of Lord Shiva. For the Chumash peoples of Southern California, it was part of their creation myth: Known as Grandmother Momoy, she transformed herself into the Datura flower after The Great Flood which marked the transition from mythic to modern times.

While the stories of Datura’s origin and spiritual significance may vary, people have been turning to this plant as an important remedy for a variety of conditions such as asthma, anxiety, and chronic pain.This presentation will explore Datura beyond its widely-known usage in flying ointments from both spiritual and medicinal perspectives, centering on the ethnobotany of the Southwestern United States.

WORKSHOP:Enchanting the Water: Magical and Practical Applications for Flower Essences
Although many attribute the invention of flower essences to Dr. Edward Bach, the properties of these energetic healing modalities were known by many cultures long before they were popularized beginning in the 1930s. The most intriguing common thread is their widespread ability to heal emotional imbalances.  Descriptions of flower essences as well as the collection and preservation of morning dew have been well-documented by Egyptian papyri, Hildegard von Bingen, Paracelsus, and many others. Indeed, even the Chumash Datura myths say that the water in which Grandmother Momoy uses to wash her hands can cure any ailment.

This workshop will be one part lecture with a brief overview of the history of flower essences and one part hands on practicum in which various methods of creating and empowering the essences will be taught.

$45 workshop add on fee
$15 materials fee
*Materials Fee to be paid to Nay at time of workshop*

BIO: Nay Noordmans: (she/her) is an occultist and wortcunner haunting the misty and mysterious Lost Coast. Growing up with close proximity to a Theosophical Library and consumed by an early passion for mythology, folk tales, and the unique flora of her native Southern California, it’s entirely possible that Nay spent too many of her formative years among stacks of books on esotericism and obscure plant lore. Best known for her research on household spirits, she is also a practitioner of several folk magic traditions and a trained herbalist. Nay is delighted to share these passions with attendees at the Viridis Genii Symposium.

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