Dear ,

With the start of June comes mulberry season in our neck of the woods. Of course, mulberry tea has benefits we have discussed before. Tea made from mulberry leaves is a refreshing, healthful drink, but it's the unripe berries that some say hold special promise.

Can unripe mulberries awaken psychic powers?

I touched on this topic briefly a few years ago while extoling the benefits of mulberry leaf tea. The topic has come up again in a few of my online circles, however, so I thought I'd add more food for thought.

It isn't rare for cultures to involve hallucinogenic into their rituals. The feeling of disconnection and relating to the world in strange, new ways can lead to new ways of thinking. It may be possible that, during this process, you gain new abilities, though there's little research to back that up. Mostly, it can increase or change your understanding of how things work, of even life itself.

Unfortunately, those insights come at a price. Hallucinogenic plants often cause stomach upset, headaches and can create dangerous situation. You might even poison yourself!

For instance, we can read about one such accidental incident excerpted from Tom Brown's Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants:

Grandmother was on her way to a huge mulberry patch that grew near an old abandoned farmhouse. She said I could help her dig the newer plants' roots, which she would powder and make into a laxative for her patients. We dug for hours, collecting the choicest roots, still making sure that the conservation of the plants were kept in mind. During the whole process, I was eating the mulberries, not noticing whether they were ripe or not, a common fault among young boys. This continued for hours as I got lost in Grandmother's stories and the methodic collecting of roots.

When I finally got up off my knees and began to walk home, I felt strangely sick and dizzy. The landscape felt as if it were made of liquid and I was a small boat. Everything was moving up and down. Animal and bird voices sounded strange and mystical. I felt disoriented and forgot where I was and where I was going. Out of the corner of my eye I began to see things move; shadows became animated, and colors strange. The sickness continued until I fell to the ground vomiting, yet laughing at the overall hilarity of the situation. The condition worsened and I began to tremble, feeling paranoid and extremely nervous. I mistook every rustle of the brush for a wild dog, and my imagination began to run wild.

Grandmother knew instantly what I had done and helped me slowly back to her house. I did not know that the unrip berries can cause violent upset stomach and nervousness. Nor did I realize that they also contained hallucinogens. Nevertheless, I was sick and not getting any better. Grandmother put me to bed and gave me a cup of mullein flower tea to settle my stomach and calm my nerves. I awoke the next morning with Grandfather, Rick, and Grandmother sitting around the bed, waiting and watching. My vision slowly cleared, but my head pounded very badly; my stomach still remained very queasy, and I felt weak. Another day slipped by as I drifted in and out of pain and sleep.

The following day I felt much better. The events of the past few days seemed like a distant nightmare, fuzzy memories at best as if they never happened in reality. Grandmother was in the garden at her drying racks. The roots we had collected two days before were now dry. Lovingly, she scraped the bark from the root using a knife held at a right angle, a procedure which produced a coarse granular dust. This dust she would use for effective treatment of constipation in her patients or for herself. I helped her out but had to be filled in completely as to what had happened to me. The disorientation was still with me, and I felt as if I had lost two days of my life.

The experience sounds similar to the time I had too much nutmeg in my eggnog as a child. I dipped in and out of consciousness all night as shadow figures played on the ceiling and walls. I was flushed. My stomach rolled. In the morning, I felt shaky and had one of the worst headaches of my life.

It's a stark contrast to the last time I stayed up for several days to meet an important deadline. By the time I was done, I couldn't sleep and fought hard to relax, which was made more difficult by sights and sounds I knew weren't really there.

My point is that there are easier and safe ways to hallucinate, if you're looking for that kind of experience. There are also easier and safer ways to develop your mind.

If you're looking for a refreshing summer tea with a host of physical benefits, however, mulberry tea is a perfect choice. It helps with:

• inflammation
• heart function
• blood sugar control

Mulberry tea made with fresh leaves can be a bit bright, so taking time to dry the leaves is recommended. You wind up with a light, herbal taste, similar to green tea.

To dry mulberry leaves, simply pick and wash mature mulberry leaves, then place them in an oven for two hours at 175 degrees F. The resulting leaves will keep for up to six months in an airtight container. To prepare, add 1 tsp of leaves to a cup of boiling water. Steep five minutes.

Disclaimer: As with many natural substances, there are certain health benefits -- and risks. Pregnant woman, those with hypoglycemia, kidney disorders, and those expecting surgery within the next two weeks should abstain, among others. Please do your research if you have existing health conditions.

While sipping on a cup of mulberry leaf tea, kick back and enjoy a Halloween-themed freebie:

Stakes & Spells

by Lynn Morrison

When a vampire inherits witch magic, murder has to be involved!

Every vampire knows better than to get involved with the witches.

But surely spying on one little Halloween ritual couldn't hurt, right? Wrong.

One minute I'm lurking behind a tombstone, the next a witch is dead and somehow I've inherited her magical powers!

With a dead body by my side and witch power in my veins, there's no way I won't get the blame. Especially once the Supernatural Bureau takes on the case.

Will a clever cat familiar, a witch with nothing to lose, and a grimoire of spells be enough to save my fangs from a future behind bars?

It'll take magic and a miracle to keep a certain sexy werewolf Special Agent from sniffing out my hiding place before I can prove my innocence.

Until next time,

Katie O'Keene ☆