Peganum Harmala (Syrian rue)

About the product

100% dried Peganum harmala seeds. Origin: Pakistan.

Peganum harmala, also known as Syrian rue, esfand and harmal, has a history of use stretching back at least 7,000 years, from ancient rituals to modern spiritual practice. The seeds contain a high concentration of potent alkaloids, including harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine.

Laws differ between countries. Please check what applies where you live before ordering. Our review of the legal situation in Sweden (in Swedish): Is Peganum Harmala legal in Sweden?

Archaeological finds from the Iron Age (around 2,700 years ago) on the Arabian Peninsula show that the seeds were used in rituals where they were burned to purify rooms, treat illness and induce altered states of mind. On Mesopotamian vessels from the Jiroft culture (3,000 years before our time), the plant is depicted as the “tree of life”. In ancient Zoroastrian rituals the seeds were burned to create a thick smoke said to bring spiritual awakening. Their use as incense has survived through the millennia to this day.

Many researchers believe the plant is the mysterious “haoma” mentioned in ancient Persian texts – a magical and divine plant linked to the Vedic word “Soma”. In Persian culture the seeds are used in rituals, including weddings, to ward off misfortune, while in Turkey and Morocco the seeds are hung up to protect against the “evil eye” – a practice that has survived since pre-Islamic times.