Diana

The term "Diktynna" is of ancient Greek origin, likely derived from "diktyon" meaning "net," possibly referencing a hunting net or a symbolic snare. The plant Diktamnon, also known as dittany of Crete, is an evergreen shrub native to the island.

The Cretan name of Diana was Diktynna, and as such the goddess wore a wreath made of this magic plant. The Diktamnon is an evergreen shrub whose contact, as claimed in Occultism, develops and at the same time cures somnambulism. ]\Iixed with Verbena it will produce clairvoyance and ecstasy. Pharmacy attributes to the Diktamnon strongly .sedative and quieting properties. It grows in abundance on Mount Dictc, in Crete, and enters into many nuKjical performances resortrd to b}- the Cretans even to this day.

Blavatsky's description of Diktamnon, the Cretan "magic plant" linked to the goddess Diana through her epithet Diktynna, offers a fascinating glimpse into the pharmacopoeia of ancient occultism. The claim that this evergreen shrub could develop and simultaneously cure somnambulism speaks to a complex, perhaps paradoxical, view of its power. It wasn't merely an intoxicant or a sedative, but a tool capable of fine-tuning the very fabric of psychic awareness. The admixture with verbena, further enhancing its potential for clairvoyance and ecstasy, echoes the widespread use of herbs in shamanic traditions across cultures for accessing visionary states. Mircea Eliade, in his seminal work on shamanism, meticulously documents the role of psychoactive plants in mediating between the mundane and the sacred. The Cretan practice, as described, suggests a localized manifestation of this universal impulse to harness the vegetal realm for spiritual exploration. The emphasis on "sedative and quieting properties" also hints at a sophisticated understanding of energetic balance, where the plant's capacity to calm the nervous system might be the prerequisite for deeper, more focused psychic penetration. This isn't simply about inducing a state, but about cultivating the inner stillness from which profound perception can arise. The Diktamnon, therefore, becomes a symbol of nature's latent power to unlock the human mind, a potent reminder that the keys to altered consciousness may lie not only within us but also in the botanical wisdom of the earth. It invites contemplation on the forgotten dialogues between humanity and the plant kingdom, a dialogue that once promised access to extraordinary realms of experience.