Catha edulis

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Also known as: Khat; Qat. Abyssinian tea..plus about 20 more which I won’t bore you with!!

Plant folklore: Sacred to the ancient Egyptians. A stimulant – the effects are rather like ephedra or amphetamine, and include euphoria, increased alertness and excitement, ability to concentrate, confidence, friendliness, contentment and flow of ideas. A “divine food” like royal jelly to bees, capable of “releasing humanity’s nascent divinity”.
The Egyptians did not ingest Khat merely to “get high”, they used it to trigger and impel the metamorphic process leading to a theurgic transmutation of human naure into apotheosis".
Allows the lowly mortal being to be “vergottet”, or made God-like.
The medicinal uses of Khat were first described in the thirteenth century by the Islamic physician, Naguib ed-Din. He used it to treat depression. In more modern times, the Baroness Tania von Blixen used the leaves to gain insight and creativity.
Arabs of the Yemen sit around the fire all night long chewing Khat, laughing and talking. It was discovered by a goat herd named Awzulkernayien, who observed that when the goats ate the leaves they were very alert, and he decided to try them himself. He experienced wakefulness and added awareness.
There is also a legend that tells of two devout people who often spent the entire night in prayer, but frequently found themselves dropping off to sleep. They prayed to God to give them something to keep them awake. An angel appeared and showed them the khat plant, which would keep them awake.