The Mazatec consider Salvia to be a holy sacrament, hence all of its names in some way reference spiritual divination and the Virgin Mary. When a curandero sets out to gather the leaves of this sacred plant they will take extra precaution not to accidentally step on any of the surrounding plants, they will kneel down and offer a prayer to the plant before and after they harvest its leaves. After the leaves have been used, the curandero will go out of their way to discard the plant remains in a secure place, where it will not be trampled on by other people or be disturbed by foraging animals.
For centuries the Mazateca Indians have used Ska Maria Pastora in their ceremonies to diagnose illnesses, aid in healing, see into the future, find lost objects and to identify robbers. If a precious object was lost in the forest, the Mazatec Indians would call on a curandero to perform a sacred ritual. The curandero waits until dusk, places the person who lost the object in a very dark, quite place and offers a prayer to the plant. A potion is then made from the leaves and administered to the person; while the person is experiencing the effects of the potion the curandero carefully listens to everything the person has to say. The following morning the curandero uses that information to help them find their lost object.
