#entheogenic churches
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Hierophant. Mystic Spiral Tarot
Themes and Keywords
Divine instruction. Initiation. Connecting heaven and Earth. God and man. Teaching. Speaking and listening. Holding the keys. Insides and outsides. Exoteric. Threshold between realms. Bridge-making. Priesthood as mediation. Institutional structures—church and school.
Astrology/Element
Behind the initiatory energy of spring comes the planting and the plow, with our second sign Taurus, the bull. The constellation Taurus shows the front end of the bull only and is presumably followed by a plow. As a fixed earth sign, middle of the spring triad, it shows the stable, fertile part of the season. Like all fixed signs, it is connected with a royal watcher star, Aldebaran, which means “the follower (of the Pleiades).” The Pleiades, a star cluster of seven sisters (a reference to Venus, Taurus’s ruler) is a star cluster in the bull constellation, associated with reaping when it rises in the east and sowing when it sets in the west. Taurus is also home to the cluster of the Hyades, or seven daughters of Atlas. Aldebaran is the star of the “eye of the bull,” and the Royal Watcher of the East, bearer of the power “to keep silence.” Royal stars confer glory if their nemesis is overcome. Aldebaran’s challenge is to avoid greed and cultivate integrity, especially in business.
The glyph of Taurus looks like the head and horns of a bull. The moon is exalted in Taurus and the glyph shows the circle of the full moon and the crescent of the new moon, showing the sign’s fecundity.
The motto of Taurus is “I have” and has an association with resources and materiality, but also sacred bonding with the land. The bull is a symbol of strength and fertility. Bull worship was significant in Egypt, as the prime god Osiris was sometimes depicted with a bull’s head, and the priests carefully selected living bulls to represent the god on earth.
Mythology/Alchemy
The word hierophant is defined as an interpreter and priest of arcane and sacred knowledge, especially pertaining to the priest of the Eleusinian mysteries. Taurus is ruled by Venus (Demeter), and the Eleusinian mysteries were initiation rites of worship and sacrifice, the famous secret spring rites of the agrarian cult of Demeter and Persephone in ancient Greece. The rites were in a threefold cycle, which represented Persephone’s abduction: the descent, the search, and her ascent and reunion with her mother.
The mysteries involved visions and explorations of the state of the afterlife, and they are postulated to be induced through the use of psychedelic drugs, with the priest handing out the entheogens and interpreting the visions. The priest filled two vessels, pouring one toward the east and one toward the west, as the worshipers looked to sky and earth and shouted, “Rain and conceive!” In the subsequent ritual of the divine child, a child was initiated from the divine hearth fire, and it was proclaimed that Potnia (“Mistress”; a Greek term of honor used to address revered females and goddesses) had born a great son. At the high point of the ritual, an ear of grain was cut in silence.
The mysteries were intended to elevate man from the mundane realm to that of godhood by linking him with divinity and conferring immortal status. Some scholars also link the mysteries to a Minoan cult—a reference to the mythical King Minos, of the labyrinth and Minotaur story. In the legend, King Minos’s Queen Pasiphaë, a sister of Circe and daughter of Helios who was worshiped as an oracle and diviner and practitioner of the magical arts, was cursed by Poseidon to love a white bull and thus conceived the half-man, half-bull Minotaur.
Susan T. Chang
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By thoughtfully staging our “set and setting” during psychedelic experiences we can avoid bad “trips” and enhance the overall experience. In AP Psychedelics by Sean Manseau we learn that we can achieve infinitely more than that by taking our psychedelic experiences to another level. Using ritual, performance and a carefully selected playlist you can literally make magic to change your life and go on epic quests of self-discovery and empowerment. AP Psychedelics outlines the entire practice, one of the core concepts of The First Church of David Bowie, operating out of Portland, OR Manseau shares his breakthrough approach in a futuristic musical montage. Check out Sean’s YouTube channel where you can find the whole playlists and discussions with the world’s first “phonomancer.” Sean will also be presenting @botanicaobscuraconference in 2023!!!! Follow @seanwmanseau - #phonomancy #phonomancer #appsychedelics #psychedelicstudies #entheogens #botanicaobscuraconference #psychedelictherapy #psychedelicintegration https://www.instagram.com/p/CmIGQm_r2Jx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
#phonomancy#phonomancer#appsychedelics#psychedelicstudies#entheogens#botanicaobscuraconference#psychedelictherapy#psychedelicintegration
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THE PINEAL GLANDULA
The pineal gland is one of the greatest secrets hidden from us. The secret is not that the gland exists, the secret is its function. Medical students are told it's a crooked organ, but it's not....
The Pineal Gland is our third eye, it is the organ through which we dream and imagine and once it is activated it is also the organ that connects us to other dimensions of reality, that is: it allows us to see beings of other dimensions besides allow us to make astral journeys (leave our physical body to travel with our ethereal body), develop psychic skills such as clairvoyance or telepathy and even the possibility of time travel...
It's not hard to know why it's a secret, the answer is in Church. How has the church subsisted? being the monopoly of religion: going to mass is the only way we've been shown to connect with the Divine plane but actually the Temple to reach Divine connection is within each of us...
Pineapple or pineal gland has several meanings. For the Catholic religion, it means the Power of God; for Freemasonry, the vision of the Cyclops; within the Egyptian tradition it is known as the eye of Horus, also in sacred geometry we can see that the eye of Horu s' accurately corresponds with all the structures of the brain and in the Asian world as the third eye or center of clairvoyance and intuition...
In initial terminology it is known as ′′ The Door of Paradise ′′ and even the French philosopher, Descartes, proposed that the pineal gland was what connects the body to the soul, or contained it. defined it as ′′ The Seat of the Soul ". His proposal arises because the pineal gland is not bilaterally duplicated in the body, and also believed (erroneously) that it was exclusive to humans...
Melatonin hormone produced by Pineal whose deficiency is caused by insomnia and depression is present in some foods such as oats, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, nuts, rice and cherries. In the ancient temples of Sumerians and Babylonians we had worship of the pineal and even in the vatican we can see a monument that they have in the form of pineapple or pineal, also ported by the potatoes, and on the walls of the pyramids are the hieroglyphics.
The secret pineal a substance called DMT (dimethyltriptamine) also known as the spiritual molecule that curiously releases into the fast eye motion phase that is when we are dreaming, is responsible for visualizing images in dreams. When there is no light, the pineal gland produces melatonin from serotonin.
It is related to regulating vigil and sleep cycles and serves to counteract the effects of time zone difference syndrome (jet lag)...
The DMT is so powerful that it can carry man's consciousness through time travel and dimensions. In the immediate state before death, a lot of DMT is produced, so you are credited with the ability to enter consciousness into higher dimensions ' Achieves mystical or interdimensional states, is the most powerful hallucinogenic or entheogenic found in the wild , in all plants and animals (in greater or lesser concentration), it has profound effects on consciousness).
Meditation offers the portal to practice and grow your connection conciousness and abilities in higher dimensions of being, what we would call super natural these days.
What we will soon re-member.
Work on mastering your Mind Body Spirit temple of the divinity within you.
👁
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An Oakland church that gives out cannabis and psychedelic plants as sacrament filed a lawsuit against the city and the local police department over a raid in 2020.Jayar Jackson, Cenk Uygur, and Ben Gleib discuss on The Young Turks. Watch LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm ET. http://youtube.com/theyoungturks/live Read more HERE: https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7vbkx/magic-mushroom-zide-door-lawsuit-religious-freedom "A church in Oakland that uses magic mushrooms to have a “direct experience with God” is suing the city and local police over a 2020 raid it argues infringes on the group’s constitutional and religious rights. The Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants says its a local chapter for followers of the Church of Ambrosia, “a nondenominational, interfaith religious organization that supports the use and safe access of all etheogenic plants with a focus on cannabis and magic mushrooms,” according to its website. *** The largest online progressive news show in the world. Hosted by Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian. LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm ET. Help support our mission and get perks. Membership protects TYT's independence from corporate ownership and allows us to provide free live shows that speak truth to power for people around the world. See Perks: ▶ https://www.youtube.com/TheYoungTurks/join SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE: ☞ http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=theyoungturks FACEBOOK: ☞ http://www.facebook.com/TheYoungTurks TWITTER: ☞ http://www.twitter.com/TheYoungTurks INSTAGRAM: ☞ http://www.instagram.com/TheYoungTurks TWITCH: ☞ http://www.twitch.com/tyt 👕 Merch: http://shoptyt.com ❤ Donate: http://www.tyt.com/go 🔗 Website: https://www.tyt.com 📱App: http://www.tyt.com/app 📬 Newsletters: https://www.tyt.com/newsletters/ If you want to watch more videos from TYT, consider subscribing to other channels in our network: The Damage Report ▶ https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport TYT Sports ▶ https://www.youtube.com/tytsports The Conversation ▶ https://www.youtube.com/tytconversation Rebel HQ ▶ https://www.youtube.com/rebelhq TYT Investigates ▶ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNJt9PYyN1uyw2XhNIQMMA #TYT #TheYoungTurks #BreakingNews 220819__BE02ChurchWeedShroomInventoryVsCopsBP by The Young Turks
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very little luck meditating last night, I just could not get my mind to focus on anything. I Did see a clearer picture of a deer though, a young male deer. Interested by the shifting form, but it might just be my own mind. Man, fawn, or stag? I guess it depends.
I'd been thinking about the nature of shapeshifters lately as well. I had for a while been fascinated with the "hound of God", the Christian werewolf, but there are other forms as well. Everything for me leads one way or another back to ancestry so I was thinking about the little stories and comments my dad would make. His love of the wild man, another kind of archetype somewhere between shapeshifter, woodwose, and saint. I'd also been thinking about how he would say our ancestors were barbarian berserks, but never sure how much of that is just his sense of humor. I wish I was able to know more about my family's history but it seems really lost to time at this point. The history of Germany/Prussia/Silesia/Poland has gone through so many hands and so many reiterations of nationalist myth-making that it's hard to know anything. I've got pictures and old family seals and can look at the faces of people generations upon generations back, but it's like they occupy a void. I know the name has been there a while and we were basket-weavers with our own shop, which I always loved given the family name that describes us as dwellers of oak trees. It all goes back to trees, you know? I was tickled to learn that the remnants of the irminsul are located in the church where my dad grew up. It's a town no one ever seems to hear about or mention, nothing much there, but apparently this relic.
I think about not finding any religious waters for myself. Even my dabbling in alternative religions was never satisfying because any hint of dogma feels against the grain. All that has ever felt right is channeling, being, living religion not following it, and that can result in terrifying states. I wish I had the courage to ask my dad what got him into a shamanic path when he was younger, because I wonder how similar the story might be. I never took the psychonaut path though. I know he did, but I've never experimented with entheogens. Things take me so easily sometimes, I never found a need. You can do so much by closing your eyes, listening to music, playing a dream, swaying, working with your breath. It hasn't always been nice though. I'd read accounts of berserkers before battle and Fries' ideas about seidr and it all sounds so familiar. It describes states that I had no control of for many years, but in recent years have become states that I can induce usually for meditation or art. Lately for communicating with parts of myself. Teeth chattering, shaking, seizing, visions, voices. Some bad episodes where I have hurt myself or others because I lost all physical awareness of my body or its strengths. It's been almost a decade since any of these involuntary experiences have occurred, but I think about them a lot and what they meant and why they happened, and most significantly, why they stopped. I was on the verge of being committed to a longterm adult residential facility at 22, but within 2 years time I was fine. 10 years later and those memories of myself are unrecognizable. I used to say I felt like a planchette or a divining rod that was ripped between multiple incompatible timelines at once. The feelings, thoughts, and urges in my body were not mine and would not end. I was so desperate that I considered suicide and had no rational way of relaying the experience to anyone. That all stopped. Today the sensations that used to make me want to die are much gentler, they are integrated, they follow a controlled channel in my body that usually feels like excitement or deep rapture instead of terror and misery. Is this an experience that others have had throughout history? I can't really find religion because no doctrines make sense and I am not interested in that, I just want to live whatever my body has always seemed to be trying to connect to. My religion is swaying, it is crawling on the floor with my eyes closed and my heart bursting open in pure liquid light. Even the terrible things have this resonance somewhere between the maternal and the violent and sensual and sublime. Tenderness that rends the marrow of bones.
There is still a lot of choppy waters though. I might no longer be stark raving mad, but I wouldn't say I'm in control or always responsible of what comes up in ecstatic states. Especially the ones that get stirred up by other human beings, people I feel some alchemical kindling with that puts me into a mania. I was in one of those states when I met my husband. I do recklessly optimistic things. With him it didn't have too terrible of an outcome for anyone but myself because I was so impulsive that I disregarded common sense. I would and had drank his spit like a sacrament because I was so overwhelmed with something in me that is always looking to fuse with another. The last time that it happened the consequences were more reckless for others, and that is a kind of karma I have to deal with the consequences of. It's unpleasant to realize that I am fire on fire on air on air, and I leave scorched earth with my love. Flames are sprite-like! I don't think they mean to harm, but they eventually have to wonder why they leave everything burned around them. When I become a wildfire I want to tell myself that I am not bad if I never meant to burn everything down, but no one really cares if it was premeditated when their house burns down. To bring it back to a tarot analogy, I have to learn to put that flame in the hermit's lantern sometimes. I get so swept up in the desire to always be honest and not hold back any impulse, that I stop being able to see around me. I'm not a productive fire, no cauldron, just erratic. I guess it is suitable that yesterday a rune I pulled for advice was kenaz, which followed perthro. I'm still mulling over the meaning of it all. I did in my meditation see a boil or some kind of abscess which is a meaning of kenaz that seems kind of unpopular, but I felt like it was part of a purifying process. The heat of the body was helping to purge a neglected wound, maybe from that thurisaz reversed that kept reappearing as an obstacle. Anyway, enough rambling for now.
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On this day in Wikipedia: Saturday, 2nd December
Welcome, ողջու՜յն (voġčuyn), bienvenido, welkom 🤗
What does @Wikipedia say about 2nd December through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?
2nd December 2020 🗓️ : Event - Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis is removed from the list of most dangerous drugs of the international drug control treaty by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
"Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various traditional medicines for centuries. Tetrahydrocannabinol..."
Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Skalle-Per Hedenhös
2nd December 2016 🗓️ : Event - Ghost Ship warehouse fire
Thirty-six people died when a fire broke out at an illegally converted warehouse in Oakland, California, the deadliest U.S. building fire since 2003.
"On December 2, 2016, at about 11:20 p.m. PST, a fire started in a former warehouse that had been illegally converted into an artist collective with living spaces (named the Ghost Ship) in Oakland, California which was hosting a concert with 80-100 attendees, killing 36 people in the deadliest fire..."
Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Janna487
2nd December 2013 🗓️ : Death - Jean-Claude Beton
Jean-Claude Beton, Algerian-French engineer and businessman, founded Orangina (b. 1925)
"Jean-Claude Beton (January 14, 1925 – December 2, 2013) was an Algerian-born French businessman, agricultural engineer and entrepreneur. Beton was the founder of the French soft drink maker, Orangina. He is credited with transforming Orangina from a little known citrus soda first manufactured by..."
Image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0? by Jane Mejdahl from Copenhagen, Denmark
2nd December 1973 🗓️ : Birth - Lee Steele
Lee Steele, English footballer
"Lee Steele (born 2 December 1973) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. ..."
2nd December 1923 🗓️ : Birth - Maria Callas
Maria Callas, American-Greek soprano and actress (d. 1977)
"Maria Callas (born Maria Anna Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic..."
Image by CBS Television
2nd December 1823 🗓️ : Event - Monroe Doctrine
Monroe Doctrine: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James Monroe proclaims American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warns European powers not to interfere in the Americas.
"The Monroe Doctrine is a United States foreign policy position that opposes European colonialism in the Western Hemisphere. It holds that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign powers is a potentially hostile act against the United States. The doctrine was central to..."
Image by Samuel Finley Breese Morse
2nd December 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Channing Moore Williams (Anglicanism)
"Channing Moore Williams (July 17, 1829 – December 2, 1910) was an Episcopal Church missionary, later bishop, in China and Japan. Williams was a leading figure in the establishment of the Anglican Church in Japan. His commemoration in some Anglican liturgical calendars is on 2 December...."
Image by Unknown authorUnknown author
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Detroit Police Raid Psilocybin Church After Newspaper Feature
Read More The Latest Marijuana News Today HighTimes Magazine
A church that purportedly uses entheogenic plants like psilocybin mushrooms as a holy sacrament was raided by officers with the Detroit Police Department Friday just two days after having a newspaper article about them published in the Detroit Metro Times.
According to a follow up article by the Detroit Metro Times, officers…
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(Universal Mind Moods)
#SoundCloud#music#Universal Mind Moods#psychedelic therapy#new age#new though#entheogenic churches#soundcloud
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The church, which says it has held "several hundred religious services" since it opened its doors in February 2019, embraces the use of entheogenic plants like cannabis and mushrooms. “Monkeys trying to explain god to each other.” “Magic Mushrooms were the reason for the evolution of both abstract human communication and the concept of religion itself,” Zide Door says. On its website, Zide Door lays out what it calls “the foundation of our church,” which is part of the nondenominational, interfaith Church of Ambrosia.īelievers theorize that long ago, monkeys ate psilocybin mushrooms, triggering spiritual visions that compelled the primates to try to explain what they saw to other monkeys. Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker in a statement said her office “has not yet been served with this lawsuit, but will certainly review it once we are served.” Zide Door founder Dave Hodges did not respond to my questions about the case, and the church’s lawyer, Editte Lerman of Emerald Law, did not respond to requests for comment. The suit illustrates “the difficulty in determining what is a religion,” he continued, as well as foreshadowing problems with “how to regulate religions that want to use plants as part of their practice.” “Cases like this will continue to arise,” said Matt Zorn, a partner at Houston-based YetterColeman whose practice includes controlled substances litigation. Think Grateful Dead meets Harvard Law Review.Īs a growing number of localities including Oakland decriminalize magic mushrooms and other so-called entheogenic plants, lawyers tell me that conflicts over the parameters of use may become increasingly common.
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Oakland church that gives cannabis, psychedelic mushrooms as communion sues over police raid
The Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants sued Oakland, the Oakland Police Department and an officer, alleging they violated its 1st and 14th amendment rights.
from California https://ift.tt/zQoKnxF
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Have you been regularly working with visionary plants and fungi and feel a soul-calling to support others in the most healing, transformational work of their lives?
Are you an aspiring or existing coach that regularly attends plant medicine ceremonies, who wishes to offer psychedelic integration, shamanic practices, or microdosing as part of your transformational services?
Are you a member of a lineage-based or New Age plant medicine community or entheogenic church who wishes to support others in your ceremony circle through trauma-informed integration?
Have you sat or apprenticed with indigenous healers or entheogenic clergy for years, but don’t wish to go back to school for 2-5 years just to be considered professionally “qualified” to offer integration services?
Are you being disqualified from notable psychedelic-assisted training programs because you are not a licensed or aspiring therapist even though you have more psychedelic experience than most of the faculty in these programs?
What if it were possible to dismantle the gatekeeping and catalyze a culture of peer-to-peer integration, so that anybody anywhere can connect with an ideal integration provider that’s safe, qualified and good?
APPLY NOW
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when i do shrooms on mt aphrodite-astarte on a ancient phoenecian mountain-church in mediterranea ruins those entheogens will be hitt tt t tt ttttttt ting entheogens one of my most favoritest words dearest tender darlings
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Amanita muscaria- My sharing on cultivating a healing and empowering relationship with a magical mushroom, my Self and Life.
(All photos by me)
Overview and Introduction
This beautiful mushroom has allured human beings for who knows how many millennia. Archaeological evidence shows that people carried this mushroom from the Eurasian continent over the Bering strait to North America during the last glacial era, which shows how important this mushroom must have been to them.
There are so many examples of this iconic mushroom being woven into humanity’s evolution- from ancient cave art etched in stone to carved stone statues of various indigenous cultures to frescoes painted on the walls of Christian chapels to the stained glass of Catholic church cathedrals. This mushroom, no doubt, has played a significant role for humanity, just as many of the other powerful and healing plant and fungi allies: cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca, just to name a few. Just like a lot of things, over time, knowledge can be lost- and I could also say hidden or withheld from the populace. Over time this magical and majestic mushroom became misunderstood, judged and yes, feared.
A seeker of truth will discover how knowledge has intentionally been kept from people, in the efforts to preserve an elite group of peoples’ power, and in other words, to prevent people from empowering themselves. This is what propaganda is for, and now, arguably, even our mass media is being utilized for this. “Fake news” is a real thing.
Many people are still emerging from the brainwashing of the “war on drugs” propaganda, that was unleashed on the American population, which unfortunately created a lot of stigma around psychotropic and entheogenic plants and fungi. It is now fairly common knowledge that the pharmaceutical industry had a major role in creating the majority of drug dependencies that led to the “opiate crisis” and now they’ve created even more drugs (such as methadone and naltrexone) to help us get off the other “bad” drugs (heroin, and other opiates). Terribly, these “drugs to help us get off the drugs” are actually even more difficult to get off from. I’d say, now there’s a full on “benzodiazepine crisis” going on. Last year, when I finally got myself a primary care doctor, and I shared with her that I had been really struggling with anxiety, can you guess what was her response to that was? “I could prescribe you some medication to help with that.” I never returned to her.
It’s obvious that so many people are in dire mental and emotional support but sadly the hamster wheel reality that so many people are living in makes it very difficult for people to slow down and get the support they need. Yet, I will say that once a person makes the decision to change and take charge of their own healing- support can and will show up from all directions. The reason why I know this is true is because I have experienced it myself. I believe that we are all here for a reason and the universe wants each and every one of us to stand in our power. As the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way….”
Now that much more traction is being gained in the tremendous value of “entheogenic/psychedelic medicines” through scientific studies as well as the recognized value of indigenous wisdom ways, it seems that the knowledge of this powerful red mushroom has found its way back to our lives. As we the people, who evolved over thousands of years in close relationship with these powerful mushrooms and plant allies of Earth, is in not exciting to think, what role could this amazing mushroom could play for us now, in a society so filled with anxiety and depression? For several generations now, so many of us “civilized folk” have been disconnected from the medicines of earth, having been misled by a societal system that would have us rather be dependent on synthetically produced pharmaceutical drugs, to treat the conditions that often stem from the sick society in which we are living.
I feel it is crucial to emphasize here that in this “psychedelic renaissance” we must be careful with the way we approach these medicines of the earth. To approach them with the same mindset that “I want to take this thing to fix me and make me feel better” and not embrace the self-responsibility that it actually requires “to feel better” is actually disrespectful and devaluing of the self and the medicine. As a newly trained addiction recovery and integration coach, I am passionate about empowering people to be a conscious co-creator of their reality- to find ways of cultivating more connection in their life to self and nature, through ritual and embodiment practices. The precious medicines of earth can most certainly help us in our healing, but it is through our intentional efforts that we actually earn the peace and healing that we seek. We may be “creatures of habit,” but we are also courageous creatures with great potential to change!
Now, back to Amanita muscaria. In the last few years, it’s as if a veil has been lifted from our perceptual lens of this mushroom- more and more scientific studies are emerging about the active chemicals in this mushroom that can aid in anxiety and depression among other things. And there’s also the interesting folklore that has become more commonly known, even in our narratives around religious traditions, such as Christmas, and the relationship of the reindeer and jolly ol’ Santa Claus! There are numerous books and articles that can be found at our fingertips through the internet (which I will source at the end of this paper.) And there are online forums about it- On Telegram, YouTube, and I just discovered Reddit, and I’m sure there are many more. How far down the rabbit hole you want to go , is up to you! Even though we have been told for generations to fear this powerful and beautiful mushroom, the time has come for the truth to be revealed.
A more Personal Introduction….
Before I delve into my own story of how my life was so positively influenced by this mushroom, the “good biology student and teacher” in me desires to share about this mushroom’s bio-chemistry, ecology and ethno-pharmacology, so as to give a well rounded understanding to a person not knowing much about this mushroom. (Disclaimer: This is in no way a “scholarly essay” or research paper as I will not be properly using citations. I’m no longer in college after all, I am in the school of life. However, I will provide sources when I directly quote or use specific information and I will provide a list of resources at the end of this paper.)
My educational background is in the Natural Sciences, having received a Bachelors of Arts from University of Hawaii at Hilo in Natural Science with a minor in Biology. Mycology was one of the fields of study that fascinated and inspired me in such a deep way- beyond my logical and analytical mind. There was something mystical to me about mushrooms. When I found out at age thirteen that there were mushrooms out there that could open up other dimensions of reality, I thought to myself “Where can I find them!?” (It didn’t take me long to.)
I am an avid “mycophile” (lover of mushrooms) and I study mushrooms with a passion- I love trying to identify mushrooms and I derive great joy looking for mushrooms in the forests. I have also developed what I can only describe as a psychic connection with mushrooms, in the way that I actually have felt “guided” by them, to places where I can find them. I have woken up in the morning with the Amanita muscaria whispering into my consciousness “Come find me, I’m here….” As I will expand more upon later, the deepening of my relationship with A. muscaria began when I was really needing support and anxiety had begun to really diminish my quality of life. Thats when I went into the forest to find the mushrooms. It make me think of the quote of the Sufi poet Rumi: “What you seek is seeking you.”
About the Fungi
I remember learning in my mycology course how mushrooms are merely the “fruiting body” of a species of fungi- a body that mostly lives under the ground’s surface, as mycelium- which are a network of fungal threads called hyphae. By sensing the optimal conditions, the mycelium will then begin the formation of the mushroom, which will emerge from the ground (except truffle, which stay underground!) containing the spores, to then be dispersed into the environment. Fungi play such an important role in our ecosystems as they are “decomposers.” In the great circle of Life, we cannot leave out Death, because all that dies shall break down in composition, to become nourishment for more life! Yet, there are some fungi that have evolved away from their decomposing abilities and have come to depend on their symbiosis with trees, such as the Amanita genus.
Amanita muscaria has a symbiotic relationship with as many as 20 different tree species, including pine, oak, spruce, fir, birch, and cedar.
This means that the mycelium of this fungi grows along the roots of the tree, making mineral nutrients and water more available to the tree, while the fungi uptakes sugars from the roots of the tree. This relationship is known as a “mycorrhizal network.”
The genus Amanita contains at least 400 species, a couple of which are the most known deadly mushrooms in the world, and some species of which are considered the most delicious to eat. A really unique signature of the Amanita’s morphology is the way it grows and emerges- from an egg-like sac called a “volva.” As the mushroom emerges, pieces of the volva can stick to the cap of the mushroom, like warts, as seen so clearly in the cap A.muscaria.
The Misunderstanding of this Mushroom
Amanita muscaria has been deemed “toxic” and “poisonous” and even “deadly” - all titles which are misleading and also simply not true. There are various reasons for the spread of this misinformation. Here, I will highlight on some scientific facts:
Because the Amanita genus contains some of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world, and people are afraid of being poisoned, this mushroom got lumped in with the “deadly’s.” What makes the deadly amanitas deadly is that they contain “amatoxins” and “phallotoxins.” Amatoxins are also found in two other genera of mushroom (Galerina and Lepidiota). To clarify here, Amanita muscaria does NOT contain either of these chemicals.
Because this is a powerful mushroom with potentially psychoactive effects, fear and curiosity can arise in many people. The fearful will likely stay away from it, and even stomp on the mushrooms when they see them (and that just hurts my heart!). And even for the curious who venture to ingest this mushroom just for the sake of wanting to know what it will do to them, may end up having a very unpleasant experience, or they may have a profoundly enjoyable experience, OR they may have no experience at all! As I will discuss later on, relationship and intention are important when deciding to ingest psychoactive mushrooms and/or plants.
Because people have reported feeling sick and vomiting from ingesting this mushroom, it has been deemed “toxic.” There may have even been a death from a person who choked on their own vomit from having ingested this mushroom - but even in that case, the mushroom itself was not the real culprit. Now, let’s get deeper into the chemistry….
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS & BIOCHEMISTRY
The active ingredients of Amanita muscaria, are Ibotenic Acid and Muscimol. Muscimol is derived from ibotenic acid by decarboxylation. Ibotenic acid is an analogue of the neurotransmitter glutamate. Glutamate is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body. It also serves as a metabolic precursor to the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) According to one scientific study, people who suffer from depression may have had lower levels of GABA present in the brain. According to another 2019 study, GABA has anti-microbial, anti-seizure, and antioxidant properties and may help treat and prevent conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and insomnia. (source:https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326847#medical-benefits) I mention this because, muscimol binds to the same site on the GABAA receptor complex as GABA itself, as opposed to other GABAergic drugs such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines which bind to separate regulatory sites. (source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscimol).
Re-stated: Muscimol mimics the chemical GABA, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for calming the mind and easing anxiety, among other benefits.
So, could this mushroom be like “nature’s benzodiazepine,” yet safer because our bodies will not become chemically dependent? I feel it is not as straight forward as this and I would never want to diminish this mushroom by comparing it with a pharmeceutical. Also I feel it is more mysterious, requiring respect and even reverence, to the approach of “using”- or how I would rather refer to it as “working with” - this powerful and potentially healing mushroom. (more on that topic in the later section on “Cultivating Relationship”) There are other species of Amanita that contain these chemicals of importance (and in higher amounts) as well, which look similar to A. muscaria and those species are: A. pantherina (known as the “panther cap” or “false blusher”) and A. regalis (known as the “Royal Fly Agaric”)
IBOTENIC ACID
“Ibotenic acid is an unstable compound; consequently, during extraction and subsequent processing large losses can occur. Also, in dried mushrooms the ibotenic acid content decreases gradually.” (https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1970-01-01_4_page005.html). This compound, when “decarboxylated” (heated to a specific temperature) becomes muscimol. According to studies, it has been shown that the highest percentage of this compound is found in the top yellow layer of the mushroom cap, just below the thin top colored skin. The concentrations of ibotenic acid are higher in the fresh mushroom, and when consumed (in the mushroom’s more raw state) can have potent effects that are responsible for the more “unpleasant” effects : nausea, vomiting and/or gastro-intestinal upset. And yet, it should be noted that there can also be very pleasant psychoactive effects as well- euphoria, and various other sensory altering effects.
MUSCIMOL
“Muscimol can be found in all Amanita species in which ibotenic acid occurs. However, since it is easily derived from ibotenic acid through the loss of water and CO2, which can occur during extraction or on paper chromatograms, one cannot say positively that it is a genuine compound in the mushroom.” (https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1970-01-01_4_page005.html). And so, interestingly, it may be that this compound is only found in the mushroom because it was created/converted from the ibotenic acid.
I have witnessed a certain level of “judgement” of ibotenic acid, being unfavorable to ingest and that the goal before ingesting is to convert as much of it as possible to muscimol, however, it has been argued that ibotenic acid plays an important role in the benefits of ingesting this mushroom- and that you can never really convert ALL the ibotenic acid anyways.
From what information I have gathered is that “ibotenic acid” has gotten a bad reputation and is considered by many to be unfavorable- which is why people take extra steps to decarboxylate the mushrooms so as to convert the ibotenic acid to muscimol. One of the possible reasons for the “bad rap” is that it has actually been referred to scientifically as a “neurotoxin” but this was because of a particular study’s outcome: it was found to cause brain legions when injected directly into the heads of rats. When we ingest this mushroom, it obviously would not have the same effect as being injected into our brains, and so therefore, the title of “neurotoxin” is not accurate and is misleading.
Cultivating Right Relationship
As I shared a little bit earlier, prior to cultivating my deep relationship with A. muscaria I been struggling with anxiety, an over active mind and very debilitating control patterns that developed over the past couple years (due to personal and relational circumstances). I believe in the healing power of plant medicines and that they are amazing tools that can help us in our healing, and to interrupt addictions and our "normal" patterning (which is often times dis-functional!). However, we as individuals play the most important role in our healing- I truly believe the power is in our hands to become the “CEO’s of our own Health and Wellbeing,” as a nutrition coach mentor of mine says. It is our responsibility to put in our efforts to INTEGRATE the insights and new mind states we gain from plant medicines into our lives- so that we don't just become dependent upon another “substance” to shift our undesirable feeling state. We do this with courageous acts, by making the needed life changes to decrease stress and to nourish the conditions for our wellness and by cultivating nervous system regulating practices such as EFT/tapping, breath work, and so many others.
I do not believe that any medicine or substance outside of ourselves can be a "magic bullet" or "cure- all.” I believe it is crucial to be in "right relationship" with all medicines. That all being said- I greatly appreciate and value the plant medicine world and am vary cautious of the pharmaceuticals prescribed by doctors which do NOT heal, but only treat the symptoms, and often cause more ill side effects and dangerous chemical dependencies. It is important to remember, “Big Pharma” profits from our un-wellness.
Working with A. muscaria
There are many ways one can work with A. muscaria. I will describe a way that I feel cultivates a relationship with this mushroom that is respectful and reverent of the mushroom, which may potentiate its healing benefits.
One can begin by working with it on the energetic and psychic level. I was guided by my curiosity and intuition to work with this mushroom, and have felt a joyous connection with this mushroom since I first saw it out in the forest. The elated feeling I would get from the mushroom actually was the indicator to me that I needed to learn more about it and so, my studies began.
It is important to do your own research- don’t just take my word for granted. I started finding and reading lots of articles, watching videos and I took a workshop from the Fungi Academy, featuring a woman who goes by the name “Amanita Dreamer.” I started to feel more and more confident that ingesting A. muscaria was not dangerous but could actually be in divine alignment for me. I started to align with certain people out there who’s perspective and knowledge of A.muscaria I found very helpful. (See resources at end.)
After the first big Autumn seasonal rains soaked the earth up where I live in northern California, I remember the day that I woke up and I just knew they were out there in the forest. I actually felt their presence in my psychic field. It had happened the season prior also, and so, my energetic connection had been developing for at least a couple of years before I felt it was time to actually harvest them.
Before harvesting I had already learned that the active ingredients are in the caps and the potency is most prime when the mushroom is relatively “young,” before the cap has fully flattened out. I would always leave the older mushrooms so that their spores could be released into the environment. When harvesting, I did so with reverence and gratitude.
When I brought the mushroom caps home, I dehydrated them at about 130 degrees until “cracker dry” as Amanita Dreamer refers to it. I then scraped the gills out from the cap, since the gills don’t contain the desired active ingredients. Note: Its easier and less of a mess to scrape them out once dried. I saved this scraped out contents into a jar to then release back to re-spore the forest. The scraped out caps went into another jar. I kept these dried caps in jars on my altar and connected with them energetically until the day came when I knew it was time.
Potency varies from mushroom to mushroom and so when it comes to ingesting them, the most reliable way to get a consistent dosage is to ingest either the powder of the ground up mushroom caps (via tea or capsule) or from a tincture. I personally wanted to work with the caps whole so that I could see them with their beautiful color and not grind them up. I did indeed notice how one gram of dried mushroom caps varied from day to day, while micro-dosing. I actually enjoyed that mysterious aspect. For example, one morning a noticed much more of an effect, to where I actually needed to lay down- and it was a very healing and learning experience for me in slowing down and receiving. I also have tried breaking off pieces from multiple different caps to get a more average range of potency and weighing out my desired dosage that way.
Because I resonated with it, I decided to follow the guidance of Adam, a fellow A. muscaria advocate and magical herbal alchemist who runs balticalchemy.com. I started with 1gram in the morning and 1g at night, making a tea. I break apart caps onto a small scale to weigh out and then steep the mushroom pieces in my tea for up to 10 minutes. I then have a ritual of sitting down at my altar and speaking my words of gratitude to the mushroom tea and my intentions while they steep.
Making a respectful and reverent "daily practice” or ritual with this mushroom, and any plant or mushroom medicine, is very important to me and is an important, integrative part of any "microdosing protocol." This is where and how we RE-PATTERN and RE-PROGRAM ourselves. And this is how we also cultivate right relationship with our medicine.
I drink down the tea, with heart open in gratitude for the opportunity to commune with this mushroom. I also eat the mushroom pieces within it the tea. I actually like to speak directly to the spirit of the mushroom, my gratitude and my prayers. I like to also do some EFT(Emotional Freedom Technique)/"tapping" and bodily stretching/movement and then I go about my day.
I usually feel the effects within the hour. Sometimes I feel a warmth in my heart space, or a warmth of peace and/or bliss sweeping through my body. There are many other subtle effects I have noticed and I feel it is important to keep certain things sacred and inside as it is my own mysterious journry I am on, which will be unlike any one else’s.
So far, My only experience in consuming a larger amount was in an Amanita muscaria ceremony which I attended and my experience was pleasant. Not only did we consume a strong tea of it but we also smoked it! That was rather harsh and I did not particularly like that but smoking of the top layer of the mushroom cap definitely does have an affect which can be described as childlike elation. I did notice my sense of taste become much more vivid and my perception became slightly warped. I definitely had a lot of energy which continued into the next day where I noticed how I was “talking a mile a minute” 😆
Read more below about my own experience with micro-dosing ....
My Micro-dosing Testimonial
I noticed the positive benefits in only a few days- My anxiety, fight/flight sensations, worrying mind/thoughts- were simply GONE. My whole reality shifted just from being able to feel CALM again in mind and body. I realized how much a dis-regulated nervous system ("anxiety") was negatively impacting my perception of reality. A.muscaria also helped me to re-configure my long time habitual relationship with cannabis. I made the decision to completely stop smoking cannabis the day I began working with A.muscaria, which has also contributed greatly to my increased energy and clarity of mind.
Before this tremendous positive shift from A.muscaria, I could barely sit still. My outlook on life was very despairing and filled with self-doubt. I have rapidly regained a positive outlook, more motivation and self-confidence and more focus. I have also been getting more sustained sleep through the night. I have felt more light hearted elation, and peace than I have experienced in the past couple of years.
In summary, this beautiful mushroom has played a pivotal role in assisting me to get my nervous system back into a regulated place, after suffering the repercussions of being in “fight or flight” mode for an extended amount of time.don’t necessarily and I consider it to be such a powerful catalyst for me in my healing and coming into clarity and alignment with my truth.
Amanita muscaria has become my most beloved ally from the forest, showing me that I too have so much to offer to this world once I stand in my power, with my innate wisdom, mystery, beauty, truth and love.
Resources- (I encourage you to do your own research!)
Websites:
1. www.amanitadreamer.net
2. www.reindeeramanita.com
3. https://fungiacademy.com/
4. http://www.amanitaceae.org/
5. https://jgi.doe.gov/retracing-roots-fungal-symbioses/
6. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/blog/harnessing-the-therapeutic-potential-of-muscimol-349541
7. https://www.mushroomstone.com/
8. https://themushroomcap.com/product/the-fungal-pharmacy/
9. https://www.ancientpages.com/2016/09/14/mysterious-ancient-mushrooms-in-myths-and-legends-sacred-feared-and-worshiped-among-ancient-civilizations-2/
10. https://www.balticalchemy.com/
11. https://harmonyacresfarms.org/
Books:
Fly Agaric: A Compendium of History, Pharmacology, Mythology, & Exploration,
by Kevin M. Feeney
The Fungal Pharmacy by Robert Rogers
Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast- a comprehensive guide to the Fungi of Coastal Northern California. Noah Siegel and Christian Schwarz
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