Tag Archives: plants

Psychedelics Series

Psychedelics #3: San Pedro

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“San Pedro (Trichocereus/Echinopsis pachanoi) is a thin, columnar cactus native to the Andes in South America that contains mescaline—one of the longest-studied psychedelics in the world—and the first to be labeled with the term “psychedelic.”

San Pedro has been an important element to the spiritual ceremonies of various indigenous cultures for thousands of years. In the context of these ceremonies, the San Pedro experience is known for being empathogenic (similar to MDMA) and potentially life-changing, promoting radical introspection, healing, and a sense of wonder and awe.

Traditionally, San Pedro has been consumed either on its own or with other plants in a ceremonial brew called cimora. While its use as a psychedelic is technically illegal in the US, the plant itself can be found decorating yards and gardens across the country. It can also be found in abundance at the witches’ markets of Peru (as San Pedro or Huachuma), Bolivia (as Achuma), and Ecuador (as Aguacolla or Gigantón).

Experience

San Pedro is a potent psychedelic, and a San Pedro ceremony can be intense and powerful, in both positive and negative ways. Though everyone will undergo a unique and individual experience, there are some general things you can expect.

Benefits

San Pedro has long been considered a powerful agent for healing and change, making it a central component of the shamanic ceremonies of many indigenous groups in the Americas. For many, a San Pedro journey offers deep insight into the self and the universe, giving one a greater sense of connection and spirituality. Mescaline is also known for fostering compassion and gratitude, while alleviating psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction.

Mescaline has also been shown to help people solve problems, access their creativity, be more environmentally conscious, and improve learning. In its original use, the plant medicine was also used to treat a number of ailments, including snake bites, wounds, skin conditions, and general pain.”

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/san-pedro/amp/

Psychedelics Series

Psychedelics #2: Peyote

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“Peyote, or Lophophora williamsii, is a species of cactus that contains the psychedelic chemical mescaline. It has a distinctively small, green, and globular appearance, growing close to the ground without any spines. These “crowns” or “buttons” are traditionally cut from the root of the peyote plant and dried for ceremonial use.

Native to Mexico and the Southwestern US, peyote has long been a focus of Native American and pre-Colombian ceremonial traditions. Its name derives from the Nahuatl (Aztec) term peyotl and it remains legal for ceremonial use in the US under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Today, it’s also used in other contexts elsewhere, including in meditation and psychotherapy. It also holds the reputation of being the first psychedelic to come to mainstream Western attention—for better or worse. Due to overharvesting and peyote’s slow-growing nature, the cactus is now an endangered species.

In ceremonial use, peyote is typically either chewed to release the active alkaloids or brewed as a tea. The peyote trip is characterized by visual effects (such as enhanced colors and breathing environments), philosophical and introspective insights, and feelings of euphoria.

Experience

Many factors contribute to the peyote experience, including dose, mindset, setting, and method of consumption. With that in mind, each individual journey will be unique to the person, time, and place, and there’s no way to predict exactly what will happen. But, peyote does induce some common experiences and effects that can help you prepare for your journey.

Benefits

In the Native American Church, peyote ceremonies are used to treat a number of psychological, spiritual, and physiological issues. For many, a peyote journey offers deep insight into the self and the universe, giving one a greater sense of connection and spirituality. It’s also known for fostering compassion and gratitude and alleviating psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction.

Peyote has also been shown to help people solve problems, access their creativity, be more environmentally conscious, and improve learning. In its original use, the plant medicine was also used to treat a number of ailments, including snake bites, wounds, skin conditions, and general pain.”

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/peyote/amp/

Symbols Series

Symbols #10: The Lotus Flower

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The lotus flower is a very sacred and ancient symbol of spirituality. It represents spiritual development, enlightenment, and perseverance.

Lotus flowers take root in muddy river beds, yet they flourish and bloom the most beautiful flowers. It’s incredible that something so gorgeous begins life in such a dirty and dark place. However, the deeper and darker the mud, the more radiant the lotus flower will be.

“Just like the lotus, we too have the ability to rise from the mud, bloom out of darkness and radiate into the world.”

Plants Series

Plants #1: House Plants

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Studies have shown indoor house plants can:

-Boost your mood, productivity, concentration and creativity

-Reduce your stress, fatigue, sore throats and colds

-Help clean indoor air by absorbing toxins, increasing humidity & producing oxygen

-Add life to a sterile space, give privacy and reduce noise levels

-Are therapeutic to care for

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Shamanism #4: The Four Earthly Consciousness Kingdoms

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There are four types of earthly consciousness kingdoms – mineral, plant, animal, and human.

Human Kingdom

The human kingdom is the youngest of the four kingdoms. Compared to the other three kingdoms we are still fairly new to this physical realm.

In our infancy we were much more connected to our environment and our spirituality, we had a connection with the other kingdoms, our soul and spirit. We then found science and religion and these two moved us away from our environment and our spirit; we developed ‘tunnel-vision’ on this physical world, and the spirit world was deemed outside of our control and separate from this physical life.

Our awareness is around 85% – 90% in the physical and only around 15% – 10% in the energy/spirit realm.

Animal Kingdom

The Animal Kingdom is the next youngest Kingdom and is very close to us. Some people even consider us a part of the animal kingdom. We are not.

The animal kingdom is very closely related to us, we can connect and relate to animals – pets and domesticated animals. However, animals are much more connected to the energy and spirit realms than we are.

Recently I saw a report of a dog that was able to diagnosis a person with early cancer, long before our medical system could. This demonstrates that the dog was tapping into something that we are not.

Animal awareness is around 70% – 75% in the physical realm and 25% – 30% in the energy/spirit realm.

Plant Kingdom

The plant kingdom is the next oldest and has been around for a lot longer then either the human or animal kingdoms. There were millions of years between when the first plant materialized on mother earth and the first animal materialized. This time gap between the plant and animal kingdoms creates a detachment between the two, and this detachment is even more pronounced with the human kingdom.

Although we view plants as a ‘life-form’ we do not usually see plants as a ‘conscious life-form’. We are somewhat removed from this ‘life-form’. However, a gardener with awarneess will have a different view on how aware plants are.

Plant awarness is around 55% – 60% in the physical realm and 40% – 45% in the energy/spirit realms.

Mineral Kingdom

The mineral kingdom is the elder of the four kingdoms and has been here on mother earth since the very beginning, millions of years before even the first plant materialized. This gap distances us from the mineral kingdom even more.

We generally do not see the stones and crystals as being alive; we see them as just physical objects that are not conscious or with any sign of life connected to them.

The Mineral Kingdom expresses themselves here in the physical with the many wondrous formations that the members of the mineral kingdom creates. However, the awarness (soul) of the mineral kingdom resides more in the spirit realm than here in the physical.

The mineral kingdom is almost the mirror image of the human kingdom – our awareness (soul) is mostly focused on the physical realm and our physical body whereas the mineral kingdom’s awarness (soul) is mostly focused on the spirit realm and not the physical.

With the mineral kingdom almost the opposite of us, we need to expand our awareness in the spirit realm in order to comprehend the consciousness of the mineral kingdom.

Crystals & Stones:

The members of the Mineral Kingdom consists of two forms – Crystals & Stones and there is a difference with the two.

Crystals:

Crystals are much different than stones. Crystals actually grow and growth is a sign of life, much like plants grow, crystals also grow. Crystals are not as dense as stones, they are a lot lighter and more accessible to us.

Stones;

Stones are much denser than crystals. The denser stones requires more effort on our part to connect with them. Connecting with the crystals first gives us some experience working with the mineral kingdom and this experience makes connecting with the stones easier.

Mineral awareness is different for the two forms;

-Crystals are around 20% in the Physical and 80% energy/spirit realm.

-Stones are around 10% in the physical and 90% energy/spirit realms.

Source: http://crystalspiritmedicine.blogspot.com/p/mineral-kingdom.html?m=1

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Adaptogens

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“What are adaptogens?

None of us are immune to the pressures of modern life, whether it be work deadlines, the daily commute or just simply never having enough hours in the day.

The Health & Safety Executive estimate that in 2014/15 stress accounted for 35% of all work related ill health cases and 43% of all working days lost due to ill health.

Our bodies are also regularly exposed to physical and toxic stress too – from household chemicals, pesticides in our foods, pollutants in the air, intensively farmed meats and refined sugar to name but a few.

All this can overwhelm the body’s ability to cope leading to insomnia, tiredness, anxiety, depression and even physical illness.

Thankfully there are some incredible rejuvenating herbs that can help. These are the amazing adaptogens.

So what are adaptogenic herbs?
Well, the clue is their name. They literally help the body to adapt, adjust and recalibrate itself depending on our emotional and physical surroundings. So, for example, they can help calm in times of stress. They can bring peace to a racing mind in the middle of the night. They can give clarity when everything around is in turmoil. They can give energy when we are tired.

The term adaptogen was introduced into scientific literature by Russian toxicologist Nikolay Lazarev in 1957 to refer to ‘substances that increase the state of non-specific resistance’ in stress. Broadly, an adaptogen must have the four ‘Ns

●Nourishing – bring nutritive strength
●Normalising – raise what is low and lower what is high (eg energy, stress)
●Non-specific – act on multiple parts of the body at the same time
●Non-toxic – be completely safe when used over extended periods of time.

So, how do adaptogenic herbs work?
Adaptogens relieve stress by modulating the release of stress hormones from the adrenal glands. As biological response modifiers (BRMs) adaptogens restore the body’s innate immune function and help the body adapt to different stressors. This gives them preventative and protective as well as curative activity in compromised immunity.

By replenishing our deeper immunity and regulating our response to stress, adaptogens replenish the wellspring of health and vitality and are true rejuvenative tonics helping to:

●Improve overall wellbeing
●Increase energy
●Optimise organ function
●Reduce stress response
●Increase inner strength
●Improve blood sugar levels
●Optimise protein synthesis
●Reduce inflammatory cortisol levels
●Improve cholesterol ratios
●Regulate the hormonal balance

We often marvel at the fact that there are plants that can do all, yes, ALL of these things – and there are plenty. Soke examples:

1. Ashwagandha
The perfect herb for the 21st century as it both calms and energises, helping us to adapt to the stresses of everyday living. It’s helpful for assisting deep sleep and calming nervous tension. Its ability to replenish the blood, enhance nutrients and build bone strength make it indispensable in disorders of degeneration and ageing. Its affinity for the adrenal, endocrine and nervous systems point to its use in any imbalances affecting our energy or vitality.

2. Tulsi – Holy Basil
This leafy member of the mint family is known in Hindu mythology as an incarnation of the Goddess Tulsi, offering divine protection. As well as increasing circulation, aiding digestion and helping to protect against seasonal malaise, holy basil is also good for calming busy minds.”

Source: https://www.pukkaherbs.com/uk/en/wellbeing-articles/what-are-adaptogen-herbs.html