Timemapping Spiritual Transformation: Shamanism and Evolutionary Astrology

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The Astral Shaman

Through my interest and passion for shamanism, the celestial language of astrology visited me, like magi from a distant, exotic desertscape. In 2004, I began an almost obsessive relationship with the Mayan culture, their mysterious 2012 end date, and their sacred 260-day count, called the Tzolkin. Simultaneously, I exposed myself to the world of Amazonian shamanism through Jeremy Nearby's groundbreaking book The Cosmic Serpent, which linked the serpentine visions of shamans and their indigenous cosmologies with the structures of DNA.

As the languages of astrology and shamanism penetrated every aspect of my being, I learned that in most cultures, there had never been a separation between shaman and stargazer.  As the cultural mythmaker, the shaman would indeed need to maintain communication with the meaning of the cycles of the stars, in addition to his or her transmissions with astral beings and the ancestral realm.  In my own desire then, to emulate the Mayan shaman-kings and alchemically synthesize the languages of astrology and shamanism, I was drawn early on to the models of Shamanic Astrology and Evolutionary Astrology.  Both perspectives focus on an archetypal, soul-centered approach to understanding the karmic dynamics and evolutionary intent of the soul.

Having made odysseys through Asia, Central America, the Middle East, and Europe, the Amazon and Andes were the last places I felt I needed to travel, those places that seem to beckon our souls forward on their destined paths.  I was curious to understand the potency of my soul's quest in this land as my relocated astrology maps suggested an evolutionary invitation that could radically shift my life-direction.  Would I meet an important teacher?  Would this become my second home?

I knew going down to South America that the Nodes in my chart would be the most amplified points.  On an astronomical level, the two nodes, the south and the north, relate to the points where the moon's path crosses the sun's, forming the biannual eclipses. The South Node represents our soul's history, where traumas, behavioral attachments, but also intrinsic gifts lie.  The opposite point of the North Node is a kind of quest for our soul, inviting us into new experiences, unfamiliar territory that will bring the soul into a more comprehensive understanding of itself and fulfillment of its mission.  Although locations with the nodes can be challenging because the soul's karmic drama is intensified, I often find in my work with clients and my own life that these places seem to seduce us with necessary, integral lessons in our evolutionary paths.

In the six months prior to my departure, I began an intensive study of past life regression therapy, utilizing cathartic psychodrama techniques and the foundational soul-map of evolutionary astrology.  After my intensive workshop in this modality, and before my journey south, I continued my shamanic work with mushrooms and in the winter did two solo ceremonies, my preferred method of working with that medicine.  These journeys were profoundly different than previous mushroom ceremonies in that I took less medicine, but actually went much deeper into my soul, as multiple previous lifetimes appeared, often in very cathartic memories.  The memories were visceral, in the sense of "just knowing" what was happening in this other lifetime context.  I wondered if ayahuasca would reveal more layers of these or other lifetimes, more lessons from the parallel-universe, multidimensional drama of my soul.

I had wanted to explore psychotropic shamanism in the Mayan lands, but discovered in my travels there that the practice of plant medicine, though common to the ancient Maya, was rarely practiced anywhere with contemporary Mayan shamans.  The widespread, traditional use of plant ingestion in the Amazon, however, and the subsequent cosmologies developed from the symbiotic relationships with plants, inspired me to visit the jungles.  Though I had journeyed five times with ayahuasca, I postponed working with the Grandmother Vine of the Spirits for about eighteen months prior to this trip to the Amazon.  I was ready at last to experience "real shamanism," with the vine in its home.  I wanted it to be as pure as it could be.

 

Journey into the Past

In April of 2009, I joined my visionary artist friends from the West Coast during their 4th annual retreat in the jungle outside of Iquitos.  We would do four ceremonies every other day over the course of ten days, with two different shamans. Due to my intuitions about the culture and history of South America, as well as my astrolocality maps in the region, I thought I was embarking on what would become an annual trip.

As an astrologer, I am always very sensitive to timing and I knew that the ceremonies were occurring during the sun's transit through Aries.  Since my South Node is in Aries, I was well aware that the sun's transit over this position could reveal stuck patterns in my soul and illuminate wounded or traumatic lifetimes.  I was ready to confront these issues and move forward.  On a physical level, I sought to heal my problems with digestion, and hopefully find their source.

There were about ten of us participating in the retreat, including visionary painter David Amaringo, nephew of the famous Amazonian curandero/artist Pablo Amaringo.  The retreat had an integral focus, allowing much time for creatively channeling the visions, as well as yoga/movement journeys, and my own sharing of astrological wisdom through workshop and readings to my retreat friends.  However, these highlighted aspects of the ten days were at times overshadowed by some rather shocking experiences.

 

Reach Out and Touch Someone

Gathered in the dark maloca, or ceremonial hut, we began our second ceremony, led by our visiting shaman from Pucallpa, the deep jungle region of the Shipibo natives.  I was surprised by the deep pockets of uncomfortable silence the shaman allowed us to expose our vulnerable psyches to throughout each ceremony he led.  As the "cosmic serpent" slithered her underworld intensity through my intestines, I prayed that the anxious irritation in my stomach was simply the Grandmother working her magic.

Finally, after a few healing songs, or icaros, and an exponential amount of soul clenching silence, I lifted my head to the shaman's speaking voice.  Was I really seeing and hearing what I thought I was? No, It must be a hallucination.  Is that a cell phone?  Is he on his cell phone in the middle of an Ayahuasca ceremony?!

In one sense, I wasn't surprised; he had been on the cell phone quite a lot throughout the week.  But really?  Not a westerner, but the shaman on his cell phone.   My ears could only translate the "Como estas?"  and the occasional "si" and "bueno," though my psychedelically drenched senses seemed to be bombarded by the incessant chatter.

At this point, I was grateful for my Gemini rising, which could access the trickster archetype and just laugh internally at what I was not only witnessing, but actively exposing my naked consciousness to.  I shook my head in disbelief and just muttered, "Classic." 

I also felt grateful for the amount of my own shamanic work I had done, and the confidence I gained traversing altered states.  Yet, I wondered about the others in the group, how this would affect their journeys, and why we should all have to undergo such anxiety in the middle of a supposedly "healing" journey.  The fact that cell phones could even work, of all places, in the Amazon jungle blew me away, almost as much as the man with the Bluetooth traipsing through Machu Picchu just a week before.

We found out the next day from our translator that the shaman had called his brother, another curandero, during the ceremony.  They like to contact each other when they do ceremonies to check in and see how it's going.  When I heard this I had to brace my fiery Aries reactivity and yes, warrior ferocity. I thought, "You know, I may be fantasizing about the shamanic archetype, but shouldn't shamans in the Amazon be able to telepathically tap in to their family members while infused with vast quantities of a plant medicine which was originally named "Telepathogen" by early ethnobotanists?  I would think that a healer would have a certain sensitivity towards utilizing an intrusive technological device in such a sacred environment.

As the "retreat" progressed, I watched the very challenging Venus retrograde cycle in action, as confusions over money and the purchase of appropriate food for ceremonies brought tensions between the retreat facilitators, the group members, and the owners of the guesthouse where we were staying.  Though peace was relatively maintained, social friction did occur, typical of Venus retrograde.  I had foreseen some issues with this, but had not known how it would play out.  I learned an important lesson cautioning me toward how best to use future Venus retrogrades, and kept thinking how many other group oriented events would benefit from the foreknowledge of this kind of transit.

In the third ceremony, I was introduced to a vision of my higher self, a more luminous mirror.  I descended into my perception, folding outwardly my hand from the heart chakra, as if offering me something.  I seemed to say to me, "The gift is the open hand itself, the spectral potential in all experience. All will become how you choose to perceive it."  This offering echoed the wise words of the Buddha — that the world arises with our thoughts.

Visions of the transfigured Christ as well as various power animals propelled my consciousness and my stomach into deeper wormholes until the urge to purge became intolerable. As I euphemistically "got well," I began to choke.  For a few eternal moments, I could not breathe…again.  Immediately, I flashed back to being seventeen, when my lung collapsed.  During that excruciating experience, I suffered a stabbing pain in my chest and could not catch my breath for hours, before getting to a hospital. 

In my early studies of shamanism, especially Mircea Eliade"s book Shamanism, I realized how similar this experience was to a traditional shamanic initiation.  In an indigenous culture, I may have been singled out as someone to fulfill the shamanic role.  The metaphor of breath was important to this, as was revealed by my Mayan day sign, Ik signifying the wind and the communicator of Spirit, and my persona in the world as a Gemini rising, the messenger.  Much of my wounding and healing in this lifetime would center around in-spiration — how Spirit was channeled through my messages and communication.

As I choked in the ceremony, I suffered an intense terror.  I reached out towards the shaman, but in the darkness or for some other reason, he did not see me or come to my aid.  Once again, I had to heal and guide myself through the underworld.  I told myself to relax.  Just allow the breath to come.  In these moments, I did not only travel back into my traumatic teenage initiation.  I went further.  In just a brief flash, I knew, viscerally, that I had choked before, in another time, another body.  I had extended my arm in exactly the same gesture, and no one had come to help.  I could not see the details, only that I had been young in that life, desperate to live on, dying with the thought that I had so much left to accomplish. (But what happened in this life? — quickly give us some specifics — when, where, what happened — images.)  I awakened to how that dying thought translated to my sense of urgency and pressure to achieve and create in this life.  The familiar themes of the Aries South Node echoed with the recognition of an early death, an incomplete initiation, a will to achieve so much more.

 

The Bardo Between Vision and Meaning

Entering the fourth ceremony, I took a cue from Terence McKenna and asked ayahuasca to please send me a vision of the future, with a message I could share with others.   As this journey began, I did briefly see a vision of the White House, which quickly shifted to a vision of an angelic figure with a sword, like Archangel Michael or the Buddhist Manjushri, except this angel was in fact an alien wielding the flaming Sword of Truth.  I was then immediately shown a series of alien, robotic, and human beings running ferociously toward an object.  I could not perceive what this object was, but I was struck by the dire urgency in the movement and the fact that the movement was toward something.  Perhaps this was McKenna's visions of the Eschaton, the magnetic, singular point-of-no-return.  Perhaps it symbolized a galvanized concrescence of intelligent, aware species — Man, Machine, E.T., Extradimensional, the Dead — all co-existing on the earth plane in some kind of apocalyptic desperation at the acceleration of cosmic self-reflectivity.

As the vision subsided, I felt an incredible loss, a disillusionment at the desire for "vision."  In overwhelming confusion, hesitant to project meaning without feeling I had received it, I felt myself as a hedonistic Westerner seeking to consume visions in the Amazon, when in actuality, I wasn't seeking visions at all; I was seeking meaning. 

I simultaneously witnessed two sides of the mirror-blade. In one, I watched that South Node in Aries impatiently demanding understanding, wanting to know what everything means RIGHT NOW! On the other hand, I also acknowledged the Western or industrialized mind's longing for an authentic religious experience, unmediated, connected with the invisible landscape of the sacred.  The shaman on the cell phone who tosses his plastic water bottle over the side of the boat into the Amazon river had lifted the veil of my rose-colored projections.

Also, during the ceremonies, I occasionally reflected on the shamanic potency of my friends and communities in the United States and how powerful of a collective ceremony we could all hold for each other, without the intense resource and emotional investment of the excursion across the world.

Yes, I had exoticized the "shaman archetype," the "authentic Amazonian ayahuasca experience."  I had also been taken advantage of in Cusco just two weeks before, when I sought out a journey with the San Pedro cactus.  I had to come to terms, after ingesting the medicine, that I had been given something akin to a placebo, a very weak dose of the medicine, from someone I trusted.  Over the rest of the day, I went off into the mountains alone and chanted mantras to calm myself.  Perhaps I had been too eager, too full of Aries passion to discover a sense of home with these medicines, these "guides," the land itself.

As I examined my desire for meaning, I thought of Timothy Leary's statements about the importance of set and setting in achieving a healthy psychedelic experience.  I realized that this was why I like to do ceremonies alone,  because I could control the environment in order to create a safe space, where meaningful information could be received.  Without a secure container, one's anxiety would override the potential awakening through a particular medicine.  The mushroom spirit taught me this in spades one year at Burning Man. I had ingested mushrooms with my girlfriend.  It was our year anniversary but we had been on rocky territory. The mushrooms began to climax, and the port-o-potty revelations came spilling through.  The mushroom spirit overwhelmed my visionscape with resplendent, mythical images of gods and exotic, seductive space-times, but I could not concentrate on the visions and receive their medicine, with the intensity of the loud music bombarding me, and the need to go navigate the playa, and my relationship, with my girlfriend.  We separated from each other within minutes and did not find each other again until early morning. Again, the issues of being a loner and of being in control of situations where I had to defend or exile myself — those Aries past lives — came screaming through.  And so did the ruler of that south node, Mars.  My Mars position in Leo echoed some of the same issues of needing to be in power and controlling my space. 

Past life dynamics offer us perspectives into patterned behavior.  Some of these behaviors can be beneficial and used to teach or gift others, while some can be detrimental to our souls' advancement, as we often unconsciously invite in the same situations that harmed us elsewhere.

So maybe I was playing out negative karma from once being a conquistador or doing some other harm in South America?  I could not tell.  But I was also watching the transit of the volatile, shock-giver Uranus over everywhere I had travelled on my journey.  And it would continue to follow me if I ventured onwards into Bolivia to work with animals.  My experiences in the jungle, in the crazed marketplaces and noise of Cusco, in the diverse and darker agendas surrounding ayahuasca tourism, in the inability to have a real, heart-centered conversation with a local at Machu Picchu — all made me realize that I was not prepared to handle more extreme energy.  I was compelled to call the airlines and change my flight.  I had only three days to do this, and it was a lot harder than one might think.  I had to speak in Spanish across phone lines that kept collapsing halfway through the conversation.  It seemed to be another "emergency" situation, where I had "to be saved.While this was happening, I was furtively trying to connect with a friend of our retreat facilitators, who lived in Florida.  Would I stop to see her and do rebirthing work with her?  Would that help reveal more layers of the soul-drama?

 

The Middle Way

I remember when I returned from India many years ago, and was asked, "How was India?"  How can one possibly honestly answer this question without making an unfair judgment? The same can be said for ayahuasca.  There are so many different kinds of retreats, centers, individual experiences, shamans, participants, motivations that can be factored in to the quality of one's experience.  This also includes one's astrological transits at the time of travel, as well as the energies over that area at that time.

Given this, and though my energy and tolerance were low, I sought to have a different experience with the medicine of the jungle before I left.  After I finally changed my flight and decided to stopover in Florida, I returned to the Amazon for an opportunity to work with the Temple of Light, which included four Shipibo grandmothers and one Elder male shaman.  I would stay for just a few days at the beginning of their twelve-day ceremony, joining many Europeans. I sat out the first ceremony, feeling exhausted and sick, and spent the first two days there questioning my decision to return. What was I learning in all this mosquito-infested madness? 

During the next ceremony, which would be my only one at the Temple, the grandmothers wove an incredible tapestry of healing icaros, constant, and at times chaotic.  It almost reversed the empty space of the other ceremonies with a paradoxical, angelic cacophony, especially as a very seasoned ayahuasca journeyer began to make a lot of noise.

This woman, who was just a few mats down from me, was inappropriately, sexually moaning and groaning, and even asked another journey participant multiple times to get her water in a very loud voice.  There was an obvious vampiric energy running through her.  It was beyond challenging to maintain a center through this as my own experience was invaded by this energy.  Again, feeling traumatized, I walked to the bathroom to relieve myself, and suffered another horrendous choking.  My stomach was purging from both ends and there was no help in sight.  In a state of severe shock, I had to calm myself down again.

After the underworld rebirth emergence from the toilet, I walked outside of the maloca and sat half-lotus under a tree, staring at the overwhelming majesty of the stars.  I could still hear the moaner, but at least I had some distance.

I reflected on how the choking had happened twice.  Just like my lungs: I had collapsed both of them.  Without a doubt, under ayahuasca my ability to perceive symbolic messaging remained acute. 

With my prayer beads, I sent mantras to the Medicine Buddha, the Buddha of healing which all Tibetan doctors pray to before seeing patients.  As I did this, I could feel a more gentle kundalini slithering up my spine, my consciousness spirally orbiting up each chakra.  For a few precious moments, I felt the Buddha's energy, a soft, compassionate hand come to my shoulders, affirming that it was going to be alright, to just maintain equanimity, neutral mind, open heart.  In this moment, crystalline clarity vibrated through me, the minimalist tones of simple epiphany.

My soul's history was ripe. It had been pulsating all around me throughout my entire trip.  I saw that all my travels around the world until that point had been, on certain levels, extensions of the refugee archetype, so elegantly described in my South Node in the 11th house.  I had been playing out soul dramas, stories of exile into extreme situations for my beliefs, or escape from my tribe so that I could at last express my own creativity.  In this lifetime, I thought of my group shamanic experiences in the Amazon, once with Santo Daime, with peyote, and my church experiences growing up Catholic — I realized that each one had triggered an intense desire to leave the limited container of the belief system and the structure of the tradition and group-mind to forge my own Gnostic relationship with the Divine.  

In this lifetime and others, my soul had learned to guide myself, to navigate the under and upperworlds with just my sense of faith that I would be protected.  Sitting there under the singing stars and gigantic jungle trees, I realized I no longer needed to prove my ability to survive through uncomfortable situations. I actually needed to root down and ground out, in order to listen to the most harmonious path, and simply play along.  This ability to co-operate with Spirit in a co-creative way, as opposed to force my version of what reality should be, is represented by Libra. Opposite to Aries, Libra is the scales, the balancer, mediator, and deep listener of the zodiac.  As the sign of my North Node, Libra represents the experiences my soul is seeking to feed upon and integrate in this lifetime.  In that moment of clarity amidst the maloca madness, I honored the parts of myself that had recognized this  soul-need for years — what we might call the Virgo parts.  These are the humbling forces in us, the ones that compel us towards simplicity and daily practice, not just the extreme ecstasy of the Piscean peak state.

In those moments outside the maloca, I understood that to become a master, I could not continue to thrust myself into situations of such an extreme nature.   What I sought to master over the course of my lifetime were the realms of music, astrology, and chi kung.  All of these arts require an attention to balance and intention to harmonize.

During one of the journeys in my 10-day retreat, I had began sketching the backstory for my fictional memoir of a past life character who had been persecuted for the emergence of his creative process, specifically his writing.  Simultaneous to this character emerging in my consciousness was the appearance of the outline for my astrological book due out hopefully in 2011.  I realized that this would not be an annual trip. My work would be different than anticipated. The medicine had spoken in a tongue I had not expected to hear, but in a voice I could not ignore.

The first act of deep listening with my soul was to listen to the message of the medicine, even though it told me something very differently than what I had expected.  It said to go home and "plant" myself.  To do the hard work of writing a book, a long-time ambition of mine.  The medicine said that I must begin to think in linear terms, a challenge of mine, but a necessary one to become a translator of cosmic information intended to teach and heal others. 

 

Timemapping Spiritual Transformations

Plant medicines all have a somewhat trickster nature.  We as humans have for so long been entranced, bewildered, and frightened of the loss of control once we enter the mysterious rabbit hole of plant consciousness.  As we begin to build relationships with different plant entities and chemical doorways, we discover that different medicines will offer us surprisingly varied experiences, even, as with ayahuasca, a very unique journey each time.

Since beginning to study the patterns in the planets, I have been cultivating a linguistics in which we can timemap our transformational journeys.  For instance, I began to experiment during my Amazonian retreat with noticing the relationship between the house position of the Moon in a given night and the overarching thematics present in one's journey.  Since the moon moves so rapidly, she represents the contents of our shifting moods, and emotional energies.  I noticed very revealing correlations which could also be used in helping to specify our intentions for certain ceremonies.  This has led to a whole section of my book where I explore techniques for timing spiritual transformations and shamanic ceremonies.  My goal with utilizing an astrological map of ceremonial territory is to help clients and students of astrology understand that there are indeed more aligned moments in time, as well as more appropriate places on earth to do the shamanic, healing work one intends.

 

The World Arises with our Thoughts

Astrology, like travel, is an appreciation for the cosmic symphony of synchronicity. The meaning of one's life can be found in the studying of one's life and its "meaningful coincidences" as Carl Jung called them.  Co-inside-dance.  For me, synchronicity is the dance of impermanence in the perception of interdependence. With both astrology and travel, we often fit the puzzle pieces of our life together and form reflective mirrors of luminous wisdom to help enhance our self-awareness, accelerate our personal growth, and inspire our appropriate contributions to planetary evolution.

In honoring synchronicity, it is important that we language our experiences in humble gratitude, while recognizing the truth of a situation. Perhaps in my trip to Peru, I had to exorcise the shadows of my Aries nature, to prove to myself that the power and meaning I had sought in a physical place, the Amazon and Andes, and through a curandero or shaman, was already existent within me.  I also, like many westerners, had fallen into a trap of projection, a common psychological placebo that if I went to the Amazon, then I would find real shamanism.

Indeed, I found the parts of my soul that needed to find me, and so instead of finding "shamanism," I found true healing.  If my experiences in Peru and with ayahuasca did not occur with their extreme nature, it may not have driven me home early and awoken me to the next stage of my work. Within two days after being in South America, and just one week post-Amazon, I found myself in Ft. Lauderdale, for a six-day intensive rebirthing seminar with Rebirthing co-founder Sondra Ray. Here, on my planetary line of inspiration, teaching, and expansion, Jupiter, I learned from a powerful teacher; I gained insights into the patterns present from my birth trauma, and my areas of core wounding and personal lies became quite clear.  My rebirthing workshop and wisdom received the focus to create the book I am currently working on, new relationships formed, etc., all would not have occurred if I had not left when I did.  This is the humility we discover in reflection, review, and in the appreciation of synchronicity's angels.

And in the end, looking back, it was all perfect.  I have now begun really trying to evaluate experiences from a death-bed perspective. If I was to look back, in my dying moments, reflecting upon my experiences occurring now, how would I advise myself to act and what would I want to change?  I am certain that I would advise myself to both trust my intuition and listen to the wisdom of the celestial language.  Just like the vision of my higher self in ceremony, I would counsel me that through all of it, to accept what is, recognize its perfection, its necessity, its interdependence.  And in embracing the fullness of the now as it is, to integrate the lessons learned to help liberate all sentient beings from suffering.

For astrological guidance and relocational coaching, please visit VerDarLuz at astralshaman.com

Image by El coleccionista de instantes, courtesy of Creative Commons license.  

 

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Ever wonder how to make DMT? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how DMT is made.

Having Sex on DMT: What You Need to Know
Have you ever wondered about sex on DMT? Learn how the God Molecule can influence your intimate experiences.

Does the Human Brain Make DMT? 
With scientific evidence showing us DMT in the brain, what can we conclude it is there for? Read on to learn more.

How to Use DMT Vape Pens
Read to learn all about DMT vape pens including: what to know when vaping, what to expect when purchasing a DMT cartridge, and vaping safely.

DMT Resources
This article is a comprehensive DMT resource providing extensive information from studies, books, documentaries, and more. Check it out!

Differentiating DMT and Near-Death Experiences
Some say there are similarities between a DMT trip and death. Read our guide on differentiating DMT and near-death experiences to find out.

DMT Research from 1956 to the Edge of Time
From a representative sample of a suitably psychedelic crowd, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t tell you all about Albert Hofmann’s enchanted bicycle ride after swallowing what turned out to be a massive dose of LSD. Far fewer, however, could tell you much about the world’s first DMT trip.

The Ultimate Guide to DMT Pricing
Check out our ultimate guide on DMT pricing to learn what to expect when purchasing DMT for your first time.

DMT Milking | Reality Sandwich
Indigenous cultures have used 5-MeO-DMT for centuries. With the surge in demand for psychedelic toad milk, is DMT Milking harming the frogs?

Why Does DMT Pervade Nature?
With the presence of DMT in nature everywhere – including human brains – why does it continue to baffle science?

DMT Substance Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to DMT has everything you want to know about this powerful psychedelic referred to as “the spirit molecule”.

DMT for Depression: Paving the Way for New Medicine
We’ve been waiting for an effective depression treatment. Studies show DMT for depression works even for treatment resistant patients.

Beating Addiction with DMT
Psychedelics have been studied for their help overcoming addiction. Read how DMT is helping addicts beat their substance abuse issues.

DMT Extraction: Behind the Scientific Process
Take a look at DMT extraction and the scientific process involved. Learn all you need to know including procedures and safety.

Microdosing DMT & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing DMT.

DMT Art: A Look Behind Visionary Creations
An entire genre of artwork is inspired by psychedelic trips with DMT. Read to learn about the entities and visions behind DMT art.

Changa vs. DMT: What You Need to Know
While similar (changa contains DMT), each drug has its own unique effect and feeling. Let’s compare and contrast changa vs DMT.

5-MeO-DMT Guide: Effects, Benefits, Safety, and Legality
5-Meo-DMT comes from the Sonora Desert toad. Here is everything you want to know about 5-Meo-DMT and how it compares to 4-AcO-DMT.

4-AcO-DMT Guide: Benefits, Effects, Safety, and Legality
This guide tells you everything about 4 AcO DMT & 5 MeO DMT, that belong to the tryptamine class, and are similar but slightly different to DMT.

How Much Does LSD Cost? When shopping around for that magical psychedelic substance, there can be many uncertainties when new to buying LSD. You may be wondering how much does LSD cost? In this article, we will discuss what to expect when purchasing LSD on the black market, what forms LSD is sold in, and the standard breakdown of buying LSD in quantity.   Navy Use of LSD on the Dark Web The dark web is increasingly popular for purchasing illegal substances. The US Navy has now noticed this trend with their staff. Read to learn more.   Having Sex on LSD: What You Need to Know Can you have sex on LSD? Read our guide to learn everything about sex on acid, from lowered inhibitions to LSD users quotes on sex while tripping.   A Drug That Switches off an LSD Trip A pharmaceutical company is developing an “off-switch” drug for an LSD trip, in the case that a bad trip can happen. Some would say there is no such thing.   Queen of Hearts: An Interview with Liz Elliot on Tim Leary and LSD The history of psychedelia, particularly the British experience, has been almost totally written by men. Of the women involved, especially those who were in the thick of it, little has been written either by or about them. A notable exception is Liz Elliot.   LSD Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety LSD, Lysergic acid diethylamide, or just acid is one of the most important psychedelics ever discovered. What did history teach us?   Microdosing LSD & Common Dosage Explained Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing LSD.   LSD Resources Curious to learn more about LSD? This guide includes comprehensive LSD resources containing books, studies and more.   LSD as a Spiritual Aid There is common consent that the evolution of mankind is paralleled by the increase and expansion of consciousness. From the described process of how consciousness originates and develops, it becomes evident that its growth depends on its faculty of perception. Therefore every means of improving this faculty should be used.   Legendary LSD Blotter Art: A Hidden Craftsmanship Have you ever heard of LSD blotter art? Explore the trippy world of LSD art and some of the top artists of LSD blotter art.   LSD and Exercise: Does it Work? LSD and exercise? Learn why high-performing athletes are taking hits of LSD to improve their overall potential.   Jan Bastiaans Treated Holocaust Survivors with LSD Dutch psychiatrist, Jan Bastiaans administered LSD-assisted therapy to survivors of the Holocaust. A true war hero and pioneer of psychedelic-therapy.   LSD and Spiritual Awakening I give thanks for LSD, which provided the opening that led me to India in 1971 and brought me to Neem Karoli Baba, known as Maharajji. Maharajji is described by the Indians as a “knower of hearts.”   How LSD is Made: Everything You Need to Know Ever wonder how to make LSD? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how LSD is made.   How to Store LSD: Best Practices Learn the best way to store LSD, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long LSD lasts when stored.   Bicycle Day: The Discovery of LSD Every year on April 19th, psychonauts join forces to celebrate Bicycle Day. Learn about the famous day when Albert Hoffman first discovered the effects of LSD.   Cary Grant: A Hollywood Legend On LSD Cary Grant was a famous actor during the 1930’s-60’s But did you know Grant experimented with LSD? Read our guide to learn more.   Albert Hofmann: LSD — My Problem Child Learn about Albert Hofmann and his discovery of LSD, along with the story of Bicycle Day and why it marks a historic milestone.   Babies are High: What Does LSD Do To Your Brain What do LSD and babies have in common? Researchers at the Imperial College in London discover that an adult’s brain on LSD looks like a baby’s brain.   1P LSD: Effects, Benefits, Safety Explained 1P LSD is an analogue of LSD and homologue of ALD-25. Here is everything you want to know about 1P LSD and how it compares to LSD.   Francis Crick, DNA & LSD Type ‘Francis Crick LSD’ into Google, and the result will be 30,000 links. Many sites claim that Crick (one of the two men responsible for discovering the structure of DNA), was either under the influence of LSD at the time of his revelation or used the drug to help with his thought processes during his research. Is this true?   What Happens If You Overdose on LSD? A recent article presented three individuals who overdosed on LSD. Though the experience was unpleasant, the outcomes were remarkably positive.

The Ayahuasca Experience
Ayahuasca is both a medicine and a visionary aid. You can employ ayahuasca for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual repair, and you can engage with the power of ayahuasca for deeper insight and realization. If you consider attainment of knowledge in the broadest perspective, you can say that at all times, ayahuasca heals.

 

Trippy Talk: Meet Ayahuasca with Sitaramaya Sita and PlantTeachers
Sitaramaya Sita is a spiritual herbalist, pusangera, and plant wisdom practitioner formally trained in the Shipibo ayahuasca tradition.

 

The Therapeutic Value of Ayahuasca
My best description of the impact of ayahuasca is that it’s a rocket boost to psychospiritual growth and unfolding, my professional specialty during my thirty-five years of private practice.

 

Microdosing Ayahuasca: Common Dosage Explained
What is ayahuasca made of and what is considered a microdose? Explore insights with an experienced Peruvian brewmaster and learn more about this practice.

 

Ayahuasca Makes Neuron Babies in Your Brain
Researchers from Beckley/Sant Pau Research Program have shared the latest findings in their study on the effects of ayahuasca on neurogenesis.

 

The Fatimiya Sufi Order and Ayahuasca
In this interview, the founder of the Fatimiya Sufi Order,  N. Wahid Azal, discusses the history and uses of plant medicines in Islamic and pre-Islamic mystery schools.

 

Consideration Ayahuasca for Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Research indicates that ayahuasca mimics mechanisms of currently accepted treatments for PTSD. In order to understand the implications of ayahuasca treatment, we need to understand how PTSD develops.

 

Brainwaves on Ayahuasca: A Waking Dream State
In a study researchers shared discoveries showing ingredients found in Ayahuasca impact the brainwaves causing a “waking dream” state.

 

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a pro cannabis Peruvian Shaman.

 

Ayahuasca Retreat 101: Everything You Need to Know to Brave the Brew
Ayahuasca has been known to be a powerful medicinal substance for millennia. However, until recently, it was only found in the jungle. Word of its deeply healing and cleansing properties has begun to spread across the world as many modern, Western individuals are seeking spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being. More ayahuasca retreat centers are emerging in the Amazon and worldwide to meet the demand.

 

Ayahuasca Helps with Grief
A new study published in psychopharmacology found that ayahuasca helped those suffering from the loss of a loved one up to a year after treatment.

 

Ayahuasca Benefits: Clinical Improvements for Six Months
Ayahuasca benefits can last six months according to studies. Read here to learn about the clinical improvements from drinking the brew.

 

Ayahuasca Culture: Indigenous, Western, And The Future
Ayahuasca has been use for generations in the Amazon. With the rise of retreats and the brew leaving the rainforest how is ayahuasca culture changing?

 

Ayahuasca Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
The Amazonian brew, Ayahuasca has a long history and wide use. Read our guide to learn all about the tea from its beginnings up to modern-day interest.

 

Ayahuasca and the Godhead: An Interview with Wahid Azal of the Fatimiya Sufi Order
Wahid Azal, a Sufi mystic of The Fatimiya Sufi Order and an Islamic scholar, talks about entheogens, Sufism, mythology, and metaphysics.

 

Ayahuasca and the Feminine: Women’s Roles, Healing, Retreats, and More
Ayahuasca is lovingly called “grandmother” or “mother” by many. Just how feminine is the brew? Read to learn all about women and ayahuasca.

What Is the Standard of Care for Ketamine Treatments?
Ketamine therapy is on the rise in light of its powerful results for treatment-resistant depression. But, what is the current standard of care for ketamine? Read to find out.

What Is Dissociation and How Does Ketamine Create It?
Dissociation can take on multiple forms. So, what is dissociation like and how does ketamine create it? Read to find out.

Having Sex on Ketamine: Getting Physical on a Dissociative
Curious about what it could feel like to have sex on a dissociate? Find out all the answers in our guide to sex on ketamine.

Special K: The Party Drug
Special K refers to Ketamine when used recreationally. Learn the trends as well as safety information around this substance.

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

Ketamine vs. Esketamine: 3 Important Differences Explained
Ketamine and esketamine are used to treat depression. But what’s the difference between them? Read to learn which one is right for you: ketamine vs. esketamine.

Guide to Ketamine Treatments: Understanding the New Approach
Ketamine is becoming more popular as more people are seeing its benefits. Is ketamine a fit? Read our guide for all you need to know about ketamine treatments.

Ketamine Treatment for Eating Disorders
Ketamine is becoming a promising treatment for various mental health conditions. Read to learn how individuals can use ketamine treatment for eating disorders.

Ketamine Resources, Studies, and Trusted Information
Curious to learn more about ketamine? This guide includes comprehensive ketamine resources containing books, studies and more.

Ketamine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to ketamine has everything you need to know about this “dissociative anesthetic” and how it is being studied for depression treatment.

Ketamine for Depression: A Mental Health Breakthrough
While antidepressants work for some, many others find no relief. Read to learn about the therapeutic uses of ketamine for depression.

Ketamine for Addiction: Treatments Offering Hope
New treatments are offering hope to individuals suffering from addiction diseases. Read to learn how ketamine for addiction is providing breakthrough results.

Microdosing Ketamine & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing ketamine.

How to Ease a Ketamine Comedown
Knowing what to expect when you come down from ketamine can help integrate the experience to gain as much value as possible.

How to Store Ketamine: Best Practices
Learn the best ways how to store ketamine, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long ketamine lasts when stored.

How To Buy Ketamine: Is There Legal Ketamine Online?
Learn exactly where it’s legal to buy ketamine, and if it’s possible to purchase legal ketamine on the internet.

How Long Does Ketamine Stay in Your System?
How long does ketamine stay in your system? Are there lasting effects on your body? Read to discover the answers!

How Ketamine is Made: Everything You Need to Know
Ever wonder how to make Ketamine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how Ketamine is made.

Colorado on Ketamine: First Responders Waiver Programs
Fallout continues after Elijah McClain. Despite opposing recommendations from some city council, Colorado State Health panel recommends the continued use of ketamine by medics for those demonstrating “excited delirium” or “extreme agitation”.

Types of Ketamine: Learn the Differences & Uses for Each
Learn about the different types of ketamine and what they are used for—and what type might be right for you. Read now to find out!

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

MDMA & Ecstasy Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to MDMA has everything you want to know about Ecstasy from how it was developed in 1912 to why it’s being studied today.

How To Get the Most out of Taking MDMA as a Couple
Taking MDMA as a couple can lead to exciting experiences. Read here to learn how to get the most of of this love drug in your relationship.

Common MDMA Dosage & Microdosing Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing MDMA.

Having Sex on MDMA: What You Need to Know
MDMA is known as the love drug… Read our guide to learn all about sex on MDMA and why it is beginning to makes its way into couple’s therapy.

How MDMA is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make MDMA? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how MDMA is made.

Hippie Flipping: When Shrooms and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Explore the mechanics of hippie flipping and how to safely experiment.

How Cocaine is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make cocaine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how cocaine is made.

A Christmas Sweater with Santa and Cocaine
This week, Walmart came under fire for a “Let it Snow” Christmas sweater depicting Santa with lines of cocaine. Columbia is not merry about it.

Ultimate Cocaine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
This guide covers what you need to know about Cocaine, including common effects and uses, legality, safety precautions and top trends today.

NEWS: An FDA-Approved Cocaine Nasal Spray
The FDA approved a cocaine nasal spray called Numbrino, which has raised suspicions that the pharmaceutical company, Lannett Company Inc., paid off the FDA..

The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis Bioavailability
What is bioavailability and how can it affect the overall efficacy of a psychedelic substance? Read to learn more.

Cannabis Research Explains Sociability Behaviors
New research by Dr. Giovanni Marsicano shows social behavioral changes occur as a result of less energy available to the neurons. Read here to learn more.

The Cannabis Shaman
If recreational and medical use of marijuana is becoming accepted, can the spiritual use as well? Experiential journalist Rak Razam interviews Hamilton Souther, founder of the 420 Cannabis Shamanism movement…

Cannabis Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to Cannabis has everything you want to know about this popular substances that has psychedelic properties.

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a procannabis Peruvian Shaman.

CBD-Rich Cannabis Versus Single-Molecule CBD
A ground-breaking study has documented the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant Cannabis extract as compared to synthetic cannabidiol (CBD), challenging the medical-industrial complex’s notion that “crude” botanical preparations are less effective than single-molecule compounds.

Cannabis Has Always Been a Medicine
Modern science has already confirmed the efficacy of cannabis for most uses described in the ancient medical texts, but prohibitionists still claim that medical cannabis is “just a ruse.”

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