Supplemental info for the "plants as power tools" post

Posts from the past related to shamanism,
ayahuasca, cosmic serpents, and the like.



15 April 2005
"The objective of [the documentary Other Worlds] is to impress upon viewers that these little-known native peoples developed veritable, cognitive technology through their own sciences of the spirit, thousands of years ago. To me, these men {and women} are warriors in the battle to unlock the mysteries of consciousness.

"Shamans consider the greatest ally and the worst enemy of every individual to be one and the same: himself or herself."

From "Excursions to Other Worlds (while one remains on Earth)"


13 March 2005
"In the mid-1800s, a 16th century Aztec statue of Xochipilli was unearthed on the side of the volcano Popocatapetl near Tlamanalco, Mexico. The statue is of a single figure seated upon a temple-like base.

""Both the statue and the base upon which it sits are covered in carvings of sacred and psychoactive flowers including mushrooms (Psilocybe aztecorum), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), morning glory (Turbina corymbosa), sinicuichi (Heimia salicifolia), possibly cacahuaxochitl (Quararibea funebris), and one unidentified flower. The figure itself sits crosslegged on the base, head tilted up, eyes open, jaw tensed, with his mouth half-open. The statue is currently housed in the Museo Nacional de Anthropologia of Mexico."

From "While I poked around for info about the Elohim."


27 February 2005
"Plants have been our protectors, teachers, and healers for time immemorial. If we just take the time to honor them and learn from them, we can stay strong and allow our bodies to do their work..."

From "Who knows and can treat your body better than you?"


7 September 2004
"Shamanism comes in many styles and many traditions. With the advent of the awakening, people of the non-shamanic cultures have discovered that they too hear the voices of the Totemic spirits. Among those of European descent, there are several paths to follow.

"The first is the Way of the Land. It is a path that follows the cultures native to the land. So the non-Native follows Native American practices and usually studies under a Native elder of the same or compatible totem. The shaman adopts native ways and beliefs, and usually is adopted into the tribe of his or her teacher."

From "The Many Dances of Shamanism"


27 March 2004
"In the heart of the Amazon rainforest, Pablo Amaringo, a former vegetalista (Amazonian shaman) discovered painting as a way of expressing his visionary experiences while using the fabled plant medicine, ayahuasca. Inspired by the brew, he developed techniques to teach painting to others, especially children, and established the Usko-Ayar school."


26 December 2003
"The revival of shamanic rituals found a fertile ground, particularly in areas where wealthy plantation owners and multinational corporations displaced peasants from the land. For these poor and desperate people, ayahuasca was a gift that helped them cope with the expansion of the market economy into the frontier.

"As their subsistence society unraveled, so, too, did their sense of sanity and well-being. Consequently, a growing number of mentally ill individuals and uprooted wage-laborers sought out curanderos, who were forced into a new role. In addition to curing the sick and communicating with the spirit world, many witch doctors began using ayahuasca to mediate class conflict. As one Putumayo medicine man told Taussig, 'I have been teaching people revolution through my work with plants.'"

From "Shamanism versus Capitalism"


20 October 2003
"Shamans of the Amazon is a personal account from filmmaker Dean Jefferys, who returned to the Amazon with his partner and one-year-old daughter. They journey deep into the heart of the Ecuadorian rainforest in order to meet two Amazon shamans and learn about and experience the ancient ayahuasca ritual.

"Featuring: Terence Mc Kenna, Rick Strassman, Yatra De Silvera Babosa, Enrique and Raphael, shamans from Ecuador, and Pablo Amaringo from Peru."



16 October 2003
"According to Dogon [Malian tribespeople] mythology, Nommo was the first living being created by Amma, the sky god and creator of the universe.

"He soon multiplied to become six pairs of twins. [This is a metaphor for our original 12-strand DNA. Our present physical DNA contains 2 strands, which hold the genetic codes for our physical evolvement.]

"The Dogon say that their astronomical knowledge was given to them by the Nommo. The Dogon elder, Ogotemelli, describes them variously as having the upper part as a man and the lower portion as snake; or as having a ram's head with serpent body."

I hadn't read from The Cosmic Serpent [by Jeremy Narby] in a week, but because I had gone through Narby's correlations between DNA and its narrative and symbolic presence in Amazonian + Australasian creation myths... Wow!

What's more, in relation to the specific (and pre-scientific) knowledge the Dogon had about the Sirius binary star system: "The Dogons have described perfectly the DNA pattern made by this elliptical orbit created by the two stars as they rotate make around each other. They believe Sirius to be the axis of the universe, and from it all matter and all souls are produced in a great spiral motion."

From "Ah yes... Well, I tried to keep this short."


And finally:
Reality check: Exploring the contours of mind & consciousness through magico-spiritual techniques