The Free Radical

Our topic for this week was Plant Medicine. This is a topic which has been instrumental in a large portion of my writing to date, so I offered three separate posts– each standing on its own, and yet all interrelated.

Here is what I posted in the Mystical Masters Facebook group:

On Plant Medicine Part One

Truthfully, I could write several complete books on plant medicine… but here, in Part One, I’ll just provide some context for Part Two tomorrow, followed the next day by Part Three– which promises to be very up-to-date. But the link I’m providing today is one of the first entries on my blog from 2011… and the story it tells is from nearly 20 years before that!

Some moments are so paradigm-shattering that words cannot evoke the abruptness with which reality can turn itself inside-out. Nevertheless, I keep trying.

A Religious Experience Courtesy of My Friend the Mushroom

On Plant Medicine Part Two

Today I will provide a link to Part 2 of my online novella, What Happened That Day, which tells the story of the day– May 30, 2001– when my very good friend died while we did ayahuasca for the first (and only) time.

I’ve previously shared Part 1 of this story with Mystical Masters, way back when the topic was Vision. This second part deals mostly with the specifics of the ‘plant medicine’ we took that day. This is more about when plant medicine ceases to be plant medicine… and the ensuing invitation to calamity.

What Happened That Day Part 2

On Plant Medicine Part Three

Some may question the wisdom of receiving dietary advice from the Sasquatch People… and that’s why I’ve gone to great lengths to frame this in the proper context: Parts One and Two.

The objective-seeking skeptical mind of the modern scientist has already rejected the context provided– and its validity– as an axiom of scientific inquiry. The subjective states of the scientist are disallowed within the ‘objective’ data stream. Additionally, the spiritual matrix (Nature, context) which creates and contains the medicines considered is similarly disallowed on the basis of its immeasurability, rendering it unverifiable. To the objective skeptical scientist, it is the substance itself– in delusionary isolation– which contains the whole of the healing agent… in the secrets of its chemistry and physical action in biology.

Ahem… bullshit!

Now, before we move on to the latest dietary advice from Bigsquatch, allow me to address an important– but relatively unpublicized– distinction among plant medicines which applies especially to the modern-day shaman. A plant’s natural state is to be grounded– physically, electrically, spiritually. Quite often in modern settings though, many preferred plants, like cannabis for example, are propagated, grown and harvested disconnected from the Earth, as are all potted plants… unless special steps are taken. Ideally, crops should be grown in the actual ground. A potted plant that is in contact with the physical ground, or is electrically grounded through a grounding pad or wire, has free and easy access to a limitless supply of free electrons. The Earth is the ultimate anti-oxidant!

When plant medicines are wild-harvested or cultivated in a grounded state, they help to heal the Spirit… which we share with the planet. When plants are cultivated in an ungrounded state– isolated from the planet– they are highly susceptible to astral influences throughout their ungrounded lives, and their effects tend toward astral/mental manipulations. In order to get at the ROOT of any healing challenge, the plant medicine must be ROOTed within the whole Life-Spirit of the planet. Earth’s own creative intelligence then informs these medicines.

Isolates don’t catalyze integrations.

So my interactions with Bigsquatch overtly began about a year ago. (I’ll post a summary article link at the end.) It took me this long to realize that an eight-foot hairy galoot who’s able to remain officially unverified for this long has to be better integrated into the local environment than I am… than we are– you and me. So why not heed his advice? At least it makes sense to my drug-addled, brain-damaged perspective!

It was several weeks back when we– the dogs and I– first encountered the cut fronds of Maianthemum racemosum neatly laid perpendicular across our trail beside the creek. The plant had first captured my interest two summers previous, when I had noticed its incredibly fragrant flowers… which were followed by very unique-looking berries. I was having a bit of difficulty– for a week already– identifying the culprit when suddenly, one day, the specimens we walked by every day had positively vanished, gone without a trace! So when again, a few weeks ago, we came across the now-identified False Solomon’s Seal cut and neatly arranged across our path, I was intrigued. You again!

It took a few days to remember to refresh my knowledge of Solomon’s impostor. There’s not very much information about the plant, but what was clear was that it was generally considered edible and not at all dangerous. That very day that it was cleared for consumption, I caught the dogs chowing down ferociously on them at the one place we knew they grew… and where someone had previously laid out samples. Toby and Sitka were loving it. I had never seen them so eager for any other forest forage. I nudged them aside and grabbed me some leaves.

They were soft and succulent, and tasted mildly of coffee with a dollop of cream– an interesting but very pleasant taste for a leafy green. It would be a hit in well-crafted salads, or to garnish desserts! Needless to say, I liked it.

Toby stripped a patch of about seven plants down to mere nubs in a matter of a couple of minutes. I had to physically drag Sitka away as she just wanted to keep eating. Anyway, the dogs had definitely gotten the message to “Try these.” They must be in better telepathic rapport with Bigsquatch than I am. Nevertheless, the dogs had convinced me to try it and I certainly concurred with their enthusiastic assessment. My own feeling on the action of the plant is one of cleansing… but in a most delightful way. That’s just my own intuition, so you’ll probably be wise to disregard any such hair-brained notions. But one thing I am certain of is that it sits well in the belly and tap-dances very cleanly on the palate. It is food… er… um…medicine. Whatever.

And I appreciate Bigsquatch’s suggestions. Keep ‘em coming, big guy!
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Coming Clean With Bigsquatch (summary article)