.: Amanita Muscaria :.
Species: Amanita muscaria "Fly Agaric" "Toadstool"
Secured: Late Summer of 2019/2020, Taos Mountains, N.M.
Parts Used: Caps, Harvested Ethically to Ensure Repopulation
Active Constituents: Ibotenic Acid, Muscimol. Non-Active; Muscazole, Muscazone
Nutrition: Silica, Dimethylsulfoxide "Organic Sulfur"
Extraction Methods: Soxhlet, Several Alchemically Disciplined Menstruums to Extract and Concentrate the Sulfur, ENS Method, Spirit of Wine, Isolate of Alkaloid
Correspondences: Solar, Lunar, Earth
Highlights: Awareness of the Unconscious Mind, Shadow Work, Magick, Lucid Dreams, Dream Work, Manifestation, Bliss State, Electricity/Lightning as a connection with Above and Below, Intuition, Calmness, Restful Sleep, Vision Quests, Animal Work and Communication/Understanding, Hypnotic/Trance States, Invocation of Deities (Mental Aspects), Trees, Enlightenment/Remembrance/Awareness of The Self, Soma, Yggdrasil
Pharmacological Activities:
- Acts as a GABA Agonist/Increases GABA Activity
- Stimulates the Hippocampus
- Relieves Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Helps With PTSD
- Calms Central Nervous System/Brain Neurons
- Relieves Muscle/Physical Pain and Discomfort
- Sleep Issues/Restlessness
- Counteracts Hyperarousal
- Can Lower High Blood Pressure
- Increases Acetylcholine Release
Spiritual Activities:
- Vivid/Lucid Dreams
- Visions
- Presence While Processing and Healing Mental/Emotional States
- Pattern/Habitual/Unconscious Cognition
- Discernment
Massive Harvest, Late Summer 2019
"Who...Are...You?" Asks the caterpillar. Alice replies, "I hardly know, sir, just at present, at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then." - Lewis Carrol's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
Amanita muscaria is a cosmopolitan species that can be found in the Northern Hemisphere all over the world in temperate boreal regions with recent molecular studies showing them originally to be from Siberia. They commonly grow underneath trees like pine, birch, spruce, and cedar, and have developed a beautiful symbiotic relationship with these trees. Unlike plants who make their food through photosynthesis, and more like humans, they are heterotrophs and need to consume other organisms for sustenance by using secreted enzymes that decompose their food from the trees in the forms of lipids, sugars, and proteins. This is done through hyphae that wrap themselves around the roots of specific trees that have developed different root systems from other trees, enabling the relationship between them and the Amanita.
The rare symbiotic relationship between specialized trees and the Amanita, as well as other fungi, is called ectomycorrhiza and occurs when the hyphae from the Amanita infect the tree's roots, forming a net around them This net will continue to grow as the roots grow to create a secure place for this relationship as well as protecting the tree from possibly harmful fungi, also giving the tree an added advantage of an increase in pathogenic resistance. The gap between the net and the root is where the reciprocity of nutrients happens, it's where the fungi receive carbohydrates and convert them into sucrose that's used by the tree and has been shown to accelerate tree growth exponentially, with the presence of this network increasing the surface area around the tree's roots allowing it to absorb more water and nutrients.
There are two methods of which the Amanita uses to reproduce itself; through the release of basidiospores from its basidia lined gills underneath the cap and the other being through a network known as mycelium, that will grow towards areas where, if the soil conditions are adequate with moisture and nutrients, a new fruit will emerge carrying its exact genetic data and can be seen in what's called 'fairy rings'. Another interesting phenomenon is the fact that lightning striking the soil increases the production of fruits from mycelial networks where the mushroom initially decrease the enzyme and protein secretions from the hyphae that slow things down once fruiting has started, but for currently unknown reasons, lightning may disrupt the signals during fruiting to maximize their population as well as survival.
- We have drunk Soma and become immortal; we have attained the light, the Gods discovered. - Rigveda, Soma Mandala
A drink called Soma rasa has been mentioned in the Vedic sutras and Ayurvedic texts alluded to be the drink of the gods, also called Amrita in Sanskrit which translates to "nectar of immortality" and the 9th chapter in the Rigveda, called the Soma Mandala is entirely on this Soma. Many speculations exist on whether this Soma was made from Amanita, poppy, hashish, ephedra, or is a concoction of them all, it's difficult to tell but it's been know that the ancient people of the mountainous regions of India consumed these and the Amanita in ritual ceremonies. Soma translates from Sanskrit to mean "distill, extract, sprinkle", evidence that this was not myth or allegory but rather something that was processed to make Soma.
To some Siberian shamans, the reindeer and Amanita mushroom were at the core of their folklore and the mushroom being their only form of inebriation before alcohol appeared. The Koryak people, as with many others spread out as the area, of the far eastern Siberian tundra, have worked with the Amanita in conjunction with their shamanic traditions, and any work done with Amanita was taken very seriously and approached with much humility, intention, and respect. In the eastern part of Siberia, the tribes there greatly relied on reindeer to sustain the people with meat, milk, and warmth. Something this important would lead one to be observant of it, its habits, and the nature of it existing. The reindeer would eat the Amanita and this is how the people began to work with it.
To the Koryak, Big Raven (Quikinnaiqu) was the organizer of the universe, the one who stole the Sun from the heavens and gifted it to man. In one story, Big Raven and Whale were close friends. One day, while hanging out, Whale swam too close to the shore and became beached. Fearful of never being able to get back to the ocean, Whale asked Big Raven for help, but this was too difficult for him so he asked Vahiyinin, the Sky God (Existence), for help. Vahiyinin told Big Raven of the spirits of Wapaq, to go and consume one of them so he would have the strength to help his brother. Vahiyinin then spat on the earth to show the Wapaq to Big Raven and his spit became the Amanita. After consuming one of the Wapaq, Big Raven became very excitable, full of such strength and power which he's never experienced, was able to lift Whale very easily and return him to the ocean. Big Raven told Wapaq to grow on earth, to help guide, teach, and assist humans forever. That when anyone was sick, wanted their futures foretold, wanted to understand a dream, or take a journey into the underworld, that Wapaq would lend its wisdom.
When approached, Wapaq would ask what is the reason you have eaten it, and this must be answered or the spirits could not answer clearly, and even "worse" lead you into darkness... Something to keep in mind when working with any entheogenic plant or fungus because, at some point of meddling, you will be put into a position that perhaps you weren't prepared for and have to face some demons.
The Intent is the foundation of all ritual, manifestation, prayer, ceremony, healing, desire, etc. Without this, you open yourself to a world of infinite possibilities, where Russian roulette becomes the name of the game and at the heart of reality, it's a trickster that's always there, playfully and at times terrifyingly, to teach a lesson... Gambling can be exciting, but can also come at a cost.
The two main compounds of interest in the Amanita Muscaria mushroom are Muscimol and Ibotenic Acid, both very similar in molecular structure with the difference being in the ibotenic acid containing a carboxyl group attached to its structure. It is the ibotenic acid that is responsible for any negative side effects on the body and experience, and why Amanita has been deemed "poisonous"... this is not fact. Simply drying the Amanita caps under the sun or in the oven at 90F causes decarboxylation of the ibotenic acid thus the conversion to muscimol occurs.
As a GABA Agonist, Muscimol