amanita muscaria is one of the most traditionally used psychoactive mushrooms throught northern Europe and Scandinavia by shamans and tribesmen. Interesting little tid bit-
We learned on the September 1995 trip to the Kamchatka Peninsula that the Kamchatka Amanitas muscaria (called mukhomor) often grow in pairs, can be red or orangish and seem to vibrate with energy. They are scooped out of the ground with fingers (no knives) and dried in the shade. A bioassay session of the dried mushrooms resulted in four persons' very different experiences, all memorably good. The dosage taken was from 3 - 7 grams. The person I can speak for took 3g and had the subjective experience of a very clear mind, surrounded by a womb of everything's OK, surrounded by expanded awareness.
When we returned to the US two of the others took the exact same dosage of Telluride A muscaria and reported that the experience was rougher and didn't produce a state that they would like to repeat. Telluride Amanitas can grow singly or in patches of many lovely fungi together. They're red and strong looking, but don't have that ethereal glow to them that I remember in Kamchatka.
Tatiana is the 72 year old 7th generation shaman, a member of the Evin tribe in the town of Palana. She escaped the Stalinist purge which virtually wiped out the Evin & Koryak shamans and their ancient traditional use of mukhomor (now only the very elderly use mukhomor, while the young have been seduced with vodka). Tatiana is described in Shaman magazine (Spring or Summer 1996).
TATIANA's TEACHINGS
from notes of my August, 1994 Kamchatka trip:
Preparation:
Pick lone A. muscaria mushrooms, not ones in a family. Smaller ones (with open caps/veils) are stronger. Dry in the shade, preferably with a breeze, cap side up. Dig with fingers, use no knives.
Journeying:
Ingest dried mushrooms in odd numbers (3, 5, or parts of 3 or 5 mushrooms). Drink water. If you take a lot, you'll be in a state of lethargy. Tell your family not to bother you for hours, a day, three days, a year. (I'm not making this up: this is what she said!)
Tatiana, because of her 7th generation shamanic status, is in a permanent state of journeying and doesn't use Mukhomor for this purpose. She says that she can control ingestors by communicating with the mushroom inside of them.
Medicinal Uses:
Three small fresh pieces of mukhomor good for sore throat and cancer.
Preparation for arthritis: Place several young A Muscaria into an airtight container. Put container into a cool dark place (like a basement) until liquid comes out of mushrooms. Take a mushroom in hand, squeeze out moisture and place the pulp on arthritis. Bandage overnight. Mushroom body can be replaced in liquid and will last a long time.
We learned on the September 1995 trip to the Kamchatka Peninsula that the Kamchatka Amanitas muscaria (called mukhomor) often grow in pairs, can be red or orangish and seem to vibrate with energy. They are scooped out of the ground with fingers (no knives) and dried in the shade. A bioassay session of the dried mushrooms resulted in four persons' very different experiences, all memorably good. The dosage taken was from 3 - 7 grams. The person I can speak for took 3g and had the subjective experience of a very clear mind, surrounded by a womb of everything's OK, surrounded by expanded awareness.
When we returned to the US two of the others took the exact same dosage of Telluride A muscaria and reported that the experience was rougher and didn't produce a state that they would like to repeat. Telluride Amanitas can grow singly or in patches of many lovely fungi together. They're red and strong looking, but don't have that ethereal glow to them that I remember in Kamchatka.
Tatiana is the 72 year old 7th generation shaman, a member of the Evin tribe in the town of Palana. She escaped the Stalinist purge which virtually wiped out the Evin & Koryak shamans and their ancient traditional use of mukhomor (now only the very elderly use mukhomor, while the young have been seduced with vodka). Tatiana is described in Shaman magazine (Spring or Summer 1996).
TATIANA's TEACHINGS
from notes of my August, 1994 Kamchatka trip:
Preparation:
Pick lone A. muscaria mushrooms, not ones in a family. Smaller ones (with open caps/veils) are stronger. Dry in the shade, preferably with a breeze, cap side up. Dig with fingers, use no knives.
Journeying:
Ingest dried mushrooms in odd numbers (3, 5, or parts of 3 or 5 mushrooms). Drink water. If you take a lot, you'll be in a state of lethargy. Tell your family not to bother you for hours, a day, three days, a year. (I'm not making this up: this is what she said!)
Tatiana, because of her 7th generation shamanic status, is in a permanent state of journeying and doesn't use Mukhomor for this purpose. She says that she can control ingestors by communicating with the mushroom inside of them.
Medicinal Uses:
Three small fresh pieces of mukhomor good for sore throat and cancer.
Preparation for arthritis: Place several young A Muscaria into an airtight container. Put container into a cool dark place (like a basement) until liquid comes out of mushrooms. Take a mushroom in hand, squeeze out moisture and place the pulp on arthritis. Bandage overnight. Mushroom body can be replaced in liquid and will last a long time.
