Siberian Amanita muscaria–Grade A Caps

Amanita muscaria var. formosa – Caps with Stems

Eastern European Amanita muscaria Grade A Caps

Latvian Amanita muscaria Grade A Caps

“Moses was high on drugs: Israeli researcher”

The world wide media interest in Benny Shanon’s paper about Moses and entheogens, is encouraging us to take a good and hard look at the roots of religions and the notion that they were based on fertility cults, and shamanic practices such as Entheogens (or hallucinogenic) plants as a source of spiritual communion with the universal consciousness, or the mind of God.

John Allegro, in his book “The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East”, postulated through the etymology of words and relates how the development of language indicated that the roots of the religions emanating from the Middle East were based on fertility cults, and shamanic practices such as Entheogens (or hallucinogenic) plants as a source of spiritual communion with the universal consciousness, or the mind of God..

Back in the 1960’s the reaction against these ideas was so strong that it destroyed Allegro’s career, the book was not published in the UK as it was regarded as blasphemous, and blasphemy was still a crime. It’s good to think that we have made some progress in recent years.

Allegro’s theory was visionary and ground-breaking. He was the first to propose in some detail that two major religions Christianity and by extension Judaism were entheogen-oriented and that the entheogen was Amanita Muscaria. His book was published at a time when there was little or no awareness about the use of entheogens, and was indeed a courageous act to publish this book.

Another great explorer and pathfinder in human consciousness was Terence Mckenna, in his book “Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution”, proposed that hallucinogenic plants, in this case Psilocybin mushrooms, were at the astounding and unexplained evolution and development of the human brain in such a short time of the evolutionary time scale (just 500,000 years from the hominids), in other words how we developed from our ape relatives . His theory also encompasses the development of linguistics , human civilisation.

JERUSALEM (AFP) – High on Mount Sinai, Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments, an Israeli researcher claimed in a study published this week.

Such mind-altering substances formed an integral part of the religious rites of Israelites in biblical times, Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in the Time and Mind journal of philosophy.

“As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don’t believe, or a legend, which I don’t believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics,” Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday.

Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the “burning bush,” suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.

“The Bible says people see sounds, and that is a classic phenomenon,” he said citing the example of religious ceremonies in the Amazon in which drugs are used that induce people to “see music.”

Israeli researcher He mentioned his own experience when he used ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant, during a religious ceremony in Brazil’s Amazon forest in 1991. “I experienced visions that had spiritual-religious connotations,” Shanon said.

He said the psychedelic effects of ayahuasca were comparable to those produced by concoctions based on bark of the acacia tree, that is frequently mentioned in the Bible.

Howard G. Charing, is an accomplished international workshop leader on shamanism. He has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans & healers in the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. He organises specialist retreats to the Amazon Rainforest at the dedicated centre located in the Mishana nature reserve. He is the author of the best selling book, Plant Spirit Shamanism (Destiny Books USA), and has published numerous articles about plant medicines. He was baptised into the Shipibo tribe of the Upper Amazon, and initiated into the lineage of the shamans of the Rio Napo. Howard is also an artist who’s paintings have featured in major exhibitions in London and elsewhere. His artwork has also been featured on book covers.

His website: http://www.shamanism.co.uk  email contact: eagleswing@shamanism.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Howard_G_Charing
http://EzineArticles.com/?Moses-and-Ayahuasca—Plant-Spirit-Shamanism-from-the-Bible&id=1029833

Elves were originally seen to be the creation of Germanic paganism who thought them to be light creatures who lived in the heavens. Elves have been depicted as male or female, tiny or dwarf-like, youthful and immortal with magical powers. Later they were often referred to as living underground, in forests, springs and wells. Elves generally were magical beings who could control what people see as well as experience. Elves and fairies are also highly associated with the mushroom “Amanita Muscaria” also referred to as “magic mushrooms” not only in art but in Psychedelic experiences.

Elves already a tradition associated with story telling and magic, was by the mid-1800’s revealed by the Scandinavian’s that their true purpose was to help Father Christmas. The elves could be helpful however their mischievousness was still event in story telling. Tales suggested that how you were treated by the elves depended on whether the person was thought to be naughty or nice! Particularly in America the diminutive, green with pointy ears type are depicted as Santa’s helpers making toys in his workshop at the North Pole.

According to some legends and post-Christian folklore especially in Europe, elves are mischievous pranksters who make special appearances during the lead up to Christmas. For example “Albtraum” is a German word for nightmare which also means “elf dream”. Earlier the word meant “elf pressure” as it was believed that nightmares are a result of an elf sitting on the dreamer’s head! Elves also were believed to braid people’s hair while sleeping, make milk sour and run off with sausages. People of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway believed that a bowl of porridge left out would prevent elves from playing tricks on people especially during the festive season! Today, elves associated with Christmas are symbols to remind children to be good and not naughty!

Modern Yuletide Defenders – Secret Elves Club!
In the modern world we now have the latest Yuletide defenders called the Secret Elves. They say they are commissioned to protect the spirit of Christmas. Their dress code is red socks and they declare to be are armed with elfin intellect, tools, charm and good looks. They defend the spirit of Christmas against naysayers including grinches, heat mizers, scrooges and of late pure commercialism. They are sworn by the Elf Code and must remain unseen whilst defending the spirit of Christmas! Children all over the world can now join and be a member of the world’s most elite team dedicated to keeping the spirit alive. Once joined kids are issued with official Secret Elf Certification and receive fun training! To join the club visit google “Secret Elves Club”. This is a really fun way for children to get into the spirit of Christmas and enjoy the virtues of the elves!

Visit http://www.TheFamilyYak.com to listen to ‘Conversations with Mrs Claus’ podcast show with Mrs Claus (aka Christmas author Bernadette Dimitrov) – a family show that provides a weekly stream of inspiration, insight and connection to fascinating guests world-wide. Listeners can share in the inspirational insights from experts and coaches about life, Christmas and transformational secrets for living a happy and fulfilled life. It’s a fun show with something for both young and old with prizes to be won! Also come visit http://www.HoHoHoChristmas.com and join our free Christmas newsletter & receive free gifts!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bernadette_Dimitrov [http://ezinearticles.com/?Christmas-Elves---Their-Secret-History-and-True-Purpose-Revealed!&id=714383 ]http://EzineArticles.com/?Christmas-Elves—Their-Secret-History-and-True-Purpose-Revealed!&id=714383

It has been reported that as early as 2000 B.C. people in India and Iran were using for religious purposes a plant called Soma or Haoma. A Hindu religious hymn, the Rig Veda also refers to the plant, Soma, although it is not specifically identified. It is believed this plant was the amanita muscaria mushroom, a theory popularized in the book “Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality” by R. Gordon Wasson. Other authors have argued that the manna from heaven mentioned in the Bible is actually a reference to magic mushrooms. Images of mushrooms have been identified in cave drawings dated to 3500 B.C.

In the church of Plaincourault Abbey in Indre, France is a fresco painted in 1291 A.D. of Adam and Eve standing on either side of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A serpent is entwined around the tree, which looks unmistakably like a cluster of amanita muscaria mushrooms. Could it be true that the apple from the Garden of Eden may actually have been an hallucinagenic mushroom?