For the first hour of episode one of The Mushroom’s Apprentice I give a little back-story on myself and how I found my way to the mushroom. Hour two discusses my personal approach to apprenticeship to the mushroom teachers.
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This next episode highlights one of Nature’s most extraordinary gifts to this world – medicinal mushrooms. I’ve taken them in dual extract form for years and have always known they are medicinal but doing the deeper research has blown my mind.
The medicinal mushroom market is rife with fraudulently advertised products that contain little medicinal value due to certain growing methods and poor sourcing. Those dealing with cancer and other illnesses who are seeking to avail themselves of the many healing constituents these mushrooms contain are often deprived of receiving the extraordinary benefits found in properly sourced fungi. Enter Garrett Kopp, a learned and dedicated steward of the Adirondack forests in northern New York State whose heartfelt connection to that precious land enables him to hear what he calls, “the whisper in the wind.” He is a voice for Chaga sustainability and he speaks to the importance of sourcing wild-harvested medicinal mushrooms for their forest-given potency.
Steve and Krys Crimi run the publishing house, Logosophia Books, and I am honored to be one of their authors. They are wise elders with eyes to see and the wit, heart and wisdom to navigate this reality with clarity. I’ve been listening to them on Robert Phoenix’s Youtube channel, The Friday Farcast, for a number of years. With Robert, they’ve shared their depth of knowledge on subjects such as the esoteric roots of the USA, the work of magician, John Dee, the Frankfurt School, Tavistock, and much more.
In this episode our conversation delves beneath the current media narratives that have many people shaking their heads in incredulity. We discuss Steve’s upcoming book, Hermes Runs the Game, and delve into the Pilgrim Society, Tavistock, the godfather of propaganda, Edward Bernays, the Greek goddess, Metis, Parmenides, the origins of compulsory schooling in the US, and more.
I meet with Steve and Krys once every 6 weeks or so for a “good craic” and time melts into three, sometimes four hours of dynamic conversation. I am thrilled to share these brilliant thinkers with you and I know you will learn much from them. Do check out the excellent titles available on Logosophia Books including Steve’s book, Katabatic Wind, Good Craic Fueled by Fumes from the Abyss, which explores the feminine spirit, sacred geometry and number, and compares western and eastern sacred traditions. https://logosophiabooks.com/book/katabatic-wind/
Lakshmi Narayan has been a decades-long student of the I Ching, the oldest known oracular system that hails from ancient China. It is a system that confers timeless wisdom, and it is as relevant today as it was when it was created. In her effort to support those on a path of healing after an ibogaine journey, (or any other psychedelic) Lakshmi has made available a superb mentorship program titled, Change Your Character. The course consists of nine hexagrams that serve as “a framework and philosophy for change and right-action, and as a way to ground the transformations initiated in the altered state into a new way of being in the world.” The course is a tremendous assist for anyone seeking to develop themselves, whether they work with psychedelics or not, they will gain a deeper understanding of the I Ching.
I am honored to introduce you to Richie Ogulnick, who has dedicated his life to helping people heal with Ibogaine. Very few people realize there is a natural cure for opioid addiction and other addictions like alcohol, cocaine, kratom, fentanyl, etc. Ibogaine has also helped many people who suffer from PTSD, depression, and a host of other challenges. It is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound found in the root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to Central and West Africa.
Richie has been working with Ibogaine for almost 30 years and has much to share on the subject. In the first hour he begins by explaining the difference between Ibogaine and Iboga, then shares how he came to into connection with this powerful medicine and how it is used.
Hour two discusses the precautions as there are contraindications, and specific health requirements must be met in order to safely use Ibogaine. With his depth of experience I asked Richie to share stories of his work with people over the years, which was hugely educational and gave me great hope for the future. Truly, nature in her genius has the cure for every ill. Please share this episode with anyone you know who suffers from addiction, PTSD, depression, etc. This man is a national treasure!
I have had a number of very special individuals enter my life as a result of my mushroom work and Cathy Coyle is one of them. Grounded and wise, Cathy serves as a Ban Draoi (dree), a Celtic medicine woman. She is part of a long lineage of Irish seer women and holds a connection to the Sidhe and other spirits of nature. In this two-hour conversation Cathy shares candidly her path to where she is today as facilitator, therapist, teacher, priestess, Draoi.
Astrology has been a powerful component in my retreats because of its extraordinary ability to reveal the inner workings of the persona. It provides a deeper understanding of the self and offers a hugely helpful head’s up for how to navigate the changing tides of worldly life.
Robert Phoenix is an astrologer par excellence, who has an uncanny ability to pinpoint the deeper layers at work on the world stage through the lens of astrology. He predicted the extraordinary upheaval of 2020 in mid-2019, which gave me the mental/emotional preparation I needed to navigate that year and beyond. His individual readings are highly astute and thorough, and have been a great help to me and others who have sought him out.
In this interview Robert begins by discussing the arc of how he found his way to his profession, beautifully illustrating how destiny forms through the winding path of our lives. He delves into the role of Saturn, the stern, planetary influence that is so prevalent today, and explains how to work with that essential, disciplining force. The second hour is a deep dive into the planetary influences for 2023 up to 2030, providing notice on the coming potential events and how to intelligently ride these powerful and world-changing energies. In this way, we are prepared mentally and emotionally to rise to the enormous opportunities these times afford us.
Marla Durden is one of those people I could talk with for hours. From an early age she became aware of subtle energy and has been studying it ever since. From hands-on healing to dowsing to BioGeometry, she has accrued a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience. She teaches and leads groups and runs a psycho-spiritual mentoring practice in Seattle. She is also quite familiar with the mushroom spirits and we begin the first hour discussing her connection with those teachers, and Marla has a lot to say on that subject. The conversation weaves into the topic of BioGeometry, which is about creating an energetic field through geometry “on steroids” to quote Marla.
I love working with dreams as they reveal so much if we can decipher the symbolism and intuit their messages. Nature and the deep psyche – which is nature – speak in symbol, and a psychedelic mushroom journey is no different. Over the years I’ve helped people interpret and integrate their psychedelic journeys including the “bad trips.” You can’t predict how a journey will go but there is much that can be done to make sure you are safe and comfortable and well-tended. If and when a mushroom journey goes sideways there are many things you can do to recover and begin the process of understanding just what the hell happened.
In the first hour I offer advice on how to prepare for a journey to ensure that even if the journey goes dark we are as safe as we can possibly be. I share a couple of stories of particularly difficult experiences and how I worked with that client to interpret the event. My approach is to key into the symbolic nature of the experience and it is my hope that those interested will have an avenue to better understand their own challenging journey and/or the journeys of others.
Hour 2 begins by delving into a nightmare shared by my late teacher, Dr Brugh Joy, MD, and explores his approach to dream interpretation, which can be used to make sense of a bad or a pleasant journey. I then discuss what to do after a bad trip and I also touch on spirit possession. With psilocybin mushrooms getting so much good press these days there are more people than ever who are availing themselves. It is essential to be as prepared as possible and have all the tools we need to get through it and learn from the experience.
To book a Session: https://www.shonaghhome.org/therapy-sessions
i heard from Dr Tom Garcia a number of years ago when he contacted me to introduce himself and share his appreciation for the mushroom teachers. We’ve stayed in contact and I have observed Tom’s unfolding over the years where he has become a most gracious medicine man for his community.
Vanese McNeill is the Executive Producer of the cult classic series, Magical Egypt. In addition she hosts a fascinating podcast where she converses with unique and brilliant thinkers on the subjects of ancient Egypt, magic, consciousness, human potential and more. Her solo podcast talks are not to be missed and she delivers the goods with her insight and wit. She also happens to be a dear friend of mine and I savor every opportunity to sit in conversation with her.
Jean Marie Guilfoil has had an interesting career that began as a producer of electronic dance music in Australia and moved into Human Resources management with Australia’s leading customer service organization, giving her a glimpse into two very diverse industries and how the world is managed. Today,, she resides in Tasmania with her husband where they live a simple life away from the mainstream, and her observations on our current construct are very insightful.Jean Marie has managed to spend the majority of her time offline and away from the sticky grasp of the internet. In this conversation we discuss the stealthy seduction of wifi that takes all of us through a black-mirrored portal into a synthetic reality that mesmerizes the mind and captures our precious time. Is this a form of sorcery? Skilled manipulation? An attempt to steer our consciousness? Our conversation will get you thinking.
For two years in a row I had the great privilege and pleasure to pair up with poet and forest bard, John Willmott, to co-lead a tour on the northwest coast of Ireland through County Sligo, home to several megalithic sites, the lush forest of Hazelwood by Lough Gill, and abundant breathtaking scenery. John is a unique soul who as a child was dowsing maps and drawing astrology charts before the age of 8. He’s held a strong tie to the natural world that began as a wee boy and continues to this day.
In the first hour John discusses Ogham, popularly known as the Celtic tree alphabet. His approach centers on feeling rather than intellectualizing the symbols or “prompts” as he calls them. In an age where we are barraged with data, his approach invites us to turn on our natural senses and set aside linear language to better understand the potency of these symbols.
In the second hour John discusses Brighid’s origins and her powerful, inspiring influence on the Irish people, particularly women. The conversation turns to the Sidhe, (pronounced “shee,” which is the Irish word for faerie), and his take on that magical race is quite interesting.
I highly recommend giving a listen to this humble man who holds so much knowledge and life experience. He has much to teach us and he is part of a shrinking breed of storytellers and poets who were once cherished by people everywhere.
Subscribe to his Substack where you will learn SO much:
Substack.com@naturefolklore
Website: https://www.naturefolklore.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NatureFolklore
To contact John: john@celticways.com
For those who are fascinated with Runes I have a special guest for you. I met Tina Kemp through the Women of Wisdom conference where she and I had a discussion on magic and I was so impressed with her wealth of knowledge on the subject.
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Rebecca Rozelle Presnall is a master herbalist, practitioner, and teacher. I have known her for several years and her depth of herbal knowledge and application is just incredible. In the first half of this episode Rebecca shares her journey into the role of herbalist, and lays the base of foundational herbal infusions that will support the body on many levels, including a mushroom journey. In the second hour Rebecca discusses the use of herbs in ritual settings for protection and support. She has great wisdom and experience on these matters and listening to her is time truly well spent.
Patrick MacManaway is a soft-spoken unassuming Scot, and a real-deal, gifted dowser and land-whisperer. In this interview he shares of his upbringing in a family of mediums and healers, and delivers a treasure-trove of wisdom on communicating with the intelligences of the landscape, divination, dowsing, the nature of time, elementals, and the extraordinary power of human love.
In the second hour Patrick shares stories on his successful negotiations with plant spirits, animals, the spirit of water, and the ghostly spirits he has assisted to return “home.” This sounds impossible to many but this is an art that was once commonplace in cultures around the world, and Patrick has had stunning results with his approach. We spend an additional half hour sharing my recent story of the poltergeist that showed up very suddenly in my Vermont cottage. Always good to have a man like Patrick on speed dial!
Life is far more mysterious and wondrous than we know, and it is unique people like Patrick who graciously offer the keys for all who wish to learn.
www.patrickmacmanaway.com
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