The Mushroom’s Apprentice

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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