teacher plants

from Daniel Vitalis's excellent Rewilding podcast series, Arthur Haines discussing the missing nutrient in our diets: entheogens. He talks about entheogen use in hunter-gatherer societies and tells us a little about his own personal experiences with these sacred plant medicines.

http://www.danielvitalis.com/rewild-yourself-podcast/arthur-haines-on-the-teacher-plants

• A bit about Arthur’s background
• How Arthur was introduced to psychoactive plants
• Being a credible witness
• Entheogen use in hunter-gatherers
• Spiritual realm vs the scientific realm
• Arthur’s personal entheogenic experiences
• Entheogens are endogenous compounds
• Entheogens were called “teacher plants” by indigenous tribal leaders for a reason
• The missing nutrient in our diet?
• Using entheogens to deal with death trauma
• Arthur describes his sacred experience with Saguaro Cactus
• Discerning tips for working with a shaman

ant essence and dang gui

Have been taking ant essence in this formulation for about two months now and have to recommend it!  So far deer antler and  evening primrose oil have helped me through this female phase, on top of all the other natural remedies I do including natural progesterone cream, melatonin, ubiquinol and immortal molecules. It was the dang gui in the formulation that I had heard was especially good for women but now I am really keen on the whole combination of herbs.  As usual, I still feel like I have the energy levels of my twenties, although of course I want to expend that energy in different ways now to how I did them!  When for some reason I stop taking my supplements for a few days I really notice the difference and then appreciate their value in my life a whole lot more.  I am loving feeling so much warmer than I used to and being able to therefore enjoy the beauty of winter in northern places so much more, and to go intrepidly into windy terrains when most people are indoors.  Anyway, I digress...
Ant essence is very rich in zinc which all of us tend to lack due to soil deficiencies.  It is particularly crucial for growing boys and also men.

You can read more about it here.

arbor low

Stunningly atmospheric and powerful, so-called Stonehenge of the Peak District, I was lucky enough to be there on my own in the January weather.  The views around are stunning.

bakewell pudding shop

Really enjoyed my trip to Derbyshire, at this time of year it is so peaceful.

This is where a Mrs Wilson invented the first Bakewell pudding though the current offering surely does not have the same ingredients, from looking at the pack; still the cafe is a lovely place to sit.  And it's interesting to engage in the energy of where a famous recipe was born and think about the history and the way that almonds would have been imported into this country in those days.

http://www.bakewellpuddingshop.co.uk/pudding-shop-history-1-w.asp