When you use a psychoactive plant, you are communing with the plant. Courtesy: Thinkstock.
By Aura Walker, MA, Cht
In light of April 20th, I was asked by my editor to write what I know about Marijuana. What do I know about it? Ha! More than I would like to know!
I was born in India to Eurasian parents. We traveled throughout Asia ’til I was eight, then moved to the US eventually settling in NYC where I grew up and finished college.
Throughout my youth, my parents and their European, Asian, and American friends smoked Marijuana at parties. It was very common. When I was in college so did many of my friends. I had boyfriends who relished it and collected it. The smell varied from pineapple to a slight skunky smell. Fast forward to the present. It pretty much all smells like a dead skunk now. Marijuana is not what it used to be. It is no longer your parent’s mild weed!
I voted for the legalization of Marijuana. No matter what, I do not believe anyone should be jailed for the use of a plant. However, the downside is that now the sale of MJ has exploded and it is a ‘free for all.’ The smell of dead skunk is everywhere. It is now a nuisance to me. I even smell it on freeways, which is ominous while driving!
Back in the day, it was primarily a recreational drug; mild, fun, and dopey at its worst. Hmm, perhaps not so? I know better now. Also, now there is the added industry of Cannabinoids and CBD formulas. The industry around Marijuana has become almost frenzied, exploited to the hilt. Are there medicinal qualities? Indeed there are. Very few know how to prepare the plant properly. I read one CBD recipe that required soaking it in paint thinner. Then burning that off with water, in a crock pot. You know what that sound like to me? Toxic!
According to Native American Indian teachings, particularly those of the Huichol of Central Northwestern Mexico, there are five medicinal plants, which require a ceremony in order to be used efficiently so as not to gain “spiritual ramifications.” They are; Marijuana, Ayahuasca, Peyote, Magic Mushrooms (Psilocybin) and Tobacco.
In favor of not writing a thesis here, I will give you the short version of how to use these plants properly.
1) Know that the minute you use a psychoactive plant, you are communing with the plant. If you do not first engage in prayer with the plant, the relationship is set to be one sided. Using the plant without permission is thus abusing it. You didn’t know?! Most people don’t. Sounds crazy? Fine. Let me tell you that in any one-sided relationship there is a price to pay. Often it is the loss of something. In my observation, it is the loss of details. First minor issues, then, mostly relationships or other mishaps. How do I know all this? I did the research. In many ways, as a facilitator of healing, I am first a researcher. I interviewed a number of traditional shamans and they pretty much all told me the same thing. Plus, I observed having my own related mishaps and those of people close to me.
2) All living beings have a spirit. Medicinal psychoactive plants have an elemental spirit that is very powerful. Think for a minute of the psychoactive medicinal plant as having a ‘fairy’ attached to it. A fairy that can become attached to you, as you engage more and more with the plant. That fairy will begin to demand respect and acknowledgment. Know also, that without permission, all plants hate being heated. The garden variety hates being heated, then getting eaten. However, the five psychoactive ones mentioned here hate it so much that their associated fairies or elemental spirits retaliate. Folklore? Sure! You do not have to believe what I say. Go about your business, and begin to notice the mishaps escalate.
3) There is a way to use the plants properly. I am only going to focus on Marijuana in this piece. The other plants require very specific protocols. I do not advise using them without proper, trained, shamanic supervision. Tobacco is the easiest. Just hold it and pray with it for a second before you use it. Ask forgiveness for lighting it. Know by lighting it you are communing with the plant and with ‘God’ as nature.
For Marijuana. Firstly, make sure the plant is healthy; organic, non-GMO’d, not spliced, diced nor grown in chemical lawn fertilizers and such, very challenging these days in the mass produced markets. Same goes for tobacco. Remember, this is a plant you are turning to for relief, for help. It is something you want to put in your body. Make sure it is pure!
The best way to use the Marijuana is not to heat it. Before use, hold the plant in your hand and ask it permission first. Then, make it an offering, some incense or a bit of organic corn meal that you pray with in your hand and then put outside for it as a gesture of acknowledgment. The incense you can leave inside. Next, decide what you need the plant for. If you need the CBD, which is the medicine, then grind it all the while asking for its help. You are now in ceremony with the plant. Make sure the plant is very dry, so it will not rot. Put the ground bits in a non-GMO’d high proof alcohol like whiskey, vodka, or tequila; or olive oil. You can even add balsamic vinegar to the olive oil. Then, let either concoction sit with a tight lid, in a dark, cool place. When the mixture becomes very dark, it is ready. The longer it sits, the more potent it is. Next, place it in a bright sunny spot for a few days and let the sun warm it to activate it further. The alcohol or olive oil and vinegar will extract the CBD from the plant. Do it as a shot, in a shot glass, or as salad dressing, or in a tablespoon just like cough medicine. As you consume it, ask the plant for help with whatever specific healing you want.
That’s it. That is all the Marijuana plant requires. Full and unadulterated respect. If you heat it, know that it is considered a different type of ceremony and there is a specific protocol. If you are interested in knowing more about how to use the plant properly feel free to set up an appointment with me. For personal reasons, I decided not to use the plant anymore. But, I am happy to share as much as I know about how to properly engage the listed medicinal psychoactive plants.
Aura Walker is a seasoned mental health counselor and holistic health expert. She 
specializes in the use of hypnotherapy for rapid healing in short term care. Write to her, and she may feature your question or problem in her Yo! Venice column. E-mail aura@aurawalkerhypnotherapy.com or call 310.382.6313.
