Ilex
Rising Star
Hello, I’m Ilex. I have been lurking around the Nexus for awhile, and decided it was time to join and reply to some of the fascinating research going on here. I chose to join because I am interested in novel plant sources of tryptamine and beta-carboline alkaloids, phytochemistry of these plants, and new extraction or preparation techniques. The Nexus seems to have the most ground-breaking information in these areas, and it is nice to see other people who are as interested in plants as I am.
Some background: I have spent the last several years doing ethnobotany research and field work. I have been studying traditional plant use by cultures around the globe, especially in western North America, with a heavy focus on plants used for medicine and food. I am currently in training to become an herbalist, and I prepare most herbal medicines that I use myself, from the raw plant materials. I like to make tinctures, salves, medicinal teas/elixers and smoking mixes.
I work with medicinal plants from around the world, and also do sustainable wildharvesting of medicinal plants that grow locally in my area. I am a strong supporter of sustainable harvesting practices, and believe that creating a demand for sustainably harvested plants can be part of a strategy promoting the preservation of forests and wild areas around the world. Other than entheogens, I am particularly interested in herbs with adaptogenic, nootropic, aphrodisiac and nervine activities. I like using herbal medicines either as substitutes for pharmaceuticals, or in ways complementary to conventional medicine, to increase the effectiveness and/or reduce side effects of a treatment.
I have extensive experience with psychoactive plants and fungi. I started exploring the entheogenic realms about ten years ago, when I was first introduced to Psilocybe cubensis. Since then, I have worked with almost everything including Trichocereus cacti, Hawaiian baby woodrose, syrian rue, various Ayahuasca and analogue brews, yopo and cebil seeds, Salvia divinorum, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT etc. Also synthetics, mostly LSD and MDMA, though I have experience with several of Shulgin’s creations as well.
A few years ago I experimented a lot with Ayahuasca brews under my own guidance. I tried it once more recently in a ceremonial setting (with a traveling maestro, not in the jungle). Every other time, I did the brewing and drank it by myself. My experiences taught me a lot, although I find Ayahuasca has not called to me as strongly as some other entheogens. DMT was very intriguing, and I smoked it a lot. Eventually I started using it somewhat disrespectfully (in combination with other drugs and without enough attention paid to set and setting), and I ended up getting bitch-slapped by it pretty hard as a result. My experiences with DMT taught me so much, but I haven’t felt the need to go into those realms for a few years now. I guess I am still integrating some of my last experiences with it!
These days, I really enjoy ganja, cactus, syrian rue, mushrooms, and some of the milder offerings of the botanical world like yerba mate, blue lotus, kratom, kava kava and coca. I have also been experimenting (sometimes successfully and sometimes not) with more obscure sources of beta-carbolines/tryptamines, including Tribulus terrestris, passionflower, Phalaris arundinacea, Virola elongata, Mucuna pruriens and Desmanthus illinoensis. I love sharing my experiences as well as reading the experiences other people have.
Other interests of mine include: Fermentation (mead, cider, beer, sauer kraut, pickles…). I am actively expanding my knowledge of mycology, learning to identify wild mushrooms as well as starting to cultivate some edible mushrooms. I have dabbled with small-scale alkaloid extractions, and am interested in learning new methods and techniques in this area. I am also interested in primitive living skills (hunting, hide tanning, plant and lichen-based dyes, making friction fires etc). I am interested in nutrition, I use a lot of superfoods and try to eat a healthy omnivorous diet without getting obsessive about it. That’s all that comes to mind right now.
Thanks for your time and consideration, I hope to become a full member soon!
~ Ilex
Some background: I have spent the last several years doing ethnobotany research and field work. I have been studying traditional plant use by cultures around the globe, especially in western North America, with a heavy focus on plants used for medicine and food. I am currently in training to become an herbalist, and I prepare most herbal medicines that I use myself, from the raw plant materials. I like to make tinctures, salves, medicinal teas/elixers and smoking mixes.
I work with medicinal plants from around the world, and also do sustainable wildharvesting of medicinal plants that grow locally in my area. I am a strong supporter of sustainable harvesting practices, and believe that creating a demand for sustainably harvested plants can be part of a strategy promoting the preservation of forests and wild areas around the world. Other than entheogens, I am particularly interested in herbs with adaptogenic, nootropic, aphrodisiac and nervine activities. I like using herbal medicines either as substitutes for pharmaceuticals, or in ways complementary to conventional medicine, to increase the effectiveness and/or reduce side effects of a treatment.
I have extensive experience with psychoactive plants and fungi. I started exploring the entheogenic realms about ten years ago, when I was first introduced to Psilocybe cubensis. Since then, I have worked with almost everything including Trichocereus cacti, Hawaiian baby woodrose, syrian rue, various Ayahuasca and analogue brews, yopo and cebil seeds, Salvia divinorum, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT etc. Also synthetics, mostly LSD and MDMA, though I have experience with several of Shulgin’s creations as well.
A few years ago I experimented a lot with Ayahuasca brews under my own guidance. I tried it once more recently in a ceremonial setting (with a traveling maestro, not in the jungle). Every other time, I did the brewing and drank it by myself. My experiences taught me a lot, although I find Ayahuasca has not called to me as strongly as some other entheogens. DMT was very intriguing, and I smoked it a lot. Eventually I started using it somewhat disrespectfully (in combination with other drugs and without enough attention paid to set and setting), and I ended up getting bitch-slapped by it pretty hard as a result. My experiences with DMT taught me so much, but I haven’t felt the need to go into those realms for a few years now. I guess I am still integrating some of my last experiences with it!
These days, I really enjoy ganja, cactus, syrian rue, mushrooms, and some of the milder offerings of the botanical world like yerba mate, blue lotus, kratom, kava kava and coca. I have also been experimenting (sometimes successfully and sometimes not) with more obscure sources of beta-carbolines/tryptamines, including Tribulus terrestris, passionflower, Phalaris arundinacea, Virola elongata, Mucuna pruriens and Desmanthus illinoensis. I love sharing my experiences as well as reading the experiences other people have.
Other interests of mine include: Fermentation (mead, cider, beer, sauer kraut, pickles…). I am actively expanding my knowledge of mycology, learning to identify wild mushrooms as well as starting to cultivate some edible mushrooms. I have dabbled with small-scale alkaloid extractions, and am interested in learning new methods and techniques in this area. I am also interested in primitive living skills (hunting, hide tanning, plant and lichen-based dyes, making friction fires etc). I am interested in nutrition, I use a lot of superfoods and try to eat a healthy omnivorous diet without getting obsessive about it. That’s all that comes to mind right now.
Thanks for your time and consideration, I hope to become a full member soon!
~ Ilex
