Hey Benway!
I'm glad that the thread was revived. The thread is a pheonix! I've always had an affinity for the pheonix archetype.
One thing that I found interesting was the wiki link for TSENTSAK. I am not very familiar with Amazonian traditional practices, but the idea of the "power" being in a shaman's phlegm caught my attention.
From the wiki:
OK, so those are three quotes from the "Use" section on the wiki. Interesting thoughts. It's strange... the day that I first was gifted DMT from "the biker" (story told in my introduction essay), there was the friend that was with me, and told me that DMT would come to me when the spirit world was ready for me. Prior to the encounter with the biker (that same day), he gave me a bag of seeds. He gave me some rustica pods, and two different types of datura. He told me how to sow the rustica and... (now that I think about it... he was the one who actually gave me the first inhalation of rustica smoke..... Hmmm.)
I had never heard much discussion of datura use prior to that day. I was aware of tobacco and assumed that rustica was used similarly as the "maintream" tobacco - but he told me about a few other ways of using it. After the rustica, I asked about the datura, "So which part do I eat? The leaves? The stem? Seeds? Flower?" He started chuckling and said. "None of it! Grow it, it's pretty. I wouldn't recommend consuming it, though. I did once and..... I'm just glad my girlfriend was there to help. It was pretty much the ultimate trip, but not one that I'd want to go on again."
So, with that in mind, I've only ever grown datura - never eaten it. A friend came over, after I'd been growing it (as well as growing rustica at the same time), and we were talking about the datura. I hadn't told him anything about it other than, "Smell these flowers! I love the way that they smell." He looked at it, and with a disgusted look on his face said, "That's an evil plant." He didn't even bother smelling it. I asked him what was he thought was evil about the plant. He said, "I don't know - it just has something about it." I told him about the use of the plant and also said, "The plant is not evil. The plant just IS. If someone misuses the plant, it can be used for evil deeds. But, that lies on the responsibility of the gardener, right?" He agreed. I asked if he thought I was evil. He said no. I asked if he thought I would ever use it for evil. He said no. So, I asked: "How is the plant evil, then?" He leaned over and smelled it, and said, "It does smell nice... actually."
I still have one little datura that managed to survive a cold freeze that took out many of my other plants... Including the first psychedelic plant that I had sowed - a > 3 meter tall acacia confusa. I watched it grow from a little seedling to a nice tall tree. But, an unexpected cold snap came through and lasted for 3 days (uncharacteristic for this area - it's subtropical with mild winters). I lost a lot of plants during those three days, but that little datura hung in there. It is the the second or third generation from the original datura, I don't remember which generation it is, exactly; I didn't think much of it.
It's still alive, but it's been years since I've grown rustica. I guess I stopped growing it after I had stopped smoking regular tobacco. I did use some of the rustica to make a batch of changa, though... That batch of changa was consumed during one of my experiences, I've published it on the nexus - but I didn't mention running out of crystalline DMT and switching to the rustica changa. I guess I thought that was irrelevant to the story.
You've offered some food for thought. Thanks.
I recently checked in on the friend who initially said that the datura is evil. He's seemingly miserable in life right now. I feel bad for the guy, but... I dunno. It's out of my control and he thinks that the world is "out to get him" and that "no one understands him" and "everyone tries to set things up for him to fail." I can't even have a conversation with him without some woe-is-me type discussion; or dramatic event that has recently occurred. I care for him, because he definitely showed me something... But, I don't know. Something feels off, when I talk to him. It's a draining feeling.
The guy who gave me the seeds.... he seems to be doing great!
Take Care,
ACY
Edit: I still have some dried flowers from the first datura that I grew... Maybe I'll take a nibble one day.... nahhhhh.
Restraint, right? Knowing it is there, but not using it...
I'm glad that the thread was revived. The thread is a pheonix! I've always had an affinity for the pheonix archetype.
![Winking face :wink: 😉](/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/nexus/unicode/64/1f609.png)
One thing that I found interesting was the wiki link for TSENTSAK. I am not very familiar with Amazonian traditional practices, but the idea of the "power" being in a shaman's phlegm caught my attention.
From the wiki:
.A shaman must learn to control their darts lest they escape and cause unintended harm. To facilitate control of tsentsak they must be nourished by the consumption of mapacho
A shaman who does not possess the necessary restraint to swallow their tsentsak when they rise to the back of their throat will become a sorcerer or bewitching shaman, while a shaman who can learn to control these urges will become a healer or curing shaman
An apprentice shaman who receives their first tsentsak from a predominantly bewitching shaman is likely to become a sorcerer, while the apprentice that receives their first tsentsak from a curing shaman will most likely become a healer
OK, so those are three quotes from the "Use" section on the wiki. Interesting thoughts. It's strange... the day that I first was gifted DMT from "the biker" (story told in my introduction essay), there was the friend that was with me, and told me that DMT would come to me when the spirit world was ready for me. Prior to the encounter with the biker (that same day), he gave me a bag of seeds. He gave me some rustica pods, and two different types of datura. He told me how to sow the rustica and... (now that I think about it... he was the one who actually gave me the first inhalation of rustica smoke..... Hmmm.)
I had never heard much discussion of datura use prior to that day. I was aware of tobacco and assumed that rustica was used similarly as the "maintream" tobacco - but he told me about a few other ways of using it. After the rustica, I asked about the datura, "So which part do I eat? The leaves? The stem? Seeds? Flower?" He started chuckling and said. "None of it! Grow it, it's pretty. I wouldn't recommend consuming it, though. I did once and..... I'm just glad my girlfriend was there to help. It was pretty much the ultimate trip, but not one that I'd want to go on again."
So, with that in mind, I've only ever grown datura - never eaten it. A friend came over, after I'd been growing it (as well as growing rustica at the same time), and we were talking about the datura. I hadn't told him anything about it other than, "Smell these flowers! I love the way that they smell." He looked at it, and with a disgusted look on his face said, "That's an evil plant." He didn't even bother smelling it. I asked him what was he thought was evil about the plant. He said, "I don't know - it just has something about it." I told him about the use of the plant and also said, "The plant is not evil. The plant just IS. If someone misuses the plant, it can be used for evil deeds. But, that lies on the responsibility of the gardener, right?" He agreed. I asked if he thought I was evil. He said no. I asked if he thought I would ever use it for evil. He said no. So, I asked: "How is the plant evil, then?" He leaned over and smelled it, and said, "It does smell nice... actually."
I still have one little datura that managed to survive a cold freeze that took out many of my other plants... Including the first psychedelic plant that I had sowed - a > 3 meter tall acacia confusa. I watched it grow from a little seedling to a nice tall tree. But, an unexpected cold snap came through and lasted for 3 days (uncharacteristic for this area - it's subtropical with mild winters). I lost a lot of plants during those three days, but that little datura hung in there. It is the the second or third generation from the original datura, I don't remember which generation it is, exactly; I didn't think much of it.
It's still alive, but it's been years since I've grown rustica. I guess I stopped growing it after I had stopped smoking regular tobacco. I did use some of the rustica to make a batch of changa, though... That batch of changa was consumed during one of my experiences, I've published it on the nexus - but I didn't mention running out of crystalline DMT and switching to the rustica changa. I guess I thought that was irrelevant to the story.
You've offered some food for thought. Thanks.
I recently checked in on the friend who initially said that the datura is evil. He's seemingly miserable in life right now. I feel bad for the guy, but... I dunno. It's out of my control and he thinks that the world is "out to get him" and that "no one understands him" and "everyone tries to set things up for him to fail." I can't even have a conversation with him without some woe-is-me type discussion; or dramatic event that has recently occurred. I care for him, because he definitely showed me something... But, I don't know. Something feels off, when I talk to him. It's a draining feeling.
The guy who gave me the seeds.... he seems to be doing great!
Take Care,
ACY
Edit: I still have some dried flowers from the first datura that I grew... Maybe I'll take a nibble one day.... nahhhhh.