Ash Ritter is an ethnobotanist, multi-disciplinary animist, herbalist, writer and an educator with over 20 years of study in clinical, traditional, academic and directly relational terrains. She is a devotee of curiosity and especially savors the study of history through the woven threads of fungi, people and plants.

Episode Highlights

• Co-evolution with fungi and the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature
• Ash’s apprenticeships in Druid herbalism and Mexican curanderismo
• Exploring ancestry and the significance of traditional plants from Eastern Europe
• The fluidity of lineage and how borders have shaped history
• Ashley’s early psychedelic experiences and curiosity about life’s mysteries
• Exploring the wide variety of psychoactive mushrooms and their unique effects
• Amanita muscaria: Its myth, lore, and complex chemistry
• Safe preparation methods for Amanita muscaria to avoid toxicity
• How Amanita muscaria affects the brain by modulating GABA and reducing overstimulation
• The unpredictable, wild nature of Amanita muscaria and its healing potential
• The importance of foraging and living in a reciprocal relationship with the land
• Amanita muscaria vs. psilocybin mushrooms: Key differences in chemistry and experience
• Amanita’s potential for alleviating chronic pain and enhancing nerve health
• Amanita’s role in dream enhancement and psychological exploration
• The commercialization of cannabis and the spiritual essence being lost in greed
• Plants as living intelligences and the importance of mutual respect in this relationship
• Reverence and humility as key practices in engaging with plant medicines
• Unlocking the full potential of fungi through multi-level extractions
• Exploring the heart-centered chemistry of cacti and their medicinal properties
• Gnosis through working with plants and fungi
• The sacredness of menstruation and the practice of returning blood to the earth
• Engaging the shadow with courage and tenderness through plant medicines
• Exploring feminine wisdom, menstruation, and cultural reconnection to the body
• How art and ancient motifs capture the human story across time and space

Ash Ritter’s Links

• Website: www.blacksagebotanicals.bigcartel.com
• Instagram: @black.sage.botanicals
• Patreon: Ash Ritter - Black Sage Botanicals

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Ash’s Class Cloud
• 9-Hour Course: Merry Mushroom: Amanita Muscaria Ethnomycology, The Updated 2024 Series
• Class Recording: Balms & Broomsticks: The Taboo History & Modern Adaptations of Flying Ointments
• Class Recording: The Forbidden Fruits: Ethnobotany of Enchanted Foods
• Womb Wellness Educator: Mikaela de la Myco
• Movie: Like Water for Chocolate (1992)

Ash Ritter’s Gift to You

• 10% OFF of all digital coursework in the Black Sage Botanicals Class Cloud with code THANKYOUMAMA

Bayo Akomolafe (Ph.D.), rooted with the Yoruba people in a more-than-human world, is the father to Alethea and Kyah, the grateful life-partner to Ije, son and brother. A widely celebrated international speaker, posthumanist thinker, poet, teacher, public intellectual, essayist, and author of two books, ‘These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity's Search for Home’ (North Atlantic Books) and ‘We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak’, Bayo Akomolafe is the Visionary Founder of The Emergence Network and host of the online postactivist course, ‘We Will dance with Mountains’.

Episode Highlights

• Exploring the concept of the "more than human world" and our place within it
• Bayo reflects on his upbringing in a dualistic world and the journey towards non-dual thinking
• The urgency of our times and how our responses can perpetuate deeper crises
• The importance of rethinking our relationships with each other and the world amidst modern challenges
• Sneaking through the “cracks” as a metaphor for exploring new perceptions and experiences
• Cracks as opportunities for transformation rather than mere solutions to problems
• The tension between solutions and cracks, emphasizing the need for experimental approaches
• The modern Western extraction and commercialization of indigenous plant medicines
• Bayo shares thoughts on cultural appropriation versus genuine engagement with earth medicines
• The haunting presence of stolen artifacts in museums and their restless energy as a decolonization narrative
• Understanding how we are shaped by the tools we use
• The interplay between free will and determinism, questioning our agency in a complex world
• The idea of co-emergence as a bridge between free will and determinism in understanding creativity
• Rewilding as an invitation to challenge domesticated perceptions and reconnect with the world
• “Staying with trouble” as an essential practice in embracing chaos and uncertainty
• Failure as a socially constructed concept influenced by cultural narratives
• Embracing creativity through playfulness, allowing art to emerge without rigid expectations
• Parenting a neurodivergent child as a profound learning experience in embracing chaos
• Bayo reflects on his son's unique perspective, encouraging a politics of the seemingly useless
• Closing thoughts on the beauty of embracing uncertainty

Bayo Akomolafe’s Links

• Website: www.bayoakomolafe.net
• Website: www.emergencenetwork.org
• Website: www.dancingwithmountains.com
• Facebook: Bayo Akomolafe

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Book: Migritude by Shailja Patel
• Article: Are ghosts haunting the British Museum?

Mario Alonso Cordero a.k.a “Oneiros Speculum” (The Dream Mirror), was born and raised in Mexico. He is a writer, therapist and an expert in Dreams and Visions, with abundant experience in supporting sacred plant ceremonies and guiding psychedelic integration. He has a master's degree in The Philosophy of Religion and complementary training in Transpersonal Psychology.

Mario has collaborated in different educational and research projects on Psychedelics and Expanded States of Consciousness such as MINDSURF (Psychonautic Education) and is the founder of VIA SYNAPSIS (Academic Congresses) and NIDO (Psychedelic Care in Festivals) and researcher at NIERIKA (Entheogenic Research and Intercultural Therapy).

He has done fieldwork with the Mazatec people of Oaxaca, Mexico, and research on traditional mushroom ceremonies and indigenous perspectives on healing and entheogenic cosmology.

Episode Highlights

• Mario’s journey as an author and his exploration of dreams and psychedelics
• Mario’s first LSD experience at age 16 that reshaped his life path
• Indigenous symbolism and wisdom in Mario’s early psychedelic experiences
• The cultural suppression of sacred plant medicines in Mexico and their revival through the work of Maria Sabina
• The connection between modern psychedelic science and indigenous traditions
• Differences in healing perspectives: Western individualism vs. Indigenous collective approaches
• Indigenous symbolic geographies and how they guide collective consciousness in ceremonies
• Western linear thinking contrasted with indigenous holistic and interconnected worldviews
• Lucid dreaming as a spiritual practice and its relation to waking life
• Psychedelics as opening the doors of perception, expanding beyond ego consciousness
• Terence McKenna’s idea of sacred plants as ambassadors of Gaia, connecting us to plant consciousness
• The risks of spiritual emergencies during psychedelic journeys and the critical role of integration
• Exploring dreams as a language of symbols and their role in integrating psychedelic experiences
• Dream work as a tool to uncover hidden potentials within the psyche for personal growth
• Mario’s online Dream Circle

Mario "Oneiros" Alonso’s Links

• Website: www.onirocosmos.com
• Website: www.refugionido.com
• Instagram: @oneiros_speculum
• Facebook: Autor - Oneiros Speculum

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Book: Onirocosmos: Manual para trabajar y explorar el universo de los sueños by Mario Alonso Martínez Cordero
• Book: Navegar el infinito mar del pensamiento: Una introducción a la filosofía by Mario Alonso Martínez Cordero
• Psychedelic Care in Mexico: NIDO - www.refugionido.com

Mario "Oneiros" Alonso’s Gift to You

• The first 3 people to reach out to Mario at his Instagram’s DM @oneiros_speculum, saying “I’ve heard about you on the Psychedelic Mom Podcast and I want to subscribe to the Dream Circle” will get FREE access to his Dreamastery Dream Circle

Dr. Manesh Girn is a postdoctoral neuroscientist at UCSF and a dynamic educator in psychedelic science. Known for his brain imaging research on the psychedelic experience, he has been lead or co-author on over 20 scientific publications related to psychedelics, brain networks, and abstract cognitive processes. As the driving force behind ‘The Psychedelic Scientist’ on Instagram and YouTube, Manesh brings cutting-edge psychedelic research to the public in an engaging and accessible manner, distilling complex science in a digestible way.

Episode Highlights

• Brain imaging studies on the effects of psilocybin, LSD, and DMT
• Key brain regions impacted by psychedelics, including the transmodal association cortex
• How psychedelics affect the brain’s models of self and world
• Manesh’s first psychedelic experience at 17 years old
• Neuroplasticity and how psychedelics promote new neural connections
• The profound spiritual and physical effects of 5-MeO-DMT
• Differences between the brain effects of 5-MeO-DMT and psilocybin
• The microdosing debate: placebo effects vs. psychedelic-assisted change
• Potential anti-inflammatory and neuroplastic effects of microdosing
• How ketamine affects the brain differently from classic psychedelics
• The importance of lifestyle changes in supporting neuroplasticity after psychedelic journeys
• How psychedelics help reset the nervous system and process trauma
• Combining Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic therapy, and psychedelics for deep healing
• Psychedelics’ potential for enhancing creativity and human flourishing
• Concerns about the misuse and integration of psychedelics in Western systems
• Psychedelics as potential tools for healing systemic and societal trauma
• How changing cultural attitudes towards psychedelics are being driven by younger generations
• Meditation, mindfulness, and psychedelics in personal growth

Dr. Manesh Girn’s Links

• Website: www.maneshgirn.com
• Instagram: @thepsychedelicscientist

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Episode 88 with Zeus Tipado
• Episode 59 with Gul Dölen & Stefanie Cohen
• Netflix Docuseries: (UN)WELL
• Research Report: Mindfulness Meditation Enhances Positive Effects of Psilocybin
• Non-profit Psychedelic Research Organization: Center for Minds

Dr. Manesh Girn’s Gift to You

• Dr. Manesh’s FREE Psychedelics and Neuroplasticity PDF Cheat Sheet, describing 5 steps to rewire your brain with psychedelics

Episode Highlights

• Why psychedelics are considered essential in both ancient and modern medicine bags
• Ancient cultures’ use of medicine bags for spiritual and physical healing
• Psilocybin’s benefits for neuroplasticity and relational healing
• Ketamine’s potential to break cycles of depression and grief
• San Pedro’s lessons on reciprocity and harmony with nature
• Iboga’s deep connection to ancestral healing
• The transformative experience of 5-MeO-DMT and the dissolution of ego
• MDMA as a tool for healing conflict and fostering compassion
• The mood-lifting and brain-boosting effects of subtle medicines like saffron and blue lotus
• The importance of ritual and asking the land’s permission for psychedelic ceremonies
• Integrating deep healing through intentional creativity
• Meditation and breathwork as essential practices for self-awareness
• Reflecting on the role of art and ancient symbols in teaching future generations about healing
• The importance of love, compassion, and non-judgment in the medicine bag

Michaela’s Links

• Website: www.thepsychedelicmom.com
• Instagram: @thepsychedelicmom
• Book an Introductory Consult: www.calendly.com/psychedelicmom

Jasper Degenaars is a mycologist, educator and the Hyphae Headmaster of Fungi Academy. With more than twelve years of mushroom cultivation experience and over 3000 students taught since 2019, he illuminates the intricate world of fungi with passion and expertise.

Episode Highlights

• How a legal loophole kept psilocybin truffles available in the Netherlands
• Jasper’s first transformative experiences with psilocybin truffles
• The evolution of Jasper’s relationship with mushrooms as spiritual teachers
• Understanding the intelligence of fungi and their role in ecosystems
• Fungi’s significance in human evolution
• Evidence of mushroom use in ancient cultures and their methods of consumption
• Differences in mushroom use across various cultures and spiritual practices
• Potential connections between psychedelics and the roots of religious traditions
• Mushrooms revealing challenging aspects of self and inspiring personal growth
• The importance of intention and guidance in psychedelic experiences
• Exploring different methods of ingesting mushrooms and their unique effects
• The symbiotic relationship between humans and fungi in cultivation
• Applying fungi-inspired principles to human relationships and communication
• Cultivating medicinal and gourmet mushrooms for health and well-being
• Fungi’s potential in biodegrading plastics and environmental applications
• Jasper’s upcoming cultivation courses and the community they foster

Jasper Degenaars’ Links

• Website: www.fungiacademy.com
• Instagram: @fungiacademy
• Facebook: Fungi Academy

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Fungi Academy’s 7-Week Online Container: Psychedelic Journeywork Cohort
• Fungi Academy’s Online Sacred Mushroom Cultivation Course
• Fungi Academy’s Lemon TEK Guide
• Book: The Sacred Mushroom and The Cross: A study of the nature and origins of Christianity within the fertility cults of the ancient Near East by John M. Allegro
• Esoteric Culture Author: Julian Vayne
• The Five Practices of Authentic Relating
• Study: Comparative Acute Effects of Mescaline, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, and Psilocybin in a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Cross-over Study in Healthy Participants

Jasper Degenaars’ Gift To You

• Access to Fungi Academy’s FREE online courses

My deepest thanks to all the underground medicine people who are dedicating their lives to the service of humanity through the sacred work with psychedelics and earth medicines. Your wisdom, courage, and commitment to healing, growth, and connection are a gift to us all. You carry forward ancient traditions and pioneer new paths, reminding us of the deep, transformative power of these sacred plants and substances. We honor your service, your sacrifices, and your profound impact on our collective journey toward wholeness.

Episode Highlights

• The critical role of surrender in 5-MeO-DMT experiences
• How 5-MeO-DMT became a pivotal force in Rudra’s life, leading to profound changes in his relationship to his queer and South Asian identities
• Exploring the intensity of 5-MeO-DMT and its power to create a direct experience of oneness
• Incorporating Vedic deities into the ceremonial container
• The potential risks and rewards of using psychedelics as spiritual tools
• The different stages of spiritual realization
• The loss of the Divine Feminine in modern society
• The benefits of combining psilocybin with low-dose 5-MeO-DMT
• Reframing duality and nonduality as divine play rather than a paradox
• The crucial integration of Shakti and Shiva energies in 5-MeO-DMT ceremonies
• Tapping into the 5-MeO-DMT state through meditation and breathwork
• The historical use of 5-MeO-DMT in Buddhist traditions
• Advocating for the reclassification of psychedelics as sacred medicines
• The benefits of combining multiple medicines in ceremonial settings
• The power of 5-MeO-DMT in bringing about self-love and clarity
• 5-MeO-DMT’s ability to provide profound insights and guide life decisions
• Integrating 5-MeO-DMT’s lessons into daily life
• Embracing both duality and nonduality

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Book: EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy for Depression: A New Approach for the Whole Person by Bill Brennan and Alex Belser

My deepest thanks to all the underground medicine people who are dedicating their lives to the service of humanity through the sacred work with psychedelics and earth medicines. Your wisdom, courage, and commitment to healing, growth, and connection are a gift to us all. You carry forward ancient traditions and pioneer new paths, reminding us of the deep, transformative power of these sacred plants and substances. We honor your service, your sacrifices, and your profound impact on our collective journey toward wholeness.

Episode Highlights

• Exploring 5-MeO-DMT and its profound effects
• Rose's first experience receiving 5-MeO-DMT
• The potentially transformative effect of 5-MeO-DMT a person’s spirituality
• The diverse range of experiences during 5-MeO-DMT sessions
• The critical importance of preparation when working with 5-MeO-DMT
• The role of surrender in the 5-MeO-DMT experience
• Challenges faced by facilitators during difficult sessions
• The facilitator's perspective on witnessing intense emotions
• Stories of working with 5-MeO-DMT when deep grief is present
• Using parts work in conjunction with 5-MeO-DMT therapy
• The significance of witnessing and validating client’s emotions
• Long-term life changes after 5-MeO-DMT
• Turning away clients: the importance of having support structures
• Reactivations and cannabis use post-5-MeO-DMT
• The challenges of working underground as a facilitator
• Further reflections on the importance of intention and surrender