Today's special is something, well, special! But before we dive deeper into the rabbit hole, I would like to note that the following chapters can and should be understood as a direct continuation of chapter "1.3 - Finger snaps", in which we have already touched a little on the origin myth. Here we will return to the origins quite extensively and at length. Extensively and extensively, you can imagine it to be like a real, full-blown chapter of 18 book pages that has come together here.

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With this in mind

I wish you lots of fun and

🌠 Merry Christmas ✨

James Arthur wrote in "Mushrooms and Mankind": "So why do people bring pine trees into their homes at the winter solstice, placing colorful red and white packages under their branches as gifts to show their love for one another and as a representation of God's love and the gift of his Son's life? It is because under the pine branch is exactly the place where you will find this most sacred substance, the Amanita Muscaria, the fly agaric, in nature". End quote.

...Have you ever wondered why we cut down fir trees at Christmas and bring them into our homes? Why do we adorn them with imaginative decorations and put presents under them? Did Coca Cola really invent Santa Claus? And why does Rudolph the reindeer actually have a red nose?

Do you know the story of the fly agaric? This is the subject of a book by a man called John Marco Allegro, an Oxford graduate who was appointed in 1953 as one of nine members of the international team of scientists to decipher the "Dead Sea Scrolls".

They comprise around 15,000 fragments from around 850 scrolls from ancient Judaism, which were written by at least 500 different authors between 250 BC and 40 AD.

Allegro spent 14 years studying and deciphering these scrolls from the Dead Sea. His conclusion: the whole of Christianity was a massive misunderstanding and what it was originally about were stories based on fertility rituals and psychedelic mushroom consumption

There it is, the red and white mushroom, the fly agaric, which grows almost exclusively under pine trees. James Arthur in his book "Mushrooms and Mankind": "The pine tree is one of the best-known, essential remnants of Christmas. Under this tree, those who are considered good find their reward in the form of a gift. A large red and white mushroom grows under such a tree, under which we also find our presents on Christmas Eve". End quote.

Its psychoactive ingredient is muscimol as well as a detected amount of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an entheogen naturally produced in the pineal gland of the brain. The pinecone-shaped pineal gland is an organ that produces the same DMT found in this pine mushroom and much more. DMT, a potent entheogen and an extremely powerful psychedelic, has been used by indigenous ethnic groups since time immemorial, for example in the form of the shamanic jungle potion ayahuasca (Chapter 2.1 - Who Am I?). DMT is almost ubiquitous and therefore anything but an exotic substance. On the contrary: DMT appears to be one of the most normal substances in nature, which is why the American chemist and psychonaut pioneer Sasha Shulgin (1925-2014) stated: "DMT is everywhere". DMT is also known as the molecule of consciousness and it reveals experiences to experimenters that are beyond the imagination of our everyday consciousness. More on this later.

From 1990 to 1995, Dr. Rick Strassman conducted DEA-approved clinical research at the University of New Mexico and wrote in "DMT: The Spirit Molecule": "DMT exists in every one of our bodies and is found throughout the animal and plant kingdoms. It is part of the normal makeup of humans and other mammals, marine animals, grasses and peas, toads and frogs, fungi and molds, barks, flowers and roots. DMT is in that flower there, in that tree there and in every animal. It's simply everywhere you look. In fact, you come to the realization that if DMT is not found, it's worth reporting." End quote.

The Christmas colors green, white and red come from the Christmas tree and the red and white mushrooms underneath it. The English word for Christmas "Christmas" originally comes from the Egyptian "KRST" the anointed one and "Mes", the sacred cake made and eaten annually by the Egyptians. This holy supper was originally made from the fly agaric or was the mushroom itself, as we will see later. This custom existed throughout the ancient world; most of the symbolism recognized today in this regard comes from pre-Christian northern Europe.

Well, what does it mean to be "Christian"? As a Christian, I understand your concern very well about the image of Christianity that may now be opening up. From the origin of the word, "Christian" means "anointed".

Today, what it means to be Christian is being given a whole new coat of paint. To this day, "anointing" (to anoint "to spread with an ointment") is part of several sacraments and sacramentals of the Catholic Church. In Christianity, a sacrament is a rite (anointing) which, as a visible sign or visible action, makes an invisible reality of God present and allows us to participate in it.

[ I would like to present this sacrament here ]

James Arthur again: "The term 'Christmas' is composed of the words Christ (meaning someone anointed with the magical substance) and Mass (a special religious ceremony of the sacramental eating of the Lord's Supper, the body of Christ). In the Catholic tradition, this substance of the body was replaced by the doctrine of transubstantiation, where in a magical ceremony the priest claims to have the ability to transform a wafer into the true body of Christ; that is, a substitute or "placebo". End quote.

Dana Larsen "The Psychedelic Secrets of Santa Claus", quote: "Although most people think of Christmas as a vacation, most of the symbols and images we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanic traditions of the tribes of pre-Christian northern Europe. The sacred mushroom of these people was the red and white fly agaric. These people lived in dwellings made of birch wood and reindeer skin, called "yurts". Similar to the tepees of the North American First Nations, the main opening of the yurt is often used as an entrance for the smoke. After picking the mushrooms from their place under the sacred trees, the shamans used to carry their filled sacks to the people's yurts. They would climb down the chimney or entrance and distribute the mushrooms as gifts to the inhabitants of the yurt. Santa Claus dresses just like a mushroom picker. When it was time to go out and harvest the magical mushrooms, the ancient shamans used to dress like Santa Claus. Wearing a red and white fur-trimmed coat and long black boots". End of quote.

Until this day, the Siberian shamans dress in ceremonial red and white fur-trimmed jackets to collect the magic mushrooms.

First they take the mushrooms and dry them on pine branches, which makes them ready for ingestion and lightens the load to be carried. This is the reason why we decorate our Christmas trees with ornaments and lights, because the gatherers used to decorate the trees with drying mushrooms. Next, the shaman puts his red and white presents in a sack and sets off to go from house to house to deliver them. During Siberian winters, the snow piles up above the doors of their yurts, so the shaman dressed in red and white has to climb down the smoke vents to distribute the gifts in his sack.

Finally, the grateful villagers hang up the mushrooms or put them in stockings and hang them by the fire to dry. When they look later, their gifts under the pine tree are all dried and ready to eat.

Dana Larsen: "The fly agaric has to be dried before you eat it. The drying process reduces the poison content of the mushroom and increases its potency. The shaman used to guide the group in lining up and hanging the mushrooms to dry by the fire. This custom is still reflected today in the American custom of stringing up popcorn, cranberries and other things and hanging them on the tree". End of quote.

And James Arthur wrote: "The ancient shamanic use of the fly agaric in Siberia is richly documented. Despite state suppression against its use, there are still many who refuse to accept the official state religion and continue shamanic practices in secret. Just as the shamans used to collect mushrooms in a sack, which they brought with them when they performed a ceremony, Santa Claus also brings presents in a sack on Christmas Eve". End of quote.

James Arthur again: "St. Nicholas, known as the patron saint of children, is the most revered saint in Russia, second only to the apostles. He is the Russian Orthodox Church's substitute for the shaman, who is highly revered by the local people. A shaman is a holy man who is well versed in a type of spirituality that enables herbal entheogens, a near-death experience or an out-of-body experience. St. Nicholas may not have been a shaman, but the symbolism on and color of his robe could lead to this assumption." End quote.

Siberian reindeer also like to eat toadstools, which is why they are often used to track down herd-keeping locals. Since one of the hallucinatory experiences one often feels when taking psychedelic mushrooms is flying, the myth of Santa's flying reindeer is probably derived from there.

According to Dana Larsen: "Reindeer were the sacred animals of these semi-nomadic peoples, as the reindeer provided them with food, shelter, clothing and other necessities. Reindeer also love to eat toadstools. They seek them out and then prance around under their influence. The effects of the mushrooms usually include distortions of perception and flying. The sensation of flying may be responsible for the legends of flying reindeer and legends of shamanic journeys include stories of winged reindeer; taking their riders to the highest branches of the Tree of Life". End quote.

The flying reindeer sleighs and the whole Santa Claus mythology originated in Siberia, where St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, is a substitute for the local shamans.

Dana Larsen again: "Santa's famous miraculous journey, in which his sleigh takes him around the world in a single night, derives from the celestial chariots used by the gods from whom Santa Claus and other shamanic figures originated. The chariot of Odin, Thor and even the Egyptian god Osiris is known as the Big Dipper, which is a constellation known to orbit the North Star Polaris in a 24-hour period. In versions differing from ancient history, the chariot was pulled by reindeer or horses. When the animals became exhausted, their saliva mixed with blood fell to the ground, forming the "toadstools". End quote.

James Arthur again: "It is somewhat generally agreed that Santa Claus or St. Nicholas was an amalgamation of older Germanic Norse gods such as Thor, Dona, Odin and Wotan. The only difference is that Santa Claus flies through the sky in his sleigh and Odin and the rest ride through the sky in his chariot, which is depicted in the constellation of the Big Dipper. The Big Dipper is the chariot of Odin and Wotan, Thor, King Arthur and even Osiris of Egypt. The chariot, which orbits the North Star in a 24-hour period, is therefore also known as Santa's sleigh because it circles its mythological home, the North Pole. It is not surprising that Nordic, Germanic gods have links to mushrooms in mythology. When Thor throws his mushroom-shaped hammer to the ground, powerful thunder and lightning strikes cause real mushrooms to appear. When the horses pulling Odin across the sky in his chariot were overworked, their saliva mixed with blood falls to the ground and causes toadstools to grow in exactly these places". End quote.

Osiris was probably the first Santa Claus in ancient Egypt to drive his flying chariot to and from the North Pole. He was born on December 25th and was celebrated by putting presents under a Christmas tree. At least according to James Arthur, who says in the next paragraph that Isis saw a cedar fir tree that grew to full size overnight after Osiris died. This was seen as a sign from Osiris.

How the ancient Egyptians could have known about the presumably rather locally uncommon conifers can be explained by the fact that ancient Egyptian culture extended to areas where such cedars grew and from travelers to distant lands it is quite conceivable that the cedar found its way into stories, myths and legends.

James Arthur: "Not only did Osiris roam the heavens in a chariot. After his death, Isis found that a fir tree had grown overnight from a dead stump to full size (which was taken as a sign of Osiris' rebirth and immortality). Interestingly, the traditional birth of Osiris is December 25th, which is celebrated annually by placing gifts under the cedar tree. This tradition is at least 5000 years old. The birth of Horus by the divine virgin mother Isis is perhaps the oldest account of goddess-son mythology, but this or the actual age of the astro-theological zodiacal "virgin gives birth to child-god-star mythology" is impossible to know with certainty. However, this is the oldest source I have found." End quote.

If you look at the myth of Christmas in the mushroom context, then Santa Claus is not an acquiescent, all-knowing listmaster. He is an entheogen, a plant or substance that is said to bring out the god in you. The word breaks down En (for within) theo (for God) and gen (for generate, produce). En-theo-gen, generate the God in you.

The term "consecration" is also a very interesting one. A consecration (from Proto-Germanic weiha-, "holy, consecrated, numinos") is a religious ceremony that can refer to people or things. The consecrated person or thing is no longer intended for normal, profane "use", but for a different, religious and symbolic purpose. Someone or something is removed from worldly "use" and placed in the sole service of God.

If you have ever taken an entheogen, such as psilocybin, DMT, peyote, ayahuasca, then you are already aware of the spiritual or even religious experiences associated with it. As anyone who has tried them knows, and almost no one who hasn't does not firmly deny it, these entheogens bring us into direct contact with the divine spark within us. They allow us access to a higher consciousness and open the third eye. The outer, material world dissolves and the five senses return to a state of one sense, one consciousness.

Part 1 ends here

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