Sharing the Journey's one post at a time
Spreading our Wings to Fly
In this series, we're sharing the stories and experiences of guests coming to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for psilocybin mushroom journey's. Our first story is with Cheryl who visited from Colorado.
Overview:
Guest:
Cheryl – 75 yrs. old; does not take any medications; is in very good health; had been looking forward to meeting the “mushrooms” for 5 years.
Psilocybin Mushroom: Mexican Dutch King mixed in cacao, blue lotus and rose water. Took 6 grams in all.
Indications; In our studies, we are finding elders require more dosage than younger people – even if they do not take SSRI’s or other medications.
Before arriving to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, I asked Cheryl to write a letter to the Mushrooms. This is part of the Vision Quest Journey to connect with the mushrooms and set intentions directly with the spirit of the plant medicine.
Below, is Cheryl’s letter to the mushroom, her experience during the journey and her feedback on Maria Camille, her guide
Dear Mushrooms,
I’ve waited a long time to meet you. I have heard of your tremendous powers of filtering, composting, and connecting. Please share those skills with me, so I can energize everyone around me.
Help me see new worlds of color and beauty. Help the commonplace become sublime. Help patterns and thoughts, sounds, and ideas take on ethereal qualities.
Come to me in your soft unobtrusive way, curl up thought the soles of my feet and course through my veins with bubbling energy. I want to feel alive in every moment.
When I listen to people talk, I will look them in the eyes and listen fully instead of thinking about what I want to say. I will see the spirit in them and know that it is good.
I want to feel balance. It is satisfying and important to get things done, but also to leave space for the magic to happen.
If one of my spirit guides would like to join me, I welcome him, her, or them to the feast.
The Experience
“No, I think I need a little more,” I say to my guide, Maria Camille, as she hands me the final chocolate cube, hand-crafted by a chef in San Miguel of cacao and psilocybin mushrooms. It tastes incredibly delicious.
Gradually, the dark branches of the tree pull me closer and draw me up through the leaves to the blue sky, creating a kaleidoscope of feathery greens and delicate blues, and the entire canopy changes into an exquisite stained glass with ever-changing panes of green, blue, white, and black.
“So beautiful…so beautiful.” I mutter as I move my eyes from the canopy back to the black trunk of the tree. Gradually, I recognize this is more than a simple pink peppercorn tree as it morphs into a gentle Asian spirit guide with branches extended gracefully and wispy air plants encircling her small branches as rings and bracelets. In a moment of recognition, I greet her, “Hello, spirit guide. You have watched over me my whole life, but only now do I know you.”
In my side vision I see Maria watching over me, drawing in positive energy and beauty, her hands joined together in prayer, then her arms extended to embrace the cosmos.
I move my eyes back to the tree’s thick branches, and once again they lead me to the dazzling canopy of blinking blues and greens. With a growing feeling of confidence, I realize I can look away and back again without losing my stained-glass kaleidoscope of sky, clouds, leaves, and branches. I have only to focus on my spirit guide’s thick branches and she ushers me back to the magical scene. I feel the beauty and oneness with this nature scene as I lay on the little bed I made on the patio. The magic of it all is beyond description . . .
Afterward, Maria and I walk down the cobblestones to a restaurant. The walking is slow as I marvel at the beauty of the stones - no longer simple cobblestones in a street - but an ocean floor with shimmering rocks - small and delicate, round, and red, each one intriguing on its own but together creating an exquisite composition.
When we arrive at the restaurant, the laughter begins. Through a window I watch nearby wedding parties gather on the tree-shaded patio. I see mariachi bands in white tuxes-women mariachis too-brides and grooms, girls in fancy gowns, all parading past our window. When I tell Maria to turn around to see the wedding guests, she turns just as a tall paper mache puppet strides past. The huge stature and oddly created face are so unexpected that she turns to me with a look of sheer bewilderment. That look sends me into gales of laughter with my face contorted and tears streaming down my cheeks.
Then Andy, (my son) joins us and everything is suddenly, overpoweringly, funny to all three of us. Our kind waiter, the Spanish names for entrees, the memory of Maria’s expression- each one evokes uncontrollable hilarity. When our guacamole arrives with a side dish of fried grasshoppers, I accidentally pour the entire dish of grasshoppers onto my plate. I try to speak to apologize for taking them all, but I’m laughing too hard to make any sensible words.
That night the beauty of the journey returns in magnificent dreams that I think will last a lifetime.
My Guide
Maria is an amazing guide. I felt so comfortable working with her since she scheduled a Zoom meeting in the first week, so I could meet her virtually. Then we met on Zoom 3 more times before I came to San Miguel. Once in San Miguel, we met in the main square and then went to lunch.
She gave great information. My favorite was an article about how fungus is a filter, composter, and a connector just as shrooms are in a psilocybin experience.
She stressed the importance of preparing-no caffeine, alcohol, or sugar 3 days before the ceremony.
She suggested I journal and write a letter to the mushrooms to describe my intentions. I’m so happy I did because all my intentions were answered.
She recommended various places to stay and we found the absolute perfect place with an amazing patio, which she checked out ahead of time. During the ceremony, she was right by my side, watching over me. Afterward we enjoyed an amazing dinner with lots of laughter.
From the Guide: Maria Camille’s Perspective
Cheryl was an amazing guest, her positive upbeat energy and enthusiasm to visit the mushrooms set the tone and I believe the outcome of her experience.
Added to the experience was the beautiful location under the trees on a patio overlooking a creek with pools of water that came alive with magical brilliance.
As we started into the 4 – 5 hour journey, Cheryl knew she needed more mushrooms . . . I find this is not unusual for us older folks. She ended up taking 6 grams, which would be considered a Hero Dose for most people. (We continue to study the dosing for elders, as the trend shows a normal dose of 2 1/2 to 3 grams is just not sufficient.)
About half way through the afternoon, Cheryl started describing her vision’s in real time, which was so special. No one I’ve worked with has ever done this. She started by saying, “this is so beautiful – this is so beautiful.” After some time we started walking through the nature landscape; the creek and plants seemed to come alive - even for me although I was not partaking. (I have found I can enter this magical space with others even though I may not have taken the mushroom.)
We probably spent a couple of hours on our magical walking trip.
I consider this a “perfect day” – the sense of oneness, beauty, clarity, friendship, and laughter brought it all together.
10-Day Follow-up
Cheryl is now back in Colorado. This is our first follow-up call. When I see Cheryl on our Zoom call, her energy is palatable. She looks beautiful and serene and still bubbly and full of enthusiasm from her journey.
She shares a dream she had during the ceremony where the tree branches below were of dark energy and the branches above was the afterlife. Then she shares a dream she had after getting home where she was in a car crash hitting a wall and found herself in a cocoon of peace where she visited with people she has known through life. She felt all this was a connection with the mushrooms and of “seeing and feeling connection” - - We’ll dwell on this meaning further.
Cheryl says she will continue to take more of the scared mushrooms in the future . . . laughing with new-found wisdom of what’s to be learned.