Converging On Borogegal And Cammeraigal Land
Group Journey In Mosman
Thora. Gumbaynggirr Country. The Dorrigo Plateau. The nearby rainforests are part of the Gondwanaland Rainforests here in Australia. This supercontinent existed 600 million years ago.
The energy of the Songlines reverberates through these hills and the land. This natural world fills my soul with joy and my heart with wonder. It’s a miracle.
Sacred Land
Just about 6 years ago, I passed through here on my way to a Plant Medicine Symposium near Nimbin. I camped just meters away from the Thora Store, which is just down the hill from this home on Waterfall Way. The synchronicity has meaning, but that is for another post.
We wanted to change the world one sip at a time. Calling us zealots would be too strong. As I mentioned before, talking about plant medicine, in particular ‘the plant’ (how we respectfully talked about acacia), seemed to come up in some synchronous conversations. It was rare for us to initiate these conversations.
Nah, wrong. We were disciples.
My mate Joe began inviting people to drink at Acaciaville where the trees turned to rubies and were filled with treasures. I was working with a small group of 3 keen to learn from the plant. All the preliminaries, including setting, pre-drinking diet, a safe or sage word, and intentions, had been discussed weeks in advance. Now we were bringing the tea to Mosman.
Sacred land and costly real estate.
La-de-da. Acaciaville had come to the land of extravagant waterfront homes, boutiques, BMW, and let’s not forget Taronga Zoo. The animals were to be safe from this plant drinking group and our rooms for the evening were in a house used for Yoga classes. We eased into the late afternoon/evening, and the anticipation was palpable.
I had cooked some food and brought post-tea drinking snacks, beer, soft drinks, and the like. Some of the others had also brought food so we were set for the evening.
We intended for 4 of the 5 people to participate in our safe, loving, secure, and non-ceremonial experience, and see where it took us individually and as a group. Joe was sitting out, but he did have some magic in his pocket, which we will get to in a bit. I would partake of the plant, but I would have a little more than a half dose.
Peganum harmala. 2-3 grams brewed into a tea per person brought on the sleepy, sedative effect, and all was going well until it was not. Simone had been overserved and was having a negative reaction to the Syrian rue. She felt nauseous, and long story short, she became an observer for the night. She was lying on the couch, feeling sedated, and we made sure we looked after her.
We had seen this happen before, and we did not follow our gut based on her size and dosage. In retrospect, we did feel bad about this outcome.
Maybe she would drink the elixir from the acacia later, time and her well being would answer that question soon enough. Meanwhile, three of us had our drinks and settled in for an evening that started to bloom slowly but transformed into a marvelous time spent together.
Things took off , and looking back, I don’t believe it was one of our more potent brews. I was lying on a mattress, or a table, or …I was lying on something, letting the feeling wash over me. It was gentle.
Rob was in one of the bedrooms and seemed fine, but was a tad apprehensive when checked on. Tracey was enjoying the sensation, and a lightness filled her being. Her aura was one that I noted as being golden.
Simone groaned lightly on a couch.
Tracey joined Rob and me, drifting slowly, not feeling it like I usually would. I was warmed enough by the tree, but was still able to assist in checking on the group. Joe was a tad more energetic than all of us. We did achieve a balance as the night progressed.
My dosage was light so I had a small hit of changa. The smokeable DMT helped launch me into a beautiful and introspective space for a while. The others had purged some and seemed settled into their experience.
The changa was offered to others. We knew Tracey was keen and we set her up on a mat on the floor of this cozy room and helped administer the pipe. The usual reaction is for people to fall back onto the mattress and exclaim, "Whoaaaaaaaa."
Tracey’s experience was something else. She slowly began speaking aloud, having a conversation with what appeared to be another being. This continued for some time, and then she started speaking in tongues. Joe came over to me and whispered, “Do you think that stuff is working?”
We smiled at the joyous, spiritual reaction that Tracey was experiencing.
She spoke aloud to her spirit friend for close to an hour. Everyone in the room was exhilarated and taken by the experience she was having.
Plant magic.
We were on the land of the Borogegal and Cammeraigal people—traditional owners of this beautiful country. We were one with it all—the warmth of connection and community, marked by a ceremony of caring and love.
Yes, we were looking at having people drink as much of this tea as we could get down their throats. There were roadblocks to turning a beautiful setting into Acaciaville. One of our conversations discussed the duty of care for individuals who shared the medicine with us.
“So, how long are you responsible for people who drink with you?” I was asked.
“Forever….?!”, I answered.
That’s a long time.
More on that later when we delve deeper into the plant community.
Note: Below is the lead-in piece regarding this gathering….
Psychonauts and Changa
Foreword-Whatever your understanding about psychedelics and plant medicine, I want you to know this is not a scientific peer-reviewed study. This multi-part tale is a biographic moment of my life that was enlightening and illuminating. My need to re-visit these moments is part of my continual integration of these experiences and how they positively impacted me. Even as I write these stories, I continue to learn. I hope you enjoy them. Any questions? Let me know in the comments or feel free to chat with me in any way you like. Take care in all you do.