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Red Temple Cult that can be spoken of is not the true
Red Temple CultA Primer on the Spiritual Use of Salvia Divinorum
This brief primer is intended for those of us who are interested in using
the entheogenic plant Salvia divinorum entheogenically, to "generate (an
awareness of) the Divine within."
We can conceptualize 'the Divine' in many ways, and the term 'Divine'
evokes a variety of reactions, some positive, and some negative. We can
easily substitute other terms for the Divine (e.g., ground of being, life
force, the Great Spirit, Tao, Brahman, universal energy, etc.) which will in
no way change or diminish That which is within us; take your pick, make
up a new name for God, or just let Him/Her/It be nameless and let it go at
that.
The power of entheogens such as Salvia divinorum lies in their ability
to help us go beyond conceptual thinking about divinity; we can directly
experience the divinity within us, if we want to.
The Mazatec people of Mexico who use Salvia divinorum as a
medicine and religious sacrament have a word for this something-that-
lives-in-all-of-us-as-us: the Inyimano, or soul/heart/life.
This life within each of us, this universal Inyimano, is our true self,
life itself, God, the Great Spirit, universally and eternally alive. Salvia
divinorum, when used wisely, can help reacquaint us with the Inyimano.
Salvia divinorum is a religious sacrament, a tool of the shamans, a
powerful medicine, and must be used carefully, with great respect. The
Salvia plant spirit teaches and heals when approached humbly with an
open mind and pure heart.
Guidelines on the Wise Use of Salvia Divinorum
Salvia is a powerful sacrament, and should be used with respect,
reverence, and the purest intent. Frivolous use of this entheogen can be
extremely unpleasant. We must be receptive to the truth, and have
sufficient maturity to be able to recognize, and benefit from, the profound
revelations Salvia can catalyze. Such inner journeys require great
courage, for they take us to territory usually unknown to us.
Assuming we have already read the important safety guidelines, the
descriptions of effective techniques, as well as much useful--and
fascinating--background information about Salvia divinorum found at
http://www.sagewisdom.org (particularly the Users Guide and the FAQ, found
at this site), we can go right into a few suggestions to help ensure that
our Salvia experiences are as spiritually rewarding as possible.
About Using the Substance Salvia
The oral, or sublingual methods (holding quid, blackwax extract, or
tincture in the mouth) are preferable, if for no other reason than the
relatively long duration of the experience. The effects of Salvia taken
sublingually emerge gradually, giving us an opportunity to adapt to shifts
of perspective. Smoking Salvia tends to produce brief, abrupt effects with
less time to adapt or to incorporate the experience. Start with small
quantities of sublingual Salvia and gradually increase the amount for
entheogenic breakthrough. Try ½ gram dried plain leaf quid and work up
from there until desired results are obtained. It's essential to follow proper
technique to achieve results. Each physiology is different.
Fresh leaves contain more than just salvinorin-A. Whenever possible,
use fresh leaves, deep green and filled with energy. There is powerful
magic in fresh leaves.
One fresh leaf, chewed as a quid, is a good way to start, and for some of us
one leaf may be more than enough. We can add more leaves, one at a
time, until the Salvia energy manifests in us to where we have the vision
of the Inyimano.
Growing Salvia divinorum and chewing the fresh leaves is the
approach used by Mazatec shamans, and is considered the most traditional
and respectful way to use it. Cultivating Salvia helps ensure that it will
always be available for us. Just as Salvia grows freely and gives us the
sublime gift of our own true nature, we can bestow the gift of the plant
Salvia upon each other. Salvia gives us so much. The least we can do to
reciprocate is to tend our Salvia plants and give them away far and wide so
that Salvia will always survive, sharing its life and blessings with us
forever.
About the Mindset
The mindset that works best for spiritual experience with Salvia is
humility.
Our conscience should be clear. We should strive to be on good terms
with everyone. Forgiveness heals damaged relationships, even if it can be
only unilateral at first. We are always in each other's shoes, a fact Salvia
makes abundantly clear.
Becoming as unencumbered, undistracted and unburdened as possible
helps with the transformation we undergo during the Salvia experience.
Salvia can reveal unexpected solutions to our problems, and provide
answers to questions that we didn't think to ask.
If we seek wholeness, the Salvia experience can help us return to
wholeness.
Keen self-awareness, the capacity to dispassionately experience one's
sensory, emotional and mental activities, is important when a powerful
plant energy such as Salvia is taken in. Nonattachment to a particular
perspective is essential, as Salvia opens us up and changes our perspective
profoundly.
An attitude of gratitude for life itself is of immeasurable benefit.
We should be as open-minded and free from preconceptions as
possible. We are looking for firsthand experience of the truth of our being;
second-hand knowledge, no matter how compelling the source, is still
second-hand. There are, however, second-hand sources that are useful in
developing a mindset ripe for transformation from a culturally-
conditioned-self-awareness to True-Self awareness: the Upanishads, the
Tao Te Ching, the Sutras, and other inspired written works have a mind-
expanding effect when read
with a receptive mind, getting us to ask, as did the authors, 'Who Am I?'
We should be physically comfortable. When we are in a condition of
relaxed receptiveness we will be able to better handle the influx of the
formidable energy Salvia
unleashes.
A healthy lifestyle helps provide a foundation of well-being that will
serve us well both during the Salvia experience and afterward as we
continue to mature spiritually. The Salvia experience can inspire us to
make changes in our way of life.
Our intent is our destiny, with or without entheogens. What we want,
we will get. If we want to see the truth and merge with the truth, if we
want to heal and be healed, Salvia can be very helpful.
About the Setting
Perfect solitude is the best setting. With cautious use of Salvia,
starting with very small amounts, we can gradually work up to reach the amount
where our journey is optimized. The setting should be safe, secure, out of
sight and out of earshot, quiet and comfortable. An hour or two of free
uninterruptible time is enough. Sit with spine comfortably straight, with
perineum planted solidly on firm chair or cushion, or lie down. Have a
mat, sofa or bed nearby for supporting the body when it becomes
completely relaxed in the course of a strong Salvia experience. The
revelations of the deep Salvia experience are at times visceral and
intimate. We should be in a place where we can be free in every respect,
with no constraints of mind or body. Baring body as well as soul is
sometimes required as the realization of our true being unfolds.
Using Salvia outdoors, in a natural setting, is wonderful. The
perception of the Inyimano in every living thing is enhanced with Salvia,
becoming an ecstatic communion with the natural world.
Having a trusted, mature, nonjudgmental individual to serve as a sitter
is prudent, especially when our response to Salvia is not yet known. The
sitter should be as unobtrusive as possible so that the journey may unfold
without distraction.
Being in a quiet, dark, comfortable room with no safety hazards is the
gold standard of settings for entheogenic experiences with Salvia. We are
in a very special, sensitive, heightened state of being when the plant spirit
of Salvia takes us over. Think of the entheogenic Salvia journey as a hunt
for the truth: the truth is subtle and elusive, and will slip away if
approached aggressively, impatiently, demandingly. Be receptive, and be
ready to recognize the living truth when it appears in its overwhelming,
undeniable power; in this moment, we realize that Salvia really hunts us, if
we are ready to be captured. Let go and surrender to the Inyimano.
A good setting helps make us receptive to the subtle, profound lessons
Salvia provides. Taking care to have an optimal set and setting will make
all the difference when it comes to having a meaningful entheogenic
experience. As Salvia divinorum facilitates becoming one with the
surroundings, we should be in the environment we would most like to
become one with.
About Ritual
Ritual involves both mindset and setting. We all have our own way of
preparing for an encounter with deep reality, e.g., with meditation, prayer,
placement of objects of veneration, burning incense. Planning Salvia
experiences around auspicious times such as the solstices, equinoxes, and
particular phases of the moon can be beneficial. Practicing the rituals of
the earth-centered religions may be helpful. We should do whatever
works for us to invoke a humble, receptive mindset to prepare for the
Salvia experience.
About the Experience
Words are inadequate to describe the changes that happen to our
awareness during the Salvia experience. The changes must be
experienced firsthand. The changes can be profound. The changes
involve our livingness, our life force. Total surrender to the changes is the
best approach, letting go and letting the life force take over. The deep
Salvia experience is one of reunion with nature, with life itself. We leave
the culturally-conditioned human perspective and identity behind, and take on
the perspective and identity of life. This is both a humbling and a liberating
experience.
About the Aftermath
A genuine entheogenic experience, whether brought about by life-
changing event, near-death experience, deep contemplation or entheogenic
substances, will change us in ways we could never imagine.
The shift from conditioned identity to universal identity makes
demands on us that we must be prepared to accept. The entheogenic
breakthrough is wonderful, but it's the follow-through in daily life that
matters, how we are in the moment, in every relationship.
The Salvia experience empowers us through the direct experience of
our inmost nature. This empowerment, to be meaningful and beneficial, is
for us to apply every day, in 'ordinary' consciousness. The quality of our
being determines the quality of our expressions; our expressions will
change others, just as others' expressions have changed us.
Even in the midst of a culture enthralled by words, conceptual thinking
and materialism we can help spiritualize it by working *through* words,
concepts, and material technology, even though these things in themselves
are lifeless distractions, not the living truth.
After we find the Garden of Eden within, it's up to us to help restore the
Garden of Eden without. Cultural transformation begins with us.
The spiritual rebirth facilitated by the Salvia experience gives us an
opportunity to reclaim our innate innocence and purity, our true nature, if
we want it. To remain in this blessed estate requires dedication to, and
expression of, unconditional love, courage, integrity and honesty: living
the sacred life. After we have been truly blessed we bless others by the
way we are.
The body is indeed the temple of the Holy Spirit. Practices which
enhance the free flow and balance of life force such as Tai Chi, yoga,
meditation, massage, stretching, deep relaxation and being physically
active helps enhance health, well-being and longevity. Salvia helps
remind us to be free in the body, enjoying and honoring the divine being.
Spiritual cross-training is a good idea. Learn, and practice, some of the
many spiritual disciplines: core shamanism, meditation, chanting, Sufi
dancing, yoga, to name but a few. Salvia is an enormously useful adjunct
to any spiritual discipline.
While it is certainly true that 'what comes out of our mouth defiles us,
not what goes into our mouth' our diet should be based on considerations
of sustainability and compassion for all sentient beings; veganism is an
excellent way to survive, whenever possible. Plant energies are healthy
and, especially in the case of Salvia, heal and nourish the spirit.
Salvia facilitates a spiritual awakening within us. The prevailing
culture is a de facto conspiracy intent on keeping us attached to
assumptions, pleasures and possessions, distracting us through mass media
and ubiquitous mental and physical constructs. This
culture is destroying the biosphere while it separates us from each other
and the natural world. Entheogenic experiences release us from this
cultural imprisonment, and enable us to experience our true nature. Help
restore the biosphere and our individual and collective wholeness by
creating a sacred and sustainable culture that follows the green path of life.
We see with the eyes of life. Life recognizes life, and life loves life.
To be life itself, recognizing and loving life in every form, is freedom and
immortality, our life's work and our perfection.
Swaying in bliss, raised up in slow serene strength, we enjoy the
flowing freedom, as knowing loving tendrils of the Living One.
The Future of the Sacrament Salvia Divinorum
There is much fear and ignorance in our prevailing culture regarding
entheogens, which are viewed by many people as dangerous to the
individual and to society. By using Salvia and other powerful entheogens
sacramentally, we will show by our example that wise use of entheogens
can help make us better individuals, and thereby help make a better
society.
Even though Salvia is currently legal, there is no guarantee this will
always be the case. Discreet, mature, respectful use of Salvia is the best
way to help keep Salvia legal.
This is a critical time for Salvia, for us, and for the planet. The
salvation of the world lies in a widespread, radical change of perspective.
Salvia enlists us to be spiritual revolutionaries, to be the life spirit's
agents of change. Salvia, and the life spirit vision, is to be shared far and
wide. We would do well to grow Salvia and share it freely, far and
wide. Our species will be transformed, one member at a time, by the
grace of the life spirit.
Just as the indigenous people who first discovered Salvia divinorum
managed to preserve this precious gift of life through centuries of religious
and political oppression, so shall we.
May the healing revelatory power of Salvia divinorum be always with
us.
