What's Your Take on Cultural Appropriation?

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"I dedicate my entire life to it. I never shared a tradition from Africa when there's a learn. I never worked," she says of ayahuasca ceremonies. "These medicines are very, very, very sacred and they're not to be taken out to have fun ... People come to our ceremonies. Sometimes they behave like they're in the living room of their house."

This episode is about 'Grandfather Medicine,' Peyote. It's truly is a mysterious and beautiful plant, and a ceremonial tradition that must be experienced to understand fully.

Peyote's healing power is immense, and in many ways, beyond the scope of words. But if anyone can express its healing potential and rich traditional history, it's today's guests. They have requested anonymity due to this episode's legally sensitive nature, but their expertise is beyond question and deeply inspiring.

This episode was recorded on location in the desert on the morning after a peyote ceremony I had participated in, while I was very much under the spell of this mysterious medicine. I sat down with our guest couple to discuss in great detail their magical lives as ceremony facilitators and the epic tales of all-things Peyote — including my personal experiences with them, which as of now, total six.

These are two of the most inspiring people I have ever met, and to watch them work together so powerfully in unity during ceremonies has been incredibly transformative. I will never be the same after meeting them.

As per all episodes that focus on the use of plant medicines or psychedelics, I feel obliged to issue the following disclaimer: These experiences are not for everyone, at all times, nor am I promoting them as such. I am merely documenting my journey and curiosity to learn more, further expand my spiritual awareness, and deepen my healing. One must give careful consideration to set, setting, and personal motives (and the motives of those facilitating such explorations) before venturing into the life-altering world of any such potent medicine.

That said, when used wisely, intentionally, and with reverence and respect, substances like Peyote have the potential to heal the minds and hearts of not only individuals but also humankind collectively. And lord knows we could use some of that.

09:28 — How they met

Having a shared interest in plant medicine
Wanting to be around each others energy
Traveling together through lifetimes
Opening your heart

18:43 — Their first experience with entheogens

Starting casually
Interests in anthropology and studying cultures
Discovering how peyote can be so healing
Going to the desert every year
Becoming part of the community
The ceremony of Merakame

28:08 — The history and lineage of peyote

How long peyote has been in use
The native areas that used peyote
Showing respect to heritage
The active ingredients in peyote
The perfection of nature
Opening doors in our hearts

38:19 — Learning about the sacred plants

Studying with indigenous elders
Giving yourself to the path
Spending time in native communities
Receiving the teaching from the plants
Letting go of untruth

43:10 — Cultural appropriation

The intention behind it
Losing sight of what’s sacred
Making commitments to ourselves
Sharing something sacred
Valuing people’s traditions

57:27 — What the ceremony is about

Luke’s experience with the ceremony
Letting go what’s inside of us
What the medicine does for our body

01:06:25 — The foundation

Giving tools to connect to the elements
Knowing how to creating a relationship with the earth
Giving a fair exchange
The Boa Foundation

01:12:39 — Harvesting the medicine

Preparing yearly to go into the desert
The ancient tradition of the pilgrimage
Sustainably harvesting for the future
The process of preservation, care, and transportation

01:20:14 — Moments of healing

A man whose prayers were answered
Meeting a soulmate
Reconnecting with ancestors and loved ones
Seeing miraculous things constantly

01:26:21 — The challenges of the ceremony

Struggling with sleep deprivation and the reasons for it
Having the discipline to see it through
Transcending physical limitations

01:39:19 — Human sexuality and monogamy

Wasting our sexual energy
Relationships as a mirror into ourselves
The practice of sacred sex
The difference between love and lust

01:45:02 — Their amazing cat

What breed is this magnificent creature?
How much does he weigh?
How he protects people
Changing his personality with a microdose of peyote

More about this episode.

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