Card #38 – Spirit Medicine

You need to be the alchemist of your own inner cauldron. You know the medicine you need better than anyone — find it, make it, use it, and, when appropriate, don’t forget to offer some medicine to others as well. That’s the general meaning, but if psychoactive medicine is indicated, consider the following:

A spirit medicine challenges the present equilibrium in a profound way that opens new perspectives and visions.

Find your spirit medicine (which may or may not be something that crosses the blood-brain barrier), and remember that what works for someone else may not work for you and vice-versa.

Also, what works for you when used consciously, sparingly, and in just the right circumstances might be disastrous as a habit. If you’re using it to relax, unwind, mellow out, fall asleep, etc., you are not using it as a spirit medicine.

Most people use mood-altering substances in a recreational way, not a spiritual way, and therefore have an addictive crutch rather than a spiritual ally. There may be cases where self-medication is appropriate, but that’s a different category than spirit medicine and often becomes self-indulgence and addiction. Using substances for short-term mood adjustment is usually a weakening method while accepting mood fluctuations as part of life and focusing on the next life-affirming action is a strengthening method.

Consider this an auspicious time to evaluate how you use mood-altering substances (if at all) and whether they are allies or crutches.

Google Terence Mckenna for profound, but not always reliable, insights into medicines and go to erowid.org for up-to-date info.

A cautionary tale: Shred to Black — Salvia Blue Moon Apocalypse
Two Ayahuasca trip reports: The Agonizing Enlightenment of Ayahusca
Andrew’s Ayahusca Journey — an Encounter with the Singularity Archetype
If you’ve been abusing substances: Addiction Man