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30AJournalofContemporaryShamanismVOLUME7ISSUE2FALL2014Duringthe1760sascholarlytravelernamedJohannGotlliebGeorgibeganstudyinganindigenouscultureinaremoteregionoRussia.HecomparedthewomenshamansothatcommunitytotheancientGreekoraclesnotingtheconnectionbetweenshamanismandthesacredarts.TeseartswerepracticedwithintheancientpriestesshoodsoGreece.Johannobservedthesimilari-tiesbetweenthecontemporaryshamansandtheirancientsisterswhospokeinaoweryunclearlanguage.Heopenedthedoororlatertravellerstostudytheseculturesanddiscovertherichhistoryoshamanismasaemininetradition.RositaArvigodoesnotworkwiththevisionaryplants.SheisanherbalistandMayamedicineteacherwellknownorherhealingworkwithMayaabdominalmassage.ShewrotearecentarticleontheMayanpriestessesothegoddessIxChelmotherotheearthertilitymid-wieryplantmedicinethesacredwatersandthemoon.2TesepriestesseslivedatasanctuaryinCozumelwheretheystudiedandpracticedtheseartsindevo-tiontothegoddess.TissanctuarywasalsohometotheoracleoIxChel.Tiswasashamanicwomanwhomostlikelyworkedwithvisionaryplantmedicineslikepsilocybinmushroomsenteringatrancestatetocommunewiththegod-dessandbringorthhermessages.MushroomsasTeacherHealerMyownshamanicworkhasevolvedconsiderablythroughmyreverentuseothesacredmushroom.Iellintotheseexplorationsveryorganicallyasmyshamanicpracticedeepened.WithnowomanshamantoguidemeIhavehadtoopentothisancientplantteacherandhumblymakemyselavailabletoitswisdom.Itwasthroughmyconcertede-ortstoplumbthedepthsothemysterythatIbegantoexperiencethetemporaryspiritpossessionthathaslongbeenacomponentothiswork.TesebeingsasIcallthemcommunicatewithmeandthroughmeandtheyoerwisecounselorthepeopleIworkwith.InOaxacaMexicoashamannamedJulietaCasimiroworkswiththesacredmushroomtohealthepeoplewhocometoher.Sheisoneothe13IndigenousGrandmothersandhasbeenverycandidaboutherworkwiththeplantmedi-cine.Duringahealingsheingeststhemushroomsalongwithherclient.Shesaysthatthemushroomsreadthebloodotheclientandcommunicatetohertheimbalancesinthebody.Temush-roomsthentellherwhatmustbedonetorestorehealth.3Ifndthisascinatingrommyownexperiencewiththemushroom.Inmyworktheemphasisisonthepsychologi-calstateomyclients.Temushroomexplainedtomethatateritisingesteditstudiesthequalityotheheartandthemind.TeplantintelligenceisinakindohyperspaceandreadstheanalysislikeadoctorsnoteaskingHowcanwehelpHowcanwehelpHowcanwehelpItthengivestheseekeranexperienceorawarenessthatwillassistthemtoshittheirparadigm.Myroleistomidwiethemthroughtheexperienceasneedbeandtohelpthemintegratetheteachingsaterwards.InroadstoUnderstandingandAcceptanceTisissacredworkandalthoughitisnotsupportedtodaybyourmodernwesternculturetherearegrowingnum-bersopeopleendeavoringtoeducatethepublicabouttheprooundhealingpoten-tialstheplantsandungioer.NumerousconerenceshavecroppedupoverthelastewyearssuchasM.A.P.S.theMulti-DisciplinaryAssociationoPsychedelicStudieswhichgatherstogetheroverahundredresearchersromcountriesaroundtheworldtodiscusstheirfndingsonthesubject.OtherplantmedicineconerencesaretakingplaceinCanadaEuropeandtheU.S.Terehasbeendiscussioninthepsychedeliccommunityaboutthedearthowomenspeakersattheseevents.OnewomanAnnieOaknoticedthisseveralyearsago.Shetoldmeshegrewtiredoattendingconer-encesomostlymalespeakerswithaewtokenwomen.WithgreatcreativespiritandtenacityAnniecreatedTeWomensVisionaryCongress4whichhasoeredwomentheopportunitytosharetheirplantmedicineresearchorthepasteightyears.Menareinvitedtospeakaswellbutwomenpredominateandshareasart-istsactivistsresearchersandpracticingshamans.Itiswithinthissaesupportiveenvironmentthatmedicinewomenhavebeenabletospeakopenlyabouttheirsacredworkwithentheogens.Itistrulyinspiringtohearromwomenwhohavebeenquietlyconductingsacredplantmedicineritualsandinitiatingprooundtransormationinthemselvesandothers.ItisasadactthatmodernsocietyhasPhotoSrinivasanG