Stimulating Plants, Potions & Herbcraft – Excitantia and Empathogenica
read by Gwyllm Llwydd; translation J. Schmidt (from TERVOL XI # 4, pp. 148-149 Dale Pendell - 2002 (Mercury House, POB 192 850, San Francisco, CA 94119-8250, www.mercuryhouse.org), ISBN 1-56279-125-7, 7 "x 9.25" paperback, $ 21.95]. pp. 294. consistently
Black / white illustrations, index.
I'm crazy about the reference part in scientific books, and information can flourish me, the more significant, the better. Is it further into the realm of cross-
refers, I kneel, full of rapture, on the ground.
In Pharmaco / Dynamis there are enough cross-references to charm for me. This book is a cornucopia of mysterious stories of plants and their impact on human civilization. Information swim across the pages - information, concealed and hidden, except from the most curious among the connoisseurs of the plant drugs. Information in which to lose yourself ... information to yourself to find it ... information, to set the course for distant shores ...
You can open this book is really at any point and find your way around the text. The first time I've not read it in the conventional manner. Instead, I poked around in the references flew over the most important chapters, read a bit here, a bit there and then dove into a whole chapter.
Pendell suggests that you can read it as you want, and I felt my "random access" worthwhile as an exercise.
Excitants: The book begins with a few of the more popular drugs - coffee, tea and chocolate. Pendell followed at each of its regional origin story, he describes their preparation, the chemical components and the social impact of indigenous people to the entire world. This way, you discover that one of these plants are not as familiar as you first thought. If the knowledge is growing about the history of the plant, the interest to use it only increases (or use from their perspective we?). This section contains other, lesser known plants and a disreputable, alchemist's brew: betel, Guarana, Kola, Ma Huang (Ephedra sinica), Qat, Coca and even Amphetamine be treated.
The information ranges from just about to comprehensive.
Personally I prefer the chapter on GuaranaWhich I used extensively by the early to mid 90s. Because of this familiarity, the chapter would have been for me to be quiet any longer, but I loved what was there.
The chapter on Erythroxylum coca is also well done. Although I am with this issue better versed - The culprit is the huge amount of press releases that the years have been written about it - was the real reason why I found this chapter useful, the poetic connection and the awesome sensitivity to wording and amount of information which can be found there. It's a wonderful work that the respect Coca lost in my pantheon of plants had, restored.
Absolutely fascinating is the chapter Ma Huang, it shows parts of the history and myths that suggest the Ephedra sinica the source of the soma of the Rig Veda was. Although this theory is in direct contrast to R. Gordon Wasson-spread proposal, the soma was Amanita muscariaBut it is not about to convince you. Rather, the ride takes you along on the Pendell, while he deals with this issue, a pleasure in itself.
Empathogenica: This section deals with nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), MDMA and GHB. The part about nutmeg brought me back to an earlier point in my life a time when the "stripping" took some interesting shapes.
Known for its use in education and children's homes were not the points, I had never tasted nutmeg, but knew many who did. It sounded like a big, physical exertion, accompanied by certain hazards, but there was nothing for it nonetheless because those who needed it.
This chapter discusses some of the history of the spice wars ("spice wars"): From the Arabs, who provided the Venetians (who considered themselves during the Renaissance, all the strings in his hand, until the Portuguese sailed into the picture), to the Dutch and English, who then seize control of the European spice imports from the Far East and the Spice Islands themselves.
The MDMA chapter is exhilarating and exciting. The whirlwind of images that accompanies it flows with 180Bpm through it. Pendell finished this section with a praise song of devotion.
One of the things I like about Pendells works, how he mastered the poetic language. Varied but clearly, he awakens the muse so much that you can see them woven into all his works, even with the technical aspects. So far, the best parts for me, those that are clearly poetic - those who take a turn up just by the mere word of a simple, caught. Poetry is an old key to lower spheres; Pendell knows this and uses it for the benefit of all. To the delight of the reader, he has learned his craft well.
If you find Pharmaco / Dynamis in a bookstore, look first at the following sections: the chapter "Wandering and the Vision Quest" and "Dream stutters," as the two shorter chapters "Hecate's Garden" and "Nigredo: A Turn Darkening of. "I'm thrilled to read several times and each time learned something new.
Although the layout of Pharmaco / Dynamis the same as its predecessor, pharmaco / Poeia is, there are still a number of works. OK, the issue will continue, but the effect and a large part of information dissemination are different. Both books firmly on their feet.
The effect of pharmacokinetics / Dynamis close relatives with "The Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollan, but with some extras. After reading these two works, one begins to plant on a completely different way to look at. We have to think about trimming it, we have the rule over the flora and fauna, but we have really? After I read Pollan and Pendell, because I'm not so sure. If the logic that is based on two books, the following, we may come to the conclusion that we obey the commands of the plant world, even if only subconsciously. Pharmaco / Dynamis, a welcome addition to my library. I think most readers of this journal would share this opinion. - Gwyllm Llwydd
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