DOSE:

30 in

oral

Cacti - columnar

(tea)

BODY WEIGHT:

170 lb

It called to me again. It had been a couple years since my last San Pedro experience. Early November brought the first spats of cooler weather. Something was in the air.

Preparation: Approximately 30' of base stock, dark green San Pedro was used from 5 seperate rooted cuttings, large circumferance older specimans, probably 6' round. These 5 bottom cuttings were cleaned with a quick water spray down in the sink and placed on a large tray for slicing down into small chunks able to be fed into a blender via the space where the top plastic lid on the center of the rubber top was removed. Only 25ml of spring water was needed to start the blending of the chunks. This way, the not quite full blender jar is fed into the large stock pot, leaving some liquidfied cacti remaining to aid the other chunks in their blending. All of the cacti was used, middle stock and all. I have found from the past that there seems to be some alkaloid that synergizes with the main magic and adds a calming but eventually an additive effect to the outer layer alkaloids. The blend was brought to a boil and reduced to a simmer. Citric acid crystals were added (about a gram) and stirred in to aid extraction and help taste.

The mixture was checked every 15 minutes or so and stirred. After 3 hours, it was filtered into a bowl through a cut up t-shirt. Using thick rubber gloves the t-shirt was squeezed for every drop possible. The remaining cacti sludge was placed back again and another 25ml of water added and this was simmered for 20 minutes, filtered the same way into the same bowl and added to the first liquid. The pot was rinsed out and the liquid was placed in it for reducing. The liquid doesn't come out extremely thick, delightfully, and reduces down to 250 ml within an hour.

Consumption: The elixer was chilled for an hour in a small coffee cup and was about 3 quarters full. With a relatively empty stomach, some strong mints and a glass of grapefruit juice ready, I took a deep breath. I gulped as much as I could stand, this stuff is bitter, WITHOUT breathing. This is importantant! Trust me! Holding my breath, then I chased the gulp with some grapefruit juice, washing it around my mouth to cover every spot. This effectively kills the taste if you haven't breathed yet. For extra assurance, a mint is bitten into then my breath released. Checking the cup, it seems that gulp was about a third of the elixer so two more gulps would be needed to finish it. I repeat the process every 15 minutes and at the half hour point from the first gulp, the final third gulp was taken. It's likely that the grapefruit juice has an action on the metabolism of the phenethylamines. It certainly doesn't seem to hurt this healthy person and the taste killing properties are wonderful. The mints aid that aspect as well as help calm the stomach.

I have never yet thrown up on San Pedro, but I do tend to get mild, transient nausea. In a way, I welcome this as I know that it's likely to be at least an interesting time to follow.

Experience: The experience starts with an odd feeling of not quite being sober but nothing too definable. The Pedro has alkaloids that are tranquilizing and this effect is present from the first inklings, which start soon after my final sip. It helps the slight nausea by keeping you still and quiet. As time moves on, the feeling seems to get busier and the nausea fades. After an hour from the first sip, pupils become dilated, colors and light seem brighter, the body is still getting buzzier. This builds until the awesomeness of the full effect slowly sets in between Hours 2 and 3. This is when I settled down to check out my new find on DVD, Pink Floyds Live at Pompeii, The Directors Cut. Having seen the original film over 30 years ago in a very enlightened state, I was excited to be bringing Pedro along to Pompeii to revisit this new remixed, remastered version. The combination was unbelievable.

Visiting the mass life and death concepts of the Floyds Echoes done in the ruins of Pompeii where such events echoed for real was just icing for this old pychonaut. After enjoying that DVD with it's superb remix into Dolby Digital 5.1, I headed out to the garden. It was now about 3 am and an odd wind was gently blowing and moving all the landscaping. There was a presense out here beyond just the colors and ecstasy felt inside. Something out there was nearing. The wind opened up the elphant ear plants near where I was standing soaking in the view of the starry sky. Right in front of me a perfect 2 foot diameter hole in the plants was opened by the wind and a chill went down my back as the realization that something ALIVE was occupying that place and was just as awed by MY presence. Ahhh, Mescalito is such a wonderful teacher. All the teachings of what IS alive came rushing back to me and for that moment, all eternity smiled again upon me. From this moment into the dawn, the morning and noon, I simply basked in the knowledge that my place in the universe, at this point in time anyway, is secure.

Exp Year: 2003	ExpID: 28347
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Nov 13, 2003	Views: 15,209
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Cacti - T. pachanoi (64) : Alone (16), Nature / Outdoors (23), Preparation / Recipes (30), General (1)