5 Timeless Insights of Dale Pendell

The emerging theme of posts and interviews with herbalists, ethnobotanists, anthropologists, shamans and other plant gurus, is a friendly reminder we are all shamans coming into our own. One is not experiencing the ultimate metamorphosis without growing aware of the initially misunderstood or unrecognized within and about ourselves. Ah-ha moments are triggered in different ways. Check our related interview with Dr. Rick Strassman too.

It feels perfect to offer timeless insights shared by Dale Pendell (left his body January 2018).  American author, ethnobotanist, and magician, he creatively combined science and poetry to describe the relationship and dialogue between psychoactive drugs and human beings. Among other works, he is known for the Pharmako Trilogy Series.  These and his other books offer poetic delivery of knowledge that registers on deeper levels than can be directly accessed. Dale has been gifted to share in-roads to universal knowing. Ponder how you relate to these five timeless insights:

1. If you access inner magic, you are vulnerable to it.

Magic is a term used until that moment when more of the expansive energetic workings of universal consciousness is grasped and understood through direct experience.  Its like magic guides unravelling the thread of yourself, encountering knots (perceived obstacles and personality), then moving along until you reach the end of the thread and finally, nothing.  Being in a trance is the feeling of alignment, allowing one to see things as they are.  So often, humans are trained to 'snap out of it' and shift unconsciously back into world of maya (illusion). The key is to be a conscious worldbridger.  True Magic is not about rituals, spells, illusion or manipulation.  Inner Magic is the Divine Science of Creation and mastering this is self-mastery.

2. Energy flows through everything and each substance is a song one can tune into

This implies every substance, whether perceived as legal or illegal, offers a key to accessing more of our own core vibration.  Whatever we ingest is speaking to and through us as it flows, creating or breaking down blocks we create or imagine into being. In Dale's books, he masterfully shares different perspectives on plant substances as if each is alive and speaking musically to the Soul.  Samples he explores include; Opium, Cannabis, Alcohol (beer, wine, distilled spirits), Absinthe, Salvia, Tobacco, Nitrous, Kava Kava, as well as fossil fuel, coffee, tea, chocolate, and coca (and its derivatives) and empathogens (notably Ecstasy). Water itself is pure or polluted and affectes consciousness at every level.

3. Our existence here rests on many lives who have gone before us

Many beings have lived, suffered, and died, those seen and unseen, known and unknown, including micro-organisms, plants and animals.  All of it creates the air that we breathe, flows into the water we drink, merges with the light that sustains us, the soil and more. So every moment of existence is a gift of countless generations that have provided it.

4.  True magic is not self-centred 

Ego-driven endeavours do not allow one to experience the harmonious music of the universe. Call it the music of the spheres or what you choose. This requires surrender, like releasing a bird. Pendell shares that dangerous magic is when you’re trying to get something for yourself; that’s a binding magic. Recall the idiom "the goal is to free yourself from the ties that bind the mind.' The best unbinding magic is invisible, there’s nothing there that anything can catch or grasp it.

5. One does not have to ingest plant substances to communicate with them.

One can use plant substances as purifiers, offerings, in other capacities, and also commune with them in natural settings.  This is why it is common to shift state of mind and state of being when spending time in nature.  What is unfolding energetically is not always registered by the physical senses.  Accessing altered states of consciousness allows one to encounter and interact with the Spirit World and channel these transcendental energies into ordinary reality. Plants can facilitate this process in a conscious individual yet tuning into yourself is also possible.  To be truly aware is to commune with everything consciously now.

Interview with Derek Riedle

Always fascinating to connect with people you knew in highschool and discover their ongoing journey. 

In the spirit of recent interviews with Dr. Rick Strassman, Dr. Eben Alexander, Carlos Castenada and others, I marvel at natural plant and human-produced substances that are getting new kinds of attention, inviting us to grow conscious of our conditioned views about natural and unnatural healing, states of mind and being. It is with perfect timing I reconnect with Derek Riedle. The rest speaks for itself.

Derek Riedle is CEO of Civilized Life, a consumer media company in the cannabis space focusing on North America. While he is on the road, doing what he does best, we put this together. Thanks Derek for sharing such relevant and timely views. 

Please begin by offering a bit of background and how cannabis became a key focus in your life. Talk about your passions, what drives you, what you really live for.

I have worked in marketing, communications and politics for my entire adult life. I have also been a cannabis consumer, so I fundamentally understood that the reality of cannabis was very different from the stereotypes. So, I was personally invested in living a more authentic life and emerging from the cannabis closet. Plus, as a professional communicator, the opportunity to break stereotypes and change culture was irresistible to me.

Its clear that changes are happening in many public arenas.  Many stereotypes that were once hidden are being shattered and brought out in the open. One point worth making is that shifts in consciousness in one area of society seem to precipitate shifts in perception about what is desirable or acceptable in other areas. 

Consider the example of the The First World Cannabis Congress is to be held in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.  Why is this significant and what is your role? 

The World Cannabis Congress is significant because it will bring together 400 of the industry’s top minds to discuss and debate the future of cannabis. And it will do so in Canada, which is going to be the first fully legal, regulated, adult use market in the northern hemisphere. It’s becoming the home of the world’s greatest cannabis companies. Civilized is presenting the World Cannabis Congress in Saint John, New Brunswick in June.

Love that your work behind the scenes as a driving force to encourage people to see the world differently. Some blog visitors may be unaware Saint John, N.B. is the city where I was born in Canada (N.B. province borders Maine, USA). Civilized Life emerges at the cutting edge to spread education about cannabis use on many fronts, especially its legalisation for medicinal use.  Of course, this is a symptom of expanding consciousness and understanding what and why certain substances are suppressed or made illegal in the first place. 

One can reflect on this ongoing process with cannabis and see similarities with what happened in the prohibition and then legalisation of alcohol, sugar and other substances.  Shifts in accessibility are always connected to social upheavals.

On this note, you founded strategic communications agency, Revolution Strategy. This has masterfully crafted and shaped the story of leading companies and winning political campaigns across North America. Tell us about your role here and what kind of environment is evolving.  What would you like to see happen?

I founded Revolution Strategy 20 years ago and been proud to help grow it into the truly, strategic communications agency it is today. The industry has witnessed remarkable transformation, most notably the arrival of more authenticity – in our marketing, our communications and our brands. I continue to provide Revolution Strategy senior counsel in communications, marketing, stakeholder engagement and all things creative.

Business Insider recently stated that legalizing marijuana could create a million US jobs and 132 billion in tax revenue by 2025. Why is this happening at this point in history? Why not during Woodstock for instance or some other era?  What is holding some states back from joining the bandwagon? Do you sense Marijuana is here to stay or do you envision new obstacles to this change?

No other industry has the high growth potential of cannabis, and we believe that high-quality media can help accelerate the development of this industry by sharing stories, ideas and information that’s been more or less forbidden for the better part of a century. We’re on a path to grow our multi-platform networks and I’m thrilled we are able to partner with Canopy Rivers, a leading and respected group of investment professionals and affiliate of the largest cannabis company in the world.

 You say, “It’s time for North America to embrace the reality of cannabis and its uses. It’s time to break free of the cannabis closet.” What is your view of what is happening with this abroad? What would you like to see and do you imagine being more involved on a global scale?

As a consumer media company in the cannabis space, we think we should (and do) play a significant education role. A number of people will likely try cannabis for the first time once it becomes legal in Canada – and the same principle follows in other countries or US states where recreational use recently became legal, or soon will become legal. Given how quickly we will be abandoning prohibition, and the extent to which cannabis use and information have been hidden or under-researched over the past century, there is a real gap.

What advice would you offer to people who are interested in getting their hands on cannabis and are unfamilliar with regulation or accessiblity in their area?

Every day, we produce and publish content on our site designed to educate, inform and entertain. In fact, we recently produced and released a series of short videos to answer basic questions about cannabis use. We believe this is important.

In addition to a focus on informing and entertaining, we also believe in promoting social responsibility more broadly. For example, since day 1 we have clearly articulated our responsible use philosophy (e.g. consuming within the laws of the jurisdiction, don’t consume and drive, don’t consume while pregnant, know your personal limits).

Cannabis for medicinal use in Australia is currently only available in the state of Queensland. Cannabis growing is tightly controlled here by government. Clinical trials are continuing here and limited numbers of licensed physicians are able to prescribe cannabis.  Do you have any views on what is happening on Australia?

I am unfamiliar with the situation in Australia. One international observation is that rights and freedoms are being revisited and revised on many fronts. 

Thanks Derek, for offering us insights on a topic that is gaining more public attention. Invite readers to check out Civilized Life and grow aware of what is happening with the legalisation of cannabis and other drugs in their own countries. Reflect on your own ideal life and how this is inhibited within yourself before you perceive anything in the external world. As within, so without.

EPILOGUE:

Since this Derek Riedle interview went live, significant developments in Australia include the ban on consuming hemp as a food was lifted. A super milk has now hit the shelves made of cannabis seeds. Hemp milk is now sold in Perth, Australia.  Consumers are increasingly aware of its high protein and other nutritional value.  It is marketed as a dairy alternative beside soy, coconut and nut milks.

Also Canopy Rivers is skyrocking. Canopy Rivers is an investment and operating platform structured to pursue opportunities in the emerging global cannabis sector. Canopy Rivers is managed by an experienced team of qualified financial and technical professionals with significant industry experience and relationship networks

Much is being compared to what is happening with increasing use and acceptance of natural susbstances. Invite readers to read Ethan Indigo Smith's views on the Prohibition of Marijuana. The world is waking up to this and far more.

 Also encourage readers to leave comments and share their views on this interview. What do you see happening with cannabis, DMT and other drugs in the public eye?

Interview with Carlos Castenada

Over the years, I have interacted with shamans through the post, in-person and in other ways. Each one is a wake-up call. Shamanic training awakens forgotten wisdom within.  Soul journeying and Soul retrieval shift perception and far more. 

Not all shamans reveal true names. They echo we are each a vessel through which energy flows, encourage us to grow aware of how we use perception to lie to ourselves and can all consciously shift our focal point. 

We are each invited to connect with the shaman within, to listen more closely to the heart and let the Soul guide us.  This is about tuning into Nature sounds, the melodies trees sing, the music of mountains, water and Earth. We often forget how to listen to Nature which echoes we forget how to listen to ourselves.  All we are taught shifts our focus away from what we know we are. So, how do we get back there? How is this done?

What you think is lost is never far away. Nikola Tesla echos,'If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.' Shamanic teaching happens in varied ways; drumming, ingesting plant substances and other ways sharede between teacher and student.  A spirit teacher enters you life to teach you. You know they are effective when you feel discomfort and gain insight into your blind spots. Spirit teachers are particularly good at reminding you that you know nothing (when you thought you knew everything). Such teachers are also very supportive (in their own way), compassionate (even if it hurts), and very wise. Thye may surprise you with what they know about you.  They highlight lessons you need because they exist to guide your growth into your shamanic potential. 

Carlos Castenada, is known as a shaman as well as other labels yet, widely remains a mystery. He earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology and wrote best-selling books about his shamanic journeys with Don Juan Matus.  As you read or listen to his work, such as The Active Side of Infinity, gain insight into other Toltec practices, you are invited to know or reject the material's authenticity.

According to Casteneda, growing aware of our life force guides us to see we separate life threads or stories.  Each thread is a discrete element, an experience that stretches back in time. We each have ability to recognize and integrate threads of life force back into our being.

What grows evident to the initiate is the shaman's spirit can leave the body to enter the supernatural world to search for answers. The lower world, middle world and higher world are some worlds open to journeying. At our own pace, we each find what we need. Imagining  Dragons reminds us we are a Believer of the world we live in or stop and see beyond it. Come what may, we are all Walking the Wire of Love. Even as we look down from above at versions of ourselves, we still take what comes. How we respond is unique to our chosen path. 

Listen to this Castenada interview with Theodore Roszak and leave comments below.

Carlos Castenada Interview with Theodore Roszak (1969)

 If you could ask Carlos a question, what would you ask? Can you anticipate the answer?

 "The soul is not in the body, but the body in the soul.” — Alan Watts

"Come out of the masses. Stand Alone. Live Like a Lion and Live Your own Life According to your own Light." -Osho.