Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine

This beautiful-looking book is not as great as its cover suggests it is. It’s a book of academic essays that are so dry I feared it might leave crumbs in my bed.

‍

It’s as if the majority of the essays were written by a single person who was intent on proving to the patriarchal mainstream that the ideas they are putting forward are worthy of acceptance because they speak the language of academia. (It reminds me of how teachers of TM (in the 90s) wore suits with ties and conservative dresses so the mainstream would take them seriously.)

‍

There were two or three essays in this book that were engaging to read and which put forward ideas worth thinking about.

‍

One, called She Who Births, is about the chemicals that get released during birth. It puts forward the idea that giving birth naturally (or orgasmically, as the author describes her experience) is a psychedelic experience.

‍

Another talked about gender; the mis-appropriated femaleness of ayahuasca (referred to by dumb Westerners as “Mama Aya”), and how psychedelics help us to see that we embody all human characteristics, not just the ones assigned to us by our gender expression.

‍

The other good essay was written by a visionary artist. In it she shares info about her life and experiences with entheogens and how they brought meaning to her ability to paint.

‍

I wanted this book to be first-hand experiences about how entheogens have affected the life, health, and creativity of various colors of women around the world. But this is a book of academic essays that are not enjoyable to read.

‍

Not even the forward by legendary artist Allyson Grey, nor the color images in the middle of the book showing page after page of amazing visionary art done by women cannot redeem this book.

‍

Not recommended.

‍