Oneironauticum Road Show, June, 2008
On the nights of Friday and Saturday, June 13/14, I’ll be joining Erik Davis, Dale and Laura Pendell, and David Presti for Visionary Practice, a retreat that addresses ritual and the reshaping of consciousness (see the Ojai Foundation website). As part of this event, I’ll be leading a special session of the Oneironauticum.
As part of this special session, participants in the event in Ojai will be invited to partake of the herb Calea zacatechichi, a plant used by indigenous peoples in the Mexican state of Oaxaca for the purposes of oneiromancy, a form of divination based on dreams. In some Mesoamerican cultures, people believe that dreams happen in realms beyond those we consciously perceive and that the contents of dreams can convey meaningful messages or prophecy. The herb also induces lucid dreaming.
Calea zacatechichi, a member of the sunflower family, grows from central Mexico south to Costa Rica. The leaves are dried and made into a very bitter infusion. On both Friday and Saturday night, participants who choose to will explore the realm of dreams as visionary experience, using Calea zacatechichi as an ally.
As always, remote participation in the Oneironauticum is encouraged. Unlike our the oneirogens we usually select, however, Calea zacatechichi may be difficult to find. You can order it online from a large number of herb vending websites, and more exotic health food stores may stock it on their shelves. If you don’t acquire the herb, however, feel free to join the group simply by setting your intention to participate in the Oneironauticum either on Friday, June 13, or Saturday, June 14. Or both! All dream participants, those who attend the Oneironauticum and those who join remotely, are welcome to post to this blog. Contact us if you’re interested.