Cannabis like many other sacred plant teachers and plant medicines fall into the hallucinogen category and is also known to be illegal in some States. Please do your research before deciding if this ally is something you can legally commune with. As the federal legal status of entheogens change from Schedule 1, more and more research will be able to be conducted. State laws differ from federal laws and each state varies by state. This article is not to promote use of and is aimed for educational purposes to assist in harm reduction. You do not NEED the medicine to reach these heights of consciousness. These medicines are solely tools, or allies to aid in reconnecting to the very thing that has never been separated, but only forgotten.
Our western model of healthcare is evolving and our leaders in the academia and research departments are beginning to take Spirit into account in the components of what makes a human being, a being. Indigenous cultures have believed this since antiquity which is where we see the huge influence in plant medicines for religious, spiritual, and other expansive influences. They believe plants resemble very similar structure of components as humans (a mind, body, and soul). Ingestion of these plants, indigenous cultures believe this allowed the plant spirits to have a human experience, while the human has a momentary plant experience. This allows the user to form a new intelligence within.
Trying to shift your perspective of Spirit will help strengthen your connection with cannabis and may expedite the integration process. It is absolutely amazing how diverse cannabis can be applied in one’s life. Understanding an individual’s culture or tradition in which it is practiced can be an enormous teaching lesson in applying healthy techniques in strengthening or developing a relationship with the spirit of cannabis.
With proper preparations like ritual, set and setting, a healthy diet, and meditation, cannabis increases a person’s capacity to connect to their spiritual side. You become able to tap into your inner self, releasing any shackles that may have been conditioned. Your focus may organically shift to spiritual interests from materialistic wanting. These fleeting moments allow users to outgrow any fears, to be empowered by a new creative motivation, and to reach out to a deeper quest in their new found wisdom. They can bring you to different forms of bliss and euphoria to grow and learn from. An individual will experience a compassionate spirit that knows how to teach empathy. With set intention, a user may really feel into their heart and less in their head.
Creating a ritual in how one practices using this sacred medicine is paramount and helps navigate the intention of using something as recreational, medicinal, or spiritual. For instance, an intention for escapism is more recreational while an intention to reduce physical or psychological pain is determined medicinal. A spiritual connection can be built in either recreational, or medicinal structures and paradoxically not be applied to any of them. Discernment in application will make the utmost difference in how an experience unfolds.
One cannot speak about creating a ritual without set and setting. This is important in creating a positive framework, and strengthening your relationship with cannabis. Set and setting describes the vital importance of one’s mindset, intentions, and environment in which the ritual takes place. Set is one’s mindset, how one is feeling in the moment. Are you nervous, tired, in pain, or are you pensive, centered, and full of life? The set you are in, will help in navigating the type of strain to use as well as measure dosage.
A quick breakdown of strains for Cannabis Sativa are sativa, indica, hybrid, and less commonly used ruderalis. Indica is a very calming, more body buzz type of experience where you tend to be couch locked. It contains more CBD to THC which is great for physical pain. Sativa is an energetic-coffee like strain that is geared towards exercise, meditation, and creativity. It contains more THC to CBD which gives a more head high.
The setting creates the sacred space for setting the conditions for a positive and mindful approach to practicing this medicine. Setting an intention is vital in giving an aim or a goal to your experience. The intention can be to unlock a more creative side, commune with nature, heal some kind of suffering, or discovery of one’s purpose in life. Whatever the intention one sets beforehand helps them to remember their goal especially in moments of the unexpected that may arise. It will help pave the way from any lines to be blurred. Thus, preventing from falling into the dangers of misuse and abuse. After an individual’s experience, their set intention can also support with the integration process by analyzing any revelations and challenges that may have ascended in the journey within the context of their specified goals rather believing them to be random occurrences.
A diet is important in your ritual to avoid the pitfalls of misuse and abuse and to keep these medicines sacred and held in the high vibrations they are meant to be. This is another form of ascetic discipline in strengthening your relationship with cannabis. When we remain in balance and in harmony with our usage, these catalyst allow one to reflect and reveal the aspects that the individual feels should work on. This allows one to feel connected to everyone, and more in the present moment.
If one’s tolerance is increasing, this is a good sign of over indulgence. If one’s memory is foggy after their cannabis experience, they may be consuming in over indulgences. A simple remedy like a fast will help re-harmonize your natural energetic field as well as lower one’s tolerance. Fasting is an important aspect of a diet as well as showing gratitude. Creating a balanced diet, knowing when to implement a fast, and expressions of gratitude all will strengthen your relationship with cannabis. A fast can be as small as a day or as large as a year. Some would say a complete reset can take up to a month while others say a couple weeks. Go off what works for you. Whether you ingest that day or not, implementing gratitude into your ritual, and into your diet will proliferate strengthening your relationship with the spirit of cannabis.
Another great method to strengthening your relationship with cannabis would be to apply a meditative practice to your ritual. There are many guided meditations online, easy breathing techniques or concentration meditations you can apply to your ritual. As soon as you have your meditation technique picked out, combine it into your ritual of cannabis use. My personal technique I would set a timer for an hour focusing on my breathing. And see where the experience would take me. Afterwards I would reflect and apply any insights to my lifestyle and try to embody it into my being through creative outlets like poetry or practice an instrument.
Meditation in simple terms means to bring your focus to one point, or to be centered. It is to be conscious, or mindful in the present moment. If you have a drum, or can find a drumming guided meditation, the beat of the drum is great to focus on. Or one can close their eyes and focus on their breath and really journey deep within one’s self with cannabis. Whatever the structure one develops, what is important is to find something that contributes to your true nature, your ascension, something that is supporting your physical, psychological, and spiritual development.
Cannabis is a great teacher of showing how interconnected all beings are. Being mindful in keeping this medicine in your own life sacred will continue to grow and expand the community. Keeping this medicine sacred and being aware of the spirit within, will strengthen your relationship with cannabis. It will allow individuals to share their ritualistic structures to brothers and sisters so we can learn and blossom with another, while honoring the spirit in interconnecting everyone. It will create a set and setting so we may transmute any old toxic perpetuating relationships with healthy revolutionary relationships. Expressing and showing gratitude with a designed diet as well as being mindful with a meditative practice will all proliferate and strengthen your relationship with Cannabis Sativa.