Painting by Pablo AmaringoI am an English Teacher, currently working in a State Prison....which is where my parents always told me I would end up! Ironically, I teach a lot of guys from South America.
I was a member in the sixties of a witchy group called The Regency, which perhaps imaginatively(heady times!) claimed descent from an ancient ineage. But they did use entheogens and as we all know it is access to the plants that gives authenticity.
It was there I started to sing songs that I would consider to be European Icaros coming from the ritual and otherworldly aspect of British and Irish folk-song. The poet Robert Graves opened my eyes to this.
Nine years ago, in Palenque, Mexico I smoked a crystal of DMT and that experience led to Ayahuasca.
I am currently an apprentice with Don Francisco de Shuna where I found to my delight a full blown version of Bardic plant and tree veneration that I thought had gone forever. Francisco encourages me to sing my European songs at ceremonies. My intent is to reconnect with our own tradition.
And let me boast and marvel here, that in Ireland I discovered I had descent from hereditary Culdees who made a fusion of Christian and Druidic insights. Very like the mix in Peru. I have a figurine of Papa San Antonio that like Janus has two faces.
Am delighted that the spirit word is so alive and kicking. Time to bring back the snakes.