MUSHROOMS AND FUNGI by Moira Savonius

In South of Tuk #12, Kangaroo Poet Norm wrote an article about the sacred mushroom in the art of Norval Morrisseau.  In Issue #59, Kangaroo Poet JHM wrote an article about the experience of colour under hallucination, such hallucination made possible by LSD, peyote, and the sacred mushroom.  In Issue #135, Kangaroo Poet K’lakokum discussed the magic mushroom in Morrisseau’s Warrior Finds Soma [24x 34n, 1979, catalogue raisonne number muaa]

The amanita muscaria which is believed to be the sacred or magic mushroom is described on pages 32 to 34 of this book.  It is used by the shaman to enter The House of Invention.  From the 9^th to 13^th century in Europe, it was widely believed that what Eve ate was not an apple, but the sacred mushroom.  This may have started as a Catholic device to keep people away from a consciousness-raising substance.  The Aztecs [who used it in their spiritual rituals] called it nanacatyl.  This book has 104 colour illustrations depicting the entire world of mushrooms and fungi. 1973 hardcover ISBN 0706401913 published by Octopus Books Limited London W1, printed by Mandarin Publishers Ltd. Hong Kong

[AH]ITEM AH09  For related books, see Catalog AH