Basement Shaman Blog

Medical Marijuana Victory

in a brave, enlightened, and compassionate move, U.S. attorney general, Eric Holder, announced that the dea will no longer raid medical marijuana dispensaries in states where its use is legal.  

A Bright Night

As we come to the longest nights of the year, we wish all of you happiness. Times are strange and so densely novel, and yet there is a vision that persists.  Shall we stay awake?

A Turn in the Tide

Yes. We can.

Wrathful Deities, New Sacred Cacti and more...

On or recent trek to the Himalayas we collected some very interesting new offerings. Check out the ferocious, awe inspiring Tibetan Buddhist carvings of wrathful protector deities.

Tibetan Buddhism has a complex array of protector deities. One category of such beings are the wrathful dieties. These awesome, frightening looking images are not personifications of evil or demonic forces, rather they represent forms of englightened beings who have dedicated themselves to help protect and enlighten sentient beings.

One of the main classes of wrathful deities are known as dharmapalas, sanskrit for  "defender of the dharma". Icons of the dharmapalas are commonly found adorning the walls of Budhhist monasteries to impart their protective powers.

These stunning masks are hand-carved in wood and hand-painted by Tibetan artisans who have been forced to flee their homeland and relocate in Nepal due to pressure from the Chinese government and military. 

We also brought back Tibetan lama's drum, tingshas, and meditation bowls.

Tons of new sacred cacti are now available too. If you're on on e-mail list, you'll receive special discounts on these and more post election time.

The Long Silence

For those who've wondered what's going on with the inactivity of the Basement Shaman blog, we'd like to say we're tuning back into all the wonderful people that have kept us going through the years. The past year has been challenging for us on several fronts, but we're still committed to help people discover a more enlightened and happier way of being.

We'll be sending out an e-mail shortly with plenty of new additions to our offerings. We're expanding our sacred cactus selection and rolling out some other new interesting products. We always love to hear from you as to what you'd like to see. So let's keep the conversation rolling!

On a somewhat side note, there may be legislation brewing in the state of Massachusetts to ban not only Salvia divinorum but also Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa). It seems the war against the natural world rolls on.

Novel Treatments for Bipolar Disorder

Manic-depressive illness, or bipolar disorder as its known in modern psychiatric parlance, is a devasting disease affecting at least 15 million people in the U.S. alone during any given year. In reality this number is likely significantly higher as the disease tends to be under-diagnosed. I've always researched bipolar disorder because it strikes a chord very near and dear to me, you see the disease runs in my family.

Recently I came across several renegade and experimental treatments which might show some promise to millions of sufferers. The first are a number of clinical trials in which the the drug ketamine, offered relief within the matter of hours. Ketamine is traditionally used as a dissociative anesthetic. The drug made its way onto the streets, and became extremely popular on the rave scene. Users would typically snort amounts, much lower than those used in full anesthesia to enter a realm consciousness where they able to navigate a novel dream-like realm, benignly detached from their bodies and their normal waking consciousness, moods,emotions and fears. Ketamine blocks a pain receptor called N-methy-D-aspartic acid (NMDA). This receptor is critical for the reception of neuronal signals produced by glutamate, and the dysregulation of glutamte seems to be one of the pathways involved in bipolar disorder and depression.Antidepressent effects of ketamine in depressed patients

Another interesting option came about with complete serendipity. There was a strange trend spotted among both depressive and bipolar patients who had recently undergone an MRI for reasons completely unrelated to their conditions. Some were reporting that they felt significantly better after the MRI. The idea that high frequency electromagnetic energy could influence the health of living cells isn't new. Pioneers such as Nikola Tesla(for more about the brilliant Nikola Telsa) hypothesized as much at the turn of the last century, and George Lakhovsky expanded on Tesla's designs to produced machines aimed at curing all manner of disease as far back as 1940. Modern researchers began subjecting subject to repetitive bursts of electromagnetic waves and found very promising results. Unfortunately the FDA seems to be dragging its feet hear in the U.S., while therapuetic devices are being approved and used in various countries throughout the world. Informative article from NeuroPsychiatry Review on rTMS therapy.

Centers for rTMS research.

Lastly trials have show the efficacy of both fish oil and coenzyme Q10 in alleviating some of the symptoms associated with the disorder. I've spoken to many customers through the years who have struggled with bipolar disorder. If anyone would like more information, please make a post, and I'll see if I can be of help. Happiness, Andy @

Illinois to ban Salvia divinorum

Yet again nature is to be declared illegitimate as another sacred plant ally, Salvia divinorum, is poised to be lost due to the misguided efforts of lawmakers in the state of Illinois. An amendment to declare Salvia divinorum a schedule 1 controlled substance, has made its way through both the house and senate, and it's just a matter of a signature from the governor to add Illinois to the the roster of states that have imposed draconian measures against this misunderstood plant entheogen.

We aren't certain exactly how the lawmakers have come to view Salvia as a material of such public danger and potential abuse. It seems most have signed onto the bill simply because such reflexive "war on drugs" rhetoric is the easy choice. Few have ventured to ask the difficult questions of how and why such sacramental, visionary compounds can be integrated into a healthy society. Such territory remains verboten, and this complete lack of insight and courage are appalling and disgraceful.

We're deeply saddened by this news. Having cultivated this marvelous plant for over 15 years, the loss is almost unimaginable. We are heartened though, that during this time we were able to propagate and disseminate thousands of clones, which will happily resides in homes throughout the states. Despite efforts of lawmakers, Salvia divinorum will live on, just as nature's intended.

Plant Growing Tips - The Trinity

This time of year its only natural that I get tons of email from concerned gardeners seeking to provide their plants with just the right conditions to make them thrive. While the Basement Shaman stocks plants from around the world, there are some surprising few tips which will greatly improve your chances at successful growing.

I think one of the most misunderstood areas is watering. If I took a random tally, I'd say that there's more overwatering going on versus underwatering. Most of our customers container grow their plants, and this in itself can be a bit tricky. Plants evolved to weave their roots into porous substrates of soil, unencumbered by physical barriers such as plastic pots. The environment directly in the soil offers unfettered gas exchage. Our first recommendation is replace plastic pots with much more porous, unglazed clay pots. We've recently begun phasing out our plastic pots in lieu of spun coconut fiber pots. Plant health is closely related to good gas exchange at the root level. Byproducts of plant metabolism must be allowed to escape and oxygen must be allowed in. Overwatering greatly inhibits this process, and literally starves the root zone of critical gas exchange. The end result is poor root health and a weakened plant. In our our greenhouse we allow most of our plant to dry to the point where they just begin to slightly droop between waterings. There are a few exceptions. One simple tip is to always allow the surface of the soil to dry between waterings. Stick your finger into the pot about an inch or two deep and test for moisture. If it's still moist, hold off on watering.

The second most popular question involves fertilizer. Here's a succinct tip, kick the Miracle-Gro habit!Miracle-Gro is a petrochemically-derived fertilizer that contains some inferior sources of nitrogen and other potentially problematic compounds. The nitrogen contained in this formula will produce lush growth but it also seems to produce plants that have very little resistance to pests. Furthermore, high levels of elevated metals have been found in the product, and you don't want these in your nervous system or your environment. Instead choose a good liquid, organic fertilizer. We love the Earthjuice brands and have used them in our own greenhouses for many years now. There are also many powdered organic supplements on the market.

And lastly, there's also a question about appropriate growing media. Avoid top soil. The stuff will eventually turn to cement in your pot. In fact most potting mixes are what are properly termed "soiless" mixes. They usually contain a blend of composted peat, perlite ( a white crumbly, very porous mineral mined from volcanic deposists), vermiculite(another mined mineral product with good porosity, and perhaps some composted bark and sand. Peat bogs have been seriously overmined, and we've selected mixes that substitute coconut coir, a fibrous byproduct of coconut harvesting that has some very beneficial growing characteristics. Once again, avoid the Miracle-Gro type products which now come pre-charged with their own fertilizer.

This is just a quick and cursory rundown. If you have any specific concerns you'd like answered, please post them here, and I'll compile some more growing tips. Remember as, mentioned, we are the point sources for protecting and disseminating these incredible plant allies. Our gardens are the living lineage, the points of light for preserving plant consciousness.

Happiness,
andy

Plant Growing Tips - The Trinity

This time of year its only natural that I get tons of email from concerned gardeners seeking to provide their plants with just the right conditions to make them thrive. While the Basement Shaman stocks plants from around the world, there are some surprising few tips which will greatly improve your chances at successful growing.

I think one of the most misunderstood areas is watering. If I took a random tally, I'd say that there's more overwatering going on versus underwatering. Most of our customers container grow their plants, and this in itself can be a bit tricky. Plants evolved to weave their roots into porous substrates of soil, unencumbered by physical barriers such as plastic pots. The environment directly in the soil offers unfettered gas exchage. Our first recommendation is replace plastic pots with much more porous, unglazed clay pots. We've recently begun phasing out our plastic pots in lieu of spun coconut fiber pots. Plant health is closely related to good gas exchange at the root level. Byproducts of plant metabolism must be allowed to escape and oxygen must be allowed in. Overwatering greatly inhibits this process, and literally starves the root zone of critical gas exchange. The end result is poor root health and a weakened plant. In our our greenhouse we allow most of our plant to dry to the point where they just begin to slightly droop between waterings. There are a few exceptions. One simple tip is to always allow the surface of the soil to dry between waterings. Stick your finger into the pot about an inch or two deep and test for moisture. If it's still moist, hold off on watering.

The second most popular question involves fertilizer. Here's a succinct tip, kick the Miracle-Gro habit!Miracle-Gro is a petrochemically-derived fertilizer that contains some inferior sources of nitrogen and other potentially problematic compounds. The nitrogen contained in this formula will produce lush growth but it also seems to produce plants that have very little resistance to pests. Furthermore, high levels of elevated metals have been found in the product, and you don't want these in your nervous system or your environment. Instead choose a good liquid, organic fertilizer. We love the Earthjuice brands and have used them in our own greenhouses for many years now. There are also many powdered organic supplements on the market.

And lastly, there's also a question about appropriate growing media. Avoid top soil. The stuff will eventually turn to cement in your pot. In fact most potting mixes are what are properly termed "soiless" mixes. They usually contain a blend of composted peat, perlite ( a white crumbly, very porous mineral mined from volcanic deposists), vermiculite(another mined mineral product with good porosity, and perhaps some composted bark and sand. Peat bogs have been seriously overmined, and we've selected mixes that substitute coconut coir, a fibrous byproduct of coconut harvesting that has some very beneficial growing characteristics. Once again, avoid the Miracle-Gro type products which now come pre-charged with their own fertilizer.

This is just a quick and cursory rundown. If you have any specific concerns you'd like answered, please post them here, and I'll compile some more growing tips. Remember as, mentioned, we are the point sources for protecting and disseminating these incredible plant allies. Our gardens are the living lineage, the points of light for preserving plant consciousness.

Happiness,
andy

FDA Bullies Herbal Industry

Listen up friends. This one's important. It looks like the FDA, in it's insatiable desire to wield power over the lives and bodies of free citizens of the U.S, is attempting to increase it's control of many commonly available herbs and nutritional supplements. The vary regulatory agency that can't even seem to ensure a safe food supply for our pets, seems to think it should impose more barriers between what we see fit to put into our bodies. There is a public forum that open for comment by anyone who wishes to do so, and we urge all of you who value the right to access and regulate the natural substances and nutrional supplements you use on your own accord, to visit the link listed below and let the FDA know where you stand on this issue. We need to let our voices be hear here.

Happiness,
andy @ the basement shaman

From the American Botanical Council - Austin, TX:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday extended the deadline
for public comments on the draft document, Guidance for Industry on
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the
Food and Drug Administration. 1
Public Comments Docket:The new deadline for filing public comments is May 29, 2007.

On February 27, 2007 the FDA issued this as a proposed set of guidelines in
the Federal Register (FR) which the agency attempted to clarify its role in
regulating so-called "CAM products". The document stated that the public
would have 90 days from the date of publication to comment. However, the
agency apparently erred in stating that the deadline would be April 30,
instead of 90 days from February 27, which should be May 29. This error was
discovered by the vigilance of the American Herbal Products Association, the
leading trade association dealing exclusively with herbs and herbal
products, and was communicated to FDA in a letter. (Presumably this is the
reason for the agency's extension of the deadline. The actual date on the
document is "December 2006", the time the document was completed, even
though it was not published in the FR until February.)

The FDA's publication of the proposed new guidelines has generated a
significant level of e-mails and Internet discussion among members of the
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) community, health freedom
activists, members of the herb and dietary supplement industry, and others.
During the past weeks ABC has received numerous requests from ABC members
for requests for clarification. Many e-mails and communications among the
lay public have questioned whether the FDA may be reaching out for new
regulatory territory - whether the agency may be attempting to regulate new
domains of activity, i.e., the practice of CAM as opposed to the agency's
traditionally regulated areas, i.e., foods, drugs, biologics, cosmetics and
medical devices.

There has also been confusion about whether FDA is proposing new rules
governing the use of herbs, dietary supplements, or other materials in the
practice of CAM. Some people appear to be unaware that FDA does not create
"legislation" - that is the domain of Congress and state legislatures.