When I began to engage with cannabis, my third-eye opened wide, and the co-creative dreamweaving commenced. I didn't realize this is what was happening - at the time I simply felt relaxed and inspired. But that's the way things of this nature tend to unfold. Our conditioned minds aren't yet able to fully process all of the transformations taking place within our bodies and spirits when we consume cannabis, and so they allow us to ease into the ultimate knowing that we are so much more than just really smart animals with accessories. We are life creators, dreamers and unrestrainable forces of nature, and we are meant to be in relationship with plants.
Cannabis came to me through my husband, who recommended I smoke some whilst suffering from what ended up being a two-year-long migraine and subsequent fibromyalgia diagnosis. I was the mother of a then-three-year-old and one-year-old, and I desperately needed something that would enable me to function and care for my sweet daughters. I loved being a mother, and yet I couldn't even open my eyes or get off the couch to play with my children unless I wanted to once-again experience an excruciating wave of agonizing pain and defeat.
My doctors prescribed me steroids, antibiotics, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and more. They said my pain came from the fact that motherhood was "hard" and told me to avoid cannabis because it makes people "angry." They were completely, obviously and serendipitously wrong, and I couldn't be more grateful for their polarizing explanations of what was required for me to once again feel safe and good in my own body. Needless to say, I ditched the pills and fully committed to natural healing remedies, with cannabis leading the way.
My healing journey since then has been filled with immeasurable amounts of unlearning, deconditioning and discovery. Cannabis taught me how to trust and fall in love with my body, and that was step one on the path toward reaching my fullest potential as a human being, as an artist and as a mother. While I am still walking this path, fully aware that it takes a lot of work to reach a state of embodied enlightenment, I am also able to acknowledge that my mind is more open than ever before, and my reality is shifting as a result. The mindful use of cannabis as a tool of artistry has taken me on an epic internal quest that I consciously committed to. The impact this has had on my outward life is profound, and yet my personal co-creative cannabis rituals are themselves noticeably simple.
When I smoke, I feel the presence of another. Soon enough, this presence becomes fully intertwined with my essence, and the ideas born of this union come forth. A pen and paper are required at all times, or, at the very least, my phone and its array of note-taking apps. The task of channeling and documenting becomes a bit challenging if I smoke before taking what I call a Song Shower. A Song Shower is a bathing ritual that requires a specially curated playlist of songs I love to sing and/or dance to - which is great medicine for my nervous system. This sort of cannabis-supported cleansing and embodiment ceremony regularly produces the most exciting thoughts and ideas and poems. Oftentimes in these circumstances I end up racing from the shower to my journal, determined to get the many swirling thoughts that have arisen out of mind and onto the paper before they disperse and disappear altogether.
Not all rituals are meant to take place in the home, however. One of my favorite outdoor rituals is that of enjoying a cannabis gummy or tincture on the beach, first snacking and sunbathing on the sand while the TCH slowly enters my system, and then arising to either write very long poems, engage in a humbling ocean photography session or play with my daughters as the waves caress our legs - a sensation that feels like an act of gratitude for us coming to enjoy her presence and heal in her waters.
You see, human beings are meant to be outside in the elements and under the sun, which reflects to us the shining heart beams of all people so as to energize and bring healing to our beloved bodies. We are meant to be in communion with all of nature under the eye of the cosmos, be it day or night. And this applies to literally all parts of nature, not just the pretty parts, not just the socially accepted parts, not just the heavily researched parts, not just the "safe" parts and not just the parts shown to us on our screens. We are nature ourselves, and we are incomplete beings when we aren't engaging in a co-creative relationship with the many plants who seek interaction with us, whether they alter our minds or not. Plants are not free of spirit and desire. They want us as much as we want them, and they are available to us in so many forms. Some can be smoked, some can be teas, some can be steams, some can be oils, some can be all of the above - like cannabis. They are here to assist us on our earthly journeys, and it has been made clear to so many of us that living an intentional, plant-accompanied life is the real way, truth and light of our time.
Now, every single one of us is an artist. Our ability to convey meaning and feeling through our creations is the true gift of humanity; it is our purpose. We all have a choice as to how and what we create. So many human beings choose not to consciously create anything at all, and in so doing they inevitably and unconsciously create pain, sadness and deprivation for themselves and others. How this shows up in society is obvious to anyone looking. The cure to our ills lies in creation, not pills, and co-creating with cannabis is an incredibly potent way of connecting to one's humanity, and the artist that lies within.
The only way we can right the wrong of separating humans from plants is to more fully engage with them right now. And so I share with you this dreamweaving practice, which you are welcome to adopt as your own. Learning to use cannabis as a creative tool, no different than a spiritual paintbrush, is a key component of learning how to thrive on this planet and meet our destiny as humans. We are meant to create joy and pleasure with our own natural gifts, and the natural gifts provided to us by Earth.
The first thing you must do to begin this ritual is consume cannabis in whichever way is best suited to you and your body. Allow its essence to flow and settle in your center while you seek a sunny spot outside to lie down. Once you are horizontal, breathe rhythmically and in sync with the inhale and exhale of your surroundings. Try to match your heartbeat to a pulsation that only you can sense in the deep below of the Earth herself. Now, allow your eyes, which are closed, to roll up toward the center of your forehead where your third-eye is awaiting your attention. Your eyes may feel a bit strained, as they are somewhat "cross-eyed," but that is of no concern. Allow it to be so, and relax. You may see colors that transform into other colors, a process greatly influenced by the warm sun shining on your face. Your eyelids may start to twitch. This is a good thing.
Remember to keep breathing rhythmically, continuously tuning in to the sounds of nature and observing the colors and shapes that appear on your inner eyelids. It is at this point that you are invited to dream while remaining in a wakeful state. Allow the cannabis to flow with your thoughts as you dream freely of everything you desire to be so, so long as it is good for yourself and for others and does not bring harm to any other living being. This part matters and is very important. Do not be shy, and do not hold yourself back in any way. Feel what it would be like to live the life of your dreams, keeping in mind the following - ask and you shall receive; dream and you shall weave. The plants are here to help in the creation of your chosen reality. You aren't meant to do it alone.
Stay in this state of creation for as long as you can, only rising from your sunny disposition when you feel complete. Revisit this state regularly to check in on your dreams and their manifestation, making adjustments as necessary. Refinement and simplicity are important, but so are specifics. Again, do not hold yourself back. Weave the most beautiful life-oriented tapestry you ever thought possible, and remember, everything is possible, even more so when you are receiving the support of one of humanity's greatest and most powerful plant allies - Mother Mary Jane.