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Jason Pitzl-Waters on Nov 23rd 2005 at 4:39 am Neopaganism

Magic Mushrooms In Ireland

Did you know that psilocybin mushrooms have been decriminalized in Ireland? I did not know this. Luckily one of my Irish friends clued me in.

“As of June 1st, 2005, psilocybin mushrooms are now no longer classified as a controlled substance, as long as they are not ‘prepared’ What that means is as long as they are not dry and shoved in prepackaged bags like yer going to sell em on the street, they are 100% legal.”

I also found an article that talks about the history of mushroom use in Ireland, and that perhaps they had a ritualized purpose in pre-Christian Ireland.

“The historian Peter Lamborn Wilson argues that some form of psychedelic plant or ‘Soma’ was ingested in Ireland in pre-Christian times by pagan groups such as the Fianna. This goes some way towards explaining our surreal mythology, and our folk tales of ‘the little people’. If this theory is true it only brings Ireland into line with mushroom eating societies all over the world. The Aztecs of Central Mexico consumed sacred mushrooms, and the mushroom-induced visions and voices were their way of communing with the spirit world.”

One wonders if these events and insights will have any effect on modern Pagan groups active in Ireland? Not to mention Celtic Reconstructionists in other parts of the world. Could the use of psilocybin mushrooms become a part of ritual activity?

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2 responses so far

  • branruadh

    Erynn Rowan Laurie co-wrote an article for Shaman’s Drum a few years ago that posited usage of amanita muscaria in pagan Celtic times. There are several tempting clues, such as the imbas forosnai ritual’s “red flesh of a pig, dog or cat” that was chewed and set under a rock before the poet would lie in a dark room and seek inspiration. Not to mention the mushroom’s nickname of “brother of birch,” the first tree in the ogam. They knew it was there. Speckled things were held to have certain powers.Whether we’ll use them ourselves? Nobody’s talking about it much where I can see it. And I haven’t tried yet. But I do know amanita is legal to possess in the US.

  • Mike

    Amanita Muscaria and Psilocybin mushrooms are very different from eachother. Amanita is a Dissociative (with similar effects to Salvia Divinorum, so I hear), aswhere Psilocybin mushrooms are a Psychadelic. While both were likely used spiritually, they were likely used in very different ways.Amanita Muscaria (along with other dissociatives) produces an inner “vision quest”, hence why in the example above the poet would “sit in a dark room seeking inspiration”. It’s a very internal experience in which the outside world can interfer and dilute the “vision” into confusion.Psilocybin mushrooms create a sense of one-ness with the universe, a sort of euphoria. also the visual hallucinations make it seem like one is in a living dream. it’s very external. Spiritually speaking, there’s more of a connection with things in the world around you, as opposed to a Dissociative, in which there isn’t much external stimulation.I find it interesting how nature has provided us with multiple ways of spiritual exploration.