Mycomatize!

On ceremony, containers and new beginnings

Oliver Sutton and Carla Escursell

11/18/20234 min read

It was a warm, bright morning towards the end of October and a small group of people had congregated in the car park in front of El Casino, the bar and traditional meeting place in the village of Alpens, nested in the forested hills of Lluçanés. Some people chatted in a familiar way, but many were unknown to each other. The mood was relaxed and good-humoured but sharpened by that particular quality of expectation that one feels when entering uncharted territory; when there is a promising balance between the reassurance offered by the familiar elements- the people, the organisation, the shared intention on the one hand, and the big blue sky of all that is unknown on the other

And it was with the intention of presenting our particular approach to mediating between the elements of the known and the eruption of the unknown that After the Rains organised its inaugural event, Mycometize, in partnership with La Sociedad Psicodélica. We, Carla and Oliver, set up After the Rains as a vehicle for organising retreats and community events. The shared vision that has given it shape is rooted in some quite simple assumptions with far-reaching implications. We believe the psychedelic experience is a catalyst for being-present. That being-present is not a passive default state of being, but rather a moment-to-moment process of being connected; connected to one’s body, connected to the group and connected to the natural environment. In other words, actively and vibrantly connected to the life that surrounds and interpenetrates us.

The original plan for the event had been to let psychoactive mushrooms guide us as we looked for comestible mushrooms. However, the drought of the previous weeks meant that there were no mushrooms to be found. While we wanted the event to retain a relaxed, recreational vibe, we also saw this as an opportunity to introduce some of the somatic and resonance techniques that we had been developing for the retreats. We parked near a spring some 2 kilometres from the village and, after filling our bottles, walked up into the hills to the clearing in the forest where the ceremony was to take place. This gave us an opportunity to connect with the forest and with each other as we walked, pointing out wildlife or occasionally gathering around a mushroom to speculate on the likelihood of it containing psilocybin.

After a half hour walk, the footpath opened up into a clearing, surrounded on three sides by forest and with long views towards the south on the fourth side. We laid out a groundsheet and set a small altar using large flat stones that had previously been used for the same purpose. When everyone was sitting in a loose circle we formally introduced After the Rains, speaking about our intentions for the project. We then led the group into a guided meditation which, as well as heightening our sense of being-present and our group awareness, also helped us to become far more aware of the sounds of the forest that are normally drowned out by conversation: the wind in the trees, the call of a bird, the low hum of an aeroplane high above. The brew was then passed around the circle and each person took the quantity that they felt comfortable with, or simply passed it on.

As we were waiting for the mushrooms to make their presence felt, we led the group in a vocalisation technique designed to increase individual and group coherence. It consisted in creating a sequence of tones whilst directing our attention towards different areas of the body, moving progressively from the hips and the legs up to the head. The goal was to create a group resonance, affirming the body of the group through sound and vibration and in this way making it more accessible to consciousness. There was a certain tension early on, unsurprisingly given how unaccustomed people are to using their voices, but once the vocalisations reached the area of the throat and the head, there seemed to be a collective shift and people were beginning to vocalise more freely. It is perhaps no coincidence that this was about the time that the effect of the mushrooms started to come on.

After a final vocalisation, during which everyone sang more freely, we left these group practices and the container opened up into something more recreational in nature. However, several people commented on how these simple techniques had served to create a strong sense of group awareness which was reassuring and supportive for most, but a little oppressive for others. Such is the nature of group dynamics.

The rest of the afternoon was spent socialising in nature, some went walking into the forest, some climbed a small ladder of stones with breathtaking views towards Montserrat on the horizon, some others chanted and played instruments. This provided a focal point to which those psychonauts who decided to be on their own could return. After an eventful walk back down to the waiting cars, the Mycomatize! event was wrapped up at Oliver’s house around big plates of home-made bread, pasta and delicious cheese. It is a practice of After the Rains to eat a hearty meal after a trip to help ground ourselves. Everyone did s​​omething to help, either making the fire, chopping veg, or venturing down to the huerto to pick parsley for the mushroom pasta.

The event illustrates neatly how in this convulsive period, it might be time to break the dichotomy of recreational and ceremonial uses and see them more as ingredients that can be combined and do not exclude each other. Ceremony is necessary to create an experience that can have a deep impact, the structure that gives a sense of safety and reassurance, as represented by the archetype of the Hierophant in the Tarot. However, without the energy of the Fool, this can be suffocating, representing, as he does, the recreational touch which makes room for free expression and playfulness. Just as all archetypes live within us and are necessary for the wholeness of our life experiences, we welcome the synergy of both approaches to contribute to the art of tripping together.

After the Rains will be running a retreat in the hills near Alpens from the 14th of December until the 17th of December. Anyone interested should contact Carla (675523727) or Oliver (660118155) or send an email to info@aftertherains.org.