| Magic mushroom consumption, flying reindeer and | | | | representative of every day life and known as |
| an evergreen tree that touches the largest star in | | | | the 'middle earth', the roots of the tree stretched |
| the sky have associations in the pre-Christian | | | | deep into the earth to the 'under-world' and that |
| ancient world which bare resemblances to some | | | | branches stretched upwards into a heavenly or |
| of our modern-day Christmas symbols. Read on | | | | cosmic realm. The World Tree has been described |
| and enjoy some fascinating insights into ancient | | | | as a kind of 'cosmic axis' where the planes of the |
| history. Discover the ancient world relationship to | | | | universe are fixed. |
| Christmas through magic mushrooms, the Pole | | | | The North Star also known as the 'Pole Star' was |
| Star and the World Tree! There is research that | | | | considered sacred by ancient people because all |
| suggests that many of our modern-day | | | | the other stars revolved around its fixed point. |
| Christmas symbols and icons are actually derived | | | | They believed the top of the World Tree touched |
| from the Shamanistic traditions of the tribal | | | | or connected to the Pole Star. The Shamans |
| people of pre-Christian Northern Europe. They | | | | belief they pass into the realm of the Gods as |
| consumed sacred mushrooms and based many of | | | | they climbed the metaphorical tree. This is |
| their traditions and celebrations around these | | | | believed by some to be the real history of the |
| sacred mushrooms which bare resemblance to | | | | star on the modern Christmas tree. |
| many of our modern Christmas traditions. | | | | Researchers tell us that the active ingredients of |
| There is an interesting history attached to these | | | | amanita mushrooms are not metabolized by the |
| magic mushrooms we see illustrated in children's | | | | body and so remain active in the urine. It is |
| fairy tale books and especially with images of | | | | considered safer and preferable not to eat the |
| elves and Christmas. They come from the 'fly | | | | mushrooms directly but to drink the urine of one |
| agaric' or amanita muscaria mushroom (red and | | | | who has consumed the mushrooms. This process |
| white in color). These mushrooms are usually | | | | enables many of the toxic compounds to be |
| associated with magic and fairies. Ancient people | | | | processed and eliminated on the first pass |
| used these mushrooms for transcendental | | | | through the body. Ancient people drank each |
| experiences and insight. These mushrooms contain | | | | others urine as a common practice of recycling |
| hallucinogenic compounds. The Shamanistic | | | | the potent effects of the mushrooms. It has |
| traditions included celebrations around the | | | | been found that even on six passes through the |
| consumption and harvest of these sacred | | | | body ingredients of the amanita mushrooms |
| mushrooms. Celebrations similar to our Christmas | | | | remain potent. It has been argued amongst some |
| traditions. | | | | scholars that the origin of the phrase "to get |
| Interestingly these specific mushrooms grow only | | | | pissed," comes from this ancient urine drinking |
| under certain types of trees being mostly firs and | | | | practice associated with the amanita mushrooms. |
| evergreens which are synonymous with | | | | This urine-drinking activity preceded alcohol by |
| Christmas. Ancient people considered the | | | | thousands of years. |
| mushrooms the fruit of these evergreen trees. | | | | The sacred animals of these ancient people were |
| As these mushrooms sprang from the earth, | | | | reindeer that were also fond of eating the |
| ancient people were amazed because there was | | | | amanita mushrooms. In fact they would seek |
| no visible seed. Thus it was considered a 'virgin | | | | them out, and then prance about while under their |
| birth 'resulting from the morning dew (seen as the | | | | influence. Reindeer also enjoy the urine of a |
| semen of the deity). It has been written that the | | | | human who had consumed the mushrooms. Often |
| silver tinsel prominent today to drape over our | | | | tribesmen would carry sealskin containers of their |
| modern Christmas trees is derived from and | | | | urine which they used effectively to attract stray |
| representative of this divine fluid. Many ancient | | | | reindeer back into the herd. The effects of these |
| people including the Shamans and the Lapps | | | | mushrooms usually include sensations of flying and |
| (Finland) and the Kyoak tribes of the central | | | | size distortion. This may account for the many |
| Russian steepes believe in the idea of a 'World | | | | legends of flying reindeer or winged reindeer |
| Tree'. They believed the trunk of the tree was | | | | transporting their riders up the World Tree! |