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The story of Santa and his flying reindeer can be traced to an unlikely source: hallucinogenic or "magic" mushrooms, according to one theory. "Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world," said John Rush, an anthropologist and instructor at Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif. Here are eight ways that hallucinogenic mushrooms explain the story of Santa and his reindeer. 1. Arctic shamans gave out mushrooms on the winter solstice. According to the theory, the legend of Santa derives from shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions who dropped into locals' teepeelike homes with a bag full of hallucinogenic mushrooms as presents in late December, Rush said. "As the story goes, up until a few hundred years ago, these practicing shamans or priests connected to the older traditions would collect Amanita muscaria (the Holy Mushroom), dry them and then give them as gifts on the winter solstice," Rush told LiveScience in an email. "Because snow is usually blocking doors, there was an opening in the roof through which people entered and exited, thus the chimney story." 2. Mushrooms, like gifts, are found beneath pine trees. That's just one of the symbolic connections between the Amanita muscaria mushroom and the iconography of Christmas, according to several historians and ethnomycologists, or people who study fungi's influence on human societies. Of course, not all scientists agree that the Santa story is tied to a hallucinogen. In his book "Mushrooms and Mankind" (The Book Tree, 2003) the late author James Arthur points out that Amanita muscaria, also known as fly agaric, lives throughout the Northern Hemisphere under conifers and birch trees, with which the fungi — which are deep red with white flecks — have a symbiotic relationship. This partially explains the practice of the Christmas tree, and the placement of bright red-and-white presents underneath it, which look like Amanita mushrooms, he wrote. "Why do people bring pine trees into their houses at the winter solstice, placing brightly colored (red-and-white) packages under their boughs, as gifts to show their love for each other …?" he wrote. "It is because, underneath the pine bough is the exact location where one would find this 'Most Sacred' substance, the Amanita muscaria, in the wild." (Note: Do not eat these mushrooms, as they can be poisonous.) 3. Reindeer were shaman "spirit animals." Reindeer are common in Siberia and northern Europe, and seek out these hallucinogenic fungi, as the area's human inhabitants have also been known to do. Donald Pfister, a Harvard University biologist who studies fungi, suggests that Siberian tribesmen who ingested fly agaric may have hallucinated that the grazing reindeer were flying. "At first glance, one thinks it's ridiculous, but it's not," said Carl Ruck, a professor of classics at Boston University. "Whoever heard of reindeer flying? I think it's becoming general knowledge that Santa is taking a 'trip' with his reindeer." "Amongst the Siberian shamans, you have an animal spirit you can journey with in your vision quest," Ruck continued. "And reindeer are common and familiar to people in eastern Siberia." 4. Shamans dressed like … Santa Claus. These shamans "also have a tradition of dressing up like the [mushroom] … they dress up in red suits with white spots," Ruck said. 5. Mushrooms abound in Christmas iconography. Tree ornaments shaped like Amanita mushrooms and other depictions of the fungi are also prevalent in Christmas decorations throughout the world, particularly in Scandinavia and northern Europe, Pfister pointed out. That said, Pfister made it clear that the connection between modern-day Christmas and the ancestral practice of eating mushrooms is a coincidence, and he doesn't know about any direct link. 6. Rudolph's nose resembles a bright-red mushroom. Ruck points to Rudolph as another example of the mushroom imagery resurfacing: His nose looks exactly like a red mushroom. "It's amazing that a reindeer with a red-mushroom nose is at the head, leading the others," he said. Many of these traditions were merged or projected upon St. Nicholas, a fourth-century saint known for his generosity, as the story goes. There is little debate about the consumption of mushrooms by Arctic and Siberian tribespeople and shamans, but the connection to Christmas traditions is more tenuous, or "mysterious," as Ruck put it. 7. "A Visit from St. Nicholas" may have borrowed from shaman rituals. Many of the modern details of the modern-day American Santa Claus come from the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (which later became famous as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). The poem is credited to Clement Clarke Moore, an aristocratic academic who lived in New York City. The origins of Moore's vision are unclear, although Arthur, Rush and Ruck all think the poet probably drew from northern European motifs that derive from Siberian or Arctic shamanic traditions. At the very least, Arthur wrote, Santa's sleigh and reindeer are probably references to various related northern European mythology. For example, the Norse god Thor (known in German as Donner) flew in a chariot drawn by two goats, which have been replaced in the modern retelling by Santa's reindeer, Arthur wrote. Other historians were unaware of a connection between Santa and shamans or magic mushrooms, including Stephen Nissenbaum, who wrote a book about the origins of Christmas traditions, and Penne Restad, of the University of Texas at Austin, both of whom were contacted by LiveScience. 8. Santa is from the Arctic. One historian, Ronald Hutton, told NPR that the theory of a mushroom-Santa connection is flawed. "If you look at the evidence of Siberian shamanism, which I've done," Hutton said, "you find that shamans didn't travel by sleigh, didn't usually deal with reindeer spirits, very rarely took the mushrooms to get trances, didn't have red-and-white clothes." But Rush and Ruck disagree, saying shamans did deal with reindeer spirits and the ingestion of mushrooms is well documented. Siberian shamans did wear red deer pelts, but the coloring of Santa's garb is mainly meant to mirror the coloring of Amanita mushrooms, Rush added. As for sleighs, the point isn't the exact mode of travel, but that the "trip" involves transportation to a different, celestial realm, Rush said. Sometimes people would also drink the urine of the shaman or the reindeer, as the hallucinogenic compounds are excreted this way, without some of the harmful chemicals present in the fungi (which are broken down by the shaman or the reindeer), Rush said. "People who know about shamanism accept this story," Ruck said. "Is there any other reason that Santa lives in the North Pole? It is a tradition that can be traced back to Siberia."
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Dec 21, 2019 19:56
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 03:24 |
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Drive-Thru Salad Bar posted:Old family friend stopped by and dropped off a sack like some magical sativa santa Propolis myrrh and frankincense are the names of ancient strains.
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Dec 21, 2019 19:57
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i doubled checked to make sure one of my favorite vendors are open on xmas eve so i can go get a last minute ounce of stank
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Dec 21, 2019 20:01
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im leaving my special chridtmas weed out for santa to smoke when he comes
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Dec 21, 2019 21:59
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About to smoke some OG skywalker and watch the PC skywalker.
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Dec 21, 2019 23:07
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1/2 is pretty decent for good decisions. About to finger press out some Warchild heads. This poo poo is loving bonkers melty.
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Dec 22, 2019 00:04
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i have some cid and molly and San Pedro and im gonna celebrate Christmas just like old times: as a madman
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Dec 22, 2019 00:28
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Never thought of Christmas weed but I guess it's time for a holiday blunt.
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Dec 22, 2019 00:32
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Hell Yeah posted:It's two days before christmas which means I'm smoking on the special christmas weed that i set aside for the holiday season. Several years ago i noticed that it is often difficult to get weed around christmas, and i decided i would get some extra weed that i really liked and lay it up for the christmas season. Since i got a 8th just for christmas on top of my usually 1/2 oz that i keep for every day smoking i decided to bust open the christmas weed a little early. Thanks for answering all the questions I was going to ask I will vote your thread high *u hear the sound of a mouse click*
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Dec 22, 2019 00:43
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Dec 22, 2019 01:07
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beginning to look a lot like kiefmas imo
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Dec 22, 2019 01:07
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I'mma probably "smoke" (vape) my normal w33d on Christmas. I'mma be at my parents house and my dad used to be a huge stoner when he was a kid so thinking about offering him some but not sure if he would be down and also mom would probably murder me but would be cool
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Dec 22, 2019 01:20
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Happy holidays! Heres to many happy returns.
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Dec 22, 2019 01:46
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Dec 22, 2019 21:33
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finally got a new bag for my vape after like a year does my homegrown count as special christmas weed
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Dec 22, 2019 22:43
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This week it does
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Dec 23, 2019 01:12
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Enough for a half a j, pathetic
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Dec 23, 2019 16:46
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we don't judge others holiday treats. All joints matter
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Dec 23, 2019 18:19
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The Cockler posted:i hung around a succesful pot dealer for like five years and every time he got a new batch in he'd be like "WHAT SHOULD WE CALL THIS ONE" and we'd sit around for awhile shouting and just make up some dumb poo poo, white people go absolutely loving nuts for branding I have noticed that black people have their own names for the weed strains they buy. I am pretty sure it's all the same weed. poverty goat posted:in india where they've got a cultural tradition of edibles they typically boil the weed alone, discard the water, then cook it in fat/milk to make the flavor as neutral as possible. this way you don't have to wait for it to harden I don't get how they aren't pouring out the weed with the water? Do they chill it first so it solidifies or something? Honestly, though, I think most people here look for that weed taste. The Dregs fucked around with this message at 18:26 on Dec 23, 2019 |
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Dec 23, 2019 18:24
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Anything that is or is crossed with Blue Dream. I love it! It's like getting stoned for the very first time, every time!
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Dec 23, 2019 18:26
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Placed an order at the local delivery and ended up getting grabby. 1 ounce of blueberry kush 4 bags of 200 mg gummies 2 packs of 300 mg drink mix 1 g of distillate oil 1 disposable vape (I know) with .5 g of honey oil to give my stoner uncle for Xmas 
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Dec 23, 2019 21:35
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Christmas "tree" 
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Dec 23, 2019 21:54
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Smoked a bunch of weed and ate a liter of cookies & cream ice cream 
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Dec 24, 2019 18:08
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i got a strain called scooby snacks and a dairy queen chicken strip basket
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Dec 24, 2019 18:10
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girslcout cookies
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Dec 24, 2019 18:48
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Dog Walker.
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Dec 24, 2019 18:50
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i grow 3 different kinds of weed and i gave my brother who is 10 yrs older than me some and he is like is everything fruity and sweet now? and i'm like yeah that's what is relevant. but he likes the one that is like skunky and woody with some licorice to it.
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Dec 24, 2019 18:52
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it's free christmas weed, give me a break.
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Dec 24, 2019 18:52
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What if Christmas was on 4/20 one year that'd be tite.
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Dec 24, 2019 18:54
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I've got an oz of Critical Bilbo for xmas and new year and my mate also gave me a dab of oil which I haven't smoked yet
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Dec 24, 2019 19:01
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i have some oils. i have some time off this christmas and a bunch of trim i think i'm gonna make some batches of bubble hash
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Dec 24, 2019 19:02
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Hell Yeah posted:i grow 3 different kinds of weed and i gave my brother who is 10 yrs older than me some and he is like is everything fruity and sweet now? and i'm like yeah that's what is relevant. but he likes the one that is like skunky and woody with some licorice to it. The afforementioned Dogwalker fits that bill. I got it in a vape cartridge though. Not sure how widespread the strain is.
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Dec 24, 2019 19:12
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I'm smoking the special christmas meth instead  probate me please (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST) (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST) (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST) (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST) (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST) (USER WAS PERMABANNED FOR THIS POST)
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Dec 24, 2019 20:09
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my special christmas weed came in the mail! just in time. I was getting really worried. They threw in a 200mg thing of sour patch kids too as a holiday freebie, very nice of them. Got a quarter each of "Sophie's Punch", "Zurple Punch", "Mad Caps", "Mandarin Sunset" and "Spruce" I feel like if any of them is gonna be the special xmas weed specifically it's gotta be spruce. it smells like cloves and orange and xmas trees. in other words xmas.
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Dec 24, 2019 20:37
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methlord420 posted:I'm smoking the special christmas meth instead this was a roller coaster
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Dec 24, 2019 20:57
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methlord no...
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Dec 24, 2019 21:05
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I have a brownie waiting for me before I open presents but ugh ate too much at dinner. 
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Dec 24, 2019 23:36
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rip methlord 420, you served with distinction
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Dec 25, 2019 00:20
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im on the SPRUCE CABOOSE
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Dec 25, 2019 00:25
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 03:24 |
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smoke em if ya got em folks
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Dec 25, 2019 15:39
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