# 7 - Aztec or Nahuatl Religious & Cultural Use of Psilocybin, A. muscaria & Morning Glories

The Aztecs were an interesting people, their history says that they were guided to their future homeland by the “Child God.”  Who predicted that the location would be known by an eagle atop a cactus eating a serpent.  Nice symbolism!  The Mexican flag has this emblem on it today, and as with the ancient Aztec art it too has the Psilocybin mushroom enigmatically place at the base of the cactus—the symbol of the Scallop shell.  Apparently the designers of Mexico’s Flag knew that the Oak/Acorn and Olive were European symbols for the same sacrament.  As to why the “Child God” gives it away, you must recall the Jesus said, unless you become like one of these little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” -Matthew 18:3.

 

Very little is recorded of how the Aztecs utilized Amanita muscaria.  But that they did is clearly illustrated in the art work they left behind.  The Maya of our modern era considered A. muscaria “the Evil Mushroom.”  A telling title for so vibrant and ‘stop sign’ like a mushroom.  Certainly our basic natural instinct for self preservation tells us that anything that brightly colored and easy to capture has the really possibility of poisoning its consumer.  It is know that the Aztec Priests considered the users (priests) of the Psilocybin mushroom to be ‘an arrogant people.’  Much as the common non-Christian views the Christian’s in general.  One thing is for sure about the continued and serious searching out of Psilocybin—the experience if not the Voice (See Maria Sabina) imparts confidence and certainty that are a challenge to current paradigms...

Known as the “Green Snake Plant” among the Nautal or Aztec peoples of Mexico it was their primary religion.  You can read in the cronicals of the Fransiscan Friers how they burned practiciners at the stake for having these seeds in their homes and set fire to the Morning Glory vines that grew along the river banks.  The Nautal claimed that they had no need of the Christian religion or its God as they had a god of their own who communicated with them directly through the seeds…

Above you see the Aztec deity Huitzilopochtli, whose name means (huitzilin, “hummingbird” and opochtli, “left) Hummingbird on the left… (the left handed path).  He was the Aztec sun and war god.  At this time the Aztecs have fully integrated Morning Glories and Mushrooms (Oil & Water) into their culture.  The small portrait of this deity shows a golden mushroom crown, the Feathered Serpent as the raised blue Snake Plant in his right hand.  Above we see the basic symbol of the Morning Glory flower in the shield, the iron cross (yes Hitler also used this symbol as well as the swastika)  and the outline of the conch shell worn in cross-section on the chest.  The humming bird feeds by association from this deities third eye—the Morning Glory.

 

Huitzilopochtli demanded human blood sacrifices in order that he, the sun might return the next day.  Careful research into Aztec behavior has revealed that prisoners were taken from other tribes in warfare.  Then the families of the captives were invited to come witness the sacrifice of their sons.  They were given constructed booths decorated with flowers (how nice) and sacred mushrooms to eat as their sons hearts were torn out.  To make matters worse the Aztecs would force feed the victims Psilocybin mushrooms to cause them to fight more vigorously and so that their heart would remain pumping well after it was removed from their chest.  If you saw the movie Apocalypto - you'll recall that the victems were symbolically painted blue (the staining color of Psilocybin mushrooms) while the Aztec Priests were painted green (Serpent Vine). Here you see the sacrificed victims heart above in the shape of the scallop shell (symbolic for Psilocybin).  The top of the above temple, dedicated to Huitzilapochtli was decorated with cross sections of conch shells - exposing the inner spiril symbolic of the Morning Glory's snake like tendrils...

 Apocalypto Blues...

Huitzilopochtli temple performing human sacrifice.  At the temples top you can just make out another of this Morning Glory deity’s symbols, a stand of butterflies crowns his gory thrown.  Below temple priests blow his traditional sign the conch shell announcing the blood sacrifice.  A Wise One or one who wants to know, should avail themselves of a copy of Bill Coopers “Mystery Babylon Series” to see just how many cultures were caught up in the worship of the Morning Star or solar deity.  At left here we see a personification of Quetzalcoatl, whose name means bird-snake or Feathered Serpent.  This is yet another personification of the spirit behind the consumed Morning Glory seeds.  It has been called the Flying Serpent by modern occult orders but was known as the Feathered Serpent as early as the Teotihuacán culture whose artworks show a massive serpent with stylized flowers springing from its body.  The Maya called this spirit Kukulcan or the Vision Serpent, while the Aztecs called him the Lightning Serpent or Quetzalcoatl.   A blending of “drugs” was occurring—a take over...

 

The Aztecs themselves recorded that in their opinion the Mushroom eaters were a arrogant bunch.  Of coarse you could see how this would be, when you discover through Mushrooms that you have a conscience.  If the sacramental use of Psilocybin mushrooms did nothing else, it enlarges the conscience of its consumer.  Perhaps we need to put that “sacramental use” into the context of concepts like the Golden Rule—that is ‘do unto others as you would have done to yourself.’  As apposed to the more modern interpretation of the Golden Rule:  ’he who has the gold rules’.  Yes, undoubtedly people have misused Psilocybe Mushrooms and as surely as the Lord’s Name was taken in vain so that will also happen here.  However, the good outweighs the bad and it is therefore a cost worth paying.

The Mushroom eaters of the Aztecs were a suppressed group that dwelt in the corner of Aztec society.  They were healers and prophets and weather workers.  Huitzilopochtli shared his temple with Toloc the rain god who has long been associated with the sacred mushrooms, perhaps this prevalence within the temple was what allowed the attitude of such Mushroom Priests to be known and recorded in the first place.  It is a recorded fact that among Mesoamerican Indians it was traditional to send a Mushroom Priest up into the mountains to summon rain when a drought was sever enough.  So Toloc priests, though they apposed heart sacrifice were not to be done away with for rain was sure to be needed.

So concludes our study of Mesoamerican History as it relates to the use of these three Psychedelics: Psilocybin, Amanita muscaria & the Morning Glories.  Taking what we've learned we will now step into ancient history and puzzle the whole thing out - as Dave Matthews once recorded that he wished he could: "I pull you out like strings of lilies...how I wish I could puzzle the whole damn (life and its meaning) thing out."

PS. If you enjoyed reading this blog consider buying the book! https://www.amazon.com/Book-Remembrance-History-Religion-Psychedelics/dp/1979558485/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1511116221&sr=8-2&keywords=Matthew+Wyman