Review by shaman Erik Peters:
Splendid! A hardcover edition. Beautiful illustrations – and no, not of fly agarics. The layout is pleasing and visually stunning. Comparing this to other books about Amanita seems futile, as this is of an entirely different caliber. From what I have perused so far, the writing is provocative, it challenges you to ponder, to broaden your cognitive frameworks and let go of preconceived notions, not only about Amanita but a host of other topics as well. After flipping through, you find yourself yearning to sink your teeth into it, as though you’re about to unravel a mystery or satiate your hunger for knowledge and insight. In this regard, the book is as captivating, enigmatic, and beguiling as the main subject it discusses.
After having read the section on dosage in the book ‘Amanita Muscaria, The Book of the Empress’ by Martinus Hendrikus-Hogervorst Benders (highly recommended!!!), my piece on dosage seemed entirely superfluous to post. Fortunately, there’s an overlap in our views on dosage, but I personally find his literary qualities to vastly exceed mine, leaving little room for me to add. But, incredibly, not everyone has yet read Martinus’s book (for the price, it’s a steal, and if you genuinely wish to read a good book about Amanita that’s also good for the mind and a pleasure to read, you should own it). Until then, you can make do with this piece that I wrote last week…
Having read ‘The Practical Guide and Shamanic Use’ and a few other snippets, I think to myself: finally, someone who tells it like it is. I find no cause for curled toenails or itching, an uncommon sensation when reading about amanita. It’s a riveting read too – from forthright to poetic, it leaves me with nothing but a broad smile.
A wrench needed to be thrown into the works of the Amanita dreamers who long for a predictable effect from an unpredictable medicine. The mention of trained attention is a critical aspect that every Amanita book lacks (except, to a greater or lesser extent, that book by those two American hippies). To say it’s a mix of Wasson, Feeney, and Pendell would be to undersell it. This book is necessary, essential in showing what Amanita is truly about, something you won’t read anywhere else. I’m impressed, and I can’t imagine that you are any less proud of it than I am when I pour a cup of my magical potion.
Erik Peters
