Meeting a Goddess

I am going to quote a section from a report submitted by one Abdul Rahman of the USA to the Vaults of Erowid. This is an information repository on psychoactive drugs, their use, preparation, effects and the experiences of users. It is one of those sites on the Net that is incredibly valuable if this particular shamanic path is being explored.

The Vaults are located at:

http://www.erowid.org/index.html

The report itself is at:

http://www.erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=1825

It concerns the experience of the above mentioned man with Datura, specifically Datura Stramonium known as Jimson Weed in the US. Abdul himself comes across as a teenager who rather too casually and with no forethought ground up and consumed some seeds with a friend after becoming obsessed by the beauty of the plant itself. He believes it enticed him. In his own words: “It really freaked me out, the plant had such a powerful presence.”

He took the seeds on a camping trip with some friends. The rather harsh physiological effects are detailed, but that is not the really interesting feature. The bulk of his superbly unpleasant visionary experience is what concerns this article. In his own words…

“I suppose everyone went to bed or something cause I wandered off to the dirt road, the one that goes through the pasture. I felt energized and had control of my body now, still delirious. I had found Stephen, he sat me down and began to inform of something very unnerving, the night had a very evil feeling as it was. He said 'man I don't know what to do, I don't want this.' He showed me his dark long fingernails, his face was very old and hairy (werewolf-like). I flipped out, I told him it was going to be okay and not to worry, it was just a bad dream. I knew this wasn't though I saw him, he was being possessed by her.

I ran for my life. I had begun to witness the spirit world, the darkest reality, ghost like beings were everywhere, it sickened me. I ran and ran, hopped a barbed-wire fence into a weedy field and ran around the perimeter trying to avoid stepping on snakes. I was almost flying I fell really hard at one point. When I got up I saw a glow in the middle of the field. I was controlled at this point. I was pulled to the center of the field where I witnessed some demonic action. There were seven guys and girls dressed in dark clothes, black hair, and pail skin. They were all enticed basically making love with the plant. They danced around the glowing datura plant. She was, alive. There was one guy/girl to my left that was very tall and thin he/she seemed to be the plant spirit (the leader).

They all quit dancing, Datura/she stared into my eyes and shook her head. I messed up and I knew it. I ran so quick towards the woods. He/she sent one of the others (enticed ones) after me. I tried to hop this barbed fence, but I was caught and I cut myself. I turned around and the enticed one, he stopped still in the darkness. I felt as if he wanted to run with me and get away from this evil life. I said come on dude, lets go... she'll kill you, come on! He stopped, and it was if something forced him to shake his head saying no, no. I hopped the wire and ran up the hill tore through vines, briar, just tearing through I leaped down the other side. Something stopped me and pulled my head up towards the ridge. There was the temptress, and she was after my life. She was capable of transformation and teleportation. I was so scared. I tore through the woods, I had to avoid two black jaguars. It was her, she is so so tricky and evil.

I came to the highway and it was about dawn at this point. I kept running from her. She was so tricky she had this power to dissipate, bow into the side of the road and just vanish, leaving only slightly noticeable energy particles, she could move about so quickly like this. I spent the next hour running in terror. I had to prove my strength and that I wasn't going to give in. She would offer me things like power and drugs, girls, etc. She sat on top of a road sign with her/his legs crossed behind. 'What does this say'? she tested my strength to the end. SO WICKED! I remember running, cars were swerving in order to avoid me, I guess I was in the road. I didn't dare go into the woods, they had too much power in the darker areas. I could here their evil laughter in the distance. She/he would bow into the ground every time a car would come around the corner. I was so scared and tired. I didn’t know where I was but I had to get out of there quickly. “

So, who does this remind you of?

We have tall thin androgynous otherworldly people dancing in the night around a glowing plant of power who is also a beautiful woman. They take offence easily and they play a dangerous game of pursuit and wild flight during which she temps and she tests. She controls two large cats (jaguars). She can transform and move with supernatural ease. She is the supreme mistress of magic. She is intimately and explicitly associated with both death and sexuality.

What is interesting is the telling of such a classic European encounter with the ‘other world’ by an American teenager of Arabic descent living in the USA. You will find few stories of encounters with the Alfar and Freya as detailed, documented and modern. It is also a reminder that the Freya of legend also has a very dark side that is glossed over in modern retellings. She is not only the Goddess of love, but of war and death also. The Alfar are not always the kindly wise elder folk as portrayed in films like Lord of the Rings, but they too were feared as well as respected by our ancestors, no doubt with very good reason.

Perhaps here we can see how legends come into being, or are strengthened.

Even though apparently Abdul knew nothing of North European mythology something was channelled through him that expressed itself in a very precise fashion.