The Artist

The True Artist

Must be crazy

who is making a way for them?

they are the dreamers

the ones dreaming with open eyes

living the dreams

pre-digesting the raw substances of the void

for you to consume

weaving the dreams into a reality

you can become

The true artists are the ones 

who lose their minds,

let them disintegrate in the face of God

so that they are left with only this transmutable fabric

with no other strands of doubt to grasp,

they believe the dream

and they become the dream

they bring the dream through the weightless fizzing broth of ether

through the granules of the earth and the canopy of the sky

through the apertures of your eyes

leading into your soul

and out into the reflection that is your world;

they bring the dream to life

a dream you lose yourself in

until you find the other side of yourself

they resurrect something never born

don't trust the artist

or feel bad for her

but let the artist be

for the artists are the ones dreaming the dream

into waking life

-Laura Weber

David's quote

"...Piscine in "Life of Pi" is so dope.  He understands that every religion has some truth in it, but not ultimate truth.  And that's why every religion is neither wrong nor right.  It's like they're all puzzles that (are) missing a few pieces.  But when you combine the ideas and individual truths of all religions, it forms such a broader understanding of spirituality.

Never let people tell you religions contradict each other.  That is such a hostile way of thinking about it.  They are separate interpretations of the same truth.  It's like asking someone to explain how they feel about music.  There is no correct way to explain that, but your explanation might resonate more with others than someone else's explanation.

That is literally all religion is;  A variety of explanations of how to return to ourselves, aka the ultimate truth."

-David Weber

For more insights and inspirational energy check out David's musical arrangement and dj work at:
http://8tracks.com/glowphased

Mozz Manzoor: The Salvia Shaman

Interview with Mozz Manzoor: Professional Salvia Guide

http://sagedivinegroup.com/

Facebook.com/sagedivinegroup

Mozz Mazoor is the founder and entheogen guide at Sage Divine Group, a company specializing in leading clients through guided Salvia sessions since 2010.  Mozz, however, has been personally leading Salvia sessions with others for more than ten years following his first personal experience with Salvia; a mind-altering plant medicine capable of creating expansive and what would commonly be referred to as ‘hallucinogenic’ or ‘psychedelic’ experiences.  I began learning about Mozz’s work after he became a good friend of mine and I decided to explore further into his life, his work, and his vision.  Ultimately this exploration is what lead to the interview you are about to enjoy.  Many questions were raised in my mind.  What was his first personal experience like?  What does a Salvia session feel like?  What are the practical applications of guided Salvia therapy?  Read on to find the answers to these questions and many more interesting gems and be prepared to have your mind expanded.

(All excerpts are direct quotes taken from the aforementioned interview between Laura Weber (author of Co-Creations) and Mozz Manzoor on June 30^th, 2013.  The interview was rather long and has been paraphrased to express the highlights.)

Laura  Mozz, as you know, I'm really excited about the opportunity to sit down and pick your brain with an interview about who you are and what you're doing.

Mozz  I’m very excited as well. A warm hello to all of you taking the time to read this

Laura  Leading up to the interview I did some homework to find out the story about you and your company. Your company is called Sage divine Group and you've been in business about 10 years. Can you tell me a little more about your company?

Mozz  Well the company has been in business for about 3 years. My personal experience with Salvia, and that of guiding people through a psychedelic experience with Salvia goes back over 10 years.  I first tried Salvia when I was 18. It changed my life. I was so moved by the experience that I thought everyone should experience it as well.

Mozz’s first experience with Salvia:

“…I forgot what I was. I felt like a child.  And there came a brief moment where I wasn't sure if I was.  For a brief moment, I didn't know that I existed…  There was no conscious recognition of a "self.” Then out of the nothingness, a thought occurred."

“I realized that the thoughts were Originating from something that was me.  That there even was something that was me; That I existed…I came back very harrowed from the experience.  I vowed never to do it again, but over the course of the next few weeks something became very apparent to me.  I was happier than I had ever been in a very long time… I decided that all of my friends and anyone I cared about needed to experience this.” 

From there Mozz explained how he began to map out the process of creating safe and productive Salvia sessions which would eventually become therapeutic healing sessions for his clients.  10 years later, his hard work and trial and error process is paying off and what he can now offer is expertise.  As Mozz suspected as a young man of 18, his clients are regularly having safe, reliable, and transformative experiences, tailored specifically to the individual goals of each client under his guidance in therapeutic Salvia sessions.  Mozz has developed many happy clients.

One of his clients shared this simple but heartfelt thanks;

“Thank you for being a part of my awakening. I am so grateful ”

Another grateful client ends their statement by saying,

“It seems that one thing that will last is my shift in perspective. In that I have confidence to face myself – to let myself cry and embrace my humanhood- my best intentions that cannot fully manifest themselves. That despite my hopes, they will fail. But not to get caught up in that – to just push forward and do what I do. To make the best of the whole situation.  I have no idea where I will go from here, but I am confident that it will be a better place, a more genuine place.”

So let’s learn a little more about what a guided Salvia session with Mozz entails. 

Mozz  What Salvia is giving you is an opportunity to explore your inner mental world. And that is something that must be respected. It should be treated with reverence and humility. That is a feeling that is very hard to find if you are concerned with how you are perceived by people around you. My sessions always start with about 45 minutes to an hour's worth of calming breathing exercises and guided meditations.  From getting to know a person and what they hope to achieve from a psychedelic experience, I can make sure that their Intentions are aimed in that direction.

Mozz  When I feel a person is mindful of where they are in their space and time…I send them off.  After years of figuring out how to put somebody in the optimal state to receive the gifts of Salvia, I have developed these techniques. 

Mozz  After a few minutes in that state the person comes back and we talk about what they experienced.  After I feel like they have expressed everything that they feel they should…I send them off again.  Each jump lasts for about 5-10 minutes.  I usually send someone off 3 times in a session.

A Person becomes more and more acclimated with the experience every single time and is able to take advantage of it in a broader sense.

Mozz has used the term inner space to refer to where a client can go during a Salvia session, so I asked Mozz to explain what the experience of one’s inner space is like.

“I feel that your inner-space is whatever is hiding behind your ego…In essence (it is) a temporary denial of your ego.  As soon as you're born you start forming a relationship with the world around you. You learn to transact with the world around. As you get older the things you want get more and more complex. You start letting the world know certain things about your identity. You make decisions about yourself…You want to let the world know who you are… That identity, that collection of decisions, is what I defined as the ego…What Salvia does his cuts that off.  The hope being that when you come back you’ll have a better sense of what those decisions and those choices should be.”

Laura And how can people integrate this new perspective with the "everyday life" they return to after the session?

Mozz  When you feel your true self and the desires that lie within that, It's easier to go forward in a more honest way so that you're giving yourself the best opportunity to be happy.

Laura  Would you say that this experience is ideal for those looking to go deeper and access their truer desires through a psychedelic but who possibly are just inexperienced or unsure?

Mozz  I couldn't have said it better myself.  People who are feeling stuck. Who are in repeating patterns. Who need a jolt; To wake up the wonder inside them People who are jaded.  (These are people who) could benefit from this.

(The topic inevitably drifted into the much debated and mysterious topic regarding the use and application of other hallucinogenic plant substances…)

Laura  What are the implications for this with other plant medicine? How does this invite us, as a culture, to revisit how we look at these substances which were viewed as medicines by our ancestors?  Could these substances be vehicles for social change?  Looks like we'll have to schedule a few more follow up interviews to cover them all.

Mozz  I'd love that

(So, now we have that to look forward to! J)

Laura  And with that said, Mozz, what do you want to leave us with? From 10 years of experience as a Salvia guide, and indeed a pioneer in an exciting new field, what is the vision of Sage Divine Group into the future and how do you see this practice affecting the people who experience it?

Mozz Manzoor “For many of the Incarnations of malaise that people suffer from in this modern society, the antidote isn't a methodical roadmap of thoughts, but rather an emotionally moving experience to show you a truth you can feel.

”

Laura  Your vision is coming at a perfect time and I see you and 

this practice really serving to build bridges where there were none before and allowing more people than ever before to have transformational experiences of healing during this time of change in the world.  Thank you for your work.

Mozz  Thank you. That is a very nice thing to say

Laura That was a beautiful conversation, thank you for being interviewed and I can't wait to connect this information to the world.

Mozz  Thank you so much! I really, really enjoyed that.

Interviewing Mozz brought helped me see a powerful and intriguing way plan medicine is being used in a therapeutic healing modality.  There’s a lot to learn about the use of plant medicine like Salvia.  Ultimately we can perhaps be inspired to revisit our previously held definitions for hallucinogens, about what can be defined as alternative health and medicine, and ultimately to perhaps force us to consider the role of sacred plant substances in the healing and consciousness shift of our time.

Make sure you check out my article: Which delves a little deeper in the idea of plant medicine being a part of the consciousness shift.

Importantly, Thank you so much for joining the conversation and being a part of the shift.  I would love to hear your comments and dialogue.  If you have any questions for Mozz, simply leave a comment here or check out the links to Sage Divine Group’s Website and Facebook page where you can find contact info and learn more about Safety, Legality, and other facts about Mozz and his work with Salvia.

http://sagedivinegroup.com/

Facebook.com/sagedivinegroup

Solstice Solar Juice

The solstice is the day that the sun sits in his highest palace in the heavens.  It's a day to celebrate the summer and the blessings of the solar energy with dance, food, energy work and meditation, song and music, art, and sun gazing.

Here is a Solar Solstice Elixir featuring vibrant red, orange, and gold tones to ignite, cleanse, and empower the blood, life force, first three Chakras (Root, Sacral, and Solar Plexus) and the consciousness and power of the physical body as well.

Ingredients:

(Rough guide.  Be creative and work with the foods and colors you already have on hand.)

Life Blood red BEETS
Juicy Sun GRAPEFRUIT
Spicy fire GINGER ROOT
Sweet Sun CARROTS
Powder gold TURMERIC

I added POMEGRANATE JUICE and fresh ROSE WATER and CHAMOMILE for sweetness and a balancing feminine touch.

Now go find a spot under the Solstice Sun and drink up your elixir and the Suns rays.

Happy Solstice everyone.

The Co-Creative Process

A day in the page of my sketchbook:

I can feel it happening. "And when you feel it happening,  let it happen.  Become that process and enjoy that process.  Give in."

Original artwork and quote by Laura Weber

Chocolate Butterballs

Chocolate Butterballs

I'm trying to adhere to an elimination diet with no gluten, no dairy(except organic butter), no red meat and no eggs for at least a month and that means if I get the munchies I can eat basically nothing from the store.  At 3am-ish I got everything I had out that was in the sweet and delicious category, mixed it up, rolled it into balls, tossed it in a coating and stuck it in the oven with some pieces of a chocolate to melt on top.  And it turned out really good!  

I mixed together:

Crushed walnuts (or any nuts)
Peanut butter
Cream of coconut
Crushed rice cereal
Honey (*could use blue agave or maple syrup to make vegan)
Melted butter (*could use coconut oil or other oil to make vegan)
Cinnamon
Vanilla extract

Coconut flakes

A little almond milk if it gets too thick

Then basically just mix it until it's thick enough to form balls that can hold up relatively on their own.

Then I tossed it in a mixture of cinnamon,  raw sugar, and amaranth flour and cocoa powder and put it in the oven for awhile, then sprinkle the coconut flakes onto the chocolate when it's halfway. Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh :)

There are so many good ideas I have for this recipe. I think next week I'm going to adapt it and make a pie crust for some berry tarts.  Or do something similar to the idea above but with pecans, walnuts, maple syrup, and delicious stuff like that.  I realized greedy decadent foods aren't exclusive to the no-no food groups.  You can still be greedy as a vegan, vegetarian, or anything in between. :D

Used the leftover chocolate in the pot and made almond milk hot chocolate.  Because it's the middle of June and still cold in NYC. -___-

And all God's people said amen.

Love Letter from the Universe

Love Letter from the Universe:

The issue is not getting what you ask for, the issue is getting in touch enough with yourself that you actually know what you're excited about so that you know what to specifically ask for.  Most of us feel frustrated that we perceive ourselves to not have what we want and desire when in truth we have not identified or requested it.  

If you know what you specifically want, you can ask for it and feel confident that you will get it and not be afraid to receive it, but the truth also is that many of us are angry about not receiving or having things we haven't even asked for.  We are in fact identifying a feeling that we are aware we are not experiencing a full version of our whole self in following our excitement and that's where the production of the frustration emotion comes from but the lack of the awareness comes where we know we are frustrated but we don't know ourselves fully enough to know that we are afraid to ask specifically for what we want because at a core level we know we will get it. This is why on this planet we say, "watch what you ask for, because you might receive" and this is true.  Although there really is no "might" involved.  And the only reason we would ask for something and not experience ourself in the culminated reality of HAVING it is because as it is being delivered to us via the tunnel of our excitement we leave that tunnel and cease to take the excitement cues because we become afraid and we may do this for any number of reasons. Perhaps because we don't feel adequate to act out the reality we asked for, we don't feel deserving, or maybe it could seem to trap us.

In fact, maybe we are asking for the wrong things.  Wrong in the sense that we are asking for a symbolic reality which is simply an avatar for a frequency state we wish to be in.  For instance, if you ask to be a shaman your higher self understands that you are asking for this because of what vibratory signature, emotional pattern, or vision this word, image, and idea, creates for you.   You associate this symbol or the title with a specific vibratory state that you would prefer.  However that label itself is limiting because all titles and labels by definition are limiting and compartmentalizing.

But simply understand that when you ask for something from a true desire to be that state or have that experience, your higher self understands far better than you do what it is you're actually asking for and that the compartmentalizing words, restrictive images, or sample emotions you offer as the request are merely SYMBOLS of a vibratory state or dimensional reality that is INFINITELY more expansive, dynamic, full, exciting, and satisfying than the mere symbols of that reality could actually be and all there is to do is ask in earnest and trust, with NO fear or hesitation or doubt that the small token you have asked for as a representation of your excitement is merely a small key into the true total reality that your total self understands you want.

All there is to do is relax.  You can have absolutely everything.  Stop blocking things you desire from flowing to you simply because you are afraid.  You do not need to be afraid to receive the reality you dream of having.  You can and will have every tiny expression of that which you have dreamed in flawless sequence or non-sequence in an infinite perfect pattern suited distinctly to you as a soul expression; to you as a being at this point of creation.

Allow all of your joy and dignity and power to come to you understanding that your higher or total self will not simply package it, drop it on you, and leave "you" the individual physicalized person to express and handle it by yourself.  In exactly the same way that it is and will be flawlessly and beautifully delivered to you is the same way it will be miraculously and magnificently unfolded within you in a completely perfect way.

Trust this.  This is the design of creation, nothing more and nothing less and as a facet of creation this is something you are fully entitled to as a sort of "birth rite" of existence.

There is absolutely NOTHING you must "do" or "be" in order to deserve or receive this.  This is what you are.  You are creation.  You are perfection.  Allow yourself to unfold into all of yourself that you've been wishing to be, for this is your right.

I can't take full credit for the content of this post.  I was meditating, then I was reflecting, then I was writing and quickly after starting to write, the words got away from me and were just pouring through so quick that my hand was hurting and I couldn't keep up.  This is almost always the case with my writing to some degree or another- especially this blog in particular.  That's why I called it Co-Creations because these are my writings where I am feeling highly inspired and creative and in the flow and during the creation process my content and my mind at some point seem to fade away behind a veil and I feel that I'm watching myself write something from somewhere else- some more expansive part of me, rather than just from the mechanism of my brain.  Out of all my writings recently, this is the passage I feel least like was "Me", if that makes any sense.

Anyhow, I was meditating about manifestation because I have recently really began to understand how it works and to put it lightly, it has been working for me (through me).  Things are manifesting so quickly for me that I started to get a little overwhelmed or stressed, even though I was seeing the things I was excited about manifesting in "real time", I guess I wasn't trusting that they would unfold as they should once they came (complicating things)...So this information and energy really relaxed me, healed this part of me, refreshed me, and put me at ease.  Well really, it allowed me to liberate myself to just simply be. I know that at least one person at some moment will find and read this and it will serve them in some way.