MISTRESS OF THE SHADOW

CANNABIS

What is Cannabis?

ORIGINS

No psychotropic plant is more misunderstood and abused than Ganja; also known as Marijuana and Cannabis (but for the love of all things holy, please do not call her weed).Cannabis is called many things: Healer, mistress, expander, angel, devil, and a gateway drug. Ask her if she identifies with any of these labels. She will likely say, “Why yes, I am.”

To understand her superpowers, it’s crucial to know how she works, and how different she is to most of her plant friends. She is not a ball of light; she works in the shadows. There’s one very obvious way this becomes apparent: Ganja can literally take our pain. She can zoom straight to the source of our dis-ease and take it away in an instant.

About Cannabis

Because Cannabis works in the shadows, she is intrinsically connected to all that is unconscious within us. The space from which she dwells can reclaim our deepest aches, our darkness, our fears and resistance. But remember that the relief is temporary, and there are real repercussions if we use her as a crutch.

Cannabis is anchored in the teaching that light is simply illumination. Darkness represents that which is unconscious. We experience them in different ways, but neither space is better or worse. They both hold profound teachings and lessons.

Marijuana works with us primarily from a space of unconsciousness (ours, not hers.) This is why she is dicey. Working with anything that thrives in the shadows means it’s very difficult to know when they are taking us on a ride.

Cannabis is known for recreation more than ceremonial use, but this is thankfully evolving. She can indeed be worked with as a very powerful ceremonial psychotropic medicine, and if we go to her with reverence and curiosity, she can help us heal things like anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, and even diseases like cancer.

Working with Ganja in a space of respect and conscious intent has the capacity to heal just about anything through illumination. Most folks, however, use her unconsciously to escape. Yet when we cultivate a loving relationship with her, she is just as powerful as an light-filled entheogen to help us have profound insights and healing.