In which I try to drink yage with the determination that is expected of an apprentice in this tradition.
The beginning of my second book, Bat Dreams. The first was Gateway Mexico. Two more are in progress in the Nighttime Daydreams quadrilogy. In this episode, I describe the quadrilogy and summarize Gateway Mexico, then launch into the story. It's October 1994 and I've gone to Ecuador for a second time to meet up with my teacher and study ayahuasca shamanism with him. Chapter One describes the first ceremony and flashes back to memories of father-figures in my life. The rainbow serpent, the spirit of the ayahuasca vine, makes an appearance in a vision.
A reading of three prose pieces, stories based in dreams, by Raymond Soulard from The Cenacle #111.
Poetry and prose, in order from shortest to longest, by Judih Haggai, Ace Boggess, Martina Newberry, John Echem, Colin James, Joe Ciccone, Raymond Soulard, Tamara Miles, Charlie Beyer, and Timothy Vilgiate
Moonless, clear night, northern Michigan, February 1985, frozen lake glowing dully, snow crystals reflecting the Milky Way
Quotes from Gloria Ushigua, Laurie Anderson, Gary Snyder, Jalaluddin Rumi, and Pablo Neruda
Poems by Yvonne Brewer, Dave Santander, Johnathon Miller Weisberger, and Alejandro Boucabeille, read by Nathan D. Horowitz
Ten minutes of poetry on Coyote, gardening, and loss, from In-Flight Magazine, inside Gateway Mexico
The first of the poems of In-Flight Magazine, by Evelyn Holloway, Faith Shearin, dawn zahra, Martina Reisz Newberry, and Ronnie Niedermeyer
The craziest thing I've ever done: gone out into the jungle to drink ayahuasca alone for a few days, in search of jaguars and God.