26. The Names of a God, Part 1

What’s in a name? Everything! The ancient Indo- Europeans and their descendants attached a lot of meaning to names, yet names, no matter how long, can convey only so much meaning. Where there is a mystery full of meaning to try and convey, as in the herb of Life, one name simply cannot do the job. In the case of Amanita Muscaria, the names multiply giving it more names than any other life form. Most of the names are attributes or descriptions of its effects rather than physical descriptions, but these also exist in abundance. Since we are dealing with a physical plant that has many mental and physical effects on the human body, the multitude of names makes perfect sense.

In contrast, the truly supernatural gods have very few names. Zeus is basically Zeus, while Yahweh, his Hebrew counterpart, is always Yahweh. Yahweh’s messenger, the Messiah, however, has over 50 names in the Old and New Testaments.

Many of the names have to do with one effect, the production of auditory effects. A dead dry plant, with no lips or tongue, speaks, leading to names such as The Messiah (messenger), the Word, the Word of the Way, the Tongue of the Way, the Word of God, etc., etc. These names causing endless confusion for scholars who don’t know a plant can speak!

Many other names are based on the fact that Amanita Muscaria is “Immortal” in the truest sense of that word. This has also caused endless confusion for scholars who do not understand that Amanita Muscaria is truly immortal, in the literal sense of the word.

Other names are, of course, based on other effects. In this section, we will take a closer look at some of these names of god. Names will be drawn from many sources, Ancient Aryan, Greek, Persian, Hebrew and Christian. The abbreviations are R.V. = Rig Veda, Ys = Yasna, O.T. = Old Testament, N.T. = New Testament.

Greek—Ambrose,

R.V.—Amrita,

“Not mortal”. Seems to refer to both plant and juice extracted from the Amanita Muscaria after it has been dried then rehydrated with water. In the Greek legends Ambrose is sometimes called Nek-Tar (see Nek-tar).

R.V.—Andhas, “The Flower” The ancient Aryans sometimes referred to Soma as “the flower” dried Amanita Muscaria has a very pleasant aroma, the association of flowers and nectar probably arose from this plant, which is both the flower and the nectar.

O.T., N.T.—Be-el-ze-bub

“The lord of the flies” or “God of the flies”; this name has been demonized extensively; however in its original plain meaning it is very descriptive of the herb, since living Amanita Muscaria is often surrounded with clouds of small flies or gnats while larger flies may be found sitting on it, or laying under it, completely comatose. Dried Amanita Muscaria in milk is irresistible to flies, the flies becoming very intoxicated. The modern common name, fly Agaric, and the scientific name, Amanita Muscaria, associate this mushroom with a power over flies.

There are 7 references in the New Testament to the “Lord of Flies” (Beelzebub) and all of these are associated with “Jesus”, they are Matthew 10:25, 12:24, 12:27, Mark 3:22, and Luke 11:15, 11: 18, 11:19.

R.V.—Born of Thunder

The Amanita Muscaria mushroom, having no visible seeds or root system anciently was thought to just spring up with the sound of thunder. In effect an Immaculate Conception for an herb full of wonder and divinity. This concept leads to the Son of God, Son of Zeus, and Son of the Sky Father names.

R.V.—Comforter

O.T.—Comforter

N.T.—Comforter

As the “comforter,” the herb is held in the highest esteem by these three variants of the ancient religion. The New Testament has the most references to the comforter as the Holy Spirit. The “Holy Spirit” is a description of the herb’s effects after ingestion.

O.T.—Counselor

R.V.—Counselor

As the advisor of the seers (prophets) who then advised other men, the counsel of the herb was considered to be the highest available to mankind.

Greek—Dionysus

“The Son of the Deity.” The cult of Dionysus shows obvious signs of being originally a cult of the herb, such as the vines yielding wine that appear overnight, with the emphasis on intoxication. The ritual importance of small spotted “animals”, and the sacred hunt in the woods for these spotted creatures (Amanita Muscaria), plus the fact that women were supposed to tear these “animals” (Dionysus himself) apart with their bare hands. Dionysus is personified as the sacrificial victim in this ritual. Dionysus as depicted sometimes, wears a scarlet mask and a leopard skin. Behind his mask he’s hiding a secret, his inner self. The most common cult object was a white post with the scarlet mask hanging on top, phallic or fungus? The cult’s main objective was to induce a divine ecstasy in the Maenads (female worshipers).

R.V.—The Father of the Gods

Ys—The first and last

O.T.—The first and last

N.T.—Alpha and Omega

The idea that this plant was and should be considered the beginning of western religion is anciently held to be true. As the father of the gods, the Soma was thought to have produced the gods and they the universe, the Soma plant, being a god, high priest and sacrifice in the Soma ceremony. Obviously in the visions and auditory effects induced by this plant, we find the birthplace of the gods and religion.

R.V.—A fountain made of gold, the fount

O.T.—The fountain of living water

N.T.—The fountain of the water of life

“The fountain of living water” is closely associated with the idea of amrita, ambrosia, the elixir of immortality. The body of the herb that provides this amrita appearing like a small spring of water that eventually shoots up into a frozen fountain shape, bearing in this form, the water of life, it had mysteriously brought up out of the earth.

The large bowl holding the Soma juice is called the fount in the Rig-Veda, the ancestor of the fount of holy water in Christian churches. R.V. 9 XCVII 44, “Pour us a fount of meath, a spring of treasure.” In the Rig-Veda the water extraction and filtering process is poetically compared with oceans, rivers, streams, fountains, springs and drops of rain.

Greek—The Golden Apples of Immortality

Latin—The Golden Apples of Immortality

Norse—The Golden Apples of Immortality

Greek, Roman and Norse mythologies all mention the “golden apples of immortality” in several legends. In Greek and Latin, the word for apple is also used in a generic sense for fruit. Button stage, Amanita Muscaria specimens, when dried whole, definitely resembles small golden apples. These golden apples are the most precious things mentioned in these myths as the immortality of the gods themselves depended on them.

N.T.—The living bread

These names of the Christ, as being the living bread, the bread of life and the bread from heaven all point to the consumption of “Amanita Muscaria” as heavenly food. All three have correspondences such as:

N.T.—the living God-

N.T.—bread of life

N.T.—living bread, living stone

N.T.—bread from heaven

The food of Gods –R.V.

Chief of all foods –R. V

Lord of Life—RV

Deathless God—RV

The Amanita Muscaria mushroom certainly is a living being, it is also the only plant in all of human history to be considered a God! The psychedelic mushrooms used by the Mexican Indians are considered messengers, not god.

N.T.—a living stone

A fairly good description of living Amanita Muscaria, in the young growth stages, this living stone is the foundation of Christianity. That people either accepted it or were offended by it is plainly written, (see I Peter 2:4-8).

R.V.—Madhu

“Honey, Sweet”. The Soma is called honey more often in the Rig Veda than any other single description. The juice of the dry Amanita Muscaria after rehydration with water is very sweet to the taste, in contrast to other available drug plants such as Datura, Henbane, Opium and Ephedra. These have a bitter or nasty taste; none of these could be called sweet. (Ephedra is one of the modern substitutes used by Hindu Brahmins in today’s Soma ceremonies and in the modern Zoroastrianism Haoma ceremony, leading many to believe that it is the original Soma/Haoma. Ephedra contains Ephedrine an Amphetamine, which produces exhilaration and some euphoria, but it does not produce the original Soma’s effects of visions, auditory effects, rapturous intoxication or psychoactive urine.)

R.V.—Master Poet or The Lord of Speech, Sacred Bard (Poet)

A speaking name for Soma in the Rig-Veda, Soma being the father of poems, a master poet never yet equaled! The auditory effects again being stressed in the highest terms. The Soma is the inspiration of poets and prophets.

O.T.—The Messiah

N.T.—The Christ

“The Messenger.” No other name has caused as much confusion as this one. This is a speaking name, like the Word of the Way. Because of this, the messiah is thought to be a man by the uninformed. That the messiah of the Old Testament prophets could not be a “man” is plainly evident in their description of god’s messenger.

Isaiah 42:19-20

19. “Who is blind, but my servant? Or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect and blind as the Lord’s servant?

20. Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ear’s, but he heareth not.”

Isaiah 53:2

2. “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground.”

The messiah is blind, lacking eyes, deaf, lacking ears, but he opens the eyes of the blind, and opens the ears of men, both are effects of the herb of Life. The description as a tender plant is botanically correct, since few plants are as “tender” as the living Amanita Muscaria; which in arid areas sometimes fruits in ground as hard as concrete, I have personally observed this in Arizona, U.S.A.

The Old Testament prophets simply pounded this plant after rehydration with water to yield its juice, exactly the same as in the Soma and Haoma ceremonies. Isaiah Chapter 53 is, I believe, the liturgy spoken as this processing went on. The linking of this plant with prophecy extends thousands of years prior to Isaiah’s time. The wonder of a dry dead plant, speaking, would raise its messages to the highest levels in the eyes of the ancient peoples. The fact that some of what it said sometimes came true raised it even higher.

R.V.—Nek-tar

Greek—Nectar

Nek = Corpse + Tar = overcomer

The “corpse/death overcomer.” An ancient word based on the herb’s resurrecting ability, giving it a central place in the ancient Aryan religion, as the bringer of immortality to mankind. The gods of the Greeks drank Ambrosia, the Nectar that made them immortal.

The possibility that regular, ritual consumption of a plant, exhibiting antibiotic antiviral properties, that may extend the span of human life, should be thoroughly investigated. There must be some logic to this extremely ancient and long running belief.

It is interesting to note that Soma drinkers in the Rig Veda were expecting 100 years as a lifespan, with the possibility of many more. In contrast to the bible’s three score and ten (70 years) with the possibility of another decade or two. The only Biblical exceptions were the prophets who were also herb users with many of them living well past 100 years.

O.T.—Prince of Peace

I believe this name is based on the calming effect caused by consuming dried Amanita Muscaria. This inner peace is unique to this herb, it is thoroughly calming and yet clear, with almost no interference in thought or perception. It is the only mental effect produced by small doses (one to two grams of herb), the calming effect becoming more intense with stronger doses.

As an anti-anxiety agent, the ancients would have highly valued it. I believe their lives could have been much more stressful than modern existence. As a modern anti-anxiety agent it may find use, since compounds with similar effects are widely prescribed medications in modern society.

R.V.—Sage

It is hard for modern people to understand how a plant or the resulting beverage can be wise. But anciently, the herb was considered to be the source of wisdom, the creator of human sages.

As one who has tasted the herb, I have to agree completely with the ancients. Consuming dried Amanita Muscaria creates extraordinary visions and auditory effects; these unleash a tremendous quantity of information. This is accompanied by lessons or teachings; the whole experience can be considered a learning experience, one that unfortunately, cannot be transmitted with words.

N.T.—Savior

O.T. – Savior—Redeemer—Intercessor

R.V.—Savitar or Savitr

The idea of the herb of Life being a savior, springs from the theology of the ancient Indo-Europeans where the supreme god(s) demands perfect justice in the judgment of the dead, all humans, of course, failing this judgment. The savior, however, intercedes for his devotees at the dead’s judgment and, like a good lawyer, gets them off with all charges dropped. Savitar is a name for Soma in the Rig-Veda, and carries out the exact same function, as the savior in the Christian religion.

R.V.—Soma

Persian—Haoma

“The Pressed one” this name is based on the role this plant had in ancient Indo-European religion, where it was dried, then rehydrated with water and pressed or pounded to extract its juice. Soma can refer to the plant, its juice, the juice mixed with milk, the divine urine produced, or the god incarnate of the plant.

This plant god was the central sacrifice in the Soma ceremony. The purpose of this ceremony was to give the participants immortality. This ceremony is very ancient, being in existence before the invasions by the Indo-Europeans of Persia, Turkey, Egypt, India, Greece, Eastern Europe and Central China. From this ceremony, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity are all descended.

O.T., N.T.—The Tree of Life

The Fruit of the Tree of Life

R.V.—The Tree

The Red colored Tree

The Amanita Muscaria, as mentioned in the botany section, is a mycorhiza fungus. Being a symbiotic with certain tree species, pine, spruce, birch, fir, larch, and occasionally the oak, being the preferred species. All of the trees mentioned above have been considered trees of life by various Eurasian peoples.

The ancients obviously knew of the connection between the host tree and the appearance of Amanita Muscaria, the true fruit of the tree of life.

O.T.—The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

“The tree of knowledge” the legendary beginning of human awareness and thought in the Old Testament is attributed to the consumption of this plant by Adam and Eve, which opened their eyes and their minds. In this new self-awareness, they discover their nakedness and their humanity.

This Genesis story is obviously descended from older legends. The association of the herb of Life and serpent is found in many ancient legends where the serpent is the guardian of the herb of Life. Such as Indra slaying the monster serpent Vrtra to recover the cows (Somas) hidden in a mountain cave; or the epic of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian legend where Gilgamesh, after many hazards and adventures finds the herb of immortality (Molly) only to have it stolen back by the serpent when Gilgamesh falls asleep.

Later writers have obviously twisted the Genesis story of the tree of knowledge for religious control purposes. The greatest advance in human thought is represented as the fall of mankind, instead of being celebrated, it’s condemned, how stupid!

N.T.—The Way

Ys—Asha—cosmic order, truth, justice

R.V.—RTA—cosmic order, eternal law

In the Rig Veda, Soma as the “Word of the Way” or “Speaker of Eternal Law” was believed to be the founder and upholder of the eternal law. This cosmic law was believed to permeate and order the entire universe. Establishing the movements and relationships of the heavenly bodies, the seasons, the gods, plants, animals, and man, Soma being the central sacrifice, in rites guaranteeing the continuance of this eternal law. On the individual level, consuming the herb was thought to bring the individual’s morality into line with the cosmic order considered an essential ingredient in the spiritual rebirth experience.

R.V.—The Word of the Way

R.V.-Speaker of Eternal Law

R.V.-The Tongue of the Way

O.T.—The Word of God

N.T.—The Word, The Word of Life

In this series of names, we can plainly see the importance of the auditory effects produced by the dried Amanita Muscaria. This concept, of the herb being the Word, is the foundation of these three variants of the old religion. That the ancients believed this herb, heaven sent to communicate with humans, was the word of god and spoke the truth is the basis of prophecy. The human prophet simply relaying the information the herb spoke. No other drug plant in Eurasia is known to consistently produce such auditory effects. The Siberian accounts of dried Amanita Muscaria consumption by the natives, often mentions the auditory effects experienced by its users. See “Soma, Divine Mushroom of Immortality” by Wasson.

O.T.—Wonderful

R.V.—Wonder-worker

No other single item on this earth is as full of wonder as this plant. In the healing, prophesy, visions, rapture, other world journeys, its virgin birth, brilliant appearance, and resurrection; humanity encountered the amazing.