Intro
Hello dear supporters of The Flying Sage! I hope you are having a great weekend. I started writing this edition directly upon my return from attending the second annual Canadian Psychedelic Summit but… life happened, as it does, and I have been super busy launching some new Flying Sage programs and events. Better late than never I suppose. I thought I would take some time here to share about my experience at the summit. But first, as with all editions, here is a personal journal entry of mine that I wanted to share.
Jan.29.2016
”What if I am just like a fisherman; where the ocean is my perception, and the fish are the only truth in it.But, the fish were put there by something, and something is the universe itself. Including its mechanics, its functions, its beauty, its form.
And so the ocean has intention, and is quite possibly intended.
Somewhere you are in there. As a human being with a mathematically random assortment of genes, entwined in the earth and its mechanical form, which itself, entwined in the ever changing cosmic fabric. And so, we are all part of the same sheet, governed by the observable and invisible laws that we are so sown from.
Yet what comes from this sheet? We are entwined,
combined and
locked on line.
Woven in structure and parallel in time.
No one and no thing, comes forward or from
this ocean we call home.
we are all "one"
A Welcome Return
Last year, I helped organize the first Canadian Psychedelic Summit alongside other steering committee members Scott Bernstein, Orane Cheung, Laurel Dault, Kim Haxton, Antonio Rodrigues, Pam Kryskow and others. The project was originally Scott’s idea and one of the main projects he set in motion once he became Executive Director with MAPS Canada. The intention of the gathering was to bring together stakeholders from various different sectors in the psychedelic space in Canada.
Since last year, I left working with MAPS Canada and shifted my focus to The Flying Sage. Since I have been really busy lately, I was not sure I would attend this year but I was graciously invited by this year’s steering committee to attend in exchange for helping out with some tasks.
The Journey Up
It is quite the journey making your way to Cortes Island. From Vancouver, you have to take a ferry to Vancouver Island, then drive a few hours, take another ferry to Quadra Island and then another ferry from Quadra to Cortes. I ended up hitching a ride with Navin, Damian and Kiem which ended up being a very fun adventure. We played a LOT of crib and had many laughs to go around.
Kiem is the CEO and Founder of Qi Integrated Health (where we host our Integration Circles). He was the very mature elder in the group.
Damian Kai Norman and Navin Sahjpaul are Community Leaders with The Flying Sage and very close friends of mine.
About the Summit
The summit is hosted at Hollyhock Leadership Institute; a beautiful waterfront education centre that hosts hundreds of magical gatherings per year. The land is located within the stunning Klahoose First Nation territory. You can think of Hollyhock as the Canadian version of Esalen Institute.
The programming this year was fairly similar to last. It consisted of various talks, workshops, circles and free time blocks. There was also three delicious organic meals served everyday using food that was grown in the magnificent garden that sits just outside the dining hall.
Some examples of the workshops were…
Indigenous discussions with Sacred Circle
Exploring how to navigate consent and touch
Yoga
Storytelling Sessions
Marketplace of Ideas
Ethics Workshop
Ecstatic Dance
Breathwork and Sound Bath
Balancing Profit & Purpose: An Ethical Deep Dive into Psychedelic Entrepreneurship
Healing in Community
Applying an Equity Lens to Policy in the Psychedelic Sector
Psychedelics & Neuroplasticity
Egyptian Mushroom Hieroglyphs
In addition to those workshops, Paul Stamets also gave a talk which was wonderful to hear and witness. I am lucky to have seen Paul talk several times so a lot of what he shares I have heard before but there was one thing about this talk that really stood out to me. Paul shared about his recent travels to Egypt with his partner Pam Kryskow where they were given private tours of several sacred sites. Paul shared that he was able to document various instances of mushrooms contained in ancient hieroglyphs. This was the first time I had heard of this. Paul shared that he took these findings to some experts in Egyptian archaeology and they dismissed them as shovels. You best bet this did not sway Paul away from his convictions! I suppose a little more time will have to tell.
Feeling Lonely
To my surprise, I felt quite lonely at the summit this year. Despite being somewhat close with the organizers and knowing a large majority of the people that were in attendance, I had a persistent feeling of being on the outside. This is not something that I feel often. As you might imagine, I am a fairly open and extroverted person and through my work with The Flying Sage, there is no shortage of community connections. Throughout most of my life, my friendships and family have been a rich source of joy and energy for me and for that I am grateful… but during the summit, I did not feel connected to others as much.
In some moments, I felt disconnected and alone. Because this is a novel feeling for me, I tried my best to lean into it. I remember walking back to my dorm one night thinking to myself… “is loneliness a negative thing?”. There was some solitude in it. I remember on multiple occasions having the desire to simply observe what was happening around me without engaging with it. To witness the different interactions and relationships flourish and all the various egos dancing with one another.
One nice way to look at this was that it gave me the opportunity to connect more with myself and also with the beautiful land we were on. Two other pillars of connection that are definitely important and ones that as of late, have typically been less present in my day to day life.
Takeaways
Part of me wishes I had more concrete takeaways to share. I feel slightly empty handed, especially since it has been almost a month now since the retreat. But I will try my best to share a few of the insights that did arise.
Indigenous Presence & JEDI Focus
One of the primary focus points of the summit is on the indigenous lens and this is thanks in large part to Kim Haxton who is the main steering voice behind the summit. In conjunction with this, there is also a strong emphasis on J.E.D.I which stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
One of the biggest takeaways I had was the feeling of camaraderie with the indigenous groups that were represented. In particular, there was a circle hosted by Francine Douglas and Darwin Douglas of Sacred Circle. I was very curious to learn more about Sacred Circle and despite not knowing much at all about who they were or what their backgrounds were, I felt a sense of shared humanity during the circle. To me, this represented one of the main outcomes I saw for the summit. Making connections and bringing people together.
It is easy to overlook the simplicity of joining in circle to just listen but creating space to hear someone’s actual story, especially when those groups might be comprised of different peoples, was very moving.
I cant guarantee anyone else felt the same way I did, but I suspect they did.
Musical Inspiration
On the last night of our time at the summit, we threw a party and the first musical act was someone named Cosmo Sheldrake. If you are not familiar with Cosmo, there is a chance you might have heard of Merlin Sheldrake (author of Entangled Life). You might have also heard of Rupert Sheldrake, their legendary father. He is a biologist and author best known for his hypothesis of morphic resonance. At Cambridge University he worked in developmental biology as a Fellow of Clare College. I first came across his work several years ago with the endearing Trialogues at the Edge of the Millennium. These were a series of videos where Rupert, Terence McKenna and Ralph Abraham came together to examine the evolution of the mind and language. Take a look here if you are curious…
Anyways, I digress. What really stood out to me with Cosmo’s performance was that he eloquently synthesized gibberish and twangy psychedelic sounds through a loop station to create a very unique performance that was not only experimental, but also very dancey. This is something that I find lacking sometimes as many musical artists are great at being experimental but then they usually lose the dance factor along the way. I actually captured some good video of his performance which you can see at the end of the video included below. I left the dance feeling inspired to jump more into music myself.
Little (big) secret about me… in five years I want to be primarily focussing on music and not psychedelics… but let’s see where we end up!
5-MEO Pod in the Sanctuary
Another highlight for me was melting into a 5-MEO microdose puddle in the Sanctuary. This gnome-like cottage can be found tucked away in the back of Hollyhock’s orchard up a windy gravel road. Nestled under a tall blanket of trees, this beautiful and bizarre little structure feels like it grew from out of the earth. One fascinating rumour I heard was that it was actually built in silence! In other words, no words were spoken during the actual build phase. I really hope this rumour is true.
Entire Trip Video Recap
If you would like to see a video recap of my experience at the summit, as well as some interviews with some of the attendees and organizers, check out the video below!
Some Sage Wisdom🌀
It’s been a while since I included some Sage Wisdom in an edition but here is a nice quote from Confucius' that I would like to share…
"Is it not a pleasure, having learned something, to try it out at due intervals? Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar? Is it not gentlemanly not to take offense when others fail to appreciate your abilities?"
This insight is found in the Analects of Confucius, a collection of his teachings and ideas compiled by his disciples. It reflects Confucius' emphasis on continuous self-improvement and the importance of cultivating meaningful relationships with others. Here, Confucius encourages lifelong learning and the practical application of knowledge, suggesting that true pleasure comes from putting one's learning into practice over time. Additionally, he underscores the value of harmonious social interactions, advocating for humility and resilience in the face of others' opinions and judgments. This insight serves as a timeless reminder of the significance of personal growth and harmonious relationships in leading a virtuous and fulfilling life.
Confucius' wisdom in this insight is rooted in his profound philosophy, which aimed to establish a morally upright society based on the principles of benevolence, righteousness, and propriety. His teachings emphasized the role of individuals in fostering harmony within themselves and within society. By encouraging people to continuously apply their knowledge and maintain positive relationships, Confucius sought to create a harmonious and just society where individuals strive to be better and interact with others with respect and understanding. This insight remains relevant today, serving as a reminder of the enduring importance of self-improvement and the value of genuine, lasting connections with others in the pursuit of a virtuous life.
Farewell Until Next Time
I hope you have enjoyed this edition of The Flying Sage Journal. If you would like to read more things like this, please consider subscribing and sharing this with a friend. Also, please follow me on Twitter as well! I hope to post there more often.
I would LOVE to hear any feedback you have on this newsletter and what I have shared. Please feel free to reach out to me directly: michael@theflyingsage.ca
With psychedelic love and gratitude,
- Michael 🤍