Sacred Garden Community: Growing and Knowing Global Sacred Plants and Fungi

In this 2 hour interactive presentation, Bob Otis MDiv, Garden Steward of Sacred Garden Community Church, will respectfully introduce plants, fungi and molecules recognized from global Southern to far Northern traditions, from ancient and emerging Eastern and Western traditions. Bob will establish a warm setting through a non-sectarian invocation and will open discussion by asking how and why these plants are recognized as sacred, even as Sacraments in many traditions. He will explore sacred plant lineages - from diverse master narratives to emerging "positive post-modern" polylogue approaches to growing sacramental community.
At the heart of the presentation will be an up close and personal exploration of living plants brought to the talk: Tobacco as a powerful teacher of relationship; the grand and warm phenethylamine-bearing entheogenic cacti of the "Big Sky"; the twining, vining, transformative plants and mushrooms of the tryptamine-rich "Deepest Forest"; the gloriously flowered and dangerously powerful anti-cholinergic nightshades of the "Brightest Night"; and finally to "Infinite Varieties of Perfection" including relatively unique plants and fungi including Amanita muscaria, Kanna, and others. Come to learn, grow and know the sacred plants, molecules and traditions of our miraculous world!
Over 40 years of engagement with family, traditional and Western teachers guide Bob’s work with entheogenic Sacraments. Bob holds a Master’s in Divinity from University Chicago and is an ordained Pastor and Chief Garden Steward for Sacred Garden Community Church. He was founding Chairperson for Decriminalize Nature Oakland, is a co-founder of Sacred Plant Alliance, and is Chair of Alma Institute (Prop 109 facilitation training). He has been an invited Advisory Committee member to Oregon, California, and Colorado decriminalization / legalization policy initiatives.

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Audio starts at 1:32

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Audio starts at 1:32