The story of Santa and his flying reindeer, which we have come to associate with Christmas, may actually have its roots in Siberian shamanism and the consumption of the hallucinogenic mushroom, Amanita muscaria (also known as fly agaric). This is the easily recognisable toadstool mushroom, with its white stem and red cap dotted with white…
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Elves, aliens, imps, pixies, faeries, angels, demons, gods, goddesses, and ‘spirits’. These are all entities that have featured heavily in human culture. The earliest description of elves can be found in Norse mythology, Skaldic poetry, Norse legends and the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems. Elves are also common in Germanic and Scandinavian…
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Peyote is a cactus which contains mescaline, one of the classic psychedelic chemicals. Native North Americans have been using peyote for religious purposes for around 5,000 years. It is native to southwestern Texas and Mexico. Peyote art, art that is influenced by the visions from the peyote experience, is abundant in the Huichol culture of…
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Polygamy, or a marriage involving more than two partners, is illegal in most countries. Polygamous marriages may not be performed in the UK, and if one is performed, then the already married person is guilty of the crime of bigamy – bigamy being the act of entering into a marriage with one person, whilst already…
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Here are some interesting facts about Tool’s music, categorised by the band’s albums. Opiate There’s a hidden song at the end of the title track called “The Gaping Lotus Experience”. The line from “Sweat”, “Slipping into a dream within a dream” references Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “A Dream Within a Dream”. Undertow The discordant sounds…
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