Liam is a member of Entheogenesis Australia, an educational botanical and psychedelic non-profit. He has been to Mexico as well as South America, learning about cactus tradition. Also, he has a substantial collection of his own, as well as an even bigger propagating garden.
Entheogenesis Australia is the heart of a community in which members who share the same interests, are research-oriented plants people meet to help in the education of the dissemination of information on plants. The group is currently developing a book on the most common Australian Psilocybin mushroom species. Right now, Liam particularly wants to discover the Pelecyphora Aselliformis seeds.
The seeds produce what would call”false peyote,” or “false peyote,” – a plant that resembles and is found in the same habitat as peyote and could be used to replace peyote because of its mescaline content.
Liam Engel, founder of the Mescaline Garden. The author’s name is provided by
The garden of Liam, located at Emu Plains, is abundantly full of San the pedros (large cacti with tall stems), Peyotes, peyotes, and fake peyotes (but not Pelecyphora aselliformis). The garden is brimming with seeds, clones, and transplanted plants. The backyard has an outdoor pool that San Pedro surrounds. Liam informs me that the weather is perfect for cactus growing in the western part of Sydney because the temperature frequently is in the upper 40s.
I am in love with this local Callistemon Brachyandrus located in the front garden since he’s cut back the branches, and on a few, he has attached round pieces of wood and arranged cacti on the tiny stands. It’s a cactus cactus candelabra.
A backyard that is brimming with San Pedro. Author supplied
While following Liam through his home, I realize that, while he appears to be a relaxed person with a good street reputation, he is actually extremely sharp and has an enlightened mind. Liam is one of the people whose knowledge as well as experience is a surprise. Liam has devoted a great deal of his time and effort to promoting secure and knowledgeable cactus care and consumption.
He also is an avid gardener. “This is nothing,” Liam says while I look at his garden beds and the propagation tray. “Wait until you see the psychoactive gardens I’m about to take you to.”
I am incredibly eager to visit the next two gardens. However, I am unable to reveal their location or the names of the gardeners. Soon enough, we’ll be driving for twenty minutes before we meet with Liam’s very first friend. We’ll name his name Graham (not the real one).
An atmosphere of awe-inspiring majesty
Graham has a huge backyard with a shed and a greenhouse. He is home to a forest of san Pedros that includes what he claims to be known as the TBM ( Trichocereus bridgesii monstrose), which is also known as”the “penis plant” or Frauengluck, meaning “woman’s luck” or “happy woman,” in German. The genesis of this clone is not known it, however, is widely distributed throughout the world, and I’ve been informed that it is renowned for its “good food” and having high mescaline levels.
Mescaline causes altered perception, a distinct sensation of time passing, and changes to the visual experience. Sometimes, perceptual experiences become enhanced, even euphoric. A few people I’ve talked to have experienced negative reactions, such as headaches or dizziness.
Today is a meet-the-mescaline-plants day. Clouds begin and cover my garden. There are a few areas of rain that will fall. I want to take pictures of every cactus. I want to ask Graham what prompted him to start his garden. Graham’s answer: “To eat it all.”
He was the first to eat the cactus in 2014. He was not happy with his experiences, both in brewing and eating it. However, he learned to pick the right plants and has been growing his own since then.
It’s an understatement. His garden contains many hundreds of plant species. They are neatly laid out in rows, some of them raised in garden beds. Between eight and 9 years of age. A lot of them are in tidy pots that have been transplanted or copied.
Many hundreds of plants. The author of the article
I am able to discern that Graham does not trust me. I don’t know if he’s right. I don’t appear to be part of the community that is regarded as a trusted psychoactive one, as I’m certainly not. I appear privileged, middle-aged, and white female. It’s not a surprise that the man is somewhat nervous, yet he does offer me a glass of wine.
I refuse the wine since I need to get home to pick up my daughter at 6 pm. But I’m really happy to be in the garden of Graham even though he is constantly looking at me with a sideways glance. On one side, it’s like every suburban backyard in Australia, with lawns that have been mown (in between the Cacti beds), a squeaking steel gate, and a redbrick residence. However, there is also an understated spirit. It doesn’t matter what; there’s an air of strangeness. It’s like the culture of a different nation has been brought into the suburban Sydney area. A strange schism.
