Pharmako/Poeia: Plants Powers, Poisons, and Herbcraft

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Summary: The Poison Path and Kindred Spirits
Review: "Finally" is the word that succinctly describes how I feel about this book. Every page, I mean, practically every line, contains wit, humor, insight, and wisdom all written with the utmost eloquence. Pendell's breadth of knowledge in his not-so-small area of expertise is simply awesome, in the true sense of the word. This way is not for all, however, and the type of person attracted to Pendell's work, as he puts it himself, is probably eccentric. What makes perfect sense to me is scoffed at by my friends. So I keep things to myself more often, the views and practices found in this book not being an exception. This is a volume full of ancient herbal lore and methodology (but not just confined to that), it is exceedingly fun to read, and I couldn't love it more. I've got volume 2 on the way, and as another reviewer has already mentioned, Mercury House is sluggish when it comes to releasing these books. Volume 3, which for me is going to be the most interesting, was due to be released August/September 04 and now that date has been pushed back to August/September 05, and I do hope that it doesn't take any longer than that.

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Summary: All medicine is poison
Review: All medicine is poison, and all poisons have some medicinal quality to them. "Pharmako/Poeia" is a scientific AND poetic exploration of common and uncommon plant poisons for the magician/alchemist. Pendell explains how nicotine is similar to acetylcholine (part of why it is chemically addictive--- it is spookily similar to neurotransmitters in the brain); he offers transphysical images for certain plants (Salvia divinorum, for example, vibrates to the quantum signature of Shrodinger's Wave Equation); as well as mystical and religious points (wine's Tarot card is the High Priestess, its Humour is phlegmatic). Highly recommended if you're into alchemy, poetry, and pharmacology. Avoid if you're seeking an easy high. As Pendell himself says, "If you can't kick a tobacco habit you are no doctor, and had best not proceed." Five stars, but don't look for the companion volume any time soon. The publisher, Mercury House, has been promising its availability in the "next few months" for five years now.

Covered poisons: Mad River Plant, Bulrush, Tobacco, Pituri, Alcohol, Aether, Absinthe, Cale zacatechichi, Opium, Kava Kava, Salvia divinorum, Marijuana, Nitrous Oxide. Beware: here be dragons.

Update 3/8/2003: "Pharmako/Dynamis" is now available. It covers stimulants only, so there will probably be another book in the "Pharmako/" series (but expect to wait 5-7 years until it's released).

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Summary: A Classic in the Genre
Review: Dale Pendell brings together the magic and mystery of plant intelligence and the poison path. He taps into the ancient wisdom that human beings have developed as human beings from their close association with plant intelligence and plant body. A long time associate of Gary Snyder and the other poets of the San Francisco Bay area Pendell is a major voice in his own right. He weaves the magic of his verse deeply into the stream of consciousness flowing through his work and takes the reader, like the plants he discusses, into worlds that themselves change consciousness. A tremendous work in the field.

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Summary: Excellent!!
Review: I am an herbalist, and I found this book by Pendell and Snyder to be full of information that was presented in a fascinating way. Interestingly, finding information about herbal poisons isn't as easy as it might seem, but is still important. I can honestly say I learned a few things from this book that I did not realize, particularly from a historical standpoint! I can't wait to get my hands on the other two volumes as soon as they become available - however I have been waiting for almost a year for the promised second and third volumes of the book. I am hoping that the publisher or author can give us a firmer lead time for their final release.

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Summary: Redemption of Dionysos
Review: In a culture where it seems impossible to have an intelligent discussion about "drugs", where drug-use (prescription & other)seems to be coupled with either total unconsciousness, or shame and confusion, a book like this is truly redemptive. It approaches several drugs-- or in Pendell's terms, "plant poisons"-- from several different angles. It discusses each plant's history, uses, pharmocology, effects, possible preparations, etc. It does so in the form of long poems, or odes (much of it prose-poetry) which manage to celebrate each plant without idealizing any of them, and without ever forgetting the (often) intense dangers that accompany them.

It is difficult to claim that any approach to drugs is a "balanced approach" in that what drugs provide are often the very real extremes. That said, this book manages to discuss those extremes in a remarkably balanced-- I would say wise-- manner.

Even as Pendell urges again and again the need for those on the "poison path"-- i.e. those who believe that drugs can have value for consciousness-- to remain in touch with the "ground state", he slyly acknowledges the profound difficulty of such a task. Staying mindful on the posion path is what Pendell seems to achieve, and what he not always optimistically hopes for others.

For me, who am about to make a movie about someone struggling with his complex relationship to marijuana, this book is indespensible.

Rating:
Summary: All medicine is poison
Review: Mr Pendell is a modern day adventurer, sending back tales of his exploits at the last frontier for humanity. As in the nineteenth century we who read in the comfort of our lounge chairs are entertained and enthralled by these lucid accounts, from places that few of us have ever been and even fewer are ever likely to go. Mr Pendell though stands above his counterparts in the quality, the power of his words. His is not merely a linear narrative of what he saw and did; rather Mr Pendell seeks to convey the essence of the experience. His goal is for us to glimpse the spirit of where he taking us. His spare, but beatifully chosen words enable the reader to be there with him, whilst at the same time allow some lattitude to explore and reflect on personal feelings and attitudes. He tells us that part of the story, that we could never know of our own accord, whilst giving us glimpses of the spiritual heart. Mr Pendell's writing has the rare quality of 're-readability'. In fact the second, third and fourth readings are just as profound as the fifth, sixth and seventh times! It is possible to discover new insights each time, a different way of looking. There lies the measure of the true value of Mr Pendell's gift to humanity. This book will continue to delight each new reader (and re-reader) for all the generations to come.

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Summary: Wonderful overview of medicinal plants....
Review: PHARMAKO-DYNAMIS and PHARMAKO-POEIA by Dale Pendell contain much of interest to gardeners, artists, historians, drug counselors, and drug users. Pendell suggests that how a plant substance is defined (poison, drug, medicine) depends on the dosage, length of use, and intent of the user. In other words, if plant-based drugs are "abused" the problem lies not in our plants but in our selves. He says the reader can begin anywhere in either of his two books and arrive at the same place. I read PHARMAKO-POEIA last, not because it isn't interesting, but because coffee, tea, and cocao are covered in DYNAMIS. As a tea drinker, I wanted to find out more about my herb of choice before I ventured onto others.

POEIA includes a wonderful section on Absinthe which may be related to the seduction of angels. Students of 19th Century French art history and the Belle Epoch know about Absinthe. Absinthe is that lovely green substance the Impressionist painters liked to portray, which according to some was the devil's own drink (he being a fallen angel). Wilde was fond of Absinthe, and may have been using it when he wrote "The Portrait of Dorian Grey." On the other hand, it may have been his drug of choice when he developed his witty and amusing stage plays. Readers associated with Lewis' Screwtape Letters will recognize Absinthe's plant name-Wormwood. Wormwood was probably the bitter herb offered Christ in his last hour of agony and Revelations 8:10,11 has something to say about it. Artemisia is Wormwood's proper name, and the Greek Artemisia is the Roman Diana, Goddess of the Moon. Pendell says Oberon uses 'Dian's bud' to reverse the effects of a love potion in A Midsummer Night's Dream. What was Shakespeare thinking??

Besides Artemisia and Valerian, Pendell discusses a few other suspect plants I grow in my own garden, such as Papaver, the Opium Poppy. Oh the feds tried to ban it once, but all the little old ladies came after them and Poppy reigns supreme in American cottage gardens. According to Pendell, the worldwide persecution of the Poppy plant continues even though Poppy plants (and Cannabis) have killed far fewer people than tobacco plants. This is wonderful wise book for crafty gardeners and their friends.

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Summary: The most entertaining and informative reference book today.
Review: This excellent book is a resource of poetry, herbcraft, history, magic, and altered consiousness. The only difficulty so far has been waiting for the second volume to come out and continue the story. But now it is available. The author uses poetry and images mixed with concrete chemical information about the psycoactive substances in each plant. The chapters are well arranged, in the categories the author has devised with the help of his plant allies to divide the plants into compatable chapters. I've never read anything like this, and read the book over and over, I have my favorite chapters, and the detailed information included on how to prepare and use the plants is reference information too keep on hand.