Inyan

At higher doses of medicine I have seen people who have been told to calm down about their numb arm or their arm may never regain feeling... actually lose their sense of feeling in that arm for an entire week. That is the power of medicine. I can and often does potentiate and syngergize with ones thoughts and emotions making thoughts and emotion much more powerful than they might otherwise be. This is why one reason I believe ceremony is so important. I don't care if you are an atheist. You can attest to thoughts and emotions being magnified on different medicines at higher dosages especially if you are honest with yourself. Fear of losing control is often one of those thoughts/emotions that one deals with at higher levels of dosage of many medicines. So, how is this dealt with? Many use song, mantra, prayer, or reciting something they wish to engrain in their psyche. Without this focus, you are at the whim of whatever random thoughts good or bad that may pop up into your head. This again is why a guide is important during any initial entry into the use of a plant medicine and especially important with the entry into higher levels of plant medicine. I have seen space and time dissolve and explode with each second lasting an eternity and an eternity lasting only a second. I have seen days go by in the blink of an eye and single moments that I'm not sure ever ended. I have experienced things like this without the use of any plant medicines by simply going without food, water, or sleep for 4 days in traditional ceremonies called the vision quest or hanbleceya and I have experienced those same types of experiences with traditional medicines. I have experienced immense pain and suffering that can only be described as burning from the inside out and the outside in at the same time. I have also experienced what can only be described as an unbelievable overwhelming feeling of love and being connected to everything that ever was and will be. Seeing a butterfly turn into an eye which belonged to a wolf that sat there watching me. I have seen a tree turn into a giant watchtower with a clock with pants hanging off of the hour hand. I have seen the stars dance in the trees turning into so many different colored lights as the moon danced along the water taking flight again into the night sky. I have seen the Earth turn into a black void where I seemed to float and the Earth was no more and found myself looking down up at a green glowing cliff that stretched out to eternity. I noticed a valley or a cave as what it looked like changed depending on my personal perspective as I floated not having any indication of which way was up or down or where I stood in relation to reality. I have entered that cave of darkness within that green glowing cliff and known that within that great expanse of the unknown everything could be known and yet I found myself unable to ask any question worth knowing the answer to. I have danced with bones in my chest tethered to a tree, sundancing, waiting for a vision. I have seen the forest disappear and green glowing orbs create a sea where the forest once stood. Each orb containing 3 red triangles floating within them. I have heard a loud guttural cry from what I could only surmise must be a mountain lion only to see two glowing yellow balls of light floating where I know a cat should stand. One ball placed between each shoulder blade or where one might think they should be. Following me.... I have seen flies attach themselves to my prayer ties and flags in such numbers that you could not see the prayer flags or the prayer ties anymore, but instead the beating wings of countless flies that later turned into beautiful tiny sparks of blue light floating through the forest. I have seen iktomi the spider come and spin its web as its babies poured over me. I have seen a world where people were apes dressed in human clothes and everything in-between. The only thing I know for 100% certain after having all of these experiences is that focus is key at these higher levels of experience produced by medicines both internal and external. Without focus ones thoughts and emotions are magnified in random ways that may or may not be beneficial. That focus is important with plant medicines especially as unlike a vision quest where one can simply come down off the hill when things are too much... you have no ability to do such a simple act with many medicines especially at higher dosages. Just as it takes an iron will of focus and determination to stand in one place for 4 days without food, water, or sleep... one must have that same kind of focus if one is to safely traverse higher planes with strong medicines with strong dosages. To say that it would be wise to always have a guide in such an experience would be an understatement. To think one does not need them or one can jump into these experiences without much experience would be asking for a travesty to befall your mind if not your body as either could easily be shattered. I make no claim to anything other than the simple fact that the mind is a very powerful tool that one can learn to use and make stronger. In much the same way as a powerlifter or a body builder learns to make their body stronger, one can learn to make alter those thoughts that affect your sleep and waking state and you can make changes that have just as lasting effects. Just as a powerlifter can tear a tendon however, you can also tear or injure your mind. I'll leave it at that as I already feel I've been a little to long winded, but please understand that the experiences I relate are nothing special. They are open to anyone who wishes to experience them. In fact, I'd say those experiences were just the tip of the iceberg of what is possible as I'm sure many of you can relate to, but for those that have yet to touch on these types of experiences they are definitely out there. What is uncertain is how and what you will do with them should you chose to go down that path and why is it important to do so. Whatever the reason, focus is indeed important. Especially so at the deeper levels.

At higher doses of medicine I have seen people who have been told to calm down about their numb arm or their arm may never regain feeling... actually lose their sense of feeling in that arm for an entire week. That is the power of medicine. I can and often does potentiate and syngergize with ones thoughts and emotions making thoughts and emotion much more powerful than they might otherwise be. This is why one reason I believe ceremony is so important. I don't care if you are an atheist. You can attest to thoughts and emotions being magnified on different medicines at higher dosages especially if you are honest with yourself. Fear of losing control is often one of those thoughts/emotions that one deals with at higher levels of dosage of many medicines. So, how is this dealt with? Many use song, mantra, prayer, or reciting something they wish to engrain in their psyche. Without this focus, you are at the whim of whatever random thoughts good or bad that may pop up into your head. This again is why a guide is important during any initial entry into the use of a plant medicine and especially important with the entry into higher levels of plant medicine. I have seen space and time dissolve and explode with each second lasting an eternity and an eternity lasting only a second. I have seen days go by in the blink of an eye and single moments that I'm not sure ever ended. I have experienced things like this without the use of any plant medicines by simply going without food, water, or sleep for 4 days in traditional ceremonies called the vision quest or hanbleceya and I have experienced those same types of experiences with traditional medicines. I have experienced immense pain and suffering that can only be described as burning from the inside out and the outside in at the same time. I have also experienced what can only be described as an unbelievable overwhelming feeling of love and being connected to everything that ever was and will be. Seeing a butterfly turn into an eye which belonged to a wolf that sat there watching me. I have seen a tree turn into a giant watchtower with a clock with pants hanging off of the hour hand. I have seen the stars dance in the trees turning into so many different colored lights as the moon danced along the water taking flight again into the night sky. I have seen the Earth turn into a black void where I seemed to float and the Earth was no more and found myself looking down up at a green glowing cliff that stretched out to eternity. I noticed a valley or a cave as what it looked like changed depending on my personal perspective as I floated not having any indication of which way was up or down or where I stood in relation to reality. I have entered that cave of darkness within that green glowing cliff and known that within that great expanse of the unknown everything could be known and yet I found myself unable to ask any question worth knowing the answer to. I have danced with bones in my chest tethered to a tree, sundancing, waiting for a vision. I have seen the forest disappear and green glowing orbs create a sea where the forest once stood. Each orb containing 3 red triangles floating within them. I have heard a loud guttural cry from what I could only surmise must be a mountain lion only to see two glowing yellow balls of light floating where I know a cat should stand. One ball placed between each shoulder blade or where one might think they should be. Following me.... I have seen flies attach themselves to my prayer ties and flags in such numbers that you could not see the prayer flags or the prayer ties anymore, but instead the beating wings of countless flies that later turned into beautiful tiny sparks of blue light floating through the forest. I have seen iktomi the spider come and spin its web as its babies poured over me. I have seen a world where people were apes dressed in human clothes and everything in-between. The only thing I know for 100% certain after having all of these experiences is that focus is key at these higher levels of experience produced by medicines both internal and external. Without focus ones thoughts and emotions are magnified in random ways that may or may not be beneficial. That focus is important with plant medicines especially as unlike a vision quest where one can simply come down off the hill when things are too much... you have no ability to do such a simple act with many medicines especially at higher dosages. Just as it takes an iron will of focus and determination to stand in one place for 4 days without food, water, or sleep... one must have that same kind of focus if one is to safely traverse higher planes with strong medicines with strong dosages. To say that it would be wise to always have a guide in such an experience would be an understatement. To think one does not need them or one can jump into these experiences without much experience would be asking for a travesty to befall your mind if not your body as either could easily be shattered. I make no claim to anything other than the simple fact that the mind is a very powerful tool that one can learn to use and make stronger. In much the same way as a powerlifter or a body builder learns to make their body stronger, one can learn to make alter those thoughts that affect your sleep and waking state and you can make changes that have just as lasting effects. Just as a powerlifter can tear a tendon however, you can also tear or injure your mind. I'll leave it at that as I already feel I've been a little to long winded, but please understand that the experiences I relate are nothing special. They are open to anyone who wishes to experience them. In fact, I'd say those experiences were just the tip of the iceberg of what is possible as I'm sure many of you can relate to, but for those that have yet to touch on these types of experiences they are definitely out there. What is uncertain is how and what you will do with them should you chose to go down that path and why is it important to do so. Whatever the reason, focus is indeed important. Especially so at the deeper levels.

I will 100% concur with you that the thickness is key to a good areole graft. This is why I like people to post pictures of their grafts before and after as I consider myself to always be learning from others work as well as my own. Studying the pictures of others grafts is indeed one very good way that I learn. It is one reason I try to flood forums such as this with grafting pictures. It is my hope that the easiness of grafting will eventually diffuse into the atmosphere of those who read and watch to such an extent that their brains become so saturated with grafting that they find they can graft much better than I can with my poor eye sight and shaky hands.So please do share you grafts in the future and help oversaturate this forum with grafting till each and every member here can graft areoles and young seedlings with ease as the knowledge of how to do so precipitates in their brains and flows through their hands effortlessly.

Halcyon Daze, what I see underneath that very nice pup of yours is a very large piece indeed. With that being said, I'd love to see a picture of this graft when you first made it. Preferably one showing the size of the scion/areole. The larger the areole, the easier the graft. The larger the stock, the easier the graft with crested areoles in particular as those jokers love to bend right in the middle. Keep posting my friend as it goes without saying, or it should, that I love seeing other peoples grafts and grafting styles. It is one way I learn and learning has gotten a lot harder the older I get as these eyes of mine keep needing new prescriptions. For some reason, my eyes have still not learned that it is not okay for them to continue to deteriorate while I am still in the process of wanting to graft!

Beautiful specimen. Glad you were there to come to its rescue! As for cacti stories, I have many stories that I could relate and while many of them happened while I was engaged in ceremonies on the reservation out here, I don't think they are appropriate for this forum so I will leave it at that. Thanks for sharing. Reading your post reminds me of a give-away which happens after every traditional vision quest. You are expected to give your supporters as well as the person putting you up on your vision quest a gift after the ceremony. Often a star blanket, a pipe, or something you know is particularly interesting or wanted by your supporters is the gift that one will try to pick out. So, basically the gift must be ideally a spiritual one or one that is unique to the individual in question. For me, I see your gift as being unique to the entire community here. Much like I find reading your posts a gift to the community here.

You call that an areole graft? This is an areole graftOr perhaps this one, but this one... is technically not an areole graft as I cheated and used three areoles. One of which did not make it as you can see by the dried up portion at the top. Absolutely stunning cross though. Love Validus hybrids almost as much as I love Terscheckii hybrids.

Alright, now that I've got your attention. I thought I would share some information on how large a cacti cutting needs to be before it can be successfully rooted or grafted. For some of you paying attention... this is just an update. Cuttings first. And now for some grafts 45 days+ and this is how we do it

These seedlings look half dead and not taken care of. I agree, I had grafted two of them and forgot about them amongst the sea of grafts I've made. Suffice it to say I am glad I went back and checked on this area.

Okay, I know that this graft while there is an actual union here, it is a slim one at best. However, I thought what a perfect graft to show one method I deal with such imperfections. Admittedly, I find that small crested grafts tend to suffer this phenomenon more than any other type of graft, all grafts are susceptible to it as no one is perfect 100% of the time 100% of the time. Now that we are done with the excuses and the crying, here is my simple fix. Some notes on the above graft, there is an actual union so it is getting some energy from the stock/Pereskiopsis. Two, it is clearly a bad union and is already shooting a root down. Three, while it may be possible to remove from the stock and root on its own, it will root faster if allowed to stay grafted so it can get energy both from its own roots and the stock it is on. You really have to watch crested grafts as they have a tendency to bow in the middle as they dry out. If any of you are making small crested grafts... keep that in mind.

I've always stored my pollen in the freezer whether it was Brugmansia, Datura, Echinopsis, or Hemerocallis pollen, Pollen always seems to stay good in the freezer for several years when frozen if it is not brought back and forth out of the freezer. Otherwise, you just have to have the right pollen you want to use and the right cacti blooming at the same time

Wishing this girl had some Hulk pollen to place but such is life. Still, lovely flower. If any of you guys see a q-tip fluffed like mad and running around with Hulk pollen let me know.

First, let me salute the hybridizers who create the wonderful crosses that allow us all to cull. Without a doubt, my favorite hybridizer is Zelly himself. Without his efforts, we would have far less to cull and many less interesting prospects to work with. Now, there are those of us who simply collect and there is nothing wrong with growing out a few specimens from each and every species or hybrid one comes across. In fact, I applaud those that do this. I too enjoy seeing multiple phenotypes come out of a single collection of wild seed. Those that cull, simply take it one step further. We see whatever trait it is we often kill the rest. For me, the trait I most enjoy seeing is something a bit more intangible as the trait I most enjoy seeing is hardiness. I subject my seedlings to hot humid conditions in the green house in full sunlight so they all remain purple until they eventually turn some shade of green. Able to withstand hot and humid conditions... check mark I also subject my seedlings to light freezes their first year from seed. Those that live... cold conditions check mark. The end result... those that are not culled from harsh environmental conditions get looked over for disease resistance. If I notice any disease prone specimens... they get culled. Another check mark. And so on... the culling process goes, but in the end, I have only managed to cull and select what I consider to be the best out of my own small batches of seeds from a few great hybridizers at best. So, the real work begins with the hybridizer and the rest of us that grow, collect, or cull simply enjoy the work of the hybridizers who made our gardens possible. For me, I welcome cacti like these. Let the great culling begin!

At any age culling is good, but I do prefer to get the coddling over with sooner rather than later.

What are you talking about? It is summer time here my friend. My personal take on growing seedlings in the frosty months is to let them get a little nip. Just enough to cause a little freeze damage to some and or kill a few off. With that said, I grow my cacti in full sunlight and water hard throughout most of the year to include the winter months. You will get some that die if you do this, but those that live will thrive. Weakness is for those that want weak slow growing cacti. Push them hard, real hard and don't stop till you've got some sploding cacti hun.

If your desire is for your grafts to grow very slow... I think this technique is excellent. I will explain. No leaves present... means the growth is going to be slowed down. Grafting on nice healthy vibrant fast growing Pereskiopsis with healthy green leaves exploding with growth will better serve your interests. Protect your fingers with a bit of parafilm if you must. Wrap the scion tight to the graft with parafilm and you will never need to slow down watering of your graft or fertilizing of your graft ensuring it grows much faster...

I have a very few specimens that seem to develop purple coloring after exposure to colder temperatures. Out of my many Huarazensis x Zelly hybrids... these two show a bit of purple. Out of my Trichocereus scopulicola x Trichocereus terscheckii seedlings I have just one so far that is showing any purple... but I don't have that many of this hybrid grafted either so I'd say this is a pretty good indicator that this last hybrid may throw out purples in a higher concentration and perhaps darker specimens than what I am seeing. Anyway, I'd like to see everyones purples if they don't mind sharing. The few purples from the many Zelly seedlings I have grafted are growing on me. Lets hope this trait stays with them as they mature. And please... post your own purples here my friends as I know I'm not the only one with them.