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Ploughing the Clouds: The Search for Irish Somaby Peter Lamborn Wilson
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:The Rig Veda, written in India about 1500 BC, praises a holy plant called Soma, which is sacrificed and consumed, granting the drinker an experience of enlightenment and ecstasy. The late Gordon Wasson identified Soma as a "magic mushroom," Amanita muscaria, and he and his followers discovered that such Info-Europeans as the ancient Greeks, Iranians, and Norse had also used a Soma-type plant.
In Ploughing the Clouds, Peter Lamborn Wilson investigates the possibility of a Soma cult in ancient Ireland, tracing dues in Irish (and other Celtic) lore. By comparing Celtic folktales, romances, epics and topographic lore with the Rig Veda, he uncovers the Irish branch of the great Indo-European tradition of psychedelic (or "entheogenic") shamanism, and even reconstructs some of its secret rituals. He uses this comparitive material to illuminate the deep meaning of the Soma-function in all cultures: the entheogenic origin of "poetic frenzy," the link between intoxication and inspiration. Review:"[Ploughing the Clouds] is the best thing of its kind since Robert Graves' The White Goddess." Dale Pendell, author of Pharmako/poeia Review:"[This book] brings new perspectives to the problem of Soma and broadens and deepens the context of its discussion. Information on possible Celtic relationships with psychoactive plants and fungi are most welcome." Terence McKenna Synopsis:Peter Lamborn Wilson is a scholar, critic, poet, and visionary best known for Sacred Drift: Essays on the Margins of Islam (City Lights) and his radio commentaries on WBAI New York. Synopsis:In Ploughing the Clouds, Peter Lamborn Wilson suggests that the ancient Celts of Ireland may have possessed a "Soma"ceremony similar to one described in the Rig Veda, one of the oldest scriptures in the world. Written in India in 1500 BC, the Rig Veda praises a holy plant called Soma or "magic mushroom"that grants the drinker enlightenment and ecstasy. By comparing Celtic myth and folklore with the Rig Veda, he uncovers an Irish branch of the great Indo-European tradition of psychedelic (or "entheogenic") shamanism, and even reconstructs some of its secret rituals. He uses this comparative material to illuminate the deep meaning of the Soma-function in all cultures: the entheogenic origin of "poetic frenzy,"the link between intoxication and inspiration. Peter Lamborn Wilson is a scholar, critic, poet, and visionary best known for Sacred Drift: Essays on the Margins of Islam (City Lights) and his radio commentaries on WBAI New York. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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