Filling in for George, Rob Simone (email) welcomed author and researcher Jan Irvin for a discussion on the earliest known forms of religion and nature worship and their connections to our modern religions and holidays; and how special plants used in shamanic rituals, including the Amanita muscaria mushroom, were ingested by those seeking higher consciousness. According to some academics & Cabalists, in the story of Adam & Eve, the Tree of Knowledge was actually the magic mushrooms, he noted, adding that in the ancient Vedic (India) tradition, "soma" is described as a plant or fruit that brings spiritual enlightenment. Scholars today suspect that soma was a mushroom or similar substance.

Irvin connected the origins of Christmas and Santa Claus to the use of psychedelic mushrooms and shamanism. Santa Claus evolved from Herne, the ancient shamanic god of Europe and Siberia, to Pan the licentious Roman god who imbibed mushrooms, to Krampus, St. Nicholas's devilish helper who dealt out punishment to naughty children, he detailed. Even Santa's red and white garb mirrors the look of the Amanita mushroom, he continued.

Regarding current religious uses of mushrooms, James "Flaming Eagle" Mooney of the Oklevueha Native American Church told Irvin that Native Americans still very much respect the Amanitas and the mushrooms, even though their church is more recognized for their use of peyote. Interestingly, Mooney and his associates are working on research that shows that the Mormon religion was originally founded on both the use of peyote and the Amanita muscaria, Irvin reported.

2012 Predictions

First hour guest, professional astrologer Linda Schurman shared her predictions for 2012, and reviewed some of her accurate hits for 2011. She'd foreseen that 2011 would be the beginning of a second American revolution-- and cited the Occupy Wall Street movement as evidence for that. Over the next several years, she predicts that the Occupy movement will gain strength and cohesion, and possibly form a third political party. For 2012, she foresees major tectonic activity with earthquakes possibly occurring in Mexico, California, the Northwest Coast of the US, Japan, Alaska, Chile, Iceland, and Italy, with the most intense period being April through June. She also sees the economy continuing to falter in the new year, a worldwide water crisis, and a protest similar to Tiananmen Square happening in China in the Spring.