Did I tell you about our trip? We explored Southern Vancouver Island in search for magic mushrooms, only to discover that they grow in places as urban as Victoria. Your chances are better out of town, like Cowichan River. But the possibility of finding them in your backyard is something unheard of. Aside from hearing about the time my friend tried to trick his grandma into thinking that his pot plants were tomato plants, drugs growing sporadically just seemed like every dysfunctional teens wet dream.
A writer, scuba diver and an observer ventured into the woods within Vancouver Island to find the notorious, magic mushrooms.
Illegible blogs claimed a long lasting feud between farmers and hippies, all over their manure covered fields, littered with precious psilocybe.
During October’s rainy, magic mushroom harvest, “hippies,” and other mushroom enthusiasts would travel to the island, invading farmland and ultimately, pissing off farmers.
Once we read the rumours of these battles, involving cars filled with cow shit, police frustration and even gunfire, we had to drive up to see for ourselves.
Much like your brain on drugs, we were lost, confused and although our trip seemed long, it resulted in nothing.
After contacting local fungi enthusiast, Erik Arthur Blair, we discovered these mind- altering shrooms grow not just out of town, but also in parks, backyards – you name it.
Erik Arthur Blair sits in the woods behind Royal Roads University with his basket of lobster mushrooms.
“Once you know what you are looking for, both species can be easy to spot.” Blair continues, “Liberty caps (psilocybe semilanceata) in my opinion are much easier to find simply because they fruit in the same location year after year.”
Both psilocybe cyanescense (wavy caps), and liberty caps have dark purple spore prints; which are an important feature in identifying these psychedelic bastards.
Liberty caps are small, with a long skinny, brittle stem. The stem can range from white to gold, with a blue tinge near the base. The cap is conical, and the colour also varies from a buff yellow to a trout green.
“They are fairly ambiguous, but one key feature is the sticky pellicle which holds the cap together. This can be easily seen by pulling it apart, it should look like stretchy rubber.”
Wavy caps grow in clusters, with three-inch stems that are dusted in pores. Caps are roughly an inch in diameter, and vary from a tan-yellow to a deep caramel brown. In age, the caps will wave up and down, reaffirming the nickname.
Liberty caps frequent farmland, however, wavy caps can be found in mulch beds or in wood-chips. They also grow in grass, but typically where there is disturbed soil.
Blair explains why today, we sit in the humid woods of Royal Roads University, taking a break from surveying the land for lobster and chanterelle mushrooms. He chose this location because it has great biodiversity, including dead wood, old growth, young trees, and no threat of logging.
“You won’t be alone in the hunt for magic mushrooms, along banks of rivers and other wooded area, you will see dots of light line the bank at night.“
We asked Blair if others ask for his help in finding psilocybe. “Yes people always ask, I offer to identify any mushrooms they might have questions about.” Blair expands, “I keep specific locations to myself, primarily out of self-interest.”
“Psilocybin and psilocin are the 2 main active components of ‘magic mushrooms.’ Both molecules are highly psychoactive. A person who consumes such molecules can expect to experience many different positive and negative effects.”
Blair explained the positive effects can range from ongoing visual changes, auditory enhancements, a rapid sense of understanding, euphoria, analgesia, a sense of being intensely alive, and a new introspective on ones life.
However, what someone may see as a positive effect can be an overwhelming ordeal for the other.
“They will tap into your subconscious, a bad trip is avoiding what the mushrooms want to show you.”
It can all begin with a simple thought like, “You haven’t spoke with your Mom lately,” and that will escalate into, “She could die,” which opens the doors to flooding thoughts such as, “People die. I’m going to die, I’m going to become compost.”
Blair believes that this is your mind forcing you to accept such thoughts while in a heightening sight of reality.
“There are two things you can do in that situation,” Blair continues, “Avoid the fact that people die, continuing turmoil. Or, you can accept that you are not going to die right now, and thinking about it won’t kill you. Dive in and let the euphoria kick in.”
Erik Arthur Blair in search for mushrooms.
“Typically such negative effects are a lack of education or awareness about the effects, or a result of poor diet, bad company, too high a dose, negative preconceptions, religious guilt, or societal stigma. Most regular, medicinal, and/or shamanic users believe that the negative effects are just as important as the positive.”
Blair explained that only a small fraction of the 5000 known mushroom species are lethal, but the wrong choice could cost you your liver.
“I want to point out that it is virtually impossible to die as a result of a psilocybin containing mushroom overdose. One would have to consume about 60 pounds of dry mushrooms to achieve a lethal overdose,” Blair continued, “Which is physically impossible.”
Magic mushrooms are extremely illegal in Canada, to harvest, distribute, (mycelium, mushrooms, liquid culture, etc.) which contains psilocybin or any other tryptamine.
“That being said, if you saw a mushroom growing on the ground and you bent over and ate it in one bite, I believe a law enforcement officer could do little in the way of charging you.”
Some of the many species of mushrooms.
Blair raises a fine point that one should be researched, and accompanied by an expert in mushroom picking/scavenging.
Besides the consequences of consuming the funky fungi, Blair remarks that when picking any kind of mushrooms, the dangers are not so much gun fire, but similar to those of hikers, campers, or any outdoor enthusiast.
“There are some very basic dangers one needs to be aware of; wildlife, the elements, getting lost, poison ivy, bees, etc. “ Blair explains, “When it comes to dangers exclusive to mushroom picking, naturally the threat of picking and eating a poisonous mushroom is there, but rarely is this an issue. Most people, including fungi-phobic and ignorant people understand that mushrooms can be dangerous.”
It is believed that these special fungi’s are a powerful tool to self-discovery and considered by many, Blair included, being enlightening, positive, grounding, helpful, harmless and supernatural.
“If you had the ability to have a spiritual experience simply by eating a mushroom, wouldn’t you be just a little curious?”
Hey lookin for liberty caps
His lesser known twin called erm… Druggo. Man! I need a slap for that one.
Erik Arthur blair? Really really? Named after George Orwell I assume?