Terence McKenna

[SteveS]

Another widely known psychonaut is the American philosopher, ethnobotanist, lecturer, and author Terence McKenna.[19][20] McKenna spoke and wrote about subjects including psychedelic drugs, plant-based entheogens, shamanism, metaphysics, alchemy, language, culture, technology, and the theoretical origins of human consciousness. Wikipedia

I am exploring in many more details the works of Terence McKenna so I want to include his AA birth chart open for discussion.

11/16/1946; 7:25 AM MST; Hotchkiss, Colorado; 38N47,59; 107W43,08

I will start off with a few of Jim’s early first observation about Terence’s Chart:

…. his Novien has close Sun-Pluto and Jupiter-Uranus oppositions that describe him well. Also, his angles and planets are all strongly connected to various stars in the serpent constellations plus Hercules. The idea of venom seems strongly excited by this. I think his might be an important chart for investigating the stars. (Rasalhague [Alpha Ophiuchi] is on his Ascendant, Moon and Sun both paran Ras Algethi [Alpha Herc.], Mercury set with Antares and Acrab, Venus rises with Rasalhague, Jupiter rises with Alpha Serpentis [Uranus rises when it sets]: That's a lot!)

I have many questions and astrological observations I want to explore about Terence work because I have become fascinated with his work strongly resonating with a psychedelic experience I had on Psilocybin in 1969, long before I knew of Terence’s work.

[Danica]

Thank you for posting the data.
I consider his work very important, in a way akin to what Culpeper did in his time, but on another scale and level, naturally...
There’s new generation of researchers now, with Terrence, J. Morrison, T. Leary, A. Huxley, A. Crowley being among the more popular names, in connection to this field - which I think will become more of interest and recognized as valuable anew, now during the period of Pluto in Cap, Neptune through Aqu and Uranus going through Aries (the collective freedom needs through constellation representing archetypal ideas of: Authenticity needs, the Unique and the Paradox, the connection of the conscious ego self [Sun] and uncompromising-seed-of-being [Pluto] ...)

My notes have the following as outline of chart factors:

Sun is in Libra, Moon in Leo
Mars in Scorpio

Angular:

Venus is on AC 1*29’
Sun also rising, 5*13’
Mercury too, 6*21’ from AC

Then, there are:
Mars on AC 8*01’
Moon on DC 8*09’

The closest aspects that the Lights have:
Mo sq Me 3*05’
Su oct Ne 1*17’
Su cnj Ve 1*55’

All other aspects under 5*, by orb:
Me cnj Ma 2*09’
Me tri Sa 3*55’
Ma tri Sa 1*45’
Ma sex Ne 2*48’
Ju sq Pl 2*07’
Ju sq Sa 2*20’
Sa cnj Pl 4*29’

His Novien Moon is at 10*49’ Libra.

The 5H chart has pronounced connections:
Moon-Pluto
Moon-Uranus


(—- that’s what the old notes have; will chime in again later, with new observations, as time permits)

[Danica]

BTW, I still haven’t got the chance to put my attention onto the Michael Pollan’s book... on the to-do list.

If someone has his birth data, please post/share.

[SteveS]

Danica wrote:

BTW, I still haven’t got the chance to put my attention onto the Michael Pollan’s book... on the to-do list.

Michael's book is an excellent researched book on the benefic possibilities for psychedelics pertaining to possible healing powers for our mind, body, and spirit. Terence original work with ancient/modern shamanistic uses of psychedelics has/is inspiring a modern day Underground Renaissance through the internet for possible benefic healing effects of the psychedelics, Michael Pollan's book being a major part of this Renaissance. I know this: Terence work is becoming a major influence in my life now and I note his Natal Sun partile conjunct my angular Natal Jupiter. And with my recent debilitating back injury, modern medicine offered me little hope, but with a careful research/study of Terence's work, I have been led to an alternative medical choice with microdosing psilocybin and I am getting remarkable results pertaining to issues of pain with my back injury. Also great benefic results in other areas pertaining to my old body revitalizing my spirit.

The following link best explains my overall benefic experiences I am getting by microdosing psilocybin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xULORoxzgto

[SteveS]

Jim, I want to discuss a little about Terence Natal Mercury-Mars conjunction. Is my memory serving me you isolated this combo with 3 well known scientist? If so, is your discussion still on this matter somewhere on the forum?

[Jim Eshelman]

Jim, I want to discuss a little about Terence Natal Mercury-Mars conjunction. Is my memory serving me you isolated this combo with 3 well known scientist? If so, is your discussion still on this matter somewhere on the forum?

I don't remember this. (The only "three scientists" thing I remember is the mundane Moon-Uranus for the "changed the world with science" charts of Einstein, Curie, and Gates.)

Looking now at my growing catalogue of sample charts from viewforum.php?f=59 (not quite at 300) has no scientists with close Mercury-Mars aspects. Searching Solar Fire for Mercury-Mars close hard aspects, I also find none.

Mercury-Mars is primarily a creative aspect. It has a lot to do with mode of communication - there are a lot of passionate speakers, among other variants - but the way that brain synapses fire off so intensely produces primarily artistic, musical, and other creative expressions. (Bradley found it statistically common for painters and sculptors.) And, of course, there is a strong overlap of intensely creative types and the other well-known Mercury-Mars expression, alcoholism and other substance abuse.

[SteveS]

Thanks Jim.

[Jim Eshelman]

What I find most intriguing in McKenna's chart is that it isn't the chart of a scientist at all - it's more the chart of someone who would make cultural impact, as he did. His Libra-Leo luminaries are striking because of their relationship to the Libra-Aquarius luminaries of Timothy Leary, with whom he's understandably compared. If this were the old heyday of monthly astrology magazines, a great article would have been a character-biography vs. chart comparison of McKenna and Leary, who shared the same Sun-sign and had opposite Moon-signs.

While none of these signs seems immediately obvious for the main areas identified with McKenna, I suggest digging through the detailed sign breakdowns here:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=35#p161
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=34#p146

For example, just off the top of my head, other than the Libra tendency to have social (cultural) impact most - consider Libra Bill Gates, whose chart only secondarily speaks of technology but who dramatically altered our entire culture - there is also the Libra connection to environmental activism and natural draw to the Old Religion, something that comes through McKenna's work quite clearly. With a Libra Sun plus Venus conjunct Sun and about 1° from Ascendant, his chart is primarily Venus-themed - it's the planet through which the rest of the chart finds expression.

Without digging too deeply, I see his Leo Moon as mostly reflecting his presentation style and the way he leveraged his personality to attract attention. Combined with the rising Mercury-Mars conjunction, it gave a forceful presentation. I think if you dig through the Leo Moon breakdowns, you'll find more.

One terribly intriguing detail of his chart is the role of Eris. McKenna had a Neptune-Eris opposition - hardly a thing to distinguish him (but it's closer mundanely, under 3°, than ecliptically). It seems clear that McKenna's Neptune is a significant part of his basic character and destiny. My first-attempt articulation of Neptune-Eris aspects is OK for him, but by no means captures him directly; it is, "Unleashing the chaos, letting it flood (living amidst a chaos storm, surfing the wave of uncertainty)." Not bad, I suppose, but not individually.

However, if Eris is taken as a valid chart factor, the Neptune-Eris opposition anchors the most important aspect aspect structure in his chart: His Neptune sextiles both ends of a trine between Saturn and Mars (with Pluto and Mercury around) but, adding Eris, it forms a classic "kite" formation. A full analysis of his chart should probably dig deeply into this with all its subtleties. Here's an aspect map of his chart to make these dynamics clear:

McKenna map.png

His closest aspect is Mercury trine Eris, 43'. There are a lot of Mercury aspects in the chart, so it might be hard to filter one out from the others, but my current "working interpretation" for Mercury-Eris aspects is:

Insight comes easily: Mind can manage vast arrays of data points, incorporating facts and evidence, leaping to significant, persistent success. (Seems intuitive at first impression, but actually pursues goals through persistent effort and skill rewarded by insight.) A sassy, often unbounded “think-for-oneself” way through life (may use shock tactics to prove they think and act on their own). Promiscuous: persistently casual, diverse, and indiscriminate in sexual variety (sliding through chaos? leaving a wake of chaos? “multiplicity” theme?).

[SteveS]

Thank you so much for your read on Terence Jim, I truly appreciate. Terence work at this point in my life has become very important to me.

[SteveS]

I am now into my second reading of “Food of the Gods” by Terence McKenna. My bottom line analysis of this book: Terence believed only the true Shaman understands the Gnosis of Psychedelics.

Terrence firmly believed the Psilocybin Mushroom was responsible for birthing in Humans recognition of the Goddess Principle of Nature, or the Sacred Feminine thousands of years ago, at one time in history—the Goddess Principle was the main Religion on the Planet. Now this Goddess Principle of Nature is dangerously close to being completely stamped out of existence. Terrence felt the only hope left for the Planet is for a Citizen Science spreading on the Internet the possible positive usages of Psychedelics. “There is no Science for the Psychedelics, only World Wide Usage”. This means to me the Gnosis of Psychedelics is a private matter bridged through private users.

I know this: In 1969 when I privately took a macro dose of Psilocybin, I truly believed I came into close contact with a profound Principle of Nature pertaining to the feminine. For me to describe this private experience requires woo—woo language. Since I am a Sidereal Astrologer and understand planetary cycles manifest through us, I am most interested in experiencing micro doses of Psilocybin on many levels—one being to see if Psilocybin will raise my conciseness for understanding my own private planetary cycles. For example: I have an approaching Solar Arc MC exact 90 my Natal Pluto in Cancer. Does the “Mother” Goddess Principle come from that part of the zodiac of Cancer? I don’t know, but I do know that Robert Hand taught me many years ago that Pluto carried to its highest conciseness has to do with healing. And now I find myself experimenting with a medicine (micro dose of Psilocybin) trying to heal my body from a serious back injury. I am hoping if Terence is right about his work, the Mother Goddess Principle of Nature will allow me a Gnosis for healing my body that western medicine has no answers for me.

A link to the bee faced mushroom shaman from Terrence book. "Food of the Gods."
https://www.google.com/search?q=mushroo ... NhDuxcNB7M

[SteveS]

Terence Mercury-Mars conjunction and Direct Midpoint of Sun/Mercury = ASC (0,24) speaks volumes about his “powers of thought” pertaining to his life’s work. Terence wrote about the “The Real Missing Link” pertaining to the evolution of humans:

My contention is that mutation-causing, psychoactive chemical compounds in the early human diet directly influenced the rapid reorganization of the brain’s information –processing capacities. Alkaloids in plants specifically the hallucinogenic compound such as psilocybin, could be the chemical factors in the protohuman diet that catalyzed the emergence of self-reflection. The action of hallucinogens present in many plants enhanced our information processing activity, or environmental sensitivity, and thus contributed to the sudden expansion of the human brain size. At a later stage in the same process, hallucinogens acted as a catalysts in the development of imagination, fueling the creation of internal stratagems and hopes that may well have synergized the emergence of language and religion.

I know this: With my experimentation with micro-dosing psilocybin, along with several other positive physical benefits with my old body, my acuity pertaining to “self-reflection” with my own Natal Chart (soul) has been raised. I truly believe this increase acuity for one’s personal “self-reflection” could be applied to any area of one’s being applied with sound responsible manners. It has been written by valid sources that Silicon Valley were/was/is micro-dosing hallucinogens. My God, if true, think about the technological advancements that has occurred since Terence’s work has come into print starting on the West Coast!

[SteveS]

From a micro-doser of psilocybin written in James Fadiman, PhD. Book: “The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide-- Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys”.

I had never heard of sub-dosing when I began doing it. After a couple years of wonderful success with the practice, I met a friend of Terence McKenna’s who, upon hearing about my practice, explained that he uses sub-doses too—something he learned from McKenna. He explained Albert Hofmann believed that LSD sub-doses would have gone on to be widely prescribed in much the same way as Ritalin, had it not been so harshly scheduled.

[SteveS]

From Chapter of ‘Therapeutic Uses of Psychedelics’ from James Fadiman’s book: “The Psychedelic Explorers Guide:”

The reality of the unified field of mind-body-spirit at the core of shamanistic and other traditions has barely scratched the surface of Western thought and is far from being an accepted operating principle in Western science.

These above words by Fadiman are strongly echoed in Terence McKenna’s work as a foundation principle. I have been experimenting with micro-dosing the Psilocybin Mushroom, and so far, I am astounded with the therapeutic positives benefits flowing through my mind-body-spirit. The more I study Terence work, it is becoming obvious to me from studying other ancient cultures, the therapeutic uses of the Psilocybin Mushroom was enshrouded in obscure/hidden/numinous knowledge.
From C.G. Jung, Letters:

The approach to the numinous is the real therapy. And in as much as you attain the numinous experience, you are released from the curse of pathology.