There is so much interest nowadays on indigenous knowledge systems. Researchers are curious what may be useful to meet current challenges. Bioprospectors are hoping to make commercial value to their find. The subject of ethics is primary in this kind of study (a discourse on this: https://www.devcom.edu.ph/site/dr-flor-shares-insights-on-indigenous-knowledge-research-with-devcom-students.html), while validation of the applicability of the practices may be constrained by the lack of holistic view and approach of researchers. When practices only include those that are in the realm of the 5 senses (or those in the material/physical), not much progress can be made. When practices beyond actual farming/gardening practices are included progress may be achieved, but  only if the science is expanded and include the non-material or spiritual science (e.g., that of anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner).  To see indigenous or local practices in a better light, we need to consider what our world is made of beyond the physical, and what the role of consciousness is to make thoughts and intentions become real. Agriculture provides a rich material for the discussion. Quantum agriculture encompasses both material and non-material aspects. Below is an article that I wrote to expand the discussion on some fundamental subjects…

Is belief the only factor for the experience, or is there another science to this practice? https://religionnerd.com/2011/06/02/firewalking-as-spiritual-transformation/

To give some more grounding on Quantum Agriculture I write a little bit about some fundamental topics that are also really complex and can fill up an infinite number of pages.

Indigenous Practices

The indigenous and local peoples are much into “odd” or unusual practices, rituals and belief systems. Often the material scientists disregard the value of these practices, even if their application proves that they work and that they are shared by many cultures all over the world.

Most practices reside in the material science realm. Some are a mix of material and non-material. Here is a talk giving an example of indigenous practices that combine both:

(https://ovcre.uplb.edu.ph/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=270:documenting-and-promoting-indigenous-agricultural-knowledge-and-climate-change-adaptation-in-selected-areas-in-the-philippines-toward-enhancing-community-level-food-security&Itemid=229).   Here also in my article in the early 1990’s about Indigenous seed related practices (which covers the whole production system) (ftp://ftp.ciesin.org/kiosk/ElectronicBkShelf/Newsletters/IKMonitor/IKMonitorSep94/5art4.txt)

Beyond the usual practices are those that include simply doing nothing but simply imagining, believing, or thinking about an outcome. It may even be by just being present in the field or the garden. It is said that the more highly evolved the consciousness of the farmer or gardener is, the more effective is the practice. And improved consciousness may be achieved with cultivation, unless the person is already innately gifted with such capacities. Prayers, chants, offerings, and other forms of invocations are still rich among indigenous cultures. Other practices that accompany these could be dancing, chanting, using hand gestures and/or objects to represent a phenomenon, like hanging bottles on the vine for plants to imitate and bear fruit.

It is also common to use plants or other objects to achieve protection or have a healthy harvest (https://www.spiritualworld.co.za/herbs/magicalusesofherbs.htm; https://www.spellsofmagic.com/coven_ritual.html?ritual=1782&coven=147). The practice of letting crop seeds like maize go through the head of a snake (can just be the skull) so the subsequent crop may not be infested with rats is also common. Here it is believed that rats would sense the “presence” of a snake and such presence, which may be only what remains of it (also called the information or energy pattern), is imparted to and carried by the ritualized seed samples during the growing season. A perspective on snakes is given here:

Snakes also signify regeneration; they are an image of the synthesis of the generative power of the cosmos. On an even more practical, agrarian level, snakes predate upon many of the small animals that eat seeds and grain stores. This may be connected to Chicomecóatl in Her guise as the guardian of foodstuffs. https://www.matrifocus.com/IMB09/key.htm  

Read more here.

Societal Threefolding, Presencing… these are tools or techniques to achieve quantum leap or do quantum change. Sustainable societal change must be animated by a critical mass of enlightened committed citizens. That is the basis of the Liwanag World Festival that happened last 29th Jan to 2nd Feb 2013, in Davao City, which is part of the island of Mindanao. The festival aimed to let the special light from the Philippines and other parts of the globe be seen by the whole world… light from the Philippines, being collectively lit by imaginals or individuals who have a vision of the future and are connected to their special life task (purpose) and are doing strategic projects in society. MISSION of Imaginals is spearheading events like the Liwanag. To get a glimpse of the event one may visit the website of  Liwanag, or view some photos of  the Liwanag event which I put together for sharing and memory aid. Select individuals who live in, or have at one point lived in Mt Makiling (or are doing something elsewhere but are connected to Mt Makiling initiatives), have been presented at the Festival through an exhibit. Special feature is on the visionary (Flor Pablo) who is in touch with spiritual teachers or guardians; her mission is described in a set of slides. In the same event I also described  my own “quantum” initiative.

Here are some videos to give one an idea about the Liwanag event.

There is a very interesting phenomenon occurring in my area… Mt Makiling , a mountain bounded by Laguna and Batangas provinces in the Philippines. One would find extraordinary happening in her area. The lady (Flor Pablo) is in touch with spiritual beings and receives various messages, from gardening, to mushroom production and others which come to her intuitively or through her writing using an ancient Filipino script called Baibayin (or baybayin as populary spelled). Instructions are often out of the box or beyond textbooks. She learned only later that what she was writing was Baibayin. One thing that intrigued me was her affirmation of scientific and biblical facts and sometimes she reveals some aspects which baffled scientists and the religious alike… a true meeting of science and spiritual science occurs in her garden. She is revealing some teachings in anthroposophy, such as homeopathy, earth and human evolution, and many others. She is also blending this with some vedic truths and practices. She is into Agnihotra-Homa Therapy and use of Sangeevini healing symbols. New messages come to her almost every day… I will be posting more later. But for now here is a set of slides which I prepared for the Liwanag World Festival ( Exhibit section) which concluded last week. https://liwanagworldfest.net/web2.2/.

Here is Liwanag or Light in a nutshell: There is another world and another Philippines emerging in the very midst of decay and pain. To reveal, see, experience and fully appreciate this world, is the task of Liwanag: World Festival on Creativity and Sustainability… From 29 January to 02 February 2013, thousands of people (and millions more thru tri-media) will converge in Davao City, Philippines to see the glowing contours of such a world. Liwanag will showcase brilliant, heart-centered initiatives in all dimensions of sustainability: ecological, economic, cultural, political, societal, human, and spiritual… Our hearts will pound with resonance, excitement and Love as we start to truly see and experience this diversity of inspiring initiatives. For these initiatives, taken together, are the elements of the future world that is alive and growing amidst us today…Come to LIWANAG. Contribute your inner Light to the flame of hope and Love that is permeating the world!

The Liwanag Festival is an initiative of MISSION  (https://www.imaginalmission.net/web2.0/) aiming for societal transformation through a quantum approach. The meaning of MISSION explains it all:

MISSION stands for Movement of Imaginals for a Sustainable Society through Initiatives, Organizing, and Networking.

Wellspring of Initiatives for Spiritual Development

This artwork-mushroom image may be found in the internet, but the way it found itself into the laptop that Flor was using is most amazing; more mysterious is the Baibayin writing that appeared on it minutes later.

I have heard about the power of smoke on seed germination, such as after a forest fire, about 15 years ago… seeds that need to be scarified to sprout may be given a softer treatment: smoking, or smudging, and the result is the same. Is it just the fire, the smoke, the combination of fire and smoke that bring the seeds to life after a bush fire? Sometimes it appears that smoke can be a substitute treatment for a harsher germination promoter like fire.

Sample of a research on smoke

In https://plantsinaction.science.uq.edu.au/edition1/?q=content/8-1-2-seed-dormancy

I kept this interest alive and let it stay in my consciousness until this year when I got introduced to a liquid that is smokey… some call it smoke-water. The product can greatly stimulate plant growth, among others. Here is a good link to the smoke-germination subject: https://anpsa.org.au/seed.html An extract follows:

” Smoke

Research in South Africa and Western Australia has shown that smoke is a critical factor for promoting germination of seeds in areas subject to bushfires. The following articles outline some of the general principles involved:

• Review of the Promotive Effects of Smoke on Seed Dormancy
• Smoke Germination of Australian Plants; T Vigilante et al. RIRDC; Publication no: 98-108
• Smoke Stimulates the Germination of Many Western Australian Plants

On a large scale, an apparatus like that below can be used to apply smoke to batches of seed. However, this is not particularly practical for the average home propagator.

Diagram from Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Short Report No.48

One practical method of applying smoke treatment is the use of smoked water as a pre-treatment where seed is soaked for 12 hours in a 9:1 water:smoke-water solution. Smoke water can be produced by bubbling smoke through a container of water for about 60 minutes after which the solution is frozen until needed. However, even this is a bit messy…”

So, what is in the smoke? Some 10 years ago, a friend told me that she had all sorts of  health problems as a young child, including having a congenital cyst or growth on top of her head. The local healer included a daily exposure to smoke and this lasted for weeks. Of course this is something that is usually done along with other treatments. But the use of smoke has been a phenomenon especially among indigenous cultures, from food to agriculture, from worship to healing, especially for cleansing of energies. “Luop”, “palina” are among practices still being done by local folks to reverse negative situations and  to remove negative energies or factors. Rituals in religious practices also use smoke through incense, herbals and others.

Some Science on Smoke

Recently there was an article written about smoke in relation to seed germination:  https://news.discovery.com/earth/plants-smoke-growth-fire.html : SMOKE’S PLANT-BOOSTING POWERS FOUND. The gist is this: Scientists are zeroing in on the molecules in smoke that help plants grow. Here is another one… https://www.redandblack.com/news/prof-researches-plant-growth-caused-by-smoke/article_3f257560-8f1f-5a58-ab88-67301c812fa2.html : Prof. researches plant growth caused by smoke.

And another: https://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/30/science/la-sci-smoke30-2010mar30 which says… Smoke linked to stronger, thicker plant growth… Researchers find that chemicals in smoke called karrikins trigger plant genes associated with light sensitivity. The findings could have implications for commercial farming and fire recovery.

https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1219989.htm

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168945209001824 Karrikins: A new family of plant growth regulators in smoke

https://www.sciencemag.org/content/305/5686/977.short A Compound from Smoke That Promotes Seed Germination

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/np900630w Butenolides from Plant-Derived Smoke: Natural Plant-Growth Regulators with Antagonistic Actions on Seed Germination

https://www.uv.es/jgpausas/teach/3469-Keeley1998Ecology79.pdf SMOKE-INDUCED SEED GERMINATION IN CALIFORNIA CHAPARRAL

https://www.pnas.org/site/misc/selections_3_29_10.shtml How smoke helps plants recover after fire

Why my current interest in smoke?

I am intrigued by the “quantum” aspects of smoke… something beyond the chemicals in smoke, on the esoteric or mystical nature of smoke. Some articles that I recently encountered are given below:

https://tribalglobe.com/freshnews/tag/ancient-knowledge/   : The Ancient Art of Smudging

https://www.entheology.org/edoto/anmviewer.asp?a=357 : Ancient Psychoactive Incense and Preparations

The subject is vast. Literature is equally overflowing. Suffice to say here that the science behind smoke can give explanation to the effectiveness of indigenous practices. Smoking partially releases the ether of a substance and in that ether resides the mystical power, the opposite or enhanced effect of the substance. There is interaction between the fire and the other substances and related practices, but also with the intention and nature of the healer her/himself. Burning can be also done biologically, and that is why microorganism are considered the firehouse of the soil. Thus the power of the compost, and our bodies, as our digestive system orchestrates transformation together with microorganisms and enzymes in the gut. It is also in these venues where transubstantiation or transmutation occurs, or where the nature of an element is altered to become an entirely different element (imagine how silicon may become phosphorus; milk from blood). Through smoke the principle of  ”like cures like” or of homeopathy is also actualized where the opposite effect may be imparted for as long as the preparation is very dilute and potentized. Imagine for example that coffee which is a stimulant can be the cure for mental hyperactivity.

One could look at the quantum phenomenon of smoke this way also… the organism is a product of a series of contraction and expansion. The property of the part (example fruit-seed)  may be opposite to the other part which represents expansion (example leaves). Thus, the pepper fruit’s spiciness is countered by the plant’s  leaves, the durian flesh’s smell is countered by the shell that contained the flesh, etc. There are many examples of these polarities which have been tapped by people of long ago. A favorite link which deals with biodynamics and contains this discussion is https://oregonbd.org/Class/Mod3.htm

The similarity of the effect of ash and smoke in healing is something that I would like to explore further. Ash is what remains after burning while smoke is the one that goes into the air/ether. In Agnihotra-Homa Therapy the ash is a major product with great and varied uses. Here is an extract from an article on Agnihotra in Compas: https://www.agriculturesnetwork.org/magazines/global/challenging-water-scarcity/experimenting-within-farmers-worldviews

Comparative experiments have been carried out to test the impact of Agnihotra. These experiments have been reported in Madan and Manohar (1990). Dr. B.G. Bhujbal of Pune’s M.J.P. Agricultural University has conducted experiments in germinating grape seed and rooting grape cuttings treated with Agnihotra. He reported that seeds germinate in 21 days whilst the control sample took 6 months to germinate. Cuttings treated with Agnihotra developed better roots than the control sample. Dr Ramashraya Mishra experimented with the germination and development of wheat plants. He compared the growth of plants treated with hotra, those grown in the traditional way, and those in a control sample.

Similar trends have been observed among my students who did their thesis on agnihotra.

More next time.

Warmest regards,

Pam

“The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature – J Campbell… and Agnihotra can help in this realignment!!!

Om Tryambakam at home

Recent revelations about agnihotra through the ancient Filipno script:

Above is about Agnihotra mantra body movements and in Filipino version, written in Baibayin.

More revelations below, specifically on what is agnihotra (the meaning may be read in the newsletter below):

 

Hello my dear Agni friends,

Greetings! It has been two years since the last issue (August 2010), and 5 years since my first practice of agnihotra (March 2007). I continue to do the “agni” daily at sunrise and sunset, with occasional Om Tryambakam (a more advanced practice), while a number of practitioners in the country are already doing it more regularly. No one yet in the country, to my knowledge, has set-up resonance points (consist of agnihora pyramids  strategically installed at the outlines of one’s area to further spread or increase the benefits of the “agnihotra power” beyond the usual reach, much like the resonance effect of tuning forks. On the other hand, many who got a pyramid pot have left the practice or are still to actualize their intention of doing agnihotra. Ingredients are limiting to some… but where there is the supply or capacity to get them, there are other reasons… the will still awaits the doing, the push has yet to happen… the interest reawakened… the commitment refueled.

I really hope that we give agnihotra a chance to help us. It is very simple and easy. It is only a ten minute practice each sunrise and sunset. It gives us multifunctional benefits. We do a quantum leap in healing, earth repair, etc. The words of some thinkers and philosophers,  that “Agnihotra and Homa Therapy is our Last Chance”, is now ringing loudly. The year 2012 awaits people who can collectively and quantumly do earth healing. And if we believe that we ought to do our share in the healing movement, agnihotra is a good start; take a look. It is first among the Five-Fold Path… continue reading here.