APS Cactus Day; Talks, Workshop & Film

Welcome to the exclusive APS celebration of Cactus Day. We take this opportunity in May to mark the groundbreaking experience of mescaline taken by Aldous Huxley in 1953 later transcribed as his book The Doors of Perception. Given to him by Humphrey Osmond, incidentally it was these two who later coined the very term ‘psychedelic’. So to celebrate this much underrated and under-discussed ‘psychedelic/entheogen’ we will be having a gathering to learn more about these amazing cacti. 

Our first guest speaker is ethnobotanist Liam Engel who works with Edith Cowen University and EGA (Entheogenesis Australis). Liam is the editor of the books San Pedro Hybrids and Trichocereus culture, author of the Reference Guide for Lophophora Conservation, creator of the Lophophora Research Repository and a founding moderator of Trichocereus Auctions Australia. Liam will talk about growing these completely legal plants during a workshop focused on grafting and cacti seed germination using various methods, 

We will then be joined by Marc Camo who is the owner-operator of Urban Tribes Needle Park Cactus Nursery, one of the earliest entheogenic cactus gardens established in Australia. The story of Urban Tribes and how this fascinating and diverse collection came to be, is grounded in Mark’s travels through Peru and South America during the 90s. Whilst there he not only collected specimens but participated in traditional Huachuma and Peyote ceremonies and will talk about the ritual practices he encountered whilst there.

Additionally we will be screening the Wade Davis film; PEYOTE TO LSD: A PSYCHEDELIC ODYSSEY. Filmed in five different countries the documentary is based on the groundbreaking discoveries of revolutionary ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes. In a full-length cinematic journey from native ceremonies to laboratories in Switzerland, the film explores the evolution of psychedelic substances from sacred plants to modern psychotropics. 

This will also be a unique opportunity to bring some cactus cuts to giveaway or swap/trade, etc in order for someone to get their collections started or grow an existing one and join in this amazing hobby.