In My Mushroom Era
They're everywhere and they're calling to me.
As some of you know, nature and I are dating. This is a fulfilling romance and part of why is because nature is endlessly fascinating.
Since the beginning of our relationship, I have been struck most by the birds. Their cheerful calls and hilarious behaviour stood out to me in an urban landscape that had quieted considerably after the pandemic. I bought binoculars, and for many months I enjoyed observing mynas, barbets, ibis, owls, and geese be silly. They'd have violent in-fights and comical romances. They'd take meticulous care of their babies and spend days painstakingly building their homes. Some of my friends saw my sudden interest as a cry for help. And it was, and it wasn't.
By 2023, the romance mellowed. I still loved watching birds but had lost the heady rush of joy I first felt when discovering new species. And just when I thought I would revert to my pre-pandemic, zombie-like, internally dead self, nature came through again.
On a very overcast afternoon some weeks ago, while walking in the park, I suddenly noticed these gorgeous creatures dotting the side of my path.
I have entered the portal. The universe of mushrooms is the latest subject of my curiosity. If such a thing as an explorer's mindset exists, then mushrooms have ignited that in me.
There are over 6 million mushroom species in the world. Depending on who you ask, they're objects of delight or disgust. And unsurprisingly, for decades, they've been a device for interests intersecting across science, mysticism, medicine, anthropology and technology.
Here are some really cool things I learnt about mushrooms this week:
Scientists have begun to conceptualise mushrooms as something halfway between animals and plants.
The structure of mushrooms allegedly inspired Bitcoin. And 'Satoshi Nakamoto' was allegedly a mycologist. Time will tell, but this is arguably biomimicry's finest moment.
Mushrooms have 36,000 sexes. Heteronormativity isn't mainstream in the natural world.
Two weeks ago, the Australian government passed a law that allows psychiatrists to prescribe psilocybin mushrooms to treat depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (If this stuff interests you, I highly recommend reading this post on the The Microdose. This is also generally a top-class, well-researched substack.)
Scandinavian folklore has stories of mushroom elves or "skogsrå." These mystical beings are believed to protect the forests and all creatures, including mushrooms. Treating the mushrooms with respect is considered good luck, as it pleases the mushroom elves. Personally, I think it's plausible.
In my first self-guided solo forage, I found an astounding array of mushroom species in my neighbourhood park. It is raining a bunch in Delhi, and it turns out this is just the time to find mushrooms in our surroundings.
I spent an hour at Haus Khas Forest, walking around, my eyes firmly on the ground. Several people thought I was some sort of scientist. It was not my place to correct them.
Here are the top 3 mushrooms I found:
Termitomyces Microcarpus: These are typically found in areas also inhabited by termites. They’re edible. They have a tonne of amino acids.
Fan-shaped Jelly Fungus: As the name suggests, the jelly fungus has a distinctive fan-like appearance. It has a thin, gelatinous, and translucent body with a shape resembling a miniature fan or spatula.
Ganoderma or Reishi: Ganoderma mushrooms have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years. They were considered rare and precious, and their use was often reserved for royalty and nobility.
Here is a pretty picture of my discoveries from the week. Mushroom ID-ing could be more straightforward, so I'm still learning about many mushrooms by examining their spore prints.
If this made you notice mushrooms more (and they’re everywhere!), consider writing me a note!
Have a lovely weekend!
In Oaxaca I saw the face of Maria Sabina everywhere, she was famous for healing people with psilocybin mushrooms back in the 50s - 80s. She and her village became famous bec a few Americans went and sat in on her ceremony and published it in bleddy Time magazine. Too many American tourists began descending to Mexico (and Maria's village). Some, to experience the visionary/healing powers of the 🍄 but many mostly to trip, and the Mexican govt banned mushrooms. In an oral account of her life, Maria describes a mushroom vision whereby the 'Principal Ones' – tutelary gods, the lords of the rivers and mountains, ancient invisible presences in nature – announced her mission:
'On the table of the Principal Ones, a book appeared, an open book that went on growing until it was the size of a person. In its pages there were letters. It was a white book, so white it was resplendent.
One of the Principal Ones spoke to me and said, "María Sabina, this is the Book of Wisdom. It is the Book of Language. Everything that’s written in it is for you. The Book is yours, take it so that you can work." I exclaimed with emotion, "That is for me. I receive it."'
Mushrooms are awesome. Did you know there’s theory that magic mushrooms helped humans evolve? Because otherwise there’s no other reason why we should evolve into having larger brains.