obviously soma is not muscaria and is marijuana tea made with milk and sugar called bhang because muscaria is not sweet, and does not make you happy. also it does not smell good with that in mind. here are some reflections on this most good herb, prepared in this most good way, from the Sama Veda.
DECADE IV Soma Pavamana
1. High is thy juice's birth: though set it heaven, on earth it hath obtained dread sheltering power and great renown.
2. In sweetest and most gladdening stream flow pure, O Soma, on thy way, pressed out for Indra, for his drink!
3. Flow onward mighty with thy stream, inspiriting the Maruts' Lord, winning all riches with thy power!
4. Flow onward with that juice of thine most excellent, that brings delight, slaying the wicked, dear to Gods!
5. Three several words are uttered: kine are lowing, cows who give the milk; the tawny-hued goes bellowing on.
6. For Indra girt by Maruts, flow, thou Indu, very rich in meath, to seat thee in the place of song!
7. Strong, mountain-born, the stalk hath been pressed in the streams for rapturous joy. Hawk-like he settles in his home.
8. Gold-hued! as one who giveth strength flow on for Gods to drink, a draught for Vayu and the Marut host!
9. Soma, the dweller on the hills, effused, hath flowed into the sieve. All-bounteous art thou in carouse.
10. The Sage of heaven whose heart is wise, when laid between both hands, with roars, gives us delightful powers of life.
DECADE V Soma Pavamana
1. The rapture-shedding Somas have flowed forth in our assembly, pressed to glorify our liberal lords.
2. The Somas, skilled in song, the waves, have led the water forward, like buffaloes speeding to the woods.
3. Indu flow on, a mighty juice; glorify us among the folk: drive all our enemies away!
4. For thou art strong by splendour: we, O Pavamana, call on thee, the brilliant looker on the light.
5. Indu, enlightener, dear, the thought of poets, hath flowed clearly, like a charioteer who starts the steed.
6. Through our desire of heroes, kine, and horses, potent Soma drops, brilliant and swift, have been effused.
God, working with mankind, flow on; to Indra go thy gladdening juice: to Vayu mount as Law commands!
From heaven hath Pavamana made, as 'twere, the marvellous thunder, and the lofty light of all mankind.
9. Pressed for the gladdening draught the drops flow forth abundantly with song, flow onward with the stream of meath.
10. Reposing on the river's wave, the Sage hath widely flowed around, bearing the bard whom many love.
How do you make this tea? I never heard of pot tea.
To quote the Lycaeum, and I might add this is a mighty tasty recipe.
QuoteWith the weekend coming up, you might find use for this recipe for bhang from Flavors of India by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff.
* 2 cups water
* 1 ounce marijuana (fresh leaves and flowers of a female plant preferred)
* 4 cups warm milk
* 2 tablespoons blanched and chopped almonds
* 1/8 teaspoon garam masala [a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamon]
* 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
* 1/2 to 1 teaspoon rosewater
* 1 cup sugar
Bring the water to a rapid boil and pour into a clean teapot. Remove any seeds or twigs from the marijuana, add it to the teapot and cover. Let this brew for about 7 minutes. Now strain the water and marijuana through a piece of muslin cloth, collect the water and save. Take the leaves and flowers and squeeze between your hands to extract any liquid that remains. Add this to the water. Place the leaves and flowers in a mortar and add 2 teaspoons warm milk. Slowly but firmly grind the milk and leaves together. Gather up the marijuana and squeeze out as much milk as you can. Repeat this process until you have used about 1/2 cup of milk (about 4 to 5 times). Collect all the milk that has been extracted and place in a bowl. By this time the marijuana will have turned into a pulpy mass. Add the chopped almonds and some more warm milk. Grind this in the mortar until a fine paste is formed. Squeeze this paste and collect the extract as before. Repeat a few more times until all that is left are some fibers and nut meal. Discard the residue. Combine all the liquids that have been collected, including the water the marijuana was brewed in. Add to this the garam masala, dried ginger and rosewater. Add the sugar and remaining milk. Chill, serve, and enjoy.
It seems a bit labor intensive, but then it is meant as an offering to Shiva.
I still gotta vote for amanitas as soma. Why? Because the mushroom told me so, plus I read the Rig Veda too.
thus the sacred cow....?
considering psilocybe sp. are dung loving (especially cattle dung loving) my vote is on a different mushroom
again...thus the sacred cow? :P
amanita's are too variable in activity to be realiable as a ritual sacrament. my vote for the origins of the mythic soma would have to go to some dung-loving psilocybe which would be consistant in potency and plentiful and would, as stated, explain the sacred cow thing among the hindu's. although i've never heard of the marijuana tea, it sounds theoretically possible since the fat in the milk would bring out and make orally active the thc much in the same way that butter does when making pot brownies. that would also be a probable candidate for soma considering the high esteem marijuana is held by hindu brahman's and then again it could also be a good chance that soma was a conconction of the two along with various other herbs maybe much in the same way that ayahuasca is prepared among the south american tribes.