Kali:
>Shows, gLeN, how with some introspection, soma ceases to be an
>exhilarating ephedra (despite Piotr's suggestion) or even a
>stimulating mushroom.
No, actually. It emphasizes this all the more. As I conceive of it, the
soma is a symbol of life and the lifeforce. I equate it with Chinese qi
(pronounced "chee" for those who don't know). However while
the soma was a symbol of this lifeforce, ritualistic use of alcohol or
drugs would have been a symbolic use of this ambrosia, a symbolic
drinking of the lifeforce and the knowledge of the universe itself.
Mead played a special part in IndoEuropean cultures, no doubt
because it was a supernatural drink seen to impart wisdom on those
who drank of it. The myth of Odin drinking from the mythical well to
gain knowledge is directly related to all of this. It is a well-rooted
legend and so too is the ritual.
So in fact, with this reasoning, it is _your_ position that diminishes
greatly because in comparison your idea lacks deep mythological or
sociological insight.
= gLeN
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