Prior to Christmas cards featuring images of Santa and his sleigh, people around the globe would decorate their heartshs and homes with dried fly agaric mushrooms (Amanita muscaria). Although not intended as food sources, this practice markedly symbolized good luck and sacred rituals involving this ancient fungus.

Although Amanita muscaria is an attractive mushroom, improper preparation can make it harmful. Consumption of raw Amanita may lead to vomiting, nausea and muscle tension. With some effort it’s possible to use this entheogenic mushroom as the basis of an enjoyable tea that encourages relaxation and introspection.

Reducing Amanita muscaria tea to its core components is a straightforward and straightforward process that takes minimal time or effort. Once completed, this tincture can be enjoyed on its own or mixed with other sedatives for maximum enjoyment. However, keep in mind that individual results of Amanita may vary significantly between individuals so newcomers should start off slowly by increasing the dosage gradually.

To create the tincture, 25 grams of powdered mushroom caps were combined with 235 milliliters (mL) of 50% ethanol. Stems were removed, caps cleaned and rinsed before being dried at 70 degC for 12 hours before grounding up before mixing with the ethanol and leaving to stand in an undarkened location for 21 days. Once ready, they were then filtered using a PVDF filter with pores measuring 0.45 millimeters to filter out impurities before being stored in glass jars for later use.