Honesty about risk is a religious duty
This page says plainly what can go wrong, for whom, and what to do. It is not medical or legal advice, it is not a dosing guide, and it does not replace a conversation with a clinician. Read it before any rite, and read it again if you plan to be a warden.
If someone is in danger right now
Unresponsive, having a seizure, chest pain, breathing trouble, a very high temperature, or you are frightened for them: call your local emergency number now. Do not wait to see if it passes. Do not worry about the law before you worry about the person. Tell the dispatcher what was taken if you know; it changes the treatment and it is not the dispatcher's job to arrest anyone.
Who should not journey, or should talk to a clinician first
None of this is a judgement. Several of our most valued wardens are here because the sacrament is not for them. Tell your warden the truth; it is the first act of the rite.
- A personal or close-family history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar I. The classic psychedelics can trigger or worsen these. This is our firmest line.
- Lithium. Combined with classic psychedelics it is linked to seizures and dangerous reactions. No exceptions, no "small amount."
- Antidepressants and ayahuasca-type brews. MAOIs in the brew plus SSRIs, SNRIs, tramadol, St John's wort or many other medicines can cause serotonin syndrome, which kills. Any medication at all means a clinician's conversation first.
- Heart conditions, uncontrolled blood pressure, or a history of stroke. Blood pressure and heart rate rise under most sacraments, and sharply under MDMA.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding. We do not hold sacrament rites for anyone who is pregnant or nursing.
- Under twenty-one. No one under twenty-one attends any of our gatherings.
- In crisis. Acute grief, suicidal thoughts, a recent breakdown. The medicine is not a rescue. The circle is, sober. Come to the esbat instead and let us hold you.
- In recovery. Many people in recovery from alcohol or other substances keep a sober practice with us and are honoured for it. Talk to your warden and your sponsor or counsellor first.
Eight rules of harm reduction
Never alone
Nobody journeys alone in our rites. A sober warden is present from the first cup to the morning.
Know what it is
Unknown substances are not sacraments. Reagent testing and fentanyl test strips exist, are legal almost everywhere, and are cheap.
Nothing mixed
No alcohol, no cannabis "to take the edge off," no combining sacraments. Interactions are where most harm happens.
Less is more
Our rites are not about intensity. A gentle night that you can integrate is worth more than a heroic one that you cannot.
Water, not floods
Sip. Overheating at a dance is dangerous; so is drinking litres of plain water, which can dilute the blood. Electrolytes and shade matter.
No driving
Not that night, not the next morning. Every rite has a plan for how each person gets home.
Know the law
Decriminalised is not legal. Religious exemptions are narrow and specific. Laws differ by country, state and city, and ignorance protects no one.
Say it before the cup
Medications, conditions, fears, boundaries. The warden can only protect what they know about.
What each one asks of the warden
General notes, not dosing information. For detail, the PsychonautWiki interaction pages and the Manual of Psychedelic Support are the references our wardens train on.
Psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, mescaline cacti
Physically among the safest substances known; psychologically the most demanding. The risks are panic, confusion, accidents, and the triggering of latent mental illness. The warden's work is set and setting: a safe room, no sharp edges, no stairs, no open water, no leaving the circle unaccompanied, and calm, honest presence for six to twelve hours.
Vine and leaf, and anything with an MAOI
The MAOI is the danger. Medications, and foods high in tyramine, can cause hypertensive crisis or serotonin syndrome. Vomiting is expected, dehydration is not. Our fellowship does not hold ayahuasca rites; members who sit with the forest churches do so inside those churches' own rules, which are strict for good reason.
Not a sacrament of the Wheel
Some members encounter it in therapy; it is not part of any Tribal Harmonix rite and is not brought to Beltane. Wardens learn its signs anyway, because members go to festivals too: heat, dehydration or overhydration, heart strain, and the low week after.
Nightshades, fly agaric, dissociatives
Datura, belladonna, henbane and mandrake are deliriants that kill; Amanita muscaria is unpredictable and toxic however it is prepared; ketamine and other dissociatives are not part of any pagan lineage we keep. These are lore or medicine for someone else, never the sacrament of a Tribal Harmonix rite.
The warden's work on a difficult night
A hard journey is not an emergency. An emergency is an emergency. Learning the difference is most of warden training.
Stay, and slow down
Sit at their level, speak softly, breathe audibly. Your calm is the loudest thing in the room.
Do not argue with the content
Whatever they are seeing is real to them. You are not there to correct it. "You are safe, I am here, this will pass" is enough.
Change the setting, not the person
Lower the light, change the music, open a window, offer a blanket, move to a quieter space. Never restrain anyone.
Watch the body
Breathing, temperature, colour, responsiveness. If any of these frightens you, it is an emergency. Call. Your judgement is good enough and your call is final.
Afterward, say nothing clever
Food, warmth, sleep, and a conversation in a few days. The hardest nights are often the most important ones, but that is for them to decide, later.
What we can and cannot say
Tribal Harmonix does not provide legal advice. We can say this much. Most of the sacraments discussed on this site are controlled substances in most countries. In some places possession has been decriminalised, which means reduced penalties, not legality. Religious exemptions exist in a few jurisdictions for a few specific churches and sacraments, won in court by organisations with decades of lineage; they do not extend to us and we do not claim them. See Churches of the vine for how that happened.
Our fellowship does not ask any member to disclose unlawful activity, does not keep records of who partakes of anything, and will not shield anyone from the consequences of their own choices. We advocate, openly and in our own names, for the religious freedom of the communities who kept these sacraments through prohibition, and for the cognitive liberty of adults. Advocacy is legal everywhere. We recommend it.
Report violence or harassment
If you have been harmed at any of our gatherings, or by any member, contact any steward or write to the council through the contact form, choosing "Safety concern." Reports are read by two stewards within 48 hours. Criminal harm is reported to the police with the survivor's consent.