With most of the heavier science behind us at this gathering, we were privileged to see an unfinished version of Dean Jeffries's documentary, Shamans of the Amazon which investigates why war had been declared on ayahuasca and other plants, and what these visionary plants have to offer Westerners. To consider these questions, he travelled and lived in the Amazon in Equador in the 1990s exposing us not only to the sacred and inspired ayahuasca traditions amongst indigenous people, but also showing their life-and-death struggle against the encroaching oil companies. The film contrasts the evolution of the traditional use of ayahuasca in South America with developments in the West, such as the Sante Daime church, and its difficulties in the late 1990s with the Dutch legal system.

Darpan reminded us that plants have their own agenda, as he outlined his experience of using psychedelics as therapeutic and spiritual tools. He has explored the ritualistic use of ayahuasca around the world, and has found that as a plant teacher and a sacramental tool it can be used in many valuable ways. "The effects are its real gift with its sheer simplicity of connecting and unpeeling layers of conditioning to reveal a natural unity." He referred to this as an "ambiguous grok" beyond intellectual understanding. In utilizing these powerful guides, the absolute importance of set and setting, and participant intention is paramount, while the role of shaman can be considered to be that of liaison officer, providing a portal or conduit through which participants may traverse.

A very informal salvia divinorum workshop occurred after dinner on the Saturday evening with participants heading outdoors to share this experience around the fire while preparations were being made for the Ecky Thumping Acid doof (i.e., dance party). For those who remained after the salvia session, the residue of the Saturday evening was spent either dancing or deliberating with the cruisey and contemplative crowd near the fire.

Sunday dawned with a seed swap for the preservation, propagation and maintenance of rare plants. By this stage, the gathering had warmed up with debates generated around issues like using urine as an effective fertilizer, or how to create the best soil and rich compost via coarse sharp sand and water bottle techniques.

"People who play together stay together," announced Ray from Herbal Highs, as the presentation on aphrodisiacs became theatrical with a secret love liqueur being passed around, and the introduction of Monica the plastic doll to be used for demonstration purposes only. Fascinated by the use of herbs and plants for health, love and well being, Ray and Elizabeth devote their lives to the dissemination of legal highs. To make things difficult, it is illegal in Australia to make claims about herbs, and a number of books about the magic and ritual use of herbs are actually banned publications. Many herbs are very powerful medicinally, and when used in combination with set and setting can be of particular benefit to those suffering from the diseases of industrial culture like depression and stress. Herbal High's message was about raising awareness of the myriad possibilities of herbs, and to leave the corresponding offerings from multinational pharmaceuticals well alone.

Floyd Davis's (Magikcal Botanical) inspiring session on entheogenic spirituality started with his admission that he was there to share a love of nature. "Nature of awareness is awareness of nature, and our relationship with entheogens can be healing and teaching." He perceives that plants try to teach us the same things as the masters of old. He questioned how we should act on knowledge achieved from visionary plants, and saw that exploring freedom was an inevitable answer. Floyd reminded us that powerful plants do indeed have powerful enemies which was an apt introduction to Neil Pike's politics of prohibition.

Neil declared that psychonauts have the choice to be paranoid or realistic about reactions and responses from society. How do we make inroads into conventional reality? How to raise positive awareness in the mainstream? He sees the last ten years as heralding an entheogenic revival. The emergence of a drug law reform lobby in Australia has focused on finding a safe sacramental space for users of various psychoactive substances. The strength of the community is in sticking together. There is safety in numbers, as the strategy of the state is often to divide and conquer, take a few people out, which leaves others feeling isolated, helpless and fearful. He went on to remind us that prohibition is a state of mind, and described the link between how we use language and how we think, invoking [Alfred] Korzybski's General Semantics and the utilization of E-prime as an interesting way to reprogram our unconscious dependence on dogma and inflexible thinking.

Floyd's I-Ching reading for the event had portended "gathering together" and this meeting proved a rich time for networking and connecting, as well as a time to revitalize the evolution of ethnobotanical reflection and investigation in Australia. The importance of celebrating and embracing diversity and engaging in debate and discussion was in the air as Floyd reminded us of the "savage minefield of consensus views", while his closing remark urged us to simply "plant more plants".

Duly inspired, the understanding to live like a tree walking had gained further powerful dimensions at this neo-alchemical happening.