Luminita's Commitments

  • SYMBIOSIS

    We believe the world is better when species work in symbiosis. To give back to nature we:

    • Only harvest mushrooms that have released their spores
    • Always leave a portion for other forest creatures
    • Donate 1% of our profits to protect old growth forests

  • SUSTAINABILITY

    We believe companies have a duty to protect the environment that they commoditize. To reduce our impact we:

    • avoid the use of plastic 
    • use fully recyclable packaging
    • reduce package weight to lower CO2 emissions

  • FUNGI

    We believe fungi are the missing link to our health. We encourage others to:

    • Add more mushrooms into their diet
    • Utilize fungi as preventative medicine
    • Buy wild-foraged mushrooms

Luminita is all about reforming the relationship we once had with this sacred mushroom.

By respecting the mushroom and the forest from where they originate, we hope to model a new way of healing from the land.

About Me

I found my first Amanita mushroom while living in Alaska. After growing up in cracker dry Arizona my entire life, spotting mushy multicolored fungi in the yard was exciting. They were so alien yet so intriguing, especially Amanita. She was the largest and most beautiful mushroom I had ever seen! Bright red with vibrant white spots, I couldn’t help but spot her everywhere. 

But I didn't try consuming Amanita until 5 years later, in 2021.

By then I was living in Washington. I had lost my job, was severely depressed due to lack of purpose and being rejected by hundreds of jobs. The hole of depression that I had fallen into for 5 years was deeper than I’d ever imagined. Something had to change.

And for some reason that mushroom I had seen 5 years earlier called me back, to give her another look. And so I took to the internet, reading anything I could about this mushroom online. What I found was that when people prepared Amanita into a tea and drank it, she gave people happiness and helped heal past traumas. And so I decided then and there that by Fall I was going to collect my own mushrooms and give life another shot.

After two months of microdosing daily, I found my stregth again. The terrible thoughts I had had about myself were no where to be found. In their place was happiness, optimism and a sense of peace. I had tried SSRI's, hiking in nature, and even microdosing traditional psychedelic mushrooms, but they did not give me a long term solution like Amanita did. Amanita gave me the clarity to see the path I am meant to walk along with the bravery to walk it, but most importantly, I am now able to become the person I want to be in life; to manifest the gifts I want to give to the world. For that I am eternally grateful.

And so here I am. Selling these same mushrooms online. Because I know I can’t be the only one who wants another option. And if I can help more people access this magical mushroom more easily, then this gamble was worth it. 

Happy Adventuring, 

Love Tara <3

About Amanita Muscaria

One of the Oldest Substances Used by Humans

Amanita muscaria is one of (if not the) oldest psychoactive substance used by humans. Some historians have found that the history of Amanita predates alcohol by 10,000 years.

It's origins lie in the Siberian-Beringian area of present day Russia. Over time it's use spread to North and Central America as well as down into Europe and Australia. In that time there have been no confirmed deaths linked entirely to Amanita muscaria. In fact it was seen as "the mushroom of imortality" in some cultures, and the tea was likened to "the drink of the gods" in others.

Some say religion has ties to Amanita, claiming the holy grail and even Jesus was really just an Amanita mushroom. The spiritual awakening and uplift you get from Amanita can feel like a religious rebirth, so it's not to far of a stretch to believe such a thing.

Learn more about the history of Amanita muscaria on our blog post.

Contains Muscimol

Amanita muscaria contains a unique molecule called muscimol that acts on the GABA neurons in our brains. It's unique because muscimol contains an nitrogen-oxygen bond, a very rare structure, not often found in nature.

What this means is muscimol has a unique action on our GABA neurons, acting in almost the same way as the GABA neurotransmitters already found in our brain. Since GABA is the main inhibitory neuron, muscimol relaxes overly excited neurons, overexcitation that often leads to anxiety.

Without anxiety, you feel confident, relaxed and bold. You are more willing to speak up and more energized to go after the things you really want in life.

Has a Gentle Energy

Muscimol has a very gentle energy to it, much different from traditional psychedelics and SSRIs. Instead of making you face your issues head on (like psychedelics) or avoid your problems altogether (like SSRIs), muscimol reduces your fear so that you have the strength to solve your issues, and face life.

She also helps stabilize your mood, so you are less likely to swing from elation to depression. When things get tough, she helps ground your emotions so you can feel more in control of your life.

Hand Foraged from Nature

Amanita muscaria is an obligate mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they need to form a connection with trees in order to survive. They provide the host trees with nutrients and extra water, and the trees provide the fungi with sugars. It's a symbiotic relationship.

However, that means it's impossible (currently) to grow Amanita indoors or via traditional farming. They must be hand picked from the forest.

The good news is every mushroom is grown in the most ideal conditions: with organic soil, fresh rain and nutrients from the surrounding forest. We believe this is the reason Amanita has so much healing potential.

Learn more about this relationship on our blog here.

Traditionally Used to Improve Mood

Many people use Amanita muscaria microdoses as a replacement to their SSRIs. Because it comes from nature and has a very similar action in our brain to endogenous neurotransmitters, it does not seem to have any major side effects and is non-addictictive, meaning you can stop taking it at any time.

Plus many people report it does not have a rebound effect when you do stop, meaning you won't need to take amanita for the rest of your life to keep seeing benefits.

Amanita muscaria is the Queen of Mushrooms. With one of the longest histories of use and nicknames such as "the lucky mushroom", "the mushroom of immortality", and "mushroom of divination", we believe this ruby toadstool is worth taking a second look at.

The first photo I ever took of Miss Amanita.

- Alaska, 2016

Amanita muscaria subs. flavivolvata

Zula, Canis familiaris