⚱ Second Church of the Kykeon

Sacrament

Our sacrament is the kykeon, the drink of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Its effects resemble MDMA’s, but the lowest dose of kykeon is like the maximum dose of MDMA. It is prepared in two parts: an ergine (LSA) extraction from Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds, and fresh young barley grass, whose aldehydes appear to convert ergine into kykeon as it crosses the blood-brain barrier. The preparation follows Matthew Ray Stahl’s modern adaptation.

The sacrament is currently in beta test. Read the full protocol, including contraindications, at the Stahl Shrine.

Testimonials

Testimonials gather what is said about the experience of the sacrament, in the third person. Please do not explicitly admit to having tried anything. Do not describe your own acts of preparation or consumption, even under a pseudonym. Avoid identifying information (names, places, dates) about yourself and others. Submissions are reviewed before anything is published.

The Case for an RFRA Exception

Ergine, also called lysergic acid amide or LSA, is regulated under the federal Controlled Substances Act. We contend that this regulation, as applied to the sincere religious use of ergine in the Eleusinian tradition, merits an exception under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).

The argument in brief

  1. Sincere religious exercise. The kykeon is the sacrament at the center of the Eleusinian mysteries, one of the longest-lived religious traditions of the ancient world. A church devoted to that tradition exercises religion when it seeks to revive the rite.
  2. Substantial burden. Prohibition of the sacrament makes the central rite impossible to practice.
  3. Compelling interest, least restrictive means. Under Gonzales v. O Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal (2006), the government must show a compelling interest in applying the law to this claimant, not merely a general interest in drug control. The Court granted an exception for hoasca, and later exceptions followed the same reasoning.
  4. Low risk profile. The unscheduled natural sources of ergine, such as morning glory and Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds, are sold openly as ornamental plants. Federal scheduling of the isolated compound sits uneasily beside that.

This page is not legal advice.