In this episode of The High Guide, host April Pride dives into the world of psilocybin mushrooms with the curiosity of a seeker and the clarity of a trip-sitter. Whether you’re wondering how to microdose, identify mushrooms safely, or explore higher-dose experiences, this guide offers real talk for real women. You’ll learn how psilocybin works on your serotonin system, how to choose a dose, and why lemon tek hits differently. April weaves history, humor, and harm reduction into a listen that’s both educational and totally unpretentious. For women navigating burnout, midlife shifts, or spiritual longing, this episode is a grounded entry point into intentional psychedelic use.
🔵 Key Takeaways
Psilocybin mushrooms affect perception, mood, and thought by interacting with your serotonin system.
Dosage matters: from microdose to heroic dose, April outlines what each range feels like—and when to bring a trip sitter.
Brewing psilocybin mushroom tea can reduce side effects like nausea while intensifying onset.
Safe sourcing and mushroom identification are non-negotiables; don’t DIY without research or community.
Movies, music, and journaling all shape your trip—so does integration. Make room to reflect after you come down.
🔵 Timestamps
[00:01] What is psilocybin and how does it work?
[01:03] The “Entheogen” series and how this bonus episode fits in
[02:21] The Stoned Ape Theory and psilocybin’s ancient use
[03:09] How to identify psilocybin mushrooms safely
[04:03] Ways to consume: fruit bodies, tea, capsules
[04:52] Trip effects: the good, the weird, and the physical
[05:54] How to dose: from microdose to heroic
[06:27] Lemon tek method for a stronger trip
[07:44] Duration and how long a trip really lasts
[08:38] Integration advice, book and film recs
[09:13] Closing quote from Maria Sabina + how to get in touch
🔵 Additional Resources
SetSet Blog: “Psychedelic Integration for Women”
SetSet Blog: “The Science and Safety of Microdosing Mushrooms for Women”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: “How to Identify Psychedelic Mushrooms”
Have you tried psilocybin mushrooms—or are you curious? What’s one thing that excites or concerns you about the experience? 👇 Let’s talk about it in the comments after the transcript below.
🔵 Transcript
[00:01] April Pride:
Hello, and welcome to The High Guide, I'm your host, April Pride. The Entheogen we're reviewing in today's episode is [psilocybin mushrooms]. But before the [psilocybin mushrooms] begin, I have a favor to ask. If you're a new listener or you've been loyal each week, please follow, subscribe and review The High Guide wherever you listen to podcasts. It really helps more people find the show. And I'd like to remind you all that the Entheogen series is a bonus round of episodes we're dropping between seasons. That's right, we are so excited to drop our new season on March 18th featuring Natasha Lannerd as our High Guide or psychedelic integration facilitator. Natasha will integrate three sister trippers or psychonauts as we explore across the arc of the season, the two primary themes that Natasha sees many [psychedelic mushroom] experiences come back to, separating our soul from our story and our relationship to love.
[01:03] April Pride:
To remind those of you who've listened to the previous bonus episodes on MDMA, LSD and DMT, I'm not working with an audio editor. So while I'm gonna try to be perfect from start to finish in reading these episodes... Did I just say reading? I mean recording, see? There you go, I probably won't. So laugh along with me with my mispronunciations, tripping over words, although I'm not tripping, I swear, and wandering thoughts. Thank you for listening. Our word of the week is [psilocybin mushrooms], an organic hallucinogenic compound that is the [magic] in [magic mushrooms]. There are hundreds of species of [psilocybe cubensis] or fungi, containing various levels of the psychedelic compounds, psilocybin and psilocin, each providing slightly different benefits and effects. The dried [psilocybin mushrooms] that are ingested are called whole fruit bodies. Ancient indigenous cultures, hundreds to thousands of years ago, ingested [psilocybe cubensis] ceremonially, and some even called it God's flesh due to its ability to enhance the mind and spirit. Yes, it still does that. [chuckle]
[02:21] April Pride:
When consumed, [psilocybin mushrooms] act on our serotonin system, causing changes in perceptions, check, mood, check, and even our senses, check. The Stoned Ape Hypothesis is a theory written by Terence McKenna, referring to the link between mind expanding [psychedelic mushrooms] and the evolution of our oldest ancestors, homo erectus, into more advanced homeo sapiens. Homeo, or homo sapiens over two million years ago. Today, [psilocybin mushrooms] are used to treat serious conditions such as depression, anxiety, and end-of-life suffering. Whether you're interested in [microdosing], wondering how to intensify your [mushroom trip], or curious about the [mushroom trip] timeline, there are various strains and methods of consumption to experiment with.
[03:09] April Pride:
[Psychedelic mushroom identification] should not be taken lightly, as [psilocybin mushrooms] can look similar to poisonous mushrooms, and [psilocybin mushrooms] typically have black or purple brown spore patterns with blue flesh and gills, and the more blue, the higher the potency, that's a little shortcut. However, slight variations can mean [psilocybin] isn't present, so beware of [psychedelic mushroom identification] on your own. And when it comes to finding the right [psilocybin mushrooms], the safest method is to acquire them from a trusted source. In some municipalities, you can even walk into a dispensary, like there's this church I joined in Oakland called Zide Door, and for $20, I became a member of the congregation, and I had access to a dispensary of [psilocybin mushrooms]. I'm not kidding, look it up.
[04:03] April Pride:
Once identified correctly, [psilocybin mushrooms] can be consumed by eating the whole fruit bodies, brewing them into [psilocybin mushroom tea], or grinding them into capsules for [microdosing]. So let's go over our trip tips. The effects of [psilocybin mushrooms]: Changes in perception, mood and thought, varying levels of visual hallucinations, looking inward, feelings of grounding, or I should say groundedness, connectedness and euphoria. Less desirable but normal effects include quizziness, nausea, increased heartbeat, and headaches. A lot of these physical side effects can be diminished by making a [psilocybin mushroom tea], at least that's what I found, I kind of have a... Can get an upset stomach, but the tea really helps.
[04:52] April Pride:
So when you're dosing [psilocybin mushrooms]... Okay, we have a download on our website that you can go and check out, and it's a guide to using [psilocybin mushrooms], so all this is spelled out for you, but I'm just gonna give it to you here on the show. You can take notes or you can visit the website, thehigh.guide. So when you're dosing, to [microdose], that is 0.1 to 0.5 grams of the whole fruit bodies. A low dose would be half a gram to two grams. Two grams is like a magical dose in my opinion. A moderate dose, two to three and a half grams, a high dose is three and a half to five, and a heroic dose is over five grams. We typically suggest that if you're gonna be doing over five grams, that you have a trip sitter, someone that is not consuming, and that can help just remind you that everything is gonna be okay.
[05:54] April Pride:
A [psilocybin] tolerance can build up over time, and in a future podcast we'll cover [microdosing] schedules that have led many women to successful outcomes. [Lemon tek] is one way to intensify your [mushroom trip], because citrus acids can amplify the experience. You grind the [psilocybin mushrooms], you put them into a short glass, add lemon juice, like I put them into a shot glass and then add lemon juice, mix it thoroughly, it sits for 15 minutes, and you can even turn this into [psilocybin mushroom tea], it's sort of like a lemon [psilocybin mushroom tea].
[06:27] April Pride:
Or you can just add a little bit of water and just take it down in one shot. The [psilocybin mushrooms] for the... Let's talk about duration because [mushroom trips] can last for a while. The timeline is as follows. Okay. So the effects are typically felt within 30 to 45 minutes and can last between four to eight hours. When consumed in hot liquid, the effects are felt as soon as 15 minutes, that is true. And the come down, regardless of how you consume it, is 24 to 48 hours, that just means you're gonna feel some effect. So if you wanna get high again, then you can just smoke some weed the next day, and sometimes that'll bring your high back on. You may feel anxious, I typically... I think weed can be helpful, but some people can make them feel more anxious, so take that into consideration and make sure you don't have anything planned the next day. Give yourself some time and space to rest and integrate your experience.
[07:44] April Pride:
On Friday night last week I took two grams of... I had chocolates. And so... It was [psilocybe cubensis], it was the strain, and I kept my journal out and just like went inward and journaled, and it was maybe one of the best Friday nights I've had in a long time, so I encourage you to do the same. Until then, some resources that we recommend you check out, Food of the Gods by Terence McKenna, which explores the human relationship to plants and chemicals over time, which played a crucial role in not only developing species, but whole societies and civilizations. While you're at it, listen to The High Guide episode 33, Integration Number Five, take [psilocybin mushrooms] and make it happen. This was at the end of last year, and our guests were Livy Smalls, who facilitated integration with Meryl Montgomery, who is a co-founder of BARBARI. And Meryl was manifesting her best year this year so I encourage you to listen to that. We're not even two months into the year, there's still time to dose yourself with love and [psychedelic mushrooms] and have your best 2022.
[08:38] April Pride:
Okay. I really wanted to find something great to watch, that wasn't a documentary about [psilocybin mushrooms], so if you wanna get high and watch something, I would suggest Kiki's Delivery Service, which is what I did on Halloween. But if you wanna learn more about [psilocybe cubensis], I highly, highly recommend Netflix's Fantastic Fungi, a lot of people have recommended this movie and I watched it, and it is both super informative and it is surprisingly emotional. I did cry.
[09:13] April Pride:
And as we close out this episode, the short bonus episode, I'll leave you with this quote. "I am a creator woman, a star woman, a moon woman, a cross woman, a woman of heaven. I am a cloud person, a dew-on-the-grass person", and this quote is from Maria Sabina, who is a Mexican healer and shaman who introduced [psilocybe cubensis] to modern culture in the mid-1950s. And she very quickly regretted that decision, you can read more about her. [chuckle] If you are a new listener or you've been loyal each week, please follow, subscribe and review The High Guide wherever you listen to podcasts. It really helps more people find the show, and we would love to hear from you so drop us a line, DM us on Instagram @thehigh.guide, send us an email at get@thehigh.guide, leave us a voicemail on SpeakPipe that's speakpipe.com/thehighguide. And you can check out the episode, this episode's show notes to get in touch with us. I'm your host, April Pride, looking forward to bringing you next week's episode of The High Guide.
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