GANjA CLAUSE - ISBN 1-894897-11-0

GANjA CLAUSE: THE GREEN MAN
A TWENTY-FiRST CENTURY ADDiTiON TO THE HiNDU PANTHEON

Not wanting to acquire cannabinoid induced schizophrenia, I gave up the leaf for Lent. That said, at one point I studied art history and learned how to write in the academic style. Having always been interested in the Green Man, it seemed appropriate to make this version, like some baked hybrid of Bob Marley & The Bhagwan. This hard stone objet d’art was carved by my hand using diamonds and water. Made from a Shiv lingam, it represents a personification of the hemp plant, for these reasons it would be reasonable to make claim that.This green man, ‘Ganja Clause’, is the western most incarnation of Shiva. Through morphological, theological, and whimsical associations ‘Ganja Clause’ makes a fitting contemporary addition to Hindu mythology.

Morphology:
Fertility is associated with Shiva, and the phallus or lingam is accepted as a symbol of Shiva *. ‘Ganja Clause’ was carved from a Shiv-lingam, a stone, composed of crypto-crystaline quartz.These stones are found only in the Narmada river in India, a sacred site of pilgrimage **. The stones are only accessible in the dry season and are hand shaped to harmonious proportions. The shape represents the male principal, Lingam*. The coloration in the stone occurs naturally and represents the female principal, Yoni*. When carving ‘Ganja Clause’, I worked with the natural coloration of the stone to accentuate the design. The red end and yellow banding in the stone were incorporated into a hat; while the bulk of the stone, being green, was used to define the visage and hempy hair.
* Roy C Craven
*Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom
* Vatsayana/Burton
*ibid

Theology:
Cannabis use is associated with Shiva in the Hindu Religion.*
The Hindu God head is composed of Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. Brahma the creator, Shiva the destroyer, and Vishnu the preserver. Shiva is the god, in whose domain exists all manner of calamity and good time. The ritual use of cannabis in combination with tantric sex originates at some point in medieval India. Vedic scripture makes mention of a sacred nectar, Amrita. This may have originally been a species of psychedelic mushroom, but was replaced by cannabis between the 7th -11th centuries*. The marijuana is mixed into a yogurt milkshake called a bhang-lasse, and combined with yoga and tantric sex.
* Schultes, Hofman
* Aldrich

Whimsy:
Ganja Clause is the western most incarnation of Shiva, he has two green thumbs. Thumbs up for the crop, Thumbs down for the law. Green and leafy are his dreads and beard, his hempy hat is red and gold. Ganja Clause has a secret grow-op located in the far west, where his little helpers Tokey, Munchie, and Giggles, help to harvest and separate the buds from the shake. After each harvest Ganja Clause loads up his El Camino and delivers to all the good boys and girls. Ganja Clause is far too busy to check any lists, so everyone remember to be nice please. Ganja Clause is winking because he has a Mrs. Ganja Clause, who is a juicy fruit, just like Watermelon. *

Bibliography:

* Roy C Craven
Indian Art. p16
Thames and Hudson Ltd. London, 1976
ISBN O-5OO-2O146-3
* Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom
Lucasfilm, 1984
* The Kama Sutra of Vatsayana
Translated by Richard Burton 18OO

* Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann
Plants of the Gods, p 92
Healing Arts Press, Rochester, VT, 1992
ISBN O89281-979-O
*Aldrich, Michael R.
tantric Cannabis Use in India.
J. Psychedelic Drugs 9(3):227-233. 1977

* Watermelon
Cannabis Culture, #5O: Cover. 2OO4
Vancouver, BC.
ISSN 1497-8237
* Watermelon
High Times, #3O1: Cover. 2OOO
New York, NY.
ISSN O362-63OX


robertchaplin (at) lightspeed (dot) ca
-© Robert Chaplin admmiv. copy cats are dirty rats