The Founder of ‘Moms on Mushrooms’ Shares Her Microdosing Journey

Not so long ago, Tracey Tee was a comedian, traveling around the US with her business partner performing parent-focused shows. They were successful, doing well — but then the pandemic struck. The lockdowns meant they had to cancel close to 100 shows, and lost “everything”.  Little did Tee know however, that her life would soon be changed by something that she, as of yet, had never even tried before; magic mushrooms. 

In a recent interview with CNBC Tee, 48, detailed the scene;

“Within two weeks, we had to cancel nearly 100 shows for 2020, and lost everything. Almost a 10-year business just slipped through our fingers like sand. And the grief of that, especially what felt like an epic failure that just wasn’t our fault, was intense and then compounded with the lockdown.”

The ‘New Normal’

Suddenly Tee was at home, helping her daughter with her online schooling, and struggling, as many of us did, with this strange new reality. Prior to Covid-19 taking the globe hostage, Tee had been trying to find herself spiritually, in part due to some health problems she was going through. Having recently undergone a full hysterectomy, she found herself suddenly shifting into menopause, causing significant changes to her mental and physical health. Aged 41, she was prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a common antidepressant medication, to help her with this transition. While this did actually have a positive effect, “no one ever said when to stop taking it.” Tee explained. 

However, a chance invite from some of her girlfriends would change everything. The plan was simple: a group of moms camping together, and taking some shrooms. 

At this point, Tee had no experience with recreational drugs, but she had been looking into plant-based medicine and psychedelics for a few years. That they lived in Colorado made it that much easier — psilocybin mushrooms are legal to grow, use, and share in the state. 

Initial Nerves Made Way for a Revelation

Tee was initially unsure, stating she “just kind of always thought, ‘Well, I’m a mom. I can’t do that. Like, that’s not for me,’” Despite this, reassurance came fast; “…when I finally did do it, it was just the most confirming, life-affirming night.”

Before her fateful shroom experience, Tee had decided she wanted to stop taking her SSRIs, however, she had not received any guidance from a doctor about how she should go about it. She didn’t want to take the drugs forever, but also knew that unpleasant withdrawal symptoms were common when weaning oneself off them. 

So, Tee decided to forge ahead herself. As she began to reduce her SSRI dosage, she began to microdose psilocybin mushrooms. She made sure to be very careful in her routine, stating;

“This isn’t something that I take every day. And you actually never want to microdose everyday,” 

During her time weaning off antidepressants, Tee says she was microdosing between “zero and five days a week.” There are now periods in her life where she doesn’t use psilocybin at all. 

(Check out our full microdosing guide here: Microdosing 101)

Sharing the Healing Feeling

This profound healing feeling was not something that Tee wanted to keep to herself, however. The ability of psilocybin to help her process her emotions, and then move forward, caused her to feel “…very strongly that this medicine was the conduit to bring mothers together to actually heal.”

And that is how Moms on Mushrooms came to be. 

Creating a Support System

Tee’s work as a touring comedian meant that she met many moms from across the US, and heard their stories. From these sharing moments she learned that for many mothers “there’s a deep level of distress, of anxiety, of overwhelm, of sadness, of depression and a kind of existential ennui that is pervasive. And it’s concerning.”

She also found that to deal with these issues, many of these women were self-medicating with alcohol and pills to cope. 

There needed to be a support network in place, and Tee thought she might have a novel method, a way to “really talk about what it is that’s bothering us. And allowing those neural pathways to change, allowing those addictions to fall off,” she says.

So, she created Moms on Mushrooms, a private platform where moms could come together to discuss their experiences, or express their curiosity, with psilocybin mushrooms. They meet both online and in person. 

“We have a private monthly membership, it’s only $2 a month. And once you get inside there, it’s just kind of like Facebook, for moms on shrooms,” Tee explains. 

The M.O.M Mission

Tee also offers courses on intention, as well as safety, when microdosing psilocybin mushrooms. The platform is emphatic when it comes to using psilocybin responsibly. On the Moms on Mushrooms website the M.O.M Mission is clearly defined; 

“1. De-stigmatize Psychedelics, Especially for Moms 

We can’t move forward in healing and raising our consciousness if we’re smothered in fear, guilt, shame and old programming around the use of psychedelics or the act of self healing. Speaking out and standing up for this journey is our #1 mission.

2. Promote Safe, Intentional and Sacred Use of Psychedelics   

This happens with continued education, conversation and dedication to using plant medicine as an ally and guide, rather than viewing it as a quick fix, magic bullet or crutch.

3. Remain in Humble Service to Others, Always

M.O.M. was created so mothers can come together to heal with the help of this medicine. Being of service is the future of soul-centered “business” and where we see infinite possibilities for a changed world. Above all else: serve, give, share, connect, lead with love. In other words: it’s not about any one person. It’s about all of us.

4. Teach and Promote Reciprocity, Responsibility and Respect

The simplest form of reciprocity is to be of service. This means giving back inside our community and giving back to those who have worked for years underground to lay the foundation for M.O.M. to even exist.  Respect is critical, as this is slow medicine which brings us back to the Mother Earth, to God and Source, and to each other. We have a responsibility to humbly honor this practice and those who teach it, those who mindfully cultivate it, to Great Mother Earth who provides it, and to the Divine healing that comes from it.“

(via https://www.momsonmushrooms.com/about) 

A Community Working to Become Happier Parents, and People

Despite the success of the platform, there is still some stigma attached to using magic mushrooms, exemplified by the fact that other members of Moms on Mushrooms did not want to speak with CNBC about their journeys within the group.

Regardless, Tee says the group has become a “community of women who help each other out,” as well as individuals who have been able to confront and work through issues, becoming better and happier parents in the process. There is no doubt that support networks like Moms on Mushrooms will continue to sprout in the future, offering a helping hand to those in need, and a space for those who want to share.