CULLEN TAYLOR CLARK

THE LOST MUTI
AN UNTOLD STORY OF FUNGI IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

could south africa not only be
the cradle of human kind,
but the cradle of spirituality too.
JOIN THIS INCREDIBLE PROJECT TO TELL
THE LONG FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF FUNGI
IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

TIME LINE
JULY 2024
GARNER MEDIA HYPE
FEB 2025
LAUNCH FUNDRAISER
FEB 2025
FIELDWORK CONTINUES
APR 2026
BOOK IS COMPILED
2026
GLOBAL LAUNCH
WE ARE
CURRENTLY
HERE

There is a void in our literature, a gaping chasm of uncertainty - why do we turn to other nations and their
history of fungi when telling the story of mushrooms & man, we look to the Incredible Civilisations of South America, Europe, & Siberia but fail to mention the cradle, the birthplace of humanity, is it because our people don’t
and never have used mushrooms or more simply, is it because no one has taken the time to look. I have dedicated the last 5 years of my life to finding undeniable proof of the use of fungi by indigenous tribal people of Southern Africa. I have travelled thousands of kilometers, spoken to several hundred diviners and traditional healers, combed
through early settler diaries, and even pieced together ancient long forgotten manuscripts all to better tell the
story of what really happened here between Fungi & early Hunter Gatherers. Help me on this journey as we tell
the story of how modern tribal people use fungi for gourmet, therapeutic & entheogenic reasons in
Southern African , as well as unearth a
long forgotten secret, a hidden practice not written in books or letters, but painted on the walls of the past - and lost to the annuls of time
What the project will entail
OVER 300 NEVER BEFORE DOCUMENTED ROCKART DEPICTIONS OF FUNGI HAVE BEEN FOUND










A FIRST OF ITS KIND
BOOK DOCUMENTING
ALL FINDINGS &
STORIES
CREATION OF MONOGRAPHS ON SA FUNGI,INDIGENOUS NAMES, USES, RECIPES & MORE​
CLICK TO SEE A 3RD IMAGE
NEW SPECIES
DISCOVERIES & COMPOUND FRACTIONATION WILL
TAKE PLACE
How the funding will be allocated
our goal is to raise £33k (R777,119)
for my team & I to spend the next 12 months
dedicated to documenting everything
we possibly can on the use of fungi in sa

PROPOSED AMOUNT $15 DONATION (R266)
Basic to make this happen
G1
-
Flight & fuel costs per month £228 (R5000)
-
Accommodation +- 7 days per month £159 (R3500)
-
Translator & offering costs per month £91 (R2000)
-
Website setup and hosting per month £13 (R300)
-
Stipend for Cullen to create blogs, articles, papers & research/compile book £445 (R10,000)
PROPOSED AMOUNT $30 DONATION (R533)
Above & Beyond
G2
-
Accomplish all of tier 1
-
Salary for admin, accounts & social media manager per month £445 (R10,000)
-
Salary For Creative Manager per month £445 (R10,000) (photographs & videos)
-
Additional flight & fuel cost for creative manager per month £228 (R5000)
-
​Professional filming & audio equipment £1,498 (R35,000)
G3
This would make my world
PROPOSED AMOUNT $40 DONATION (R738)
-
Accomplish all of tier 1
-
Accomplish all of tier 2
-
We can increase translator & offering costs substantially every month £172 (R4000)
-
Chemistry R&D can be conducted on each species every month £172 (R4000)
-
Small Field Lab setup for sample analysis & drone for video £913 (R20,000) & £313 (R7400)
G4
For the love of Fungi
STRETCH GOAL
-
Accomplish all of tier 1
-
Accomplish all of tier 2
-
Accomplish all of tier 3
This final tier is an ambitious vision, but not essential at this stage of telling this story. Any additional funds will be used to strengthen the project—allowing for deeper exploration, expanded travel, and more in-depth inquiry. With increased funding, I will be able to conduct multiple expeditions per month and access regions currently beyond my scope due to cost limitations.
Beyond field research, additional support will contribute to broader initiatives aimed at educating the world about South Africa’s fungi. This includes establishing a simple culture library for medicinal species, ensuring the preservation of valuable specimens for future researchers to study and potentially uncover novel medicines. Looking ahead, this could even pave the way for a dedicated fungarium or South Africa’s first fungal museum—offering a space to showcase discoveries and tell a more comprehensive story of the human-fungal connection.

Supporter Incentives


this research is changing history
I was asked to participate on a landmark research paper, that would solidify the Basotho people as the first tribe documented to use psychedelic mushrooms to access altered states of consciousness .
​
My research was paramount in discovering that this new mushroom grows in the highlands of Lesotho, and the local diviners & healers use it for diagnosing maladies, accessing transcendental spaces & as a therapeutic for many afflictions - this is a clear indication that there is knowledge waiting to be discovered, we need only look
​
I know that with your help & donations we can write many more papers on new undiscovered species & their uses
​
read the paper here

never before documented data
Throughout my travels i've recorded the most incredible information. For the longest time our academic literature has documented little to no uses of fungi in southern African tribal people - We're going to take up the mantle
​
Not only has this project brought to light dozens of previously unknown uses of fungi by healers & diviners, but we've also for the very first time documented Indigenous Names, recipes, Belief systems, Rituals & more
​
Your donation can help me and my team travel further, speak to more people, decipher early records and discover knowledge forgotten in archives & universities all around our nation

we were mushroom loving people
Perhaps the most extraordinary finding i've made to date is outlined in my hypothesis that our ancient ancestors that walk these lands revered fungi of all types. Perhaps they used them for food, for medicine, and to commune with the divine, to peer into the spirit world
​
In order to pass down their knowledge of these amazing mushroom allies our people needed to keep record, and what better place than rock that would stand the test of time. I believe i've found hundreds of depictions of potential mushroom iconography in our rock art dating back well over 11 000 years.
​
With your support I can travel and document these fascinating artworks in person and decipher once and for all if they do in fact depict fungi

we revered gold & maybe mushrooms
I've found potential artifacts resembling mushrooms whilst sifting through records of the ancient site called mapungubwe
​
There are also illustrations by the early excavators showcasing pottery & statues that too look extraordinarily similar to known fungal varieties that grow in this area
​
With your help we can go through these archives that are locked away to anyone other than researchers, we can shine a light on this 949 year old civilisation and see for certain if they revered not only Rhinos, Lions & Gold - But Mushrooms too


CULLEN TAYLOR CLARK
My journey from youth to adulthood has been anything but linear, marked by twists and turns that could easily be mistaken for scenes in a TV drama. Some moments were bizarre, others deeply challenging, yet each one was undeniably pivotal in shaping the person I am today. Along the way, I’ve been blessed with gifts—lessons and values imparted by remarkable individuals who steered my course. To name a few: my two mothers and several maternal figures instilled in me a deep compassion for those in need. My grandmother sparked my enduring love for nature, while my grandfather’s devotion to lifelong learning left me eager to understand the world. The three father figures who shared the weight of that role shaped my vision of the man I strive to be. Together, they planted the seeds of purpose and possibility in my life. I’ve lived many lives and explored several professions, but one guiding principle has always remained constant: the desire to do good—or better yet, to be a force for good in this world. Today, I am proud to be the Co-Founder and Visionary Head of Aether Apothecary, a bioceutical API manufacturer in South Africa. We empower SMMEs to bring their natural medicine, food, beverage, or cosmetic products to life. At Aether, we are dedicated to pioneering a new fungal-based industry that delivers innovative products to market while uplifting the communities that make our work possible. Through my work, I’ve had the privilege of bringing several brands and products to fruition, with many more in the pipeline. My career has also allowed me to collaborate with leading South African universities on groundbreaking projects, from discovering new fungal species to identifying novel compounds with immense potential. I believe this journey—rooted in passion, purpose, and curiosity—positions me as the ideal person to share this incredible story. My passions are diverse, my love for fungi unwavering, my character steadfast, and my motives pure. As you join me on this journey, I hope you’ll see not just the story of what I’ve done but the vision of what we can achieve together.