Iquitos, Peru 2016
Meeting Ayahuasca and working with sacred Plant Medicines
My first introduction to the sacred plant medicine of Ayahuasca was around the age of 6 when my mother told me that, "One day, we will go to the Amazon and drink a sacred tea with the Shamans that allows us to see the spirits of the forest and connect with the Divine".
Coming from my mom, this isn’t something out of the ordinary. I grew up with meditation, children’s yoga, encouragement on my crystal obsession, talks about aliens and other beings, reincarnation, etc.
However, her words on this “tea” always stayed with me but it wasn't until some years later would it actually have significant meaning...
It wasn't until I was at University in the UK, at the age of 19 did I come across the name "Ayahuasca"...Since that moment, I’ve been on a non-stop tangent and obsession on learning about this plant medicine alongside other natural entheogens.
I've always had a really strange, deep passion and fascination for entheogens, conscious-altering methods and altered states of consciousness.
When I heard that Ayahuasca is a natural entheogenic tea from the Amazon, it caught my attention immediately. I did a quick google search and something seriously clicked. This must have been what my mom told me about many years ago! I literally got on the phone and called my mom, who was back home in Trinidad, right away as I was frantically excited to tell her that I finally know what she was talking about so many years ago.
Since this "re-discovery", it has sparked a non-stop tangent and obsession of keen research on Ayahuasca, plant medicines and other natural entheogens. I’ve watched umpteen TED talks & documentaries, reading countless articles, studies and books about these medicines. However, in all my research, I kept coming across the negative - dishonest shamans that align themselves with more malignant energies, cases of sexual abuse, cases of PTSD and other mental health related issues that resulted from carelessness on the administer’s part, and in worse cases, death.
As much as I felt called and a deep, indescribable need to connect and experience this medicine, as a young female traveling alone, I felt it would be reckless to just find anything on the internet and go, so it ended up taking many years before it finally happened. However, I believe nothing before it’s time, so there really was not a rush…just an insatiable, burning necessity of something I NEEDED to do. When it did finally happen during the summer of 2016, it felt as though things aligned perfectly and there were so many synchronicities that appeared before me, that I felt was signifying that it was time. And so, I went.
Before I continue, I will briefly explain what Ayahuasca is but I would encourage anyone who is interested to seek the knowledge for themselves, do the reading and come to their own conclusion.
Ayahuasca is a powerful entheogenic brew that has been used by indigenous people throughout the Amazon for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing. The indigenous culture surrounding Ayahuasca is very complex and radically different to modern Western society.
Ayahuasca’s usage has been connected to both white and black magic (keep an open mind here), hunting and deep healing. Originally, its use was by the medicine men or Shamans of a tribe - they’d use the brew to diagnose illnesses and to know what the person required.
The Banisteriopsis Caapi vine contains the MAO inhibitors, which when combined with a DMT containing plant, such as Chacruna, enables it to become an orally active since DMT is not an orally active substance as we have enzymes in our stomachs that are quick to break it down. DMT, Dimethyltryptamine, is a naturally occurring entheogen. We produce it in our bodies, there is evidence that it is in our lungs as well as in the brain. It is also found in nearly, if not all, living things, just varying in the quantity.
To ponder on how this delicate concoction came to be is quite bewildering given the vast variety of plants home to the Amazon Jungle. There are stories that the plants spoke to the people and that this is how it came to be - whether this is a romanticized Western view or not, it’s still interesting to hear the tales.
I spent about a month in the jungle working with Ayahuasca and some of the other Master Peruvian Plants. These include Tobacco, but not the normal western Tobacco but the sacred Shamanic Tobacco, Mapacho, known as Nicotiana Rustica, which is also prepared in a tea. This entails going into a Dieta - going into isolation and solitude for several days in order to absorb the plant's energy and cultivate a relationship with its spirits. It is a hardcore medicine and purgative that brings a lot of shadow material into the foreground. Since you are in dieta, you’re not allowed to do anything or distract yourself, so there is no chance of running from yourself. However, with that said, there is a strong loving energy that I found to accompany the plants - it’ll vary in its essence from plant to plant but unmistakably there’s a massive element of love.
San Pedro, Trichicereus Pachanoi, also known as Huachuma, is a sacred psychoactive cactus found in the Andes and also a Peruvian Master Plant. It's use has been dated back to around 3,000 years ago by shamans and indigenous people! San Pedro, like Peyote, contains the alkaloid Mescaline, which is most concentrated in the skin of the cactus. The indigenous preparation involves boiling slices of the cactus for hours, and once cooked, the liquid is to be drunk. It is used to treat mental and emotional problems and sometimes a purge can occur (like with most of these plant medicines) but it is a physical release of negative energy and toxins. The effects are indescribably beautiful and wholesome, with a deep connection being felt to those around you and the natural world. I had someone describe Huachuma as “sitting on your grandad’s lap for a chat and/or light scolding”, nonetheless, the experience can vary greatly for everyone. One thing I found to be fairly consistent with this medicine, is how much of a heart opener it is.
My time in the Amazon was a profound learning and complete paradigm-shifting experience (mind continuously blown!). While a lot of work is done in the jungle, when you enter back into the matrix is where the real work (and magic) takes place.
Since my first sitting with these medicines, things have definitely changed and continue to do so, albeit not in a radically dramatic way but little by little and over time... I have found myself on a new path and one that seems to resonate deeply with me, and for all of this, I am eternally grateful to have experience this wonderful medicine and begin a life-long journey of working with these sacred medicines and helping people.
Exploring Iquitos
Iquitos is quite a unique city since it is completely surrounded by the Amazon jungle and it's the world's largest city that can only be accessible by plane (air) or boat (river), so there are no roads that lead to this city. Iquitos, like Manaus in Brazil, was part of the big rubber industry at the end of the 19th century.
Iquitos is an interesting place, as it has become a popular hub for Ayahuasca tourism. Down town, at Plaza de Armas and the Boardwalk, in all the cafes and restaurants, you’re bound to see gringos galore discussing their encounters with the plant medicine, what they’ve learned, the visions they’ve had, the center they’re staying at etc. The air is saturated with discussions on Aya related stories and experiences. The cafes and restaurants also cater to the Ayahuasca diet (No salt, sugar, animal products etc), making it easier for foreigners to stick to the requirements of the dieta.
Going to Belen market was another glimpse into how prevalent the Ayahuasca culture is in Iquitos. There is an area known as the shaman’s market where one can purchase powdered Ayahuasca, powdered Coca, different plant roots and barks, a wide variety of Mapachos, Palo Santo, Rapé, and all sorts of herbal concoctions and tinctures that can be used for different magic spells - such as love potions and what not.
A variety of other things can also be found at Belen market; from fresh river fish, turtles and turtle eggs, caiman, to local vegetable produce (like Aguaje), whole chickens, clothes and whatever else one may need.
On the main Boulevard, you’ll see an abundance of Shipibo designs and paraphernalia - beautiful textiles and tapestries, clothing, beaded jewelry, and handbags, usually being sold by Shipibo men and women. The tapestries craftsmanship is really beautiful. They commonly tend to encapsulate the Ayahuasca Icaros and will visually convey the different plant masters that are called upon in the songs. It’s also common to see jungle and Ayahuasca related animals as well (such as the snake and the jaguar).
Preparation of the sacred Ayahuasca brew
For years, I've watched countless of documentaries on my computer screen on Ayahuasca and it’s preparation, but I finally had the opportunity to witness the process in front of me! (If you know me personally, you'll know how much of a nerd I am with this realm and how excited this would have made me). I was really grateful to be allowed to take these photos as I regard the process to be sacred in its own way. At first, I merely observed and took in the scene before me while listening to the whistling that was offered to the plants.
Each part of the preparation process is done with the utmost respect and reverence. Songs, known as Icaros, are sung and whistled to the plants, prayers and mantras are also said throughout the entire process. This is a way of setting intentions into the medicine; showering it with love and care in hopes that it will take it voyageurs safely to where the medicine sees that they need to go. From the outside lookin into the scene, it appeared to be it’s own meditative process;
there was such presence and awareness in the process. I was reminded that this would be medicine that I would ingest, so to know that it was done so carefully and lovingly induced feelings of comfort, despite how turbulent the medicine can be at times.
The Banisteriopsis Caapi (Ayahuasca) vines are beaten which causes the vine to strip into smaller pieces. The DMT containing plants, such as the the Psychotria Viridis, or Chacruna leaves, are mashed separately and then both the vine and chacruna are added to the pot in layers, one on top the other. The way in which the brew is cooked varies greatly from person to person, and can also vary on their experience and rapport with the different plants. I’ve also been told that Ayahuasca is the Mother of the plants, so she carries their energies and spirits with her but, it is not uncommon for other plant medicines and master plants to be added to the brew. The plant medicine concoction is then boiled for some 24+ hours until the sacred tea is ready.
The Sacred Coca Plant
Another Master Plant I had the pleasure of working with and getting to know was Coca.
Coca has been heavily tainted, distorted and disrespected (much like Tobacco) in modern society but it is a highly revered Master Plant in Peru. It's use is not only for altitude sickness but it is also well endowed with a multitude of minerals and vitamins such as A, E, C and B. Coca contains a rich amount of calcium and believe it or not, it is richer in protein than meat! Other uses for Coca has been as an anesthetic & analgesic in surgery, used for headaches & nosebleeds, used in healing bone fractures, and also used for asthma, malaria, digestive problems and an aphrodisiac.
Aside from this, Coca in the Andes has long been used as a spiritual tool for healing and connection. Its use in ritual has been for offerings to express respect and gratitude to the Gods for providing means and sustenance. It is a source and symbol of hospitality and generosity and has been a companion to the Andean peoples from the cradle to the grave. Coca is used in divination for the diagnosis & cure of disease, to foretell the fate & destiny of families and clans, to predict the weather and see the future. It is a symbol of social cohesion and community solidarity.
As a divination tool, Coca is rather interesting in the way the altered state is perceived. It energetically opens you up and messages that come through are transmitted with tremendous ease. With regards to shamanic journeying, one drops into a deeper level very quickly and the images are seen with great clarity.
Days spent chilling at the center
