Return to the Amazon, Peru 2017
Journeys into entheogenic plant realms, isolated plant dietas, Kambo, and San Pedro
Peru, especially the Amazon, has honestly enchanted me in ways I never anticipated.
Anytime I’ve flown into the Amazon, there’s always that moment of the first glimpse of the incredibly vast, lush green carpet below the plane that is the Amazon Rainforest…the immense feelings it invokes is indescribable. To see the rivers elegantly carve through the majestic forest, it’s as if it were a dance between primordial elements. As far as the eye can see, it stretches in every direction. It’s a moment that honestly swells me up with emotion and brings tears to my eyes, but of course this is not without a warm up from flying over the Andes Mountains.
Once I land in Iquitos, the end of my traveling begins as I make my way through the chaotic bustle of all the motor cars (the Peruvian version of tuk tuks) down to the port by the river to catch a boat to head to the center. From the river, its a short 20 minute cruise to the center. One that I love as it’s like a feeling of coming home :)
*Cue in “Just Around the River Bend” from Pocahontas*
This return to the Amazon was for a few months to do a plant intensive, in other words, a deeper engagement with Ayahuasca and the plant medicines, both entheogenic (entheogen meaning “that which generates God/the Diving within) and medicinal ones.
The indigenous people of the Amazon believe that plants have spirits, they’re autonomous agents that are intelligent expressions of consciousness who are in fact, conscious. They view the whole world, animate and inanimate, as all possessing Spirit, animated and ALIVE ...which is radically different to how modern society views the world. So, when one is drinking these plant medicines, you’re working with an autonomous, conscious spirit/entity and entering into a relationship with the spirit of the plant.
From the day I arrived back at the center, I hit the ground running and went straight into a 7 day Tobacco dieta in isolation. To explain a little on what a dieta is, it is adhering to a very limited diet (eating things like fish, plantains and cassava/manioc), staying in isolation, ingesting and cultivating a relationship with the plant as you two work together. Those training to become curanderos/as will go into longer isolated diets to build a deep relationship with the plant’s spirit and have it become an alley.
In Peru, Tobacco (Nicotiana Rustica), commonly known was Mapacho, is used in a few different ways - as a snuff, as a tea and smoked. You’ll find Mapacho used a lot by the shamans in and out of ceremony while they sing and clear themselves, the medicine, and the participants. It is used to cleanse, for protection, gaining clarity, clearing out the mental clutter, and as an intention enhancer.
When drank, it is very potent in bringing shadow material to consciousness and it has a particularly definitive purgative effect, however the time in which the purge occurs can vary. I’ve had experiences where within 2 minutes of drinking it, it came right back up (and somehow still manages to have an effect despite its rapid eject). Then, there have been times where I sat with this medicine in me for 5-6 hours and I’m completely immobile.
There were some things that I particularly wanted to work on during this first Tobacco dieta and needless to say, this is what the whole 7 day diet was about. When going into the diet, I spoke with the Tabaquero about what my intentions were. He gave me some exercises and visualizations that I was to do as soon as possible after ingesting the drink. I did as I was advised and on following the instructions, I felt as though the exercises enhanced and brought on Tobacco’s spirit much more rapidly…and intensely.
Tobacco brought up things from my shadow into the forefront for me to confront head on with no where to run - physically and mentally. Tobacco unearthed thoughts and emotions and made me realize how much I was resisting the experience and by doing so, I was preventing myself from being able to move through it. What was particularly interesting about this diet was that things were made apparent for me to pay particular attention to and assimilate, and once I did, I’d purge. The longer the process took for me to surrender to, the longer I would be feeling nauseous and tormented. The purge felt like both a symbolic and physical release of all the pent up emotions, thoughts, and energy I had that I didn’t know how to work with and release.
One thing’s for sure, after 7 consecutive days of digging skeletons out of the closet and befriending them, I felt insanely lighter and happy rather than exhausted and drained. You can think about it as having a full glass with mud in it; Tobacco came in, emptied it out and helped me make the glass squeaky clean so that it can be filled with some fresh water.
After the 7 days in isolation and my diet was cut, I sat in the first Ayahuasca ceremony since my return and WOW. I found that I can really experience both energies of Ayahuasca and Tobacco working in a cohesive and synergistic manner. The ceremony was incredible, like all of them seem to be, no matter how difficult or awe inspiring it may be. I experienced such a profound archetypal symbol that I embodied for almost the whole journey. Looking back at it, it was such a good representation of what was to come.
Above image by one of my favorite artists, Pablo Amaringo - “Alto Cielo”
Image below:
Emerging out of my Tobacco dieta and post Ayahuasca ceremony. Got to meet the fellow journeyers that were at the center and made friends with the parrot we called, Musa.
Chiric Sanango Dieta
My time in the Amazon was a rotation of 7 days in isolation dietas and 7 days off, where I’d be able to drink Ayahuasca, and partake in other ceremonies such as Huachuma, Kambo etc.
One of the other dietas that I experienced was with the master plant, Chiric Sanango, an amazing plant medicine that works on, but not limited to, the nervous system and re-booting the immune system. Chiric Sanango is a flowering shrub, and member of the nightshade family that has beautiful purple flowers. It is often used to treat fevers, colds, alleviate pain, treat wounds, inflammation, increase libido among other things. Chiric Sanango contains the alkaloid Scopoletin, which the chemical structure is close to that of Scopolomine (the main alkaloid in Toé - Brugmansia) however, the effects are profoundly different.
The medicine that was prepared for me was made from the root and leaves of the plant.
The oncoming of the medicine was usually signaled by my lips going numb, followed by an increasing pleasant tingling sensation in my fingers and toes while my whole body pulsed with an electric vibration! This vibration would start at my extremities and work its way to my core. I have to admit that it was a nice sensation but felt like it contributed to my loss of coordination. I would feel chilled, a bit dizzy, but quite relaxed and sleepy, which allowed me to tap more into my dream time since Chiric is known to teach through dreams. Needless to say, my dream time became vividly alive. My dreams played out as if I were watching movies in HD except way more profound. All the teachings I received came through in my dream time, although dreams are never straight forward and there was a lot of archetypal imagery that I had to read into and metabolize in order to fully understand the message. I love how Chiric represented these messages from my subconscious, felt like I was a detective delving into deeper realms of my psyche.
As each day in isolation passed, I would feel the medicine more and more. I felt increasingly peaceful, blissful, content and would spend a great deal of time in awe of the jungle feeling so connected to it.
The one main difficulty I experienced in this diet was around food…due to the juice fast that was required of me while on diet, I became increasingly tormented by thoughts of food. After the 3rd/4th day I had the most insatiable craving for eggs, avocado and pizza.
When my dieta was broken, I had abundant energy and felt extremely clear. I noticed that with each dieta I did, I felt so light yet unbelievably grounded. My energy levels sky rocketed and my thinking was potent and sharp! Chiric was a master teacher and it is remarkable to experience these different plants in diet and feel how varied their essences were.
Image above: Chiric Sanango flowers and leaves
In between dietas and Aya ceremonies, I had opportunities to reconnect with Kambo and Huachuma (San Pedro) medicine. These would usually be followed by periods of solitude so that I can journal, reflect, digest and metabolize the insights and information that would come through both in ceremonies and dietas. Other times I’d chill out with some cool souls, have awesome coca pow wows that would entail the most interesting discussions that would touch on literally everything in the universe.
Sapo / Kambo Medicine
The selfie on the above left shows off some of my Kambo marks; both old & new ones. This photo was taken after a couple dietas, aya ceremonies and a previous Kambo session - Legit had me feeling like a warrior.
Sapo, or Kambo, is a medicine derived from the Phyllomedusa Bicolor Frog. It’s one of the strongest natural anti-inflammatories, antibiotic, antimicrobial and anesthetic substances found in the world. It’s also one of the most powerful ways of boosting the immune system, as it stimulates the body’s production of antibodies, earning it with the reputation of being a jungle vaccine. It’s a powerful cleanser as it stimulates deep purging, which detoxifies the organs. Research on this medicine has revealed that the chemical make up of Kambo contains peptides that affect gastrointestinal muscles, blood circulation and stimulate the adrenal cortex and pituitary gland.
Short-term effects include enhanced mood, alertness, clarity, focus, increased energy levels and increased resistance to stress, fatigue, and in my case, improves my eyesight temporarily and relieves me of having to wear my glasses (for a solid few weeks).
Spiritually, Sapo is used to purify, detoxify and remove impurities & energetic blocks that have long been stored in the human body - on emotional, physical, mental and spiritual levels. It clears out the energy field and realigns the chakras and assists in our alignment with our Higher Self.
In all honesty, the immediate effects are aggressive and have a rapid onset but luckily, short lived. The effects may include (but not limited to) increase of pace and intensity of heart rate, sweating, feeling your throat constrict, shaking, and a purge, which detoxifies the liver, intestine and digestion system. But, once you’ve recovered you feel like you went through a physical rebirth since you’re removing a lot of toxins built up in the physical and energetic bodies. My thoughts with Kambo usually go from (while in the medicine) “Why am I doing this to myself” to (post ceremony) “F*ck yea! I want to do this again!”.
San Pedro Medicine
San Pedro, or Huachuma, as it is known in the Andes, is one of the most beautiful medicines I’ve experienced. I have a strong affiliation for the energy of this plant medicine. For me, the over all energy of this medicine is one that is totally connecting in every aspect of its nature. You feel connected to yourself & Higher Selves, your emotions, the people you are journeying with, loved ones near and far, even those who have transcended, the surrounding environment (as it is usually conducted in a nature-esque setting) and especially the Earth. You fall in love with the Earth and Creation over and over again. The deep soulful connection really opens up the heart energy so you feel incredibly expansive and wholesome. It’s a beautiful heart-opening and expanding experience - It’s a delicious feeling of deep bonding and reconnecting with all that is. I can sit and “stare” at nature for hours but with this, I literally feel plugged back in to the natural world we’re all connected to. I don’t feel the bounds of separation - whatever I’m gazing upon, I can feel it’s energy, I am it’s energy - we’re one and the same.
I’ve also had a few tough moments with Huachuma but once I sat with those moments they would transcended into a deeper love and appreciation for the experience of what was being shown to me. Even the way in which these more difficult moments would arise would be done in the most gentle and delicate of ways. The medicine would invoke certain thoughts and/or emotions - something that needs to be revealed to the conscious mind in order for it to be dealt with and integrated, but is always in a tender way.
The following photos were taken while I was in the medicine - I enjoy going for barefoot strolls and finding myself little sit-spots so that I can enjoy vibing with different trees. Taking in the sights; the light refracting through the leaves making them shimmer in the sunlight, the sounds of the birds (and mosquitos) or the wind rustling through the leaves anytime a breeze would move through. I constantly felt drawn to commune with the jungle, to sit quietly and contently to all that she whispers; the presence is so grand, comforting, nurturing and providing.
So much happened while I was in the Amazon this trip, especially with Ayahuasca. It was an immense learning experience, and one that continues to unfold. Every day brought new lessons and insights, deep shadow work, skeletons coming out of the closet and I felt replenished with new life. Ayahuasca and her allies are profound teachers and I’ve been blessed with incredible, life altering experiences, lessons and downloads. It’s beyond mind blowing how these plant medicines know exactly what you need, when you need it and how to execute it. The intelligence and knowing that these plants possess is so palpable and so real.
So much gratitude and L O V E for the plant kingdom and its wisdom, teachings and healings.
