Working with Sacred Medicines
Our intention is to create a supportive, sacred space where participants feel cared for and can approach the experience with trust and openness.
In our tradition, these medicines have spirits, each with its own wisdom and purpose. We work with them in a ceremonial setting for cleansing, protection and healing in the body, emotions, mind and spirit.
Here we introduce Tobacco, Rapé, Coca leaves, Kambo and Sananga, and explain their place in our practice. Tobacco and Rapé accompany our ceremonies. Coca leaves are part of offerings and communal sharing. Kambo is offered as a separate, optional ritual at an additional cost, with Sananga used during that ritual.
PROTECTION & CLEANSING
Tobacco / Mapacho
Nicotiana rustica (Solanaceae)
Tobacco holds a central place in our ceremonial work. We use Mapacho, prepared from the leaves of Nicotiana rustica, and approach this master plant with reverence and respect.
In our tradition, Tobacco is a healer and protector. We understand the ancestral spirits of the grandfathers as working through this plant, bringing their guidance and wisdom.
Tobacco in Our Ceremonies
During Ayahuasca ceremonies, we work with Tobacco to clear heavy energies and protect the ceremonial space. We also use it during floral baths and Kambo rituals.
Working with Tobacco is also a way of grounding ourselves, gathering our attention and connecting with ourselves.
GROUNDING & CLARITY
Rapé
According to Indigenous Amazonian traditions, Rapé has been used for thousands of years in ceremonial and healing practices. We approach this sacred preparation with respect and work with it in a ceremonial setting.
It is made from a blend of finely powdered plants, commonly including Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica) and ashes from other master plants. The ingredients vary between traditions and practitioners, and some recipes are kept secret.
Rapé is served by an experienced practitioner, who blows the powder into each nostril through a ceremonial pipe called a Tepi, often made from bamboo or bone. A smaller pipe called a Kuripé is used for personal application.
Rapé in Our Ceremonies
In our tradition, we work with Rapé to cleanse the body, mind and energetic field, focus our attention and bring a sense of calm and grounding. It can be used on its own or alongside other medicines. During Ayahuasca ceremonies and Kambo rituals, we use it with the intention of quieting the mind and helping participants open they gates for the medicine.
We use this medicine during Ayahuasca ceremonies and Kambo rituals, with the intention of supporting cleansing, quieting the mind and helping to surrender to the Medicine.
The experience can be intense and may include nausea, vomiting and sweating. We provide guidance and support throughout.
SHARING & OFFERING
Mama Coca
Erythroxylum coca (Erythroxylaceae)
Coca holds a sacred place in Andean tradition. We call her Mama Coca, Mother Coca. During our Sacred Valley programs, a Taita guides a traditional offering ceremony known as a Despacho, in which coca leaves play an important part.
Hallpakusunchis, Let us chew coca together, expresses an invitation to share. Chewing coca together is part of Q’ero tradition. We also share coca leaves during our Amazon programs, where chewing together is a communal practice in a less formal setting.
Traditional Uses
Coca leaves are traditionally chewed to help sustain energy, ease fatigue and reduce the sensation of hunger. In the Andes, they are also traditionally used for altitude sickness, known as soroche. Taking time to acclimatise remains essential, even when using coca.
The leaves are often accompanied by an alkaline preparation, such as llipt’a made from plant ash, which helps the body absorb the leaf’s alkaloids.
Coca leaves naturally contain several alkaloids, including cocaine. Chewing the whole leaf differs substantially from using concentrated cocaine.
OPTIONAL RITUAL
Kambo
Kambo comes from the skin secretion of the Amazonian giant monkey frog, Phyllomedusa bicolor. It has a place in the traditional practices of several Indigenous peoples of the Amazon, where it is used in rituals for cleansing and healing.
In our tradition, we approach Kambo as a deep cleansing of the body, emotions and energetic field. We see this ritual as an opportunity to release accumulated heaviness, including anger and sadness, and invite strength, renewal and transformation into our lives.
The Kambo Ritual
During the ritual, the secretion is applied to small, superficial burn points on the skin. Its effects can begin within minutes and involve a strong physical response, including nausea, vomiting, sweating, swelling, dizziness and changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
Kambo is a separate, optional ritual offered at an additional cost. Tobacco, Rapé and Sananga also form part of our Kambo practice.
WITHIN OUR KAMBO RITUAL
Sananga
Tabernaemontana undulata (Apocynaceae)
Sananga eye drops are a traditional Amazonian preparation made from the roots and bark of Tabernaemontana undulata. Sananga has been used in traditional practices for spiritual and physical healing, including lifting what is described as panema, or energetic heaviness.
In traditional hunting practices, Sananga is used with the intention of sharpening visual perception and helping hunters spot animals in the forest.
Sananga in Our Practice
In our tradition, we value Sananga for cleansing and preparing ourselves for ceremonial work. We understand its spiritual role as cleansing the aura and bringing the energetic field and chakras into alignment. We use it alongside Rapé during Kambo rituals.
When applied, Sananga causes an intense burning sensation that may last for several minutes. We invite participants to breathe, relax and ask for support whenever needed.
