Ayahuasca
Translated as the Vine of the Dead, Ayahuasca shows us what it is like to die. In fact the psychoactive property of Ayahuasca, DMT, is naturally released into the brain when we are born and when we die. While death in the West is treated with great fear, in Shamanism it is the focus of our life’s mission. Death is the grand finale of life and we must be prepared for this final moment of triumph. It is perfectly natural to be afraid of dying, which is precisely why we must practice the dying process in order to be better prepared for the final moment. In this final moment the full power of our spirit is released, an overwhelming surge of energy is felt and our brain, which we usually use a small part of, is greatly expanded. This process can be overwhelming and intimidating, but with practice it becomes enlightening. It is imperative to practice the dying process while we are alive in order to meet our end with calmness and focus for it is in these final moments that the answers of the universe are revealed.
Washuma (San Pedro)
Where Ayahuaska teaches us how to die, Washuma teaches us how to live. Washuma is a cactus that lives in the Andes of South America. With great reverence we will prepare our own Washuma medicine for ceremony. Washuma gives us a glimpse of no mind, and with practice, even Samadhi or enlightenment. Our jabbering mind momentarily becomes quieted allowing us to reach great depths of meditation, even allowing us to leave our body and travel into the astral realms.
Sacred Cacao
From our Cacao Guru Keith, the Chocolate Shaman...
An Indigenous myth tells us whenever the balance between humans and nature becomes threatened, cacao comes from the rainforest to open people's hearts and return the planet to a state of harmony. Sacred Cacao was bypassed in the ‘60’s resurgence of medicine-plants because it does not act like a psychedelic – it does not take you on its trip, but facilitates your own. In the last few years, the Holy Bean has emerged and is becoming known for its medical benefits, as a ‘raw’ food, and with the ‘bean to bar’ chocolatiers, making chocolate much as it was made 200 years ago.
A cacao ceremony is an experience in multidimensional group energy… Cacao works with you where you are, and with the ceremonial facilitator through where they are. Cacao brings the door but doesn’t push you through it.
A major advantage of ceremonial cacao is that it makes it much easier to deeply access ones emotional body, pain body, or density on the dark shadow side... or ready expansion and higher dimensional connection on the light shadow side. Cacao allows you to go considerably deeper into meditation and self-healing than possible without the medicine… and understandings tend toward more permanent changes. Cacao is a heart-centered anchor making that takes you where you're going with more love and less fear.
An Indigenous myth tells us whenever the balance between humans and nature becomes threatened, cacao comes from the rainforest to open people's hearts and return the planet to a state of harmony. Sacred Cacao was bypassed in the ‘60’s resurgence of medicine-plants because it does not act like a psychedelic – it does not take you on its trip, but facilitates your own. In the last few years, the Holy Bean has emerged and is becoming known for its medical benefits, as a ‘raw’ food, and with the ‘bean to bar’ chocolatiers, making chocolate much as it was made 200 years ago.
A cacao ceremony is an experience in multidimensional group energy… Cacao works with you where you are, and with the ceremonial facilitator through where they are. Cacao brings the door but doesn’t push you through it.
A major advantage of ceremonial cacao is that it makes it much easier to deeply access ones emotional body, pain body, or density on the dark shadow side... or ready expansion and higher dimensional connection on the light shadow side. Cacao allows you to go considerably deeper into meditation and self-healing than possible without the medicine… and understandings tend toward more permanent changes. Cacao is a heart-centered anchor making that takes you where you're going with more love and less fear.
Tobacco
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It is highly recommended that those new to Master Plants begin their journey into the Shamanic world with a Tobacco ceremony. In a Tobacco ceremony, participants drink a highly condensed, liquified tobacco and then immediately drink at least 7 liters of Malba Tea. An immediate purging will begin which will help cleanse the body/mind/spririt. This Tobacco purge will make all other plant ceremonies more harmonious and powerful.
Jungle Tobacco (Mapacho) is used throughout Shamanic ceremonies. Before (and during) many ceremonies, tobacco ash (Rapé) is often applied to participants by blowing it up their noses. The immediate affect is to clear the 6th and 7th chakras both physically (it is common to release a lot of mucus) and spiritually by opening the energy channels for heightened vision of the invisible realm. During the ceremony, Tobacco smoke is used both to cleanse the energetic body and to seal in the lessons we've learned in a ritual called a Soplado. Smoke can also be used if a participant's energy is becoming scattered or panicked, as it tends to calm and focus ones energy. |
