THE MEDICINE

 

Wuachuma: also known as San Pedro is a cactus native to South America that has been used by indigenous people of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador for medicinal and religious purposes for many thousands of years.

 

Wachuma or Huachuma means “to be without a head, to cut one’s head, to cut rational thought, to cut the ego”. It is a Quechua word that is divided into Waqcha whose meaning is “absence of” and Uma, which means “head”. We prefer to use the name Wachuma instead of San Pedro to honor the indigenous and ancestral roots of this sacred plant.

 

Wachuma has been considered a sacred plant by many indigenous groups for millennia. At the Chaving the Huantar site in Peru, representations of the cactus have been found engraved in stones, wall paintings, textiles, and ceramics. These objects date from the year 1300 BCE, and it suggests that its use was already well understood and practiced.

 

Wachuma is considered one of the most sacred master plants, highly revered for its therapeutic and healing powers, as well as its ability to connect us with the divine that is in and around us. The primary psychoactive compound in both the Wachuma and Peyote cactus is mescaline which is responsible for its psychoactive effects and many of its healing properties.

 

Similar to Ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms and other psychoactive medicines, Wachuma helps remove physical, mental and emotional blockages. It brings the unconscious to the surface to be acknowledged and released. Ayahuasca is often referred to as the Grandmother and Wachuma is considered the Grandfather, both are equally powerful and profound sacred plants.  

 

Wachuma cleans and detoxifies the body, and treats mental and emotional issues. After a Wachuma ceremony, we can often feel inspired and more creative, experience deep love and connection, heal trauma, and be free from depression, PTSD, anxiety, grief, chronic pain and addiction.

 

In indigenous cosmovision, Wachuma is an earth spirit that connects us with the land and with our bodies. Wachuma opens the heart, allowing us to experience emotions like love, joy, forgiveness and compassion. Playfulness and wonder are often part of the journey. Wachuma heals the wounds of the heart with gentleness helping us to live a more vibrant and joyful life.

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A Wachuma ceremony is typically held outside in nature, in the daytime or at night. The medicine is prepared by cooking the cactus for many hours in water. After taking the medicine, most people start feeling the effects within 20 – 40 minutes, the experience usually lasts 10 -12 hours.

 

Even though everyone’s journey is unique and different, some general themes are part of the ceremony. Wachuma is known for being an empathogenic, bringing a sense of love, expansion and connection with all beings. It produces a dream-like feeling that can be accompanied by visions, heightened senses and waves of emotions. During the ceremony, it is common for the participants to receive guidance, insight, deep healing, inner peace and connection to their higher selves.

 

Together we will get to experience a Wachuma Hike, led by a trained facilitator and guide in the beautiful sacred Andes of Peru, enjoying the elements, connecting to our prayers, and sharing in music and the wisdom teachings of this powerful master plant teacher.

 

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Ayahuasca is an Amazonian plant medicine that has been used for centuries, possibly thousands of years, by indigenous and more recently mestizo ayahuasca shamanic healers across the upper Amazon throughout Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil. There are over 40 other names known for this sacred medicine, including caapi, mariri, uni and yage.

 

The origins of the ayahuasca shamanism are lost in the mists of history but there are many different stories among indigenous tribes of the Amazon about how they initially came to work with this medicine. However, a ceremonial cup containing traces of ayahuasca was found in Ecuador and is believed to be over 2500 years old. In an indigenous context, ayahuasca was used by the healers of the Amazon region for healing and divinatory purposes.

 

Complex rituals surround the preparation and use of ayahuasca that have been passed down through countless generations of healers. By holding ayahuasca ceremonies, they use the medicine as a diagnostic tool to discover the roots of illnesses in their patients.
 

Ayahuasca is a sacred and potent brew revered by indigenous cultures of the Amazon rainforest for its profound spiritual and healing properties. It's crafted from a blend of plants, containing DMT and MAO inhibitors, facilitating deeply transformative and introspective experiences that are believed to offer insights, healing, and connection with the divine realms under the guidance of experienced shamans. A co-creative relationship between the healer, the plant spirits and ayahuasca, and the participant allows for the participant to uncover, experience, and take responsibility for issues that had been hidden in their unconscious and resulted in energetic blockages – often the cause of the dis-ease, or emotional/psycho-spiritual imbalance.
 

Ceremonial Cacao: Derived from the seeds of Theobroma cacao tree, ceremonial cacao embodies a rich tapestry of ancient traditions and contemporary spiritual practices. Revered by indigenous cultures for centuries, it serves as a conduit for introspection, connection, gratitide and healing. 

 

Rapé: This sacred Amazonian snuff bridges the physical and spiritual realms, crafted from a blend of tobacco, medicinal plants, and prayers, it carries the wisdom of the jungle. Used ceremonially for deep introspection and healing, it clears the mind and opens the heart.

 

Sananga: Crafted from Tabernaemontana roots, Sananga opens perception and awakens deeper insight. It kickstarts a journey of purification, releasing tension and negative emotions to bring clarity, awareness, and inner peace. Those who've experienced its medicine often speak of newfound clarity, heightened awareness, and a deep sense of inner peace after a mild to intense burning sensation that lasts 2-4 minutes. 

 

These sacred sacraments hold ancient wisdom and transformative potential, guiding us on paths of healing and awakening.