San Pedro is a masculine spirit plant, also known as Ahuacoya or Huachuma. Some people say that the name San Pedro is related to the Apostle Peter, because he holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven. This plant has been used by the indigenous of the Andes of South America for millenia. The active ingredient is mescaline. The spirit of the Grandfather Huachuma is very generous. Like all power plants the journey very much depends on the current lifestyle and state of mind of the people participating. San Pedro helps to open the heart and connect us with nature, spirits and energies in our environment.
The Echinopsis pachanoi is a cactus native to South America with a tradition of more than 3,000 years of religious and medicinal use. Among the different alkaloids it contains, mescaline (the same alkaloid that peyote contains) is responsible for its psychoactive effects. The San Pedro is a columnar cactus traditionally used for medical and religious purposes in some areas of South America.
Although we see that generally folks are more interested in Ayahuasca when coming to retreats generally, San Pedro has an equal potential to heal, depending on the person, their intention and needs. San Pedro can heal physical, mental and emotional disease, including serious illnesses. He helps open us up to higher levels of consciousness, during which the shaman can cleanse the energy and remove illness with the help of friendly energies and spirits.
We can learn a lot about ourselves, our Mother Earth, and the universe at large with Huachuma. We can remove obstacles in our life and create a healthier and happier future for ourselves with this medicine.
You might experience:
- Vivid visions
- Amplified feelings/emotions
- An expanded capacity of consciousness
- Physical detoxification which can include nausea and sickness
- And, an altered sense of time and space
Some people vomit with San Pedro, and others don't. This is part of the cleansing process, and if it happens, it helps to release negative emotions and energies.
Sacred Plants
Huilka
Huilka (also spelled Wilka, Vilca) comes from the tree with the same name, which is found all over the Andes region of South America. The medicine is taken as a snuff, similar to the way we take Hapeh, and is made from the seeds and ashes of other plants, turned into a powder. The plant contains NN-DMT, as well as 5-MEO-DM. This medicine is very powerful and intense. The experience lasts only about an hour, but people typically see many visions; usually geometric.
She is considered to be the most sacred of all power plants in South America. During the times of the Incas, Huilka was used as their sacred medicine. It was used only by the privileged class of the Incas and was not accessible to all people. This female spirit presents herself as a young mother and has the virtues of curing terminal disease and very strong addictions. The journey with Huilka offers the chance of rebirth by showing changes that are necessary in life to become a better person. During a journey with Huilka, it is very common to see geometric patterns typical of a mathematics lesson. The spirit of the plant is very precise and strict. Mama Huilka proposes a commitment to improve all aspects of our lives and this we can experience when we know the essence of true love.
Huilka, meaning "sacred" in Kichwa, was also the named given to the Highest Priest of the Inkas. He was the man cloest to the Inka (king) and his family.
This sacred medicine is not easy to find, and there are few people who know how to work with her these days. As it was the most sacred medicine of the Inkas, they hid it, knowing the Spanish were coming. It was their treasure, the "el Dorado" the Spanish were looking for. Sometimes with Wilka, we can see a city of gold, or "el Dorado." This city was in the minds of the Inkas.
Mama Huilka might make you nauseous or vomit. This is a part of the cleansing process, similar to the other plants.
Mama Huilka can bring us to a beautiful place, and cure us of many different illnesses.
From Peru, Bolivia to northern Argentina and Chile, a sacred powder has been used since time immemorial, the use of which has remained numerous archaeological pieces known as tablets. They consist of a small wooden receptacle fitted with a handle, usually with anthropomorphic or zoomorphic representations. . The hallucinating powder was placed in the receptacle, which was inhaled with one of the many gadgets made for this purpose. Just like what happened with the cojioba on the Spanish island, or the yopo in the Orinoco basin, the sacred powder of the aborigines of the southern cone of South America was used for ceremonial purposes by shamans, caciques and priests. . Its use has become extinct and little is known about the mythology of the origin of the plant. The vegetable and the powder are known by various names such as Vilva, vilvo, vilka, Wilka Willca, huilco, hilca and vishca. Vilca or wuilka, in Quichua, is accepted as sacred. The vervo also means to guess, to predict (Vilca china or wilka china, to be guessed.) Both in Peru and Ecuador there is the place name Vilcabamba, that is, sacred plain of the Gods or divinities, where before some ceremonies or raymis. The use of vilca seeds by the aborigines of Peru and Bolivia seems very old, but it has not been possible to establish if the use predates the use of coca. In any case, the plant was considered sacred, but its use has been displaced by that of coca, especially where the Incas imposed their culture and religion on the conquered peoples. The Inca Guaman poma de Ayala, in his book Nueva Crónica y Buen Gópbierno, refers that the vilca was used in the form of an enema, once a month, as a procedure to purify the body and enter into communication with the divinities. Today it is known that substances administered by enema are absorbed with great speed and can produce almost as if they had been administered intravenously. In the initial studies and due to the similarity of their uses and effects, it was assumed that the vilca was none other than Anadenanthera Peregrina itself, one of the tropical zones, but in the regions where the vilca is used, this tree does not grow. Instead, it has been found that there is another of the same genus, being the species Anadenanthera Colubrina. The seeds contain the same psychoactive alkaloids as Anadenanthera Peregrina. The word vilca or wilka, in the Quichua region is widely used and it cannot be ruled out that it is called by this name or another or other psychoactive plants. In Argentina, the first conquerors found that the aborigines of various tribes, especially the Cemechin, inhaled the powder called cebil, with which they became intoxicated. The plant has been identified as Anandenanthera Colubrina, which is also called Corupay. Cebil contains the same psychoactive alkaloids as vilca. On the other hand, more specifically, it is known that Mama Huilka, was the sacred medicine of the Incas, they held this medicine as a treasure, obviously and as is known, the Incas had a lot of physical gold, but some legends say that the Incas had a city golden. Well, this golden city that the Incas spoke of was not a place on this physical plane, it is a level of consciousness or another dimension that can be accessed with the ceremonial consumption of Mama Huilka. The Incas, their chief shamans and especially their most important Priest called him the Wilka, which means Sacred, he was the person in charge of contact and communication between them and their divinities, he was the one who frequently handled the Huilka and used it among other things. to heal people, to know future events of the empire. It is said that they had a vision that the new white man in these lands was going to misuse the sacred plants as has happened with tobacco and coca, that is why they hid the Huilka breast as a treasure and it has been largely lost. the knowledge of it. Chemically, Mama Huilka contains 5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is an alkaloid with hallucinogenic effects of the tryptamine family. 5-MeO-DMT was first synthesized in 1936.2 In 1959 it was isolated as one of the psychoactive ingredients from the seeds of Piptadenia colubrina (now Anadenanthera colubrina) and the bark of Dictyoloma incanescens (now Dictyoloma vandellianum).
You might experience:
- Vivid and intense visions
- Amplified feelings/emotions
- An expanded capacity of consciousness
- Physical detoxification which can include nausea and sickness
- And, an altered sense of time and space
San Pedro
Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca is a teacher plant with a feminine spirit, known as Grandmother Ayahuasca. Sometimes we can experience the vision of a young or old woman depending on the age of the plant that has been prepared, and many times the spirit of the plant is seen as an anaconda or jaguar. Ayahuasca is like a snake that carries the memories of life. It is known as the vine of the souls and has been used for thousands of years by the people of the Amazon to cure physical, mental, and emotional illness by taking the participants on a journey to different levels of consciousness to heal. Like all power plants, the healing depends on the willingness of the participants to make the changes shown by the medicine, commitment to healing, and the severity of the disease.
Effects
Ayahuasca, or "Natem" to the Shuar people, is a sacred Amazonian tea with psychoactive properties.
The effects can be felt from as little as 20 minutes to an hour after consuming it, and the experience usually lasts around 4-7 hours.
Some folks do not feel very much, but even in this cases, the medicine is still working on us in ways we don't percieve at the moment.
Others might experience:
Vivid and intense visions
Amplified feelings/emotions
An expanded capacity of consciousness
Physical detoxification which can include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
An altered sense of time and space
Where does Ayahuasca come from?
The origins of Ayahuasca for ceremonial consumption first spread amongst the indigenous tribes of the Amazon basin thousands of years ago.
People in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and Ecuador have used Ayahuasca in tribal rituals, and religious and healing ceremonies, as a natural treatment for various physical and mental issues.
We have Shuar friends in the jungle of Gualaquiza who sustainably harvest and send the plants. We prepare the brew here.
How is it made?
Our Ayahuasca is made using only two plants - the vines of Ayahuasca - Banisteriopsis caapi (although the brew itself is called Ayahuasca, the vines are also called Ayahuasca themselves), and chakruna leaves. This combination alone is safe, and one should be weary about drinking Ayahuasca that incorporates other plants, such as wando, or angel's trumpet.
Our ceremonies
Our retreat center provides a safe space for those who choose to participate in the Ayahuasca ceremonies during their retreats
Most of our guests report that they experience a profound spiritual reality and this often includes communion with the spirit of Ayahuasca. This spiritual entity displays wisdom and intelligence that teaches and guides people into having deep, spiritual insights about the nature of reality, the universe and our existence within the material world.
During an Ayahuasca ceremony, participants can experience a wide variety of effects that inspire physical, mental, emotional and spiritual revelations.
All plant medicine ceremonies are led by Miguel, who has over 20 years of experience guiding others through this journey. Katie assists in ceremonies, and all guests are taken care of physically, mentally and spiritually. We help guests to the bathroom, and stay with everyone until the next morning usually. Throughout the ceremony, we sing songs to call in friendly spirits, play the drum and maraca, and other instruments, and energetically protect the space. We pray throughout, and give individual cleansings, or "limpias" to those who would like one. These limpias help direct positive energy more specifically into the patient and help clear away harmful energy. These are done using the maraca, drum, and various perfumes, such as agua florida. After ceremonies, we bless water and some fruits usually, and guests can share their experiences.
What are the medicinal aspects of Ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca can be taken for different purposes such as for physical, mental, and spiritual healing and purification, personal transformation, spiritual initiations, communication with the spiritual realms, to connect with the Earth and our friendly spirits, to ask for guidance and help in some way in our lives. Traditionally, it is also used to help recently deceased loved ones pass over to the next realm, as well as in warfare and hunting.
Ayahuasca's purgative properties can cause vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, crying, yawning and other forms of release as it cleanses the body. Through the purge, we let go of dense, negative emotions and energy to give space for happiness, lightness and clarity. She helps to clear blocks in the spirit, which manifest in physical and emotional illness or dis-ease.
So what are the potential benefits of taking Ayahuasca? Depending on the intention of the person, the setting, the energy and intention of the facilitator, people may:
Receive spiritual teachings and insights
Receive spontaneous spiritual healing
Increase efficiency and concentration
Identify the totality of life
Find the cause of depression or other emotional illness
Clear traumas and blockages to overcome PTSD
Will Ayahuasca make me purge?
Because people usually carry deep emotional pain and unconscious blockages into their journey which creates heavy “baggage”, the physical and mental purifications facilitate the transmutation into a less dense state. A cleansing or purifying effect can manifest as nausea, which can lead to purging or vomiting. The sensation of nausea that some people experience is usually linked to blockages or resistance, and once the body has purged, the mind and emotional blocks may clear, and deeper spiritual realities can then be revealed.
Some people do not vomit, but might have other releases.
Preparing for the Ayahuasca Retreat
Being clean prior to the ceremony will facilitate a deeper process. Ayahuasca has purgative properties, it helps cleanse you at many levels. If you are clean at the physical level with the help of the diet, it will allow you to go to deeper levels of cleansing at the emotional, psychological, and spiritual level. For most people, we recommend avoiding red meat, chemical drugs, and alcohol for at least 3-5 days prior, but more time is better.
Any prescription or other drug use must be discussed with us prior to sessions.
Afterwards
During retreats, we are always available to talk, and usually go for hikes, check out different rivers, or enjoy the sauna and pool. This gives everyone an opportunity to talk with us and share their experiences and ask questions. We love to stay connected with guests, and are always available for a call afterwards. We are not a big commercial retreat, and genuinely care for guests. We want to help you - when we help heal others, we are also healing ourselves.
For several days after ceremonies, avoid intense conversations and arguments if possible. If you watch TV, it is better if it is something peaceful and relaxing, as we are still more open energetically. Eat healthy foods for several days after the retreat and avoid pharmaceutical or recreationald drugs as well. Journal, and take time to be in nature.