Medicine Ceremony
behind the scenes
One does not have to be of a specific spiritual belief to use or get the benefits of this medicine. Recognized by native tradition as a “teacher plant” Ayahuasca facilitates holistic healing and self discovery, far beyond the frontiers of any conventional treatment.”
Mother Ayahuasca ( The grandmother )
Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) is a vine of the jungle, which grows in the entire Amazonia, from Columbia to Peru, Bolivia, Brasil and Guyana. It is known to and respected by all indigenous peoples as a healing plant or master “teacher plant” and represents the basis of their traditional medicines.
Ayahuasca is boiled together with the leaves of a shrub called “Chacruna” (Psychotria viridis), giving a brew or sacred drink of psychoactive character that is consumed in a ritual ceremony leading to reflection and cleansing. This brew, named also Ayahuasca, has been used for more than 5,000 years by the shamans of the Amazon as a way to reach amplified states of consciousness.
The term Ayahuasca is derived from the Quechua words “aya ” meaning soul or spirit and “huasca” meaning rope or vine. This is translated as the cord of the dead or the vine of the soul and is considered to be a drink used by the initiated ones to communicate with the world of the spirits. This brew is considered to be the foundation of the magical-spiritual connection of more than 75 ethnic groups of the Upper and Lower Amazonia.
The consumption of Ayahuasca within a controlled context shows no side-effects, it is not addictive and it does not produce any withdrawal syndrome, that is to say that people do not show any symptom of abstinence when they stop consuming it.
This is a summary of the book “El Ayahuasca – La medicina del alma” (Ayahuasca – The medicine of the soul) published in the internet in July 2002.
Our facilitators have many years experience in faclilitating circles from people around the world & back grounds of being training by a few ayahuasca masters ( curanderos ) from the jungle in Peru), lots of experience in arts, music, healing and energy work.
You will journey in a beautiful, love- filled sacred space .
The ceremony usually start at between 7- 9 pm and it ends after a few hours.
You can stay in the temple till the morning.
The ceremony is accompanied by beautiful instrumental music and sacred songs from the jungle ( icaros ) ,
mantra music, heart songs and medicine songs in English, Spanish, Portugese and other languages.
During the retreat, we follow diet around the ceremonies and I offer integration circle and support after the ceremony according to need.
We will have a more gentle day before and after ceremony.
Many people seek to heal themselves and freedom from physical ailments as well. This is a time when we are blessed with the possibility to heal ailements quicker than ever!
We are in a time of quick transformations and mass consciousness shifts. How these shifts are experienced depends on how much baggage and limiting patterns people still hold unto.
The indigenous people of Peru are masters in plant medicine and the knowledge has been brought on from generation to generation. They know so much about the plants in the jungle and what each one is useful for.
The medicine is known to help to heal addictions, psychic illnesses, physical illnesses/ imbalances and clear out anything that needs clearing and healing at this time.
It is recommended and important to look at what areas of one’s life one would like healing and set the intention before this work.
Preparation for the ceremony:
Before participating in your Ayahuasca ceremony:
⦁ We recommend a light vegetarian lunch, reducing excessive amounts of sugar, salt and any hot sauce in preparation to receive the Ayahuasca brew into your system.
⦁ No Alcohol consumption 48 hours prior to the ceremony.
⦁ Avoid other stimulants, such as Ganja min 1 week before.
⦁ Avoid eating meat and heavy food min 72 hours prior to the ceremony.
⦁ Eat an early lunch, and NO FOOD after 1 p.m.
⦁ Come with warm comfortable clothes and your water.
Before the Ayahuasca Ceremony starts, the person conducting the experience will give instructions that we request to be strictly followed for the well being of all participants. You will be asked to remain silent throughout the night so that everyone can have their own experience in peace and tranquility. We are all working on our own personal issues and it is important to respect your neighbor’s processes as well as your own.
We have a staff well prepared to assist any situation that may arise, but the quality of your experience will depend on your commitment to do your work and honor the ceremony as a whole.
In Peru this plant is looked upon as a holy medicine and completely legal.
The information about this medicine and effects is not to be connected to the owner of this page. Everyone is free to sit in ceremony or not.
If you are interested to participate in a ceremony during your stay in one of our retreats, please be in touch. We usually recommend to stay a few days longer here, in order to participate. We no longer have these kind of ceremonies as part of a retreat, at this point in time, but we are happy to help.
We are also happy to arrange ceremonies for groups as well as private retreats with ceremonies included in.
Please note: Facilitatators are not always available and a ceremony needs a minimum number of people as well as planning ahead of time.
A Beautiful song…..!
“The teacher in the forest said that we should purify
Em B7 Em B7 Em D G
so we are able to receive our angel wings and fly
Em B7 Em B7 G D Em
The teacher in the forest said that we should seek rebirth
Em B7 Em B7 Em D G
so we can be a bridge between heaven and the earth
Em B7 Em B7 G D
Em Oh daime, daime amor, Daime minha querida
Am Em B7 Em
Daime, daime luz, estou con Vós, eterna vida_
Am Em B7 Em B7
The teacher in the forest told a secret from above
Em B7 Em B7 Em D G
that all this world of confusion and pain is truly made of love
Em B7 Em B7 G D Em
The teacher in the forest told a secret in the night
Em B7 Em B7 Em D G
that all this world that seems so real is truly made of light
Em B7 Em B7 G D Em
Oh daime, daime amor…”
Wachuma (San Pedro): Mother Earth’s Powerful Medicine
The Sacred Cactus
San Pedro, also called Wachuma, is a cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi) that grows in the Peruvian Andes.
For over 3000 years, the cactus has been used as a medicine, a teaching and healing plant, and is used for prophecies and for the expansion of consciousness.
Like the Ayahuasca vine, the San Pedro cactus is a master plant and is also called the grandfather plant because of its masculine energy.
In more recent years, these sacred plants have become increasingly available to those living outside native communities. Western travellers in particular are becoming more interested in traditional medicine and ancient wisdom teachings.
When sacred plant medicines are administered in a ceremonial context under the guidance of a Shaman or healer, they can provide profoundly healing and transformative experiences.
In order to obtain the powerful medicine from the San Pedro cactus, first the outer 1-2 mm thin layer is peeled off. Then, it is cut into small pieces or slices, the inner core being removed and thrown away. The pieces are placed in a large dish and covered with water. The bowl is then placed in the sun for a whole day and a whole night in the shade. The next day it is emptied into a large pot and boiled.
In this process, the liquid becomes slightly thicker and slimy, and the contents of the pot are then emptied back through a sieve, into the dish. The remaining slimy liquid is the medicine and is handed over to the participants in a ceremony for drinking.
The ceremony usually takes place during the day, is accompanied by a shaman and can take up to 12 hours.
Contrary to the effect of Ayahuasca, San Pedro does not have strong visions and also vomiting or diarrhea are not the order of the day. This is, of course, to say that each body reacts differently and can be possible in individual cases, especially vomiting.
The effect of San Pedro is cautious and profound. A heart opening takes place, which causes a profound change of consciousness and helps to heal the wounds of the past. In doing so, not only can our own personal, psychological injuries or diseases be healed, but also those which have been passed on by our ancestors through the DNA.
A further effect of San Pedro takes place at a visual level and one can, for example, the energy fields and frequencies of plants, animals or other people. In most cases, a San Pedro experience is so profound and heartwarming that the participants cry for hours.