| ‘Whether the plant is to heal the body or the | | | | which have been soaking in water for many hours. |
| spirit or whether it is part of an apprenticeship, what | | | | The maestro prepares the water by blowing |
| makes it work is your good intention towards the | | | | mapacho (jungle tobacco) smoke and at the same |
| plant. They are beings, which have their own forms | | | | time placing his intention into the flower soaked |
| or they can be like human beings with faces and | | | | water. Again these flowers and plants have been |
| bodies. When the spirit accepts the person, and the | | | | gathered from sometimes deep and not easily |
| person has the will, the spirit grants them energy. | | | | accessible locations in the rainforest and have been |
| The path to knowledge opens, and the healing takes | | | | selected for their specific qualities which the maestro |
| place’ | | | | feels are needed to help that person. |
| Guillermo Arevalo – Shipibo Maestro | | | | A friend of mine Alonso del Rio, who has lived with |
| In the Amazonian tradition working with planta | | | | the Shipibo people, and is uniquely well equipped to |
| maestras (teacher plants) is known as the | | | | be a bridge between the indigenous wisdom and |
| Shaman’s Diet. The working can be seen as a | | | | modern Westerners, tells the following; |
| conscious body of actions to incorporate the plant | | | | ‘The mind of the traditional maestro is very |
| spirit into one’s own spirit. From this incorporation | | | | different from yours or mine. He has lived in the |
| or union, the plant spirit informs and teaches the | | | | rainforest without contact with the Western world, |
| maestro or apprentice. They learn the magical chants | | | | so to have access to the same visions, the same |
| (icaros) which invoke the power of the plant, how to | | | | codes is difficult. But what I have found is that the |
| use the plant for healing purposes, and how to | | | | expansion of the consciousness and the power that |
| strengthen the dieter both psychologically and | | | | the plant gives you to understand many things is |
| physically. The purpose of the diet is to prepare the | | | | perfectly valid. |
| body and nervous system for the powerful | | | | The magical space to which we are taken - call it the |
| knowledge and expansion of consciousness given by | | | | ‘unconscious’ or any term you want to use |
| teacher plants. | | | | depending on your psychological model - is one where |
| It offers a significant challenge for the rational | | | | all the kingdoms of nature can communicate. That is |
| Western mind to come to terms with the teacher | | | | people can talk to plants, and plants with minerals, |
| plants, and a leap of imagination is required to | | | | minerals to animals and animals with humans… all in |
| incorporate the ‘other’ consciousness, or | | | | the same language. It is a very real communication |
| spirit of the plant. | | | | and one of the greatest mysteries which exists. This |
| We also have a ‘linguistic’ limitation (as an | | | | is something which an English person or a Peruvian |
| analogue the Inuit have over fifty distinct words for | | | | born in Lima can experience just as an Amazonian |
| snow), in that the word ‘shaman’ is very | | | | person. Because you can do it without speaking in a |
| recent to the Amazon, coming via the Western | | | | native dialect, it doesn’t go through the mind but |
| world in the last 20 – 30 years. There are many | | | | between one spirit and another.” |
| words which denote the plant specialisation of the | | | | On the edge of the Amazonian town Iquitos is the |
| maestro or Vegetalista. Benjamin Ochavano a 70 | | | | market river port of Belen, which has the famous |
| year old Shipibo Vegetalista says that his father was | | | | street ‘Pasaje Paquito’ where many of the |
| known as a moraya or banco (healer), in Spanish it | | | | rainforest, herbs, plants, mixtures, tinctures are sold. |
| was a curandero. A curandero could then further | | | | Chatting to Juanita the owner of the stall where I |
| specialise in a particular plant such as chonta | | | | buy plants from, I remember her describing some of |
| (bamboo) and be a chontero. For example a | | | | the potions, lotions, plants, tonics, barks, perfumes, |
| curandero who specialises in smells and perfumes | | | | roots, oils, aphrodisiacs and leaves, and remarking |
| would be a perfumero. | | | | “when you talk to the plants you will get to |
| Another challenge to our rational mind to enter the | | | | know them like friends, they have their own spirits, |
| magical world to which we are transported by plants | | | | their own personalities”. |
| is that it is mainly accessible through dream language | | | | A look at a few of the ‘planta maestras’ |
| or an expansion of the imagination. Thus dreams & | | | | The shamans say that plants connect us with nature |
| our imaginative powers act like doorways during a | | | | because they take their nourishment directly from |
| plant diet and connect us with the plant spirit. | | | | the earth, as well as the sun’s rays, the air, and |
| The rational mind can only struggle, to take as an | | | | water. They allow us to know and recognize |
| example the famed ‘love potion’ of the | | | | ourselves. A shaman must know this and must love |
| Amazon known as the Pusanga. In rational terms it | | | | his people to heal them. |
| makes no sense whatsoever, how can a concoction | | | | Chiric Sanango Brumfelsia grandiflora; this plant is |
| of leaves, roots, and seeds attract a lover, or good | | | | good for colds and arthritis and has the effect of |
| luck to you? My experience working with shamans in | | | | heating up the body, so much so that the maestros |
| preparing Pusangas (which normally is prepared away | | | | advise a cold shower after each dose! This plant can |
| from their clients so it was a privilege to be invited to | | | | be used in baths for good luck, and bring success to |
| participate in the preparation) showed me that far | | | | fishing, hunting etc. |
| from interfering with the freedom of other individuals | | | | This planta maestra also makes possible for people |
| or putting a ‘number’ on them, we were | | | | to open up their heart to feel love for people and |
| altering something within ourselves, which was | | | | animals (warms up a cold heart) and bestows the |
| brought out by the ingredients, the magic of the | | | | ability to identify with other people as though they |
| plants. Whatever it was, it felt wholesome and good. | | | | were your brothers and sisters. |
| It is what is in oneself… one’s own magic. | | | | The plant grows mainly in the Upper Amazon and |
| Asking Javier Arevalo (the shaman) what does the | | | | only a few ‘restingas’ (high ground which |
| Pusanga actually do, is it inside us or outside of us? | | | | never floods) in the Lower Amazon. The gift of Chiric |
| His response was “When you pour it onto your | | | | Sanango is self esteem, and develops a deep |
| skin it begins to penetrate your spirit, and the spirit is | | | | connection with your inner self. |
| what gives you the force to pull the people. The | | | | On a personal note, I have dieted this plant, and |
| spirit is what pulls”. | | | | although I thought the terminology of "warming one's |
| The anthropological term ‘sympathetic | | | | heart" to be a bit "cheesy", this plant really did have |
| magic’ does not give this justice, to illustrate this, | | | | an extraordinary effect on me, I really did feel this |
| the water used in the preparation of an authentic | | | | inner glow of warmth, and friendship, and to my |
| pusanga (which has been specifically made for you) | | | | surprise it is still there! I feel that I returned from my |
| has been collected from a deep trek in the | | | | exploration with this plant a changed person. |
| rainforest, sometimes 40 or 50 miles, where there | | | | Guayusa (Piper callosum); is good for excessive |
| are no people and where clay pools collect and | | | | acidity and other digestive problems in the stomach |
| thousands of the most beautiful coloured parrots and | | | | and bile. Also it is both energizing and relaxing at the |
| macaws gather to drink from them for the mineral | | | | same time and develops mental strength. |
| content. Now the great leap of imagination required is | | | | Guayusa also has the most interesting effect of |
| to bring into yourself the knowledge, the feeling, the | | | | giving lucid dreams i.e. when you are dreaming you |
| sense that the water in the Pusanga has drawn in or | | | | are aware that you are dreaming. The plant is also |
| attracted thousands of the most brightly coloured | | | | known as the "night watchman's plant", as even |
| creatures on the planet. If you do this, it can | | | | when sleeping you seem to have an awareness the |
| generate a shift in consciousness in you. | | | | outer physical surroundings. |
| You can sample this for yourself, just find a quiet | | | | On another personal note, I found the experience |
| moment and space, close your eyes, and with the | | | | with this plant also to be quite incredible. I found that |
| power of your imagination as the launch pad, draw in | | | | the usual boundary between sleeping and being |
| the verdant, abundant forest filled with life, colour, | | | | awake to be more fluid than I had anticipated. Even |
| and sound. Sense the rich vibrancy of the rainforest | | | | now, sometime after taking the plant my dreams are |
| as a single breathing rhythmic totality of life force. | | | | more colourful, richer, and lucid than before. When |
| When you have this image, expand it to include, the | | | | taking this plant, I sometimes wake up not knowing if |
| humid warmth, the smell of earth, the scent of | | | | I have actually ‘woken up’ or I am dreaming |
| plants, hear the sound of insects and bird song, allow | | | | that I’ve woken up. For those interested in |
| all your senses to experience this. Then with a | | | | 'dreaming' this is certainly the plant to explore. |
| conscious decision draw this sensory experience into | | | | Ajo Sacha (Pseudocalymma); A very important planta |
| your being. Whenever you are ready, open your | | | | maestra in the initiation of Amazonian shamans. On a |
| eyes, and check how you are feeling. | | | | physical level it purifies the blood, and is used for |
| Maestros do not invent diets, they are given by the | | | | people suffering from arthritis and rheumatism. The |
| plant spirits themselves, but there is more to it than | | | | other benefits are that it brings mental strength, |
| simply abstaining from certain foods and activities. It | | | | acuity of mind, and it can take you out of saladera |
| involves a state of purification, retreat, commitment, | | | | (regarded as a run of bad luck, inertia, or a sense of |
| and respect for our connection with everything | | | | not living to the full). It is also used for ridding spells. |
| around us - above all the rain forest. When we listen | | | | The plant is used to enhance hunting skills by |
| to our dreams, they become more real, and equally | | | | covering up human smell with the garlic-like smell of |
| important as everyday life. | | | | Ajo Sacha. |
| The shamans work with the power of the plants in | | | | The Shipibo maestro Guillermo Arevalo also added |
| many ways, the colours of the flowers, the perfume, | | | | that this plant opens the shamanic path – if we |
| their shape, form, and associations. To illustrate this, | | | | are prepared to live under the obligations of |
| another maestro Artiduro Aro Cardenas remarks; | | | | shamanism, to do this we need the qualities of |
| ‘A smell has the power to attract. I can also | | | | courage, and no fear of extremes or ‘ugly’ |
| make smells to attract business, people who buy. | | | | things. We need to understand what role we will play |
| You just rub it on your face and it brings in the | | | | in our community, and have the heart of a warrior. |
| people to your business, if you are selling, people | | | | As a personal observation, Guillermo is one of the |
| come to buy. I also make perfumes for love, and | | | | most highly respected maestros in the Amazonian |
| others for flourishing. These are the forces of nature, | | | | region and is regarded as the authority on dieting this |
| what I do is give it direction with my breath so it has | | | | planta maestra. |
| effect. I use my experience of the plants which I | | | | On another personal note, I found my senses being |
| have dieted. I have a relation with the plants and | | | | altered and enhanced with this plant. I could zoom in |
| with the patient; I can’t make these things on a | | | | and focus on sounds emanating from the rainforest, |
| commercial scale. | | | | my sense of smell became sharper, and in some |
| When I diet I take in the strength of the plant and it | | | | ineffable way I could tune into the breathing or |
| stays with me. Later I find the illness or suffering of | | | | rhythm of the rainforest. The sound of insects and |
| the person or what it is they want, and the plant | | | | birds was no longer a random phenomenon, these |
| guides me and tells me if it is the right one for that | | | | sounds became a rhythmic breath, rising and falling. |
| person, and I cure them’ | | | | No wonder that it is used for hunting as one's sense |
| He also (as do many maestros) works with the | | | | are heightened in an incredible way. |
| plants not only to heal illnesses but to resolve | | | | Reflections |
| domestic and family problems; | | | | On reflection dieting plant medicine is totally different |
| ‘I get people coming for help to give up drug | | | | than pharmaceutical medication which only affects |
| addiction, people with family problems, supposing the | | | | one whilst it is being taken; these kinds of plant |
| man has gone off and left his family, the Mama is | | | | medicines seem to have a permanent effect in some |
| here with me and the Papa is far away. I pull him | | | | way metaphorical or otherwise altering one's |
| back so he returns to his home so that the family | | | | consciousness or "DNA". |
| can consolidate again. In a short time he will be | | | | One of the great revelations that we can experience |
| thinking of his children and his wife, and he comes | | | | in working with the plant spirit or consciousness is |
| back. I don’t need to have the actual plants in | | | | that we are not separate from the natural world. In |
| front of me, I call the plant spirits which work for | | | | our culture we perceive ourselves to be separate |
| that, Renaco, Huayanche, Lamarosa, Sangapilla, | | | | beings with our minds firmly embedded within our |
| perfumes and I call his spirit back to the family home. | | | | physical being (typically our head). The plants can |
| I blow smoke to reunite them.’ | | | | show you that this way of being is an illusion and |
| Another (in a very enjoyable way) the qualities, | | | | that we are all connected, all of us and everything |
| consciousness or spirit of the plant is used to attract | | | | else is a discrete element in the great universal field |
| benign forces is “los baños florales” or | | | | of consciousness or spirit. |
| flower baths. In this the individual is bathed in flowers | | | | |