Sacred Plant Allies & Teachers

Working with plants is one of the oldest shamanic practices. When we intentionally sit with a plant to connect with its spirit and receive its teachings & medicines, no experience can equate. Receiving plant medicines in sacred ceremony takes us on a journey of our hearts, bodies, minds, and spirits, and opens us in ways that we may not have known were possible.

The plant sacraments listed here are the main ones that I work with, and offer in ceremony. I hope that you find this information valuable, and as always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Rapé (pronounced "ha-pay") is a powerful plant medicine that comes from the Amazon basin and has been prepared and served by Shamans and Medicine People for thousands of years. Served through a bone, bamboo, or wooden pipe (a Tepi for serving others, and a Kuripe for serving oneself), Rapé is blown up the nose, into each nostril; it is known as a shamanic snuff. This style of energy work is called "Soplada," which is the transfer of healing or life force energy through the breath - a beautiful ceremonial practice that in many cultures is believed to carry a piece of the Shaman's spirit through the breath into the person receiving the medicine. 

A grounding force, Rapé brings us into our center, hones us in on the present moment, and aids our physical, mental, emotional, and etheric bodies in realigning. Rapé clears our energetic field, releases stagnated, dense, and unwanted energies, decongests our airways, unblocks trapped emotions, treats physical dis-ease, and is also known to decalicfy the pineal gland, "which is involved in melatonin secretion, circadian time perception, and the function of the immune system." There are TONS of uses for Rapé, over a wide variety of categories. 

The main ingredient used in making Rapé is tobacco - specifically Nicotiana Rustica, also called Mapacho, or Arapiraca tobacco. Tobacco is used in Shamanic ceremonies, rituals, and arts, as a teacher, protector, and healer. This is much unlike the Western use of tobacco in cigarettes on anxiety-ridden lunch breaks and chain-smoking addictions. This finely-ground tobacco is mixed with many combinations of the ashes of different sacred and medicinal trees to produce a myriad of effects. There are several different types of Rapé using varying tree ashes, shrubs, leaves, and flowers, all blended with unique intentions for use. This medicine is utilized for a plethora of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual ailments, blockages, and purposes, and it is served both by itself, and in conjunction with other plant medicines.

Sananga is crafted from the roots of the Tabernaemontana sananho (or undulata) shrub, which grows in the Amazon rainforest. This plant sacrament is served in the form of an eyedrop, applied to both eyes. Utilized for many purposes spanning a range of physical, emotional, mental, energetic, and spiritual intentions, Sananga has many potent benefits.

Traditionally, Sananga used to primarily be utilized for a few specific things: sharpening vision - especially in the dark, releasing fear and anxiety from the body, and creating a clear connection to one's intuition and inner "vision." Many generations ago, Sananga was brought in most often to administer to hunters before they went out on their hunts. The Sananga would prepare them to be out in the wilderness by releasing apprehension and fear, calming their nervous systems, sharpening both their daytime and nighttime vision, and helping them to intuitively know where their prey would be found. Sananga was also utilized by tribe leaders to help bring visions and awareness of any potential dangers coming their way, such as harsh weather systems that could destroy crops and invaders that would bring war and disharmony,

Sananga is known as an indigenous all-purpose remedy, having a wide range of uses and effects - especially with very physical ailments and afflictions. Other than the benefits that it brings to the physical eyes, this sacrament is used to treat skin illnesses, counteract snake bites and poisoning, suppress appetite, and bring relief to dental issues. Additionally, the testing of all of the plants in this family has shown that each shrub carries active microbial activity, revealing strong antioxidant, anticancer, antifertility/contraceptive, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-mycobacterial, and antimicrobial effects.

When it comes to the physical eyes, Sananga has a reputation for being indicated in the healing of many eye ailments. 

"The pure spirit of Sananga supports a deep cleansing of blocked energies on emotional, physical, and spiritual levels. Sananga can balance and increase your energies, and find the roots of your diseases and blockages, leading to a complete equilibrium, focus and peace of mind. Moreover, the drops will expand your spiritual vision and awareness, and enhance your ability to read others people´s intentions. Also, Sananga increases your long-range vision, which is important for visualizations and predictions of the future. Apart of this, the drops are also used to cure and improve a broad range of ocular problems, like myopia, depth and color perception, definition of images, and detection accuracy. Furthermore, this magical medicine is indicated in cases of severe eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, and blindness. As these drops can exert such powerful effects on your visualization, they are also commonly applied before or during Ayahuasca ceremonies, to increase visualization and spiritual insights.

Even though Sananga is famous for its effects on vision and visualization, this medicine is considered to be an indigenous all-purpose remedy. It is applied for febrifuge, emetic, diuretic, calmative, and several other diseases. Furthermore, Sananga is often used to cure skin illnesses (dermatitis), suppress appetite, ease dental problems, and counteract snakebite wounds and poisoning, cure eye wounds and rheumatism. Another important curative aspect of the Apocynaceae family is its widely explored antimicrobial activity, which showed that this family has strong antioxidant, anticancer, antifertility/ contraceptive, antipyretic (fever reducing), anti-inflammatory, anti-mycobacterial, and antimicrobial effects."

Cacao is the natural form of chocolate before it is adulterated. It comes in the fruit that is shown in the picture two photos below and is taken through an ancient process that can involve hand-peeling, fermenting, and roasting the Cacao beans, to then rolling them out with a rolling pin to create a paste. This paste is then formed into a block in which it solidifies. When we prepare Cacao to be served, we most commonly craft a hot beverage out of it - which is where modern civilizations got the idea of "hot chocolate."

Traditionally, Cacao is served in sacred ceremony as a plant medicine/sacrament. It has been utilized for thousands of years for all types of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness & healing, and is generally called upon for heart-healing. I learned a story in my studies years ago that told of an ancient legend/prophecy of Cacao and its purpose on Earth. It stated that Cacao is here to unify the hearts of all of mankind. That when the tribes of people are all separated and torn, Cacao will travel the world to bring healing, wholeness, and unification through the unlocking of unconditional love. I believe that is the time we are in now.

Cacao ceremonies can be facilitated in a number of ways ranging from the practices of traditional indigenous lineages to more contemporary formats framed around a facilitator's intention. Ancient Mayan texts described the cacao ceremony to be “heart opening," and modern research shows that the active ingredient in Cacao - theobromine - is able to widen the blood vessels and specifically stimulates the heart. But this is only the scientific explanation of a deeply spiritual inward journey.

Opening up emotional availability, softening our hearts, and inviting us into a connected space of vulnerable authenticity, Cacao is a sacrament of comfort, love, connection, and openness. Mildly euphoric, it helps us to be with ourselves and our deepest emotions while simultaneously holding a space of joy, excitement, and play. It helps us to meet ourselves in a very honest and receptive way, creating space for a level of introspection and self-discovery that we might not otherwise choose into.

Cacao is incredibly beneficial on a nutritional level as well. It is referred to as a "superfood," because of it being a rich source of antioxidants, fat, carbohydrates, protein, polyphenols like flavanoids (that are antioxidants), minerals like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, iron, zinc and potassium, oleic acid which is a heart-healthy essential monounsaturated fat, fiber and vitamins E, B2, B1, B5, B3 and B9. Cacao is indicated in the lowering of blood pressure, inflammation reduction, heart and cardiac system health, and much more.

Native to Egypt and parts of Asia, this beautiful flower has been used for thousands of years for spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental purposes. A gentle psychoactive that acts as dopamine agonist, Blue Lotus activates feelings of euphoria, and quells anxiety. Used to make teas, smoking blends, and tinctures, it has been known to open up the mindspace in order to connect with intuition & psychic gifts, and take us on visionary meditations.

Known for its ability to open spaces of lucid dreaming, this beautiful flower brings awareness to the unconscious. Taken before bed, it will help us to be "awake" in our dream spaces so that we can navigate them consciously and remember them when we wake up. Blue Lotus is also wonderful for helping us to sleep in general! It is recommended if you have trouble falling and staying asleep.

Blue Lotus also has anesthetic and even muscle-relaxing properties! Say bye-bye to tension, soreness, pain, and discomfort when communing with this lovely flower! Oil from the flower can be used to massage directly into your skin, releasing tight muscles and lessening pain.  Blue Lotus (and specifically the compound Apomorphine that it contains) has even been indicated in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease.  More recent studies of Blue Lotus even suggest that it may also benefit conditions such as neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and depression.

Blue Lotus is used around the world as a substitute for cannabis, because of the similar psychoactive and physical effects that they have. I personally compare Blue Lotus to CBD. While it isn't completely mind-altering (for me), it brings a release of tension and increases joy, all while opening up my mental body to ideas and downloads.