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