by Ross Heaven
HOW OTHERS HAVE HEALED BY DRINKING WACHUMA
I have had the honor to witness great healings from all kinds of imbalances and diseases. I have seen people beat anorexia, lung disease, migraine, hemorrhoids, allergies, depression, and many other illnesses after just one ceremony. Mental disturbances such as paranoia and borderline psychotic and schizophrenic states may need more than one ceremony to rewire the pathways of the brain, however, and I encourage people with serious diseases to commit to at least three ceremonies to reach the root of their problems. Each journey with wachuma peels off a few more layers and takes us a little deeper.
It takes some practice to get past our fears and learn to consciously work with the medicine. I believe that the root of most diseases is a spiritual one. It is the feeling of being separated from nature, God, and oneness that makes us sick. Once we rediscover who we really are and that we are all connected as one living organism, a lot of our problems disappear.
I also believe that our problems are bound to a limited view. If we can expand our horizons and attain new perspectives, our problems diminish as we see the reasons behind them. As we step out of ignorance and awaken to our true being, we start recreating our lives in healthier ways.
HOW I PREPARE THE MEDICINE
When I look for cactus to work with I ask the plants who want to work with me to “appear” and I choose the ones who stand out and appeal when I see them. The medicine is stronger when it is prepared during the waxing moon or full moon. It is also stronger if I am under the effect of the medicine while I prepare it.
I cut and slice the plant in a meditative and respectful mood and I always replant a part of the plant I use so it can continue to grow. The bottom part will eventually produce offspring and the top part will continue to grow.
Cutting and slicing is stressful to the plant and creates heat when its self-healing instinct kicks in. To balance this heat I freeze the plant material. From a more scientific point of view this process also weakens the cell walls in the plant tissue so the alkaloids are released more easily during cooking.
I only use the greenest part as the white is said to contain iodine, which can give headaches and may also be harmful to the eyes in the long term. The white can be used as a shower sponge, however, as it is very beneficial for hair and skin. I let the brew simmer for up to twenty hours, depending on the thickness of the slices. I boil it on a low heat as it makes the brew thinner and prevents evaporating the alkaloids.
COMBINATIONS OF DIFFERENT CACTUSES
I mainly work with two species of the cactus family: Peruvian torch (Trichocereus peruanus) and San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi), but sometimes I also combine them with Trichocereus cuzcoensis or other cacti within the same family. I tend to select bigger, older peruanus and pachanoi plants as they provide the base for the brew. I also like to use the offspring from a mother plant of any additional local cactus at least twenty years old that grows in the area where the ceremony is to be held.
I combine all three when I want to work with a wide spectrum of energies, and the third cactus helps to connect with the energy present in that specific location. I call this combination “the Three Wise Men.”
It was shown to me during a wachuma journey that the spikes, as well as providing a natural defense for the cactus, work as antennas or acupuncture needles along the meridians of the plant. The different length of the spikes, together with the geometric shape of the cactus, tunes the plant into different frequencies. I have also made combinations of cacti from the north and south of Peru. The plants tend to take turns, alternating and facilitating each other’s specialities and the unique energies gathered from their natural habitats.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DIFFERENT STARS (RIBS)
The medicine differs with the age of the plant and how fast it has grown, the location, altitude, and so on. The different number of ribs also brings different frequencies and qualities.
Even-numbered cacti tend to be more “yin” in their nature and work on the physical body and the denser energy levels. Cacti with odd-numbered ribs are more “yang,” with more active energy and usually bring more visual sensations. Looking from the top, the ribs form a “star,” which is the term I prefer to use.
The Six-Pointed Star
I was sitting cross-legged on the floor peeling my first six-pointed cactus when my friend Matt, a Jewish rabbi, came by. He offered to help out with the peeling and I gratefully accepted. The six-pointed star looks just like the Star of David hexagram, so I found it amusing that a rabbi walked in and got his hands on it.
We discussed sacred geometry and Matt shared his knowledge of Kabbalah while helping with the medicine. I believe that the six-pointed star symbolizes yin and yang. Matt suggested that the six points can also symbolize the four directions, plus one point for heaven and one for Earth. That can also mean finding the center line within ourselves and expanding out in the four directions.
This is the same principle used by the Sufi whirling dervishes who spin around their center line for hours while in a deep trance and total communion with God. The hexagram in the Hindu yantra symbolizes the union of Shakti, the Divine Feminine, Mother Earth, with the down-pointing triangle. The upward triangle symbolizes Shiva, Divine Masculine, Father Sky. The two components are called Om and Hrim in Sanskrit, and symbolize man’s position between Earth and sky. It is also the symbol for anahata, the “heart chakra.”
In Tibetan Buddhism the hexagram often forms the center of a mandala and is called chos-kyi’ byung-gnas, “the origin of phenomenon.” The hexagram is also used by Christians and Muslims.
This medicine is primarily for balancing the masculine and feminine energy within ourselves. It also helps couples to connect on a deeper level as they surrender to their true essences. The six-pointed star is, therefore, good medicine to find equilibrium and the center within. Its affirmation is: “I am a divine expression of unity; I am whole.”
The Seven-Pointed Star
This is a good “all-round” medicine. If I were to compare it with a car it would probably be a Ferrari convertible that moves fast around the turns. Its energy is more yang than yin. It connects peoples’ hearts on a deep level and brings joy into their lives.
I use the seven-pointed star as a good introduction to San Pedro for those new to this medicine, and work with it for healing emotional wounds. I usually use this type in combinations with other plants when my intention is to work on thought patterns and emotional imbalances. Reconnection with the heart is the main property of the seven-pointed star. It also works as extra fuel when mixed with the mellower six- and eight-pointed stars, almost as a booster to enhance their beneficial properties. It also works as a catalyst to connect with the nine-pointed star’s higher frequencies.
The archetype that I like to associate with it is the firefly as it tends to give more vivid visual sensations and is all over the place. Affirmation: “I am in one heart with all creation.”
The Eight-Pointed Star
Having eight directions makes this plant more balanced than other cacti. One of my participants described its medicine as like a tank: unstoppable, strong, and single-minded in purpose. It usually takes you on a mellow journey, however, connecting the mind with the physical body to heal and balance physical or materialistic problems.
It is the most contemplative of the different stars, with a medicine that works slowly and consistently, like a plow through the mind. The eight-pointed star with its octagon shape reminds me of the pakua, the Taoist symbol for the eight forces of nature, holding the trigrams in perfect balance. The archetype of the medicine feels to me like an old dragon, wise and watchful. Affirmation: “I am present, grounded.”
The Nine-Pointed Star
Nine is the number of initiation. In the Taoist tradition it is the number of the emperor. The vibration is high. It is a detoxifying medicine and your body may continue to release toxins for days following a ceremony with it. It raises your vibration to the highest possible l
evel and may help put you on a new track where life rapidly unfolds in a lighter way that serves your highest good.
It is good medicine when we are standing on thresholds in the passage of life and a good aid for changing destructive life patterns. It opens the gates to the upper world and can allow you to see beyond your physical body, to observe your life from above as if through the eyes of the condor. Its medicine is usually more subtle and I recommend it for more experienced journeyers. I usually use the nine-pointed star at the end of a retreat program.
If I was asked to give it an animal archetype it would be the hummingbird. Affirmation: “Wake up, rise and shine!”
The Ten-Pointed Star
This medicine works on a very high level. It can be very subtle so I combine it with other stars to obtain the maximum benefit from it. I usually work with a brew of one-third ten-pointed star and two-thirds nine-pointed star to bridge the physical and celestial body. From here we have a good platform to connect with the Creator.
In one of the stronger ceremonies with a group of experienced people we drank a brew of ten-, nine-, and seven-star plants. We all shared the intention to journey deep, which supported the process of working on a high level. We were all shaking and vibrating that day and the energy was so high that the journey lasted for about fifteen hours. One woman received an initiation from the spirit of wachuma and started channeling powerful medicine songs (icaros).
Affirmation: “I am co-creating with God.”
COMBINATIONS WITH OTHER PLANTS
When we add other plants to the brew, it enhances their medicinal properties as the spirits of these plants are facilitated by wachuma to reveal themselves in their full potential. I have experimented with different plants and this is what I have found so far with those I have used more extensively.
Uña de Gato (Cat’s Claw)
This plant grows in the Amazon basin. Its medicine strengthens the immune system and heals the reproductive organs. On another level, the plant also helps to clear the first two chakras: the core. It is helpful in healing past sexual traumas as well as other issues with sexuality. Uña de gato is traditionally used by indigenous people for treating diseases including tumors and cancer. Scientists are currently working on using it to boost the immune system for HIV patients.
Chamomile
Chamomile has a sweet, soothing effect on the nervous system. It helps prevent spasms during strong wachuma experiences and it calms the stomach. It works on the solar plexus and heart chakra. It calms excessive yang (active) energy and brings a state of acceptance and trust.
Coca Leaves
Mother Coca brings clarity to a confused and distracted mind. I use it to keep a clear head during strong journeys. It also expands the bronchiole in the lungs, allowing more oxygen and prana (life energy) to enter the bloodstream.
Coca connects us to Pachamama (Mother Earth) so we can learn more about agriculture and healing directly from the plants. It clears and stimulates the upper chakras, the third eye, and the crown chakra, and can also help women to truly surrender to their feminine essence. In the past, tobacco—a strong masculine plant—was placed on the stomach of menstruating women as a way of suppressing the strength and power present during the moon cycle. However, using coca instead can help a woman to embrace her femininity and reconnect with her body and moon cycle. Western society, which offers birth control pills, painkillers, and hormone manipulation to skip menstruation for months at a time, disconnects and distances women from this natural cleansing time. Women are encouraged to use tampons so they can avoid seeing their menstrual fluid and do all the activities they normally do. Mama Coca can be a really powerful tool to correct this conditioning and allow women to embrace their physical bodies and the Goddess within.
White Sage
This sacred plant has been used for ages as a cleansing smudge and to clear the way for Great Spirit to do its work. It keeps the aura clear and seals holes to block out unwelcome energies. It is a great ally for energetic protection and cleansing.
Palo Santo
This is South America’s equivalent to North America’s white sage. It is used for cleansing and raising the vibration in energetic fields. It deters negative energies.
I use a small amount of palo santo in the wachuma brew to repair and cleanse the aura. It is like cleaning wounds on an energetic level.
OTHER USEFUL PLANTS
Calea zacatechichi
This Mexican herb is used for conscious dream work. I don’t mix it in the wachuma brew but a pinch of the dried plant can be chewed at the end of a ceremony before going to sleep. It can help you to stay aware during the dream state so you continue to work with your subconscious processes.
Datura and Brugmansia
Putting one to three flowers under the pillow may give more vivid dreams and reveal subconscious processes through these dreams. Flowers and leaves can also be placed on chakras and body parts in hands-on healing.
Valerian
Some people may find it difficult to sleep after a day with wachuma. They may be a little overwhelmed from the intense mental work and download of information. Depending on the medicine and the person’s intention, the journey may last anywhere from eight to fifteen hours. I find it helpful to take ten drops of valerian tincture in water or chamomile tea as a sleeping aid before going to bed.
Bach Rescue Remedy
During a ceremony I sometimes give a few drops of this remedy to someone who is going through an experience of recalling memories of strong trauma from the past. It helps them stay calm and surrender to the process. Any flower essence if used correctly can be very powerful during or after a wachuma journey. For example, a few drops of lavender on your pillow is another natural sleeping aid.
Floral Bath
I make my mixture with water from a sacred place, such as a water temple or fresh water source from the Sacred Valley. I combine it with ruda (rue), white sage, and palo santo for their cleansing properties. I sometimes cook the core part of the San Pedro cactus and add this to the mixture, too. The white part of the cactus is very good for the hair and skin. It is an alkaline antiseptic and can treat dandruff and other hair and skin conditions. It also helps to keep people connected to the plant over the nights during a series of ceremonies. The floral bath is done in the evening before going to sleep. An extra component to the bath is to use a piece of San Pedro’s white core as a sponge.
THE CEREMONIAL SETTING
I open my mesa (altar) by giving thanks and prayers and calling in my spirit helpers. I thank our Mother Earth and Grandfather Sun, Taita Inti, for bringing life, for keeping us warm, and for bringing the light. I thank our Grandmother Moon, Mama Kia, for bringing light into our darkness. I also call on the four elements, which are the four pillars of all creation. I ask the element of Earth to show us our life purpose and to heal our physical body. Then I call on the element of Water, our blood, to cleanse our bodies and souls. I thank the Water for teaching us about the flow of energies and the flow of life and I ask it to heal our emotions. Then I call on the element of Air, the winds, our breath, the breath of life, which carries our prayers and intentions. I ask the Air to teach us to communicate in a respectful way and to create beautiful music as medicine. I ask the element of Air to heal our minds. Finally I call on the element of Fire, our spirit, the element that transforms energies from dense to higher frequencies and awakens us. I ask the Fire to heal our souls.
I thank the sacred mountains, the Apus, the creator God, Great Spirit, and I thank the sacred medicine of the plants for healing us and helping us to wake up from this dream. I thank our spirit helpers, guardians, doctors, wisdom keepers, ancestors, animal spirits, our totem animals and allies, and the saints, prophets, bodhisattvas, and buddhas, all the awakened ones, the ones who have walked before us.
I thank the great circle of medicine people, healers, teachers, and everyone who wants to heal and make the world a better place. I pray for a healthy Earth with nutrient-rich soil, fresh
air, and clean waters. I pray for harmonious coexistence and for peace. I pray for the children who are waiting to come and that all beings may be free of suffering and happy.
I thank the participants for coming to do this work for themselves and for all their relationships and to co-create with God to give birth to a better world. I then invite them to share their prayers and specific intentions for the journey. We also invite the souls of friends and relatives who need healing to enter our circle. Ingesting the medicine of wachuma binds us together in sacred space throughout the day. I think it is important that everybody who participates in the circle drinks the medicine, unless there is any medical reason that contraindicates this, and I always drink at least a threshold dose with the participants. I think it is essential that the person who is leading the ceremony drinks the medicine to be on the same page and in tune with the circle.
In ceremony we are one people who come together to heal and each participant brings their own unique qualities of love, compassion, and support. My role is to hold a safe space for the participants to do their work with the medicine and to be of service when they need assistance. The point is to let participants learn from their direct experience and find their answers within. I don’t interfere with their process unless necessary. I also ask each participant not to disturb anyone else’s process. But every ceremony is different and it sometimes happens that all may sing and play together, which is a beautiful way of connecting and creating a healing space.
The purging may be intense at times with cathartic reactions of crying, vomiting, or even laughing hysterically with pure joy. I let participants go through their own process and stay on standby if they need support, offering comfort once they have gone through what they needed to.