Ceremony

Ayahuasca ceremonies take place at night, in an enclosed and dark place, to make the visions stronger and clearer.

At the beginning of the ceremony, everyone sits in the maloca (ceremonial hut when we drink in the jungle) or in the living room of the house when we are in the city. No special clothing is needed, only long clothes to protect against chills and mosquitoes, a flashlight, and toilet paper.

A table holds the Ayahuasca, and the maestro sits in front of it, inviting people to drink one by one. The Maestro drinks last. After about 30 minutes, the effects of the Ayahuasca start. Then the lights go out, and soon after, the maestro whistles an icaro (magical song to call the spirits, who help heal) to open the ceremony and protect it from malign influences. Once the first icaro is whistled, the maestro starts singing other songs of power.

Six specific icaros always open the ceremony, then later the maestro calls each person up to sit on the table and sings an icaro specifically to cure that person, while cleansing his or her body with the chakapa (a bunch of palm leaves tied together to form a sort of rattle, which helps in the healing), tapping the afflicted areas rhythmically. Everyone else stays sitting, concentrating, investigating, and analyzing their own visions in the silence and darkness. When the maestro has healed everyone, he sings more icaros for other purposes, such as protecting the house, etc. After up to 6 hours more or less from the start, the maestro sings a closing icaro to end the ceremony. The lights go back on, and everyone is free to leave and rest.

After drinking, we diet for 24 hours. Read more...

Icaros