Page 18 - AHATA

Tuesday 28 November 2023 locAl
A10

Episode 79 - Shamans botanic

Authentic Shamans are giv- of language and culture, learning, and all people
en the blessing and ability it becomes a challenge share a bit of shamanic
to modify the real world or when one has to charac- power. Others have for-
the collective perception terize a single indigenous mal apprenticeships with
of it according to their own “shamanism” or “shaman” teachers. Aboriginal tribes
believes and responds to for the Amerindian groups of the Caribbean, Central
a kind of causal logic. This of the South America low- and South America, includ-
can finally be expressed, lands and the Caribbean ing the Caquetio groups of
for example, in the ability to islands. A wide variety of our islands, used to ground
heal, to communicate with shamanic specialists have the seeds of a plant called
ancestral spirits and to in- been observed performing Anadenanthera peregrina
terpret visionary divinations rituals and administering for its’ essential hallucino-
through some catalyst. The substances for beneficial genic properties. These
term comes from the noun purposes; while an equal seeds together with other
in the Tungu language number of people are rec- herbs and snails shells as
(from Siberia) shaman (‘he ognized for their potential bonding agent where
who knows’), and this from to cause harm to others. grinded together and the
the verb shahia (‘to know’). For some, shamanic knowl- mixture was added into a
edge is acquired through container for its elabora-
Due to the heterogeneity dreams, without formal tion by cooking the cock- for spiritual trance. This is banisteriopsis, which con-
tail over a fire. This yopo is called hechura by the Ya- tains dimethyltryptamine
a natural entheogen medi- nomamis of the Amazon or DMT, a psychoactive
cine whose origin and first region. Anadenanthera substance.
uses is found in the Venezu- peregrina is better known
elan and Brazilian Amazon. by its regional Amerindian For those who are familiar
names like yopo, jopo, co- with plants and entheogen
It is prepared as mentioned hoba, parica or calcium substances or ancestral
with the ground seed of tree and is a perennial tree medicines, the effect of
the plant Anadenanthera native to the Caribbean the yopo is like the fusion
peregrina, which through and South America. of ayahuasca and bufo
a process of mixing with alvarius, meaning that it
other ashes and seeds of Ayahuasca or yage, a fash- produces a cleansing of
plants produces small slabs ionable substance, is a hal- spiritual and a revitaliza-
or black, brown or white lucinogenic drink tradition- tion effect of conscious-
colored cakes which are ally prepared by shamans ness. On the one hand it is
then ground into a fine of various indigenous tribes a hard confrontation with
magic powder before be- in the Amazon area. It is the ego, and on the other
ing inhaled or blown into made from the psychotria hand it offers the commu-
the nostrils of the compan- viridis, a vain properly aya- nal sense of unity.
ion, either as a remedy or huascaor or chacruna
Other American shamanic
plants containing halluci-
nogenic properties are the
Peyote cactus Lophopho-
ra williamsii and the Pe-
ruvian San Pedro cactus
Echinopsis pachanoi. Be-
side hallucinogenic quality
of the San Pedro and the
Peyote, they have many
other uses in folkloric medi-
cine in the South Western
United States and Northern
Mexico. Like for influenza,
intestinal disorders, diabe-
tes, the treatment of ar-
thritis, consumption, snake
and scorpion bites.

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more regarding Aruba and
its cultural origins we highly
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your participation in our
cultural encounter session.
Article by: Etnia Nativa A mind opening revelation
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