turkey’s soul adventure

It should be known that using ayahuasca is considered healing – both emotionally and physically. It is also the belief that the healing powers of ayahuasca only assist the person in healing themselves. We all have the power within us, but some people require a bit of an external kick to get it all moving along. Layman’s terms, but the general idea is there.

Day 1 – Shamanic Cleansing

Admittedly, this is the toughest part to have faith in. For those with little belief in anything but what they can prove, this would be a whole lot of witchcraft to swallow. I even have a difficult time with this part, but it was an experience and one I am glad I had.

The ritual starts with prayer to the spirits. Then shaman asks for the spirits assistance and blessing while ‘spitting’ an alcoholic concoction into the air to cleanse it and provide protection for the area. He then begins a cleansing of the person (me) by doing an egg reading first. Using a whole egg, he rubs it all over the body, asking the spirits for their help and then breaks the egg into a jar of water and ‘reads’ the egg. Depending on how it breaks he can tell what most needs to be healed. In my case, he said I was lonely, though I had many friends. He mentioned that I have the support of a few close ones, but it hasn’t been a strong bond for me and I still felt very alone.

The next several parts were very similar, though he passed over my body a stone, a quartz, blew tobacco into my air and on various parts of my body all while in the midst of whistling or chanting. Sometimes I felt very vulnerable, sometimes a little doubtful and others, very calm and safe. I’m not sure what I was supposed to feel, but it was definitely an experience I will remember.

Day 2 – Tobacco and Ayahuasca

The ayahuasca ceremony started with a tobacco cleansing. And to be sure, this isn’t any tobacco you’ll find in Kentucky or North Carolina, it is absolutely a pure, organic leaf from the Amazon and many more times more powerful than normal tobacco from the states. The shaman basically makes a tea from the leaves. He places first, a few drops in each eye to clean them. Yes, it burns. Yes, it takes a bit to stop crying. In the end though, my eyes did feel really good. Hard to explain, but I did notice a difference.

Once the eyes have settled, the next step is to snort the liquid. Yes, snort it. A bit of tobacco tea in your hand and then a quick stiff snort into both nostrils. Yes, this burns as well, and you can feel it all the way through your sinuses and into your esophagus and then tummy. Trust me – the second time isn’t as painful. Yep. I did it twice. Tobacco is known for its detoxifying properties. According to the shaman, four straight days of tobacco drinking can cure most additions as well as other afflictions and maladies.

Ayahuasca was next. I imbibed roughly an ounce and a half of a liquid whose taste brought to mind what it must be like to lick a stick of incense. Ayahuasca is a hallucinogen. If you’d like to know more, Google it or read a very good book called The Cosmic Serpent by Jeremy Narby. It’s an anthropologist’s account of finding the link between science and shamanic practices. Fascinating read. Now, back to ayahuasca.

I didn’t feel anything for quite some time, but we talked and philosophized and I had some really great insights. I suddenly decided that perhaps I needed to stand, as sometimes, when I drink alcohol, I never feel the effects til I stand up. It worked. I felt it. And what I felt was like being the drunk girl at a party that had one too many and just wanted to lie down. The shaman performed some icaros while cleansing me again with his leaves, and when he was finished, I vomited. This is a common and expected reaction to the ayahuasca and I didn’t disappoint. I only had a slight hallucination – I ould see my voice bouncing off of things like sound waves, but other than that, I was just very sensitive to sound and feeling a little fearful.

Day 3 – Tobacco cleansing

The third evening, I had the pleasure of more tobacco snorting and eventually drinking. Wow. A lot of really gross stuff came out of my body. But I must admit, my lungs felt clearer than they ever had, I had energy and I felt great when I went to bed. There was no real ritual t this event… just a calm evening on the terrace, interrupted occasionally by lots of coughing and vomiting. Pleasant, I know.

Day 4 – Second ayahuasca ceremony

This time we used a different ayahuasca and did it comfortably on the balcony outside my room; less pomp and circumstance, but more effect than the first time. I stood more often, giving the ayahuasca more of an opportunity this time. After about an hour or so, I felt the need to rid myself of the contents in my stomach, but this time, I was hallucinating a bit along the way. I was a bit fearful going in and I was scared of what I might see. But what I did see, once I calmed down, was brilliant spots of color (with my eyes closed) in a Byzantine style (not sure how else to describe it). Most importantly, I was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of absolute love. I cried. I felt relief. I felt calm and at peace; more than I have in a long time – if ever.

I’m happy to share more with those who want to know. You can email me a chaska95 at yahoo dot com. It is an experience I am glad to have had and one I will keep with me always.