What’s the significance of Ayahuasca for you?

Following the legal changes on the use of Ayahuasca in the Netherlands, an independent journalist contacted Willkamayu Spirit to ask for information into our practices. Requesting a visit to ask some general questions about the use of sacred medicine (especially Ayahuasca) in Peru, attitudes to this work on an international perspective and some details into our personal practices and opinions.

As we could never be certain about the final composition or placement for our contribution, we decided to ask the guidance of our maestro Juan Carlos, who in turn directed our question to the sacred medicine and called on the advice of mother Ayahuasca. Juan Carlos received affirmation, advised that we should invite those who come with questions, and to respond in the same manner that the medicine shows us… An open acceptance, a lack of judgement and pure intention.

Ayahuasca and its utilisation

Question 3: What’s the significance of Ayahuasca for you?

Following the lineage from our ancestors we can develop an awakened consciousness. Valuing and respecting the energies which are surrounding us, which are living with us. To grow in spiritual awakening, we complement these 2 plants; the vine ayawa’ska (this is how we write it originally). Ayawas’ka which means in Shipibo’ Oni’, what is the feminine energy, which is the essence, the most profound energy. Ayawaska is a Quechua name, in Quechua it means ‘the vine who is weaving the spirits’. A complementation comes with the masculine energy which means ‘kawa’ in shipibo, the leaf of the shrub chakuruna. ‘Kawa’ opens ‘onan shinan’, which means third eye in shipibo. Chakuruna is also a Quechua name, which means in Quechua human wholeness.

We see Ayawaska as a profound medicine, which can connect with us on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. The medicine is adaptive for many applications. It’s the doctor, the psychologist, the hospital and also serves many practical applications.

At Willkamayu Spirit the medicine is a connection to spirit, a high intelligence that flows through all living beings, and which is shining light on the consciousness and subconsciousness inside ourselves and around us. This spirit is often personified as mother ayahuasca, due to the feminine qualities and sentiments felt during the connection. Mother ayahuasca has a seemingly direct interest in harmonising us personally, in body, mind and spirit and provides guidance where we personally seek answers and healing.

Our intention at Willkamayu Spirit is to extend the teaching of the plants, to honour the acceptance and openness that the sacred medicine shows us, and to invite those into a platform to feel safe, to share their stories and to inform the best integration that we can to ensure that our guests are walking away with a tangible understanding of their process and tools in order to reconnect when they need to with the connection that they have opened during their ceremony.