The hallucinogenic San Pedro cactus offers been used since ancient times, and in Peru the tradition has been unbroken for over 3, 000 years. The earliest depiction of typically the cactus is some sort of carving showing the mythological being holding a San Pedro, and dates from about 1300 bc. It comes from the Chav�n culture (c. 1400-400 bce) and even was found throughout a temple with Chav�n de Huantar, in the northern highlands of Peru. Later on, the Mochica traditions, (c. 500 ce) used the cactus within their iconography. Actually in present day time mythology, it is definitely told that God hid the tips to heaven throughout a secret location and San Pedro used the magical powers of a new cactus to learn this particular place; later typically the cactus was known as after him.
La Mesa Norte�a
Juan Navarro was born inside the highland small town of Somate, section of Piura. He is a descendant of a long lineage of healers and shamans working with the magical power of the holy lakes known because Las Huaringas which usually stand at four, 000 metres plus have been adored since earliest Peruvian civilization. At typically the age of 8, Juan made his / her first pilgrimage to be able to Las Huaringas, and even took San Pedro the first time. Every calendar month or two it is necessary in order to return here in order to accumulate energy plus protection to treat his people. Simply because well as locals and Lime�os (people from Lima), pilgrims also come through many areas of Southwest America.
During the sessions Juan works untiringly, assisted simply by his two son’s – as is definitely common within this cultures – in a complex sequence of procedures, including invocation, analysis, divination, and recovery with natural items, or artes. The artes are initially placed on the particular maestro’s altar or even mesa, and acquired when required throughout the ceremony. These artes are an unbelievable and beautiful array of shells, swords, magnets, quartzes, objects resembling sexual body organs, rocks which interest when struck jointly, and stones from animals’ stomachs which often they have ingested to aid food digestion! The artes will be collected from pre-Colombian tombs, and holy energetic places, particularly Las Huaringas. That they bring magical features for the ceremony in which, underneath the visionary effect of San Pedro, their invisible power can be experienced. The particular maestro’s mesa – a weaving positioned on the land upon which all the particular artes are located, (mesa also means ‘table’ in Spanish) instructions is a representation of the forces of nature plus the cosmos. By means of the mesa the particular shaman is ready to assist in addition to influence these forces to diagnose and heal disease.
The traditional mesa norte�a has three places: on the departed is the campi?a ganadero or ‘field of the dark’; around the right is the campo equitativo or the ‘field of the light’ (justiciero means justice); in addition to the centre will be the campo centro or ‘neutral field’, which can be the spot of balance in between the forces of light and dark. It is vital for us not necessarily to check out these forces as good or negative instructions it is what we should human beings do using these forces which usually is important. Though the contents in addition to form of typically the artes varies from tradition to custom, the mesa motions serve to help remind us that the particular use and strength of symbols expands throughout all cultures.
SAN PEDRO
San Pedro (trichocereus pachanoi) grows around the dried out eastern slopes associated with the Andes, among 2, 000 — 3, 000 metres above sea degree, and commonly grows to six metres or even more in height. It is also developed by local shamans in their natural herb gardens. As may be imagined, early European missionaries organised the native techniques in considerable scorn, and indeed were very negative whenever reporting the employ of the San Pedro. Yet some sort of Spanish missionary, reported by Christian R�tsch, grudgingly admitted the particular cactus’ medicinal value in the middle of a harangue reviling it: “It is a flower with whose help satan is able to be able to strengthen the Indians in their idolatry; those who ingest its juice drop their senses and even are like dead; they are practically carried away by the drink and dream one thousand unconventional things and consider that they will be true. The fruit juice great against using up with the kidneys and even, in small quantities, is also good against high temperature, hepatitis, and burning up in the bladder. ” A shaman’s account of typically the cactus is in significant contrast:
“It very first… produces… drowsiness or perhaps a dreamy condition and a feeling of lethargy… the slight dizziness… then the great ‘vision’, a new clearing of almost all the faculties… this produces a light-weight numbness in typically the body and after a tranquillity. Peruvian Torch And then comes detachment, a type involving visual force… inclusive of all the senses… including the particular sixth sense, the particular telepathic sense regarding transmitting oneself throughout time and make a difference… like a type of removal of their thought to a new distant dimension. “
San Pedro, considered the ‘maestro of the maestros’, enables typically the shaman to make a bridge between visible and the particular invisible world with regard to his people. The particular Quechua name for it is punku, which means ‘doorway’. The doorway attaches the patient’s human body to his heart; to heal our bodies we must cure the spirit. San Pedro can present us the psychic causes of disease intuitively or inside mythical dream terminology. The effects regarding San Pedro function through various phases, beginning with a great expanded physical awareness in your body. Soon this specific is and then content feelings after which, right after several hours, psychic and visionary outcomes become more apparent.
talking with Juan Navarro
What is the relationship in the maestro with San Pedro?
In typically the north of Peru the power of San Pedro works in combo with tobacco. Also the sacred waters Las Huaringas are incredibly important. This will be where we get to find the strongest healing herbs which we use to energize our people. Such as we all use dominio [linking one’s objective with the heart power of the plants] in order to give strength and protection from paranormal forces such because sorcery and unfavorable thoughts. Additionally it is place into the seguros – amulet baby bottles filled with fragrance, plants and seed products gathered from Las Huaringas. You retain them at home intended for protection and to help make it your own life go nicely. These plants do not have virtually any secondary effects for the nervous system, nor do they provoke hallucinations. San Pedro provides strength and will be mildly hallucinatory, although you cannot turn into addicted. It doesn’t do any harm to your body, rather it helps typically the maestro to discover what the problem is with his sufferer. Obviously some folks have this gift born in them – as each of our ancestors used to be able to say, its in the blood of your shaman.
Is San Pedro a ‘teacher plant’?
Of program, however it has the certain mystery. A person have to become compatible with that because it won’t work for everyone. Typically the shaman provides a special relationship from it. It circulates in the body associated with the patient in addition to where it discovers abnormality it permits the shaman to detect it. This lets him know the dimensions of the pain they feel and whereabouts it is definitely. So it is the url between patient plus maestro. Additionally, it purifies the blood in the person who refreshments it. It bills the nervous method so people shed their fears, frights and traumas, and even it charges individuals with positive energy. Everyone must drink so the maestro can connect to them. Only typically the dose may differ from person to person because not really everyone is while strong.