(This article first appeared in the American Free Journal Weekly March 4-10 2010 Volume 21 #10)
The Lilly
The modest rose puts fourth a thorn:
The humble sheep, a threatening horn:
While the Lilly white, shall in Love delight
Nor a thorn nor a threat, stain her beauty bright.
William Blake
Let ayahuasca represent the Lilly as Blake uses this metaphor of innocence and unconditional love in contrast to the hypocrisy of mocked modesty and pretentious courage. This is an excellent analogy to apply as a basis for the ethics in the sacramental usage of ayahuasca. For this specific medicine is love. Let’s say it’s a pure loving energy. The plant medicine teaches this because that IS what IT IS! Therefore the curanderos in the Amazon base their ethics in using this medicine off of this realization. Any deviation from love is considered a negative intention and a demonstration of ego and selfishness.
In 1997 I was living in a small village on the Laguna Yarina Cocha in the Peruvian Amazon. I was working with ayahuasca and a seventy four year old curandero (Plant doctor) named Alberto. My experiences have given me a clear apperception in the ethical use of this and other sacred medicines. Alberto has very strong “white” ethics. He is a third generation curandero. He believes he is here to help. He feels the ayahuasca is also here to help. I asked Alberto what he thought about the curanderos that apply ayahuasca with impure intention- for selfish gain. He confirmed immediately that they were not curanderos by replying; “BRUJOS!!” (A brujo is simply a witch). In all of Latin America a brujo is considered someone who has powerful knowledge, yet abuses this knowledge with misdirected intentions. So the most important factor is how we intend to use the ayahuasca. Setting our intentions in clear conscientious motives can only amplify this medicine’s potential. Getting involved in any ceremony where the intentions of all the participants or the facilitator are not clear is a dangerous energetically vulnerable place to subject one self to.
Ayahuasca is a very powerful energetic amplifier and conduit. It will not only amplify the participant’s energy but will also open up a “cross current” of energy from all the participants involved in a ceremony. Therefore everyone in a ceremony is subjected to the energy of any other person in that ceremonial space. That’s all jolly and fine as long as everyone is emanating unconditional love and/or positive intentions. If your signing on to an “ayahuasca tour” or a ceremony somewhere, chances are you will have NO IDEA whose energy or intentions you will be subjected to……and how much is that costing you?!
What should it cost to take ayahuasca? Well that depends on what part of the earth you are on. It is definitely a supply demand issue. Let us consider the price in Peru. The last time I stayed there was in 2008. The price had gone up slightly from my previous visit and five kilos of ayahuasca vine cost me 50 soles (sixteen dollars). The other plant needed for the brew is called chacruna and that cost me 20 soles ($6.50) for 2 kilos. This amount produced 50 doses of the psychoactive medicine. That was approximately 40 cents per dose. Of course it takes a know-how and a full day to produce. Alberto charges the gringos and the Peruvians from the city the same price for a ceremony, that being 30 soles (10 dollars). The price for locals varies between 15 soles and nothing. If someone needs help he would never deny them his service regardless of their ability to pay…even gringos for that matter. I remember when I mentioned a famous Shipibo Shaman that was charging visiting Native Americans $200 each. Again, Alberto just bellowed a huge laugh and stated; “BRUJO”! It is pretty obvious that profit and pure love really don’t mix.
In the United States ayahuasca is illegal unless you are a member of a bona-fide religion that employs it as a sacrament. What people charge may reflect their risk in providing and preparing it. Nonetheless there should still be a cap on its price, as is the case in all commodities. The plants are not that expensive to purchase over the internet nor is their preparation that difficult or time consuming. From my knowledge I would have to estimate that if you pay more than $50 for a dose- that is probably too much. Even $50 is a high price, but if the cost exceeds that, you really should question the intention of who is supplying the medicine to you! If they claim their money is going to a good cause, again that sounds good and all but charity/ philanthropy should be voluntary virtues not required actions.
Who is facilitating the ceremony? What do they require from the participants? Do they require anything other than payment? This is REALLY important. Do they require that a person is of pure intention? Do they require that one is of sound mind and body? Do they even question what medication or food one has consumed? Aside from the intention, certain mental or physical conditions are definitely not conducive to mix with ayahuasca. In the previous guideline I wrote it explains the contradictions of combining an M.A.O.I with certain foods and/or medicine. In many of the ceremonies that take place in the States there is little or no screening of the participants. This is dangerous to both the subjects and the facilitators. What if someone was to need medical assistance or die during a ceremony? This would certainly pose a serious problem!
My suggestion to remedy these possible negative variables is to do ayahuasca on your own and/or with loved ones. No need to involve others in our psychonautic journeys. This is not only the energetically safest methodology, but also the physically safest. We then can research the contradictions of any medicine or foods we are consuming to assure they are safe to combine with the ayahuasca. We can take responsibility for our own actions. As much as anyone might feel it is necessary to have a “shaman” present – don’t be fooled! More than half of them are self-proclaimed, guided by their egos and all of the profits they will reap. Most of the so-called shamans are actually brujos or just people like you and me.
Let us not destroy the innocence and beauty of the unconditional loving energy of this sacred plant medicine. It is blasphemy to have ayahuasca administered by pretentious, greedy “shamans” and “know it all” facilitators that don’t even know how to safely expedite such sacred ceremonies. Let the ayahuasca’s love be our guide. The plant itself is the most powerful shaman you will ever find. Don’t forget- the medicine is PURE LOVE! …that is all it will ever be. All it asks of you is to be the LOVE too!