The city of Cusco embodies the cosmology of the Inca People. It’s the legitimate Empire of the Sun, the “navel of the world,” as it is often referred to. It is a land of millennia-old traditions maintained and perpetuated from generation to generation. It is a gateway to the mystical world. This fact is of utmost relevance for this blog, which will address issues related to spirituality, ancient beliefs, and healing rituals attributed to the plant known as San Pedro.
Unfortunately, in today’s world, spirituality has been included in banal commercialization, an absurd attempt to transform the sacred into the profane and the religious into lucrative means. Andean ceremonies are “copied” worldwide in a crude and inconsiderate manner by people who lack the gift to administer them, as they do not belong to the indigenous culture that originated them.
Thus, Peru, especially Cusco, emerges as the most reliable and safe place to find indigenous peoples and their legendary rituals, guided by shamans who use sacred plants solely to improve the mental, emotional, and physical balance of their “patients.” The patient is the term attributed to people worldwide seeking this natural medicine of indigenous roots that helps cleanse the soul, heal traumas, and renew energies.
Meaning
San Pedro is the name given to a cactus that can reach over two meters in height, with mescaline as its active principle. This, in turn, is believed to have the gift of placing the “patient” in a marvelous trance or ecstasy, connecting them with the environment and the divine.
The plant of this cactus is also known by other names such as: huachuma, achuma, agua colla, cardo, huando hermoso, gigantón, San Pedrito, and San Pedrillo. In Quechua, it is called Wachuma. It is attributed to the cactus the gift of opening the doors to Heaven. Hence, it receives the name of the apostle San Pedro, who Jesus said: “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven…” (Matthew 16:19).
The same connection is established between San Pedro and the shamans, who, in the same way, would receive the keys that open the doors to the invisible world, the source of their magical, divinatory, and therapeutic powers. San Pedro embodies the symbol of healing, as it is always in harmony with the powers of animals, strong beings, and supernatural entities.
What is it?
San Pedro is a type of cactus that, when ingested in the correct manner, like Ayahuasca, induces spiritual effects and has the gift of putting the “patient” in contact with their inner self. It is one of the oldest plants in South America. The oldest evidence dates back to 1200 B.C. In the image, a woman with an owl-like face, possibly a shaman, is shown holding a San Pedro cactus.
What is it used for?
Known locally as Wachuma, it is a mystical Andean plant capable of establishing a connection between the material and spiritual worlds, in which a spirit ascends in a ceremony administered by Andean priests known as Paqos.
The current use of San Pedro is concentrated in the coastal regions of Peru and the Andes of Peru and Bolivia and has received strong Christian influence. It is used to cure diseases, including alcoholism and mental issues, for divination, love potions, to combat witchcraft, purification, etc.
The indigenous peoples of Peru and Ecuador have used it for centuries. Shamans are known for always being in harmony with the powers of animals, solid beings and characters, and supernatural entities, primarily the Jaguar.
Its Components and Preparation Rituals
Wachuma (San Pedro) is an ancient Andean ceremony conducted by master shamans from native communities of Peru’s coast, highlands, and jungle. The practices are reliable, safe, and authentic. Shamans distinguish four types of cactus based on their ribs. The rarest are those with four trunks and are considered the most powerful, as they possess special supernatural powers. The four ribs represent the four winds and the four paths.
Wachuma is a cactus scientifically known as Trichocereus. There are various varieties of this cactus, but two of them are frequently used to prepare Sacred Beverages: Trichocereus pachanoi and Trichocereus peruvianus.
Effects
The symptoms experienced during the ceremony vary from person to person, but generally, one may experience drowsiness or something akin to drunkenness, although full consciousness is not lost; on the contrary, everything becomes more apparent.
The Experience
At the beginning of the ritual, the responsible shaman makes prayers in which they ask permission from the plant and invoke the protectors of the Earth. The process continues with chants and whistles that help maintain concentration. The ceremony will take you on a transformative exploration of your inner self, connecting with the natural world and your consciousness. This unique experience is intended to provide deep insight, self-discovery, and a new sense of clarity.
It is a spiritual process that demands full awareness. It utilizes sacred plants that cause momentary effects and deserve to be consecrated with calmness, respect, and the sole purpose of healing. The ceremony is led by experienced shamanic guide Paqo, the “Andean father.” He will supervise and conduct the entire ceremony, guide the “patient” to ensure the spiritual experience is safe, and find answers to the questions that disturb the spirit.
San Pedro is not a business and is not for everyone
The San Pedro ritual, like the Ayahuasca ceremony, requires responsibility from each participant. Although they are sacred, these plants are not for everyone: they are prohibited for those predisposed to psychosis; however, for many people, they are a tool that, if used correctly, can yield extraordinary results in healing the soul.
The ritual involving the consumption of San Pedro is not part of a tourist attraction, nor should the ingredient be considered a business. San Pedro is not a recreational drug. It is not something to get high and enjoy the moment or a magic pill that will solve your problems.
Shamans and Amazonian communities have the good intention of helping the patient through a sacred healing ritual. Any other purpose of the use is considered an insult to indigenous culture.
The guidance, then, is always to seek severe and safe means to enjoy the consecration of San Pedro in Cusco. This ancient ritual must be guided by a shaman, a native master of the Amazon, with many years of experience in preparing this drink and directing the ritual, an experience passed down through generations within the indigenous communities of the Amazon. Only a native Amazonian master can safely conduct this type of ritual.
What to Expect?
This ancient Andean ritual involves the consumption of the sacred cactus San Pedro, known for its powerful visionary, healing, and guiding properties.
Currently, San Pedro is employed to cure diseases, including alcoholism and madness, for divination, romance, combating any witchcraft, and ensuring business success.
Its Use in the Past
During the Inca era, the city of Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the Sacred Valley of the Incas were the ceremonial and spiritual centers of the entire Empire, making the sacred medicine of Wachuma one of the main substances used.
The most apparent evidence of its use in the past can be found in the Chavín culture, which established itself in northern Peru about 3,500 years ago. Although it is believed that its use dates back many centuries before the formation of Chavín, it continued to be used throughout history and even today by the Mochica, Chimu, Nasca, Tiahuanaco, Wari, Inca cultures, etc.
“When the Spaniards arrived in Peru, San Pedro was widely used.” An ecclesiastical text stated that shamans would drink the beverage. As it was solid, after its ingestion, they would lose their judgment and become senseless, having visions in which only the image of the devil appeared.
The Incas performed these rituals to connect with their spiritual gods, using traditional Andean techniques. The most faithful mystical Inca kings, such as Wiracocha, Pachacutec, and Huayna Capac, were very devoted; they made their offerings and Andean ceremonies in gratitude and sought wise counsel to govern their Empire.
The Differences Between Ayahuasca and San Pedro
- Ayahuasca is the master plant of the Amazon, a drink obtained from the combination of two plants.
- San Pedro (Wachuma in Quechua) is the master plant of the Andes, derived from a single plant, a cactus.
- Both have psychoactive effects and are related to spiritual connection, but the reactions they cause are slightly different.
- Ayahuasca is the magical plant of the jungle that provides healing and self-knowledge.
- San Pedro is known as the guide, the masculine plant of the Andes, which expands consciousness to macrocosmic proportions.
- DMT is present in the medicine of the Ayahuasca plant.
- Mescaline is present in the San Pedro plant medicine.
- Ayahuasca is often experienced and associated with the energy of a grandmother.
- San Pedro has masculine energy; in fact, many shamans compare it to the energy of a father or grandfather.
Some healers believe that before holding an Ayahuasca ceremony, it is better to conduct a ceremony with San Pedro because the two medicines are integrated into Peruvian shamanism. San Pedro brings light and helps with the Ayahuasca ceremony, illuminating the shadows and providing more support, making the medicine experience more enlightening precisely because San Pedro is light.
The two ceremonies have one thing in common: They possess the gift of awakening our inner healer. Ayahuasca will help you identify what you need to change, and San Pedro will help you begin working in that direction.
You might be interested in:
- Ayahuasca, Liana of The Souls
- Haywarikuy – Ceremony of Offering to the Pachamama was made with the participation of Inti Raymi actors
- PACHAMAMA – Ceremonies, Offerings, and rituals
- Santurantikuy in Cusco: Andean Christmas, a meeting of traditions and spirituality
- The Spiritual Importance of the Condor, Puma, and Snake in Peru
- Cusco Handicrafts: Who Doesn’t Want One?
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