My body & mind were in shock. I was shaking uncontrollably. It was my first night at the retreat & I was losing my mind. I didn't know anyone & I wasn't really sure why I was there.
I sweat so much that night that I got a termite infestation in my bed the next day (they love stinky sheets apparently).
Welcome to the Jungle!
Ayahuasca {ay-ah-wos-ka} is an Amazonian medicinal drink made from the ayahuasca vine & the leaves of the chacruna plant. The leaves of the plant contain DMT (diamethyltriptamine - the most powerful psychedelic compound on the planet) and the vine contains a compound that allows us to digest the DMT molecule. The brew is consumed in a ceremony with a curandero (shaman).
I was not able to cope with the flood of information & feelings during my first jungle Ayahuasca ceremony. The shaman was performing a deep healing & this induced a lot of purging. The purging consisted of relentless sweating & vomiting, shaking & worrying if I was going to die.
I swore I was "never drinking this sh*t again". I kept calling out JULES! to get the translator's attention - her name was Tulia. I have no idea where 'Jules' came from...
Like any sensible person, I drank again the following night. Why? Because I'm a badass lol!
Seriously though, I trusted the Shaman. I trusted myself. I am not here to play small. I can do hard things. So can you!
People might ask "why would you do that to yourself" - my answer is, for my personal HEALING. People do it every weekend with booze & food that is pure poison. Why not do it with something that will change your life?!
Welcome Cosmic Travellers, I'm Clare Marriott. I'm a trained & certified shamanic practitioner & Leadership Coach. I bridge the corporate & cosmic world & have been working with sacred plant medicines since 2020. My mission is to help you heal safely & lead an extraordinary life.
The journeys got better. I made friends for life & I've just returned from the trip (literally) of a lifetime in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, at an indigenous Shipibo run Healing Centre. Here's the rescue partots Aurora & her mate. We never did catch his name. He was so vicious & protective, we left him well alone. He hated men & would chase them if they got too close.
Whilst I have promised to share my experience & have catch up calls with so many people, it's impossible with everyone's schedules, families & work commitments to give it the space it deserves.
So I decided to write a blog for you to read & digest at your own pace. Grab a cuppa & a snack. Well, maybe have a snack later because some of the things I say might put you off yer food.
I didn't really know why I was headed to a "healing centre" specifically or why I chose to go in March. It just sort of happened.
Low & behold I flew on Spring Equinox, straight into Eclipse Season. This was BIG energy.
I also really needed healing. I just didn't know it. For some years, I'd had some concerns that I had issues in my womb. I'm embarrassed to say I had been avoiding going for my regular check-ups. This might sound silly, but I was afraid to face reality.
I kept it secret. I told literally noone about my concerns.
During my first "diagnosis" with Maestro Herberto, we sat together in the dark Maloka (ceremony space) alone - except for the translator, Tulia not Jules. He described what he picked up from my energy field & aura.
A Shaman can "read" the aura like a doctor can read blood test results.Simply by tuning into you.
A shaman can read your past, present & future. He said I had a physical block on the right side of my womb (I do, I've had a cyst there for years). He said I have an energetic block in the centre & cancer energy on the left of my womb. This was a shock, but I wasn't completely surprised. He'd seen what I'd been avoiding.
Shaman view cancer as a physical manifestation accumulated over time from blocked or stagnant energy. In the energetic stages, & even some physical stages, it can be cleared. The Centre had a steady stream of people suffering with cancer seeking alternative treatment.
I chose this healing centre based on several recommendations & online reviews. It's so important to research these centres because there are A LOT of dodgy ones. Many American/Euro run centres "ship in a shaman" who spends months away from their family & are poorly paid.
It turns out my decision probably saved my life.
Herberto's centre is located 1 hour from the town of Iquitos & run by 3 Curandero's (they don't really use the word shaman) from the same family; Maestro Herberto, his sister Maestra Eunice & their Aunt Maestra Celia. All three were selected at a young age to undertake the role of a Curandera/o for their community - long before the current psychedelic renaissance & way before Westerners became interested in the power of their sacred plants.
Their training & initiations were brutal. Herberto recalled how he was taken deep into the jungle by tribal elders aged 7 & forced to drink huge quantities of ayahuasca;
"Demasiado" (too much) he said, for his young body to handle.
With no protection from mosquitos & with little understanding of what was happening, his parents were just farmers, he had some rough experiences. As a young child, he wasn't aware that his grandfather was an eminent shaman & would go on to become one of the last of the Marayas - the highest level of Shipibo Shaman who can , disappear & reach crystallisation. Herberto was from a lineage of incredible healers.
This was why he never forced any of us (11 passengers) to drink in ceremonies if we didn't want to & why he always consulted with us regarding the amount we wanted. Most people went with his recommendation anyway. Only 1 person, in the two weeks I was there, skipped a ceremony. It felt super safe & compassionate. You do hear of centres where shaman force participants to drink far more than they want to. For me, the consolation process felt reassuring & safe.
During my stay we experienced 8 ayahuasca ceremonies & 2 San Pedro Ceremonies. San Pedro is a VIBE! You feel energised, chatty, connected & just want to laugh & play music. It's a community builder & we had some hilarious days under the influence of this ancient grandfather medicine, swimming in the lake & loving life.
We were offered a variety of other plants to try & diet (diet is when you eat/drink a plant every day for a few days to come into relationship with the spirit & healing properties of the plant). I tried hapé (ground jungle tobacco powder) & absolutely hated it. It caused me to vomit, overheat & feel depressed. Other people loved it.
I could go into all my visions & downloads from the plants, but we're encouraged not to.
A) because, a bit like a dream, they only make sense to the dreamer.
B) it's important to keep the power of the visions sacred by not oversharing.
I will say that that I met some incredible beings & plant spirits. I saw into the 5th & 6th dimensions & was gifted a few new songs.
Accommodation was basic & beautiful. With solo or twin rooms near the tracks or deep in the jungle. I was allocated Sirena ''mermaid'. With no walls & deep in the jungle, it was totally secluded. At night I'd watch the fireflies dance in the dark & be serenaded by the thousands of insects & nocturnal creatures that sing, bleep, croak & tring all night long. By day, the lizards & birds created a symphony of squarks & tunes I'll never forget.
It's important, as a western reader, to open your mind to the indigenous perspective of nature. They have grown up immersed, not in nature, but WITH nature. They are a part of it, not separate, & respect the plants in the same way they respect their elders & children. The Shipibo have a symbiotic relationship with plants, which provide their food, medicine, shelter, future & ancestral wisdom. For example, the Shipibo word for 'hand' is the same as their word for 'care'. They grow up deeply connected & deeply caring.
This is Meastro Herberto in traditional Shipibo clothes (image online) with protective patterns. He mainly wore jeans & t-shirts during my stay. He explained "the more you know, the less you show". I liked this about him & it reflected his humility & super chill attitude.
My final diagnosis revealed the cancer energy had gone - PHEW! Better still, that I had powerful healing abilities. He described special codes located in my hands & said I'd come to him in a dream, dressed in Shipibo clothes offering him healing foods. To visit a Shipibo Shaman in a dream, dressed in traditional clothes is quite something, I was told. This wasn't something that was said to anyone else - I checked - I'm not naive.
That final conversation will stay with me forever, mainly because I recorded it & have been listening to it on repeat.
He concluded that he would highly recommend me for Curandera Training (at any centre, with zero pressure or mention it had to be with him). You can probably guess where I will do this though.
If you've made it this far I have a treat for you.
I have been given special permission to take a group to Maestro Herberto's Centre next year. This is an honour, as they don't normally allow groups. They have such a good reputation & so many new & returning "passengers", that frankly they don't need the hassle of groups.
But I developed a special relationship with the team & it is my absolute pleasure to be able to take a gorgeous, likeminded group of adventurous souls to Herberto's land who perhaps wouldn't be as mad as me & go alone.
If you're open to deep healing, connection & an immersion in nature you'll never forget click HERE to find all the info & book your space.
Spaces are extremely limited.
Thank you for reading, donating & thanks in particular to my parents, in-laws & husband for holding the fort, walking the dogs, redesigning my garden & egging me on from afar. I am eternally grateful x Clare x
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