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MadreSelva is the space for information and work pertaining to the Master Plants at La Casa del Viento.
With more than 10 years of experience with entheogenic plants and having accompanied hundreds of people on their journey, MadreSelva represents the unification of the Western therapeutic perspective and Amazonian knowledge.
From the verb to integrate.
To complete a whole with the missing parts.
Integration is a key component when working with psychoactive plants. It is an important task in order to understand, appreciate and learn from working with them.
The ceremonies or retreats are like rites of passage, which allow us to enter the liminal space, the sacred space. And it is in this space where we learn and heal, where we connect with the divine, celebrate and die symbolically to be reborn.
All this needs time to be assimilated by our being at different levels, and that time is integration.
In the integration sessions, you will find a safe space of active listening where you can express yourself freely without being judged.
The integration sessions will help you to:
In all these years, both in my own experience and in accompanying others, I have realised that when we approach the world of plants, it can be very useful to have worked on our purpose, on what we want.
Building an intention can serve as a compass and anchor. It can be a way to help us understand what we are looking for. A way to obtain better results from psychoactive experiences.
The way the intention is prepared is simple and fun, you can easily learn it and apply it for yourself in the future.
The intention setting sessions will help you to:
Below you will find information about what I learnt during my time in the jungle about the tobacco plant, and about the system of learning through plants: the dietas.
If you are approaching this world for the first time, perhaps some of the information will surprise you. If you already know this world, I hope it will bring you new perspectives. Likewise, I hope you find it interesting.
Paracelsus’ approach has always resonated with me, when he said that there is poison in everything and that it is the dose that makes it poison or medicine. For me it also has something to do with attitude. When we approach working with plants we must do it from a place of honesty and utmost respect, with humility and willingness to learn.
The rainforest is the world’s largest pharmacy. Amazonian cultures form a powerful system of knowledge and ancestral technologies where plants are considered sentient beings from which we can learn. In this way, when we consume a plant, we come into contact not only with its medicinal characteristics, but also with its spirit. The way people relate to plants and the forest is based on this principle.
Everything has a spirit.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
In the West, when we talk about Tobacco, the first thing that comes to mind is the harmful cigarettes and all the chemicals they contain, but in reality, Tobacco is a precious plant that has a very ancient spirit and has been used medicinally for a very long time.
Tobacco has been the most important master plant in the Americas for many centuries, being present as a main medicine in many American ethnicities and traditions. From the Andes to the jungle, from the Caribbean to Central and North America, Tobacco has been considered a sacred plant, appearing in many creation myths.
Tobacco has been and is used in different ways: smoked, sniffed as a powder (snuff), chewed, as a paste (ambil) or ingested as a tea, in ritual, medicinal and celebratory contexts. Tobacco is a fire plant that provides heat to the organism.
It is a solar plant of masculine spirit, of action, firmness, power and protection. Its smoke is considered a vehicle for talking to divinity and raising prayer, a shield of protection and food for the spirits of the plants. The offering of tobacco is held in high value. Considered as the thread and needle, it weaves the most direct and subtle connection with the divine.
The line of work with Tobacco that I encountered comes from the mestizo healer Ernesto Garcia Torres. Tobacco is used in liquid form for drinking, a way by which the body better absorbs the medicinal properties of the plant.
Thus, on a physical level, tobacco works by cleansing the respiratory and digestive systems of the harmful mucus that is generated, it also purifies the blood, which benefits the whole organism, cleansing it of viruses, bacteria and parasites.
On a psychological level, it can bring a lot of clarity, helping to stop the speed of the mind, as it roots our energy to the Earth, to our body, empowering us in the present.
On an energetic level, it is a powerful purifier, unblocker and protector, helping us to align our energy and find our center.
On a spiritual level, Tobacco is known to create the most direct and subtle connection with what is considered divine and is a great enhancer of the dream world, an important and essential part of working with plants. In fact, in many Amazonian traditions it is believed that plants, including Tobacco, do the energetic work while we sleep, in the world of dreams, as for many cultures the importance of dreams is still valid as a vital part of human existence, learning and healing.
As an emetic plant, working with tobacco involves purging. Vomiting or purging is a very important part of the cleansing process. In many Amazonian traditions, they believe that not only a physical part is taken out but that when we purge, emotions and thoughts anchored in the body and psyche are also released. Therefore, in these traditions vomiting does not have negative connotations, but quite the opposite: it is believed that regular purging helps to keep the body and mind clean of toxins and negative emotions.
Tobacco is not a hallucinogen, but it does have a psychoactive effect that also takes us to an expanded state of consciousness, although it does not have the same effect that we can experience with other plants. In my personal experience, tobacco gives depth, space, silence and clarity. As with all plants, each experience is unique and different every time. Tobacco is often used as a preparation for other master plants such as Ayahuasca, because of the great physical and energetic cleansing process it provides.
In the Peruvian Amazon, diets are the system or technology for healing and learning. It is the path taken by those who feel the call to become what is known as healers or teachers. Likewise, diets were the ancestral medical system, since illness is understood as a physical but also an energetic component.
A diet is a period of time that can vary from weeks to months depending on the tradition. The person is isolated in a small and simple hut where food intake is reduced and vegetable preparations are consumed with the plant that is being worked with.
The person enters into a process of cleansing and purification of the body, which leads to an expanded state of very subtle consciousness and connection with the plant that is being dieted. All this with the accompaniment of the healer who is guiding the diet. It is important to emphasize that it is vital to do this work under the supervision of someone who has the required training and knowledge.
Diets are a rite of passage. A space where you progressively find yourself, as you peel away the layers of your personality. A space of retreat, a space of silence, which sometimes appears as a mirror, to realize the noise of the mind and the needs of the heart. A space to stop, without distractions, where everyone can find their own spirituality and enter into a deep relationship with nature and with the spirit of the plant that is being fed.
Depending on the needs of the person, the plant preparation will be different: either Tobacco, Tobacco with another plant or only with plant.
In the Amazon, there are thousands of trees and plants that are used for diets. Therefore, there are thousands of spirits to learn from. They say that Tobacco is like the thread and needle that connects everything, that is why it is always present in one way or another.
The dream world is very important during this process since this is the space where, according to these traditions, the spirit of the plant we are working with will communicate with us through our dreams. Thus, the process that we undertake with the plant we diet during the day continues while dreaming, helping us to clear contained or blocked emotions, overcome fears, integrate teachings, overcome trials and move forward in the process of healing and learning.
Just as it is important to be present for the dieting process, it is equally or more important to respect the restrictions during what is known as the post-diet. Depending on the tradition and the type of diet that has been followed, the duration of the post-diet may vary. One must gradually return to daily life, as the body is weak, and one must regain strength.
Working with plants is mainly about commitment. What we will receive afterwards is dependent on what we put in.
If you would like any additional information about the sessions, or fees… do not hesitate to contact me using this form. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
The integration sessions are in no way a substitute for psychological therapy. In the same way, I cannot give any advice regarding medical issues or treatments. My sessions are a support for those who have chosen to enter the path of plants. It can be very beneficial to combine my sessions with other types of therapeutic spaces.