SpiritQuest
SHAMANIC SANCTUARY
Huachuma's Synergy with Ayahuasca
The consecutive Ayahuasca and Huachuma SpiritQuest retreats constitute an intensive course in sacred plant healing and higher consciousness technology of ancient Peru, spanning the cultural and metaphysical continuum from the Amazon to the Andes and coastal Peru. These complementary works are synergistic and interrelated, blending the sacred feminine energy of Ayahuasca from the Amazon with the sacred masculine energy of Huachuma from the coast and Andes.
At the Don Howard University of Higher Consciousness, Ayahuasca, Huachuma, and Peyote form the sacred triumvirate of the pinnacle of teacher-healer plants. (We don't work with Peyote at SpiritQuest because Peyote is indigenous in Mexico and south Texas and not native to Peru. Both Peyote and Huachuma contain Mescaline and have a number of similarities. According to Don Howard, Huachuma and Peyote are spiritual brothers but not twins.)
Huachuma is the Grandfather spirit plant counterpart to Mother Ayahuasca, forming a yin-yang with a whole much greater than the sum of the parts. Huachuma is a magnificent teacher plant with certain healing and instructional qualities that exceed even those of Ayahuasca. Many consider the ancient Huachuma mesada ritual celebration of consciousness and one’s relationship with Mother Nature and the Cosmos to be among the most profound spiritual practices in the history of mankind. Indeed it is.
Huachuma fills in some of the gaps with Ayahuasca, and goes certain places where Ayahuasca does not go. Huachuma is a perfect catalyst to optimize and accelerate your work with Ayahuasca as well as the healing and transformative benefits of Ayahuasca.
Huachuma is – for a majority of people, but certainly not everyone – the superior spiritual healer and teacher compared to Ayahuasca. For most people, Huachuma has a more immediately gratifying benefit about it compared to Ayahuasca, whereas Ayahuasca can have much more delayed benefits.
Don Howard pioneered the combination of doing a cycle of work with Ayahuasca and subsequently partaking in the Huachuma mesadas. Ayahuasca thoroughly cleans you out and you leave your work with Ayahuasca being a really clean instrument. When you take Huachuma several days after your work with Ayahuasca has concluded, Huachuma completely radiates throughout you.
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The difference between Huachuma and many other plant medicines is that Huachuma is a highly active teacher. And Grandfather Huachuma is a teacher that will present himself to you in a very long series of tests.
As one recent SpiritQuest grad explained, "The real magic comes in paying very close attention to the subtleties in Huachuma. That Grandfather energy presents itself and seemingly says, ‘Here’s your playground, daughter. Here’s your playground, son. Where do you want to go? What do you want to explore? This is your opportunity!’ Huachuma opens opportunities. It’s up to you how you want to navigate those opportunities. And with those opportunities come corresponding challenges and tests."
Another accurate description from a SpiritQuest alum is that, "With Huachuma, there’s more choice. Ayahuasca presents herself to you, and you better surrender and pay close attention to the curriculum. Huachuma presents himself to you and says, ‘Practice and learn now. Here’s your opportunity!'"
Much of what we do with Huachuma involves energy + synergy. That’s where the magic happens.
Huachuma is a potentiator plant, much like Ayahuasca. Huachuma potentiates the energy of the person taking it, and gives you a heightened sense of the energetic connection with whatever energies are present in your setting. You are more sensitive not only to your own energy, but the energy of other people and your surrounding environment.
Synergy, as Don Howard explained, is the process of integrating and taking all of that energy in, and becoming one with it. There needs to be a certain synergy of intention in the group dynamic as well. Everyone doesn’t need to have the exact same intention. Overall, the intention is positive, loving, and uplifting for your lives and the lives of others, and one that will expand and enhance your spiritual consciousness.
Huachuma was the catalyst for the great pulse of consciousness at Chavín. The primary inspiration and model for our Shamanic work with Huachuma is Chavín, the ancient culture of universal consciousness that became the cradle of Andean civilization over 4,000 years ago. Chavín is the most sophisticated tradition in sacred plant Shamanism of the Americas. Huachuma is a timeless initiation, the same now as in ancient times.
For those seeking personal healing and transformation rooted in principle and integrity, and a profound and accelerated initiation in the art and science of sacred plant Shamanism of ancient Peru, there is no better opportunity anywhere than experiencing the synergy of both Ayahuasca and Huachuma at SpiritQuest Sanctuary.
