Plant Medicines
These are the primary plant medicines we work with at Tree of Life Temple, listed in alphabetical order. Please refer to our Upcoming Retreats page to see some of the ways we use these plants together to facilitate healing in group containers. If you would like to work with one or more of these plants in a 1:1 or private group container, please refer to our 1:1 Offerings or Contact Us for more information.
Ayahuasca
Divine Mother Medicine
The Medicine
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive plant medicine that has been used for centuries by indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest for spiritual, medicinal, and ceremonial purposes. The word "ayahuasca" is derived from the Quechua language, where "aya"
means soul or spirit and "huasca" means vine or rope. Therefore, "ayahuasca" can be translated to mean "vine of the soul" or "vine of the spirits." The medicine is traditionally made by a lengthy brewing process that involves cooking the ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) vine with the chacruna (Psychotria viridis) shrub, which contains the psychoactive compound dimethyltryptamine (DMT). The ayahuasca vine contains a compound called monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) which keeps the DMT in the chacruna from being broken down in the stomach before it can be absorbed by the body. The combination of these two sacred plants results in a potent medicinal brew that induces altered states of consciousness, vivid visions, and intense introspection.
Ayahuasca has historically played a central role in the spiritual and healing practices of Amazonian tribes, serving as a conduit to commune with spirits, gain insights, and address physical and psychological ailments. This medicine carries the feminine spirit of the great mother and when we sit with her, we commune with the divine mother of our existence. This divine mother medicine works on and connects our body, mind, and soul at all levels of existence. She acts to both educate and heal those who commune with intention, love, and respect. She helps us access the truth of our reality and can not only provide deep insights into our subconscious, but can help us to heal subconscious beliefs and patterns, in both our bodies and minds, that no longer serve our highest good. Ayahuasca can be used for many purposes, including psychological and physical healing from trauma, overcoming addictions, healing physical and psychological ailments, discovery of true self, and seeking guidance through life's challenges.
The Journey
The ayahuasca journey typically lasts from 4-8 hours depending on a number of factors. It is important to understand that everyone's experience with ayahuasca is different and that each experience will be unique to what that individual needs and asks for at that point in time. Each time we sit with ayahuasca, it is a collaboration between the medicine and our own body, mind, and spirit. Therefore no two experiences will ever be the same, but each experience will always be exactly what we need for growth and healing at that time. That being said, there are a number of experience types that are common during the journey, including:
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Altered Perceptions and Hallucinations: Ayahuasca is known for inducing vivid visual and auditory hallucinations. Seeing geometric patterns, encountering otherworldly beings, and experiencing an altered sense of time and space is common.
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Spiritual and Introspective Experiences: Many individuals describe profound spiritual or introspective experiences while under the influence of ayahuasca. These experiences can provide insights into their lives, emotions, and personal issues, and some people report a sense of connectedness with nature, the universe, or a higher power.
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Purging: Purging is a common physiological response to ayahuasca ingestion. It often involves vomiting and, to a lesser extent, diarrhea. In traditional Amazonian cultures, this purging is seen as a form of spiritual cleansing and is referred to as la purga.
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Emotional Release: Ayahuasca may bring up intense emotions, and users often describe a cathartic release of emotional baggage. This can include processing past traumas, fears, and unresolved issues.
Bufo
Divine Father Medicine
The Medicine
Bufo, also known as Sapito, is the psychoactive substance derived from the venomous secretions of the Sonoran Desert toad (Bufo alvarius). Its use has a history in some indigenous Mesoamerican cultures where it has been used in shamanic and healing practices.
The traditional method of using Bufo alvarius secretions involves drying the toad's venom and then vaporizing it. The vapor is typically inhaled for a short duration to induce intense and transformative psychedelic experiences. Although the secretions are toxic if ingested, they are non-toxic when vaporized and inhaled, as the toxins are heat sensitive and destroyed during the vaporization process. The substance secreted by the toads contain a potent natural psychoactive compound known as 5-MeO-DMT (5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine), which is heat stable and is the primary psychoactive compound in this medicine.
The Experience
The bufo experience is short but incredibly powerful. Because the medicine is inhaled as smoke from a pipe, the onset is almost immediate, and the experience typically lasts from 10-20 minutes. The experience itself is one that those who have experienced it often cannot put words around. It is typically a deeply spiritual rather than visual experience. It is common to experience a profound dissolution of the ego in a way that some describe as meeting their higher self or the "god" version of themselves. Those who surrender themselves to the experience can come away having received deep healing, with profound shifts in their physical and psychological state.
Cannabis
Grandmother Santa Maria
The Medicine
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, has a long history of use in various cultures around the world, and its association with shamanic practices can be traced back to ancient times. Although cannabis is used recreationally in modern day, this plant is a sacred medicine
and can facilitate deep healing and insights through the body when used with intention and respect in a ceremonial setting. This medicine carries a feminine energy and represents our divine grandmother. Like a grandmother, she can provide a safe and comfortable space to retreat and escape to, but she also carries much wisdom and can convey profound teachings to those who come to learn.
Although THC and CBD are the two most commonly recognized cannabinoid compounds in cannabis, this plant contains over 100 different cannabinoid compounds that interact with the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS works through a system of cannabinoid receptors located throughout the central nervous system as well as the peripheral tissues and helps to regulate our mood, memory, appetite, and immune system. Cannabis, especially when used with other plant medicines, can help us drop deeply into the wisdom of our body and facilitate a space of divine union between body, mind, and soul. Working with cannabis in this way allows us to have a profoundly connected and spiritual experience while maintaining a sense of presence and groundedness in the here and now. This medicine is useful for those seeking to ground the higher creative consciousness of the soul into the body and can help teach our higher creative soul how to collaborate with our physicality in an aligned way.
The Experience
Cannabis can be taken either through oral consumption of an extract or through smoking the dried flower of the plant. In our ceremonies, we typically commune with the plant through smoking the dried flower. This method results in a rapid onset of the experience with most individuals entering the full expansiveness of the state within 10-20 minutes. The experience can last for 2-6 hours depending on a number of factors, and may include the following experiences:
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Euphoria and Relaxation: THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, can produce feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and contentment.
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Altered Perception: Cannabis can influence sensory perception, leading to changes in how individuals perceive time, colors, sounds, and other sensory experiences.
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Spiritual and Introspective Experiences: Experiences of deep connectedness to self, others and nature are common. This can also lead to profoundly introspective experiences that can provide insights into subconscious beliefs or programming and how those are affecting lived experiences in everyday life.
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Impaired Coordination and Concentration: Cannabis can affect motor skills and coordination, leading to temporary impairment. It can also impact concentration and attention span.
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Deeper Awareness of the Body: Some individuals become more aware of their bodies and any energies or emotions that are present within. This can result in an increased awareness of physical sensation or pain in some, while others may experience a sense of anxiety or overwhelm in the body.
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Physiological Effects: Cannabis can cause temporary physiological effects such as dry mouth, red eyes, and increased hunger in some individuals.
Niños Santos
Psilocybin mushrooms
The Medicine
Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as psychedelic or magic mushrooms, have been used for centuries for their psychoactive effects. The use of these mushrooms is deeply rooted in various cultures around the world, and they are still currently used in
religious and shamanic rituals by the Mazatec people in Mexico. The Mazatec's refer to these mushrooms as niños santos, translated to "holy children" due to the playful, childlike nature of this medicine, and its ability to help us connect with and heal our inner child. Niños santos are a beautiful way to connect deeply both with the body and the spirit worlds. Sitting with this medicine can help us remember the interconnectedness of all living things and the oneness that we are each part of. This medicine also has profound healing capacity for both physical and psychological ailments, including those resulting from early traumas.
Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound present in niños santos. When ingested, psilocybin is converted to psilocin, which interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, leading to the altered perceptions, mood changes, and hallucinations associated with the experience. Use of niños santos can result a range of effects, including visual distortions, altered sensory perception, a sense of interconnectedness, and profound introspective experiences. Ongoing research suggests that psilocybin may have therapeutic potential for conditions like treatment-resistant depression, anxiety in terminal illness, and addiction.
The Experience
The niños santos journey typically lasts 4-8 hours depending on dosage and individual physiology. Experiences can vary widely from person to person and can range from a gentle heart opening connectedness to profound and intense shifts in perception of reality. As with other sacred plant medicines, intention, setting, and personal relationship with the plant can have a significant impact on the experience. Some of the most common experiences when journeying with niños santos are as follows:
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Altered Perception of Reality: Niños santos can induce profound changes in the perception of colors, shapes, and sizes. Experiences of visual distortions and alterations in sense of reality are common.
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Hallucinations: Visual and auditory hallucinations are common, ranging from mild visual enhancements to more complex and vivid experiences. Users may see patterns, shapes, colors, energies, and beings that they are not normally aware of.
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Elevated Mood: Many individuals report feelings of euphoria, joy, and a sense of interconnectedness. These mood-enhancing effects can contribute to a positive and uplifting experience.
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Introspection and Insight: Niños santos often lead to deep introspection and self-reflection. Users may gain insights into their thoughts, emotions, and personal issues.
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Time Distortion: The perception of time can be altered, with time feeling either slower or faster than usual. There may also be a feeling of timelessness, as if linear time no longer exists and everything is happening at once
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Spiritual or Mystical Experiences: Some users describe profound spiritual or mystical experiences, a sense of unity with the universe, or encounters with a higher power and or mystical beings.
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Emotional Release: Psilocybin mushrooms may bring repressed emotions to the surface, allowing users to process and release stuck emotions.
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Physiological Effects: Onset of the experience can be accompanied by a number of physiological effects, including nausea and stomach discomfort, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and alterations in coordination balance.
San Pedro/ Huachuma
Divine Grandfather Medicine
The Medicine
San Pedro, scientifically known as Echinopsis pachanoi, is a columnar cactus native to the Andes Mountains in South America. It has a long
history of traditional use in healing and shamanism, primarily among indigenous peoples in the Andean region, especially in Peru and Ecuador. San Pedro is also often referred to by its native Quechua name, huachuma. Although San Pedro is considered to be a divine masculine medicine, specifically representing the energy of the grandfather, huachuma is considered to be the feminine aspect of the plant. This medicine has a beautiful and grounded energy that enables entering an expanded state of consciousness while remaining embodied and present. This can be useful for working with trauma in a gentle but powerful way, and can deepen somatic practices, allowing for processing and resolution of trauma stuck in the body.
The primary psychoactive compound in San Pedro is mescaline. Mescaline induces altered states of consciousness, leading to vivid visual and sensory experiences, including greater awareness of sensations and energies in the body.
The Experience
The timeline for the San Pedro experience is a bit longer than some other commonly used plant medicines, with the entire experience often lasting 8-12 hours. As with other medicines, this can be affected by a number of factors. This is typically a more grounded medicine than many other psychoactive plant medicines, making it ideal to pair with deep somatic work. However, many commonly experienced effects are similar to other medicines and include the following:
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Visual hallucinations
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Enhanced sensory perception
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Altered states of consciousness
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A deep sense of introspection and spiritual connection
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Heaviness in the body, nausea, and an increased awareness of physical sensations