“Powder of the gods” 

Rapé is a mixture/cocktail of Amazonian plants and fire… All this constitutes a powerful tool to quiet our thoughts and connect us with our inner silence. It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and anti-parasitic properties. It is a sacred medicine used by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin for millennia. It is at the end of the 19th century when the Katukina and Kaxinawá peoples of Acre (Brazil) began to expand its use to the white people with a rigorous study of its medicinal properties. For me, Rapé is a very special medicine, the alchemy of its ingredients guided by the grandfather TABACO makes it a real gift from the gods.

Properties

• Calms the mind and stops the internal dialogue.
• Antibiotic and healing applied on wounds.
• Deworms and cleanses the intestines.
• Reduces headaches, as well as headaches and dizziness.
• It favors the expulsion of phlegm and parasites.
• Promotes intestinal peristaltic movement.
• Helps to understand on a conscious level what meditation is.
• Cleanses, tidies and aligns your energy fields.
• Allows you to reach a very deep state of meditation.
• Allows you to be present to be able to see beyond your interpretations.

Brief description of the Rapé process

First ingredient, preparation of tobacco (Mapacho):

The tobacco used to make the Rapé medicine is exclusively organic, without sprays, pesticides, or any chemical substance beyond the 100% pure plant grown in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

It is prepared in a kind of natural wooden press, placing about 50 tobacco leaves separated by a layer of honey/molasses obtained by boiling the same tobacco with water and leaving it to macerate. Once the honey is obtained, the leaves are placed in the press… Leaf, honey, leaf, leaf, honey, and so on. Once all the leaves are placed and covered with honey, it is pressed and rolled with a natural fiber, then it remains for about 2/3 months, fusing the two substances.

Second ingredient, preparation of the ash: 

The most used ashes are Pau Pereira or Paricá. The ash is obtained from the burning of this wood that passes through the fire between 24 to 36 hours by means of a metal plate or pot. Once the ash is obtained, it is passed through a filter to eliminate possible impurities. 

Third ingredient, name of the Rapé:

The third ingredient is obtained from the leaves of the plant in question, Angico, Magirioba, Pimienta Longa, Eucalyptus etc… The leaves are collected, left to dry in the Amazonian sun and then roasted over a natural fire. Finally they are ground and filtered.

Fourth ingredient, fire:

The 3 ingredients described above go through fire. First by a natural drying of Amazonian solar energy, and then by an optimal roasting for a perfect blend.

Description of Brazilian rapés

1. PAU PEREIRA: Pau Pereira rapé, also known as Tsunun, is made from the ashes of the Pau Pereira husk and Tobacco. It is normally used to discharge and cleanse. With directed intention, it is also very good for connecting with Mother Earth. It is a medium-strong snuff, indicated for people who already have some experience with medicine
2. PARICÁ: The paricá rapé is made with ashes and seeds of its species. The ashes are extracted from the flames of the burning of its wood. It is a snuff used for cleansing the stomach chakra and mental elevation during the process that it is acting, it is classified as a strong snuff.
3. CUMARÚ: The Cumarú rapéis used by several tribes of the Acre. It activates the head chakras, calms, helps mental focus. It is a snuff of pleasant and strong smell.
4. CANELA DE VÉI: The Rapé Cinnamon of Velho acts rigorously in the three centers: mental, emotional and physical. A little stronger than Pau Pereira. Focus on the balance of the three psychological centers.
5. MURICÍ: The Rapé Murici is made with the ashes of the Murici tree. It acts strongly on the physical center, cleansing and organizing the energies that accumulate under the belly. It is very effective for physical healing work.
6. MULATEIRO: The Mulateiro Rapé is made with the ashes of the Mulateiro tree and Tobacco. It circulates in both parts of the body, providing a differentiated energetic circulation. Ideal for the liberation of accumulated tensions in the right and left side of the head.
7. PIMENTA LONGA: Rapé prepared with the leaves and fruits of the plant Pimenta Longa. Being its medicinal property applied to calm stress, and for people who have high blood pressure. When inhaled, through contact with the cellular tissue of the nose, its medicinal property connects with the other regions of the body working its physical side. Rapé recommended for meditation.
8. ANGICO: Angico rapé is made from the seeds and ashes of angico oil. It is widely used for respiratory ailments such as asthma, cough, bronchitis. Also for cases of diarrhea and dysentery.
9. EUCALYPTUS: Eucalyptus rapé is made from the leaves of the Eucalyptus tree. It is a medicinal plant widely used to combat various respiratory ailments due to its expectorant properties. Helping to clean the nasal passages. Recommended for people who have high blood pressure problems.
10. MANGEIRIOBA: The mangerioba rapé is made through the leaves of the plant Mangerioba. It is used for diuretic problems, antifungal and laxative. Working the cleansing of the organism. It is a medium level snuff.
11. ANGICO – EUCALYPTUS: The Angico with Eucalyptus rapé is classified as strong due to the mixture of the medicinal properties of both plants. It is a type of rapé  capable of working the 7 chakras that is composed of tobacco, angico seeds (which is a hot plant), eucalyptus leaves (which is a plant classified as cold) and ashes of pau pereira. All of them mixed together have a great potential to work the whole organism. Recommended for people who already have a lot of contact with rapé medicine.

Rapé in facilitation

The snuff is a medicine commanded by the grandfather TOBACCO, is a masculine energy, (direction, presence, decision and guidance among others) and as such, deserves its space for full understanding. The monkfish can be used to move the energy, raise, lower or purge the energy of who is receiving it, or the simple pleasure of connecting with a powerful meditation through this medicine. We can find different cases and it is important to know what type I am going to use and how much to apply. For example: If someone is very excited, overloaded and exalted, the ideal is to apply an earth rapé with a gentle upward blowing. If, on the other hand, we have someone who, due to excessive control does not enter the process, the ideal is to give him/her a snuff that moves the upper chakras with a strong downward blowing. These are apparently opposite cases but in reality both are in a mental loop. The rapé makes you pay immediate attention to the breath, you will inevitably put your focus on breathing, completely forgetting the dialogue and mental and / or emotional hijacking. This is my opinion and experience but the Facilitator must act according to his or her feeling, know-how and knowledge. Another important point is when someone asks you for a rapé during process time, when the medicine grabs you and you don’t know where to put yourself. The Facilitator must observe this. Characters manifest themselves who just want to escape from what the medicine is showing them, they disguise themselves as good-natured, I’m fine, nothing is wrong and trust me. The normal thing is that they want to go out to get some fresh air or smoke a cigarette. I have witnessed many times how the person puts on the rapé and then starts talking or doing things, please, let’s give them their space of 8/10 minutes of presence. They are characters and it is up to you as Facilitator to feed them or not. All from the most absolute respect, love and compassion. Let the heart take the reins of reason. 

There is a theory that each rapé is for each chakra. I have been asked many times, is this rapé for this chakra or the other? This is not entirely true, I explain: Each rapé is unique because of who makes it, its composition and place of origin. The plants used can work on the lower parts, (sacrum, abdomen, stomach, intestines) middle parts, (chest, lungs, heart) or upper parts, (respiratory system, throat, eyes and pineal among others). The main ingredients of rapé are tobacco and ash, which in turn, works the most earthy part, root and entrails, thus working the lower chakras. Depending on the type of plant, which is also what gives the rapé its name, it can work the middle and upper chakras. To state that a rapé is for a specific chakra is a mere personal interpretation. I have verified that the same rapé moves different sensations and at different levels to the person, giving disparate testimonies. I have also heard very specific and similar testimonies about a specific chakra but for now to state with certainty which snuff moves which chakra is a mystery.

The medicine of rapé is an instrument like any other, which will be sacred or not, depending on how you give yourself at the moment of applying or consuming it. Depending on your state of mind, body and spirit.

From what place of my rapé project? The intention… yes, many people ask me, how is it done? What is the intention? In reality the intention does not exist… This is profound and has to do with not activating actions from the character in people.

Starting from the fact that the intention does not exist, we give space to a surrender, to a transmission, to the simple and pure innocence with which we give ourselves in things, a rapé, a yagé, a glass of water, a hug… From what place does the facilitator or participant want to receive rapé? Opening, surrender, placebo effect, connection, (opening and connection include the feeling, the blow, the escape, the flight… it even includes the placebo) At what moment is the person ready to receive? Do I put conditions at the time of receiving? Respect and love for myself and others. The snuff has its space, its moment… What is the right amount? What type of rapé to use, and at what time?

These kinds of questions are relevant to understand why I want to use it or why I want to facilitate.