Aya Amulets | Banisteriopsis Muricata | 3 pieces | Aya Discs Slices

Native use

Among indigenous peoples of the Amazon, B. muricata is called ‘Ayahuasca de los brujos’ or ‘Ayahuasca of the sorcerers.’  In Quechua, the word Ayahuasca means “Vine of the Soul”. Shamans of the Amazon claim  they can achieve altered states of consciousness just by using this plant alone. Considered a ‘Master Plant Teacher’, there are approximately 70+ tribes who have traditionally used this vine for various purposes. These purposes include healing, spiritual sight, foretelling the future, and divination. In indigenous culture, the Shamans are responsible for keeping the tradition of  the invaluable breadth of botanical knowledge held by these cultures. Traditionally, the B. muricata vine is shredded, usually done by the pounding of smaller sections with a stone.

Mysterious & Strong

Member of the Malpighiaceae family, Banisteriopsis muricata or Red Ayahuasca is a robust and mysterious vine.  It has very similar effects as the Banisteriopsis caapi, which is known as Yellow Ayahuasca. The exception is that B. muricata is considered a stronger plant.  The rich, red color it produces when extracted denotes its name Red Ayahuasca. The leaves are also slightly smaller than those from the B. Caapi vine. Interestingly, another distinguishable characteristic that sets these two species of vines apart, is that there are two different types of ants who inhabit each vine.