Description
#47 Yucuna rapé Laurel | Gentle Cleansing
“Yucuna rapé Laurel gives me concentration and the need to say thanks to the creator and mother earth for the medicine. It improves my focus on what I am doing at the moment, it also enhances the connection with the elders so I can receive their advice and wisdom. It gives understanding, energy, and protection”. –Shaman William, January 2017 in his Maloka in the jungle
Yucuna rapé Laurel was made for us in Colombia’s southern lush jungle. Our friend William is the creator of this special recipe. It is an aromatic blend to be shared and used during celebrations. It is recommended for cleansing and lifting up mood and spirit. It has the leaves of a very aromatic Laurel from the jungle.
Yucuna Tribe
Yucuna people, also known as Yukuna, Jukuna, Hurumi, Imike, Kameheya, or Piyoti, speak a dialect that belongs to the Arawak language family. They currently live dispersed on high terraces on the banks of the lower half of the Mirití-Paraná and Caquetá rivers near the village of La Pedrera in Colombia, South America. Their current population is about a thousand individuals. Pottery found from archeological sites speaks of their existence since the fifth-century a.d.
Traditionally, Yucuna tribes use rapé during ‘la ceremonia de la Palabras, or ‘word-ceremony’. During these gatherings that usually take place in the Maloca, a communal roundhouse, the elders meet all night to discuss important spiritual and community matters. Each community has its own preferred ingredient when going through traditional recitations. It is believed that the Yucuna people received rapé at the beginning of time as a gift from the Gods.
What is Rapé?
Rapé, pronounced ‘ha-pey’ in Portuguese, is a traditional snuff used by various indigenous tribes of South America. Predominantly tribal people from Brazil and Peru. Rapé blends contain a ground mixture of plants, tree bark, seeds, and ash. The fine powder is blown into each nostril through a bone or bamboo pipe called a ‘Tepi’ or ‘Kuripe’. The Tepi applicator is a long blow pipe that connects the nostril of the receiver to the mouth of the person that administers the snuff. The Kuripe is for self-application. The V-shaped applicator connects the nostril to the mouth allowing the snuff to be self-blown into the nose.
Each tribe has its own rapé formula and usually, it is women who gather the ingredients. The selection, mixture, and grinding process are regarded as a ritual only to be performed by a reputable healer. The snuff is typically made in small batches according to the specific needs of the person being treated or the ceremony’s occasion.
The use of Rapé aims to restore our connection to nature and a sense of grounding. It clears mental fog and confusion eliminating negative thought patterns. These powerful snuffs bring about physical and spiritual wellness.
Read more:
Step by step guide to using Rapé.
What is Rapé – Waking Herbs blog
