How to cook San Pedro (Huachuma)
Introduction
San Pedro or Huachuma is one of a variety of master plants in South America and is used nowadays as one of the five most important master plants in the Peruvian jungle. It’s a cactus which comes originally from Peru and grows on about 2000 to 3000 meters. Nowadays, the cactus is cultivated in many other countries as well. The cactus grows in dry regions as well as in wet areas (Christian Rätsch,2004). San Pedro contains mescaline and a variety of phenethylamines.
The plant has been used by people and shamans since ancient time. Already thousands of years ago shamans held sacred ceremonies where they called their ancestors and other entities to reach out for help. In these ceremonies, they learned how to protect their tribe, what kind of plants they need to use to heal their invalids and many more.
The secrets and the use of the cactus were reserved for the indigenous people and protected by them. It’s not a long time ago when a foreigner discovered the San Pedro cactus and was invited to take part in a traditional ceremony. Since then, interested people from all over the world started to travel to South America to make their own experiences with this magical plant.
Preparation
We are going to make a San Pedro brew made with San Pedro powder. You can get the powder on several markets in Peru and other countries in South America or directly from a person who’s growing San Pedro. But be careful where you buy the powder… You never know. Also, web shops are not ideal. In addition, we also need to buy some citrus fruits. Which kind of citrus fruit you take is up to you. With a citrus fruit, you’ll be able to reduce the strong and sometimes unpleasant taste of the cactus. The consistency will be much easier to drink as well. That’s why we’re going to use them.
When you have other medicinal plants in your garden or around your house and you know them well you can also try to combine them with your brew. One of the most powerful brews I’ve ever tried contained 7 red roses which were grown by an old lady in my home place. Red roses are the highest vibrating flowers which we know and are working on your heart chakra. It’s very nice to see how they work together with the San Pedro.
First step
First of all, you take your citrus fruits and chop them into small pieces. Then you fill a big pot with water (the amount of water depends on how many doses you want to make) and put it on the fire or cooking range. We take 3 liters for a brew for 4 people. When the water starts to cook you can put in the citrus fruits and the San Pedro powder and if you have your additional plants. Calculate with 25g powder per person which is a normal dose.
Reduce the heat just a little bit so it’s still cooking and stir with a wooden spoon in the form of an eight. You don’t want the brew to burn at the very bottom.
Main part
Now, the brew needs a lot of time to reduce while you have to stir the whole time. This procedure should be like a meditation for you. Try to think and be positive. Put in all your intentions, healing wishes, and blessings.
After about 2 1/2–3 hours the brew should be ready (some of the older recipes are cooked for even longer time — up to 24 hours). Check if the brew is still thin and drinkable. If not add some water and heat the brew up one more time to settle the water. Be aware, that the brew will become thicker when it’s cooled down.
At the end
When your brew is finished take your pot away from the fire and let it rest for at least an hour. Meanwhile, you can prepare a bottle (plastic or glass). Make sure, that the bottle is completely clean and has an airtight fastening. Once the brew is filled you don’t want to have any air contact at all. Otherwise, the brew will start to oxidate.
When you have some Mapacho (natural tobacco from South America) you can clean and bless the bottle with 3 blows before you fill in the brew. But don’t be afraid, you can also fill in your brew without any Mapacho.
The San Pedro is now ready for its ritual. If you want to store the brew for a while you can do that in a fridge. But try to not store it longer than 2–3 weeks because it will start to oxidate and smell very badly. According to some of my own experiences, the brew gets even stronger in this process.
Ritual
San Pedro and other plant medicines need to be consumed in a ritual or ceremony. It’s where they can reach their full potential and will reveal their secrets. Out of these structures, it can be very dangerous and end up in a mess.
How you create your ritual is up to you. There’s not a fixed form of it. But be careful with choosing the place where you hold your ceremony and try to have at least one person with you who has some experiences with the plant and the process you’ll get into. When you consider those arrangements you’re ready to travel through your very inner being and to see the world with different eyes. Let your soul connect with the loving spirit of San Pedro and bring healing into your body and soul. Live, love and embrace your life!
