Ceremonies & Sacred Meditations have been part of the human experience for tens of thousands of years. They are no less powerful today than they were when performed by our ancient ancestors, underneath the stars. These rites of passage and holy rituals satisfy our longing for spiritual communion, personal & collective healing, and a reverent, intimate understanding of our place within the primordial universe. To participate in such an experience is to dedicate oneself to the mysterious adventure of continual awakening.

The use of plant medicines is one of many ways to connect with your inner guidance and explore the vastness of human consciousness. I've worked with an array of entheogens over the course of my life, including Ayahuasca, Wachuma, Peyote, Hapé, Psilocybin, Chiric Sanango, and Iboga. When used with integrity, reverence, and the proper guidance, these plant medicines can help you examine, heal, release, or integrate problematic perceptions and past traumas. They can also support you in re-aligning with your authentic self, dissolving egoic patterns, opening your heart, connecting with your intuition, gaining clarity on your soul’s purposes, and acknowledging or catalyzing important transitions in your life. Many people report feeling "lighter" inside after a plant medicine ceremony—or, with hapé specifically, they describe a "grounded clarity."

Unlike the more fantastical, vision-producing plant medicines, hapé (also known as rapé or hapeh) is not a psychedelic. It is a legal mixture of dried Amazonian plants—typically sacred tobacco combined with ashes from specific trees, vines, or flowers. Most of the hapés I offer are made with ashes from the bark of the medicinal Tsunu tree, known for its stabalizing and protective properties.

Hapé's energy is personified as masculine, benevolent, loving, and wise, and "grandfatherly". Indigenous tribes across South America use hapé to clear their energy, reconnect with the Earth, and center themselves. Hapé is a very embodied experience; you are unlikely to journey to alternative dimensions, dissolve into non-form, or see wild visions. Of course, if you are a seasoned meditator and/or have rich visions and out-of-body experiences naturally, you may have such an experience when receiving hapé. However, hapé mostly keeps you grounded in your physical body in a very Earthly, present, state of being. That is one of its great gifts: it helps you stay centered & clear. There is no risk of getting lost in a fireworks show of abstract, overwhelming imagery.

It's also less likely that the messages you receive will be mis-interpreted, because there is no psychedelic 'shock and awe' during a hapé meditation. Many people find that the insights that arise during hapé ceremonies are easier to integrate than those from other  entheogens. Hapé is great at giving clear & actionable 'next step' guidance.

Having said all that, hapé can still kick your butt, and it is considered by many tribes to be an extraordinary healer. The Yawanawá of Amazonian Brazil regard hapé as one of their most powerful master plants—just as powerful as ayahuasca, but in a different way. The Yawanawá use hapé during ayahuasca ceremonies to restore balance and grounding, and to help participants avoid getting lost internally. The Yawa also frequently use hapé on its own, for clearing and clarity.

Hapé is a wonderful plant medicine to help you release and let go. During a hapé ceremony, you may suddenly begin to cry, sweat, or purge. All of this is normal. The medicine is energetically clearing your system, and submitting to the process is part of the healing. You may even become aware of what, exactly, is being cleared when you purge—anxiety, doubt, self-hate, ego, old attachments , trauma, etc. As the elders say: the medicine always gives you exactly what you need.