RAPÉ SNUFF

 RAPÉ SNUFF

Multiple types of Rapé Snuff and its tool of consumption the Kuripe

Medicine Name : Rapé Snuff

What is Rapé Snuff?

The media and perspective surrounding tobacco in our culture is usually associated with addiction and death.  Considering how it being one of the additives in one of the top killers of our society it is understandable. However, tobacco in it’s natural form has become a very misunderstood plant, and medicine, in our culture. 

For thousands of years tobacco has been worked with as a very powerful plant medicine amongst tribal societies and is considered to be one of our worlds greatest healing plants.  Tobacco shamans then, and still today, would ingest large amounts of the plant on a regular basis and, whiles using the tobacco, these healers could cure various kinds of illnesses. 

There are some dangers that can be associated with tobacco, as in any form of medicine, and there is no doubt that there isn’t evidence to these divergent perspectives held on the plant, but it is my understanding that the factors lacking amongst society with its use are both respect and intention. For thousands of years, tobacco has been considered an amplifier of thoughts and prayers of the intention set forth by the consumer.  When you ask the plant for healing, medicine and protection, that is what gets amplified. And on the other, if you are smoking habitually to relieve frustrations and desires, possibly angrily, that is amplified in your experience. After all, we have all seen the illustrated Indian chiefs “passing the peace pipe, one can not be used for peace if it doesn’t grant that feeling.  That being said, I would recommend  that anyone whom feels called to work with tobacco to set the necessary intentions being mindful of how to use it.  As well as in anything you consume to be sure your medicine comes from a accredited source. It is a powerful plant that has been documented to being capable of healing and miracles, as well as destruction. 

What Is Rapé?

There are many forms of tobacco to work with, the less desirable cigarettes being one.  Most cigarettes today have been tainted with additives of horrible, and toxic, chemicals that has caused painful health conditions and death amongst their consumers.  Tobacco is presented in that of a chew, a dip, as well as a form of inhalation, but the form of tobacco I am discussing here is the snuff method of consumption known as Rapé. 

History of Rapé

Rapé is a beautiful healing medicine of dried and powdered snuff originating in the Amazon.  It is pronounced as “rapay” in Spanish or more commonly “ha-peh”, the snuff can be found in both Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries, but commonly found in popularity in Brazil. This snuffs origin goes back to the time of the Incas, thus many believe  rapé may date back to the discovery of tobacco’s psychotropic properties. 

It is frequently used by shamans and tribes in Brazil and Peru un spiritual practices. The use of tobacco tends to be different in these cultures as it’s used in ceremony, rather than habitual chain-smoking. 

The intention of using rapé vary by group or tribe. By some it’s used before breakfast and dinner, others just in rapé ceremonies or pair in other spiritual ceremonies mentioned in this book, most commonly Sananga, Kambo and Ayahuasca. 

Active Ingredients

When rapé enters your nostrils, it immediately permeates through your mucous membranes into your bloodstream. The results in increased production of dopamine, acetylcholine, and epinephrine as the constituents attach to nicotine receptors. These chemical processes cause the person to feel calm, relaxed, yet aware and alert.  It happens within seconds after consumption and often feels like a jolt without causing fear or anxiety. 

The main ingredients of rapé are usually cured jungle tobacco (mapacho) and tree ash, with sometimes added seeds, leaves and plants added as additional healing enhancements or even just for aroma. This species of tobacco, Nicotiana Rustica, is different than the tobacco commonly found in cigarettes, it often being 8-20 times stronger as well as processed with zero additives. Nicotiana Rustica contains high level of nicotine and due to the stimulating effect of nicotine, rapé has an uplifting effect, “the high”.  The other main ingredients of the tree ash comes from their sacred trees and is added as a alkalizer which balances the tobacco. Then in a personal recipe, one may add seeds like yopo or wilka to increase the visionary properties of the snuff, as well as plants and flowers to enhance the feminine nurturing  energies that adds to their desired effect. The snuff is produced in an intensive and lengthly ritual process to invoke its makers healing properties as well as the spirits and the medicine of the plants used.  Rapé can have stimulating and psychoactive effects depending on what plants were used to make it.  If taken during shamanistic ceremonies it can bring profound experience and is considered sacred amongst shamans. 

Current Use

This dried powdered snuff is consumed using a tool called the kuripe, a blow pipe, and is blown into the nostrils of the taker. If consumed in a ceremony  through a partner, the one administering uses a larger blow pipe called the tepi blowing the powder into the others nose. It is normally consumed once to twice a day, once in morning and once in evening.  This depends greatly on the persons tolerance levels and also their personal situations. 

kuripe

There are a number of different traditions and practices that have developed in its own rituals around the use of rapé, mainly because of the use in so many different cultures in the Amazon region as well as it’s spread to other countries and cultures. With the many reasons one might have of working with rapé, the documented benefits of its use have ranged from energetic and physical to psychological and spiritual. Rapé is known to center and ground your energy, open up your physical and spiritual senses, cleanses and purifies the body whiles clearing and focusing the mind.  The majority feel energetic and physical sensations from the snuff, but others have said that it may, and has, produced visionary experiences despite it being a visionary medicine, or psychedelics. This is probably why it is so often paired with psychedelic ceremonies as Kambo (or Sapo) and Ayahuasca as an cleanse and enhancement to its compliments adding the balance.

Medicinal Benefits

You must have quality product to work with this medicine, as well as any medicine you decide to consume.  Only with a quality product of rapé has these benefits been experienced and documented, this its reason for its continued use for thousands of years. 

While this medicine can be snuffed directly off your hand, the proper method of a single serving is done with a blow pipe (kuripe) measuring out a pea sized amount to be split in booth nostrils. You may use less or more depending on your intention or experience level.  Some practitioners use more, however for beginners it is recommend starting with the above amount. 

Side Effects :

One may experience a slight burning when consuming, extra salivation, crying, vomiting, or the need to have a bowel movement. These are all normal side effects as the purpose of taking rapé is to cleanse and purify  the body and mind. 

Mental and Spiritual Effects :

Rapé allows the mind to become quieter, clearing out the negative and emotional tensions. Many find its use to be a grounding experience allowing the clearing of confusions and challenges about an issue one may be experiencing. 

If one has focused and set intention, they may easily find what they were looking for, be it to answer their question(s) or to be in a state of consciousness. Your mind gets purged of everything it needs to let go, and the body follows. 

Physical Effects :

Purging, when mentioning purgative effects which one won’t find pleasing , the purgative and expectorant properties is why it’s good for your immune system. Through forcing a release of mucus, toxins, and other unwanted things in your body. Rapé is known to purify your body, strengthen the immune system and especially helps in problems with congestion.

Legalities :

Rapé is a legal sacred shamanic medicine that has been used by practitioners and healers for thousands of years.  However, it is not regulated, thus some makers may add additives containing addictive and harmful chemicals that may have risks to ones health. 

Ceremonial Traditions

Rapé is used in its own traditional ceremonies as well is usually paired  with well known other rituals and medicines such as Kambo (or Sapo) and Ayahuasca ceremonies.  It has been used within tribal cultures before warfare, when hunting, as well as recreationally.  

The tradition method is  to use a kuripe (blow pipe), or a tepi for consuming.  The pipe allows for the medicine to get further up your nostril where it absorbs better and adds dimension to the ceremony.  You will get more from its experience by opening a sacred space, as the usual style of opening a ceremony, taking the time to pray and setting your intentions before its use. Some may also like to add ceremonial music to feel a deeper cleanse and healing as music is also medicine. 

One takes a series of breaths to get to a meditative state. If it is done with a partner in a ceremony it’s done doing the breaths together as a way of connection with each others energy. If in a pair or a group you it is administered to someone else with a tepi, the consumer then holds their breath before it is blown into their left nostril and after administered they breathe from their mouth. Then directly after it is administered into the right nostril.  This balances the medicine as a yin/yang of your body and mind, you will in fact only feel the medicines effects in your brain on the side the of the consumed nostril physically. So it is always balanced when consuming. 

Once it’s consumed, you breathe mostly through the mouth to keep the medicine in your nose.  This is when you sit with it, observing its sensations and focusing on your intentions.  Some may spit, or “purge” the medicine whiles others swallow.  If you consume and feel anything drip into the back of your mouth you can spit it out - most tribes view this as “the purge” of the bad energy, while others may swallow the medicine as to not waste.  It is a personal preference here so do as you feels comfortable. You sit and meditate under its effects using your intentions as a guide through your meditation.  You would do what you do would normally do in meditation; pray, ask for guidance, manifest, heal.  Rapé is known to put you in a deep meditative state and has been documented to sometime cause a more profound cleansing and purging in larger amounts, it is possible to experience bowel movements, purging, emotional releases.  One of my resources was a article written by Travis Bodick, of SoulRemedy.org in the Psychedelic Times, that stated that he once saw someone purge out physical parasites during a bowel movement initiated by the rapé.

MY EXPERIENCE

My first experience taking rapé was administered along with Sananga at my first Kambo ceremony.  

Sananga is a potent eye drop medicine that originates in the Amazon, traditionally used by its tribespeople for many reasons, including the ability to sharpens ones eyesight.  When administered it has an intense burning sensation that typically lasts for a few minutes, this is the medicine cleaning the bacteria and toxins in your eyes. Sananga is said to contain an abundance if alkaloids, these alkaloids have powerful psychoactive effects and can lead to strong antibiotic effects.

Benefits of Sananga :

Prevents and treats diseases like glaucoma, astigmatism, nearsightedness, farsightedness and cataracts.

Helps to cleanse and detoxify the body of toxins and bad energies.

Helps with psychological issues such as depression and addiction.

To decalcify the third eye and improve your spiritual vision.

Rapé and Sananga often go hand and hand before Kambo and Ayahuasca ceremonies as well as it is best to receive Kambo before one commits to Ayahuasca.  That was exactly how I consumed these medicines, in that order. 

I usually take six breaths beginning preparations for meditation, I believe most may do three - however for me to allow my mind to drift deep it takes me 6 to 8 breaths.  After I have reached my calm meditative state focusing on my prayers and intentions, my Kambo practitioner administered the rapé.  It burned instantly, nothing unbarable - more slightly unpleasant and tingly.  I began to cry as well as I breathe through my mouth feeling the rapé in my head each side as she blew in each nostril. 

I felt all of the side effects mentioned, I felt clearer, like my head was quite and focused. I felt calm in my sitting, I purged and remained focused on my breath whiles she prepared my for Sananga.  

The Sananga was then to be admistered by dropping one drop in each opened eye.  I have crazy reflexes with anything or anyone touching my eyes, have never been able to wear contacts.  So it was dropped in the corner of each eye and I opened to allow the medicine in. As I opened each eyelid allowing the medicine to enter it immediately burned, feeling like lightening in my eyes kind of burn.  At the first time I thought, “what the f did you put in my eyes” it burned so much.  But in a minute or two I blinked and eyes were feeling better, not burning, but instantly feeling better, like there was a fogged out glass in front of my eye and someone came and cleaned the windows. And then I was guided to sit up and prepare for acceptance of the Kambo medicine.

In Ending   

This is just an introduction into the medicine rapé  and the real benefits comes from experiencing it yourself. The beauty of this medicine is that even tho its history and use is mainly done in ceremonies by shamans and masters, it is still for personal use, even at a beginners level,  found to still be an effective tool as a powerful way of cleansing your body and energy. If you wish to consume, or you “get the call”, to try this medicine, be sure that when practiced to be mindful and respectful of the medicine as you set intentions and prayer. I, myself, still practice rapé in my daily meditation, normally only in the morning.  However I have, and do, take rapé when I need to meditate and calm the mind and general. The photos in this book is my personal kuripe and rapé medicines.  I have 4 bottles of 3 different kinds; one being Awiri, one Moi, and two Mapacho.

Awiri - a green tobacco, which provides gentler effects

Moi - or “moy”, is similar to mapacho tobacco, cured from the Nicotiana rustica, but it is stronger and darker than that of Mapacho.

Mapacho - the most common and used in shamanic ceremonies to clear bad energies.

These days there are a number of shops that can be found on platforms such as Amazon selling these tribal medicines, so on the up side one does not have to travel to South America to get access it. All these platforms, sites, are not created equal, so be sure to do the diligence on where and whom you are purchasing.  I personally get mine from a woman named Tishara, whom is a Licensed Kambo practitioner, featured in our next section.  If you get the call to try rapé or Kambo I would recommend Tishara as being a great guide to anyones journey or that she may put you in contact with one closest to you.  It is also possible for you to make your own drying and powdering mixing the medicines you wish to use for your desired effects.  Everyone is different and if you make it you know whats in it.