Whispers of the Ancestors, a Sacred Ceremony in the Belly of a Volcano
Hello, dear ones, I greet you with much love. Today, I want to share a rich and transformative experience with you.
I had the opportunity to attend a ceremony in the belly of a volcano. Furnas feels like a warm, tight embrace from Mother Earth; her hot womb welcomes you with bubbles and countless blessings. It has very potent energy and is located on the island of São Miguel in the Azores.
The ceremony was guided by a beautiful couple committed to preserving the ancient traditions our ancestors in indigenous lands practiced to heal, connect, and understand the needs of Mother Earth, reminding us how important it is not to forget her.
The retreat lasted three days, during which I experienced a spiritual cleansing that moved every cell of my being. My spirit connected with infinite love, with the universal love that comes from the greatness of being alive, of being able to feel the beings of light that we all are, and of freeing ourselves from the interference of the frantic, restless rhythm in which we live.
On the first day, we consecrated the medicine of mushrooms, the "holy children," a name given by the Mazatec, an indigenous people of Mexican lands. I won’t dive too deeply into reflecting on this experience, as I am still processing it, but if you are curious, reply to this email, and I’ll be encouraged to share more.
On the second day, we consecrated the medicine of San Pedro, or Wachuma (Echinopsis pachanoi), a cactus native to the Andean lands that awakens ancestral memories.
Tears fell like melodies, as if my heart were trembling to the beat of a drum. It was a rhythm that soothed the movement of my soul; I felt the grandmothers, the grandfathers, the spirits of the forest speaking to me, whispering in the darkness:
"Shake off that pain that no longer belongs to you."
That’s when I began to understand how cellular memories reside in us. In my womb, there was an unknown language; there were forgotten suitcases full of dust and pain, and also love, but an uncomprehended, forgotten love. There were eyes watching me, but I could only feel them.
My body slithered and rose like the cactus I drank. That ancient grandfather invited me to sit on his lap and told me the story of how to open my heart and understand a bit more about my lineage and my ancestors. They all presented themselves, like in a court, coming from all directions to greet me and whisper:
"My dear daughter, you are doing well, don’t worry so much. Let go of the anxiety, you are being responsible."
We know we leave marks and gaps, but it is through those gaps that you are here. At that moment, gratitude bloomed like an infinite flower of colors, lighting up my entire body, so much so that I couldn’t open my eyes from the brightness and radiance it produced.
I also encountered an immense unconditional love, not only from the medicine but from the group of people who were there, especially from my beloved partner. Though we rarely crossed glances, the love and support between us were palpable. It was a battlefield of whispers filled with solidarity, anguish, love, and melancholy.
There was a chain of warmth that cannot be explained. Our guides sang to us, blessed us, and accompanied us with rituals of forest perfumes that made us feel like we were in the most wonderful heaven, even though we were in purgatory.
The medicine loves movement; it is slow but direct. When it speaks to you, you need to move. I felt like a serpent, a sinuous thread running down my spine, caressing each of my vertebrae that needed to rise up, to feel the verticality, to understand and honor that sacred moment.
As the intensity caused by this collective catharsis began to wane, the prayers and spirits bid us farewell, wishing each of us more compassion for our existence, more love for our connections, and more responsibility to navigate with intention and not neglect.
El abuelo Wachuma invite us to remain in the present moment, to make a difference within ourselves so that we can reflect the change we wish to see in others. This is how I firmly convince myself that the only constant in life is change; we must live filled with courage and joy to navigate lightly.
Dear ones, wanting to remind you that nature is wise and calls to us, wraps us in its embrace, nourishes us, and teaches us every day that the most precious thing we have is the opportunity to walk upon it.
Hugs and blessings!