What is Rapéh?

Because of this last property they use it also for making Rapeh, he is considered to be one of strongest sacred medicines from the Jungle that are used both to overcome physical, psychological and emotional blocks as well as gain tremendous insight into other, subtler worlds. However, it is essential that we understand how to engage properly with these medicines, so that we can obtain maximum benefit from them, and commune with them with greatest respect and honoring the spirit of the plants, because how we approach to them that is how we approach to us.

With the advent of technology and travel, the time has come where these ancient practices and indigenous plant medicines are now accessible to us in a way they never have been before. We can choose to understand the cultural context of these practices, reconnect to the spirit of the plants, indigenes knowledge and cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with them. By understanding the teachings and traditions which have been passed down from the Amazonian tribes, we can learn to use one of their most highly regarded medicines, Rapeh, to commune with tobacco on a whole new level. This Book has been written to help you gain insight into how and why Rapeh can be a very potent tool used for healing and spiritual exploration in the modern era. You will learn what exactly Rapeh is, what different kinds of Rapeh you can choose from and the various ways to administer it. You will also learn about the crucial importance of “set and setting”, the attitude you must have when using this sacred medicine, and what to avoid when using it. If you are reading this you are probably on the path of the medicine or an experimenting psychonaut. The goal of this book is to support you in feeling informed, empowered and educated on the proper use of Rapeh for healing and spiritual exploration purposes, both for yourself and for the people you might share this medicine with. Rapeh is a preparation of powdered medicinal herbs, mostly with a tobacco base. The effects of Rapeh is experienced rapidly and intensely, because the powdered snuff is administered through the nose. The practice of consuming powdered plant medicines through the nose is much more ancient than we realized (dating from the pre-Columbian days) and was first observed among the Brazilian indigenous tribes. In Europe, herbal snuff was introduced by the doctor and botanist Francisco Hernández de Boncalo in 1577 – and the elites of that time often took snuff as a headache treatment. During the XVIII century, inhaling snuff became fashionable among the European aristocracy. Today, its take in a spiritual use same like the indigenous tribes in the Jungle and they continue to use Rapeh in all aspects of life, from formal ritual use in rites of puberty, initiation, social gatherings and healing ceremonies, to simply tuning into Nature and the healing power of sacred plant medicines alone or with friends. The tribes that use have traditionally used Rapéh – which include but are not limited to the Katukina, Yawanawa, Kaxinawa, Nukini, Kuntanawa, Apurinã, Ashaninka, and Matses – often produce their own specific kinds of Rapeh blend and have different ways of preparing the herbal snuff, from techniques to so ngs that are sing during the Rapeh rituals. From the indigenous point of view, Rapeh is a sacred medicine with profound healing effects. Rapeh is made from different medicinal plants for different purposes – to induce visions, to have energy, and to enhance the senses with the aromatic fragrance of the plants used in the blend. Given that there are many medicinal plants you can blend into Rapeh , there are many various Rapeh recipes in existence – and these recipes are often closely guarded by the tribes as secrets. Sharing Rapeh – or “passando hapein” – is traditionally a ritualistic practice among South American tribes that may include giving a specific prayer to activate the force of the Rapeh and to confer the healing power of the forest upon the Rapeh recipient. The ritual use of Rapeh is also making its way around the world, introduced to the West through ayahuasca ceremonies by traveling shamans and by visitors who have spent time in the jungle with indigenous communities. The Sacred Art of Making Rapeh It’s a laborious process to make Rapeh , and Rapeh production is typically done in a ceremonial context, from gathering the plants to processing the medicine. Traditionally, the person making the Rapeh blend needs to be an experienced curandero who have done diet with this medicines and with good knowledge about the medicinal plants of the rainforest. In addition to having broad knowledge of the medicinal plants of the Amazon rainforest (which is also one of the most biodiverse regions in the world), the curandero also needs to know precisely which part of each plant can be used. For example, the root bark of a plant can have a different purpose and effect than the leaves or the seeds of the same plant. This sacred preparation of medicinal Rapeh is a process that may take weeks. Usually, Cueandero works under a strict diet and in a trance-state when endlessly pounding and mixing the Rapeh herbs. The other members of the tribe might be responsible for the collection of plants. The plants will either be sun dried or toasted under a light bulb and are filtered several times through a fine cloth and then mixed with other ingredients to obtain the final batch. Only recently have the tribes begun to share their sacred medicine with foreign friends, passing on the knowledge and application of Rapeh to non-indigenous people. The sacred art of making Rapeh is typically an apprenticeship that takes years to master. This is because different Rapeh blends may involve complex processes as different plants are harvested and prepared. It may also involve extended periods of dieting with the plants in order to receive the teachings of these plants, on top of the ceremonial process of working with them in a “feitio” – medicine making session. Mastery not only involves knowledge of the plants and their preparation, but a subtle and precise appreciation for the flavor as well as the effects of the blend, plus the ability to reproduce these qualities batch after batch. Many serious Rapeh makers consider the art of making Rapeh Ra to be an apprenticeship, not only with the master shamans, but more importantly, with the plants themselves. Rapeh can now be found all over the Amazon, Brazil, and the world, and some non-indigenous Rapeh makers are even evolving the art of making it to incorporate new standards in production, storage, and the formulation of new blends. Still, many of the blend compositions remain a secret of the local tribes.

Ivan Nikitović