Wachuma, also known as San Pedro, is a cactus native to the Andes Mountains in South America. It contains mescaline, a psychoactive compound used for thousands of years by indigenous tribes in rituals and healing ceremonies. Known for its visionary and introspective effects, Wachuma is often described as more gentle and heart-centered compared to other psychedelics like Ayahuasca. Typically prepared as a brew or consumed raw, its use is associated with spiritual and personal growth experiences.

As mentioned before, I had researched Wachuma (San Pedro) way before my visit to Cusco, Peru. The following was my journal entry of the experience.

Jenny arrived at my hotel, and we picked up the Shaman on the way to the temple, known as the Temple of the Moon. The ceremony began immediately since the effects of the medicine last for eight hours, with the first four hours being the most intense. We all sat on a mat overlooking the breathtaking mountains of Peru.

The Shaman introduced himself and the medicine, speaking only in Quechua, which Jenny translated. With 19 years of experience, he brews the medicine himself for every ceremony. He poured a large cup and advised me to drink it in one shot, followed by another half cup. Surprised by my ability to drink it quickly, he remarked on my strong spirit. The drink tasted like a thick aloe vera syrup with a touch of alcohol, leaving my belly feeling full and hot.

After drinking, Jenny instructed me to lay on a mat and meditate for about 30 minutes. As the greenery around me intensified in brightness, I fixated on a half-dead bush surrounded by vibrant leaves. It conveyed a message of death and rebirth, a theme that continued throughout the experience. I observed the simultaneous existence of life and death in everything around me.

Despite feeling dizzy and short of breath, I joined Jenny for a walk in nature, refusing to remove my hoodie to embrace both the coldness of the mountains and the heat from the high-altitude sun, symbolizing death and rebirth. Feeling the urge to touch the rocks and trees, I stopped midway up the hill, sitting near a rock to catch my breath. Feeling the medicine coursing through me, I sensed an energy exchange with a tree, believing it was singing an icaros tune. When the Shaman began whistling the same tune, I realized our connection.

Feeling tired and drunk rather than in a state of bliss, I questioned my experience, expecting vivid visions like in an Ayahuasca session. Instead, I felt disconnected from space and time, heightened senses allowing me to observe ants, mosquitoes, and bees interacting with a tree, illustrating our interconnectedness and purpose in the exchange of energy for survival.

I heard distant Andean music, which became my background music for the rest of the ceremony. When the Shaman stopped humming, allowing the distant music to merge with our ceremony, I sat up and joined in with the maracas. The music shifted my state, leading to a purge guided by the Shaman and Jenny, during which I heard a clear message from my ancestors urging me to break a generational curse.

Overwhelmed with emotion, I cried uncontrollably, feeling the support and guidance of my ancestors. The Shaman helped me through the process until I came back to my own world, the Andean music transitioning from somber to celebratory. Jenny suggested that the distant group was singing in my frequency, connected to my journey. After the ceremony, we silently exchanged lunch, reflecting on the humbling experience of sharing a meal in community.

I realized the intense experience with Wachuma was due to my resistance to messages from Ayahuasca. It served as a connection to my ancestral lineage, a final attempt to fulfill my spiritual destiny. Aya (female energy) and Wachuma (masculine energy) collided to guide me, with my spiritual parents protecting me lovingly.

As the medicine’s strength waned, we walked back, and I was astonished by how much ground we had covered, feeling like I had only taken a few steps. The musicians for the sound healing session arrived, grounding me back into myself. They spoke about Kundalini, Chakras, and playing musical instruments opening portals, feeling like familiar friends.

After the musicians left, the Shaman performed a closing ceremony similar to a Reiki attunement, leaving me feeling prepared to fulfill my ancestral purpose.