Chacruna (Psychotria Viridis) – Whole Leaves, Santo Daime, Brazil

What is Chacruna?

Native to countries like Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, the tree scientifically known as Psychotria viridis has also been referred to as a Visionary Vine by practitioners of sacred medicine, who use it to create a brew called Ayahuasca. The Ayahuasca ceremony involves the preparation of the body and mind to receive the powerful healing offered by the spirits of the plants and Mother Nature and to receive messages from these spirits and one’s ancestors.

The leaves of the Chacruna tree are used in religious rituals both for their therapeutic properties and to induce visions and widen the reach of the mind’s eye. Shamans and indigenous folk credit this plant with performing miracles of healing and even with the prevention of witchraft, in addition to helping with migraines and cleansing of the intestines.

Ayahuasca and Santo Daime

Ayahuasca is a central part of the Santo Daime religious ritual, a tradition that has been a part of certain communities spread across the Amazonian Forest. The ceremony has been held since the XX century, such a custom based on a spiritualistic doctrine whose very basis is closely related to the consumption of the herbal brew. Daimists make use of the properties offered by the plants used in the making of their sacred drink not as a hallucinogenic to chase new highs, but to connect with God, obtain knowledge both of the world arould them and their own selves.