Ceremony starts when it gets dark (6:30-7:30PM) and will last between 4-6 hours.

As ceremony starts, the maestro will sit directly in front of the mesa, a collection of sacred stones and objects placed on a cloth tapestry, facing east and the rest of the guests will form a circle around the maestro.  The maestro and more experienced guests will be in chairs, while many of the guests will opt for mats a bit larger than a yoga mat.

At the beginning of ceremony the maestros will sing icaros into the bottle holding the ayahuasca.  The icaros are used to call to the spirits and set the intent for the ceremony.  Then the maestro that is leading ceremony will pour and pass out doses to the guests.  For each cup he will sing individual icaros.  At La Familia Medicina each guest goes up one by one to receive their dose from the maestro.  Before a guest drinks their dose, they say “Salud!” and the other participants reply with “Salud!” to show appreciation to the maestro, other guests, and the medicine.

Once everyone has drunk, the lights are turned off or candles blown out so that there is complete darkness.  When the lights go out is when chakapas start to shake and the maestros begin to sing icaros.

The chakapas are essentially a rattle like instruments made out of the leaves of a jungle plant and they make a shh, shh, shh like sound.  They are used to bring on the mariacion, or visions, as they are soothing and trance inducing.  The maestros also use chakapas to manage the maestros’ energy within the ceremony space and to direct energy for healing.

Icaros are sacred medicine songs that are given to the maestros by the plant spirits and by their own maestros.  Icaros are used to call in spirits, call in the mariacion (visions), to heal, and to protect.  There is no “play list” for the icaros.  The spirits tell the maestros which icaros to sing and when.

Icaros carry the maestros’ energy in a very profound way.  It is often said that icaros “paint” or guide the experience in ceremony.  It is a good idea to focus on the icaros during ceremony.  The icaros are there to help you and again, they are the maestros’ energy.  Listen to the icaros and open up to them.

At times the maestros will be compelled to perform a ventiada for a guest.  This is when a maestro stands directly in front of or over a guest shakes his chakapa and sings icaros specifically for that guest.  A ventiada is used to focus the maestro’s energy on one person for healing, cleaning, and/or protection.  When the maestro comes to you for a ventiada sit with your palms up in a receiving manner to receive this wonderful gift he is giving you.  At the end of the ventiada the maestro will perform a supla.  This is when the maestro blows tobacco smoke on various parts of your body starting with the crown of your head.  A supla is to clean your energies and provide protection.

After four to six hours, ceremony will wind down.  At this point a candle will be lit or a light turned on.  Immediately after ceremony you are free to chat with other guests, drink water, and ask the maestros questions about the medicine or anything else for that matter.  Of course you are free to head directly to bed if that is what you need.  Conversely, you are also free to stay and even sleep in the ceremony house all night.

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