Tobacco

Tobacco Ceremony & Sacred Use

Tobacco is one of the oldest and most widely revered sacred plants in the world, honored across diverse cultures and spiritual traditions. In many ways, it is the original plant teacher—ancient, powerful, and deeply respected.

We use it with respect and caution, because tobacco is a great traveler. Those who have envisioned him in dreams say that he is a very thin man, almost like a skeleton. He walks in space, aided by a cane where his leaves grow, and he wears a necklace of skulls and knees. They are the bones of our ancestors, so old and ghostly like his white smoke. He looks like he’s tired, but he keeps walking, always carrying for us the memory of all that has happened since the earth and her creation formed.

In the Amazon, mapacho (sacred jungle tobacco) is traditionally smoked during ayahuasca ceremonies, either hand-rolled or in a pipe. It is used to clear and protect the ceremonial space, cleanse heavy energies, and strengthen spiritual boundaries. Through the sacred sopla—a focused, intentional blowing of smoke by the curandero—the medicine can transmit prayers and spiritual force. Mapacho also grounds and stabilizes the experience, helping to regulate the intensity of ayahuasca when needed.

When undertaken as a dieta, mapacho becomes a profound cleansing and fortifying ally. It works as a purgative, supports gut health, strengthens energetic resilience, and builds inner discipline. As a potent master plant, it offers strength to both body and spirit, often helping to break repetitive patterns, addictions, and deeply rooted habits. Its wisdom is earthy, direct, and grounding.

Tobacco can be smoked, inhaled, or chewed when prepared as a paste from crushed leaves. We approach this plant with deep respect and caution, for tobacco is known as a great traveler—moving between worlds, carrying prayers, memory, and spirit. In ancestral visions, he appears as a thin, almost skeletal elder, walking through space with a cane from which his leaves grow. Around his neck hang the bones of the ancestors—reminders of all that has come before. Though he looks weary, he continues walking, bearing the memory of creation and the stories of the Earth.

In the dream world, tobacco reconnects us to the original forces of creation—to the breath of the Creator and the waters from which life emerged. Through him, we remember that life itself is a living dream, woven of color, spirit, and light.

The Ceremony

A Tobacco ceremony is a powerful physical and energetic cleanse. Participants drink an infusion made from the leaves of Nicotiana rustica, a potent jungle tobacco. (Smoking is not required.) This is not commercial cigarette tobacco—it is wild, strong, and free from chemicals or additives.

Tobacco is not psychedelic and does not typically produce visions. Instead, it grounds. Many participants report a deep sense of presence in their bodies and heightened clarity. It also works strongly in the dream realm, often inducing vivid or lucid dreams that carry teachings and insight into how the medicine is working within.

The Purge & Cleansing Process

Tobacco juice is a powerful purgative. It gathers and expels toxins from the physical, emotional, and mental bodies. The process can be intense and may include vomiting, bowel movements, sweating, and waves of heat and cold as the body releases stored tension and blockages.

Afterward, many feel remarkably clean, light, energized, and mentally clear.

Physically, tobacco supports cleansing of the blood, intestines, stomach, sinuses, mucus, toxins, and parasites.

Emotionally, it helps release stored emotions, outdated patterns, and limiting beliefs.

Energetically, it clears blockages so life force can flow more freely.

The Key: Surrender

The most important posture in ceremony is surrender. When we trust the medicine and allow it to work without resistance, the healing deepens. Letting go of control opens the heart, reveals insight, softens fear, and allows wounded parts of ourselves to be met with compassion. From this place, patterns shift and clarity emerges.

Most guests approach a mapacho dieta after establishing a strong foundation with ayahuasca and other master plants. Mapacho dietas are typically held during our retreats and are available upon request.