HUACHUMA — THE MEDICINE OF THE ANDEAN CACTUS
San Pedro, also known as Huachuma in Quechua, is not part of the traditional Shipibo medicine path — it is a cactus medicine from the Andes with a long history of ceremonial use among Indigenous peoples across Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.
Traditionally, San Pedro is regarded as a teacher plant with a clear, solar, masculine quality — often called the Grandfather medicine, while Ayahuasca is known as the Grandmother (la Abuelita) — a medicine of feminine energy.
HOW THE MAESTRO MET HUACHUMA
As part of his formation, Maestro Niwen Koshi (Heberto García) was sent by his grandfather — Yosi Ocha — to train with some of the finest maestros of his time, across different traditions, cultures and regions. Among them were maestros from the Andes.
On one such journey, he was sent to accompany a student who was training in clairvoyance. He watched as the student drank an unfamiliar medicine, and an elder Andean maestro began to sing ícaros unlike anything he had heard in the Shipibo tradition. Suddenly, the student began laughing uncontrollably — a reaction not commonly seen in Ayahuasca ceremonies.
He observed in silence. The atmosphere in the space felt unlike that of any ceremony he knew — lighter and more open, as if the medicine were working in the light rather than in the depths of the night. But even more striking were the vibrations moving between the maestro’s eyes and the intensity of the light above his head. It was the first time young Niwen Koshi witnessed the effects of San Pedro.
At the end of the ceremony, the seasoned maestro shared these words with him:
“Shamanism is a vast spiritual science — one that we never fully master.”
He spoke of the brotherhood of medicines and the capacity of a trained maestro curandero to work across traditions and territories, adapting to the needs of those from different worlds. It was during this conversation that the seed of his future work with Huachuma was planted.
SAN PEDRO & AYAHUASCA — THE ALLIANCE OF MEDICINES
Ayahuasca and San Pedro are medicines from different worlds — one from the Amazon, one from the Andes. Each carries its own spirit, its own territory, its own quality of energy. And yet, through years of rigorous dieta, Maestro Niwen Koshi understood that, different as they are, both medicines can complement each other to create a healing force far greater than either could achieve alone.
In his own words:
“A maestro specialised in both medicines is capable of connecting the spirit of Ayahuasca with the spirit of Huachuma. When these spirits unite, their energies merge, and the treatment reaches a depth that neither medicine achieves on its own.”
This is not a simple combination of substances — it is a highly specialised form of work that requires years of training.
In the spiritual world, every element of nature — mountains, trees, stones, water, wind and much more — has its own spirit, inhabits its own territory and carries its own energy. These are neutral forces: neither benevolent nor malevolent. The maestro curandero acts as a spiritual scientist: knowing how to open the portal of each medicine, when and how to invoke these spirits and towards what purpose. When their energies unite, a higher vibration is generated — one that allows healing work of far greater depth.
This is the work to which Maestro Niwen Koshi has dedicated decades — weaving the wisdom gathered from masters across many traditions and developing his own art as a healer: one that continues to evolve and that guests at Onikano experience in every ceremony.
WHY SAN PEDRO IS INCLUDED IN THE RETREAT
One of the reasons Maestro Niwen Koshi chose to specialise in Huachuma was its remarkable capacity to restore and strengthen the aura.
In the Shipibo understanding, the aura is not simply an energetic field around the body — it is through the aura that the body receives, distributes and replenishes its vital energy.
For the system to function at its fullest, the aura must be radiant — with strength, with colour, with life. When it is weakened, dull or depleted, the whole system loses strength.
San Pedro works with a solar, expansive and vivifying quality. It helps bring movement, colour and vitality back into the energetic body, supporting the healing work that begins during Ayahuasca ceremonies.
For this reason, San Pedro plays a practical role in the rhythm of a retreat at Onikano. Where Ayahuasca works in the deepest layers of the inner world, Huachuma works in the light — clearing, strengthening, opening perception and helping participants reconnect with the body, the forest and life itself.
Many guests experience the San Pedro ceremony as a moment of integration: a day in which what was opened through Ayahuasca begins to settle, expand and become clearer.
SAN PEDRO & AYAHUASCA — TWO DIFFERENT JOURNEYS
San Pedro contains mescaline — a naturally occurring psychedelic compound. Those who work with this medicine commonly report heightened sensory perception, emotional openness, waves of joy and a deepened sense of connection with the natural world.
San Pedro works very differently from Ayahuasca. While Ayahuasca often brings participants inward — into visions, emotional release, purging and the deeper layers of the inner world — San Pedro tends to open perception outward. It awakens the senses, opens the heart and deepens the connection with the body, the natural world and oneself.
The experience is often described as gentler and more grounding than Ayahuasca. While the effects of Ayahuasca typically last between 4 and 6 hours, San Pedro unfolds much more gradually, with effects lasting 12 hours or longer. Most guests remain able to walk, speak and connect with others, while also entering moments of silence, introspection and deep communion with nature.
As the medicine opens, the senses may become heightened — colours may appear more vivid, the forest may feel more alive and emotions may become more accessible. Some people feel warmth, joy, laughter, renewed energy or a strong desire to move, sing, create or simply be present in the beauty of the moment. Many guests describe their San Pedro ceremony as one of the most memorable days of their lives — marked by joy, renewed vitality and a deep love for life.
Although San Pedro is usually perceived as a grounding and expansive medicine, it can also act with great force. As it moves through the body, it may encounter dense or blocked energy. In these moments, some participants may experience waves of discomfort, emotional turbulence, nausea or purging — until the medicine breaks through and the energy begins to flow freely. These moments, though at times challenging, are often understood as signs that meaningful healing is taking place.
When the medicine becomes intense, participants may be offered concentrated ginger tea, lemon juice or pushushui — a traditional remedy — to help the body move through the experience with greater ease and stability. The maestros may also support the process through energetic cleansing with Agua de Florida, sopladas or other techniques from the Shipibo healing tradition.
A DAY WITH HUACHUMA AT ONIKANO
At Onikano, San Pedro ceremonies take place on Fridays and begin around 9:00 a.m. Participants typically receive 2 to 3 spoonfuls of powdered Huachuma diluted in water. The amount administered depends on each person’s sensitivity and their previous experience with Ayahuasca.
After drinking the medicine, participants are invited to walk through the jungle and connect with nature, allowing the effects to unfold gradually. The first effects are usually felt within 30 minutes to 2 hours. Around 11:00 a.m., the group gathers in the ceremonial space, where the maestros accompany each participant as the journey deepens.
Around midday, participants take part in a Sacred Fire Ritual, followed by a mud bath — a grounding practice that reconnects the body with Pachamama — and a refreshing dip in the lake. After lunch, the journey continues in its own rhythm, often extending late into the night as the medicine moves through its different phases.
Throughout the day, participants usually remain lucid enough to walk, talk and connect with others. Waves of laughter may arise naturally. Visions can occur, but most insights tend to emerge through felt experience rather than visual imagery.
While the medicine often fosters joyful connection with fellow participants, everyone is encouraged to spend time in solitude — walking in the jungle, connecting with the Teacher Trees, contemplating the lake or simply being present.
San Pedro teaches through relationship: with the forest, with the body, with others, with oneself. Sometimes the deepest moments of the ceremony arrive not as visions, but as a silent knowing — a certainty that needs no words.
ESPAÑOL
DEUTSCH