TOBACCO CEREMONIES
SITTING WITH THE OLDEST KNOWN PLANT MEDICINE
WHAT IS A TOBACCO CEREMONY?
A tobacco ceremony can be many things. In some traditions, the pipe is used for prayer or for creating peaceful speech within community. In other traditions, tobacco is ingested orally as a tea, to clean the body of physical & emotional imbalance. Likewise, the same tea can be snorted into the sinuses to purify the eyes & ears or inserted into the colon via enema to detoxify the intestines. Hape, an intranasal snuff of tobacco powder, is used for grounding the emotions, aligning body and mind.
We use a homemade paste of pure wild tobacco for ceremony. The paste is taken internally and digested almost like a food. Physically, it is a cleaning agent of the entire digestive tract, a balancer of the nervous system, a strengthener of bones and ligaments and harmonizer of the immune system. Spiritually, tobacco paste connects us to a profound state of shamanic meditation, evoking personal vision, ancestral memory, psychic humility and bridging our consciousness to the realm of spirit—while remaining lucid, sharp & sober.
HOW DOES A TOBACCO CEREMONY WORK?
A Tobacco Ceremony lasts for about 3.5 - 4 hours and consists of drinking a tea of Tobacco Paste & water. In most cases, the Tobacco Tea will cause the body to vomit, or purge, the contents of the stomach, and sometimes the intestines. The process is often gentle and deeply therapeutic.
During the Tobacco Ceremony, each participant sits in a kind of shamanic meditation, finds their center and allows the medicine to do its work. The facilitator will chant and move energy in the room, anchoring in a deep and sturdy structure of safety in the room.
Towards the end of the Tobacco Ceremony, the space is opened for shared voices from the circle. Most individuals will leave when the ceremony is finished, feeling both strong and sensitized.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
A Tobacco Ceremony is therapeutic on Physical, Emotional and Spiritual levels. The medicine is highly stimulating to the liver and helps clear the digestive tract. Tobacco Paste, in particular, is amazing for the body's deep connective tissue, including the fascia, tendons and ligaments. Purging with Tobacco is excellent for helping us access and move difficult emotions that may feel stuck, oppressive or out of our control. The ancient art of purging with Tobacco is also a spiritual practice that can help us to deeper levels of self-knowledge and connection to the primal nature of existence.
PHYSICAL
Anti-Inflammatory
Anti-Viral & Anti-Parasitic
Detoxifies Organs
Strengthens Digestion
Stimulates Connetive Tissue
EMOTIONAL
Invites Emotional Release
Clears Unprocessed Trauma
Sharpens Mental Clarity
Cuts Cognitive Dissonance
Helps Us Ground Our Energy
SPIRITUAL
Connects of to Our Ancestry
Expands our Personal Vision
Encourages Humility
Supports Spiritual Evolution
Builds Courage
HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS IS RIGHT FOR ME?
Tobacco Ceremonies are safe & legal approaches to plant medicine, and can help most people clear themselves, ground their energy, straighten the mind within the body, come to attention and align with a wholesome spiritual path. With that said, Tobacco is a powerful master plant and nicotine is a chemical which requires respect to be utilized as a medicine. Here are some things to consider when deciding if a Tobacco Ceremony is right for you:
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Blood Pressure / Circulation Issues
Recent Surgeries
Active Pharmaceutical Ingestion
Pregnancy
Psychiatric Diagnoses
NICOTINE ADDICTION
For anyone dealing with Tobacco or nicotine addiction, Tobacco Ceremonies can be an incredibly effective way to come back into right relationship with these powerful substances. If you are currently under the influence of Tobacco or nicotine addiction, it is necessary that you stop using Tobacco or nicotine products for at least a week prior to attending a Tobacco Ceremony
PHYSICAL INTENSITY
Tobacco Ceremonies are generally quite calm and the purge or experience of vomiting is often easy and natural. Sometimes the medicine can stir up strong energy within the body and the purge may feel very forceful or intense. These are often the most powerful and therapeutic releases and they are not common in Tobacco Ceremonies outside of our Master Tree Diets and Tobacco Apprenticeships, though they are possible and this should be considered when deciding if you will join us.
CARE
The holistic care of all who attend our circles is a top priority for us, as is the safety, groundedness and cleanliness of our spaces. If you choose to show up, you show up to a safe space. With that said, true safety begins with self-trust.
HOW DO I PREPARE FOR A TOBACCO CEREMONY?