Ancient Tools of Application: Tepi
The Kambo healing tradition, rooted in the wisdom of the Amazon, often begins with tools used to administer sacred plant preparations. One of the most well-known tools is the Tepi, a ceremonial pipe designed for administering sacred snuff through one participant to another. The healer uses the Tepi to carefully guide the medicine, ensuring the energy and intention are shared in balance. Within Kambo practices, the Tepi symbolizes trust and connection, where the healer and recipient embark on a shared spiritual journey guided by natural medicine and ancestral rituals.
Self-Application Through Kuripe
While the Tepi involves another person’s assistance, individuals may also choose self-application with a Kuripe, a smaller V-shaped pipe crafted traditionally from bamboo or bone. The Kuripe empowers the user to take responsibility for their healing journey by administering sacred snuff directly. Its use within Kambo ceremonies reflects self-reliance and deeper personal alignment. By working with the Kuripe, participants learn how to trust their own intuition and body’s wisdom, integrating the teachings of the forest into their inner worlds.
The Multiplicity of Tepis and Kuripes
Across Amazonian tribes, the designs of Tepis and Kuripes vary widely, often adorned with carvings, feathers, or natural dyes that hold symbolic meaning. These tools are not merely functional but also spiritual, carrying the blessings of their makers and the forest spirits. In Kambo rituals, the diversity of Tepis and Kuripes reflects the individuality of each practitioner while honoring the collective heritage of the tribes. Each unique design enhances the sacredness of the ceremony, making the healing more personal and profound.
Ceremonial Hapeh and Rapeh
Another integral element often accompanying Kambo healing is the sacred snuff known as Hapeh or Rapeh, made from finely ground tobacco and other sacred plants. Administered through the Tepi or Kuripe, Hapeh and Rapeh are used to cleanse the mind, ground emotions, and align spiritual energies. These preparations often serve as a gateway before receiving Kambo medicine, preparing the body and spirit to receive deeper purification. Their role highlights the interwoven nature of Amazonian traditions where every plant and tool contributes to holistic healing.
Sacred Plants: Kambo Medicine and Forest Allies
At the core of these ceremonies is Kambo medicine, the secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog, revered for its purgative and healing effects. Yet, this medicine is often honored alongside other Amazonian plants such as Angico, known for its grounding properties, Cacao, cherished for heart-opening energy, and Pau Pereira, valued for resilience and strength. These forest allies together create a symphony of healing, where each plant or medicine adds its unique vibration. Through their union, Kambo healing becomes a path of deep cleansing, spiritual renewal, and reconnection with nature’s wisdom.