The Amazon with Shamanic Voyages

Experience the Magic of the Amazon

The description below describes our typical retreat itinerary. The actual itinerary will almost certainly unfold differently, but will closely resemble what is described below. Our next travel dates will be posted here as soon as we arrange them. Please see our fundraising appeal at the end of this section…

The next ‘Magic of the amazon’ will be held from March 9 to March 23, 2025. Registration will open in August, but the waitlist is now open. our maximum group sizewill be 15 participants. Contact us to be waitlisted for early registration by contacting Mail@Shamanicvoyages.org

Shamanic Voyages travels to the Amazon Rainforest for an intensive experiential program with don Cesar Agustin Rivas, (Viejo) and dona Andrea Marques, (Nina Caspi). Join us and learn about the traditional healing and visionary plant medicines of the jungle amid the sights and sounds of the most important ecosystem in the world.

First some background… Some time ago, toward the end of the last century, (not to date myself or anything), I made my first trip to the Amazon with a mixed group of friends and strangers to work with an Amazonian shaman named don Agustin Rivas Vasquez. This would turn out to be one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. Rather than repeat the entire story here, suffice it to say that it was then and there that I first had the dream to make organizing trips for shamanic retreats and learning part of my mission in life.

During that visit, as well as others to follow, I deepened my shamanic practice and formed relationships that I treasure to this day. Don Agustins’ son, (Cesar Agustin Rivas, aka ‘Viejo’), and I became very close friends, eventually considering one another as brothers. Soon Viejo followed in his fathers footsteps and was trained in the local curendereo tradition, eventually becoming an Ayahuascureo himself. After a number of years spent away from my adopted spiritual home of Peru, Shamanic Voyages was born and the visits resumed. Shamanic Voyages now welcomes you to join us for the continuing unfolding of that dream of sharing the Magic of the Amazon.

Our Itinerary

As with most of our offerings, we plan our itineraries to be flexible, with room for spontaneity and downtime. There will be regular morning meetings, meals, drumming and healing sessions, as well as free time not listed in this itinerary. Check our ‘Past Trips’ page to see some of the photos from past trips. The typical outline of the trip will be as follows:

Day One: We will meet you or arrange for your transport from the Iquitos Airport as your flights arrive on day one. After gathering the group together, we will be met by Viejo and Nina Caspi, our host shamans and our interpreter. They will meet us at the ‘Jungle House’, where we will check in and then join us while we see some sights around the city. Later, they will also join us for our opening dinner ceremony at a restaurant that caters to our ‘Dieta’, (more on that later). After that we will make our final preparations for our trip upriver the next day.

Day Two: After our breakfast at the hotel, we will be brought to the Port of Iquitos, where we will meet our private boat. This boat will transport us to the village of Tamshiyacu, a trip of from one to two hours upriver on the Amazon, (depending on the boat). Once we land, our luggage will be transported to the camp, freeing us to walk unburdened through the village and into the jungle. Viejos’ camp, Supaychakra is just outside the village. Once we arrive we will get our room assignments, unpack and prepare for our first meeting. This meeting will be followed by an herbal bath, made from medicinal and aromatic herbs collected locally from near the camp itself. Afterward, we will experience the Huito ceremony. Huito is a local fruit, the colorless juice of which is applied to the skin, hands and face, minimum, the whole body if you wish. Over the course of the night, the Huito will dye our skin black where it was applied. This marks us as having a ‘tribal’ connection with one another, as well as concentrating the spiritual energies of the jungle toward our five primary senses, located in our heads and hands, namely, sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Below is a photo of me singing my spirit song to Viejos’ niece and daughter shortly after my first Huito bath.

Day Three: This will be the morning of our purification and purging ceremony with Oje. Oje is a locally made medicine which purges the body of parasites and impurities. As you might expect, this will result in some physical discomfort and nausea, but will pass fairly quickly and leave you prepared for the healing and teaching medicines to follow. It will also be the first of many opportunities to begin to shed the restraints of ego, and to begin to turn over our trust to the healing process and teaching of the rainforest medicines. Later we will receive our individual ‘dietas’ from Viejo. A dieta is a special diet to observe while working with the medicines, which we will begin in the weeks before the trip and which will evolve as conditions require. Some of us may be encouraged to enter a shamans dieta, a semi-fasting to sharpen the focus and commitment to the work, but the choice will be yours. A detailed description of the preparatory dieta will be given to those who sign up for the trip, or upon request. Once in the shamans camp, some of us may be assigned a special tea to drink or practice to follow as well.

Day Four: Part of this day will be devoted to preparing the group for their first Ayahuasca ceremony later that night. There will be a question and answer session, a preparatory drum journey and some scheduled free time for personal preparation. Just prior to sunset we will assemble outside the temple for the beginning of our work with this powerful teaching medicine. When we enter, we will all be dressed in white and will be seated around the periphery of the temple. When called, we will approach the alter and be given a small cup of thick brownish liquid. When all are served, we raise our cups in salute and drink. It will not be delicious. We will then return to our seats and wait for our visions. From time to time Viejo, Nina Caspi and the assisting currenderos will sing icaros and miriris, special spirit songs to draw in the spirits, as well as move around the temple to perform healing work on individuals. The ceremony will sometimes be filled with music, sometimes quiet. At some point, some or most people will become nauseous and may vomit. This is neither a concern, nor unusual. In fact it is part of the surrender to the medicine, and often signals that the visions are about to begin. The visions themselves may be very different for each participant, some having a very visual experience, some experiencing deep introspection and others a combination of sensations. Rarely, a beginner may experience nothing the first time, with the Ayahuasca working on a subtle level instead. As we will be in the hands of accomplished and very experienced Ayahuascueros, our welfare and safety will be attended to throughout. We will also be in the jungle, the home of the medicine, and will be supported by our very surroundings. The ceremony will last until about midnight.

Day Five: After our usual morning ceremony and breakfast, we will hold a meeting to discuss our experiences of the previous night and share our impressions of what our visions held for us. I recommend taking notes in the provided journals at these meetings, as our memories will be fresh and you will very likely want to review these notes in the future. The balance of this day will be for rest and recreation, perhaps even a hike and swim. By this time, we will also probably have set up a space for informal healing sessions and appointments with Viejo and Nina Caspi.

Day Six: By now we will have had a chance to have become immersed in the work and deeply connected to one another. At this juncture we may be offered the opportunity to take part in the important shamanic initiation of ‘Death and Resurrection’. Though I first experienced this initiation with Viejos’ father Don Agustin many years ago, each shaman may conduct this ceremony a little differently and this is the case with Viejo. For me, not knowing precisely what to expect the first time around made my experience more powerful, so I have made a point to not include the details here. For those of you who will accept and participate, I can only say that my experience has been one where trust and surrender are rewarded with deep teachings. Our second Ayahuasca ceremony is scheduled to follow, and again will run till around midnight.

Day Seven: Today we will begin our day with the usual morning activities followed by a morning meeting to discuss the ceremonies of the day before. At some point in the day we will be introduced to Yopo, a traditional medicine of the rainforest, which you may choose to partake in. Ceremony and teaching will follow. The afternoon and early evening will be open for healing sessions, massage appointments and drumming.

Day Eight: In addition to our usual activities, today we will receive instruction in the use of tobacco in the work of a rainforest Curandero. The local tobacco is genetically distinct from the tobacco of North America, and has long been used here as an important medicine in a wide variety of ways. By now we will have been exposed to some of its uses, and will now learn more about it and receive instructions on its ceremonial use. If the past is any indicator, discussion will then broaden to a deeper discussion of shamanic practice and jungle medicine in general, with no questions going unanswered.

Day Nine: As the focus of much of our work here will be on healing for the Earth, we felt it would be important to include a ceremony among the sacred trees at Waira Chakra. After our normal morning activities, we will journey into the jungle, beyond the jungle camp of Don Agustin and into the rainforest beyond, until we reach some ancient, sacred trees where we will offer our respects and perform a prayer ritual. Afterward we will return to camp, probably stopping for a swim along the way.

Day Ten: By now we will have established routines that fill much of the day. In addition, Viejo will spend some time today opening with a Yopo ritual followed by giving instruction on exercises to regulate the Pineal Gland. He will also answer questions and offer demonstrations of massage techniques for healing.

Day Eleven: Todays special event to follow our usual activities will be preparation for, and participation in, our last Ayahuasca ceremony of this visit. We will be open to some innovation and special intent for this last ceremony that we will share together. It promises to be memorable!

Day Twelve: Today will be our last full day at the camp. Throughout the day, Viejo, Nina Caspi and I will spend one on one time with each of the participants to check in with you, and to perform some energetic balancing and regulation to help your re-entry into ordinary reality. This grounding will be important and will not be rushed, so when we are working with others, you will have free time to journal or take a walk with a companion. Our dieta restrictions will be lifted as well, so dinner will take on a whole new importance, with Twinkies for everyone! (Just kidding…)

Day Thirteen: After breakfast, we will pack up and head back through the village to the boat landing, where we will board for the journey back to Iquitos. We will return to our hotel, relax and prepare for our closing dinner. After an evening stroll through the plaza, we will call it a night.

Day Fourteen: We will have breakfast at the hotel, say our goodbyes to our hosts and be transported to the airport for our return flight to Lima. There, we will say our farewells to one another and meet our planes to our respective homes.

Though the above outline may seem slim, don’t be misled. Much of our days will be filled with ceremony, instruction and laughter. The order too, will very likely be altered from this description due to weather or whim, for instance, the strong likelihood that we will take part in brewing a batch of Ayahuasca together. There are other events we could list, but we decided to keep them in the toolbox, and insert them if and when we find time during our stay. Viejos’ style is often driven by his inspiration and natural enthusiasm for interacting with others, wherever the current situation is leading. That’s why we don’t have a detailed script. It wouldn’t stand a chance. Please check the ‘Past Trips’ section to see more of what you can expect. If this intensive work is something you are drawn to, I can’t think of a better group of people to do it with.

It is the standing policy of Shamanic Voyages to never require people to engage in any ceremony they are not fully comfortable taking part in. For purposes of group cohesion however, we do ask the entire group to attend ceremonies together, even if simply to help hold the sacred space for the others. Due to the nature of the work we do in the Amazon, if you are not inclined to work with the medicines, this is probably not the trip for you, and you may be better suited to one of our other trips. If you are only interested in the medicine, you are probably likewise looking at the wrong trip. This is a spiritual retreat and in no way should be construed as a psychedelic vacation.

Participation in this event will require an online interview and deposit to hold your space, completion of all registration materials, and compliance with proper preparation guidelines, including reading and a partial fast in the week leading up to departure. We also require that you self test for Civid-19 three days before departure. Registration for this trip will close when announced at the top of this trip description or when the trip fills, whichever comes first. Deposits are non-refundable unless the trip is cancelled by Shamanic Voyages Inc. due to unforeseen circumstances, in which case you will be refunded 100%. If the trip proceeds as planned, but you test positive for Covid and can not join us, Shamanic Voyages will refund you the program fee, but will retain the nonrefundable deposit of $1000. Trip insurance is strongly recommended to cover airline tickets and related losses. Traveler Health Insurance is also recommended. Both are usually available through your airline at a reasonable cost. The cost of this program is $2700USD, (subject to change), with a deposit of $1000 due with registration package. The balance of $1700 will be due at least thirty days before departure. Payment may be made by mailing a check, (no fee), by credit card, (add 4%), or by bank wire, (fees vary by bank, contact us for details). This cost covers all program fees, lodging, meals, taxi and boat travel. It does not cover airfare, insurance, snacks, tips for staff, souvenirs or alcoholic beverages at our closing dinner. For this trip lodging will be in shared dormitory huts while at the shamans camp. Private rooms may be available on a first come first served basis at an extra fee, to be determined. Hotel lodging is based on shared occupancy on the first and last nights, contact us for upgrades. Participants must provide their own transportation to the Iquitos Airport. Assistance for arranging domestic air travel in Peru can be arranged through our partner Rosa at Pascana Travel. Contact us for details.

Come experience the magic!

Curandero Training

Our second annual Curandero/Curandera Training will be held from March 1st through March 7th, 2025. This training is for those who have attended a minimum of four Ayahuasca ceremonies with us and wish to take their training to the next level. All terms and policies described above apply to this program.

For those who have traveled to the Amazon with us before, or have significant previous experience, we now offer a five day curandero training program during the week preceding our regular ‘Magic of the Amazon’ trip. This can be a stand alone training, or you may also register for an additional two weeks for our regular MOTA program.

This training will focus on acting in a service role during ceremonies. We will learn about the structure of an Ayahuasca ceremony, when and when not to assist participants during the ceremony, the healing and grounding techniques of working with mapacho and safety protocols. The Ethical Code of Conduct for healers will also be discussed.

These techniques will be demonstrated and discussed under the direction of Viejo, Nina and Crow and will include two live ceremonies where the participants will have an opportunity to act in a service role while with the medicine.

The cost of this program is $1300 USD, with a $650 deposit to reserve your place and the remaining $650 due by February 1, 2025. If you choose to attend both programs, a discount may be available. See Magic of the Amazon for terms and conditions.

An online interview will be required. Contact Crow at Mail@ShamanicVoyages.org to apply.

When Viejo built his camp, Supaychacra, it was just outside the village of Tamshiyacu. Since that time, the population of the village has not only significantly increased, but it has even reached into the surrounding jungle. During this past year a cantina was even built on the far side of Viejos camp! 

     Not so very long ago, the proximity to the village had a few advantages. The camp was close enough to take advantage of the electricity and cellular service when they became available, making running water and a connection to the outside world possible. Those were things almost undreamed of during my early years working with don Agustin in his camp.

     These 'advantages' are a double edged sword however. Now, the nighttime sounds of the jungle are often replaced with the sounds of loud party music, now from two directions. The temptation to check emails or the news also takes away something from the retreat atmosphere of the experience. Maybe I feel this way because I have the past to compare it to. But still, I would prefer to share with others what I most value myself. So would Viejo. 

      Viejo has a second camp, Wairachacra,  further into the jungle where he worked many years ago. It has fallen into a state of disrepair over the years, but is still visited by our groups as a sacred site. Here, the birds and other wildlife haven't moved away. You can't hear the sounds of the village, day or night. Your cell phone can take pictures and tell time, but little else. This is a perfect location for a camp.

     When asked why he doesn't rebuild and move back here, Viejo says that he would like to, but he doesn't have the resources. I am not alone in wanting to help him to do this.

     Shamanic Voyages and some of our travelers and friends have joined together to raise funds to help Viejo rebuild Wairachacra. Since we began our fundraising efforts in 2022, we have been able to help fund the building of three new structures at Wairachacra in addition to making upgrades to the one surviving structure! There is a long way to go however. Most of us who have been there are very excited about this and are ready to help, but we can't do it alone. Please consider making a donation, large or small to help make this possible.

Thank you!

You can securely donate here with a credit card by clicking this button, or you can send a check to: Shamanic Voyages Inc. - 1639 State Road Eliot, ME 03903 USA - Your donation information will be added to the campaign when received.

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