Posts by Lorna Liana
Ayahuasca Governance & The One Thing We Need to Do To Improve Society
With the global expansion of ayahuasca, it is still considered to be an illegal drug in many countries – some communities are in danger of prosecution; would it be possible for ayahuasca to be recognized as a global cultural heritage under UN? Would this be a good thing, and how might we be able to arrive at…
Read MoreSex, Sacred Medicine & the Psychedelic Patriarchy
Sexual assault and misconduct among shamans has long plagued the plant medicine shamanism community, resulting in prolonged physical and emotional trauma for ceremony participants, rather than healing. But is it “wrong” for a shaman to sleep with a ceremony participant? When do accepted cultural behaviors transgress into sexual addiction and predation? And is it all…
Read MoreShamanism, Racism & Cultural Appropriation in a Multicultural World
The worldwide expansion of sacred plant medicine ceremonies beyond their cultural boundaries has been coined a “global shamanic revival”. Increasing the numbers of Westerners traveling to the Amazon, Central America, and Africa to participate in tribal ceremonies, initiations, and festivals. This heightened interest in indigenous culture has fueled an indigenous cultural renaissance in the Amazon…
Read MoreWhat Ayahuasca Means to the Ashaninka
Ayahuasca is an Amazonian brew of two plants Banisteriopsis Caapi and Psychotria Viridis and has been around for more than a thousand years. A drink that has gained the global interest especially since the mid-2000s, peaking in April of 2016. Westerners have different intentions as to why they seek ayahuasca. Others maybe thrill seekers or just curious backpackers,…
Read MoreThe Challenges of Becoming a Woman Pajé (Shaman)
The indigenous community has long been a male-dominated society. With the title of pajé or shamans only for the males, and the housework and child-bearing for the females. But unlike the world we live in, where we can now vote for the next president and be elected president without much complain from our male counterparts. For…
Read MoreSuicide, Psychedelics & Body-Hacking Bliss
Attempted suicide can be a powerful journey back to your own true divine self… There’s a lot of talk about suicide and I think it’s a good thing. We need to stop treating it as a stigma. Instead of making it that medical checkbox to self-identifying as damaged or crazy that jeopardizes your insurance benefits,…
Read MoreWe Need to Talk About Your Issues with Shamanism, Ayahuasca & Money
We need to talk to you about your money issues around ayahuasca, sacred plant medicines and spirituality… Yes, I said YOUR money issues. Did I trigger something? Ya, I know it’s a controversial topic that gives enough people hulk rage to send me offensive emails, as well as nicely worded emails admonishing me for my…
Read MoreBenki Piyako, Ashaninka Environmentalist, Faces 8 Years In Prison
Benki Piyãko, Ashaninka indigenous leader, 2006 Ashoka Fellow, 2013 Human Rights Award recipient, 2017 UNDP Equator Prize recipient, could be criminally condemned for reporting threats to his person, and faces up to 8 years in jail. After facing conflicts in the city of Marechal Thaumaturgo, Acre, during April 2015, Benki Piyãko, Ashaninka leader from the…
Read MoreSoul Retrieval Exercises for Shamanic Healing
Have you ever experienced being caught up in a traumatic situation? Do you feel like you were never the same right after the incident? Then you are probably experiencing what is called a soul loss. In the shamanic worldview, soul loss occurs as a result of a traumatic event or stress. In the face of…
Read MoreShamanic Soul Retrieval: What Is It & How Does It Work
Feeling stuck? Or maybe you feel like some part of you is missing? Or that you have not felt fully yourself ever since that tragic experience occurred, that you wish never happened? Try as we might, all of us, at some point in our lives will be hurt by people, circumstances, and other forces that…
Read More