This magnificent book by W. Golden Mortimer, published in 1901 and long out of print, has been digitized by Microsoft for the University of California and now available in the Open Internet Archive. The book contains nearly 200 hundred illustrations.
Mama Coca presenting the 'Divine Plant' to the Old World
Medicinal and Shamanic Plants of Peru, a set on Flickr.
I’ve been adding more photos from the archives.
Shamans of Peru: Ceremonial Chants, Icaros, & Music CD Cover
Various Artists | Shamans of Peru | CD Baby.
The haunting, plaintive music of Peruvian shamans was recorded at ceremonies in the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon rainforest.
The chants and icaros have an organic relationship to the medicine plants, and are primarily intended as devotional music for a ceremony. It is equally possible to listen to the hypnotically beautiful sounds in their own right and simply enjoy them for their otherworldly beauty.
The CD contains chants and dramatic effects of six different ceremonies with shamans. . Two ceremonies with San Pedro maestros working in the atmospheric ruins of Puruchucu; two ayahuasca shamans, a man and a woman, in separate sessions working in a jungle temple on the River Momon, outside Iquitos; a Shipibo shaman working in Yarinacocha, outside Pucullpa; and lastly, a despacho in the ruins of Pisaq, Cusco. In addition there are three tracks of atmospheric music played on pre‐Colombian instruments.
Frotacion de COCA Erythroxylum – The Peruvian ‘Tiger Balm’ reinforced with Wira Sacha aka Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis).
The frotacion is also good to relieve insect bites, and It’s a very pretty little tin as well.
A very well researched and informative study from the Transnational Institute about the Coca (erythroxylum) plant.
Coca leaf divination with Doris Rivera Lenz (Cuzco)
Mama Coca presenting the 'Divine Plant' to the Old World
Coca Leaves
The Huitoto people use coca as part of the social and ceremonial traditions. Here is Mariano the shaman with a coca bush.
Ofrenda Ceremony in the Andes, Curandera Doris Rivera Lenz with coca leaves.
Coca (Erythroxylon coca). Products made from coca leaf in Peru.
Machu Picchu - Inca Wonder of the World
The Incas regarded coca as ‘the divine plant’ mainly because of its property of imparting endurance, nevertheless its use was entwined with every aspect of life; the art, mythology, culture and economy of the Inca Empire.
Millions of Indians have chewed coca on a daily basis for many hundreds of years, yet never has a plant been so misrepresented and its use so controlled by prejudice and ignorance, including up to the present day. The Conquistadors considered it an idle and offensive habit to be prohibited, but it was soon seen that the Indians could not work without coca even when forced to do so.
Frotacion de COCA - The Peruvian 'Tiger Balm' reinforced with Wira Sacha aka Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis)
Coca Leaf products - Coca Candy
A packet of Coca Candy
As documented by the Transnational Institute:
The 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – recently endorsed by the United States in December 2010 – states that “indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.”
The decision to ban coca chewing fifty years ago was based on a 1950 report elaborated by the UN Commission of Inquiry on the
Coca Leaf with a mandate from ECOSOC, after a brief visit to Peru and Bolivia. The head of the Commission, Howard B. Fonda, gave an interview in Lima in September 1949, before beginning his work:
“We believe that the daily, inveterate use of coca leaves by chewing … not only is thoroughly noxious and therefore detrimental,
but also is the cause of racial degeneration in many centers of population, and of the decadence that visibly shows in numerous Indians – and even in some mestizos – in certain zones of Peru and Bolivia. Our studies will confirm the certainty of our assertions and we hope we can present a rational plan of action … to attain the absolute and sure abolition of this pernicious habit.”
To misquote Frank Zappa ..Imperialism is not dead it just smells funny.
Mama Coca presenting the 'Divine Plant' to the Old World
The Huitoto people use coca as part of the social and ceremonial traditions. Here is Mariano the shaman with a coca bush.
Ofrenda Ceremony in the Andes, Curandera Doris Rivera Lenz with coca leaves.
Shamans of Peru, Ceremonial Chants, Icaros, & Music
The haunting, plaintive music of Peruvian shamans was recorded at ceremonies in the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon rainforest.
The chants and icaros have an organic relationship to the medicine plants, and are primarily intended as devotional music for a ceremony. It is equally possible to listen to the hypnotically beautiful sounds in their own right and simply enjoy them for their otherworldly beauty.
The CD contains chants and dramatic effects of six different ceremonies with shamans. . Two ceremonies with San Pedro maestros working in the atmospheric ruins of Puruchucu; two ayahuasca shamans, a man and a woman, in separate sessions working in a jungle temple on the River Momon, outside Iquitos; a Shipibo shaman working in Yarinacocha, outside Pucullpa; and lastly, a despacho in the ruins of Pisaq, Cusco. In addition there are three tracks of atmospheric music played on pre‐Colombian instruments.
PURCHASE THE SHAMANS OF PERU CD
Download from the Web US $9.99
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shamansofperu
To order the physical CD:
£12 inclusive of postage for UK
US$ 21 inclusive of Postage USA
15 Euro inclusive of Postage Europe
Order from Howard G. Charing
Order via email: shamanism@yahoo.com
Payment via UK Cheque or Paypal (accepts all Credit Cards).
Shamans of Peru CD, Ceremonial Chants, Icaros, and Music
THE SHAMANS OF PERU CD
A photo gallery from our March 2008 Andean Shamanism Retreat in Peru.
Shamanism Retreat with San Pedro Shamans and Coca Leaf Diviner and Curandera
Shamanism & Visionary Art 