Rapé

What is rapé and where does it come from?

Rapé (pronounced “ha-peh” or “rapay”) means "dust of the ancients" and it has been used for thousands of years by the tribes in the Amazon. Although the herbs vary from rapé to rapé, the main ingredient is always the powdered tobacco leaf of the Nicotiana Rustica. This plant is called Mapacho by the indigenous people; freely translated it means "master plant". Mapacho contains a very high level of nicotine, which has an uplifting effect. For these tribes, rapé is a sacred shamanic medicine that is used in ceremonies. In many cases it is the women who collect the ingredients and prepare the rapé, while certain species are composed by the healers of the tribe.

The purpose of using rapé is to connect deeply with nature and to invoke these forces for physical and spiritual healing. Rapé can have both a stimulating and a psychoactive effect. Originally the rapé's are made in small quantities with a specific intention for a ceremony and sometimes specially prepared for the healing process of one person. These rapé's are very powerful, healing and cleansing on every level.

Opening and cleansing chakras with rapé

Rapé supports the opening and cleansing of the chakras and provides a feeling of grounding and connection with the earth and can have a healing effect on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. Rapé can help open the third eye, help release negative thought patterns and tension, bring peace and mental clarity and open the heart. When used in combination with an intention, rapé can be a powerful tool for realizing our dreams. This is why rapé has always been very popular and a complementary medicine during ayahuasca ceremonies. 

Nowadays rapé can be offered at an ayahuasca or magic truffle ceremony to enhance the hallucinogenic properties and speed up the connection with the higher self and the universe.

Buy rapé

Sirius offers an extensive selection of rapé's, carefully selected, with knowledge of the different tribes and connection with the shamans who made them. Each strain has its own recipe of sacred plants, trees and seeds combined with ashes, also called Tsunu, Cumaru or Murici.

How to use rapé?

The traditional way to use rapé is when someone else (usually a shaman) blows the powder into your nose with a tepi. However, you can also self-administer rapé with a v-shaped wooden pipe called kuripe.

According to the Brazilian Yawanawa tribe there are three different ways to blow rapé:

• Short and strong: to wake up and be present
• Long and strong: to cleanse the mind
• Long, starting soft, and strong at the end: for meditation, entering into a trance, ceremonial use

Dosage and side effects

Are you going to use rapé for the first time? Then we recommend to start with a pea-sized heap for each nostril. Listen to your body; this sacred medicine will guide you and you will feel what is best for you. Everyone has different levels of tolerance, so experiment (safely) to see what works best for you.

A few tips:

• Keep tissues and a bucket at hand.
• Try to keep the rapé in your nostrils as long as possible, so that the medicine can be absorbed through the nasal mucosa.
• Try to breathe in through the nose if possible.
• To prevent the rapé from dripping down your throat, keep your head down; this will cause it to drip out through your nose into your tissue or bucket and not into your throat. 
• If you suffer from mucus, spit it out immediately in a bucket. Think of it as negative energy that is being released so you can part from it. So don't swallow it.
• If you are very nauseous and have to vomit you don't have to be ashamed, because this is also part of the process. This is what we call purging. Don't hold back and let it go into the bucket, you will often feel much better afterwards. 

Warning combination MAO-inhibitors

Use of MAO-inhibitors carries many risks! Some rapé's contain MAO-inhibiting ingredients that require caution and discipline. In short, you must understand that MAOIs not only enhance the effects of the other drug you want to take, but also those of all other drugs or harmful substances in your body, such as caffeine, THC, nicotine and tyramine. Combinations with certain substances can be very dangerous, and with stimulants such as ephedrine or amphetamines can even be fatal by overtaxing the heart. Therefore, always read our detailed explanation before experimenting with MAO-inhibitors, and be sure to check this list of substances you should not use for at least 24 hours before and 24 hours after using MAOIs.