Grandmother Vine is the Vine of the Soul. This ancient brew has been used for centuries by Indigenous tribes of the Amazon Basin, in Peru, Brazil, and Colombia, as a sacred tool for healing and divine communication.
Traditionally, only the healer, or curandera, drank the tea to receive visions and guidance from the spirit world, messages that could bring healing, direction, or understanding to the tribe. Over time, this sacred medicine called to seekers across the world, bridging ancient wisdom with modern consciousness.
Grandmother Vine is a potent, psychoactive brew made from two key plants: Banisteriopsis caapi, the vine containing MAO-inhibiting alkaloids, and Chacruna (Psychotria viridis), or at times Mimosa hostilis, which contains DMT, a naturally occurring compound found in many plants, and within the human brain itself.
Together, they form a unique alchemical partnership. The vine allows DMT to remain active in the body, opening a doorway to profound visions, emotional release, and deep spiritual insight.
“The vine opens the body; the leaf opens the vision.”
The journey with Grandmother Vine is as individual as the soul itself. The beginning often feels physical, a purge, a wave, a cleansing, as the body releases what it no longer needs. Then, the visions come: colours, symbols, or memories that speak the language of the spirit.
This is where participants often meet the Spirit of the Medicine, a feminine energy, wise, nurturing, and unyielding, who guides with love and clarity.
The ceremony unfolds over six to seven hours, and while it may feel challenging at times, it is often described as one of the most profound and transformative experiences of a lifetime.
Modern studies are beginning to confirm what Indigenous wisdom has long known:
the alkaloids in Grandmother Vine, harmine and beta-carbolines, can promote neurogenesis, reduce inflammation, and support emotional regulation.
Clinical research has linked this medicine to increased mindfulness, emotional balance, and lasting relief from depression and PTSD when used responsibly in ceremonial settings.
Grandmother Vine is a powerful teacher, one that works deeply with the mind, body, and spirit. Proper preparation is essential for your safety and for the depth of your journey.
Grandmother Vine is not compatible with modern antidepressants, anti-anxiety, or sleeping medications. Combining these can be dangerous or even fatal.
If you are taking such medications, they must be stopped for at least three weeks before ceremony.
Those with serious heart conditions, high blood pressure, or psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or panic disorder) should not participate. Pregnant women should refrain from drinking, and women who are menstruating should inform the facilitation team for proper energetic care.
Stop all antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications (SSRIs, SNRIs, NDRIs, DRIs, NaSSAs).
Discontinue sleeping aids, narcotics, alcohol, and recreational drugs.
Avoid cannabis and other psychedelics (psilocybin, cactus, LSD, MDMA, etc.).
Eliminate processed foods and reduce red meat and caffeine.
Eat fresh, natural foods, fruits and vegetables in their raw form are ideal.
Refrain from all sexual activity (including self-pleasure) to conserve life force energy.
Avoid carbonated or energy drinks, dairy, meat, refined sugar, spicy and fermented foods.
Eliminate coffee; reduce salt and oils (opt for olive or coconut oil).
Drink plenty of clean, pure water.
Eat a light, clean breakfast, fresh fruit or vegetables without sugar, salt, or oil.
If accustomed to fasting, you may skip lunch or have a small glass of pure fruit juice.
If fasting is new for you, eat light fruit until noon to support your energy levels.
Spend the day in stillness, meditate, journal, read something uplifting, and avoid screens, news, and emotional distractions.
Arrive with calmness and intention, ready to meet the medicine with an open heart.
The ceremony opens the heart and clears the spirit, but the integration period is where the true transformation unfolds.
No alcohol for two weeks. Alcohol can trigger anxiety, agitation, or paranoia while your system remains open.
No cannabis for one week. Although a medicine in its own right, it carries a different vibration and may disrupt integration during this sensitive time.
Be gentle with coffee. Your system will be highly receptive; start with decaf or diluted coffee to gauge your sensitivity.
Avoid red meat, spicy, or fermented foods for the first week. Remaining MAOIs in the body can make digestion difficult. Light white meats like chicken or fish are acceptable.
Continue eating fresh fruits and vegetables. They keep your energy clear and support mental calm.
“Integration is not what happens after the ceremony, it is the ceremony continuing.”
Don’t over-interpret the visions. Allow insights to unfold naturally in divine timing.
Maintain a mindfulness practice. Meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, dancing, walking, anything that brings you into presence will anchor your growth.
Stay playful. Life itself is the sacred ceremony, every breath, every moment.
The ceremony opens the door, but integration is the walk home. Our facilitation team provides guidance and support after each retreat to help weave the insights, visions, and healing into daily life.
Through integration, the wisdom becomes embodied, turning revelation into transformation.
To sit with Grandmother Vine is to meet the truth of who you are. She invites you to release what no longer serves and remember the deep wisdom that already lives within.
“When you surrender, she teaches. When you listen, she heals.”
