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The Maestras

In these changing times,

who will be the grandmothers

that pass us the knowledge for future generations?

Arkana Collective

Center for the conservation of indigenous wisdom

Shamanic Ethnobotany

Discovering Ancient Wisdom.

Embracing the World of Plants.

Weaving Science & Tradition.

Embodying Sacred Living.

What is Shamanic Ethnobotany?

At Arkana Collective, we have created a unique education format that we coin "Shamanic Ethnobotany". Beyond an education format, it is a way of learning & living with the plants, which combines ancient tradition with scientific knowledge.

The term "Ethnobotany" means "the study of cultural uses of plants". What we are offering is not a study, but a pathway of embodiment in the sacred path of plant medicines.

Shamanic Ethnobotany, for us, is a way of living. It is both the knowledge & the INTEGRATION of ancestral practices with plants. The scientific knowledge acts as a binding bridge to which this ancestral wisdom can integrate into modern understanding.

How do we live this?

At our Tarapoto Center, we have been hosting & learning with Indigenous Healers (Maestras), for over 25 years. What this means, is that we have 25 years of compiled data, information, relationship formation, investigation, experimentation, and practice with shamanic healing practices of indigenous origin.

With this extensive knowledge & embodied practice, we have learned to live a life with the arts of shamanic plant communication.

What we offer, is a condensed program that teaches the student these ways. Our team provides transtion, study material, and guidance.

Beginning with Dieta (the shamanic practice of opening oneself to the spirit world of the plants), we host groups to learn the ways of the forest & the plants. This involves field identification, harvesting methods, preparation techniques, and application, instructed by our indigenous Maestras.

Accompanying this is the teachings of indigenous cosmology, cosmovision, and worldview.

Banos Floridas, Smoke therapies, medicinal & herbal remedies, Women-s Fertility & Reproductive technologies, shamanic rituals with plants, are just a few of what our students learn.

Preservation

What is behind this inspirating offering is the mission of preserving & expanding indigenous culture in vastly changing times.

Matriarchal culture is especially rare, in light of male-dominant shamanic fields. These remaining Abuelas & Maestras are the last carriers of precious plant knowledge that is rapidly disappearing from our planet.

Thus, our vision is to share this knowledge with the world so that these ancient ways of being do not vanish from our planet.

Our heart & devotion is to this sacred world of plant & human connection, as it is the foundation of our collective human history.

How to get involved:

Our Tarapoto center is open throughout the year to recieve groups & volunteers.

How we presently work is that we serve as a hosting facility, which means groups are organized by interested parties & brought to our facility.

We also accept volunteers, who come to assist in the maintenance of our grounds & serve as service team to our visiting groups.

And, as always, we appreciate support of all kinds, which include donations, organizers for groups, technical offerings & promotion support.

You may reach out to us at arkanacollective@gmail.com for more information.

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