An Ayahuasca vine growing without the support of a tree is wild and chaotic, spreading all over the ground. In regarding the curling and undulating tangle of vine, one can clearly see that she is searching, almost desperately, for that anchor– The World Tree that connects the Lower, Middle and Upper worlds– so that her magic, her gifts and her wisdom can mature and organize around that Divine Scaffolding. Vine without the support of a tree never grows large and strong– without a tree it will not mature.
One can see this mirrored in the experiences of those brave souls who come to meet the Medicine. Coming into the Medicine with no diets is valuable beyond measure, however the addition of the tree dieta gives stability and support to the experience. This is why often in the jungle the dieta is a large part of the experience and many centers don’t serve the Sacrament without the addition of a foundational dieta.
One needs to properly structure the subtle body in order to truly ground and integrate the rarified experiences and information from higher dimensions. This circuitry can be developed in many ways. Meditation. Understanding the pranic body and methods for the expansion of the central channel. For integrating the wisdom and the experiences gifted to us by our Sacrament, the undisputed way to develop the circuitry in the subtle body is through the shamanic plant dieta– particularly tree dietas.
I recently had the opportunity to work with one of Ernesto’s (my teacher’s) other students in ceremony. He had completed his full initiatory journey with Tobacco and many MANY tree dietas. It was very interesting because he’s been delving into tree dietas almost exclusively for 5 years, and has had little training in holding ceremony. Despite a “lack” of training in the nuts and bolts of serving, he was absolutely amazing. He knew exactly what was needed. He knew what to do. His icaros are fully empowered with the presence of the plants.
He has what is known in Mestizo Curanderismo as a “cuerpo preparado”-– the prepared body. Through his MANY dietas he has gained the necessary circuitry in the energetic body to remain centered, stable and clear within the intensity of the Medicine. In other words, he is able to ground and embody information and experiences from higher dimensions in real time throughout the ceremony, such that he can serve as an excellent guide in that space.
Involution and Evolution: The Sacred Polarity
At the heart of the spiritual journey in Mestizo Curanderismo lies the sacred polarity between involution and evolution—the two forces that propel us on the path of transformation. These forces are not separate, but two sides of the same door (one of The Sacred Thresholds). They create the magnetic pull that both creates the manifest world of form and drives the expansion of consciousness back toward unity and awareness of the entirety.
According to the Pratyabhijna Hridayam, a sacred text of Saiva Tantra (one of the major branches of our lineage tree), Consciousness is “the cause of the performance of everything” through the 5 Acts: (1) Manifesting, (2) Sustaining, (3) Dissolving, (4) Concealing, and (5) Revealing.
The energy of involution carries the acts of Awareness Manifesting and Concealing. It is the act of consciousness descending into form, in effect concealing itself in the veil of seemingly separate and independent beings. It is the embodiment of the Divine in physical form, and the perceived separation that allows for the experience of individual identity. Our task through the vector of this energy is to explore the interior and exterior world through the unique perspective of our Being. Involution asks us to embody, to ground ourselves fully into the Heart of the Earth, to understand our roots and our humanity.
Evolution, on the other hand, is the movement of consciousness upwards, the ascent into higher planes, seeking Union with the Divine (Heirosgamos). Evolution carries with it the Acts of Dissolving and Revealing. It is the expansion of consciousness, the dissolution of separation, and the return home to the Cosmic Source, revealing to us our interconnectedness and Divinity. This process unfolds as we seek to re-merge with the divine essence, shedding the limitations of form and returning to a state of unity. This is the primary action of Kundalini, whose coiled energy of spiritual awakening lies dormant at the base of the spine and, once awakened, winds upwards through the central channel as we remove the energetic obstacles (e.g., limiting beliefs, trauma, patterns) occluding her path. The ascent of Kundalini is stunningly mirrored in the action of the swirling and serpentine vine, rising up towards the Heart of the Sky as she winds up the steady and broad tree trunk.
The inverse energetic composition of the tree as a grounding force of involution, gives us the expansion necessary to hold and gracefully manage the ecstatic forces of evolution. Shamanic Tree dietas are essentially a method of expanding the central channel– developing the “Cuerpo Preparado,”– as we invite the Tree Spirit to synergistically merge with our being and guide us through the solitary process of self-inquiry. The expansion of the central channel loosens our energetic contractions around traumas and limiting beliefs (i.e., karmas and samskaras), allowing them to rise into our conscious awareness to be processed and transmuted (hatapka), thereby clearing the way for the rise of Kundalini from root to crown.
Conclusion
So, I’ve mentioned four of the Five Acts of Awareness in action through the process of dieta and its expression of the divine polarity between involution and evolution… But what of the 5th? What of Sustaining?
Within the physical body, we have three lower chakras (root– the entrance for evolutionary energy, sacral, and solar plexus) and three upper chakras (crown– the entrance for involutionary energy, third eye, and throat). The central chakra is the Heart– the point of convergence between the descending energy of involution and the ascending energy of evolution. It is here that tension within that sacred polarity opens a doorway– a doorway to the center of the universe. Through the union of opposites, unfolds the infinite.
It is from the Heart– the Anahata, the seat of the Unstruck Sound– that we sustain expanded consciousness. It is from the Heart that we serve the Highest Destiny of All Beings.
Ahhhh… I always seem to write so much more than I intend to. As I unfold one idea it seems to sprout branches that also warrant exploring. So, we will have yet another installment in this series. Maybe many more!
Our next update on 10/14:
Heart Entrainment: The Magic of the Emergent
- The Descent of Kundalini
- Heart Entrainment and The Center of The Universe
- Synergy and Emergent Properties
