Herbal medicine prepared with powdered herbs and a base of tobacco is known as Hapé. In addition to eliciting a feeling of alertness and elevation, Hapé is typically made from mapacho.
Hapé’s effects are intense and rapid due to the fact that the powdery snuff is administered through the nose. Powdered plant medicines were first consumed through the nose by Brazilian indigenous tribes thousands of years ago (dating from pre-Columbian days).
In addition to the Katukina, Yawanawa, Kaxinawa, Nukini, Kuntanawa, Apurin, Ashaninka, and Matses tribes that use hapé, many other tribes produce their own versions of the herbal snuff and use various methods and songs in the preparation of the snuff.
According to its indigenous practitioners, hapé is a sacred shamanic medicine that has profound healing properties. Hapé is a blend of different medicines for different purposes – to induce visions, to have energy, and to enhance the senses through the aroma of the medicinal plants used in it. Because there are many medicinal plants that can be blended into hapé, there are many different recipes for hapé, and these are often closely guarded tribal secrets.
As part of a Hapé ceremony, either another person, usually a Shaman, medicine carrier, or apprentice, administers it to the individual, or the individual administers it to themselves. The application is conducted by blowing forcefully into each of the other person’s nostrils with a Tepi (long curved tube). Snuff is self-administered using the Kuripe, which is a small, V-shaped pipe that is used to blow snuff directly into the nose. I’d say it’s safe to say that when self-administered, the effect will be less powerful. As a result, there is no one else`s energy, but also a lack of airflow and the size of the pipe.
It is a general term used by indigenous tribes for the shamanic “snuff,” which is often made from a variety of different sacred plants and tree ashes. As part of the preparation, rituals like singing can be utilized, as well as prayers and intentions being channeled into the mix. The preparation of some blends must take place within a certain timeframe, or under the full moon, and some blends can only be made by the tribe’s shaman.
Nowadays, many people copy the recipes. They use similar ingredients but are not done by tribal shamans. They also lack the traditional prayers and rituals that tribal shamans have been using from the beginning of time. Making new hapé often involves blending a wide variety of plants with the intent of giving it some fluff and marketing value. You need to know who made the hapé, where it came from, and how many hands touched it energetically throughout the process.
Nicotiana Rustica is the tobacco that is used, which rewrites neural pathways and, combined with other sacred plants, has powerful healing effects on a wide range of physical and emotional conditions. Even though most do contain this gift of nature called Nicotiana Rustica, other blends, like Apudina, do not.
How much HAPÈ should i use?
It is not just important to know what Hapé is but it must also be used correctly. Hapé is one of the most powerful medicines on its own, so while it is used in ceremonies with other sacraments, the one administering it needs to understand it completely (even for self-administration). As a general rule, it is best to start small to get to know the medicine’s energy. I recommend dividing a small mound into two nostrils as a first dose. Some traditions, however, use much more sensory overload to promote surrender to the energies they are working with. Before the receiver can blow out their nose, they blow into each nostril about four times each, about the size of a ping pong ball. This process is very intense, often involving purging, passing out, and sometimes seeing visions. Make sure you listen to your body and to the medicine to get the right dosage.
Application
A pipe is traditionally used to blow hapé into both nostrils. A tepi, a long pipe, is used to blow into each other’s nostrils by sitting in front of one another.
Self-application is done using a smaller V-shaped pipe called a Kuripe. The one end of the tube is placed in the mouth, while the other end is inserted into the nostril.
Since ancient times, this ancient healing technology has been used for cleansing the body and clearing the energy, connecting, receiving clarity, releasing the tension, resetting, and meditating.
Setting
In a setting of calm and safety, it is recommended that it be used with intention, in a ritualistic way. This will support its healing powers.