Intent is the most important factor in waking up in our dreams, but it alone might not always get the job done. Natural dreaming remedies can be extremely valuable tools: mugwort, lavender, rose, valerian root, and red spider lily extract [galantamine] have all proven to be effective. Perhaps the most helpful herbs for this endeavor are a pair of indigenous teas: Calea Zacatechichi and Guayusa, both of which produce particularly vivid and sensually rich dreaming.
Calea Zacatechichi is used by the Chontal people of Oaxaca, Mexico, normally right before going to sleep. Chontal shamans call this herb the “leaf of God” [thepelakano] for its clarifying and euphoric inducing properties. Calea Z helps promote the frequency, lucidity and vibrancy of dreams. It is also used to reduce fevers and to cure gastrointestinal problems. Unfortuantely, Calea Z has a less than pleasing, extremely bitter taste and has even been described as “the worst tasting tea on the planet.” It also often induces nausea, which is why many people prefer to smoke it.
Guayusa is called the “dreaming tea” by the Kichwa and Shwar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon and has been used for thousands of years by various indigenous nationalities throughout northeastern South America. Guayusa is used both to recall dreams from the night before, as well as to clarify the ones to come. Kichwa families often rise in the early morning to drink Guayusa together and recount their dreams. Dream lucidity and recollection are greatly increased with the help of this tea, which, in contrast to Calea Z, has a slightly sweet and pleasing taste.
The Kichwa refer to Guayusa as a “key for opening consciousness.” In addition to its dreaming properties, Guayusa also helps to keep the mind clear and strong while awake. Hunters will drink it to stay alert at night and Shamans utilize it for general health and mental clarity. It is said that Guayusa retunes our mental frequencies, cleans out our spiritual/energetic blockages, and reconnects us with nature and all that is sacred. When we drink Guayusa, the Kichwa say, our vibrations align with the natural world around us: bugs don’t bite, predators don’t attack, and the jungle opens the doors of its heart, allowing us to pass safely through and to its most special spaces.
According to legend, Guayusa was sacredly gifted to us from beyond this realm by benevolent spirits for the very purpose that we may dream and activate “dreaming.” While this may seem farfetched to some, it becomes all the more plausible when we consider that Guayusa has never been found in flower. This means that Guayusa trees have only managed to survive and multiply through human cultivation and the taking of cuttings. Special indeed, a tree that cannot reproduce on its own but yet has managed to exist and thrive for thousands and thousands of years due to its spiritual, dreaming, and clarifying properties.
Here's to all the earth medicines, and to clarity in every moment.
