Admixture

An admixture is a plant added to the primary ceremonial brew to bring a particular spiritual quality into the sacrament. Within the Shipibo curanderismo tradition, the ayahuasca sacrament is understood as a union of at least two plants: the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, which opens and governs the ceremonial space, and an admixture plant that lends its own spiritual character to the brew.

The most common admixture used in ECC's ceremonies is chacruna (Psychotria viridis), whose leaves are added to the pot alongside the vine. Facilitators trained in the Shipibo lineage select admixture plants deliberately, based on years of relationship with each plant through dieta, prayer, and apprenticeship — never as an arbitrary ingredient. Each admixture is regarded as a spiritual teacher and ally in its own right, not as a chemical additive.