A significant portion of this piece was written after a brief journey to stay with the Huni Kuin in the Amazon rainforest in May 2023; it contains actual accounts of plant medicine experiences and subsequent integration processes. All edits and updates have been made by the original author.
We awoke early in order to make it to Shanua, the sacred tree, by 6am. Since it was just a short walk from the village center, I rolled out of my hammock without much ado, grabbing my water bottle but leaving my shoes behind.
A few days into our stay with the Huni Kuin, I had learned that barefooted was the easiest way to traverse the ever changing rainforest landscape. I’d also begun reveling in the sensations my feet felt as I walked through mud, grass, and jungle debris – there was no going back now.
Awaiting the Baptism
When we arrived at the ceremony space, we were greeted by Pajé Maspã, the village’s elder medicine woman; Samira, our translator; Damião and Cosmo, the twin-shamans of the village; and a smattering of other tribesmen and women who would be partaking in the Txana Baptism with us. Our group had been given bits of information about the ceremony in the preceding days, but the air of mystery had still been well preserved by both the inability to exhaust our curiosity, and the many layers of linguistic nuances that permeated every cross-cultural conversation.
It was my first time seeing the robin-sized bird. Damião held a preserved specimen as he gave us instructions on how the ceremony would proceed. Its feathers mostly a brilliant black, with just a bit of bright yellow plumage at the tips of its wings; it was certainly beautiful, but also quite an unassuming creature.
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I watched Cosmo crush small red peppers, which mirrored the shape of the Txana bird’s beak. He then proceeded to wrap a bit of cotton around the beak of the preserved bird in Damião’s hands.
They explained that we would proceed one at a time, going around to the back of the giant Shanua tree, to kneel and receive the baptism. We would stick out our tongue as they covered the tip in the pepper emulsion, using the beak of the Txana to apply it as they prayed over us individually. We would then be guided to sit, facing outwards from the sacred circle and bent over with our tongues hanging out, as mucous drained onto the rainforest floor at our feet.
We were not to bring our tongues into our mouth, swallow, or try to spit at all. Allowing the pepper to do its work and clear anything that might be hindering our communication, learning, or creative expression entirely before considering the baptism complete. They told us this cleansing process would take about 30 minutes.
Receiving the Gift of the Txana
I was eager and excited for the experience, shooting up from my seat as soon as it was my turn. As I kneeled before the shamans, I closed my eyes in attempt to join in their foreign prayers and settled into the awkward facial position, my tongue not used to being stuck halfway out for a prolonged period of time at all.
I was surprised at how much pepper was used, as every part of my visible tongue was coated and then the juice began to dribble down my chin. I felt grateful for the thorough application, even as the pepper began burning my tongue and the skin of my face.
Once the prayers were completed, I was guided to sit. The amount of saliva I began to produce was shocking, as a small pool quickly formed at my feet. At first, the saliva poured out in a stream like water, but after some time it became thicker, with a sticky and foamy consistency.
My tongue argued with me about remaining outside of my mouth for so long, but I fought through the novel cramping and allowed the mucus to continue purging. Eventually, the burning had all but subsided and I felt I needed to clear the sticky foam that was more reluctant to leave my throat and mouth. I did my best to flex my jaw and release the trapped saliva for a while, finally spitting to clear it all once I realized others around me had completed their baptism and were starting to move.
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Practicing with New Minds
Once everyone was done, we were told that the baptism continued by applying the gift of the Txana: learning. It was known as a master among the creatures of the rainforest because of its ability to mimic all the sounds of Amazonia. Now, having received its gift, we would return to the village and apply ourselves to whatever we desired to master.
Language as More than Sounds and Structures
I knew that I certainly wanted to expand my linguistic abilities, and unsure of how to proceed, I grabbed my notebook and headed to the maloca. I found some tribeswoman relaxing in the shade and enjoying music, so I immediately started to try and communicate with them. I asked their names, taking down their answers and recording notes on some of the nuances of their pronunciation. They also taught me a few other words and phrases.
I was surprised and delighted that, even though I still lacked the knowledge of the languages they spoke, I seemed to understand them better. My brain was picking up on facial expressions and non-verbal cues like I had never experienced before, which was a thrilling realization.
Receiving Patterns from a Sacred Fruit
Once I had exhausted the attention of my learning partners, I decided to follow my curiosity on to other topics. The sacred tribal patterns around the maloca quickly caught my eye and I selected a few to try and copy into my notebook. I was surprised at how difficult I found the patterns to be – it seemed my pen was doing the opposite of what I wanted it to.
Samira had apparently noticed my attempts and before I knew it, she asked if I would like to work with some of the jenipapo fruit juice that the tribe used for body paint/stain to apply the sacred patterns to their skin. I eagerly accepted, restarting my attempts to copy the patterns I had selected on my forearm.
I was shocked and delighted at how easily the patterns seemed to come to me once I was using the jenipapo, even remarking on the fact that I had been having so much difficulty with my pen and notebook. I was told, simply and matter-of-factly, that the jenipapo had originally taught the Huni Kuin the patterns and so now it was teaching me too.
I practiced both the Parrot Eye and the Cat’s Claw patterns on my forearm before moving to my leg for another pattern that I never managed to learn the name of. I completed all three without a single mistake and marveled at them while waiting for the juice-stain to dry.
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Feeling into Rhythm and Harmony
Everything felt so magickal and inspired. My rational mind had taken a back seat to my wonder, and I allowed myself to enjoy these mysterious new aptitudes without any judgements or doubts. It was such a refreshing and playful way to learn.
When it was safe to move without smudging my new body art, I decided to join in on some musical fun, approaching a free hand drum. It took me a while to learn how to hit it to create the reverberation, but my process remained fun and easy the whole time. Before I knew it, I was drumming along with the other instruments in a harmonious rhythm that I’d have struggled to create had I been shown how to. I found myself once again marveling at the strange and profound confidence, or perhaps freedom in learning, that I had acquired through my Txana baptism experience.
The hours went by quickly and the horn sounded to announce that lunch was ready almost as soon as I had finished drumming. I returned my notebook to the bunkhouse before joining my group at the communal kitchen. I could feel my smile beaming, almost as bright and brilliant as the love and gratitude I felt in my heart.
Integrating Renewed Learning
Integrating this experience, I’ve discovered that learning will never be the same for me again. I now know how to trust beyond my own abilities and application, in order to follow the magick of curiosity and nuance. I now know that the tool sometimes matters more than the technique, and that communication extends far beyond words or grammar. I now know that learning is more than just perceiving and expressing, it’s a romantic and indulgent cycle of both receiving and giving.
In the many months that have passed since this experience, I have continued to try and remain open-minded about what’s possible when I follow my curiosity and consider nuanced perspectives. I’ve doubled the amount of time I spend practicing Spanish each day, progressively and naturally, but perhaps more importantly, with joy and excitement too.
I’ve also applied my renewed sense of wonder to the possibilities available for building my business, writing my novel series, and renovating my house – turning things that once seemed insurmountable and overwhelming into consistent commitments that bring me joy and satisfaction. I have even recently begun practicing piano again, after having walked away from my lessons as a child over two decades ago, finding pleasure in simply “flexing my fingers” and delight in beginning to recognize notes in some of the lyrical poetry I’ve written.
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Despite these subtle integrations throughout my life, I remain completely astonished by the experience I had in Amazonia that day. It taught me more than I can put to words, as the unbounded possibilities work to reconstruct the biases and conditioning I was taught to have around the very concept of learning – and therefore have truly unlimited applications. It seems to be another testament to the expansive power available to all of us when we dare to open our hearts and minds to new experiences, perspectives, and sacraments.
I am forever grateful for these lessons from the Txana bird, and for the generosity of the Huni Kuin for sharing this ancient, mystical practice with me. I have complete faith, as well as the evidence of these experiences, that following my curiosity can open every door I dare to step through. Haux!
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