Oct 96 min read

Rapeh: The Sacred Healing Tobacco

It's hard to describe the love I feel for this sacred medicine and its profound impact on my life. The first time I tried rapeh, I was filled with a sense of wonder and gratitude. Its unique healing properties—how it interacts with my body and mind—has opened up new realms of understanding and self-discovery.

WHAT IS RAPEH?

Rapeh is an ancient, sacred plant medicine that originates in the Amazon basin. The indigenous tribes of Brazil and Peru have used the medicine for millennia as part of a ceremony, meditation, or to build up the immune system and clear any negativity. Rapeh is not a drug. It’s not addictive. There are no psychedelic effects. It’s not taken for fun at parties or to escape the problems of the world. The purpose is to cleanse and purify the mind and body and to heal.

Rapeh is a profound, divine psychotropic substance used for healing the soul.

Although rapeh (also called rapé, or hapé) is made of a mixture of tobacco and other healing plants, it’s not the same substance that you find in cancerous cigarettes, pipes, snuff, and snus. Yes, rapeh is made of tobacco leaves, but the tobacco in Rapeh is Nicotiana Rustica, not Nicotiana Tabacum. The Amazonian tribes pick the tobacco leaves, dry them, and ground them into a fine powder, which is then mixed with tree bark ashes, leaves, seeds, and various herbs to create different kinds of rapehs for various benefits.

Some rapeh mixtures are used as a preparation for shamanic ceremonies with Kambo or ayahuasca. Other mixtures aid lucid dreaming, increase physical energy, sharpen focus or mental clarity, deepen the state of meditation, cleansing of mucus and bacteria, release negative energy, and general grounding.

HOW I FOUND RAPEH

I first came in contact with rapeh at an Ayahuasca retreat. The shaman asked me to hold my breath, like when you dive underwater, and only breathe through my mouth. Gazing into my eyes, he used a tepi pipe to blow rapeh into my left nostril, and then into my right. The tepi pipe is a long, slightly curved pipe made of bone, wood, or bamboo.

While the rapeh was settling in my nasal cavities, slowing my heartbeat and grounding me to the earth, I breathed only through my mouth.

Later, I took rapeh in connection with Kambo and Bufo ceremonies. I fell in love with its protective energy and the sense of healing and grounding. Soon after, I bought a kuripé (a pipe for self-administration) and a couple of different kinds of rapehs.

HOW RAPEH MAKES YOU FEEL

At first, your nose cavity may burn. You may get a slight headache. Keep breathing through your mouth and enjoy the sensation as a wave of energy washes over you and grounds you. You may feel hot or warm, and there might be tingling or a numbing sensation. But more importantly, your mind clears and you feel an increased sense of focus and connection to the universe.

Your physical body may react in different ways as the rapeh purifies and heals your body and releases any negative or stagnant energies. You may burp or yawn, or even vomit, although it’s unusual. Through forcing a release of toxins, your nose and throat may fill with mucus. You may laugh or shiver, releasing physical tensions.

The medicine strengthens your immune system and leaves you feeling relaxed and peaceful.

The effect of rapeh is most intense during the first 10-15 minutes, but the effect can last up to an hour. Make sure you have the time set aside to enjoy the full experience.

THE RAPEH RITUAL

It’s extremely important to treat rapeh as a sacred medicine. This is not a "drug" or you should take for fun or on a casual, daily basis. Taking rapé should always be part of a ceremony.

First, smudge the space and yourself with sage and/or palo santo to clear any negative energy or malevolent spirits in your environment. Call in any spirit guides or angels you work with. If it’s part of your practice, bow to the four cardinal directions.

Get comfortable, either sitting cross-legged or with your feet resting on the floor. Have the rapeh and the kuripé close by. I also keep a box of tissues and a bowl for spitting by my side. If you like, you can play meditation music to accompany and deepen your meditation. I also wear an eye mask for a more profound experience.

Giving Thanks

Hold your receptacle of rapeh between your palms and give thanks to the sacred medicine.

For example, you may say,

“Thank you sacred medicine for your healing. I thank the sun and the moon, the winds and the rain that helped grow this beautiful medicine. I thank the soil for nurturing the sacred plants of this rapeh, and the worms and insects that helped the plants prosper. I thank the butterflies, birds, and animals that assisted in carrying the pollen. I thank the tribal members who harvested the plants and dried, ground, and prepared the rapeh. I thank the shaman who blessed this sacred medicine. I thank everyone who helped prepare, package, distribute, ship, carry, deliver, buy, and sell this wonderful rapeh so it could make its way to me and aid in my healing. Thank you.”

Setting the intention

It is of utmost importance to set an intention for the rapeh ceremony. This can be clearing a specific chakra, removing negative thoughts, connecting to your spirit guides, or anything else that calls you. Again, hold the rapeh receptacle between your palms and focus on your intention.

Preparing the Kuripé

The Kuripé is a small, v-shaped pipe made of bamboo or wood that allows one to self-administer the rapeh. Pour a pea-sized amount of rapeh into your left palm (or right, if you’re left-handed). Flatten it with the longer part of the kuripé, and scoop HALF of the rapeh into the pipe.

Once filled with rapeh, hold the kuripé to your heart. Repeat your intention and express gratitude.

Administering the Rapeh

Take a deep breath and hold. Insert the longer part of the kuripé into the left nostril and the shorter part into your mouth. You may either give it one big blow or a short sequence of quick, strong blows. Repeat with the remaining rapeh, blowing it into your other (right) nostril.

If you find that the rapeh gets stuck in your pipe, first blow softly to move the rapeh past the v-bend, and then give it one more hard blow.

An alternative way of administering rapeh is by working with another person using a Tepi pipe. This pipe is longer, and it may be easier to use. Make sure you are sharing this ritual with someone you trust. Hold your breath, closing off your nostrils as if you were to dive underwater, and let the other person blow rapeh into your nostrils. Start with the left nostril (death) and then the right (rebirth).

Put on your eye mask, listen to meditation music, and enjoy whatever comes up

AFTER THE RITUAL

Once you come out of your meditation, thank the spirit of rapeh and any spirit guides or angels who accompanied you on the ceremonial journey.

Empty your spit bowl into a hole in your garden or into the toilet with the intention that the earth will recycle all the negativity and toxicity you purged.

Clean your kuripe (or tepi) pipe with a small brush. Blow the remaining snuff into your garden or into a flowerpot to share the blessings with nature.

FINAL COMMENTS ON RAPEH

Rapeh is legal everywhere, just like any tobacco. Taken in a ceremonial context, it’s not addictive and likely not carcinogenic. The Amazonian tribes have used this plant medicine for millennia without issues. But don’t take my word for it. Approach rapeh with the respect this sacred medicine deserves.

MUSIC FOR RAPEH MEDITATIONS

I absolutely love the following videos which I listen to during my rapeh sessions:

MY FAVORITE RAPEHS

Nukini Onça (jaguar energy, deepen meditation, vivid dreams)
Macambo Passionflower ('love enhancer,' a happy, relaxed love buzz)
Yawanawa Tsunu (profound grounding, awaken courage & the spiritual warrior within)