WHAT IS HAPÉ?
Hapé, or rapé, is pronounced ‘haa-pay’ in English. It is a sacred shamanic snuff medicine used by many tribes of the Amazon, South American indigenous cultures, and ancestors across the world. These tribes have been working with this sacred medicine for thousands of years as part of healing and connecting with the Creator.
The practice is considered deeply grounding and cleansing, both physically and spiritually. It’s said to clear the mind, release emotional, physical, and spiritual illnesses, realign energy channels and open you up to the dreamworld. However, it’s important to approach Hapé with respect and reverence, as it is a powerful tool and sacred medicine.
The hapé medicine takes days to make and is a very labor intensive process that is cultivated through ceremony each step of the way. Every tribe has their own special intention in creating their hapé. But all of the tribes make their blends from the native medicinal plants of their land, including—ash, leaves, trees, bark, roots, seeds and ceremonial tobacco. They grow and cultivate their ceremonial tobacco for this special purpose. This is not the same tobacco used in cigarettes (with chemicals), but rather Nicotina Rustica, a type of tobacco also known as Mapacho, sacred tobacco. It is highly potent and grown solely to use in their medicine for ceremony.
THE HAPÉ CEREMONY
In a Hapé ceremony, we honor the spirit and invite you to set an intention before receiving the Hapé. It is administered by a special blow pipe called Tepi. Your server will be with you and guide you energetically each step of the way while providing you with instructions for breathing and experiencing the Hapé. There is an intimate connection via the breath between the giver and receiver of hapé; the person blowing holds intention for the person receiving and sends healing energy to help you realize that intention.
The experience of Hapé is quite powerful and can last from a few minutes to several hours. The cleansing medicine can help to let go of bad energies, past traumas and more generally, hit a spiritual “reset button” that can physically and emotionally detoxify you.
But, ultimately, medicines like hapé are tools to help carry out an intention—they are a means to an end, not an end themselves. Snuff blends and pipes are the tangible materials needed for a successful hapé ceremony, but the most important tool, though less concrete, is your intention.
It is only by giving this sacred medicine the reverence and attention it deserves that you can gain the most value and insight from the experience.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HAPÉ?
This medicinal snuff has the ability to cleanse the mind, purify the thoughts, bring clarity, spiritual alignment, and clear negativity and heaviness from the body, mind, & soul. Some of it’s benefits include:
- Opening up the 3rd eye and decalcifying the pineal gland which naturally hardens and calcifies with age
- Purifies and cleanses the sinuses and respiratory tract, helping to soothe sinus issues and reduce mucus
- Offers energetic protection that comes from connecting with the plants as allies for strength, clarity, and focus
- Connects you to the Earth, helping you to ground and center yourself for meditation and prayer
- Clears negativity and stills the mind
- Releases physical, emotional and spiritual dis-ease
- Realigns and balances your energy
- Connects you with your heart, developing self forgiveness and forgiving others
- Connects you to your higher-self so you may set and manifest your intentions
IS IT LEGAL?
Hapé is legal in the USA i.e. it does not contain any hallucinatory agents. It is a mean to focus the mind and release energies that do not serve us—and much, much more.
OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HAPÉ
Q : Can I take Hapé when I am on medication or antidepressants?
A : Yes, Hapé is still safe to use while taking pharmaceuticals.
Q : Does all Hapés contain mapacho/tobacco? What are the ingredients ?
A : Yes. The recipes are each tribe’s secret. However, all contain sacred tree ashes and many different amazonian plants.
Q : Does all Hapé have side-effects ?
A : The hapé side effects that you will notice right away include automatic body cleansing outcomes. Sometimes it is just a running of the nose, and sometimes there is a need to vomit or go to the bathroom. These conditi