Mimi has uniquely found a way of combining traditional shamanism with the western practice of essence making, as a way of making these powerful medicines available to people outside of the jungle.
Once the bark (or other part used) has been collected, it is placed in a glass receptacle and water is added. This is then left in the sun for 2 to 4 hours.
The grandfather spirits of the trees, the Amazon jungle, and the sun are invoked to penetrate the infusion and make a strong essence.
Once the bark has been soaked in the water and its spirits have been transferred into the water, alcohol is added to preserve the infusion.
The final step is singing the icaro (the medicine song that calls the spirits) into the mother tincture and then blowing tobacco into the bottle. (Listen to an icaro) Each tree has its own Icaros.
The mother tincture is the original concentrated tree essence from which subsequent essences will be made, through a process of dilution. They contain the energy of the tree held in water and preserved in 37% brandy & sugar cane alcohol.
The essences contain no biologically active ingredients. They have been prepared in a way that is similar to homeopathic medicine.
