San Pedro

Cactus of Mystery
7 day course: August 6-12, 2015
5 day course: August 14-18, 2015
Spain

It is our answer to the great chill, to death, to the infinity of space

(Dale Pendell)

What others say

The most powerful, profound experience of my life. I completely dissolved - I
became the Breath of Life, Infinite and Eternal Love. If everyone experienced
this the world would be very different. It has become better for me already! I
strongly recommend the experience!
Doris, hairdresser, UK
My tumour has shrunk from 5cms to 3.3cms! Thank you!
Debs, herbalist, South Africa
San Pedro showed me just how beautiful life is. I had a sense of completion,
like I had healed everything that was meant to be healed. I am so grateful to San
Pedro for these insights and for the revelations it shared with me.
Simon, online business manager, Gibraltar
San Pedro was life-changing. I felt such peace and acceptance. I had an
overwhelming sense of belonging to the earth and of the importance of every

curve of the mountain range, every boulder, rock, stone and blade of grass; all
part of the same incredible tableau and all of equal importance. Through the
eyes of San Pedro the world is an exceptionally beautiful place. Every living
thing has its place. I have come home with new eyes and can bring the beauty of
the world to mind - and into reality - by just remembering the experience.
Tracie, drug counsellor, Australia
This experience will never leave me! San Pedro answers your questions clearly
and without confusion or the need for interpretation. I got the healing I was
after. I understood and let go.
Kane, writer, USA
I came last August, I dont know if you remember me I had breast cancer and
it was looking like I would need a mastectomy - since then the tumour has
shrunk by over half its size and I am having just a small area taken out in an
operation next week!
Claudia, UK
I saw the beauty in all things, including myself and my relationships. It changed
something in me and within two weeks I had met the man who would become
my husband. Theres no bigger way to say that it healed my relationship
problems because that would not have been possible without it. San Pedro gave
me my daughter.
Cara, journalist, USA
The message of San Pedro was clear: I create the reality I want. I felt like a new
person - so alive, so full of courage and energy, energized, aware and calm.
Over the next few weeks I was transformed. Anything seemed possible. I was
ready to create what I most desired.
Michael, sports coach, Canada
San Pedro was the best day of my life. I feel I have been waiting for this for so
long. I just looked in the mirror and I did not even recognise myself.
Julie, teacher, UK
I would recommend the Ross Heaven San Pedro experience to one and all. It
honestly has shown me another way to see my life and the world we live in. I
can now identify with love, give it - and most importantly receive!
Les, business owner, UK
The most life-changing and healing experience I have ever had. Much was
taught and at least one chronic health condition was healed. I am grateful that

this program exists and for the work that all involved have done to make it so
powerful and accessible to as many as possible.
Robyn, massage therapist, Canada
Thank you is not adequate. The whole experience was magical and sacred! It
brought me home within myself. I wish that every person could experience San
Pedro. The worlds heart would beat freer and more fiercely than ever before!
Thank you for bringing San Pedros powerful plant medicine into focus.
Without your dedication to this sacred healer I doubt I would have ever had the
opportunity to experience the many blessings Ive received and even if I had it
simply would not have been the same!
Erin, Administrator, USA
If you want a life-changing and very loving experience go on Ross trip. It was
so good its hard to actually put into words but one of the best times of my life.
Julie, government worker, UK

Simply put, San Pedro is a tall cactus that grows in the Andes of Peru which has
been used as a sacred medicine for at least 4,000 years (sacred: having the
ability to connect us to God; medicine: having the ability to heal) but as the
comments above from previous Cactus of Vision participants suggest, it is far
more than that. It has the potential to be life-changing as well as life-saving.
It was certainly life-changing for me. I drank it for the first time in 1998 and it
altered the course of my life. Since then, I have introduced thousands of people
to the plant through my workshops and books (The Hummingbirds Journey to
God, Cactus of Mystery, Drinking the Four Winds, and San Pedro). During this
time I have been privileged to witness and be part of hundreds of - what the
Western world at least would call - healing miracles: people cured of cancer,
paralysis, diabetes, infertility, profound grief, anxiety, stress and many other
physical and emotional problems. Not just made to feel better or helped a
little but cured. Sometimes with only one drink. There are case studies and
personal accounts from those healed in my books. But, of course, there really
are no healing miracles what is possible happens, and with San Pedro all
things are possible.
Other people come to these events because they want to reconnect with life, to
see it as ensouled, hopeful and kind and not the cold, uncaring place we have
been told it is. They want to find God or themselves. And again, as
participant comments suggest, they often succeed.

On this workshop we offer you the opportunity to benefit from San Pedro as
well, as so many others have, using the same methods, approaches and medicine
that have been used in the Andes for thousands of years to achieve these
miracles. This is also a rare opportunity to work with La Gringa, a San Pedro
shaman (huachamera) from Cusco, Peru, who will offer healing, guidance,
cleansing and prayers to direct our journeys and help us get the most from this
unique, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime experience.

San Pedro: Some background

San Pedro (Trichocereus pachanoi) is one of the most ancient, legendary, and
magical of teacher plants but also one of the most secretive. Compared to
ayahuasca, for example, few people have even heard of it, which is why it is
sometimes referred to as the cactus of mystery. The name San Pedro refers to
Saint Peter, who holds the keys to Heaven, and speaks of its ability to open the
gates for us into a world where we can heal, discover our divinity, and find our
purpose on Earth.
It has other names among the shamans and healers of Peru, too including El
Remedio: The Remedy, which refers to its healing powers and its ability to
help us let go of the illusions of the world. Its most common name, however
(besides San Pedro), is huachuma. San Pedro shamans are therefore known as
huachumeros (male) or huachumeras (female). Its use as a sacrament and in
healing rituals is ancient. The earliest archaeological evidence so far is a stone
carving of a huachumero found at the Jaguar Temple of Chavn de Huantar in
northern Peru, which is 3,500 years old. Textiles from the same region and
period of history depict the cactus with jaguars and hummingbirds, two of its
guardian spirits, and with stylised spirals representing the visionary experience.
Cactus ceremonies were traditionally held (and continue to be held in Peru) for
five main reasons:
To cure illnesses of a spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical nature
To know the future through the divinatory qualities of the plant
To overcome sorcery or saladera (an inexplicable run of bad luck) and ensure
future success in ones ventures
To rekindle love and enthusiasm for life; and
To experience the world as divine
The ethnobotanist, Richard Evans Schultes, wrote of San Pedro in his book,
Plants of the Gods that Participants [in ceremonies] are set free from matter
and engage in flight through cosmic regions transported across time and

distance in a rapid and safe fashion. He quotes an Andean shaman who

describes some of the effects of San Pedro: First a dreamy state then great
visions, a clearing of all the faculties and then detachment, a type of visual
force inclusive of the sixth sense, the telepathic state of transmitting oneself
across time and matter, like a removal of thoughts to a distant dimension.
According to La Gringa: San Pedro is a master teacher. It helps us to heal, to
grow, to learn and awaken, and assists us to reach higher states of consciousness
and to realize that there is no separation between You, Me, the Earth, and the
Sky. Its one thing to read that, but to actually experience this oneness is the
most beautiful gift we can receive. San Pedro teaches us to live in balance and
harmony; it teaches us compassion and understanding; and it shows us how to
love, respect, and honour all things. It shows us too that we are children of light
- precious and special and to see that light within us. Each persons experience
will be unique, as we are all unique, and drinking San Pedro is therefore a
personal journey of discovery, of the self and the universe. There is one thing in
common though: The day that you meet San Pedro is one you will never forget a day filled with light and love, which can change your life forever and
always for the better.

Unique features of our San Pedro rituals

Most San Pedro ceremonies have certain components in common, but the true
effects of huachuma often depend more on the power of the shaman who
prepares it and his or her ability to call its spirit. In a typical ceremony the
shaman first sets up his (or her) mesa (an altar which contains power objects
and healing items called artes - arts - which create a channel to the divine).
S/He then prays, chants, or sings to the San Pedro spirit and participants offer
their own prayers. The sacrament is then taken as the brew is drunk.
Our ceremonies also follow this format but differ in three important
respects:
The first and most significant is their gentleness. Many San Pedro shamans
(notably in the north of Peru) expect participants to take part in long and
arduous rituals during their ceremonies. Those who drink may first have to take
another plant mixture, an emetic called a contrachisa, so they empty their
stomachs through vomiting. They may also be required to snort tobacco which
has been macerated in alcohol (a practice called singado, which is very much an
acquired taste!). The shaman may also beat participants with wooden sticks
called chonta, or bathe them in cold water throughout the ceremony to cleanse
them or shock evil spirits out of them.

In our experience, however, procedures like these are unnecessary and may
even distract - or detract - from the healing and communion San Pedro offers. In
our ceremonies, therefore, you are protected, watched over, and supported by
your shamans, who offer guidance, healing and assistance if you need it, but
you are not required to take part in rituals like these. In fact, our view is simple:
if you are fortunate enough to be granted an audience with God, you do not look
the other way or ignore what is given in favour of cold baths and beatings with
sticks!
Secondly, many San Pedro ceremonies take place at night. Ours do not. This is
for the very good reason that the power of San Pedro is enhanced by the sun (it
grows most rapidly in arid landscapes and strong sunlight). Working with, rather
than against the San Pedro spirit, our ceremonies are therefore held during the
day. This also means that the world around you, unmasked by darkness, comes
alive under the effects of the cactus. Colours are more vibrant and energies can
more easily be sensed and seen. The result is often an experience of bliss and
immersion in total beauty.
Thirdly and perhaps most importantly is the power of our San Pedro. San
Pedro is, on the whole, cooked by shamans for four to eight hours to liberate its
spiritual and healing effects. Ours is cooked for 20, producing a brew which
most people find unparalleled in its power.

A natural venue
Our ceremonies take place in a beautiful 30-acre valley in rural Andalucia,
surrounded by hills and mountains, cherry and olive orchards, with a stream,
springs and an open-air swimming pool. The weather is always hot at this time
of year. Teaching is in a traditional roundhouse/yurt, with accommodation in
smaller yurts in the orchard itself. Your neighbours are plants, trees, and
mountains. Peace, quiet and the natural world surrounds you.
Your stay includes fresh organic vegetarian food, most of it grown on the
property, and our hosts are not only sympathetic to our work with medicine
plants (having drunk San Pedro, ayahuasca etc with us in ceremony on many
occasions) but excellent cooks. In previous years participants have asked them
to write the San Pedro cookbook so they have a record of their recipes!

Course components
Three San Pedro ceremonies are included, as well as circle, counselling and
healing meetings, and an opportunity to work with other fascinating aspects of
Andean healing, magic, and ceremony: limpia and pago.

Limpia is a cleansing of the soul which acts as a purification prior to San Pedro
ceremonies. Many different methods are used. Some shamans spray participants
with perfumed agua florida (water for flourishing); some use the smoke of
palo santo and magical herbs; one intriguing method uses an egg (the universal
symbol of the soul) to divine areas of unbalanced energy within the patients
body and rebalance them. The point, in each case is to remove unhelpful
energies, restore us to power, and change our luck so we are blessed with
greater health and stability.
Pago is an offering to the spirits of the land and a further blessing for
participants. The shaman prepares a special packet of gifts for the apus (spirits
of the Mountains, Sky and Earth), which may include candies, coca leaves,
coins, sea shells, small religious statues or lithographs, and so on. It is then
burned or buried in an attitude of prayerful gratitude. The intention is to thank
the Earth for what is already ours. That is: no matter what we wish for, in the
spiritual dimension, we already have it and to manifest it physically we simply
need to acknowledge that, give thanks for it, and allow it into our lives. By
giving thanks in this way our prayers are answered.
Seminars and circle meetings. In addition to these programme features, regular
circle meetings are held to discuss your San Pedro insights and talks are offered
by Ross and La Gringa to provide you with background to Andean shamanism
and enhance your understanding and experience of this healing tradition as well
as your own healing experiences.

Our programme: outline itinerary

Day 1. Arrival and settling in. Introduction by Ross and La Gringa and an
overview of Andean approaches to healing and the soul of San Pedro. Limpias
(cleansings) to purify us in preparation for our work.
Day 2. San Pedro ceremony. An all-day event which may also include personal
healings and counselling. Your evening is free for rest and integration.
Day 3. Circle meeting with Ross and La Gringa to help clarify your insights and
the messages of San Pedro. Free time is also included so you can enjoy the
landscapes of Spain, swim, or rest in preparation for
Day 4. San Pedro ceremony. An all-day event which may also include personal
healings and counselling. Your evening is free for rest and integration.
Day 5. Circle meeting with Ross and La Gringa to help clarify your insights and
the messages of San Pedro. Free time is included so you can rest in preparation
for

Day 6. San Pedro ceremony. An all-day event which may also include personal
healings and counselling. Your evening is free for rest and integration.
Day 7. Our last circle meeting and an opportunity for final questions and
farewells, followed by the pago, a ceremony of thanks and blessings. Departure
for homeward journeys.
NB. If you are joining us for the 5 day course (August 14-18) the first four
days are the same as above. Day 5, however, follows the format of the last
day of the 7 day programme.

Your facilitators
Our staff is on-hand 24/7 to offer you any practical support you may need, as
well as advice, guidance, and facilitation. Your principal facilitators are Ross
and La Gringa, backed by hosts at our venue who are helpful, enthusiastic, and
who know San Pedro well. They are happy to help in any way and, wherever
possible, to accommodate any needs or wishes you might have.
Ross first visited Peru to drink San Pedro in 1998 and for many years has led
workshops as well as trips to Peru for others to experience this plant teacher
themselves. In 2010 he began a three-year apprenticeship and shamanic diet
with San Pedro which was completed in 2013 and is recalled in his book
Drinking the Four Winds. He has written numerous articles and nearly 20 books
on shamanism, healing, and plant spirit medicines including four on San Pedro.
La Gringa has worked shamanically in Peru since 1991, moving to Cusco fulltime in 1997. The well-known shaman she trained with gave her permission to
work on her own with San Pedro in 2002. Doing so has been amazing and I
have witnessed many healing miracles, she says. Her work is described in
Ross books The Hummingbirds Journey to God, Cactus of Mystery and
Drinking the Four Winds. The first two include extensive interviews with her.

The Cactus of Vision Spain: The price, whats included, whats

not, and how to book
The cost of the 7 day event event is 1000 and the cost of the 5 day course is
750. Both include a non-refundable deposit of 500. The cost includes
accommodation and meals at our centre, three San Pedro ceremonies, limpia
cleansing, pago ceremony, and circle meetings and seminars with Ross and La
Gringa. It does not include transportation to and from your airport of departure,
flight and travel costs to and in Spain, airport taxes or visa costs if payable,

travel insurance, optional hotels or accommodation other than at our venue,

optional personal expenditure including souvenirs, meals and drinks, tips and
gratuities etc, or tours and trips additional to our programme.

Methods of payment
You have the choice of paying now for the entire programme or you may, if you
prefer, pay a deposit to hold your place with the remainder (cleared funds) to be
paid at least five weeks before our programme begins so that money can be
transferred for your accommodation, etc. Payments may be made in the
following ways:
Bank Transfer. Our preferred method. Account details are available on request.
Please note that sending and receiving banks may charge a fee for transfers and
you should ensure that you pay these separately so that bank charges are not
taken from the amount you send (ask your bank for details). Also ask your bank
to include your name as a reference so we know who the money is from!
Finally, please note that it can take a week or so for funds to clear even once
your money is sent. To ensure your place on this programme, please make
certain that cleared funds are available in our account at least five weeks before
the programme start date.
Cash: By registered post please! If you are outside the UK and want to send
cash you can do so in your local currency if you wish at the equivalent Sterling
rate, provided it is easily changed in the UK. See http://www.xrates.com/calculator.html for an online currency converter.
Sterling (British Pounds) Cheque. Payable to Ross Heaven
Western Union transfer to Ross Heaven. Please request details.
To book your place, please complete the Booking and Agreement Forms which
follow and send them with your deposit or full payment to: Ross Heaven, The
Four Gates Foundation, 25 South Road, Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 9QL,
United Kingdom. Email: ross@thefourgates.org

More information about San Pedro

You may find the following of background interest:
The Hummingbirds Journey to God by Ross Heaven (O Books, 2009). This the
first book to be written about San Pedro healing and contains information and
interviews with shamans working in these traditions (including La Gringa) and

the accounts of those who have drunk San Pedro (including previous Cactus of
Vision participants).
Cactus of Mystery by Ross Heaven (Inner traditions, 2013). Essays, articles and
interviews by and with San Pedro shamans, ceremonial participants and
musicians and artists who have been inspired by San Pedro.
Drinking the Four Winds by Ross Heaven (O Books, 2013). The story of a
personal apprenticeship with San Pedro and initiation into the Andean healing
tradition as well as a three-year diet with the plant.
Plant Spirit Shamanism: Traditional Techniques for Healing the Soul by Ross
Heaven (Destiny Books, 2006). Information on San Pedro, ayahuasca, and
interviews with shamans working in these traditions.
There are also a few intelligent web-based discussion groups about teacher
plants and related subjects, including their medical, scientific, and legal status,
and the personal experiences of participants. Key amongst these is probably
www.erowid.org, which also includes a few articles by Ross on plant
shamanism and healing with San Pedro.

Important: San Pedro effects and precautions

The effects of San Pedro can take 40 minutes or so to appear and might then
continue for 10-12 hours or more. It is or can be one of the most powerful
experiences you will ever have. These effects are not like ayahuasca, LSD etc
i.e. you do not hallucinate or enter an unreal world and generally there is no
profound disorientation instead, San Pedro shows you what is real: the world
as it truly is or, at least, how you perceive it, dream it, imagine it be (and so
create it), as well as the things you do not see but which actually exist in the
world out there. It is our failure to notice these things (or the unbalanced
attention we give to others) which often contribute to our health issues or our
feelings of aloneness and loss.
Generally speaking, the effects of San Pedro begin gradually and come in waves
as you sense it moving through your body and rectifying areas of weakness or
ill-health. You might also experience temperature changes and become either
hot or cold while your actual temperature remains relatively constant. An
emotional healing tends to take place next, followed by a more spiritual and
visionary experience. Normally you can walk and talk as usual throughout, but
sometimes you might wish to simply lie still and allow your visions to flow.
San Pedro has been used as a healer in this way for thousands of years with
many positive and extraordinary results. Because of the powerful nature of this

experience, however, we do suggest that you take medical advice about your
participation in these ceremonies and/or carry out some research into the effects
of this plant, especially if it is your first time and/or if you are taking
medications or have a health condition.
Scientifically speaking, San Pedro contains mescaline at a 0.3 to 1.2 percent
level as well as tyramine, hordenine, 3-methoxytyramine, anhalaninine,
anhalonidine, 3,4-dimethoxyphen-ethylamine, 3,4-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-Bphenethylamine, and 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-B-phenethylamine. Some of
these are sympathomimetics (substances that mimic the effects of
epinephrine/adrenalin and norepinephrine/noradrenaline). Others may act as
mild MAOIs: monoamine oxidase inhibitors (Source: www.erowid.com). For
these reasons, some health precautions are recommended.
If you are taking medication (including antibiotics and anti-depressants), are
subject to high blood pressure, or receiving treatment for a heart condition, a
bleeding colon, sugar diabetes, or have taken any form of anti-psychosis
medication in the last nine years it is important that you let us know and that
you take medical advice about participating in San Pedro ceremonies. A
consultation is also recommended if you are taking drugs affecting serotonin
levels (e.g. serotonin selective re-uptake inhibitors or SSRIs) as the combination
of MAOIs and SSRIs can lead to higher levels of serotonin in the body.
Non-prescription medicines, such as antihistamines, dietary aids, amphetamines
and their derivatives, and some herbal remedies (e.g. those containing
ephedrine, high levels of caffeine, or other stimulants) should be discontinued
for at least a week prior to and following work with San Pedro.
Avoid all chemically-based recreational drugs - in particular MDMA (ecstasy),
cocaine, speed, and heroin. The use of non-chemical recreational drugs, such as
marijuana, should also be discontinued for at least a week prior to the
programme. Please do not drink alcohol for at least a day prior to (and, of
course, during) any ceremonial work with teacher plants.

Flights to Spain, getting to our venue

Low cost flights are available to Spain via budget airlines such as Easyjet and
Ryanair, both of which fly to Malaga (about 2 hours away). Our closest airport
however is Granada (one hour away). From either, a low cost pick-up service
can be arranged for you or you can take a bus to our local town of Castillo de
Locubin and a collection can be arranged from there. Taxis are also available
from both airports but will obviously cost more.
Our airport pick-up service is organised by our hosts, who can also give you
more information on the venue, getting to us if you decide to make your own

way, and discuss any special requirements you may have. Their contact details
are: bobby_longman@yahoo.co.uk and info@cortijovadillo.com.

Things to bring
Apart from normal going away packing for a holiday in a warm climate, you
will need the following:
Layered clothes, as the days are very warm but it sometimes gets a little cooler
at night
Light waterproofs and rain hats in case of rainfall (unlikely but you never
know)
Sun cream and a swimming costume in case you want to cool down in the pool
(more likely)
Walking boots for exploring the land (if you wish)
A torch for the evenings
Natural (or other) insect repellent (although insects are rarely a problem)
A notepad and pens as there will be lots to write about!
A gift item for our pago ceremony which you are happy to give away and
represents something you would like more of in your life (e.g. money, love,
good health) something simple and inexpensive
Ladies: Sanitary wear, even if your period is not due. Work with teacher plants
can provoke cleansing on all levels
Smokers: Enough cigarettes or tobacco to last the week as there are no nearby
shops. (There are shops in our local town so buying any other items you need or
things you have forgotten should not be a problem but shop runs do not take
place every day.)

BOOKING FORM
San Pedro: The Cactus of Mystery
2015
Please print and complete this form and send it with your Agreement Form and
full payment or deposit to: Ross Heaven, The Four Gates Foundation, 25 South
Road, Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 9QL, United Kingdom
Name:
Address:
Postcode:
Phone number:
Email:
I wish to join:
The 7 day programme (August 6-12)
The 5 day programme (August 14-18)
And enclose:
My non-refundable deposit of 500
My payment in full (1000/750 respectively)
Payment method:
Cash enclosed (by registered post please)
Cheque made payable to 'Ross Heaven' enclosed
Bank transfer
(Please give the date when we can expect this in our account: ______________)
Western Union
(Please give the date when we can collect this: __________________________)
I also enclose:

 My full, signed, and completed Agreement Form

AGREEMENT (Page 1)

AGREEMENT FORM
SAN PEDRO: THE CACTUS OF VISION SPAIN
Privacy: The information you provide in this document will be kept in strict
confidence. Unless required to do so by law or for the resolution of any dispute
we will not divulge or disclose it in any way to any third party.
I, ______________________________________________________________
(please print your name) have read the information on San Pedro and this event,
and have signed this Agreement voluntarily. I am aware that this event involves
the use of a visionary plant which is traditionally used in the Andes for
shamanic healing, vision-questing, and divination. I understand that taking San
Pedro may involve emotional, spiritual, psychological and/or physical reactions,
and I agree to take part and abide by the terms and conditions which apply to
this trip and/or other instructions and advice given orally or in writing. I have
made the confidential disclosures that I wish the Organisers to know and these
are honest and accurate regarding my needs and condition. I understand that
these will be kept in the strictest confidence. I reiterate my understanding that
by signing this form I accept full responsibility for participating in this event
and its ceremonies.
SIGNED: _______________________________________________________
DATE: _________________________________________________________
YOUR DETAILS
Your name as it appears on the Booking Form:
Age you will be at the time of this trip (N.B. The minimum age for participants
is 18):
CONFIDENTIAL DISCLOSURES
(Use the back of this sheet if necessary).
1. Are you taking any medication? N/Y. If yes for what condition/s?

2. Have you sought the advice of a doctor regarding this condition/s and/or any
medication/s you are taking and your participation in this event? N/Y. If yes are
they happy for you to take part? N/Y. If no are you happy to take part and to
absolve the Organisers of all responsibility and liability for any abreactions?
N/Y.
3. Do you have any physical or other limitations or any special needs? N/Y. If
yes please specify.
4. Please provide us with a contact in case of emergency (name, telephone,
mobile/cell phone, email).