The San Pedro Cactus (Equinopsis pachanoi): Ancestral and Modern Therapeutic Uses in Peru
June 16, 2025 Fanny Charrasse, Alfredo Narváez 1 citation
In the Túcume district of northern Peru, traditional healers called curanderos use the San Pedro cactus as an entheogenic agent in night-time ceremonies. The ritual is structured around a healing altar that blends indigenous and Catholic elements. The curandero administers San Pedro together with tobacco and perfumes, using whistling, singing, and rattles to moderate effects and call upon spiritual forces. Diagnoses often involve sorcery, and remedies include cleansing rituals focused on aromatic fragrances. A post-session integration called florecimiento involves blowing perfumed waters on the patient to assure health, good luck, and love, providing revitalization and cleansing through scent and breath.