She had turned in the wax and crossed her wings over her chest looking like a perfectly elegant sarcophagus. Remembering her at this moment sent chills down my spine. In certain cultures, animals are seen as having a particular medicine or gift associated with them. The moth represents metamorphosis, similar to the butterfly yet with a specific affinity towards finding light within darkness…

I received a call from an old friend this week, the first Peruvian shaman I ever worked with in my path of healing. Just hearing his voice brought back the taste of the thick-vined elixir into my mouth (iykyk). After our conversation, I began to hear some icaros, or traditional medicine songs, appear in my consciousness from the Shipibo tribe that had been a prior poignant soundtrack of my life…