Mambe & Ambil
Ancestral wisdom from the Amazon.
To this day, there are a variety of indigenous communities that inhabit the Colombian Amazon in a traditional manner and who conserve their ancestral practices and knowledge, amongst them are the Murui, the Nonuya, the Bora, the Andoque, among many others. A component of conjunction between all of these communities is the presence of two teacher plants which are fundamental in their spirituality: tobacco and coca. These plants have methods of preparation which are particular to the territory and which are known as Ambil and Mambe.
As we were discussing in a previous text, there are several elements which have been transformed into their opposites throughout human history. We will refer to the tobacco plant once again as an example; a plant which for thousands of years was used in a traditional manner, organically, with a sacred and spiritual focus; a plant which was then turned into a commercial and harmful element to human health, one which we currently know as cigarettes. Something similar happened with fermented beverages, which for thousands of years have accompanied humanity at times of celebration, of tasks, of ceremonies; being prepared in traditional fashion by different families and communities around the world, preparations that had guidelines and methods of use; a completely different use than we give alcohol today; given that inebriating beverages are monopolized by companies and only have financial objectives, added to the fact that a lacking in education on these matters generates the misuse and abuse of said beverages, which in turn causes emotional disequilibrium, harm in relationships, and health risks.
We have touched upon only two examples among the many existing regarding the subject of traditional elements being transformed into contemporary ones, but the end goal of naming them is that, when we approach these said elements which we deem common in our lives with a new approach and a new way of regarding them, we can then observe reality with different eyes, with our spirit, through the light of ancestral wisdom, returning to the memory of origin.
The medicine of traditional use named Ambil, is initially prepared with the leaves of native tobacco, which are cooked for many hours or even days, until their pure essence is extracted. After the leaf residuals are filtered, this primal liquid is reduced until it reaches a similar consistency to that of honey. At this point, a viscous liquid comprised of other plants and flora is added to give it the adequate consistency. After completing this preparatory phase, the compound is mixed with vegetable salt, which is extracted in traditional manner from plants, palm or bark, adding balance to the preparation. We address this method of preparation in a superfluous manner only to bring the reader closer to its understanding, but it is important to highlight that, in the preparation of this medicine, Ambil, as is the case with all traditional medicines, diligent work and spiritual concentration are required, due to the fact that a dialogue with the spirit of the plant must ensue in order for the medicine to be prepared in a pure and harmonious way.
The medicine of traditional use named Mambe is initially prepared with the leaves of the coca plant; leaves that are collected from the traditional harvests of indigenous tribes. It is worth mentioning that it is a special variety of coca plant, one that is sweet, and one that elders say has been used for thousands of years, with its seed and its knowledge having been passed on from generation to generation. These coca leaves are very carefully roasted at low heat with techniques that only time can teach. After they have been roasted to the exact degree, they are mashed or pulverized with traditional tools. Once the leaves are at a fine stage of pulverization, they are sifted; strainers carefully fabricated with weaves and vegetable elements are used so that the thicker fibrous components of the leaves are not left in the medicine. The intention is to attain the finest and purest possible coca flour, which is then mixed with the leaf-ashes of an Amazon tree known as the Yarumo, which balances and activates the preparation.
The preparation of these medicines requires long and arduous physical work, as well as special dedication and spiritual concentration; their history, preparation, and use are of sacred character, requiring specific ways of handling and spiritual connotation. The ritual of their preparation begins at the moment in which the seeds of the plant are cultivated, and they require sacred and respectful treatment given that these teacher plants have been used for thousands of years and have accompanied Amazon communities throughout the path of their existence, having themselves been spirit guides to understand existence itself. It is at this point that we find necessary to once again use another example of the transformation of a sacred element into something profane; for the coca plant has been used for thousands of years in diverse communities of the Americas in a sacred way, as medicine and aliment, and within its appropriate traditional use, it does not pose any risk factors. But what is in actuality inferred when the word “coca” is mentioned, is the association with a drug, and it is not so; there is a vast difference, since cocaine is prepared from the leaf of other plant-species that have been genetically modified, or from plants that are not used in the preparation of these ancestral medicines. Besides, in contemporary drugs, a wide array of highly harmful chemical substances to both humans and the ecosystem are added; as it is commonly said: the coca leaf is always green and is consumed through one’s mouth, never white and never through one’s nose.
It is possible to learn more about the properties and benefits of coca leaves by researching online or on encyclopedias, given that this plant has been scientifically studied for quite some time and has generated amazement within the scientific community because of its nutritional richness.
The Ambil and Mambe medicines are commonly used together, they are a union, the manifestation of an alliance, an equilibrium. Ambil symbolizes a masculine energy, the grandfather, and its essence brings forth clarity of thought; it illuminates thinking. The spirit of this medicine guides thought and connects all of the senses so that the decisions that we make and the actions that we advance are aligned with the caretaking of life, of family, of community and territory. Mambe symbolizes feminine energy, the spirit of the mother, and its essence brings forth the wisdom of the gentle word; the gift of the word that harmonizes, that builds, the word that pacifies relationships. It also provides energy and nourishes the body to perform tasks and physical work.
This is how the energy of the spiritual father and mother is found, through an alliance that accompanies human life. Through its use, we first illuminate and root our thoughts, we set our purposes and direct our actions, we then nourish our being with the gift of the gentle word, the word that creates a reality within well-being. These medicines allow us to recognize and apply the teaching that there be congruence between what we think, what we say, and what we do. This is the key to knowing how to live.
When people gather to share these medicines, it is called “Mambear”, which can be understood as parleying or conversing; this means that people gather to discuss and exchange various subjects, such as going over the activities and actions of the day, conferring over a difficult situation that may require a solution, or helping guide a task that needs to be accomplished. Traditionally, when an elder is present, Mambe centers around hearing the advise of the elder, in receiving life’s word, in gathering the teachings and the knowledge that time and experience have provided said elder. This is how wisdom has been safeguarded in Amazonian communities, through the oral legacy and tradition. It is through the sharing of the word that we have been bequeathed with the knowledge of how to inhabit Mother Earth, how to procure all that is necessary to live, and how to exist in peace and harmony with nature.
The elders; grandfathers and grandmothers, inhabitants of the jungle and guardians of these plants are who preserve the ancestral wisdom. They have been acknowledged as sons and daughters of the tobacco and coca plants, of the sweet cassava, and in their memories remain the myths of the creation of the universe; the stories that bring teachings for the present, as well as the vital and necessary advise for all of us to know how to use these medicines with honor and integrity. To them we express our deepest gratitude for allowing us to be in communion with these tools, and it is our responsibility to do things in the most respectful manner and following their advise. It is not possible in this text to go in depth into the diets and correct usage of these medicines, but it is stressed that they require guidance and counsel.
We have the opportunity to return to the origin, the opportunity to use the tools that the great spirit yielded to humanity in order to know how to live well with Mother Earth. Let us return to the natural and traditional medicines, to the correct use of our teacher plants, let us remind ourselves that everything has a spirit, and that everything that exists deserves respect and gratitude. Let us nourish our being with the pure essence of nature, of our mother, so that we may be aligned with the flow of the universe, and so that we may positively contribute to existence.
