Comment from Kristine Vanschyndel
I was blessed with the opportunity to embark on a journey through Ecuador with my partner for 3 months. The whole adventure was a life changing experience. Following a 2 week Ayahuasca/San Pedro retreat, we travelled to Vilcabamba, a most anticipated place to visit while in Ecuador. We were recommended to see Felicia by a friend and experience her medicine in her sacred garden. We are so very grateful to have had this experience. Felicia has created a truly magical space and is so kind to open her doors and invite others to share medicine for self healing, reflection, and transformation. So much respect and gratitude is given to Grandfather San Pedro and Pachamama by Felicia, maintaining sacredness in the ceremony .The medicine was very powerful, allowing me to feel great connections and experience immense self reflection. Thank you so much for this experience. I feel grateful to have met you, and privileged to have taken your medicine. Until we meet again, take care :) Love and Light Kristine
Comment from Rebecca and Toshi
We visited Felicia at the tail end of a long medicine journey
throughout Peru and Ecuador thinking it would be a nice way to wind
down and prepare for life back at home. We had heard so many great
reviews about Felicia from fellow plant workers so we knew we were in
good hands but none of the reviews had quite prepared us for the
experience we had that night in Felicia's sacred garden. The knowledge,
insight and infinite love bestowed upon us will not be soon forgotten -
it has changed us both in the most profound and wonderful ways. The
power of Felicia's huachuma is up there with the best of the medicine
journeys we have experienced anywhere. Thank you Felicia, the spirit of
your drum will remain with us always.
Love and light from Japan.
Comment from Colin Frederick
After researching sacred medicines for several years I was finally able
to undertake my journey to South America to work with the plants. I
spent 5 weeks at an Ayahuasca centre in Iquitos in order to physically
and spiritually detox before a planned continuation of my work with
Father Huachuma/San Pedro.
I spent several months trying to find a suitable person or center who
worked with Huachuma but it was not as easy as with Ayahuasca. I came
across Felicia's website during an internet search and was immediately
drawn to her warmth and the positive comments of those that had
journeyed with her. The fact that she is female is also both unusual
and important in that I really wanted to work with a balancing and
loving female energy.
Both of my two ceremonies were amazingly powerful and even before I
drank the medicine I felt a strong shift while Felicia was conducting
her smudging/blessing. The medicine took effect after only 20 minutes
and from that moment until the next morning I was swept away into
another world. I experienced tremendous body movement and release of
fear and later anger which was held deep within my cells. My visions
were of a power which surprised me and were certainly as strong as my
experiences with Mother Ayahuasca. My most powerful moments were spent
with a majestic statue of Pachamama/Mother nature Felicia has next to
her house,sitting at the ceremonial camp fire and in a field of
beautiful fireflies just next to the ceremonial space. Felicia's also
uses a sacred drum and a sacred rattle which was at times frighteningly
powerful.
Felicia is a rare soul who works with the medicine for the betterment
of those who visit her as well as mankind as a whole. This is reflected
by the power of her medicine and so I cannot recommend her highly
enough.
I thank her for the gift of her ceremonies but also of her friendship and kindness. If you interested in undertaking such an experience rest assured that with Felicia you will be in very good hands.
Comment from Michelle from Canada
This past last year, journeying with plant medicines has become VERY popular with foreigners but not without detriment to this sacred ritual experience. The trend has found randoms dredged up through the net, herded by the bus load and dumped into strange lands with a slew of wannabe shamans. These newbie/wannabe shamans have little or no experience in either brewing the medicine or conducting the ritual itself.
Worse still, these remote settings pair up unscreened journeyers who have the potential to disrupt or end journeys of other participants... OR even cause direct harm, in the worse case scenario. Very often, too, there lacks a direct conduit of communication between the maestro and the initiate from cultural barriers and language differences yet verbal communication is key in this process to understanding the symbolism, asking questions and requesting help, if needed. So, CAVEAT EMPTOR or buyer beware, if "shopping" for a shamanic experience in this newly spawned "spiritual industry". The massive flooding of initiates and imitators has obscured the direct passage to authentic journeying.
To begin with, one should understand that shamans are BORN, claimed and then taught directly by the spirits, always. They are never self-appointed, self-taught nor are they motivated by a lack of material assets or by a means to earn a living. Their purpose is very deeply rooted in their earthly incarnation. Felicia is the embodiment of the authentic shaman, in this sense. She does not recruit or herd you. She claims that if you are inquiring about the journey, it is simply in response to the call of the plant entity itself. There may be others offering this plant journey in this location but choosing them would be exactly like taking the plant medicine alone and without guidance because these people are not shamans at all- they are all of the self-appointed variety... all posers, if you will. There are consequential and inherent risks in choosing this option that I need not detail.
One thing that sets Felicia apart from the many is that she speaks many languages and by virtue is able to translate the symbolism and meaning across the cultural and language divides. She is devoted to her craft and begins to create a healing space for you from the time of your initial contact with her and in the initial meeting with her before the journey. She works along with you in order to make the determination of whether anything is contraindicated in the taking of the medicine and will advise you upon careful preparations that you personally must undertake in order to get ready for the experience. She tirelessly works to prepare the ritual well in advance and is diligent in rooting out any potential, unforeseen problems to ensure that you have the best possible experience in a well-guarded and safe environment.
I found my own rituals with Felicia to be esthetically beautiful ones and performed with incredible care, devotion, skill and higher gifts. Blanketed under the beautiful Andean starry skies, the stars move around the night campfire which blazes and wafts the scent of Palo Santo. If I so much as stirred, Felicia was immediately by my side so it is the perfect safe, controlled environment for your altered state of consciousness. Individual experiences of the journey range widely so my own would be very different from yours but I can say that in general, it is ecstatic, profound and holds a huge potential to transform and heal your life by aligning you with higher, healing energies of Earth. It opens up other dimensional realities if you are ready to perceive them but because they are other-dimensional, it somehow defies description.
If you are called to this sacred experience, it is indeed an honor. If it resonates with you, pursue it. Don't worry about the smaller details around it like how much, who with, when....as I assure you that you will be in good hands and it honors a purpose in you that is much greater than you, yourself, and these finer details. I have journeyed many times with Felicia over the past five years and she has definitely helped to transform my life. I overcame a long battle (+20 years) with an auto-immune disease that plagued me in just a handful of journeys. WOW!
Safe travels! May both your outward and inward journeys be great for you! MICHELLE
Comment from Lesley Myburgh
I met Felicia in 1996 on a journey to Vilcabamba. I will never forget that first meeting! For the last two decades I have worked with many world known shaman, amongst them, Credo Mutwa, the spiritual leader of the Zulu tribe from South Africa, Freddie Quispe (“Puma”), Ruben Orrelano, Kucho,….all from Peru, Jerry Wills, Wolf, and many others from the States, Mexico, Japan, Australia and other parts of the world. I consider Felicia to be the most knowledgeable and most powerful shaman that I have ever had the opportunity of knowing. It is because of her knowledge and teachings that I have been able to become a well known authority on the healing of this plant.(I am in most of the guide books of Peru)
Felicia is truly the most powerful healer/shaman/teacher that I know. I thank her for her unending wisdom, healing and teachings she gives me and others so freely. If you have the opportunity to drink this sacred plant with this sacred woman, you are the luckiest of the lucky.
I am eternally grateful to her.
In Love
Lesley Myburgh
Cusco, Peru
www.anotherplanetperu.net
Comment from Anonymous
I began with ceremonies and energy work in the 80’s, first attending the sweat lodge (temezcal) ceremonies of Amos, a Lakota Sioux in Red Wing Minnesota, and Pipe ceremonies of Judy Ciclain. I learned various forms of energy healing, and from my studies of herbal medicine I learned of the sacred plants and the healing on shamanic ceremonies of different people. I went to Peru and drank the sacred tea, Ayahuasca, with Guillermo Arrevalo, a shipipo curandero, and Norma Pandura, shamana in Iquitos. I also went twice to Brazil, for special ceremonies with Luis Eduardo Luna. From these and others I have witnessed the ceremony ( different forms of ) and journeyed to other realms to learn how we can help heal the consciousness of people separated from Gaia
In November 2005 I met the shamana Felicia in Vilcabamba, and returned after 1 month there , specifically to take part in her sacred medicine ceremony. I felt really blessed to be in the ceremony with such a compassionate and powerful shamana. She lights the fire, drums her rhythm, sings her sacred songs, prays with wise woman’s words and and understanding heart.She was great at guiding the way for us, and being there in whatever way we needed. She is a very special being, a fine shaman, and I recommend her medicine.
Anonymous
Comment from Blair
I've known a few shamans in my life, Maria Sabina in Huatla, Doña Julietta in San Mateo, Eloxochitlan, and the Huichol shaman Brant Secunda. In my opinion Felicia is one in a line of the powerful shamans.
Comment from Susan Ryan
My name is Susan Ryan. I have a Masters Degree in Counseling and I have worked extensively with Altered States and I am writing this to give my support and share the confidence I have in Felicia and her ability to deal with whatever arises for people during Sacred Medicine Journeys. Felicia's work is highly intuitional, which is an essential ingredient for a good Shaman. There is no book that can teach you this. It is about being fully connected to the energy of the present moment. It is about listening with more than just your ears and seeing with more than just your eyes. Felicia's intuitional skills are highly developed and she uses this gift to assist her during the Sacred Medicine Journeys. Felicia is a gentle and masterful guide in the journey of discovering ourselves. She is intelligent, astute, and in my opinion a truly gifted healer. I feel honored to know her and write this reference for her.
Comment from Terence Smith
A wonderful experience. I was guided through it with care and experience, and appreciated it...
Terrence Smith [60 years, Canada]
Comment from Paul Rubin
In 2013 I spent six months travelling around Peru and Ecuador researching and exploring the world of San Pedro and the many powerful and talented healers that work with this sacred plant. Each of the huachumeros and huachumeras I met brought with them their own special magic and essence, distilled in their medicine and ceremony. I learnt many different things from many amazing people.
It was in the lush valley of Vilcabamba, the Ecuadorian town most famous for its longevity and home to some of the oldest inhabitants in the world, where I had the pleasure of meeting Felicia and attending one of her ceremonies. Felicia was one of the healers that stood out prominently for me during my travels. Not just because of her medicine (which is nothing short of remarkable!) or because of her beautiful hillside home with tropical gardens overlooked by Mt. Mandango, but because of her unwavering dedication and strong ethical boundaries.
She is a true maestra, a master of her craft, with a beautiful approach to ceremony. She remains continually engaged throughout the night, and commits herself wholeheartedly to the process. As we lay around the central fire, under the ever watchful eye of Pepe - the brightly coloured Macaw and Felicia's trusted co-host for the past two decades, we were treated to expansive heavens and the ever gentle snorts of her nearby stabled horses.
The ceremony was profound for all who attended, comfortable and safe. It has remained with me over the last few years and continues to do so. For anyone who intends working with this master plant, be it for health reasons, spiritual exploration or plain curiosity - my advice is to seek out a powerful and responsible healer like Felicia to accompany you on your journey.
Thank you Felicia and San Pedro - I look forward to visiting you both again one day soon!