Kuripe – Tarauacá Bamboo and Beads

More about Kuripe – Tarauacá Bamboo and Beads

Bamboo has become a widely known material for the making of kuripe pipes, as it is both light in weight and easy to carve. Like all of our products at Sacred Connection, it is made with high quality materials, and an excellent option for those who wish to obtain an eco-friendly, traditionally handmade self-applicator for their sacred ritual needs. The intricate and colorful bead designs are the creation of masterful hands belonging to a skilled craftsman whose knowledge of this venerated medicine is but a product of years of training and practicing in cleansing and healing rites. The artisanal designs also fit comfortably into the hands, adding beauty to practicality for a unique price.

Sacred Connection’s famed partnerships with a broad variety of local indigenous tribes and their representatives brings secular medicinal knowledge, respect for native culture, and care in the making of every product together in mutually beneficial opportunities, calling the local market’s spotlight towards sacred indigenous medicine, all the while hoping to educate consumers and the general public about the tribes’ customs, cultures, and, of course, their products.

Taking Rapé

Rapé is a sacred, ancient medicine that’s been an essential part of many indigenous communities’ customs and rituals as means to connect oneself with Nature’s power and healing forces. It is a fine powder, crafted by expert hands, and most blends often carry alkaline ashes, medicinal herbs and plants, and tobacco in their formula. The taking of Rapé is equally sacred, and should be done with respectful intent throughout the entire process, by people who have taken time to understand the cultural significance of such a rite, as well as its benefits and possible outcomes. It is very common to have this shamanic snuff administered into the nose by means of one of two types of pipe: either the tepi pipe, which is a more elongated pipe that is used by shamans and experienced people to blow the Rapé powder into another individual’s nostrils, or the kuripe pipe, which is mostly used for personal, individual intake, hence its V-shape.

How to use your Kuripe

Firstly, find a suitable place to initiate your own Rapé ritual. Whichever place you choose doesn’t need to be religiously sacred, but somewhere filled with spirituality and energetic flow, a place that means something to you and can help you focus and expand your intentions. Once you’ve elected your location, take the time to ground yourself in the present and really bring forth the intentions you have for the ritual and for the Rapé; think of what you expect to achieve by making use of this sacred medicine, of what you need guidance for, of what needs healing.

As you measure the desired amount of snuff (a pea-sized amount should be enough for most cases), you may chant any prayers or hymns if you so desire. Scoop the blend into the nose-end of your kuripe applicator, then carefully tap the curved V peak on a hard surface to eliminate any air pockets or reminiscing bits of stuck rapé. Place the mouth-end into your mouth and carefully position the other end into one nostril. As you lean forward, remember to have your eyes closed to avoid blowing Rapé into them and to have your intentions in mind. Then, give the pipe a hard blow to send the shamanic snuff into your airways, and take a moment to experience the moment and feel the strength and power of sacred Rapé. It is important to try and “hold in” the rapé for a few instants before blowing it out again – which is a process that will most likely happen naturally, too.

Keep in mind that both sides/nostrils should receive this medicine to achieve balance between the things one desires to let go and what they wish to receive and welcome, or the whole process might slightly backfire – fear and rejection of part of the ritual might be considered as rejecting the spirit of the Rapé. And remember that this ritual is one of cleansing; while it is recommended to wait a while for the effects of Rapé to take place, whenever fluids start to drip down the throat or nose, expel them from your body, as such processes may be considered the manifestation of ridding oneself from physical and spiritual ailments.

Variations in color and size may occur between batches since our products are handcrafted.