In short
- Rapé (you say "ha-pé") is a fine plant powder from the Amazon.
- The Huni Kuin make it by hand from ground plants and tree ash.
- You administer rapé to yourself with a kuripe, a V-shaped applicator.
- Start small, with a gentle start like Tsunu, Rosa or Murici.
- For adults only (18+). Rapé is not a medicine and is not a substitute for medical advice.
By Kevin Lorenzini | Reading time: approximately 8 minutes
There is a moment when you feel that there is something you are missing. Not in your life, but in yourself. A silence you can no longer find. Many people who turn to rapé are looking for exactly that. Not an escape, but an arrival: coming home to yourself.
Rapé has traditionally been used by indigenous peoples in the Amazon as a ceremonial tool for cleansing, grounding, and connecting with the higher realms. In recent years, it has also found its way to the Netherlands.
I am Kevin Lorenzini, ceremony leader and founder of Purity Healing. I am in contact with a Huni Kuin village in Acre every day and learn from them how rapé is made. Everything you read here comes from that contact and from my own experience.
1. What is rapé?
Rapé is a fine powder that you use through the nose. That is the simplest description. It is also an understatement of what it is.
Rapé is a ceremonial plant powder. It is made from ground plants and the ash of trees or herbs, such as Tsunu. It is made with intention and used with respect.
The word "rapé" comes from French: râpé means "finely grated". You pronounce it as "ha-pé". That is why you also see the spelling hapé. Peoples in the Amazon have their own names for it. The name varies, the essence is the same: a direct connection with the plant and with the forest.
Rapé is not a recreational substance
Rapé is not a drug in the Western sense. You do not use it to escape or to seek a high. In the indigenous tradition, it is a sacred plant and a ceremonial tool. Not a medicine in the Western sense. Rapé is not a recreational substance. You use it consciously, with an intention.
Rapé is not suitable for people under the age of 18.
2. The Huni Kuin: the makers
To understand rapé, it helps to know the people who make it. The Huni Kuin are the largest indigenous people of the state of Acre in the Brazilian Amazon. Huni Kuin means "the True People". They live along the Tarauacá, Jordão, Breu, Muru and Purus rivers. You sometimes also read the name Kaxinawá. That name was imposed on them. They choose the name Huni Kuin themselves, and so do we.
Rapé is part of the daily life of the Huni Kuin: in ceremonies, in tuning into each other and into the forest.
Purity Healing and the Huni Kuin
Our rapé comes directly from the Huni Kuin, without any middleman. They receive the price they ask. I never haggle. And in addition, a portion of the proceeds goes back to the village. I deliberately do not mention my village or the people by name. I want to protect their peace and quiet.
3. How rapé is made
Everything is done by hand. No machines.
Plant ash. This is the characteristic of a type. The ash is made from the bark, branches or leaves of a tree or plant. The tree that is chosen determines the character of the rapé. Tsunu (Platycyamus regnellii) has a different character than Mulateiro (Calycophyllum spruceanum) or Samaúma (Ceiba pentandra).
Leaves and flowers from the tradition. Depending on the blend, other plants are added, such as dried rose petals or wild cacao.
Preparation. The leaves are dried and finely pounded. The sun further pulverizes them. Then everything goes through a large sieve. During the work, songs are sung and prayers are offered. The result is super fine, almost powdery. Rapé that you see elsewhere is often coarser and grainier. From the fine texture you can see how much handwork is involved.
As soon as a shipment arrives, the rapé goes directly into a dark bottle that blocks uv-light. This way, the prayers and songs remain captured in the bottle. Open the bottle, and you can smell how fresh it is.
4. How people experience rapé
Everyone experiences rapé differently. Many people describe this:
First minutes. The powder touches your nasal mucosa and you feel it immediately. A sharp, warm wave. Your attention is drawn inward. Teary eyes, snot and sometimes nausea are part of it. In the tradition, this is called the purge: letting go. Do not resist it.
Landing (approximately 3 to 15 minutes). It becomes calmer. Many people notice that their head becomes quieter and their attention sinks into their body.
Afterwards. Many people feel light and cleansed, with a calm, clear presence. Sometimes for half an hour, sometimes for several hours. Take your time. Sit still, write, move gently.
This is experience, not a promise. Rapé is not a medicine in the medical sense. This article contains no medical claims and does not replace medical advice. If in doubt, consult a doctor.
5. How you use rapé
You administer rapé to yourself with a kuripe: a V-shaped applicator. The short end goes in your mouth, the long end by your nostril. It takes some practice. You are both the one who gives and the one who receives.
Step by step:
- Set an intention. What do you want to let go of? What do you want to receive?
- Sit upright, with your back straight and your head slightly bowed.
- Put a small amount in the kuripe. About the size of a pea.
- Exhale completely. Then blow evenly and powerfully.
- Close your eyes and breathe through your mouth. Stay still.
- Repeat on the other side. In the tradition, first left (letting go), then right (receiving).
- Give yourself time. Let what comes, come.
First time? Start small. It is always easier to take more than to wish you had taken less. Read more in "Using rapé safely".
6. Intention
Intention is the direction. It is the answer to the question: what do I use this for, now?
Examples:
- "I want to let go of what has been weighing me down for months."
- "I want clarity about a choice that lies before me."
- "I want to be present in my body, not in my head."
- "I want to feel connection with something greater than myself."
There is no good or bad intention. Only honest or dishonest.
7. Rapé and other ceremonies
Rapé does not stand alone. At Purity Healing, I also work with Kambo and Sananga.
Kambo is the secretion of the giant leaf frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor) from the Amazon. A Kambo ceremony is intense and physical. At Purity Healing, you always do this after an intake and screening. Read more about Kambo.
Sananga are eye drops from the Amazon. They have traditionally been used in rituals, before hunting and before ceremonies. View Sananga.
8. Safety
Rapé is powerful. Power requires responsibility.
Do not use rapé if:
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- you have serious heart or vascular problems
- you use certain psychiatric medications (ask your doctor)
- you are in an acute emotional crisis without guidance
- you have seriously high blood pressure
- you are under 18 years old
Always use it with respect:
- Start with a small amount.
- Use it consciously, not out of habit.
- Never use it together with alcohol or drugs.
- Make sure you have a safe place and time to land.
- Are you new? Use it in company or let yourself be guided.
Working with rapé for the first time, especially together with Kambo or Sananga? Then guidance is strongly recommended. I guide private sessions in Nuenen and Eindhoven. Feel free to send me a message.
9. How do you choose the right rapé?
It starts with your intention. Below is a short guide. The strength is in brackets (scale 1 to 7). The character follows the label.
If you are just starting
- Tsunu (5 out of 7): deeply grounding, energetic, balancing. Strong, yet a good place to start.
- Rosa (3 out of 7): the softest, harmonizing and feminine.
- Murici (5 out of 7): insight and centering.
If you want to ground
- Caneleiro (5 out of 7): Tsunu with the ash of Canela de Velho. Balance and strength.
- Murú (7 out of 7): strength, fire and deep grounding.
- Cacau (4 out of 7): warmth and embrace.
If you want to deepen
- Mulateiro (5 out of 7): deeply grounding, with resilience and vitality.
- Samaúma (6 out of 7): the queen of the jungle.
- Katsarau (5 out of 7): depth and concentration.
For experienced users
- Cumaru (5 out of 7), Veia de Pajé (5 out of 7), Parika (5 out of 7), 7 Eva's (5 out of 7), Buna Rao (7 out of 7).
In doubt? Use the choice guide or start with a sample set.
10. Finally
You do not learn rapé by reading about it. You learn to know it by using it consciously. Every time you learn something new, especially about yourself.
About the author: Kevin Lorenzini is ceremony leader and founder of Purity Healing. He guides Kambo and Sananga ceremonies in Nuenen and Eindhoven. Purity Healing is not therapy and not a medical treatment.
Read also: all rapé types explained · using a kuripe · what is Sananga? · what is a Kambo ceremony?
