Wuachuma, also known as San Pedro is a cactus native to South America that has been used by indigenous people of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador for medicinal and religious purposes for many thousands of years.

Wachuma or Huachuma means “to be without a head, to cut one’s head, to cut rational thought, to cut the ego”. It is a Quechua word that is divided into Waqcha whose meaning is “absence of” and Uma, which means “head”. We prefer to use the name Wachuma instead of San Pedro to honor the indigenous and ancestral roots of this sacred plant.

The earliest evidence of Wuachuma cactus has been found in the Guitarrero cave of the Callejón de Huaylas valley, in the Ancash Region in the north-central highlands of Peru. Ancient remains of the cactus dating from 6800-6200 BCE have been found in these caves, making Wachuma one of the oldest psychoactive plants used by humans.

Wachuma has been considered a sacred plant by many indigenous groups for millennia. At the Chaving the Huantar site in Peru, representations of the cactus have been found engraved in stones, wall paintings, textiles, and ceramics. These objects date from the year 1300 BCE, and it suggests that its use was already well understood and practiced. Ceramics have also been found with representations of the cactus and archaeological evidence of the use of Wachuma by the Nazca, Cupisnique, Chimú, Lambayeque, and Moche cultures. In colonial times, the use of Wachuma cactus was well documented by the Spanish, and even though the colonizers and the Catholic Church fought against it and tried to suppress its use, the ritual use of Wachuma continued and blended with some elements of Christianity. In this merge of cultures, the cactus was renamed San Pedro after Saint Peter the guardian of the gates of Heaven.

Nowadays, indigenous and mestizo people in Peru and Ecuador continue the use of Wachuma for the same reasons their ancestors did: for prayer, communing with nature, accessing the spirit world, acquiring wisdom, expanding consciousness and healing the body, mind and spirit.

Wachuma is considered one of the most sacred master plants, highly revered for its therapeutic and healing powers, as well as its ability to connect us with the divine that is in and around us. The primary psychoactive compound in both the Wachuma and Peyote cactus is mescaline which is responsible for its psychoactive effects and many of its healing properties.

Similar to Ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms and other psychoactive medicines, Wachuma helps remove physical, mental and emotional blockages. It brings the unconscious to the surface to be acknowledged and released. Ayahuasca is often referred to as the Grandmother and Wachuma is considered the Grandfather, both are equally powerful and profound sacred plants.  

Wachuma cleans and detoxifies the body, and treats mental and emotional issues. After a Wachuma ceremony, we can often feel inspired and more creative, experience deep love and connection, heal trauma, and be free from depression, PTSD, anxiety, grief, chronic pain and addiction.

In indigenous cosmovision, Wachuma is an earth spirit that connects us with the land and with our bodies. Wachuma opens the heart, allowing us to experience emotions like love, joy, forgiveness and compassion. Playfulness and wonder are often part of the journey. Wachuma heals the wounds of the heart with gentleness helping us to live a more vibrant and joyful life.

The Wachuma cactus is seen as a benevolent spirit that brings protection and peace to homes, families and marriages, for this reason, it has been widely cultivated close to houses in gardens for countless generations and remains to this day a popular ornamental plant in South America.