Ayahuascas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A psychotropic brew made from Amazonian plants traditionally used in shamanic rituals for spiritual and healing purposes ; a hallucinogenic beverage derived from mixing the ayahuasca vine with other plant components to induce altered states of consciousness ; an indigenous concoction combining specific flora to provoke visionary experiences and facilitate introspection or ceremonial practices
2. A sacred herbal infusion prepared from a vine and leaf admixture used by indigenous peoples for religious and therapeutic ceremonies ; an entheogenic tea that produces intense psychoactive effects employed in cultural rites for mental and emotional insight ; a potent botanical cocktail consumed to evoke deep visionary and mystical states during traditional South American spiritual gatherings
3. A fusion of natural plant ingredients brewed to create a mind-altering potion central to Amazonian healing and spiritual traditions ; a combined decoction with psychoactive properties used traditionally to access higher consciousness and promote personal transformation ; a ceremonial drink concocted from specific jungle flora intended for visionary and curative experiences in native shamanism

Etymology: "Ayahuascas" is simply the plural of "ayahuasca", the name of the Amazonian brew. The singular comes into English through Spanish from Quechua, the language of the Andes, where "aya" meant "spirit" or "ancestor" and "waska" meant "vine". The name therefore describes the plant itself: a vine of the spirits, or perhaps a vine of the dead, depending on how the first element is read. The word was first recorded around 1870, when it began appearing in writing about the drink's use in the western Amazon. The plural form follows ordinary English practice for nouns that name a substance used in more than one batch or variety, so the plural reflects the many different preparations the term now covers.

Synonyms: ayahuasca, brew, psychedelic brew, hallucinogenic tea, medicine