If you have sat in an Ayahuasca ceremony, you will remember the songs. Icaros are the sacred healing songs of Amazonian plant medicine traditions — and for many participants, they become the thread that carries the entire journey.
Where icaros come from
In Amazonian traditions, icaros are believed to carry the wisdom and essence of the plant spirits. They are sung by healers and facilitators to protect, guide and heal participants during ceremony. Many icaros are passed down through generations; others are received directly from the plants during dieta and ceremony.
What icaros do in ceremony
- Guide the journey. An icaro can call the medicine in, deepen the experience, or gently bring participants back.
- Protect the space. Songs hold the energy of the circle and create a container where it is safe to let go.
- Heal. The vibration of the voice reaches places words cannot, helping release emotion and stored trauma.
Participants often describe the moment a song seems to speak directly to what they are experiencing. One wrote that I "would sing words that came to him that were EXACTLY what I was dealing with." That is the nature of medicine music: it listens as much as it sings.
Icaros, mantras and medicine music
The gift of song came to me in deep communion with spirit, and it is at the heart of how I hold ceremony. Alongside traditional icaros, I weave in Sanskrit mantras from my own Hindu roots — ancient chants of devotion whose repetition creates a grounding vibrational resonance. These are supported by guitar, frame drum, rattles, wind chimes and moments of silence.
Read more about how music shapes the visionary experience in Sound Creates Visuals, or about the parallels between Vedic and Amazonian traditions in The Sacred Role of Soma.
Can I listen to icaros outside ceremony?
Yes — many people use medicine music as part of their integration, to return to the feeling of the ceremonial space. You can listen to some of my songs, including the Shiva Shambo Ayahuasca Takimuyki mashup, on the music page.
Experience it in ceremony
Live medicine music is part of every ceremony I hold. If you feel called to experience it, explore the medicine music ceremony, the Ayahuasca ceremony, or get in touch.
