Artist: Gerardo Petsaín
Size: 35x25cm
Technique: Watercolor over paper
6 pieces
 
This is a six piece story of how the Ashánika people drink medicine and their sacred tradition with regards to the ajutap.
 
1. They bathe and prepare for the ceremony. They bring their children with them to accompany, care for, and learn.
2. They take the medicine.
3. The ajutap (spirits of power) begin to arrive.
4. Spirit of the Serpent.
5. Spirit of Power.
6. Return to the community!
 
In the Asháninka tradition, ajutap (sometimes also spelled ajutáp or ajutapori) are protective spirits or invisible forces that accompany people, animals, or natural elements. They can be understood as guardian energies or spiritual doubles, linked to the vital essence (seri) of each being.
 
According to this view, each person has their own personal ajutap, which watches over their physical and spiritual well-being, protecting them from illness, witchcraft, or disharmony. Curanderos (heripiari) can communicate with these ajutap during ceremonies, especially under the influence of master plants such as ayahuasca, to restore balance or recover the spirit of someone who is ill.