Lessons from Leo, an Arhuaco Mamo

Wisdom of an Indigenous Elder

During our recent trip to Colombia we were lucky enough to meet Leo, an Arhuaco Mamo.

The Mamos are the learned elders & spiritual leaders of the Arhuaco people who have been trained from a young age to live and work in harmony with nature.

Together with the other tribes of the Sierra Nevada - the Kogi, Wiwa and Kankuamo, they see themselves as the elder brothers of humanity & care takers of the earth.

For the Arhuaco people we are not separate from nature and are very much a part of it. They see all beings as equal, as brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents.

From the rivers to the fire, to the ants and the plants, all are part of the One and are treated with love, honour, dignity and respect.

Like many good things in life, our meeting with Leo was not planned and we were fortunate to be able to sit with him for a Cacao Ceremony.

Cacao is an indigenous medicine of the Arhuaco people that they have worked with for thousands of years. From the planting to the harvesting, the whole village is involved.

The Arhuaco children even suck on the beans to remove the pulp before they are fermented which helps in the fermentation process.

Whilst we were in ceremony I was able to ask Leo some questions and I want to share with you his answers as I believe they hold great wisdom for our times and how we choose to live our lives.

Lessons from Leo:

• "We must learn to live in harmony with nature, to live with the earth & not on it"

• "Smell is the sense that best heals the heart" - so take your time to smell your Cacao and surround yourself with the healing scents of nature.

• "Everything in life is Spiritual, there is no difference between things"

• "Cacao is here to heal us, she cleans us" - Cacao cleans our spirits, our minds and our hearts.

• "Cacao is good for marriage and union" - she helps to keep our hearts open and our relationships in balance.

The Arhuaco use cacao for marriage ceremonies to bring two lovers together in the right way. They also see marriage and the union of masculine and feminine as a sacred union that brings balance to life.

• "We are all one family, the birds, water, animals, the mountains, all peoples, they see the ants are their sisters"

As you may imagine, it was a great honour to get to meet Leo and to sit in ceremony with him. It was a surreal moment & one that I will continue to reflect upon as the months pass and I continue to work with this beautiful medicine.

I hope that sharing his answers with you helps you in your life and you can use this information to guide your way forward.

With love & best wishes,

Dom x