For indigenous peoples, tobacco is perhaps the most widely revered ceremonial plant in the Americas. Keep in mind that commercial tobacco, produced for recreational use via cigarettes and e-cigarettes is not the same as ceremonial tobacco.
Offering ceremonial tobacco is a custom that is shared by many Indigenous peoples of the Americas including the Taino, who made their home in the Caribbean.
Prior to European contact, the Taíno in Cuba cultivated native tobacco called Kohiba, (today commonly referred to as cohiba) which they utilized extensively for ceremonial purposes. In Cuba, it was a centerpiece of many rituals - both in inducing visionary journeys, and as a sacred offering to spirits, deities, or ancestors, including those that reside in medicinal plants.
The offering of tobacco is a respectful way of asking for assistance from a person, a tribal elder, or a medicinal plant. The symbol is offered before the help is provided. If the tobacco is accepted, it is a sign that your request will be heard and that support will be offered.
To make a request, offer the tobacco tie or pouch by holding it in your left hand in front of you. Then state your request (be specific), and if your request is accepted, place the tobacco in the hand of the person that you are requesting help from, or in the case of a medicinal plant, at their roots.
The practice of leaving a medicinal plant an offering of tobacco before wildcrafting or harvesting a part of the plant, is considered the main activator of all plant spirits and opens up the door to allow communication to take place and is the most effective way to secure the medicine of the plant itself.
Comments