Moishe Schneider (pictured above) is the man bringing Huachuma healing to town. Along with his wife Tamarah, they are known as the Hape Couple. As part of a special focus on plant medicine beyond cannabis, Cannabiz Africa publisher Brett Hilton-Barber caught up with Moishe Schneider to find out what Huachuma healing is all about.

BHB: Firstly, what is Huachuma?

MS: The Huachuma cactus is from Peru. It is a medicinal cactus with a  4000 year old healing lineage. Huachuma heals physical, emotional and spiritual ailments in the heart, body and mind. It is a heart opening medicine. It facilitates an opportunity to release resentment, anger, guilt, shame, pain and depression.

BHB: How does it do this?

MS: Huachuma cactus is a psychoactive/Psychotropic plant medicine which means it heightens the five senses of sight, taste, smell, hearing, touch and then it opens the sixth sense which is your deeper intuition. This allows a person to realise what changes they need to make in their lives for the good.

BHB: Is Huachuma dangerous in any way?

MS: No, it is called the grandfather plant because it's teachings are mostly gentle and filled with wisdom. Huachuma is not dangerous in any way. It is one of the safest plants to work with. But if people are on any form of medication, the best would be to consult with me before drinking to ensure there are no contra-indications.

BHB: What is the Healing House?

MS The Healing House is a safe healing space where we specialise in healing with Entheogens and plant based medicines like Huachuma cactus, Cacao, Cannabis, Peruvian Torch Cactus, psilocybin mushrooms and a variety of other plant teachers. We offer private or group healing facilitated healing sessions/Ceremonies

BHB: How does that work?

MS: The way we facilitate is that Tamarah my wife works with all the women and I work with all the men. We brew varies types of Huachuma tea. We make a medicine from the flower of the Cactus called flower essence, we also make a medicine from the thorns of the cactus called thorn medicine. We have been taught to cook a ceremonial brew of this medicine where we take 10m of plant matter and cook it over 5 days into 3l of concentrate tea. We also make micro dose medicine with this cactus so someone can take it and work and have the healing effects on the body without the emotional process work.

We have found that hiking on this medicine works very well as it gives you energy to move. We have a Transformational Healing Hike once a month in the mountains where we drink Huachuma cactus and process the medicine over the entire day in nature. We hike at our private trail in Magaliesberg for about 10km ‘on’ the Huachuma cactus. We have a 55 minute silent walk during our hike so there is no distractions and people go get deeper levels of clarity.

BHB: Why should people believe in what you're doing?

MS: We have been working in a healing context with both the Huachuma cactus and the psilocybin mushrooms for over 10 years and have had profound and transformative results with hundreds of people.

BHB:What relevance do Amazonian plants have for us here in Africa?

MS: Huachuma Cactus and the other South American plant-based medicines like Hapé, Sananga and Ayahuasca are very relevant to us in South Africa. These plants have the ability to access emotional pains and traumas that have been ignored for many years. Many South Africans would be able to transform their lives by using these plants correctly.

We have witnessed people on hard drugs turn their lives around completely. People who struggle with alcohol addictions, anger, low self-beliefs and emotional pain will have serious relief and healing. The Huachuma cactus allows a person to forgive those who have hurt them and also allows a person to forgive themselves. At the same time it will teach and show the person what positive changes need to be made in their lives.

BHB: Are there any cactii similar to Huachuma that we have in Southern Africa

MS: Even though the Huachuma cactus and the cactus family are originally from South America they do grow very well here in South Africa and we are busy cultivating the plant for future use. However I haven't come across a South African plant that is similar to Huachuma.

BHB: How are your sessions different from psychedelic therapies

MS: The Huachuma Cactus is not a psychedelic plant. It enhances the senses. When your sense enhance your relationship with nature will heighten. Then the cactus will start showing what needs to be changed in your life for the good. It will then start teaching you all about the way you have behaved in the past and it will show you your true light and potential. This is a plant that deals with healing the inner child and healing the emotions inside the heart and mind. We facilitate healing sessions with these Cacti and with other plant based medicines.

For more information contact: thehapecouple@gmail.com