Katie

Founder + San Pedro Ceremonialist

Founder of this center, a spiritual medicine guide, and ceremonialist of Wachuma, San Pedro. Born in the US, she has been holding space in ceremonies and retreats for 6.5 years now. She has studied under the guidance of her partner, taita Miguel, a mestizo shaman, as well as with Mama Mercedes, an indigenous Kichwa Andean healer and midwife. Her role at the healing center is to lead, guide, and empower people to reconnect with themselves, Spirit and Mother Earth.

With a loving, gentle, and compassionate nature, her wish is for everyone to experience the magic, love, and healing of the plant medicines.

Taita Miguel

Curandero

Taita Miguel is a curandero, or taita, from Ecuador, with 29 years of experience working with sacred plants like Ayahuasca, San Pedro and Wilka. After a difficult childhood and youth, he found healing with the medicine San Pedro. He began helping taitas of the Andes, and then some years later began doing his own ceremonies. He was then introduced to Wilka by a Bolivian shaman who initiated him into this almost-lost tradition. He was then finally introduced to Ayahuasca, and learned to work with this sacred medicine as well with the Shuar native people of Gualaquiza. 

If you are interested in training with Miguel in his 1:1 apprenticeships, please check out the apprenticeship page 

Mama Merecedes

Curandera + Traditional Midwife

Mama Mercedes is an indigenous ancestral medicine healer from Imbabura Province, near Otavalo. Since she was a young girl, she began working with her special gifts, learning from her grandmother how to work with herbal medicines, traditional midwifery, and energy healing. She has the unique ability to be able to see the problems and illnesses of others, and cures these issues with plants, massage, and energy cleansings and rituals in sacred lagoons and waterfalls. She was elected president of the traditional midwifery organization of Otavalo and is a leader in the indigenous community. She is a woman of wisdom with a big heart and a great laugh.

Taita Germán

Curandero

Taita Germán is an indigenous Shuar healer who works with Ayahuasca, from Gualaquiza, in the Amazon of Ecuador. He comes from a family of shamans, learning from his uncle and cousins how to heal with Ayahuasca, after a difficult spiritual awakening in his younger years. The Shuars are famous for being the warriors of the jungle, and are fierce, excellent healers. Though tough, Taita Germán is wonderful and down to earth with a wealth of knowledge to share. He has travelled the world, sharing his medicine and healing, and is well-known in Ecuador. We are lucky to have him for our ceremonies.