Gilberto Mahua / True-Journey

Maestro Gilberto is in the beginnings of his 70`s. He told me this is the best age for a Shipibo man.He is the youngest of 5 brothers. All of them were trained at an early age as shamans. His father, grandfather and further ancestors were all strong healers. That´s why the Mahua Lineage is so famous. They say that their grandfather could change his bodyform and travel to different places.His father initiated Gilberto into his first dieta at 11 years of age, this first dieta lasting over one year. When Gilberto speaks about this time, he says it was very hard for him, because he was so young. One of the reasons why Gilberto became such a strong shaman is because he started so young to connect to the plant energies. His brothers and he were guided by their father through many Master Plant Dietas.At this young age he had to drink Ayahuasca, and Tabacco and other plants. He couldn´t play anymore with other children in the village, nor could he do any other things that children/teenagers like to do.The first plants which he was dieting with were Ayahuma, Bobinzana, Huaira Caspi and Chiri Sanango. Many other Masterplant dietas were following and he´s continuing with dietas frequently to keep himself strong and clean. He has pure dieta experience totalling more than 50 years now! This makes him a very special maestro, and when you sit with him in ceremony you can feel this. He has an immense wealth of experience and his ability to channel the energy of the plants is very strong.Some people call him Maestro Clavo, what is the Spanish word for “nail”. When he sings his Ikaros he “hits the hammer on the head”, as the saying goes. His students call him Papa, he has a very caring father energy. If you need him in ceremony he is there, which makes you feel safe and which allows you to go deep.Gilberto lives in a small Shipibo community on the Ucayali River. He moved there with his family when he was 18 years old and since then this village has been his home. He loves his land and is very connected to it. Often you can see him working outside in the garden.He raised 5 children who are all adults now and have their own families. It seems like there is no other child who will continue this Healing Art and Tradition in the way that Gilberto is practicing it, and as his ancestors did.He never wanted to put pressure on his children to become a shaman because it was quite difficult for himself when he was young, even though he loves his work as a shaman now.Today Gilberto shares his house with many students and family members. He became quite famous in recent years, so it´s difficult to get him to work with small groups, as we do with True-Journey.He is a very generous man. Sometimes he seems a bit serious, but the more one gets to know him the more one sees his huge humor and his laughter. I love him very much. He is my maestro. I´m very grateful and look forward to learning more with him and the plants. Based on his deep connection with many different master plants, and his knowledge of their unique qualities, he can offer you a dieta depending on your personal needs. He has a large variety of medicines that he can offer. In his ceremonies, there are people who are dieting with different plants.To sit with him in ceremony is a very special experience. Even though he has become more and more famous in recent years, it seems that this hasn’t changed him.