The Etiquette of the Ayahuasca Ceremony
Forget cocaine, many of L.A.’s hottest soirees feature ayahuasca. But what do you do about a hostess gift?
written for Town & Country Magazine May 2020
Here’s how ayahuasca, the Amazonian hallucinogen, usually works. Traditionally, a shaman serves a cup of black sludge (commonly known as “la purga” thanks to the nausea it can trigger) to seekers who have traveled to the rainforest in pursuit of a higher level of consciousness. While the immediate experience may include euphoria, recovered memories of past lives, or the opening of a direct channel to the divine, the long-term effects are purported to benefit an array of conditions, and ayahuasca has been credited with everything from breaking addiction to generally heightening quality of life.
But in Los Angeles, where any woman left standing after pilot season can reasonably have a few mental health problems, there’s simply too much traffic on the way to LAX for a journey to South America in order to slog through a jungle and puke in a bucket to be doable. Instead, we offer something a little more genial.
Lately, certain Angelenos have been replicating the traditional ayahuasca ceremony in locales from Silver Lake to Malibu—and an invitation to the right one can be harder to come by than a ticket to the Oscars. So what are the rules for navigating an ayahuasca ceremony? What do you bring, how should you dress, and where do you toss your cookies? Here’s what you need to know.
How to Get Invited
Keep your ears perked. These are word-of-mouth gatherings that attract like-minded seekers. Most likely you’ll overhear someone talking about her latest trip over a grain bowl at Café Gratitude, or post–Kundalini sweat at Wanderlust. You may cautiously approach. Once you get connected to the person actually leading a ceremony, she’ll explain the logistics—likely through an encrypted app like Signal.
What to Bring
A Los Feliz dinner party might call for a bottle of orange wine, but not this kind of gathering. The savvy guest knows to bring a midnight snack from Moon Juice (we like the turmeric and coconut Golden Serene Milk) or something for breakfast the next day, like the quiche Lorraine from Sweet Lady Jane in Santa Monica.
How to Prepare
If you’re not doing a pure ayahuasca ceremony in Machu Picchu, it’s unlikely you’ll have to follow a strict diet in the weeks leading up to it. Caffeine stops at 9 a.m. on the day of your trip, food at 1 p.m. Plan ahead and pack Advil, Tums, and 5-HTP supplements for the next morning. You’ll thank us.
Who You’ll Meet
You’ll likely find yourself in a Hollywood Hills home with plenty of daybeds. Among the guests, don’t be surprised to encounter a C-list talk show host or even a super-celebrity. Rumored fans of ayahuasca include Sting, Courtney Love, and Paul Simon. Maintain your composure, and remember, this is a serious spiritual occasion for many participants. Be curious, be skeptical, but be respectful.
What to Wear
When it comes to your outfit, the flowier the better. On the West Coast white is perfectly acceptable after Labor Day, but not required.
The Main Event
In L.A. we eschew pure ayahuasca for something called a “voyage.” In a voyage, group members make introductions, whisper an intention (“freedom,” “love,” “a Marvel franchise”), and swallow a plant extract that mimics MDMA and a truffle that blends ayahuasca with other psychotropics. The effects can last 12 hours; plan to sleep over.
The Aftermath
