Ambil is a pure paste, syrup, jelly or jam. It is a very strong, intense, and powerful sacred medicine.
Each pot weighs approximately 55 grams and is handmade by indigenous Witoto people, so tend to vary slightly in weight.
The taste, consistency, strength, and texture may also vary with each batch, which is normal with indigenous tribes. They make medicines slightly different with every batch, depending upon availability of ingredients, season, climate and humidity.
Ambil is placed in the mouth by dipping a finger or removing a small amount with a spatula or finger nail and rubbing it on the teeth, gums, or tongue. It is advised not to swallow the ambil; simply let it dissolve in your mouth as you process with it. You can take ambil just before your rapé session or other medicine ceremonies in your gums - it’ll make everything much stronger. It grounds, cleanses, clears your thoughts, opens your heart and throat chakras, and connects you to Spirit with a very masculine energy.
Some people have reported using Ambil before bed to encourage and deepen lucid dreaming states.
Distribution in South America is generally limited. It is found among tribes of the northern end of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, and some parts of the north-west Amazon.
Storage: For best storage conditions, please keep in an airtight container and away from bright, sunny conditions.
The Witoto people (also Huitoto) are an indigenous people in south-eastern Colombia and northern Peru. Current population is approximately 8,500 people.
The Witoto people were once composed of one hundred villages or 31 tribes, but disease and conflict has reduced their numbers. Until the early 20th century, Witoto population was 50,000. The rubber boom in the mid-20th century brought diseases and displacement to the Witotos, causing their numbers to plummet to 7,000-10,000.
Since the 1990s, cattle ranchers have invaded Witoto lands - depleting the soil and polluting waterways. In response, Colombia has established several reservations for Witotos.
Witoto peoples all practiced swidden or slash-and-burn agriculture. To prevent depleting the land, they relocate their fields every few yields. Major crops include cacao, coca, maize, bitter and sweet manioc, bananas, mangoes, palms, peanuts, pineapples, plantains, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, tobacco, and yams. Ethnobotanists have studied Witoto agriculture due to its efficiency and sustainability.