The Yagé Serpent: Guardian of Ayahuasca

In the visionary world of Ayahuasca, there is one presence that returns again and again—a being who slithers through the depths of your subconscious, through memory, through the stars. The serpent.

Why the serpent? Why do so many people from vastly different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences encounter this same form while drinking the brew?

For the shamans of the Amazon, the answer is simple: the serpent is the medicine. Known by many names—Noke Koin, Mɨnɨ, Ronɨɨ, Yakumama—the serpent is considered a guardian, a teacher, and a manifestation of Yagé’s spirit itself.

In visionary states, the serpent often appears to guide the participant through layers of personal truth. It wraps around your trauma. It sheds what no longer serves. It shows you how to die and be reborn. And sometimes, it coils at the base of the spine—awakening energy, wisdom, and memory stored deep within the body.

This isn't a random image. It's embedded in Amazonian cosmology, in creation myths, in the songs of the elders. Some tribes believe the serpent gave the first Ayahuasca to humanity. Others say it taught the shamans how to sing the icaros, those sacred melodies that move energy and heal the soul.

There are also parallels across the world: the serpent coiled around the staff of Asclepius in Greek medicine, the Kundalini serpent in yogic tradition, the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl of Mesoamerica. These aren’t coincidences. They are archetypes—symbols of transformation, of healing, of the deep intelligence of nature.

In the jungle, the serpent is not a demon. It’s a master. It represents life and death. Wisdom and instinct. Shadow and light.

And when it shows up in your ceremony, it doesn’t come to scare you. It comes to guide you. It comes to remind you: healing isn’t linear. Like the serpent, it moves in spirals.

At Sacred Plants Putumayo, we honor these archetypes—not just as symbols, but as spiritual presences. We create the space for you to meet them, understand them, and learn from them. Whether it appears in your vision or your feeling, the serpent arrives when you're ready.

Ready to walk the spiral? Subscribe to Sacred Plants Putumayo, explore our Ayahuasca retreats, and tell us in the comments—have you seen the serpent in your dreams, your visions, or your life?