Protection with Pusangas, A simple recipe with Plants for energetic (and physical) protection
September 09, 2025
Shipibo-Konibo nation of the Amazon are
stewards of lineages, languages, and practices with Plants that are thousands of years old. Apparently due to the lack of early contact with the western mindset, common knowledge about a multitude of layers of healing and nurturing ourselves with Plants has remained alive and well. While certain recipes and blends are the same among nations, many very effective and nuanced practices surrounding preparing energetic Plant medicines, such as flower baths or pusangas, carry innumerable combinations depending on the local regions as well as the practitioner themselves.
Agua Florida, Colonia, and other such alcohol based holy waters echo the memory of when waters used for cleansing, protecting, and anointing included propriety medicinal blends from the Plant, Animal, and Mineral nations. Pusangas incorporate the energetic blueprints, or Spirits, of the Plant nations into an alcohol and
water based menstrum, which functions in ways similar to flower essences, and spritzers. At times, pusangas are implemented as delivery systems for Ikaros or other prayer songs. Whereas many modern Colonias are now heavily fragrance with perfumes, the older versions gained their special fragrances from the freshly prepared ingredients therein such as Pirri Pirri, Piñón, Jasmine, and Tobacco.
Nowadays, pusangas are predominately prepared for what folks are willing to pay the big bucks for - love bindings, money attraction, and possessing a power. And while I cannot personally prepare pusangas for such uses, I hold dear this form of connecting with and administering Plant medicines for the purposes of protection, clearing/open one´s vision, travel, transitions, and untying the knot (healing, weaving the tapestry whole again).
Below is one if my favorite simple recipes for a pusanga for energetic or Spiritual protection:
Materials:
- A small bottle (either recycled or new) made of ceramic, gourd, stone, glass or plastic (if nothing else is available). Avoid using metal containers, or metal tops which touch the pusanga.
- Alcohol, 45% ABV or above (grain alcohol, sugar cane alcohol, etc). Because pusanga are not meant fo internal use, I have even used rubbing alcohol in a pinch. Amount of alcohol depend on the size of your bottle. You will want to have enough alcohol to fill your bottle at least three fourths of the way full.
- Distilled water, enough to fill at least one fourth of your bottle.
- 1 handful of Tobacco, dried or fresh.
- 1 full sprig of Cedar leaf
- 4 slices of lime, dry or fresh. If possible, incorporate lime flowers as well.
- 7 Poke Berries
- 13 Spikes from a nearby Cactus
- 1 stick thin enough to stick inside the top of your container, and hit the bottom of the container. Of preference is a stick from one of the Plants you are incorporating, or else of a specific type of Plant you would like to incorporate.
*Plants, mineral, an other organic medicines you wish to incorporate into your pusanga may substituted according to your access and local region.
Pirri Pirri grass roots abound in Shipibo- Konibo territory, and are frequently used as a base in many pusngas.
They are a neuron look alike network root systems from various kinds of grasses, an when opened at the root bulbs exude sweet and Earthy fragrance.
There are at least dozens of different kinds, each carrying their own unique attributes and property variations. In general, Pirri Pirri can be incorporated as the base of a pusanga in order to connect, deliver an/or amplify the other medicines contained within the pusanga.
Preparation:
- Cleanse your bottle
- Place Cedar, Tobacco, and Limes in your bottle with you respective intentions. If you are unable to fit them into the bottle neck gently but firmly use the stick to fill them in at the base of your bottle.
- Place Poke berries and Cactus spikes in your bottle with your respective intentions (for protection). If you are able to express your intentions in song, chant, or spoken word while preparing , it is greatly preferred to do so.
- Make sure that you bottle is full of your ingredients, but still wit enough space for the liquid to permeate everywhere inside the bottle.
- Fill your bottle with about one fourth water. Sing, speak, or otherwise imprint your purpose for this pusanga into the bottle.
- Fill your bottle the rest of the way with alcohol. Make sure that the liquid is permeating every space and ingredient in the bottle. Also, make certain that nothing is rising above the liquid level of the bottle neck. Sing, speak, or otherwise imprint your purpose for this pusanga into the bottle.
-Place in cool, dark pace or else bury underground for 7 to 28 days, depending on your purposes. If accessible, shake and sing into the pusanga frequently throughout. If the liquid level drops below the ingredients, fill bottle with more alcohol until nothing is sticking above the liquid line.
- Once you can observe the color, smell, and other attributes of your ingredients have been absorbed into the liquid your pusanga is ready for use! You can use your pusanga like any Agua Florida. Diluting a cap full into a Plant essence bath (hot or cold) is one if my favorite ways. Using it to cleanse your home, especially doorways and corners can be very effective as well.
Storing it in a sprizter bottle is also a wonderful option for you travel protection spritzer. Use externally only. As in, this is not a Plant recipe for accessing the physical constituents of the plant.
I just love when I´m clear enough to observe how Plant medicines carry their blueprint into multiple layers of reality.
Like, for example, how if you add a handful of ghost pepper or Aji to your pusanga, your pusanga spritzer can then become an all natural DIY pepper spray - physical protection in possible assault situations as well.
Maybe consider keeping a small portion of your base pusanga aside to add hot pepper to for self defense if you are not already packing?
If you take it a step further and do your own DIY pepper spray, then ONLY USE FOR protection in case of emergency just as you would mainstream modern pepper spray. IE: no longer suitable for baths, spritzers, or touching at all.
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