Yachay

Yachay is a special type of phlegm generated by shamans and sorcerers of the Peruvian Amazon Basin which is believed to contain the essence of their power[1] in the form of virotes, tsentsak,[2] darts, arrows, or splinters of bone that are believed to be contained in the phlegm.

[3] Mariri is the traditional name for a nature spirit that is believed to live in the phlegm.

The disciple either receives the mariri by swallowing the regurgitated substance from the hands of the shaman or by smoking it through a pipe.

[citation needed] For the kokama of the Ucayali region in Peru, in Kokama language mariri is a synonym of ikara (or icaro in Spanish), that are specific magical songs used in ayahuasca rituals.

[5] Shamans use mariri as a defense and protection in acts of magic, it is also considered a powerful healer.

Shaman from an equatorial Amazonian forest , June 2006