In the Shipibo-Conibo tradition, becoming a maestra is not a decision made overnight. It’s a gradual unfolding, often without you realizing when it truly begins. Many Shipibo maestras believe the path starts not with ayahuasca or learning songs, but with life itself. Illness, hardship, sensitivity, dreams, and a natural closeness to the unseen world shape you. As Shipibo maestra Doña Alicia Sánchez has expressed in interviews, “The plants call you long before you know their