With more people opting for self-exploration, this is the perfect time to bring up the very best ayahuasca icaros for solo ceremonies.
I just concluded a series of transformative ayahuasca sessions all by myself, and these spiritual songs didn’t only set the mood but also helped me integrate the lessons afterward.
Of course, you can compile your favorite tracks into an ayahuasca playlist. But the package won’t be the same as traditional icaros composed to bridge the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds.
These shamanic tracks are soothing and aim to evoke insights, healing, and personal growth. So, let’s look at the top icaros to consider for your solo ayahuasca ceremonies.
Top 10 Ayahuasca Icaros
Coupled with ayahuasca, icaros can trigger synesthesia—where sounds become shapes, colors, fractals, geometric patterns, lattice structures, cosmic imagery, and other intricate visuals.
This series of icaros from Ramiro Orrantia is a perfect example of this synesthesia-inducing phenomenon. Soft guitar-laden tracks with lush atmospheric soundscapes.
They often invoke a juxtaposition of diverse feelings: wonder, intrigue, shock, vulnerability, and awe, just to name a few.
These are general medicine songs, not ayahuasca icaros. But they work wonders with any psychedelic – even if you’re just having a sober, introspective Sunday evening.
You can check out his Soundcloud page for more songs.
Icaros are meant to be medicinal, with the power to heal and restore. If you’re itching to heal, this icaro set should be your go-to.
AYAM’s catalog features a distinctive sound that sets you on the right path. Her voice and instruments fill you with calm, comfort, clarity, love, and joy—the right mindset to embark on your ayahuasca voyage.
Rachael, the voice behind AYAM, is more than a brilliant vocal artist. She’s also a trained shamanic healer, so she knows her stuff. And her retreats, events, and one-on-one sessions(1)https://www.ayamlove.org/about are full of transformative energy.
Like the Ramiro set, these songs are generally medicinal and not specific to ayahuasca ceremonies. But they’re great for tapping into the spiritual realm of this plant medicine.
Two shaman brothers lay down an overlapping polyphony at the Ani Nii Shobo retreat center in Peru.
The duo uses their harmonious melodies to calm down participants and keep their minds at rest throughout the ceremony.
Your solo adventure can benefit from these icaros, so don’t hesitate to add them to your ayahuasca playlist.
Wiler is an authentic Shipibo shaman with the Ayahuasca Spirit Healing Center in Peru. He sings these deeply profound icaros, accompanied by chanting and bone-rattling.
His icaros, like others, are gifted from the divine spirit and speak to the soul of anyone listening.
These icaros are easily one of the solo explorer’s favorites because they create a unique sense of being alone while enjoying the company of another being.
The feeling of love and warmth that this icaro brings should be present every day of your life.
The vibrations are different. The ambiance is heavenly. It feels like a creation by angels and aliens. And I just can’t get enough of how beautiful Amelia Panduro sounds.
The only downside is that it’s only five minutes long. What a shame!
Thank Mama Ayahuasca, I found the whole album (which also features Tito La Rosa).
This album comprises 26 songs from seven Peruvian shamans. It starts with an opening track that sets you up for a lifetime journey.
The gorgeous flutes are just what you need to kick-start your solo ceremony. But for me, the highlights are tracks 7 to 9 by Mateus Castro.
The whole album is delightful, though. It runs for 1 hour and 10 minutes, so you can repeat it for a seamless ayahuasca session without feeling stagnant.
A beautiful composition of whistling, singing, and shakers, this 1.5-hour-long icaro puts you in the right headspace for a transcendent journey through the cosmos.
The consistent pace keeps you grounded to the earth as you travel through different dimensions and planes. It doesn’t impose a feeling or mood; it just stays with you through your unique journey.
Maestra Olivia was a legendary female shaman who served as a channel between Mother Ayahuasca and people seeking spiritual cleansing and growth.
For years, she helped many people heal in her Peruvian hometown. That was until a Canadian tourist killed her in April 2018(2)https://templeofthewayoflight.org/tragedy-in-pucallpa-the-death-of-maestra-olivia-arevalo/.
Her voice is ethereal, and her icaros are as tender as a mother’s kiss. This ikaro is one of her masterpieces, but you can find more soothing and piercing trills here.
The magical thing about this icaro is that no matter how much you listen to it, it always feels like she’s giving a live rendition. It’s nurturing to the soul; you can feel the plant spirits are with you.
Here’s another version of the icaro accompanied by musical instruments.
Here’s a special treat from the Cantos de Medicina crew based in Guadalajara, Mexico. It’s an hour-long playlist of perfectly-synchronized icaros that brings structure to your ayahuasca journey.
One of the highlights is Más Allá Del Sol Naci’, which starts at 27:04. It throws you into a melodic guitar trance, perfectly embodying its translation: “Beyond the Sun, I Was Born.”
His strumming stings and breezy vocals can bring you joyful tears. This one is best for an introspective or reflective ayahuasca session.
But the whole playlist is designed with peaks and valleys, so it’s more versatile.
Even without sipping ayahuasca, this icaro is something straight out of a Stanley Kubrick movie.
Seekers have played it on LSD, magic mushrooms, and even cannabis, and they always praise it for transporting them to a realm like never before.
It speaks to the soul, thanks to her gentle singing and whistling. One and a half hours of love, care, and affection.
This icaro is mainly for people going through a rough patch. Because ayahuasca might conjure up some uncomfortable scenes, her vocal instrument aims to calm and comfort you through them all.
The icaro keeps you company through the dark and light parts of the ceremony, taking you from the pits of hell to a blissful place up in the heavens.
The whole experience will leave you with profoundly spiritual messages that will change your outlook on life.
How to Self-Explore With Ayahuasca Icaros
One trick is to research icaros based on your intention and the specific goal of any session. For instance, if you’re down in the dumps, you can curate icaros that uplift the soul and invoke the spirits of happiness.
In fact, one factor that separates expert shamans from newbies (or wannabes) is how personalized their icaros are. These experts find out what you’re trying to learn, heal, or understand and choose an icaro based on that.
Experienced healers have a catalog of diverse icaros gifted to them during plant dietas. And as they become more in tune with the spirits, it gets easier to birth new icaros right on the spot.
Shamans who improvise use your answers to create chants that follow the rhythm, set the right mood, and invoke the right spirits. Melodies springing out of nowhere, accompanied by chants, rattles, flutes, and other musical tools.
All these to say, different icaros for different goals.
Since you’re your own shaman, it’s your job to pick out the best songs for what you’re trying to achieve.
If you’re so inclined, you can try coming up with your own icaros during your ceremonies. This calls for some experience, though.
With time, you’ll be able to sit in silence until a song, chant, melody, rhythm, etc., come to mind, and you can’t help but vocalize it out loud.
Some experienced users have their own personal icaros gifted to them mystically by Mother Ayahuasca, which can be anything from a chant, poem, melody, or rhythmic beat to a full-blown song. Some get a piano or guitar riff during an ayahuasca trip, which becomes their personal icaro.
In fact, one of my most profound ayahuasca experiences was a group ceremony where one of the five participants started singing a love song. We kicked things off with an icaro playlist, but it ended before the session’s climax.
Before the trip sitter could play another list, this lady started singing a classic love song, and I spent the next couple of minutes shedding tears of joy. She wasn’t a vocalist either. The spirits just inspired her, and it was nothing short of magical.
It wasn’t a typical icaro or even a medicine song; that’s the power of music. The connection between sounds and spirits is stronger than you imagine.
Another memorable experience was with Erykah Badu’s The Healer. Granted, it’s always been one of my favorite songs—produced by one of my favorite hip-hop producers (Madlib), paying homage to another one of my favorites (RIP J Dilla).
But playing it during an ayahuasca trip gave me a whole new perspective on the song, and my visualizations and sensations changed in ways I can’t describe.
Again, this takes time. So, for a start, cue up some of the icaros mentioned above and let them paddle your boat in and out of different rivers. They all come from and lead to the ocean of Mother Ayahuasca.
Here’s a beautiful blog post on the power of icaros and how to sing them(3)https://www.afterlife.coach/after-life-blog/ayahuasca-icaros.
Final Thoughts: The Best Ayahuasca Icaros for Self-Exploration
I firmly believe icaros aren’t just soothing songs to calm your nerves. They’re the very catalyst for the whole ayahuasca experience—from the visualizations to the healing.
Under the influence of traditional icaros, some people have automatic hand movements(4)https://www.reddit.com/r/Ayahuasca/comments/14gcwvq/icaros_driven_automatic_hand_movements/ as different parts of their body seem to take a life of their own. Others start speaking in tongues, while some reach an orgasmic climax.
Ayahuasca and icaros always work in tandem during healing ceremonies, whether a shaman is guiding you or you’re riding solo. If the recommedcations above are not enough for you, then you can search ayahusaca icaros on youtube
Mind you, the above list is just a drop in an ocean of ayahuasca icaros.
The native Amazonians have specific icaros to call on spirit friends for each occasion (e.g., for healing stomach pain, cleansing low-vibration energies, aiding spiritual enlightenment, or boosting mental health).
Start with those icaros but be eager to pick up more along the way. Self-exploration means you’re free to explore different icaros and determine which works best for what, when, and where.
Happy exploring!
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