Episode 31 – Hamilton Souther – The Human Experience Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 51:45 — )

Hamilton Souther is a Master Ayahuasca Shaman and Founder of the Blue Morpho Foundation. He focuses his work on authentic traditional and modern disciplines of shamanism. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he has a Bachelors degree in Anthropology, and has practiced shamanism worldwide. Legendary Master Shamans Alberto Torres Davila and Julio Llerena Pinedo gave Hamilton the title of Master Shaman after completing an apprenticeship under the tutelage of the two. Over the last 12 years, he has guided thousands of participants into shamanic states of consciousness and has transformed shamanism into an accessible spiritual modality for westerners. Within that development Hamilton has been able to heal westerners of depression, anxiety, drug addiction and PTSD. His ceremonies also help people find their deepest purposes and goals in life.

Photo: courtesy National Geographic

The year is 2001 Hamilton Souther has just completed a degree in anthropology and is 23 years old. He is called to an apprenticeship to become a master shaman.

Hamilton is accepted by and begins training under the tutelage of Don Alberto Torres Davila.

Don Alberto is a Maestro Ayahuasquero, Palero and Sanangero who has over 3,000 ceremonies of experience. He started apprenticing at the age of 8 under the tutelage of his grandfather. He came from a lineage of shamans that extended back to the Lamas people before the arrival of the Spanish. He had not worked with westerners before agreeing to work with hamilton. He had worked as a traditional healer treating people from local communities in and around his home town.

After the first three months of apprenticeship with Don Alberto, Hamilton is accepted by Julio Llerena Pinedo (Maestro Ayahuascquero, Palero and Sanangero) as his apprentice as well. Julio became hamilton’s grandfather maestro taking him under his wing as he had done for Alberto 30 years earlier. The two of them guided hamilton’s apprenticeship, as they had been guided, taking him through diets and ceremonies.

Hamilton continues to apprentice for 12 years and then opens “Blue Morpho” an ayahuasca retreat center.

In Hamilton’s words:

“I hoped that Blue Morpho would allow me to live a frontier life in the jungle. My dream was to be able to support myself enough to be able to continue learning and living in the jungle. I lived for apprenticeship and the ability to continue participating in diets and ceremonies.

After our first year I knew that Blue Morpho would become a center dedicated solely to shamanism.

…My maestros guided me with very little verbal discussion about Ayahuasca and apprenticeship. The doctor spirits taught me directly through vision and realization. Ayahausca coursed through every part of my being transforming my mind, body and spirit.

I completed my apprenticeship and was granted the rank of Maestro by Julio in December 2004. Julio was 86 at the time and I was the last shaman to be granted the rank of Maestro by him ”

Blue Morpho:

Blue Morpho was founded by its owner, Hamilton Souther, as a center for shamanism 300 kilometers from the city of Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon rain forest. Blue Morpho currently has two master shamans (Maestros) working in the camp. Hamilton Souther, and Don Alberto Torres Davila, as well as several apprentice shamans and a staff of over ten native Peruvians. Blue Morpho maintains its connection and roots to traditional shamanic practices through the presence of Don Alberto Torres Davila. He heads the mesa of shamans (group of shamans from the same lineage) which includes Hamilton Souther. Hamilton Souther was trained under Master Shamans Don Julio Llerena Pinedo and Don Alberto Torres Davila, starting in 2001 through 2006, at which time he was granted the status of Maestro by his mentors. Don Julio is deceased and has passed his legacy to Don Alberto. Hamilton and Don Alberto have practiced together for over 10 years.

The center consists of 13 buildings of traditional native architecture, all constructed by locals using raw materials from the jungle.

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