Jungle Mandala

Hello friends,

I’m excited to pull back the curtain today and share the story behind Kambô y Toé Mandala, a multi-layered design that was created as a background for Kambô Maestro and has since evolved into its own offering. This design was a milestone for me, because it is also the first creation after countless hours poured into learning how to draw in Adobe Illustrator.

✨ What is a Mandala?

The word mandala comes from Sanskrit (वीथी), meaning “circle.” Across many traditions (Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Celtic, Lakota, Pueblo, etc.), mandalas are displayed as symbolic diagrams of the universe, often representing wholeness, balance, and connection. They serve as tools for meditation, doorways into deeper states of focus, and reminders of the interconnected nature of life.

When I set out to create a mandala of these two Earth Medicines, Kambô and Toé, I knew it would be important to work with the number 6. In numerology, the number 6 contains matters of the heart: nurturing, love, compassion, responsibility, and harmony. The heart chakra, Anāhata (अनाहत), is portrayed with a 6-pointed star to represent the space where the lower chakras and the higher chakras join in unison. Surrounded by a 12-petaled lotus to represent twelve divine qualities of the heart: Joy, Peace, Kindness, Patience, Love, Harmony, Clarity, Compassion, Purity, Understanding, Forgiveness, and Bliss. In numerology, 12 also represents balance, harmony, balancing independence and cooperation.

I’m less concerned here with strict geometry and more with evoking that sense of harmony with natural colors, lines, and textures. The circular repetition of Kambô frogs and Toé leaves in Kambo y Toé Mandala is meant to draw the eye inward, encouraging contemplation of these Amazonian medicines and mysteries woven into the piece.

This piece of wearable art becomes a talisman, grounding its wearer in their heart space so they remain open to the divine flow of the universe, even through dark times.

🌀 How It Began

When I was creating Kambô Maestro, I wanted to create a portal of sorts to become the background for my portrait to Jhonny Javá. It was important for me to represent two of his primary Earth Medicines he related to during his 4 decades of practice.

To build it, I drew 50 distinct frog sketches before settling on the ones you see now. I experimented with line pens, brush filters, and even digital textures made by dragging an inked acorn across paper. Every choice was about layering intention, texture, and movement.

For color, I used the eyedropper tool directly from photographs of the Kambô frog—pulling the greens, subtle yellows, and purples into the palette. And the foliage? That’s Toé (Brugmansia suaveolens).

🍃 On Toé (toe-ĀY)

Brugmansia suaveolens is a powerful, complex plant that requires a specific relationship with - otherwise, it’s known to cause madness. A cousin to other well-known nightshades (Datura, tomatoes, peppers, tobacco, etc.), this species is native to South America.

Sometimes called Angle’s Trumpet, or “the path of day and night,” it’s revered for its potency and risk, used rarely in some Amazon traditions, and held in deep respect by shamanic practitioners and cultures. (Chacruna)

Toé is known among the Matsigenka as one of the strongest—and most toxic—plants in their pharmacopeia, used only in critical circumstances. (Academia) The plant’s spirit is honored and approached with extreme care; a misstep in dosage or preparation can lead to profound consequences. (Academia) This plant is high in tropane alkaloids, which can produce profound visions and states of delirium, sometimes with lasting consequences.

When I was in Peru with Maestro Jhonny Javá in 2022, we were invited to participate in a plant sit with Toé. My body buzzed with anticipation when I said yes, anchoring into the trust I was building with this incredible Kichwa medicine man. This process spanned 36 hours: first, we were to make prayers and blow smoke from Mapacho all over the plant. After our offering, a hole was poked below the plant’s roots to offer the remaining tobacco. Then, we plucked one leaf from the plant stalk and slept with it under our pillow for one night. The following evening, we toasted the wilted leaves over a wood fire, mixed them with dried Mapacho, and rolled up spliffs in torn journal paper. Then, after much prayer and quieting down our minds, we sat in a circle, in the dark, silently and slowly smoking this nightshade blend. Within about 20 minutes, a profound drowsiness came over me. I waddled to my bed, zipped myself into the mosquito net, and fell into a deep slumber. That night, my dreams were visionary - processing moments from my past while receiving symbolic lessons on ways to be of greater integrity in my future. I woke up refreshed. We processed our visions in a sharing circle after breakfast. While I am grateful for that experience, it’s not something I’ll be trying on my own any time soon.

🎨 Kambô y Toé Wearable Art - Limited Edition

• Layering & texture: Combined fine lines, brush filters, and textures from real inked objects to honor the handcrafted feel of this digital drawing.

• Color sourcing: All greens and accent tones were pulled from the actual frog imagery in the Kambô collection.

• Balance of elements and numerology: The frog in the center with Toé leaves radiating outward—symbolizing an interplay of medicine, protection, and transformation. Interplay of 6 and 12 to represent matters of the heart and of harmony.

• Print execution: We chose a 6-color water-based screen print to preserve fine detail while dying the fabric for a print that doesn’t crack or peel.

• Garment selection: We opted for 100% organic cotton, ringspun and combed, making it soft and resistant to pilling. This design is available in unisex sizes in Terrain Grey and White Sand.

I hope Kambô y Toé Mandala feels alive when you wear it…that it whispers of ritual, risk, medicine, and living in your heartspace. Thank you for letting me share the inner architecture of this piece with you.

With gratitude,

Founder,
Earth Medicine Apparel Co.

We’ve simmered down a bit on vending while we regroup to drive more sales to our website, and gear up for launching new designs and garments for the holiday season. We’ll announce our Fall and Winter vending events next week.