Antonio Vasquez Galaretta

Shaman Maestro

Antonio Vasquez Galaretta

Antonio Vasquez Galaretta’s place in Shipibo tradition rests on more than forty years of practice and the knowledge he shared with another generation. He began learning with his grandfather. After marrying Rosa Arévalo Maynas, he continued his training with her cousin, Maestro Guillermo Arévalo, who became his teacher. Antonio studied with Guillermo for more than a decade, undertaking extended dietas with Ayahuasca, Noya Rao, Bobinsana and Chiric Sanango, among other plants. Within this tradition, plant teachings find expression through icaros, prayer and ceremony. His nephews and students include Pepe Franchini Vasquez and Jose Franchini Vasquez, whose accounts of learning with him appear in their practitioner profiles at APL Journeys. These teaching relationships help explain Antonio’s influence beyond a single retreat and the family connections through which this knowledge has travelled.