According to the Doctrine of Signatures (see our blog post), the base of Amazonian pusanga is agua de colpa. It's water collected from clay pools deep in the rainforest, where there's no one around — only thousands of brightly colored animals gathering to drink. Some of these animals are natural enemies, and yet at the clay pools they stand peacefully together to drink water rich in the minerals they need. This water, in other words, has the power to draw some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet into a place where they coexist in harmony.
To this magical water are added special herbs, plants, barks, roots or leaves, which carry their own power of attraction because of their color, their name, or how and where they grow. In the rainforest, for example, there are vines called sogas, recognized as pusanga plants because they wind around trees and draw close to them so the two grow together.
Special scented liquids, such as agua florida ("flowering water"), are also added to the blend, which is then blessed by the shaman to strengthen it. This is done by blowing or singing into the pusanga, sometimes with breath alone, sometimes with sacred tobacco smoke. The traditional blessing whispered over the pusanga is "salud, dinero y amor" — "health, money and love."
Once made, pusanga is worn like a perfume, with a few drops rubbed onto the pulse points of the wrists and neck, or a capful or two added to bathwater.
On my last trip to the Amazon, I learned how to prepare love pusangas myself. If these traditions and this perfume of enchantment intrigue you, subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.