The mariri is the magical phlegm of a vegetalista, a rather mysterious substance that can be regurgitated at will, which work as spiritual and energetical defence. It is called the “defence of the defences” – i.e. the ultimate defensive weapon of a curandero. In essence the mariri is used for protection from virotes (see below): when a curandero feels he is under attack from a virote, he immediately calls up his mariri. Like the icaros, the mariris can be received either from the plants or from a maestro. When inherited from another maestro, the mariri is physically passed on from mouth to mouth, through the hands. It can be either used as a sort of “defensive (but not active) virote”, to return the attack of an opponent, or to heal.
Some shamans repute mapacho (black, jungle tobacco of the gender Nicotiana rustica) to be the “food” of the mariri: if not nourished with mapacho smoke the mariri can come out of the mouth of the vegetalista, exposing him to the danger of having it cut off from a brujo (sorcerer), and thus remaining unprotected. Two of the mariris that Don Ruperto has, originated one from a special tree – whose flowers he gathered once they naturally fell into the river, and drunk during his diet with the plants – and one from his grandparents (since a very long time). This latter, however, despite being much older, is reputed by don Ruperto to be less powerful than the one he received directly through the plant, in only three months.
