The Shipibo culture, originating along the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Upper Amazon, is well known for shamanism and plant medicine. The use of Shipibo imagery related to Ayahuasca is widespread and the well-recognized Shipibo patterns of Icaro are synonymous with Ayahuasca and its practice throughout Peru. The Shipibo women handstitch complex linear fractal patterns onto cotton cloth using brightly-colored threads–each square a unique, imaginative design. Girls learn to embroider patterns at about age 6 or 7, learning from their mothers or grandmothers. The stitched patterns express identity and their creative style. The women also handpaint maze-like designs on cotton cloth using earthen clay slip. The Shipibo see and hear the geometric patterns during Ayahuasca ceremonies, and reproduce the designs on their clothing and paint them on their houses and boats. The Shipibo believe the patterns are healing on the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual levels. Every design carries its own specific meaning. For example, to bring healing, wisdom, protection or to attract abundance. These 'artful prayers" can be sung by the Shipibo because each design also functions as a musical score, called an "Icaro". The design element and the "Icaro" operate cohesively to carry the power of the healing or blessing.

The Shipibos are chosen by the Earth for their sacred work, which they have been doing for thousands of years. They have never changed, never lost their ancient knowledge, and never been distorted by external influences. The Shipibos are the original divine guardians of the sacred master teacher plants and the wisdom of the jungle. They go through an extremely challenging process full of personal sacrifices to connect with the spirit of each medicinal Amazonian plant and tree so that they can become a channel for their wisdom and healing. This process is called a Master Plant Dieta and can take anything from a few days to a few years depending on which plant or tree is being dieted and what the intention behind the dieta is. The Shipibos live the plant life. They do these diets throughout their lives. They never stop learning. There are so many medicinal plants and trees in the Amazon that a lifetime is not enough to connect with all of them. Master Plant Dietas are very challenging and all kinds of mystical magical things happen during the process. When the shamans are ready, they get gifted songs called Icaros by the plants themselves. These songs are channelled through and have words in their own Shipibo language, however, if people from other countries get gifted Icaros, they may come through in their own language. Icaros are the songs of the plants. Each plant can have many different Icaros for different purposes. Not all Icaros are connected to particular plants as there are some that are given to the shamans for other purposes than to heal with plant consciousness, but they too come as a result of plant dietas. Icaros are songs with huge energy and power. They can heal and protect, but they can also be used as bridges between the different worlds and dimensions depending on what is needed. The shamans sing these songs to people to assist with their healing processes or to help them with their own connection to the plant they are dieting (or both). When a shaman sings an Icaro to someone, they are essentially singing the spirit of the plant into them. Icaros also have a physical representation in the form of coded patterns. These are what you see on their textiles, bracelets, and maracas. Whilst creating their crafts, the Shipibos sing the Icaros into them infusing them with spirit and protective energy. They sing these pieces into existence.