Magical Settings
JUL 2023
Last year in early September, I traveled up north to the desert of Wirikuta…
Wirikuta is a desert, sacred to the Wixárika (Huichol) Indians high in the mountains of central Mexico, between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Zacatecas ranges, near Real de Catorce. In Wixárika cosmology, the world was believed to have been created in Wirikuta.
Wirikuta is the place to find the magical Peyote cactus; it is native to that region. Peyote is known as the “abuelo” (grandfather) of psychedelics and has at least 5,500 years of entheogenic and medicinal use by indigenous North Americans. The call came, and I answered.
Together with my boyfriend, I made my way for many hours from Mexico City to the desert. After 10 hours in the car, we arrived at a guide´s house that was recommended to us by a friend. The setup, although simple, lent itself perfectly to the experience.
At midday the following day, we made our way into the desert with our guide, David. He brought his grandson with him and explained how to identify and pick peyote for them to grow back properly. David came to the Wirikuta desert over 15 years ago, and from the beginning, I felt he completely embodied the masculine energy of the peyote. The fact that his grandson was with him picking the peyote only reinforced that observation.
Mescaline (the psychoactive compound in peyote) is one of the longest-lasting of all psychedelics, and the cactus is extremely acidic, which makes the ingestion quite a task. I also felt it was very heavy on my body and a tough physical sensation. However, the psychedelic experience was one of the most impactful and incredible ones I have had. The most significant takeaway was the introspection I got about my boyfriend. I felt like we were on a journey together, completely entwined in spirit. They say that if you do it with a partner, you either break up or walk away much stronger. It was definitely the latter for us.
The many hours ended with a beautiful sunset and a rainbow that simultaneously appeared behind the house. A good omen, I would say!