The ceremony and registration details are in this page, but please first read this intro so we can be on the same page on our work.

 Introduction to this initiative:

Welcome to our mission to support indigenous ways and the wisdom of the elders. This is our new initiative after taking some years off being a zero waste online retailer (feel free to browse the rest of the site). It is no surprise that the original vision for this brand came from the medicine and you can see it in my logo. If you landed on this page it's because you have a password and you've been invited to our ceremony. 

We are working with the Wixarika community, La Laguna Jalisco, an annex of San Andres Cohamiata. The elder leader is Marakame Don Julio and he is preserving and protecting the Hikuri Peyote ways of his people. His side kick is our Abuela Teresa Rivas who has been walking with Marakame for over 30 years doing all the offerings that allow us to spiritually work with this medicine in the way that serves the healing and abundance that this medicine provides us all. Hikuri is the protector of the earth and so if done right the way the Marakame shows us, we are in a symbiotic relationship to the sacred Hikuri. Let them show us the way. 

There are SO many non-profits set up to help protect the Wixarika people of Mexico. They are one of the oldest communities that never had too much contact with the Spanish thru the conquest and were able to maintain most of their ways until modern times. Well, without writing a whole dissertation about it, in the past year their culture has come under attack from the illegal privatization of their lands. The point is that all these non-profits seem to be doing a lot of work but if you take a trip down to these communities it doesn't seem like any of the funds are doing anything to help the people on the ground. They are experiencing a lot of poverty. 

Our solution is simple to help this one particular community. They need a tractor. It would change their lives. It's that simple. We are saving up to buy Don Julio a tractor so he can help his community farm larger plots so they can earn a living from their ancient organic heirloom corn. This is a big deal!

So without further adoo, I present you our next ceremony:

HIKURI PEYOTE WINTER SOLSTICE CEREMONY - INFO & REGISTRATION

Dear Sacred Friend,

We invite you to join us for a Winter Solstice Hikuri ceremony, a prayer for abundance in the coming year. This will be done in the Wixarika tradition led by Abuela Teresa Rivas Chicahuaxochitl. Expect to start around 7pm on Saturday December 21st in an indoor Bay Area location that will be announced in the next week. 

(Amigos Sagrados, esta invitación esta en Ingles, si lo necesita en Español por favor me manda un mensaje y hago la traducción) 

About Abuela Teresa Rivas Chicahuaxochitl:

Our loving Abuela Teresa is an Indigenous Mexica elder, guardian of Hikuri (Peyote), sacred Teonanacatl,  and also a Sundancer and Temazcalera. She has decades of experience using plant medicines and the natural healing arts of her Indigenous Mexica ancestors. Abuela has over 30 years of walking the paths of the sacred Wixarika territories with Marakame Don Julio who gave her the Hikuri lineage and right to bring this medicine to the people. She will guide us through a night of music, chanting and movement aided by the sacred Hikuri medicine to experience the blessings of this sacred Wixarika (Huichol) lineage, the original keepers of this sacred medicine. We welcome you to join us in our sacred space and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing the journey with us.

CEREMONY:

We begin the ceremony by opening the “Tatawari” (grandfather fire). Then Abuela will guide us into the ceremony with Cacao to warm the heart, her Sundance Caunupa (sacred pipe), and then the sacred Hikuri. In the Wixarika tradition we will spend the night around Tatawari in prayer. There are 5 phases to the evening with singing, movement, offerings to Tatawari, and Hikuri prayers. The ceremony will last until 8 or 9am on Sunday Morning. 

At some point in the night you may be called or invited to sing your medicine songs to Tatawari. We kindly ask that you share songs from any Red Road tradition of Turtle Island. If you don’t know what that means, please ask. You are not required to sing, just come and receive the blessings. There are rules of conduct around the sacred Tatawari and this will be explained the night of the ceremony.

We have a caring and experienced team of supporters at the ceremony, and you are responsible for the conduct of whoever you bring into this ceremonial space. If you are bringing someone whose new to sitting with medicines, you are expected to orient them to what respectful behavior looks like in this setting.

DONATION & REGISTRATION:

Please read this carefully because we updated this. The donation for the ceremony is a sliding scale starting at $300 per person. PLEASE contribute ANY amount above $300 if you are capable. A $100 non-refundable deposit is required with your RSVP to secure your seat. If you can’t afford the donation amount please contact us and we will find a way to support you, follow the instruction in the registration link for this. 

Your support ultimately helps cover all the associated costs of the extensive Wixarika pilgrimages our elders, Marakame Don Julio and his family and abuela, have to make every single year to offer this medicine to us. Also, our goal is to support Marakame Don Julio’s community. We are raising money to buy a tractor for them so they can have income from their indigenous corn. The blessings and transformations many of us receive from the Hikuri is possible due to all this work. We will share more about this at the ceremony.

If you are certain you are able to attend, please register here:

https://airtable.com/app7QMkzIVUzG9Aqc/shrSX6CybyXZqk1wh

Password: kauyumari23

Afterwards you will be instructed how to send the $100 non-refundable deposit. After you have confirmed your attendance with both an email and deposit, you will be added to a WhatsApp group for faster communication (add 415-305-6894). Please bring the remainder of your donation the day of the ceremony in cash only please.

LOGISTICS

The directions to the venue will be sent out a few days before the ceremony via WhatsApp. Do not share this address with anyone. Our host is opening their home to allow this ceremony to happen. This is NOT a ceremony venue for rent.

Plan to arrive by 6pm to set up your ceremonial resting spot outside around the fireplace. There is access to a modern bathroom and plenty of clean drinking water. 

Parking is limited so we ask that as many of us as possible carpool to the venue. 

The ceremony will start around 7pm or shortly after and will go into the night until it is time to rest. We will reconvene for a group share and close out the fire around 8:00 or 9am. 

Feel free to bring fruit or some healthy snacks to share with everyone on Sunday morning. 

PRE-CEREMONY RECOMMENDATIONS

If it is your first time attending a ceremony, please avoid reading about the medicine excessively on the internet. It is good to come with a blank slate to have your own experience; the best thing to focus on beforehand is your prayer/intention and what you are asking to receive from the medicine. We might contact you for a short interview and answer any questions you might have about this sacred ceremony before attending.

PRE-CEREMONY RECOMMENDATIONS
Please take good care of yourself so that you come well rested and ready for the experience. Prepare your body by keeping a clean and healthy diet in the week or so leading up to the ceremony. Remove all processed foods and eat a more plant based diet with little to no red meat. 

The most important aspect of preparation is the intention or prayer you bring with you. Put some thought into why you are coming and what you would ask the medicine to show you. What would you like to affirm? What would you like to heal? No need to overthink this. What's in your heart? We know this is an intense time in the world so we feel it is a great opportunity to come together and pray.

Below are important guidelines regarding substances which are not compatible with this work. Please let us know if you have issues following these guidelines. It is recommended to abstain from these substances for at least 3 days prior to the ceremony, but best if you do this for 5 days:

-Prescription drugs: please let us know if you take any prescription drugs; while most are safe with this medicine, some can have serious interactions. The main contradiction is anti-psychotics medications. If this is the case then we can not offer you a spot at our ceremony.

-Recreational drugs: absolutely suspend the use of these as many days as you can before attending as it will only help your journey.

-Please abstain from sexual activity (including masturbation) before the ceremony. 3 days is good, but if you aren't in a partnership, more time is better. This will help a lot and cannot be overstated.

Dietary recommendations:

We recommend eating fresh, clean, and simple in the days preceding ceremony, and especially the day of. Chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables, salads, grains, bread, soups, etc. Quality salt and natural sugar (fruit, honey) is fine in moderation. We also recommend eating Nopales. If possible, home cooked food is always best in the days immediately before. Stay away from excess salt, sugar, processed foods and stimulants like caffeine. On the day of, eat a light and healthy breakfast, and then a lunch/snack at about 12 noon or a little later. No need to starve yourself but it is recommended to eat light. If you can live without caffeine it is highly recommended.

WHAT TO BRING:

Your Spot: The ceremony is traditionally done OUTSIDE around TATAWARI (GRANDFATHER FIRE). However this ceremony will be inside. You will have a spot on the ground around the fire or candle altar when we are indoors. This will also be your resting spot so bring all the arrangements you need for your maximum comfort: sleeping pad, sleeping bag, blankets, pillows, backjacks etc.  If it rains we will go inside around a candle altar representing Tatawari. Please be considerate of others while setting up your seating/sleeping arrangements. 

Dress:  Bring the appropriate amount of layers so you can stay warm. Bring shoes that are easy to take on and off for going in and out (in case we move inside).  Please dress in a way that you feel honors and respects this sacred medicine and fireplace. No showing excessive skin. 

Offerings: bring a white candle (in a glass container). You can also bring flowers, cacao, tobacco, sage, for the altar.

Utensils: Bring your own cup to receive the medicine.

Sleeping: At the end of the evening, we will rest in our ceremony spot so bring all your most comfortable outdoor sleeping arrangements, sleeping bags and pillows, etc. You will be tired afterwards and we recommend some sleep before getting on the road.

THE SACRED CONTAINER

Women:  If you are on your moon, you will be able to participate with the help of Tobacco. We will give you instructions on what you need to do the night of the ceremony.

The Container: We all must uphold the integrity of the ceremonial container. It is a shared space where we each have profound, individual, and personal experiences. It is good for us to be mindful of this as we are respectful of the personal space and boundaries of everybody else, as best we can. 

Conduct: It needs to be stated clearly that a ceremony is a sacred space. It is not acceptable to explore or project romantic or sexual feelings on any person in the ceremony that you are not in a relationship with, before, during, or immediately after. This applies to everyone, including those facilitating the work. We create a safe place for each person to receive the personal healing that they came to receive from the medicine. We all agree to stay on premises for Saturday night until we close the ceremony the next morning.

Returning friends: We can’t wait to pray with you again. If you want to invite a friend for the first time, please send an email to hikuriceremony23@gmail.com with your friend’s email and a little bit of detail about them and how you know them. 

We welcome you to join us in our sacred space and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing the journey with us.

If you are called, the registration form is pasted again here so you don't have to scroll back up:)

https://airtable.com/app7QMkzIVUzG9Aqc/shrSX6CybyXZqk1wh

Password: kauyumari23

Tlazocamatli

- Miguel