“Peyote (Hikuri), Mezcalito”
Peyote ( Lophophora Williamsii )
Also known as Hikuri (Venison), Meat of God or Mezcalito, is a cactus that grows in some desert areas of northern Mexico (it is located primarily in San Luis Potosí, but also in Coahuila and Chihuahua) and in some parts of the United States (especially in Texas and Arizona). The main object of the rituals is to come into contact with the divine. Not with a specific God, but with the spirit that dwells within the peyote.
The cactus contains several psychoactive alkaloids, the primary being mescaline, and upwards of 50 alkaloids that are derived from the amino acids tyrosine, phenylalanine. Most of the alkaloids are b-phenylethylamines, but a minor fraction is of the isoquinoline-structure. Many of the b-phenylethylamines are physiologically active, but mescaline is mainly responsible for the psychedelic effects. Fresh peyote contains 0.4 % mescaline per weight, dried buttons 2.74-3.7%.
The ceremonies are a sacred time that brings the people together to honor the spirit world. The unseen universe which runs parallel with our earthly world. Marakame Griseldo works to interconnect these two worlds in order to bring life force called “kupuri” into the bodies and souls of the ceremony circle. The ceremony begins with a prayer around a fire which is cultivated throughout the night. The effects of ingested mescaline take between 1-2 hours and can last up to 10 hours. Participants are able to make offerings of cacao and tobacco to the fire. Through your Peyote experience take notice of the fire many share experiences of visions and shapes.
In Dr. Richard Evans Schultes Book “ Plants of the Gods” peyote is employed by natives in the treatment of tuberculosis, pneumonia, influenza, colds, gastrointestinal ailments, scarlet fever, diabetes, rheumatic pains, venereal diseases, and scorpion bites. Partly chewed mescal buttons are packed around sore teeth to ease the pain, and rubbed on the knees to enhance hiking ability. The women of several Great Plains tribes may consume several buttons three times during childbirth. Peyote tea is employed as an antiseptic wash for wounds and bruises and for soothing aching limbs, in addition to its frequent use in ceremonies.
There is also a strong emphasis on spiritual benefits of the plant, such as a belief that it can purify the soul (Schultes, 1938, pp. 705-706).
