A three-day ritual in September

Tuki Fiesta

Step into the mystery of an ancient tradition

Hosted by the Jicareros: Linda Felch, Patrick Hanaway, Anna-Lena Hilton, Larry Messerman, and Susan Skinner

Step through a doorway into an experience of ancestral wisdom! Join us in Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico–a historic village that sits in a beautiful and sacred valley just south of Mexico City.

You will be participating in an ancient 3-day ceremony from the Wixárika (Huichol) tradition that is led by Tsaurixika (Elder Shaman) Don Efrén González Carrillio.  Don Efrén will be singing and asking for guidance and blessings so that our Tuki (Wixárika ceremonial-temple) can continue to support healing and ritual for people from all over the world.

And…this is an opportunity to invite deep transformation and healing into your own life!

What is a Tuki Fiesta?  

Periodically, a fiesta is called for, and five Jicareros (those who carry the jicaras or offering bowls), are selected and then supported by an elder Tsaurixika-singer to host the Tuki Fiesta for a ceremonial cycle of five years. On behalf of the community, they each carry a jícara and offerings from the Fiesta to the sacred desert (also known as the Birthplace of the Gods) in November. They will return to bring blessings to the local community, and as this cycle is completed, the tuki receives divine support–being fed, so that it can in turn feed the people. The Jicareros will also ask for blessings and healing to be bestowed upon all the attendees present at the Fiesta. This year marks the third year of this five-year cycle.

A tuki is a living being that connects to the whole cosmos. Here, the mara’akate (healers and ritual leaders) can connect with the gods, lead rituals and offer healing. The tuki needs to be ‘fed’ periodically with rituals in the form of these fiestas. The hearts, good wishes, and prayers of those who attend are an essential part of the ‘food’ that keeps the tuki vibrant.

Ceremonial structures in Tepoztlan, Mexico
Our ceremonial center in Tepoztlan, Mexico. The Tuki is on the right, the ceremonial center that contains the cosmos. The smaller structure on the left is the Rirriki, or God House.

The Tuki at Casa Xiuhtecuhtli

We live in times of great change and need. In response, the gods have called forth a group of people from the modern, westernized culture to become healers (mara’akate) in the Wixárika tradition. They are known as ‘Grupo Tatewarí’ (Grandfather Fire Group) after the Wixárika God of Fire–who is considered the very First Shaman.

In 2006, under Grandfather Fire’s guidance, a tuki was built on the grounds of what is now called Casa Xiuhtecuhtli, (House of Fire in the local Nahuatl language). The Wixárika people and the Gods granted this gift through the guidance of Tsaurixika Don José Sandoval de la Cruz. This unprecedented ceremonial consecration of a tuki was the first to take place outside of the Wixárika homelands in the rugged western Sierra Madre mountains.

Tatewarí (Grandfather Fire) has distinguished this ceremonial center as a “principal tuki” and over the years it has become a home for many local and international gatherings, teachings, healing work, and ceremonies.

Your Hosts:

We, Linda Felch, Patrick Hanaway, Anna-Lena Hilton, Larry Messerman, and Susan Skinner,  are the five Jicareros for this Tuki Fiesta and we are excited to invite you to join us for this extraordinary event. We hope to see you in September!

A longing for connection to the sacred

I have no words for the way this experience touches me. I can only say that when I heard the singing and prayers for the first time, many years ago with no understanding of what was happening, some unnamed longing in me felt answered. 
Erica Cohen
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico
Patience is a virtue
They are two of China’s most eminent classical artists. Yu leads no fewer than three major ensembles there: the China Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Shanghai and Guangzhou symphonies.

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