Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is a spineless cactus that grows primarily in the deserts of northern Mexico and southern Texas. Pharmacological studies have shown that it contains more than fifty alkaloids, mescaline being its principal psychoactive component. Its consumption induces altered states of consciousness characterized by visions, introspection, and heightened sensory perception, effects that some Indigenous groups regard as forms of access to spiritual knowledge. Its name derives from the Nahuatl péyotl; among contemporary peoples of northern Mexico it is commonly known as hikuri (Wixárika) or jíkuri (Rarámuri) and is used both to treat various illnesses and in ceremonies aimed at renewing the relationships among human beings, territory, and the supernatural world.
Although most of the ethnographic evidence concerning the ritual use of peyote comes from groups in northern and western Mexico, colonial sources provide indications of its ancient use in the Highlands, likewise in ritual contexts. In his Historia General, Friar Bernardino de Sahagún describes this “earthly prickly pear” as white and originating from the north. It is considered a delicacy among the Chichimecs, and its effects produced “frightful visions,” induce laughter, and bestow courage in battle.
To this “intoxication” are added its protective properties and its capacity to alleviate thirst and hunger. This latter function is recognized during one of the pilgrimages undertaken by the Wixárikas to Wirikuta, the sacred desert where the sun is born, to gather peyote and relive the mythical journey of their ancestors. During these ceremonies, consumption of the cactus is guided by a ritual specialist (mara’akáme) and enables participants to “see with the eyes of the heart,” receiving visions interpreted as divine messages.
Like other sacred plants, peyote is distinguished by its connection with both masculine and feminine entities, making it possible to distinguish between Tzinuritehua-hicuri (bitter in flavor and belonging to the gods) and Rhaitumuanitarihua-hicuri (milder in its effects and associated with the goddesses). According to a Wixárika (Huichol) myth, peyote was given by the gods to the leader Majakuagy and his followers, who were fleeing enemies that rejected their teachings. During their flight, their utensils were destroyed, leaving them without the means to obtain food or collect water. In response, the gods, taking pity on them, transformed the fragments of those utensils into the sacred plant that allowed them to continue their journey through the desert without suffering deprivation.
Peyote also fulfills a therapeutic function, as it is used to treat rheumatic, muscular, and dental ailments and to determine the origin of illnesses. Since such afflictions are conceived as imbalances in the cosmic, physical, and social order, the Wixaritari (Huichols) place peyote at the center of their healing system: it is a wise being and an ancestor, linked to the community and, at the same time, a member of a family of peyotes. In exchange for the harvesting of a cactus (the giving of a member or child), the peyote family receives gifts and sacrifices from the jicarero. This exchange, based upon renunciation, ensures the continuity of life and health.