Visiting the Altar of the Scorpion

"Never Hide, Never Hide. Shine!" Writings on the Wall in Guadalajara.

Having spent a week finishing the current round of consturction at the healing centre, making and rearranging the shutters for the windows, putting up a bathroom door in the chateau, the unit for visiting healers, and bringing running water to the kitchen, we were up at 6 am on Tuesday morning. We went to ask the spirits of the desert for a blessing before we were on the road again.

We headed through Zacatecas towards Guadalajara. It is a beautiful time of the year as the desert in in full bloom. The yucca trees have thelast of the beautiful white blooms that shoot up from tehtops of the trees. The trees must bloom in waves as the last time we were on this road, about a month ago some of the trees were also blooming. The side of the highway islied with tiny speckles of yellow, white and purple flowers. Even the cactuses are in bloom. The tunas, or buds have burst open on round cactuses with beautiful red spines revealing pink or yellow flowers. The maguays, that give us agave syrup, a natural sweetner that diabetics can use instead of sugar, are also sending blossoms out from the 6 foot shoots that I have been seeing creeping up over the past month. The governadora bushes which cover the desert floor are covered with yellow blossoms. Spring has sprung in the desert and all is right with the world!

We passed through Guadalajara, a large, beautiful but very industrial town with miles of highway surrounded by industrial parks, roadside resteraunts and universities, only beautified by the amazing purple trees that are in full bloom. I have yet to find out the name of these trees, but they remind me of the book The Colour Purple when Shug says to Celie, Whoopie Goldberg´s character in the movie of the same name, "I think that God must smile whenever he sees the colour purple in nature. Well, God, the Creator, the Great Spirit must certainly be smiling near Guadalajara Mexico, not only because of these stunning purple trees which are not in full bloom but also because of the masses of purple bouganvillas that can be seen everywhere. Purple red, pink bouganvilas climb over fences,along the side of houses, around trees as they compete with the riotous yellow trees, caled Primaveras, or spring trees, I have been told and the mysterious purple trees.

We pass through endless fields of cactuses, a relative of the maguay, used for medicinal purposes but mostly known for their use in making the famous Mexican beverage -- tequilla. The fields stretch on and on, the green cactuses looking like a patchwork green blanket thrown over the undulating hills. We are on our way to the small city of Chapala about 30 kilomoters outside of Gudalajara. Chapala is on the edge of one of the largest freshwater lakes in Mexico. In the centre of the lake is an island that is sacred to the Wirriraca or Huichol people. Chapala is also a tourist centre. There are more Americans here than any of the places I have visited so far.

As we park the van and head across the plaza to store where we are to buy candles for the offering at the altar of the scorpion, we pass a young man in a wheel chair speaking on his cell phone. When we are on our way back, he is still there. Masauke stops to talk to him. Greeting him ad telling him that it is beautiful to see him here enjoying being alive. He tells him that he was reminded that although his body may be trapped his spirit is always free. Masauke tells the young man, an American, that we are going to ask for a blessing for ourselves and our families adn others who have requested we carry their names with us to the altar, and that we would be happy to mention his name at the altar. We have never met this young man before, but he is delighted that we took the time to stop and talk to him. He shakes my hand and asks us to say a prayer for him.

We head off towards the pier where a groups of coulurful boats are sitting awaiting passengers. We are approached by one of the boatsmen who agrees to carry us over to the island and wait for us for half an hour while we make our way to the altar, say our prayers and ask for a blessing. We climb into the boat which is in a sea of water lillies. The shore of the lake is a green sea, so covered it is with masses of water lilies from the´beach´ which can no longer be used to the edge of the docks where the boats are anchored. A young boy comes to push us out and we are off across the lake. Masauke prepared me for theceremony while we ar ein theboat. I focus on the names of those who have asked for a blessing and on the prayer that I am to say when I get to the altar.

When Masauke explains this altar to me he tells me that "There are many spirits that have appeared to the Huichol people in the history of the people. As in the case of the Catholic people, the many saints that they recognize have different gifts. The spirit that apppeared at this lake was a protector if your walk was upright and also the grim reaper if your walk was not upright. He like all spirits took an animal form and came to reside in a tiny island in the middle of the lake. The animal spirit that he took was the scorpion. The spirit of the scorpion protects us from other spirits. The ones that are in the employ of the adversary. The prayers at this altar are for all things that we need , that our families be protected against sickess, our corn against loss, our livestock agaist disease and a great many other things. My prayer here at this altar has always been that the spirit of the scorpion protect me from myself. That I not fall victim to what is referred to as the weaknesses of the flesh. Among many, the high priest of these weaknesses is ego."

We reach the island passing flocks of waterbirds nesting along the shore of the island. Leaving the boatman by the dock, we head through the resteraunt that has been built, comercializing this once islolated and sacred place. We ask directions to the altar, as it has been a while since Masauke was where. We head over the rocks, behind the windmill and through the bouganvillas to a large rock on the other side of the island. The rock is covered with offerings left by other pilgrims. Masauke later recounts the various visits he has made to that altar with his Wirriraca brothers. He reminds me of how fortunate I am as many Huichols have never been able to visit this particular altar because of its distance from the Sierras, because of the difficulty of transportation and because of the cost of taking the boat across the lake to the island.

Masauke introduces me to the spirits of th altar as he has at all the previous altars and pyramids. He starts with "I present she who you have summonsed..." The rest is between me and the spirits. He leaves me there to commune with the spirits of the altar, to say my prayers ad to leave my offereings. He isnot far away and returns as I finish to close the ceremony. We climb back down ove the rocks and head back to the boat. The energy of the place had made us both very quiet as we reflect on the blessing we have received.

Lessons Learned: 1) Blessings come in many forms, 2) Nature´s beauty is truly one of those blessings, 3) Taking care of Mother nature is taking care of ourselves.

Stay Tuned. Staywell and Travel with Spirit, Spirit Traveller.