Psilocybin mushrooms have been used in the Mazatec highlands of Oaxaca for generations, in quiet night ceremonies known as veladas. Before the medicine became famous, it was, and still is, a sacred tradition. We share that history with respect, because the lineage matters as much as the mushroom.
The Mazatec velada
A velada is a night ceremony of song, prayer, and intention, traditionally guided by a curandera. It is unhurried and deeply held, and the singing is part of the medicine. The tradition carries a depth that long predates the modern interest in psilocybin.
How the world found out, and what got lost
In the twentieth century the tradition was shared, then taken out of context and turned into a trend. A lot was lost in that translation. Remembering where the medicine comes from, and who carried it, is part of using it well. If you are reading about lineage, the Maya sweat lodge explained and how ayahuasca and psilocybin differ are both written in the same spirit.
How we hold this at Lunita
How a mushroom ceremony is held at Lunita, with reverence for this lineage, is on our sacred mushrooms page.
With respect for the lineage, never as a costume. We try to keep the medicine and its origins together, and we are clear about what we are and what we are not.