DOSE:	3 tsp	oral	Peyote	(ground / crushed)
		oral	Peyote	(edible / food)
		oral	Chocolate	(edible / food)

BODY WEIGHT:

80 kg

I was hesitant to try peyote because I didn't know what to expect. I went through 4 Ayahuasca ceremonies last year divided on 2 weekends. It was very beneficial to me to meet The Mother, but maybe the integration of my lessons eluded me somewhat. I had heard that San Pedro and Peyote (mescaline) is referred to as a grandfather energy and goes well together with Ayahuasca because they ground you and help to integrate into your life.

So I was fortune enough to find a Peyote ceremony based on the halfmoon tobacco ceremony. The sjaman and his wife, who led the ceremony together, were amazingly professional and did everything by the book and with total respect to this many thousands of years old tradition from the mexican highlands.

The days before I didn't know if I wanted peyote. I was afraid and unsure. Then the same morning of the day of the ritual I saw a deer 20 meters away from me and I went near 3 bulls and fed them and one of them fell a tear. I took it as good signs. I also talked to the chief wife about my insecurities and she managed to put me more to rest and be positive.

The day before I had helped setting up the big tipi and we had practised our chants and using the rattle. So when evening came we were 40 people in the tipi and everything was arranged around the fire and there were flowers, symbols and everything as the tradition says. We started. I will not go into everything that happened, but we had two rounds where each of us got the rattle and could sing if we wanted to. Then we did rituals and prayers at specific times throughout the night. All the while the two persons appointed as firekeeper and doorkeeper did a very good and honourable job.

At midnight we prayed for the masculine, for our fathers, brothers and masculine side of life. Then at 0230-0330 was the main prayer, then in the morning we prayed for the feminine, our mothers, who risked their life giving us birth. At both masculine and feminine prayer we drank blessed water, because water is our life giver together.

The chief came around to give us Peyote powder two times and Peyote chocolate two times. There was a person who played the water drum next to the chief, he also came around to each of us and played the drum while we sang. It was beautiful. To end the ceremony there was brought in fruit, corn and deer meat. We ate a little bit, but in deep respect and only a little bit. It tasted heavenly.

My personal experience was one of feeling grounded to my life and to what is important to me. Peyote never felt strange or scary or of another world. To me it allowed me to discard what is not useful to me and polish and pray about those things that are holy and necessary for me in my life. I understand the idea of Peyote being a grandfather energy. I felt like being on the lap of a grandfather, but I kind of felt that I am also the grand father at the same time: the dialogue was something like this: "here is what is important, this is how your intentions can be played out." I think it's important to have some intentions before going into the ceremony and also to stay away from negative influence in the days before. Build up dedication and focus.

I noticed very much that Peyote asks for your cooperation. You are invited to sit on the lap and get wise. But you don't have to. I never felt out of control. The chief led the ceremony so that at the central moments, there opened up possibility to focus and connect, if I took the chance.

The essence of my inner experience, that came easiest when I sat up straight and focused and paid respect, was this:
Thank you for my life!
Thank you for my breath!
Fold your hands and pay respect.
Then you find love.
Then you find your heart.
Here is how to change things:
Start with your nearest and closest.
Start with how you treat your mother, your father and your brothers. And how you treat yourself.
Your friends and those you meet day to day.
Be good to and pray for mother earth.
Be more humble...
Be even more humble...
Show compassion, humour and respect.
Remember that to respect a person and truly be good can also mean to be strict and assertive.

Fold your hands. Show respect. Then you find your heart.

At the end of the ceremony everyone said a few words to the others in the circle. Then we went down to the river and put the flowers that had been in the tipi on the river.

It's now been 5 days since the ceremony. I feel good and I feel that Peyote is a tool and a technology given to us to help us to live our lives personally and as a community. Peyote for me is sacred and must be treated as such.

Exp Year: 2020	ExpID: 114622
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 42
Published: Aug 12, 2020	Views: 1,017
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Peyote (42) : Group Ceremony (21), Entities / Beings (37), First Times (2)