Peyote FAQ v1.0
Written by Leo Mercado who is looking for collaborators for updating and adding information to this FAQ.
Peyote has a long history of use as a medicinal and
sacramental herb. Prehistoric trade in and knowledge of the sacred
cactus was apparently well established prior to the
European conquest of Mexico. At that time, Spanish
Inquisitors declared its use to be a punishable crime against God.
Ironically, native peyotists, relying on the humble cactus for
divine guidance and inspiration, became targets of oftentimes
ruthless evangelism.
As in the case of Teonanacatl, the sacred mushrooms of
MesoAmerica, the fact that the peyote religion continues to exist
despite centuries of persecution is a testament to its importance
in the spiritual lives of many.
Sacred Cactus
Peyote (Lophophora williamsii) is a small (less than 12 cm in
diameter), round cactus with fuzzy tufts instead of spines. It
rarely rises more than an inch or so above the soil
surface. The largest part of the cactus is actually
underground in the long, carrot-like root. The above ground
portion is the "button" which is cut and consumed either fresh or
dried. Usually, anywhere from four, to a dozen buttons, are eaten
or made into tea. Myths concerning the presence of strychnine in
the flesh or fuzz of are often circulated in the common lore, but
this substance is completely absent from peyote.
Peyote is a native of the Chihuahan Desert, specifically,
portions of the Rio Grande Valley in Southern Texas, and south
as far as the state of San Luis Potosi in Mexico. Peyote has
been an item of commerce for a very long time. Most recently
(just over 100 years) it has been commercially harvested in the
state of Texas, though its sale is now restricted by law to
members of the Native American Church (NAC). (It is estimated that
the NAC has at least 250,000 members.) The annual harvest of
individual plants, or buttons, is in the millions. When properly
harvested, several new heads tend to form from the old root,
thereby generating new plants for the future. Unfortunately, plants
are often cut deeply, leaving little or no root remaining in the
ground.
In addition to commercial harvesting, large sections of the
"peyote gardens" of Texas are uprooted for new grazing land with
much of the small, slow growing cacti such as peyote, being
destroyed as a result. Consequently, the regions where
peyote may be found have greatly diminished. Areas where peyote
once flourished in commercially harvestable quantities are now very
often lacking this cactus entirely.
Peyote is something of an alkaloid factory, producing upwards of 50
chemically related compounds. The effects experienced after
consuming this unique medicine range from a feeling of physical
energy and well being when taken in small amounts
(though this is often preceded by a brief period of
lethargy), to actual visionary experience when larger
quantities are consumed. Often, individuals may experience
stomach discomfort or nausea during the first few hours
though this is not always the case. Noticeable psychic
effects usually last 10 hours or so after they begin.
Experienced peyotists recognize and welcome the feeling of the
medicine working with them as a spiritual and physical blessing.
The positive, life enhancing benefits of the peyote medicine are
probably as diverse as the many people who have found it to play an
extremely important role in their lives.
The Peyote Religion
The religious use peyote is very ancient. One cache of dried peyote
found in a Texas cave, has been dated at approximately 7000 years old.
The use of peyote in ceremonies among Mexican tribes was a well
established tradition by the time of the European entrance into the
continent. This pre-historical religious us e eventually diffused into
the North American regions. Along with this evangelistic migration came
changes in the basic ceremonies associated with peyote.
Mexican peyotism is perhaps best typified by the traditional practices of
the Huichol tribe of the Sierra Occidental, along the pacific coast of
Mexico. Annual pilgrimages to ritually hunt the sacred cactus are still
a central part of tribal myth and ceremony. A group leader, or Mara-a-
'kame leads the humble seekers in their mythical quest "...to find our
life.", as it has been said. Only peyote gathered in this ceremonial way
is suitable for the spiritual requirements of the tribe. The Cora and
Tarahumara are related groups of people who use peyote in religious
ceremony. Cora people are known to trade for, or purchase peyote from
their Huichol neighbors, as their own traditions do not require the
desert pilgrimage to collect the sacrament.
In the mid 1800's, simultaneous with native genocide, the peyote religion
spread north, arriving at a time when indigenous people were badly in
need of spiritual uplifting and cultural strength. In the last 100
years, the spread of peyotism has been prolific.
The peyote ceremony which was introduced to the American Plains Indians
is a formalized, all-night prayer meeting, usually held in a teepee,
hogan, or peyote house especially set aside for that purpose. Christian
elements are often significantly present, depending on the particular
tribe or group leader. Most of North American peyotism can be properly
identified with the Native American Church (NAC), a large, oftentimes un-
associated group of mostly native believers. There are numerous
divisions of the NAC (NAC of North America, NAC of Navajoland, NAC of S.
Arizona, etc.), with each division being composed of several local
chapters, or moons. Each chapter normally has officers who are trained
in distinct clerical functions of the church. The leader of a peyote
meeting is known as the Road Chief, or Road Man. This is the person who
is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the main elements of the
meeting and leading others on the Peyote Road, the way of learning to
live life well. Other offices include Cedar Chief, Fire
Chief, Drum Chief, and often, Earth Mother or Morning Water
Woman. Though ceremonies among different chapters tend to
vary slightly, many common elements are present in most NAC ceremonies.
An eagle bone whistle, various feather fans, water drum, and prayer
staff, are a few of the ceremonial items necessary to conduct the prayer
meeting. Central tenets of the NAC usually involve avoidance of alcohol,
devotion to family, and right living in general.
Probably the most simple, and possibly historically primitive, form of
peyotism is the vision quest, alone in nature. Usually this involves
fasting, solitude, and quiet but steady contemplation. Peyote is eaten
or consumed as a tea and a vigil is kept until such time as the
communicant comes to a sense of physical and spiritual completion. This
way of experiencing the personal qualities of the experience sounds very
much like traditional stories of the first person who was given peyote by
Creator Spirit. Several tribes relate the story of a man or woman lost
in the desert. Their wandering leaves them exhausted, starving, and
dehydrated. Just at the point of giving up all hope of life comes a
voice which instructs them to reach out and take hold of the soft and
cool plant which grows just within reach of their outstretched hands.
They are then told to eat it to quench their thirst for water, food, and
guidance back to their home.
Native/Non-Native Use
The Native American Church (NAC) and its various sub-groups, has become
the most well known form of the peyote religion. Prior to the 1900's,
the ceremonial use of peyote was more strictly limited to the areas of
its natural growth, i.e. the Chihuahuan Desert. The Tarahumara and
Huichol peoples are well known for their traditional use of peyote, as
they live near or travel to areas where it grows abundantly.
The evangelistic spread of what is commonly called Peyotism is well
documented in works by Omer Stewart and others. (See "Peyote Religion: A
History", by Omer C. Stewart, 1987, University of Oklahoma Press.) The
old peyote complex of Mexico spread north by peyote evangelists from the
growing regions influencing the botanical medicine kit of their northern
brethren. Soon thereafter, individuals such as Quanah Parker, (son of
captured homesteader Cynthia Ann Parker and a Comanche chief), and John
Wilson, a Caddo medicine man, became peyote missionaries to North
American tribes and cultures.
Aside from North American peyotism being an inter-tribal affair, as
documented by Stewart, there have at times been mixed or all-race NAC
groups, anglo-american and afro-american groups or members. Most NAC
chapters allow membership by sincere individuals of various genetic or
cultural makeup. Some of the most influential leaders or supporters of
NAC peyotism have been people of mixed or European descent. ( J. Wilson,
Q. Parker, O.C. Stewart, J.S. Slotkin and others.) In order to clarify
the issue of multi-ethnic religious use of peyote I offer the following
excerpt from Stewart's "Peyote Religion: A History":
"An unusual case of harassment under the Drug Control Act took place in
Grand Forks, North Dakota, in October, 1984, when a white couple, Mr. and
Mrs. John D. Warner, were arrested by the FBI for possessing peyote, a
controlled drug. The two were members of the NAC of Tokio, North Dakota, and
had been for a number of years, and Mrs. Warner was custodian of the supply
of peyote for the Tokio congregation. The FBI had learned of the possession
of peyote by the Warners from the president of the NAC of NA (North America)
Emerson Jackson (Navajo), so it was he who brought them to trial. Jackson
said that they were not bona fide members of the NAC because they were not
Indians. He maintained that in 1982 a motion had been passed by the NAC of
NA to the effect that membership in that organization be limited to persons
with one-quarter Indian blood, thereby excluding this white couple. A jury in
Grand Forks Federal Court found the defendants innocent of breaking the law,
since they were able to prove that although they were not Indians,
nevertheless they were members in good standing of the local congregation of
peyotists. The charges were dismissed.
This case not only illustrates harassment under the Drug Control Act,
but it also brings up the legality of non-Indians as bona fide members of the
NAC. From the beginning, attendance of non-Indians to peyote meetings has
been a somewhat personal or tribal matter. For instance, very early in
Oklahoma some Caddo refused to allow non-Indians to attend any of their
meetings. But others, such as the Kiowa and Comanche, welcomed non-Indians,
black or white, as long as they were seriously interested. With the formation
of the NAC, the same attitude has generally prevailed, and the presence of
non-Indians has been no problem. It was in the sixties when the hippie
generation became interested in peyote and became a nuisance in the peyote
gardens of Texas, bringing about the Texas law which forbids possession of
peyote by persons not having one-quarter Indian blood and proof of membership
in the NAC, that race became an issue in membership. Since then, if non-
Indians wish to be allowed to possess peyote, they must show that their
involvement in the peyote religion is genuine -that is that it is not just a
recreational, frivolous, or passing interest but a real commitment. Then, as
the case against the Warners shows, race is not an issue. Still, it is
especially important for non-Indians to carry identification of membership in
the NAC if they have occasion to carry peyote, and even so, non-Indians
possessing peyote violate Texas law.
The ruling of the NAC of NA that only Indians should be enrolled in the
Native American Church is new and is not shared by most peyotists. The NAC of
NA does not speak for all peyotists, as much as it would like to do so. All
peyotists consider themselves members of the Native American Church, but most
are not affiliated with the NAC of NA. Each congregation makes its own
rules, just as each meeting is conducted by its own roadman.
The internal strife within the NAC from 1956 to 1972 which swirled
around Frank Takes Gun did not end with his eclipse. Divisiveness has become
as much a characteristic of the peyote religion as it is of other religions.
Today there are many peyote churches which have little to do with the NAC of
NA. Some are large with wide jurisdiction; others are a single congregation."
The reason I have taken the space to allow Stewart's elucidation is to
point out the occasional difficulties in the sharing and practices of the
peyote religion. Acceptance of the NAC by the surrounding culture,
legislature, and even tribal America, has been a gradual and complex
process. Unfortunately, misinformation has often been used in a
purposefully demeaning way in order to argue against the practice and
practitioners of the peyote way, Indian or non-Indian. The NAC was
instituted by the courageous and purposeful work of individuals
experienced in the Creator's Grace bestowed by peyote. Despite this,
individual and often unaffiliated, legitimate peyotists often face
potential or active discriminatory prejudice by virtue of their beliefs.
Recently, more concern has properly been directed toward conserving the plant
that is the essential Sacrament of peyotists. (see " The Peyote Gardens of
Southern Texas: A Conservation Crisis?, "Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol.
67/1995, by Dr. Edward F. Anderson) Again I quote Dr. Stewart;
"The main problem today facing the Native American Church in whatever
manner of organization is the present reduction in the supply of peyote. The
original peyote gardens which furnished such a plentiful and inexpensive
supply to the Indians of Oklahoma in the last century are becoming depleted."
Also;
"Another way to increase the supply of peyote would be to cultivate it.
This would be expensive, necessitating greenhouses if it were not cultivated
in the area of natural growth. Again, this would necessitate changes in the
law, for at present it is unlawful to cultivate it, even in a greenhouse. As
for the area of natural growth in Texas, all of the land is privately owned.
Generally it is used for ranching, but there is still some oil activity.
Recently viticulture has been attempted in the area with some success. And
so the future of the little cactus, the essential ingredient of peyotism, its
sacrament, is still in doubt."
Actually several states do not prohibit the cultivation of peyote
specifically (though federal law might apply), rather, most prohibit its
possession outside of a religious context.
Natural Populations of Peyote in Decline
Peyote is a native of the Chihuahan Desert, specifically, portions of the
Rio Grande Valley in Southern Texas, and south as far as the state of San
Luis Potosi in Mexico. Peyote has been an item of commerce for a very
long time. Most recently (just over 100 years) it has been commercially
harvested in the state of Texas, though its sale is now restricted by law
to members of the Native American Church (NAC). (It is estimated that
the NAC has at least 250,000 members.) The estimated annual harvest of
individual plants, or buttons, is in the millions. When properly
harvested, several new heads tend to form from the old root, thereby
generating new plants for the future. Unfortunately, plants are often
cut deeply, leaving little or no root remaining in the ground.
In addition to commercial harvesting, large sections of the "peyote
gardens" of Texas are uprooted for new grazing land with much of the
small, slow growing cacti such as peyote, being destroyed as a result.
Consequently, the regions where peyote may be found have greatly
diminished. Areas where peyote once flourished in commercially
harvestable quantities are now very often lacking this cactus entirely.
While there is a need for preservation efforts in its native habitat, is
the responsibility of those people who honor the divine cactus to
cultivate it. This is a tangible way of establishing a close
relationship with the plant while helping to preserve the genetic
diversity and well-being of the species.
Cultivation
Private collections of the living peyote cactus, (Lophophora
williamsii), are usually kept as a labor of love or even in the form of an
altar or earth shrine. The Huichol people of Mexico often maintain live
peyote, captured in the "hunt" of their ancestral pilgrimage. Several Texas
peyoteros, (licensed peyote dealers), keep a peyote garden for veneration by
those who arrive in person to purchase their sacrament. It is also not
uncommon for members of the various Native American Church chapters to keep
peyote growing in or around their homes. A suprising number of unassociated
individuals cultivate peyote.
One of the leading academic publications for cacti and succulent
enthusiasts inserts occassional reminders that peyote is technically illegal
in private and institutional collections. In the United States this would
appear to be so, except in the case of a bona fide religious context such as
the practitioner who keeps a home garden or altar. In the Southwestern U.S.,
private collections are not as rare as one might think. Also, many
international collections exist, many of which are commercially tended for
their value to cacti and seed buyers.
Now, however, this usually slow growing and ethno/spiritually important
plant, finds itself in a tenuous situation throughout the areas of Southern
Texas where it was once plentiful. The importance of what are usually
private, if not secretive collections of peyote, is only now becoming clear.
(See "The Peyote Gardens' of Southern Texas: A Conservation Crisis?," by Dr.
Edward F. Anderson, Cactus and Succulent Journal Vol. 67, 1995)
Peyote grows from either seed or clonal offshoots, often called pups, which
often re-grow from the roots of harvested plants. Older, uncut
specimens also produce pups from their base.
Seed grown peyote is a precious and small crop for the first several years.
In natural conditions, plants may take 4 or more years to reach dime-size.
Under optimal conditions however, growth is considerably faster. The
earliest one may expect harvestable-size plants (3 inches or so in diameter)
from seed is about five years, much like the length of time involved in
planting and eating fruit.
Peyote seeds should be gently and evenly tamped into a fine, washed sand and
soil combination, preferably with a slightly alkaline ph. (7.5 to 8, add
lime if needed.) A small board works well for pressing seeds into soil so
that the tops are even with soil surface. Keep moist and in indirect natural
light.(or under grow lights) At 80 deg F., seeds should sprout well within
two weeks.
An excellent sprouting chamber can be made using a small, plastic tofu-type
container. Place soil mix inside and after planting and misting cover with a
ziploc veggie bag. These are fairly new items which have micro-pores for
breathability. Your seedlings will thrive from the combination of high
humidity and air exchange with this simple setup. Seedlings should be
allowed to nearly dry out before being gently sprayed with more water.
A few weeks after sprouting, consider giving them a feeding. My
preferred ferilizer for peyote seedlings is a regular spraying of dilute
(50% of recommended strength) liquid seaweed, available from a number of
sources. If using another type, try to keep the nitrogen (N) level low
and the phosphorous (P) level high. A 5-10-5 type formula is a good
example. Remember to dilute the solutuion considerably (25% of normal
strength) as these little guys don't need a whole lot of anything but
time.
Too much sunlight, fertilizer, water, or cold are the main things to avoid in
your seedling project, aside from impatience of course. By the end of the
first year, seedlings should be large enough to transfer individually to a
more permanent location. This can be in seperate containers or in a nicely
spaced, group garden.
Plants with already established taproots can produce several new
usable buttons within a year or two. Thus each established plant
becomes a source of more offshoots. Buttons must be sliced at
ground level, or above, in order for offshoots to be produced.
Sliced tops may be left to callous for a week or two, then
re-rooted by laying in a porous soil or vermiculite/perlite mix.
Water regularly, but allow to dry out between soakings. New
roots will form from the cut base until after a year or so. A
large taproot forms, making it hard to tell that it was ever
cut.
Grafting For Growth
Small offshoots or seedlings may be grafted onto faster growing cactus
rootstock. This increases growth rates by several times.
Single column, healthy specimens of Trichocereous pachanoi or Myrtillo
geometrizans are favored as graft stock because of their finger-friendly,
small or virtually non-existant spines. Slice about 1 inch below the growing
tip. Next, bevel down surrounding ribs at an angle. You end up wit a pencil
shape w/flat top. This prevents areoles from pruducing new shoots too near
the new graft. Next, with finger on top holding, make another thin slice, an
eigth of an inch or so, under the first cut. Your finger holds the sliver on
after the knife has passed through. This prevents the soon-to-be grafting
tip from being exposed to air too soon. Now slice a small peyote, preferably
a small offshoot. Make sure and make all you cuts straight. (A sharp knife
helps.) Quickly lift the sliced top from your rootstock and with the other
hand place the freshly sliced peyote firmly on the center of the exposed
stock tissue. You get points here for quick, smooth movements, as the less
time the cuts are exposed the better. Gently secure the new peyote top to
the stock using rubber bands or a firm, but not too heavy weight. Be careful
to not move the new graft as you do this. In three days remove the bands or
weight and your new graft should remain, now bonded to its host's vascular
tissue. Using this method growth can be enhanced by a factor of 5
to 10 times, small buttons growing to mature size in one year.
Large grafts can be sliced above the graft/stock joint in order
to re-root on their own. Providing sufficient peyote base is left
on the top of the host cactus, new offshoots will quickly appear
from the now topless peyote, providing many new grafting
candidates.
Suggested Reading:
"Peyote and Other Entheogenic Cacti", Gottlieb, A.,
Ronin Publishing, 1997
"The Peyote Book: A Study of Native Medicine",
Mount, G.(Ed.), Sweetlight books, 1993
"Straight With the Medicine", d'Azevedo, W., Heyday
Books, 1978
"Peyote Hunt: The Sacred Journey of the Huichol Indians",
Myerhoff, B., Cornell Univ. Press, 1974
"People of the Peyote" Schaefer, S. and Furst, P., (Ed.),
The Univ. of New Mexico Press, 1996
"Peyote Religion: A History", Stewart, O.C., Univ. of
Oklahoma Press, 1987
"Peyote the Divine Cactus", Anderson, E.F., Univ. of
Arizona Press, 1996
"The Peyote Cult", La Barre, W., Yale Univ. Publications
in Anthropology, 1989
"Peyote, The Medicine Journal", newsletter of The Peyote
Foundation, PO Box 778, Kearny, AZ 85237, USA
"The Sacred Record", The Peyote Way Church of God,
newsletter of the Church, Box 7x, Rt 1, Willcox, Az.
85643 USA
"Flowers of Wiricuta: A Gringo's Journey to Shamanic
Power", Pinkson, T.S., Wakan Press, 1995
"Psychedelics Encyclopedia", Stafford, P., Ronin
Publishing, 1992
PO Box 778M
Kearny, Arizona 85237
In 1996, a legal precedent was set in Pinal County, Arizona when authorities returned several hundred peyote cacti to the possession of Raven and Leonard Mercado, non-Indian, sacramental users of peyote. In response to the issues brought into view as a result of this case and the conservation crisis in which the peyote plant finds itself, several concerned people have united to form The Peyote Foundation.
A sacramental conservatory, library, and research facility is an idea whose seeds, literally, have been sprouting for several years.
Services The Peyote Foundation will provide include:
EDUCATION 1. To provide information concerning peyote and the peyote religion that is documented, scientifically accurate, and politically neutral. This service will respectfully present the cultures and individuals that value peyote for its spiritual and/or medicinal qualities. In addition to providing a complete listing of current federal, state, parliamentary, and provincial legal references, this non-denominational, non-discriminatory public service will viligantly report and defend the right of each and every individual peyotist to practice their religion. We at the Peyote Foundation look forward to working cooperatively with enforcement and regulatory agencies, religious organizations, and researchers who may benefit from our services.
CONSERVATION 2. To initiate conservation efforts for the peyote cactus itself. The Peyote Foundation will provide the facility to develop intensive propagation methods which will help insure the genetic safekeeping of the species, the sine qua non of the peyote religion. We will also seek to establish a land trust to provide a preserve on which the peyote plant and the traditional peyote pilgrimages would be protected.
INSPIRATION 3. To function as a religious order charged with the care, cultivation, and veneration of the peyote cactus. We believe the act of cultivating peyote to be a religious function in and of itself. Therefore, it will be our blessing and responsibility to lovingly steward the sacrament.
Membership in The Peyote Foundation is available and encouraged, as are donations of time, labor, love and other resources. Your donations at this time are especially important and will help support our initial efforts: including the construction of greenhouses, the publication of the foundation newsletter, and the development of peyote museum and library. Please contact the Peyote Foundation for a list of specific items that would assist these efforts.
The following membership options are available:
Subscribing Membership- $25 per year ($35 outside US) Receives foundation newsletter. Associate Membership- $40 per year Includes a newsletter subscription and invitations to foundation meetings and events.
Supporting Membership- $100 per year Includes above and a handmade ceramic peyote mug.
Devotional Membership- $500 per year Includes a news letter subscription, invitations to foundation events, and a mug and pitcher set. This set consists of six mugs with peyote\animal designs with matching water pitcher.
Founding Membership- $1000 Subscription, invitations to membership events, plus a complete six place setting (27 piece) peyote dinnerware set.
The Peyote Foundation has applied for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. We welcome all comments and inquiries, as well as donations and other support.
Written by: Leo Mercado.
Made possible by: the Lycaeum Drug Archives