Mexico's mushroom kingdom

Chapter 1

The sacred mushroom ceremonies of Oaxaca

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Chapter 2

Edible forest gold and cornfield delicacies

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Chapter 3

Deadly lookalikes and fungal survival science

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Chapter 4

From ancient rituals to modern medicine

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YOUR GOAL

Master of Mexico's mushroom kingdom

Ch 1 · The sacred mushroom ceremonies of Oaxaca

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Glossary

teonanácatl (noun)
A Nahuatl word meaning 'flesh of the gods' used to describe sacred, mind-altering mushrooms. For centuries, healers in Oaxaca have used these special fungi in respectful ceremonies to help people seek wisdom and emotional healing, showing how deeply Mexico's mushroom kingdom is connected to spiritual history.

3h ago

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choko Oaxacan Sacred Mushroom Ceremonies

In the mountain dark, we ask the holy children to heal.

Sep 1

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choko The sacred geography of Huautla

Sep 1

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The Aztec word for sacred mushrooms literally means 'flesh of the gods.'

choko See how the Aztecs combined two simple words to name their sacred mushroom.

Sep 1

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Maria Sabina led sacred Mazatec mushroom ceremonies in the mountains of Oaxaca.

sonia A pencil sketch shows Maria Sabina wearing a traditional ribboned huipil.

Sep 1

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BETA

choko Sort Oaxaca's wild mushrooms to discover how traditional healers use them in sacred ceremonies.

Sep 1

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Fun Fact

María Sabina: This legendary Mazatec healer referred to Mexico's sacred mushrooms as 'holy children' (niños santos), using them to heal and guide seekers during mystical night-time ceremonies.

3h ago

choko

Glossary

velada (noun)
An evening or nighttime social gathering, performance, or vigil. In Oaxaca, Mazatec healer María Sabina famously conducted these nocturnal rituals using sacred psilocybin mushrooms.

Sep 1

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Gossip

Would you attend a traditional Oaxacan velada?

Sep 1

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Quiz

Who was the Mazatec healer who introduced Westerners to the sacred mushroom ceremony known as a velada?

Sep 1

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choko The ancient Aztec flesh of the gods

Sep 1

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choko The active compounds in these sacred mushrooms were isolated and named by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann.

Sep 1

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choko Mazatec healer María Sabina introduced Westerners to sacred mushroom ceremonies, known as veladas, in Oaxaca.

Sep 1

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Fun Fact

Mushroom stone carvings: Ancient Maya communities carved stone sculptures shaped like mushrooms, dating back over 2,000 years, suggesting a very long history of fungal worship.

Sep 1

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Quiz

In which historical 16th-century document did Spanish chronicler Bernardino de Sahagún record Aztec mushroom use?

Sep 1

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choko María Sabina and the ritual of velada

Sep 1

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Quiz

In which Mexican state is the town of Huautla de Jiménez, famous for its sacred mushroom ceremonies, located?

Sep 1

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Quiz

What did the Aztecs call sacred psychoactive mushrooms in their Nahuatl language?

Sep 1

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Quiz

Which magazine published the 1957 article by R. Gordon Wasson that brought global attention to Mexican sacred mushrooms?

Sep 1

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Quiz

Which Swiss chemist first isolated the active compound psilocybin from Mexican mushroom specimens in 1958?

Sep 1