Healing of the Thunderbolt and Nahua Entheogenic Medicine (Psilocybe aztecorum and Tagetes lucida)

Psilocybin mushrooms (teonanacatl) and Mexican tarragon (yauhtli, Tagetes lucida) are used therapeutically in Nahua medicine, associated with thunderbolt and rain deities such as Tlaloc. Healers and ritual specialists often undergo initiation through being struck by lightning, dreams, visions, altered states, or persistent illness. Entheogenic healing rituals are conducted in quiet natural settings, with purification practices including fasting, ritual baths, and sexual abstinence. Mushroom use serves divinatory purposes, diagnosing illness and addressing problems like lost items, missing persons, unfaithful spouses, or enemies' actions.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This chapter examines the use of psilocybin mushrooms (known as teonanacatl or “the flesh of gods”) and Mexican tarragon (yauhtli, Tagetes lucida) for therapeutic purposes in Nahua medicine. These entheogenic substances are associated with thunderbolt and rain deities, part of a symbolic complex known as “the healing of the thunderbolt,” reflecting the influence of Tlaloc, the god of rain and lightning. The selection of Nahua healers and ritual specialists still often involve experiences of being struck by lightning, as well as dreams, visions, altered states of consciousness, or a persistent illness, which are seen as a form of training or initiation. The ancient Nahua worldview still provides the cultural context of entheogenic healing rituals. A notable feature of Nahua entheogenic practice is a preference for places in nature and with silence; in rural areas great care is taken to keep the noise of domestic animals from disturbing the patient. A purification process is also emphasized, including fasting or diet, a ritual bath, and abstaining from sex for days before the ceremony. A notable aspect of the mushroom use is divinatory, not only for diagnosing illness and determining appropriate cures, but also for determining other problems (lost items, missing persons, unfaithful spouses, and actions of enemies).