Blue Deer Retreat
March 8-11, 2026 in Tepoztlán, MexicoSOLD OUT
Please Email info[at]riseupjourneys[dot]com to join the cancellation list.
a sacred journey within
featuring a Wixárika peyote ceremony, crafts making, integration, & sweat lodgeFollowing the Blue Deer
The Blue Deer holds profound spiritual significance. Known as Kauyumari (in Wixárika) and Venado (in Spanish), the Blue Deer is a divine guide of spiritual journeys.
Retreat highlights
ALL INCLUSIVE
INDIGENOUS DIGNITY
PREP & INTEGRATION
We provide virtual and in-person group sessions to prepare for the journey within. Together we’ll find inspiration for getting the most out of the ceremony so the benefits can last a lifetime.
BEAUTIFUL NATURE
ART & SWEAT LODGE
SMALL GROUP SIZE
We limit the size of each group to ensure that you get individualized support while forming community and connection with the other participants. Don’t be surprised if you make friends that last a lifetime.
The Medicine: Peyote (Hikuri)
The peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) grows in the desert, where harsh conditions stimulate the production of the medicinal compound mescaline.
Known as “hikuri” by the Wixárika (Huichol) people, peyote is revered for its ability to heal trauma, promote emotional wellbeing, and engender mystical experiences. It’s also an important medicine for initiation ceremonies.
The Ceremony
Group ceremony offers an antidote to isolation and the opportunity to heal relational wounds. The peyote ceremony will be lead by Venado Juventino, a Wixárika marakame (shaman, or indigenous spiritual guide).
The ceremony is centered upon the medicines of Grandfather Fire, the Spirits, the Cactus, and the sacred songs that Venado sings from sunset to sunrise.
Craft Making Workshop
Made by weaving various-colored threads across wooden sticks, the “eye of God” is believed by the Wixárika to see and understand things that the physical eye does not comprehend. We will adorn our peyote ceremony space with the eyes we create, as talismans of guidance.
The Temazcal
The temazcal is a traditional Mexican sweat lodge ritual. Held within a womb-like hut, the temazcal ceremony connects us to nature, ourselves, and ancient Mexica (Aztec) traditions. The temazcal also helps us foster unity, community, and connection.
Integration & Ongoing Support
Integration helps us organize the information gleaned during the ceremony and weave it into our lives. Our skilled therapists are here to help you make sense and meaning out of your ceremony experiences, so you can weave the healing into your day-to-day life.
SOLD OUT
Email info[at]riseupjourneys[dot]com to join the cancellation list. Apply to This RetreatJoin Our Mailing ListRetreat fee: starting at $2,300 USD
- Tent in the yard: SOLD OUT
- Shared room twin bed: SOLD OUT
- Shared room double bed: SOLD OUT
- Private room double bed: SOLD OUT
- Private room king bed: SOLD OUT
What's Included
Group shuttle, accommodation, home made meals, crafts making workshop, peyote ceremony,* temazcal sweat lodge, daily mindfulness activities, & preparation/integration therapy.
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Accommodations:
- Comfortable rooms with ensuite bathrooms
- Housekeeping and groundskeeping
- Tasty meals cooked from scratch (GF, vegan options available) & filtered drinking water
- On-site swimming pool and heated warm pool
- Secure, private, gated property
Travel support includes:
Customized travel guide & packing list
Shuttle service between Mexico City or MEX airport and the retreat site
- Group communications app
*Note: To stay within legal requirements, the retreat fee does not include the hikuri itself. The medicine is transported, handled, and administered by the Marakame. Donation for the medicine happens separately, in cash only. Donations are optional.
Retreat Itinerary
The Journey Begins.
Before the retreat, we’ll provide you with travel guidelines and practical tips for preparation. We’ll also have a virtual group call to begin co-creating our healing container.
Day 1
The shuttles will arrive from the airport and the city, delivering us to our sacred healing retreat space in the late afternoon. After settling in, we’ll have a hearty dinner, followed by our opening ceremony, intentions, and introductions.
Day 2
After some gentle morning movement we’ll enjoy a home made breakfast. We’ll then learn how to make the Wixárika talismans that we’ll take into the ceremony. In the afternoon there’s down time, a light dinner, and then off we go to the all-night peyote (hikuri) ceremony!
Day 3
We’ll greet the sun after our all-night ceremony and share a nourishing breakfast before getting some rest. In the afternoon we’ll have a tasty lunch and gather for group integration therapy. The day ends with a cleansing and renewing Temazcal sweat lodge ceremony, which will help you work up an appetite for dinner and get a great night’s sleep.
Day 4
After morning movement and breakfast, we’ll host a beautiful closing ceremony in which we’ll thank ourselves and one another for the powerful work we’ve witnessed and shared. And then we’ll go forth and prosper!
Ongoing Integration
A week or two after the retreat ends we’ll meet online for one last group integration session.
SOLD OUT
Email info[at]riseupjourneys[dot]com to join the cancellation list. Apply to This RetreatJoin Our Mailing List
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What languages will be spoken?
Our Marakame’s first language is Wixárika (also known as Huichol), the Uto-Aztecan language of his people. He also speaks Spanish as a second language.
Translation will be available to make all information available in English and Spanish for our participants.
Will everyone take hikuri and sit in the temazcal?
Everyone attending the ceremony will be served the medicine. How much you take is entirely up to you. You are welcome to take as much or as little as you like.
Folks who have heat intolerance, claustrophobia, or other contraindication to the sweat lodge are of course welcome to sit outside of the temazcal during the ceremony. You’re also welcome to exit the temazcal at any point during the ceremony; nobody will be offended if you don’t stay for the whole ceremony.
Can I come if I'm on antidepressant medication?
The active chemical in peyote is mescaline. Anecdotally, we haven’t seen any harmful interactions between mescaline and most antidepressant drugs, although people who are taking Monoamine Oxidate Inhibitors (MAOis), anti-psychotics, or mood stabilizers should not consume peyote. Please consult your prescribing physician for guidance.
We recommend that people with heart conditions and other fragile states consult with their doctors before consuming peyote.
Are there any medical contraindications?
The active chemical in hikuri is mescaline.
We recommend that people with heart conditions and other fragile states consult with their doctors before consuming hikuri.
People with the following conditions may not be good candidates for using mescaline:
Cardiovascular Issues: Mescaline can increase heart rate and blood pressure, making hikuri particularly risky for individuals with pre-existing heart conditions, hypertension, or a history of stroke.
Mental Health Disorders: People with schizophrenia, psychosis, severe anxiety, or bipolar disorder may experience exacerbated symptoms or adverse psychological reactions, including hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: The effects of mescaline on a developing fetus or nursing infant are not well understood. While indigenous women regularly consume hikuri, there are no clinical studies proving the safety of this practice.
Liver Conditions: Mescaline is metabolized in the liver, so individuals with liver disease or impaired liver function may experience heightened adverse effects or toxicity.
Medication Interactions: Hikuri can interact with various medications. Talk with your prescribing doctor for details.
Seizure Disorders: Individuals with epilepsy or other seizure disorders may be at increased risk of seizures due to the psychoactive effects of mescaline.
How is the hikuri harvested?
The Marakame regularly goes on pilgrimmage to the Wirikuta Desert to make offerings, plant seeds, and harvest medicine. When he cuts the hikuri cactus, he is careful to leave the root structure in place, so that the plant may regenerate.
He then dries and grinds the medicine into powder, and combines the powder with other batches he has harvested. This means the medicine we take during the retreat will include some cacti he harvested last year, 10 years ago, and everything inbetween.
What about indigenous reciprocity?
The Marakame has received permission from his community to share the medicine with our group.
In return, we are partnering with the community to purchase land in the Wirikuta desert, so that the medicine cacti growing there may be protected from the harms of the encroaching mining industry.
People of all skin colors and ethnic backgrounds are welcome at our ceremonies. The Marakame says that he is happy to share this medicine “with my brothers and sisters of all cultures.”
Is this legal?
Yes, this retreat is legal.
Article 195 bis of the Federal Penal Code respects the use of hikuri for traditional spiritual practices or ceremonies when administered by authorized indigenous medicine carriers. The Marakame who will be leading the hikuri ceremony has this official permission (with documentation), as well as the blessing of his community.
Can I get a discount?
Because a significant portion of the profits from this event to the Wixárika community, we are limited in the number of discounts or scholarships we can offer.
Please indicate on your application form if you need a discount, and we will see how we can help!
If you’d like to help others access this medicine, please consider making a donation to our scholarship fund.
Why do we pay separately for the medicine?
To stay within legal regulations, the retreat fee does not include the substance itself.
As required by Mexican law, the medicine is transported, handled, and administered by a local the Marakame.
Credit card processing companies also cannot by law process payments for this substance.
Therefore, we invite you to make an optional donation in cash (USD or pesos) for the medicine itself.
More Questions?
Drop us a line at info [at] riseupjourneys [dot] com with questions.
After applying to join us, we’ll schedule a 15-minute meet-and-greet video call, so you’ll also have time to ask questions then.
SOLD OUT
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