Last night I was invited to a ceremony in a Temazcal (a steam cloth cave, with hot rocks and herbs in the middle and cloths and branches making up the walls; I hear Temazcals differ depending on where you are in Mexico. One lady told me in Mexico City their walls are made out of volcanic rock and the floor is covered in herbs like eucalyptus) It was for females only a few days after the full moon. We entered, crawling one at a time, asking permission to enter and touching our heads to the ground. I felt connected to mother earth as I laid my head on the cold ground, i wanted kids.. I struggled with the heat, I felt lightheaded, I felt good, spiritual as i had not in a while, i struggled more. the singing kept us alive and present and un scared as we sat in the dark or curled up in a ball on the ground, waiting for the struggle to begin, be over with. The struggle of yourself, to push yourself. The singing continued. I felt happy, reunited with myself.
The volcanic rocks in the center are used since they can hold the heat and not explode. They are beautiful, in the dark cloth dome. It seemed like I had done it before, nothing was new but it was a coming back to my roots, to my beginning, my mom, to my ancestors, my moms in the past, who are with each other now, feeling connected to us so many decades after they were doing the same ceremony. I felt it. This is why this felt so familiar to me. Its in me, it in every women here and will be here for our daughter to come. The similarity of having women come, and be together, morn, or talk, or not say anything, to sing, to share, to cry, this uniting of women has happened for centuries and will continue. But sometimes we forget this, and need a ceremony to remind us of our unity as women.
This was a four doors Temazcal ceremony, where their is a chant at every time they open the door, either to let rocks in or cool air, allowing you to see the fire beyond the Temazcal, allowing light in and shadows. We came out after the fourth door ceremony to see the full moon high above the pine trees. A beautiful fire outside underneath the trees awaited us. We threw tobacco in it as we did in the beginning as an offering. We ate fruit from the altar and talked, and smiled.
My body sweat so much, I was happy i brought a pair of dry clothes to change into :)
The truck ride back through Witapek, was in the truck bed through the fog underneath jackets of those who had a ride inside the truck. It was a cuddly curvy ride with lights of the city bellow peaking through the trees. The full moon and stars above and wind followed us, it was magical. i felt a desire to not eat meat, to be healthy, i feel so clean still, my body, mind, soul... so happy i went... to be reminded and connected with my past. I ate a ton when i came home and slept.
