Traditional Medicinal Rituals from Mexico Coming to Bulgaria: The Trip of Huichol People

Абстракт

This paper presents in detail the visits of several Mexican Huichol (Wixárika) shamans and their apprentices to Bulgaria between 2014 and 2018. Most of these visits took place in different villages across the country in the form of gatherings (some of which the author personally observed) with Bulgarians interested in exotic spiritual practices. The Wixárika tradition thus appeared for the first time in Bulgaria and, allegedly, on the Balkan peninsula, with all its ritual paraphernalia – amulets, sacred objects, and the spirit of their sacred chanting as well.
Against this background, the paper examines how these centuries-old heal-ing rituals from a non-European culture were carried out in a contemporary Euro-pean context, considering that these shamans were based in Switzerland and have traveled across Western Europe before coming to Bulgaria. In addition, the process of internationalization, globalization and commercialization of these rituals, including the participation of non-indigenous shamans and apprentices alike, is also discussed. Finally, the paper considers the possibility of a dialogue between the Bulgarian Christian tradition and the pagan rituals of the Huichol people.