Third abandoned photo: Martha and the sacred drink

Martha and the sacred drink, released on the streets: 02/11/2011.

Photo size: 24 x 30 cm

Frame: 30 x 40 cm

Martha and the sacred drink is a photo of my portfolio about the huichol people, an ethnic group in México. Huichol people keep their old traditions and they perform many religious ceremonies during the year. Although they are very friendly people, it's very difficult to be invited for they to visit their villages or participate on their ceremonies. I have some huichols friend and I'm a very fortunate person because they are my friends, but also because they have invited me to participate in some huichol ceremonies. Moreover, I must say vey few people have chance to see a huichol ceremony. 

Eight years ago I was on a huichol ceremony dedicated to ask blessings for the family members and drinking tesgüino (teswino). Tesgüino is a corn based sacred drink, it's prepared for drinking in special ceremonies and it can be drinking during social, religious or familiar celebrations. The tesgüino is prepared during several days because corn is dried under the sun light, then it's  grinded and mixed with boiled water. After boiling, the mix is storaged in a barrel to induce fermentation. Then after days into the barrel, the tesgüino is ready to drink. Because of the fermenation, the tesgüino is an alcoholic drink, it' has a sour taste and it's a refreshing drink; I think it's very taste! Well, about the ceremony, it consisted on going to a canyon in a sacred mountain to leave religious offerings on an altar. After leaving the offerings, all people drunk tesgüino, men, women, and children, it was a social ceremony in which all family members participated. Thus, in that ceremony I took the third abandoned photo. The photo shows the moment when Martha, a family mother, drinks the tesgüino; although it's seems a simple image,  it shows a intimate moment of Martha, but also it shows an intimate moment of the huichol culture.