Spirituality Beyond the Huichol Jewelry
What does make the huichol jewelry special and unique?
The Huichol are very spititual and wise people, who best show their feelings and spirituality through art, mainly in jewelry. For huichols who don´t work in agriculture and livestock, art is the way of living out. All members of the huichol family works in this labor. Children begins to learn the art of jewelry at the age of 5 years.
Jewelry learning is a complex process. Huichol begins making simple patterns on earrings, necklaces and bracelets. As times goes on, they grow in the jewelry art and begin to dominate the “chaquira technique” making beautiful shapes with delicious combinations of colors, such as roses, butterflies, deers, sun, moon. Nature is vital for the huichol people.
Huichol believe deeply that art reflects what is inside the soul and can not be shown at first sight. Besides, they use their jewelry to beautify themselves.
Peyote, an hallucinogen cactus , plays an important part in Huichol jewelry. When adults, Huichol people show what they have recieved through the peyote voyage. Peyote's importance can sometimes supersede other deities as in ethnographer, Stacy B Schaefer’s, documentation of a conversation with a San Andres Shaman, "Peyote is everything, it is the crossing of the souls, it is everything there is. Without peyote nothing would exist". (Wikipedia) For more information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyote
Beaded Jewelry, called by themselves as “chaquira” is what is all about. Such simple, such beautiful. Huichol first contact with beads was between year 1591 and 1600. Beds with a European origin. Since then, Huichol have developed a wonderful knitting and embroidery style, using better quality materials now.
Huichol, beautify our bodys and soul with your magic beaded jewelry!