Field Guide

Maria Sabina: Mushroom Priestess

  • 5 min read
Maria Sabina: Mushroom Priestess

Maria Sabina (1894–1985) was a Mazatec healer from Huautla de Jiménez in Oaxaca, Mexico. Known for her sacred mushroom ceremonies, Sabina's legacy as a curandera has deeply influenced Western interest in indigenous practices and healing. Her life was marked by both spiritual significance and controversy, as her connection to the natural world and use of mushrooms for healing attracted widespread attention.


Meeting Maria Sabina

Born into a Mazatec family with a strong connection to traditional medicine, Sabina's spiritual journey began at a young age. She was introduced to sacred mushrooms, referred to as "holy children," by her family. These mushrooms, believed to offer visions and spiritual insights, became the cornerstone of her healing practice.

Maria’s veladas, or healing ceremonies, were performed at night and involved consuming the mushrooms to open channels to spiritual realms. These rituals helped people seeking physical, emotional, or spiritual healing. Sabina's unique ability to communicate with the divine through the mushrooms earned her a reputation as a powerful healer and spiritual guide.

The Sacred Words of Maria Sabina

Aside from her healing practice, Sabina was known for her poetic, mystical language, which she claimed was spoken through her by the mushrooms themselves. She never saw herself as a poet in the traditional sense but rather as a vessel for sacred wisdom. Her recitations during ceremonies often reflected deep connections to nature and spirituality.

“Cure yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon.

With the sound of the river and the waterfall.

With the swaying of the sea and the fluttering of birds.

Heal yourself with mint, with neem and eucalyptus.

Sweeten yourself with lavender, rosemary, and chamomile.

Hug yourself with the cocoa bean and a touch of cinnamon.

Put love in tea instead of sugar, and take it looking at the stars.

Heal yourself with the kisses that the wind gives you and the hugs of the rain.

Get strong with bare feet on the ground and with everything that is born from it.

Get smarter every day by listening to your intuition, looking at the world with the eye of your forehead.

Jump, dance, sing, so that you live happier.

Heal yourself, with beautiful love, and always remember: you are the medicine.”

Her verses, rooted in the Mazatec worldview, celebrated the natural world and its ability to heal, connecting her audience to the elements of life. These poetic incantations became widely appreciated, and her words continued to inspire even as her fame spread beyond her village.

A Gateway for Western Psychonauts

In the 1950s, Maria Sabina became known to the wider world, particularly in the West, after American banker and ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson visited her. Wasson participated in her velada and later published accounts of the experience, bringing global attention to her practice. This sparked a wave of interest in indigenous mushroom rituals, and soon after, prominent figures of the 1960s counterculture—such as Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, and even John Lennon and the Beatles—sought out Sabina for their own spiritual journeys.

While Sabina’s connection with these famous psychonauts brought her international recognition, it also attracted a flood of outsiders to Huautla. Foreign visitors were eager to experience the mushroom ceremonies for themselves, but many came with no understanding of or respect for the traditions Sabina upheld.

Controversy and Consequences

The sudden influx of Western visitors caused tension within Sabina's community. While she had long been revered for her healing, the commercialization of her sacred practice led to significant backlash. Her village, which had once supported her work, grew resentful as tourists and seekers disrupted the local way of life. Many Mazatec people blamed Sabina for attracting this unwanted attention, and her once-respected position within the community began to deteriorate.

Adding to the strain, Sabina lived in poverty despite her fame. While outsiders profited from her ceremonies, she received little financial compensation, remaining in difficult living conditions until her death. The exploitation of her healing tradition without tangible benefits left Sabina disillusioned. In her later years, she reportedly lamented that the sacred mushrooms had "lost their power" because they were no longer used with the same respect and reverence.

Maria Sabina's life became a symbol of the complex relationship between indigenous knowledge and Western fascination. Her openness to sharing her culture led to an increased global awareness of sacred traditions, but it also came at a great personal cost. She died in 1985, impoverished and largely estranged from the very community she had served for decades.


A Complicated Legacy

Maria Sabina's legacy is one of both inspiration and caution. Her willingness to share her knowledge with the world helped preserve a sacred tradition that might have otherwise faded into obscurity. However, the consequences of her openness highlighted the challenges indigenous healers face when their practices are commodified by outsiders.

Today, Maria Sabina is remembered not only as a healer but also as a symbol of resilience and cultural preservation. Her story serves as a reminder of the need for respect and understanding when engaging with indigenous traditions, ensuring that such sacred knowledge is honored rather than exploited.



Books about Maria Sabina:

  1. "Maria Sabina: Her Life and Chants" by Alvaro Estrada This is one of the most detailed and respectful accounts of Maria Sabina’s life. Written by Alvaro Estrada, a fellow Mazatec, the book documents her biography and presents her chants, offering insights into her spiritual practices. Estrada's work has been praised for authentically capturing her voice.
  2. "Sacred Mushroom of Visions: Teonanácatl" by Ralph Metzner This book includes a section on Maria Sabina and the role of sacred mushrooms in spiritual practices. Metzner explores indigenous shamanic traditions and the sacred use of mushrooms, referencing Maria Sabina’s work as a healer.
  3. "The Life of María Sabina, the Mazatec Shaman and Mushroom Healer" by Álvaro Estrada (Translated by Henry Munn) This biographical book is another work by Álvaro Estrada, originally in Spanish. It chronicles Maria Sabina's life from a Mazatec perspective and her role as a curandera. The English translation was done by Henry Munn.
  4. "Psilocybin: Magic Mushroom Grower’s Guide" by Terence McKenna and Dennis McKenna Though not solely focused on Maria Sabina, the book mentions her as a key figure who introduced the world to the traditional use of mushrooms. The McKenna brothers were heavily influenced by her work.

Movies and Documentaries:

  1. "Maria Sabina, Mujer Espíritu" (Maria Sabina, Spirit Woman) – 1979 Directed by Nicolás Echevarría, this documentary is one of the most well-known films about Maria Sabina. It features interviews with her and presents a vivid portrayal of her life and the sacred rituals she performed. The film captures her community, environment, and role as a healer.
  2. "Little Saints" – 2014 Directed by Oliver Quintanilla, this documentary includes a segment on Maria Sabina. It explores the continued use of sacred mushrooms in Mexico and how Sabina's legacy has influenced both indigenous and modern spiritual practices.

OOMA: The Mind Inspired

Like Maria Sabina, we see sacred mushrooms as a key aspect of healing. OOMA is created and led by women. We seek to acknowledge the women and leaders who came before us on this journey. 

If you’re ready to experience the healing aspects of the “sacred children” in our microdose blend, check out our OOMA shop. Learn more about Microdosing and OOMA at our OOMA 101.

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