Mazatec Mushroom Apprenticeship Program

A Three-Year Lineage-Based Apprenticeship in Sacred Healing and Service

The Mazatec Mushroom Apprenticeship Program is a three-year immersive journey rooted in the sacred mushroom tradition of the Mazatec people of Huautla de Jiménez, Mexico.

This program is designed for those who feel a sincere calling to walk the Mazatec healing path with humility, discipline, cultural respect, and long-term commitment. It blends direct ceremonial experience, cultural education, mentorship, and therapeutic application, preparing apprentices to work alongside initiated facilitators with integrity and accountability.

This is not a certification shortcut. It is a relational apprenticeship grounded in lineage, supervision, and service.

Program Overview

Across three years, apprentices are guided through increasing levels of responsibility, cultural understanding, and ceremonial presence. Learning takes place through:

• Supervised ceremonial participation

• Ongoing mentorship and supervision

• Cultural and song classes

• Annual field immersions in Huautla de Jiménez, Mexico

• Self-directed spiritual discipline and study

The apprenticeship cultivates both personal transformation and professional readiness within sacred healing contexts.

Annual Core Structure

• 3 Ceremonial Retreats per Year
  Quarterly retreats in Colorado (USA) or Europe, focused on experiential learning, service, and observation. Each retreat will include 3 ceremonies

• Annual Huautla de Jimenez, Mexico Excursion Excursion (7 days)
  Direct study with the Mazatec teacher at the birthplace of this tradition, including:

  • 3 traditional mushroom ceremonies

  • Supervision and cultural instruction

  • Sacred mountain offerings

  • Altar preparation and ritual practice

  • Traditional Mazatec supporting healing modalities such as egg cleanses and a green tobacco called San Pedro

• Monthly Group Mentorship Calls (10 per year)
  Live guidance, reflection, and lineage teaching.

• Supervision Calls (4–5 per year)
  One-on-one integration and feedback following retreats and the excursion.

• Mazatec Culture & Song Classes (10 per year for year 1 & 2)
  Language, cosmology, altar work, ritual protocols, and ceremonial songs.

• Master Classes (10 per year for year 1 & 2)
  Ethics, preparation & integration, client screening, therapeutic frameworks, and legal/operational considerations.

• Self-Directed Daily Practice
  Meditation, journaling, prayer, and energetic awareness as part of disciplined apprenticeship life.

Year 1: Foundations of Mazatec Healing

Focus:

• Foundational Mazatec cultural understanding
• Personal healing and discipline
• Ceremony familiarity
• Exploration of Mazatec supporting healing modalities
• Preparation and integration support skills
• Early song and language exposure
• Ethical foundations

Year 2: Deepening the Practice

Focus:

• Greater confidence in ceremonial space
• Stronger client support skills
• Deepening of song and language familiarity
• Greater understanding of Mazatec supporting healing modalities
• Continuation of personal healing work

Year 3: Apprenticeship in Action

Focus:

• Competence in traditional healing techniques
• Deep respect-based relationship with lineage
• Mature ceremonial presence
• Continuation of personal healing work

After completion:

• Continuation of supervision
• For those interested in initiation and/or to learn more, we will offer opportunities to apprentice outside of a formal program structure 
• When you have been formally initiated either during the program or after, you will be mentioned on our website as an accredited facilitator 

Important Notes

• This apprenticeship does not authorize independent ceremony facilitation or guarantee initiation.

• Progression is based on readiness, integrity, and ethical alignment.

• Participation requires full commitment to program agreements, supervision, and reciprocity.

• Cultural respect, consent, and humility are non-negotiable.

Preliminary Schedule Year 1

This is the preliminary retreat and excursion schedule. Retreats may be attended in either the USA or Europe. The Huautla de Jiménez, Mexico excursion is mandatory for all participants. Retreats and the excursion are booked separately and are not included in the apprenticeship tuition.

Huautla de Jimenez, Mexico excursion; Nov 13-20, 2026

Retreats in Colorado or Europe 2026 – 2027;

• Colorado; April 9-12 and 16-19, 2026 – You choose one of the weekends
• Colorado; April 14, 2026 – apprentices only
• Colorado; September 17-20 and 24-27, 2026 – You choose one of the weekends
• Colorado; September 22, 2026 – apprentices only
• Colorado; March 11-14 and 18-21, 2027 – You choose one of the weekends
• Colorado; March 16, 2027 – apprentices only

• Europe; May 21-4, 2026
• Europe, July 2-5, 2026
• Europe, July 7, 2026 – apprentices only
• Europe, September 17-20, 2026 – apprentices only
• Europe, February 4-7, 2027

Application & Commitment

Enrolment is application-based and includes screening conversations to ensure readiness, alignment, and the capacity for long-term commitment. Applicants are asked to have previously sat in ceremony with one of the facilitators and to have received permission to apply.

If you have not yet sat in ceremony within this tradition and with our facilitators, we invite you to attend the February 16-25, 2026 retreat. You can find more information and apply here. During this time, you will participate in three ceremonies, after which the facilitator will let you know if an application feels aligned. Hugo values the natural ability and sensitivity required to work with this tradition and ceremony, and our intention is to ensure that each participant is well suited and supported on this path. This retreat also offers an opportunity for potential participants to meet Hugo personally and discern whether they feel called to learn from him over the course of the three-year program.

Applications are selective and approached with care. For our first annual cohort, there are 14 available spaces available.