05/08/2025
"Al Anochecer Cihuateteo” (2024) by Mexican artist (IG) — one of the many hauntingly beautiful works we encountered at the Anthropology Museum in Xalapa on our last MycoTreks journey.
The title translates to “Cihuateteo at Nightfall,” referencing the Aztec spirits of women who died in childbirth—souls revered like fallen warriors, believed to guide the setting sun into the underworld. These women were seen not as victims, but as divine protectors of thresholds: between life and death, day and night, power and vulnerability.
In Ramos’ striking interpretation, the goddess is surrounded by dark, root-like mycelium that drapes over what appear to be ancient books or codices—a potent symbol of buried wisdom, ancestral knowledge, and suppressed histories. The mycelium may represent the forces of nature and time reclaiming this sacred information, preserving it in the soil until it’s ready to rise again.
This fusion of fungus, myth, and memory reminds us that learning about ancient cultures isn’t just academic—it’s soul work. On our trips, we don’t just hunt mushrooms—we make space to absorb the deep cultural and historical context that shapes the land and the people who live in harmony with it.
Join us in Xalapa, Veracruz from July 13–20, 2025, and experience it for yourself. Walk through sacred landscapes, uncover hidden stories, and let both the fungi and the culture transform the way you see the world.
