TRANSLATED BY Virtual Angel, Thanks

Extract of an email sent to a beautiful lady on April 12, 1999. Reproduced with authorization of the adressee

What I am going to give you is general indications, but do take them into account. Don´t look upon the text in capital letters as a joke or a mistake; literally, it is what will let you distinguish between true and false chamanes or naguales.

Basically, what you asked for is information on chamanism and naguales in the north of Mexico. To begin with, let me tell you they are TOTALLY DIFFERENT things.

They have points in common: Both of them use certain similar rituals, both of them talk about dominating the spirits of Nature in order to arouse certain forces. Out of it, the chamanism has been more diffunded than Nagualism, because the latter is more abstract and practical, while Chamanism is simpler and ritualist, based on acts of faith, not of understandings.

CHAMANES:

Chamanism refers to which we call healers or magicians here in Mexico. Chamanes are persons who, basically, learned how to develop power or magic on the basis of leading and training animal spirits, and they widely use the term "magic". A present example are the famous "hueseros". Those that are "more connected" relate to tarahumaras and yaquis (in Mexico), and apaches (in USA)

Unfortunately, most of chamans are merely circus magicians. Few of them are capable to give you a real training, and they won´t do it unless you know some magic and/or medicine, techniques of hunting or similars -as long as they detect any interesting characteristic in your personality. The best track I can give you in order to know if you have that characteristic is just a bit funny, but realistic: Tomorrow, when you awake, before getting up, stay in bed during five minutes, and then go and look at yourself in the mirror BEFORE DOING ANYTHING. If your notice your eyes have more brightness than gum, you are the type =)

I can put you in contact with serious chamanes, mainly in the area of the sank bank and Yucatan, but I can´t assure they will give you any attention. Lately, in the North area there are many imitators of Castaneda´s Don Juan, but you can easily recognize them because they mix the terms Nagualism and chamanism. To those who run it seriously, the only thing I can do is talk about you, and they´ll decide (unless you come to Mexico to contact them personally, but I am sure that it is better contact them previously by post.)

On the other hand there are two types of chamans: the urban ones and the mountain ones. The mountain ones seem to me the best ones, but they are quite special, and that kind of learning often requires that you abandon the world for years. In case you are thinking of something quieter, look for an urban healer (sure there are some in Argentina), with the following qualities:

1. He/She doesn´t make the healing at patients´home.
2. The place where he/she accepts to talk to you (where he/she lives) has two or three religious images (Christ or the Virgin Maria). HE/SHE MUST HAVE NEITHER PENTAGRAMS, NOR EVIL OR NON CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS, NOR ANY KIND OF SYMBOL WHICH YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND. (empty circles on the floor are accepted)
3. Normally the floor is made of concrete and the walls are blue or lightgreen. Usually there are not chairs, but a kind of long and ugly benchs.
4. If he/she reads cards or something similar, HE SHOULDN´T READ TAROT EASILY, NOR YOU ASK FOR IT (commonly they read spanish cards or coffee).
5. If he/she reads your hand, he must not have it in his hands more than one or two minutes.
6. When looking for a healer, DO NOT LOOK FOR A WOMAN (it is difficult to distinguish to the true ones from the false ones)
7. If they speak something that sounds "brazilian" to you (the word "caboclo", for example), call me immediately with more details
8. If you see something luxurious, use your instinct, if you feel something goes wrong, leave the place immediately with any pretext.

All the beforementioned is about CHAMANES

NAGUALES:

Before entering into details, it is important to mention that in Mexico there are 4 great branches of Naguales. To these ones, it is truly difficult to find them, although I can give you some important tips:

Branch 1) The oldest and most experienced Nagual lives in the state of Chiapas, his style is very similar to Castaneda´s Don Genaro, and, as a characteristic of his personality, he could strip your goods and give them to the poor. Nevertheless, due to the situation of almost Civil War, it is not recommendable you try to find him until the Ejercito Zapatista lay weapons down (it is the soldiers who could harm you, not the rebels... mexican style) .

Branch 2) According to what I know, CARLOS CASTANEDA dead last year: Any person who says to be in contact with him, is pulling your legs. I do not know surely who the New Nagual is. It seems to be Emilio.

Branch 3) It is me.

Branch 4) Don Rosendo. I lost the track to this branch years ago, and recently I have heard of a Nagual called Don Rosendo, towards the mixteca, nevertheless I do not have much information about him except for some writings of Jorge Dájer (you could possibly locate him in the Internet, but do non mention my name by any reason). It is a kind of Nagualismo oriented towards the sensuality and the direct experience, induced by chemicals or natural substances. For some people, this it is the best way, but my training makes me oppose to them, as they are potentially dangerous.

Obviously, in order to advice you better, I need to know more about you. Tell me more in your next mail, okay?