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Frequently asked questions:

 

1.How do I join the Peyote Way Church?

You can join the church by emailing us your request to become a member. There is a membership fee of $50.00, which can be paid via Paypal or by sending a check to The Peyote Way Church, 30800 W. Klondyke Rd, Willcox, AZ 85643. You can email Annie at peyoteway@gmail.com (Please include a mailing address and I will send you a membership application.)

2. How do I request a spirit walk?

After joining the church e-mail peyoteway@yahoo.com or call 928-828-3444 with your request and to see about spirit walk availability dates. It is helpful when scheduling to have an idea what dates would work best for you.

3. What is your church's doctrine?

The Peyote Way Church keeps its doctrine pretty simple. Be good to one another. To learn more read the Peyote Way and the Articles of Faith

4. What is the Peyote Way Church's connection to the Mormon Church?

None. The founders of the Peyote Way Church believe that the body is the temple of the holy spirit and that diet is essential to a conscious life. We adopted the word of wisdom (Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) as the dietary code of the church as it was concise, well written and voiced our sentiments. We only advocate its adherence. it is not a commandment, but a "principle with a promise."

5. Are there other Peyote Way Churches?

There may be other Peyote centered churches, but this church is not affiliated with any other church at this time.

6. Can you describe the Spirit walk?

We schedule Spirit Walks from March to November. The Spirit Walk requires three days - the first day the communicant arrives in the afternoon and begins fasting. The second day, one must find their Spirit Walk area, drink water and rest until sundown. At about five the counselor will provide instructions and a sacramental tea for the communicant to drink. The experience is individual and very personal and unique to each individual and usually lasts 12-24 hours.

The Spirit Walk is a solitary spiritual experience. You can read about it on the website, but here is what will happen. I will email you directions to the Church. The journey alone is a pilgrimage of sorts. You will be asked to fast upon your arrival here. This is so your body will be "clean"-empty, and prepared to rapidly assimilate the holy sacrament peyote. We will talk a little bit about your past experience with psychedelics, if any, and also discuss any fears or questions you may have. You will be asked to take a walk around, while you are fasting, to find a place on the land for your Spirit Walk, and to then prepare the area by getting firewood, and taking water, a lawn chair and/or a pad and blanket (or maybe set up a tent-see the Spirit Walk page), to the chosen place. I make the tea because it is a good way to get a lot of medicine down. What happens while you are at your site, drinking the tea, but it tends to be a time of introspection and repentance followed by an overwhelming sense of forgiveness. Once we have received this gift of forgiveness it is still up to us  to forgive ourselves. Those who have a tendency towards reflection may find that their experience is more buoyant. At the heart of it is a personal experience of the mysteriousness of this existence and the many facets which we often refuse to see in our daily life.  Please understand I cannot send or sell you the sacrament--I am constrained by Federal laws, not to mention my very limited supply, also affected by Federal laws. You will have better luck checking out the international sites where Peyote is not a controlled substance. The Spirit Walk is by appointment only. Please see the Spirit Walk page for more information.

6. Do I have to camp the whole time that I am at the church?

There are two guest rooms in the Congregation House, the church building, where guests are invited to stay during the first night and the next day. Communicants will be encouraged to camp out the night of their spirit walk.

7. I am an advocate for the religious and sacramental use of peyote. I would also advocate the use of any psychedelic for religious or spiritual purposes, but that is not my basis for these questions. I was visiting your web-site, and noticed a few things that raised some minor questions. One concerns your avocation of abstention from the use of tobacco. I am not myself a Native American, but I thought that tobacco was a big part of their heritage. Do they not themselves smoke tobacco? And do you require its abstinence from your members simply due to it's harmful effects to the body? 

Yes. Tobacco is a sacred plant to most North American tribes, but due to the harmful effects of commercial tobacco products on the body, we believe tobacco should only be used for sacramental purposes. There is nothing in our Bylaws that requires an Associate member to practice any of the Word of Wisdom. It is, as written, a recommendation.

8. What is the extent of accommodation at the Sanctuary? I saw that members are welcome to visit the church three days annually, but no more than that? Do any members choose to live at the Sanctuary and are they welcomed? Thank you for your time. Peace and good fortune to you.

The Church sanctuary is in the remote Aravaipa wilderness, and a three day stay is usually quite long enough for most people. Certainly, a member who wishes to return again for a brief stay or extend their stay, or return for a Spirit Walk after an initial visit, can obtain permission. The Bylaws allow 3-7 days, up to a month, upon receipt of a Declaration of Intent that's approved by the Board of Stewards. Members who wish to stay longer, or who wish to live here, must fill out an application. Everyone who lives here has a purpose and an intention that's in accordance with the Bylaws, or has been approved by the Board of Stewards. No one is here just to hang out, waste time, or hide. One of our services to the membership is to provide an environment of serenity, so that each visitor can enjoy the quiet of nature, and benefit from the holy sacrament.

9.Your site seems to be very female orientated, does that mean that only women may become a member?

10. If one were to join your group, would they be able to use peyote without legal repercussions? 

The present political and social climate at this time, in this country is such that you may be arrested for your religious practice of Peyotism. The only states that have legal provisions regarding the bonafide religious use of Peyote by non-Indians are Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon. In these states, the Church’s “Declaration of Religious Belief” should protect an individual in possession of Peyote. 

11. Do you know where someone can obtain either live peyote (Lophophora williamsii) plants or seeds to be shipped to the U.S.?

Gerhart Kohres, Wingstr. 33, Erzhausen/Darmstadt, 64390 GermanyPhone# (06150) 7241 These folks are very honest, and the seeds have a high germination rate. (seeds only). One can also purchase plants from www.divinecactus.com

12. If I will come to your church will you sell me peyote?

No.

13. How many peyote buttons are ingested?

21 grams of powdered Peyote tops (the equivalent of 12-15 Peyote buttons) in a tea reduced to 12 fluid ounces.

14. While interested in your organization, I am also curious as to your specific religious disposition.  In "The Peyote Way" section of your website, you state the following:
(The health of the body, of the family, and of the Earth-see section 89 of the Doctrine and covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.) I admittedly know nothing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- and at the heals my ignorance comes the familiar skepticism of the intent of your organization.  Please forgive this, as it is not a reflection of your intentions, but an increasing feeling in me of avoidance of all specifically dogma oriented, fundamentalist religions.
   Is there a reason you affiliate directly with a specific religious organization, and yet in the membership section state, "Associate membership is available to anyone over the age of 18 regardless of race or spiritual disposition...?"
I am very interested (and have been for a while) in the mystico-religious experience associated with the use of entheogenic substances, but am wary of "recruitment" to a particular religious belief (what usually amounts to no more than culturally and socially interpretive dogma, in my experience).
    How would you assuage these concerns?

The Peyote Way Church is non-denominational.  We have no dogma except perhaps the Articles of Faith. We require no one else to believe as we do. We are more concerned about behavior than beliefs. Peyote is the source and teacher, and we won't contradict anyone's personal beliefs. We do require membership for the Spirit Walk and suggest a donation (see the Spirit Walk page). Donations help us maintain the Peyote House and the sacrament, and help us provide each communicant with an optimal experience.

15. Can I visit the church?

Yes. By appointment only as we are not always there or available.

16. Do I have to come to the church alone?

No. But your friend or family member must understand that you must be left alone during your spirit walk. Friends can be helpful, but can also distract.

17. Will I have a sitter during my spirit walk?

No. We do our best to prepare the communicant for their experience and are available in the event of need, but guides and sitters can be a problem when an individual is in a sensitive altered space. There is plenty of time after the spirit walk to discuss any problems that came up during the spirit walk.

18. Is it possible to visit the church for a Spirit Walk without Peyote?

Yes. We ask that you request a "Conservationist Membership" It is for people who want to appreciate the land and nature and learn more about our Church and sacrament in a non-experiential way.

 

P.S. The current Federal restriction on Peyote cultivation is putting the sacrament in peril. The native growing fields in Texas and Northern Mexico are being depleted with no investment in renewal. We believe that under the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, Peyotists have the freedom to grow and protect their sacrament as part of their religious practice.

 

Rev. Immanuel Trujillo, Rev. Anne L Zapf, Rabbi Matthew S. Kent