The pilgrimage of french spiritual tourists to the wellsprings of mexican neo-shamanism

Abstract

In this article, we will analyse a journey dedicated to the discovery of the ‘sources of indigenous knowledge’ undertaken in March 2009 by French people in a country unknown to them: Mexico. More specifically, we will look at their forms of participation in this journey organised by a shaman of Otomi origin called by the vernacular term of Bädi, i.e. “the shaman” in the Otomi language, by his followers. The aim of this trip is to enable them to discover the origins of shamanism, which the organiser links to the history of the indigenous people. In addition to visiting pre-Hispanic archaeological sites, the tour also includes a visit to Otomi country, which is presented as one of the centres of Mexican shamanism.