To some, spirituality is sitting cross-legged in eternal meditation. To others it is the ritual rites of incense, chanting, and circumambulation. Or perhaps spirituality is simply summed up in the latest Deepak Chopra quote trending on Instagram.
That’s all fine and good.
But I see spirit singing in all things.
And I love collaborating with folks like WSE Travel, who’s leadership in Positive Impact Travel seeks to sustain the spirit in the local cultures and traditions we’re drawn to engaging with.
On one such WSE adventure came my most recent encounter with the magnificent magic of spirit - in the village of San Martín Tilcajete (outside of Oaxaca City, Mexico), at Dante & Maricela’s modest family workshop, Alebrijes el Sueño Zapoteco.
There I was enraptured by artisans bowed down in devotion to the painstaking detail of their craft, laughing heartily at their latest fantastical creations, and eagerly sharing stories of the ways things once were before the Disney-Pixar movie Coco put a contorted version of alebrijes on the map and flooded their town with visitors and mass-production methods.
You see, alebrijes (fantastical wood-carved hand-painted animal-creatures) are not an ancient tradition (though many commercial operators will spin you a tall tale). It all started not so long ago with a talented (yet unknown) artist named Pedro Linares, who lived in Mexico City during the 1930s. According to Linares, he fell seriously ill in 1936 and slipped into unconsciousness. During this altered state of mind, he experienced vivid hallucinations of a mysterious forest filled with unusual creatures, visions that he eventually carved into crude wood figures that look nothing like the alebrijes we know today. Even the name alebrije, according to Linares himself, is just a made up word, with no deeper meaning.
Shortly after his creations took form, a documentary filmmaker on a different mission passed by Linares’ humble market stall, had a quick chat, and caught a few on camera. The rest is history.
Many miles away, the Zapotec villagers of San Martín Tilcajete (who were traditionally known for their expertly hand-carved wooden carnival masks) saw an opportunity to catch a wild trend and bring abundance back to a community that was fading. Eventually they became the destination spot for artisanal alebrijes. For better or worse.
For me, what remains most striking is not the alebrijes themselves.
What spoke to my heart most sweetly was Dante’s love for the entire process… the sacred copal trees that he simultaneously carves with care and reforests as a refuge for future generations… the slow drying of natural plant-based pigments in the midday sun (where others are fast-baking in microwaves)… the homage he pays to ancient ancestral Zapotec and Nahuatl dieties, in his creations that dare to be different than Disney.
Spirit sings through Dante and Maricela every moment they are creating. It’s obvious to anyone who sits in their radius. They honour their ancestors while bridging their wisdom with modern market demands. A delicate dance that is not easy, though they masterfully make it look to be so.
I bow to them in gratitude for welcoming us into their world, and being courageous and humble enough to share their reality.
Truth is, whether we know it or not, and whatever name we choose to call it by, there is an essence that flows through us all, painting a multi-dimensional picture of indescribable beauty, as fantastical and colourful as the alebrijes of Dante's creation.
But, here's the catch. Spirit only reveals itself when we are willing to truly see.
See for yourself:
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