THE LORD OF LAS PEÑITAS

Every fifth Friday of Lent on the outskirts of the community of Reyes, Etla, a century-old tradition is celebrated that has its origins in the ancient times of the old grandparents.

Indeed, the Anahuac tradition celebrates "living beings" with those who shared the world and life, and in this case especially, with a rocky promontory that has traces of having been used by prehistoric man.

For our ancient Toltec grandparents the ancient philosophy called Toltecáyotl, whether they were Zapotecs, mayas or nahuas, everything in this world had life, whether animal, vegetable and mineral. So they "venerated" mountains that possessed a strong energy charge.

This enormous rock or mountain, for thousands of years has been a place of "worship". By the conquest and cultural resistance, the millenary traditions, usages and customs, had to be modified to overcome the cultural and religious forms of the colonizers, but in its center, their essence remains intact and people still atavically build their 'casitas' at the top of the rock, to leave their prayers.

As the Spaniards could not eradicate the sacred custom, they built a chapel and created a new veneration, now the "Lord of las Peñitas" and people continues to come from faraway places do "their prayer" to this energy force that is located in the rock.

Finally what matters is not to "worship" a figure in the temple or a large rock, the important thing is that the children of our dear mother Tonatzin, continue loving and feeling that there is a spiritual contact between them and nature. That they are not alone and that they are heard.

This is the point of our "traditions and customs", making "Oaxaca the spiritual reserve of Mexico". Mexicans in general, but in particular oaxacans have not removed from our souls the spiritual essence that has marked us for eight thousand years.

The true miscegenation of Mexico is cultural. So show the countless faces of all "Mexicos" who live in each State, in every region, every family and every person. The richness of Mexico is that we are all in one and one in all. The civilization of the Anahuac not dead, is still alive and valid and manifests itself in many forms, both urban and rural.

The wonder of our country is that nowadays no one dresses the maxtla, feathers, tilma or copilli, but we all eat beans, chile, tortillas, tamales, drinking chocolate, chia water, chew gum and dress Western-style, we use cell and internal combustion vehicles to transport us.

We are still "in essence" anahuacas Zapotec, Mixtec, Maya, Nahua, Purépecha, totonac and a long etcetera. Like all peoples of the world we have changed. Swedes and Norwegians are still "Vikings", although they no longer use skins for clothing, helmets with horns and no longer use their typical oar ships.

Because we live in a colonial society that rejects the original culture, to which belongs the majority of the people, we have a "dominant culture" extremely racist and classist, that excludes and rejects any value of the invaded and enhances all value of the invaders.

The misfortune of Mexico is precisely this rejection and devaluation of "the own-ours", the best of ourselves and the illusory search for something we will never be. For these reasons "Oaxaca occupies a very important place in the face and heart of the nation".

In Oaxaca we are and live, as has been lost and forgotten in many parts of the country, the way so characteristic of this wonderful cultural mix of peoples and wisdoms of Europe, Africa, Asia and of course, with the fundamental basis of the Anahuac. In just 50 years many of the traditions and customs of the country have been lost.

"The Lord of las Peñitas" on the fifth Friday of lent brings together many people, who intuitively follow faithful atavistic way the tradition of venerating this huge rock that has life and who listens to who makes "a petition" with the proper devotion. The permanence of spirituality in our time of materialism, globalization and neo-liberalism is a true human treasure.

This is the greatest wealth of peoples and Oaxacan cultures. This lively passion for spirituality, by the commonality, by the family, that is lived in eight regions in various ways, but all of them share values and ancestral principles of our mother culture mother.