Marakame Juan Ortiz

Don Juan Ortiz, from Jalisco, Mexico, holds the ancestral lineage of the Wirrarika (Huichol) Traditional Healers and serves as the First Chant Leader (Primer Cantor) of his community. Recognized as a Marakame, he is a spiritual guide and guardian of sacred sites, carrying the responsibility to plant light and activate places of power.
He is also one of the few permitted by the Mexican government to perform living offerings — sacred rituals dedicated to calming and honoring the elemental forces of nature.
With over 35 years walking the path of the Blue Deer Medicine — Hikuri (Peyote), Don Juan leads the traditional Deer Hunt in the Wirikuta desert, an ancient pilgrimage where his people gather the “Stars of Peyotito,” reconnecting Heaven and Earth through prayer, song, and ceremony.
A true bridge between the visible and invisible worlds, Don Juan’s chants and offerings keep alive the heartbeat of Wirrarika tradition and its sacred commitment to the balance of all life.