I began this path in January 2020 in response to a pressing desire to be of service to the healing and evolution of this planet. At the time I had spent the last decade on a path of self cultivation, but was seeking clarity on how to align my vocation with mission and purpose.
I had been practicing law for almost a decade at the time, but I had rarely felt like more than a mercenary. That is what they train you to be in law school - a sword for hire. They train you to know the law, and to be a zealous advocate for your clients and their objectives. But deeper inquiries into justice and truth, and serving the good of all, are marginal considerations at best.
At the end of 2021 I was ready to walk away from the profession and dedicate my life to spiritual vocation. At the time it was the right thing to do. Since then I’ve sat with and facilitated a lot of medicine work. For the past few years that has felt like the most important thing in the world for me to be doing. I’ve frequently gotten the message that without that work there might not be a tomorrow, so it is time to put everything on the line and press forward.
But in recent months that has started to shift. When the government seized our medicine the mission hit an inflection point. My instructions began to change.
My sword is being melted, and recast. All the impurities are being boiled away and something stronger and more righteous is being made. I’m still being forged. Life is beating the shit out of me to see what I’m made of. But a direction is becoming clear.
The medicine is preparing me to be a warrior for justice and truth, and asking me to reclaim and redeem the role of lawyer.
The Earth is in desperate need of good lawyers. The government has become one of the biggest obstacles to the evolution of consciousness, and a positive future for humanity. The war on drugs has been a war on consciousness that has outlawed Earth-based spirituality and sacraments. Corporations have achieved almost absolute control over our lives and economies through the banking system and agency capture. The military industrial complex and intelligence agencies have ruthlessly suppressed technologies that might eliminate poverty and pollution in the name of national security.
The new Earth is wanting to be born, but the regressive forces of fear, greed, and control that animate many parts of the government are doing their best to perform a late term abortion.
I took an oath when I was 25 years old to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States. I’m only starting to appreciate the gravity of that commitment. The judiciary is the third branch of government, and every lawyer is an officer of the court. Most of us are enforcers of the status quo and servants to the powerful. But some continue to dedicate their lives to speaking truth to power, and holding the government accountable.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. seems to be one of those lawyers. He has been showing up in ceremony a lot recently, imparting the qualities it takes to be a warrior for justice and truth. His uncle and father inspired a generation of lawyers and politicians to join the battle for civil rights and to create a more just and peaceful world. It is my hope that another Kennedy Presidency will do the same.
If we want the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible we must be willing to fight for it. I continue to believe that the most powerful way to serve the more beautiful world is to be the change we wish to see in the world. But without liberty and certain basic human rights being that change becomes all but impossible. The more beautiful world is still in its infancy, and guardians are needed to ensure it has room to grow.
Where does that leave the medicine work? It will go on. I will continue in my personal practice and sitting with my teachers, and will facilitate when asked.
I am at the beginning of a path that I will spend the rest of my life walking. I’m being carved, and in the process of becoming. I’ve given up on trying to draw conclusions prematurely. I simply know I must keep walking and listening for direction.
I’m being expanded, and as my capacity expands I’m being asked to do more. This path makes you a better truer version of whatever you already are. It takes the totality of your being, and helps you to reshape it in service to life.
As part of this restructuring I’m in the process of selling my home in Kentucky, and moving to Asheville, North Carolina to be closer to one of my teachers and his community. I’ve been in a lot of communities over the years, and have often served as a leader. But I’ve almost never felt like I was a part of community. I’ve always felt a little separate.
Its time to learn how to be a part of community by being in community with folks who seem to be doing it well. That is my intention for the next year. To be a part of community, while sitting with the medicine, helping out and allowing myself to be helped when needed, and finding a way to be useful as a lawyer serving justice and truth.
Upcoming Offerings:
Peru Huachuma Pilgrimage, January 17 - February 1, 2024: In January we will once again undertake a sacred Huachuma pilgrimage under the benevolent guidance of supremely skilled Huachumero and Maestro Don Martin. We will visit 7 of the most sacred ceremonial sites on the planet, including the pyramids and Jurassic Park-like environs by the coast, and a 500+ year old tree. We then will experience the magnificent upper world energy of the Peruvian highlands, including the Chavín Temple, and close out the pilgrimage at Heaven's Gate. This pilgrimage is truly a journey through time and the most potent spiritual practice any student of Huachuma can engage in. Each ceremony introduces you to a multidimensional portal filled with the secrets of the universe. Everyone I know who has completed the pilgrimage has said that it is by far one of the most profound experience of their lives. As long as there is interest we will make these pilgrimages twice a year in January and July.
What People Are Saying
"...Our Huachumero, don Martín, serves unrelenting strong medicine. Psyche splintering medicine which allows you to see who you are in this dimension and in the planes of consciousness normally off-limits. The continual strength of Huachuma takes you to another level of perception. I see the magic at my fingertips and can peer into a future not bound by time..." ~Paul
"...Joining the Smiling Jaguar Pilgrimage across Peru was hands down one of the best decisions of my life… Working with ancient plant medicine on sacred land brought blessings, healing, communion, irreplaceable memories, and development that will continue and continue to blossom..." ~Zerin
"The magic of Smiling Jaguar Retreats is still present even after our incredible 2 week pilgrimage together in Northern Peru. My life will forever be changed for the better. I've become more clear on my truth and the impact I'm here to create in the World. Zach did an impeccable job at holding space during our time together. It was a deep privilege to be a part of this journey and to explore these sacred sights that hold so much wisdom and beauty. Thanks to Don Martin and all the precious humans that made this trip an experience I'll never forget. I bow to each and every one of you, as well as the teachings from the medicine that touched our hearts. Para El Bien De Todos, warriors hearts beat as one ” ~Alysha
Read more testimonials here!
Beautiful post brother!
As you said in the last guided meditation, our individual work is our collective work. I also feel like I am being asked to reclaim old parts of myself, stretch my capacity in many ways, and step into a more grounded method of service. As brother Parker said one time, "inch worm pace."