by Gregory Gunter

If the scent of lavender sends you into Peter Mayle’s dreamland, San Miguel de Allende offers the remedy for your lavandula withdrawals.  This August 5^th, The Lavender Project hosts their second annual fundraiser, offering lavender-infused margaritas and delectable bites atop San Miguel’s rooftop Sunset Bar, viewing distance from the historic Parroquia.  Following last year’s inaugural event, a sold-out crowd is expected, so plan ahead!

Your $250 peso ticket—advance tickets are now on sale—includes drink tickets, appetizers, live music, raffle prizes, and an exciting silent auction, from 4:00 to 7:00, Thursday, August 5^th.  Night owls needn’t worry: the party continues after 7 p.m., with the Sunset Bar offering discounts on drinks for as long as lavender scents the night breeze.  Silent auction offerings can be viewed at Sunset Bar from July 1^st through the night of the benefit and range from a week’s lodging in Paris, to hot air ballooning above the lavender fields, to a plethora of local art, accommodations, and lavender products.

The U.S.-based non-profit, St. Anthony’s Alliance, originated The Lavender Project as a means for allowing residents of tiny Rancho la Colorada—minutes, but worlds, away from San Miguel’s tony boutiques—the opportunity to create a self-sustaining income by growing, harvesting, and marketing lavender-based products.  Four Mexican businesses are now blooming under the umbrella of The Lavender Project, employing over 30 residents and drawing husbands back to a sustainable income in their own hometown.

For more information, or to purchase advance tickets, contact The Lavender Project’s Lori Richardson at loririchardson@hotmail.com, or Event Co-Chair Dianna Hutts Aston at dianna_aston@yahoo.com.

The biggest chamber music festival in Mexico draws aficionados each August from the United States, Europe and Latin America to experience performers who bring the highest level of talent in the world to San Miguel de Allende for all to enjoy.

Theaters, churches and the town square are alive with music from the concerts by professional musicians to the festival’s ‘rising star’ young musicians enrolled in the  “Emerging Professional Musician Program” — all happening this summer in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, taking place July 29th to August 15th, 2010.

There will be eleven concerts in the Premier Concert Series featuring internationally famous ensembles, five concerts by Mexican and international musicians in the Bellas Artes Series, six Award-Winners Series free concerts by the winners of previous Advanced Music Student programs, and twelve free daily Rising-Star Recitals in multiple public locations, plus a free final concert featuring the 2010 award-winners and the young composer’s program the last day of the Festival, August 15th.

Music will be ‘everywhere’.  You can see that there will be many opportunities for you to enjoy the Festival’s diverse offerings from tried and true favorites to exciting contemporary works.

Festival Information:

• www.festivalsanmiguel.com
• www.exploreandgomexico.com: Hotel, restaurant and San Miguel de Allende vacation information

Puerto Vallarta, May 15 to 31
Puerto Vallarta surrounds Banderas Bay and offers beautiful beaches, lush jungles and sparkling waterfalls with five star resorts, world-class shopping and gourmet restaurants. The rich cultural diversity of Puerto Vallarta is reflected in the cuisine that its many restaurants have to offer. From the most casual taco stands, to tropical beachfront palapas, to upscale rooftop restaurants with panoramic views, there are literally hundreds of restaurants serving exactly what you are hungry for. During Restaurant Week, many of Puerto Vallarta’s best restaurants offer spectacular three-course menus discounted by up to 50%! This idyllic seaside resort town comes alive and offers the best in Mexican cuisine and hospitality.

A brief sample of some of the dishes include; Huachinango Sarandeado, red snapper marinated in a birria paste (roast peppers, garlic and spices) and grilled. Grilled Marlin – skewered and cooked over coals then served with hot sauce and lime. Or one of the local favorites, Ceviche – raw fish, scallops, or shrimp, with onions, serrano or jalapeño chili’s, and lime juice, which cures the fish, turning the flesh opaque and giving it a chewy texture. After you’ve gorged on the mouth-watering offerings, stroll along the beach or indulge in some of the fabulous nightlife. Whether is sunset margaritas at a quiet cliffside terrace, a twilight sailboat cruise with cocktails, or cold cervezas at a boisterous bar, there are a wide variety of choices before, during and after Restaurant Week.

Get the guide to Restaurant Week here…

Where: Aguascalientes
When: April 17- May 9

A stone’s throw from San Miguel de Allende, Aguascalientes hosts Feria Nacional de San Marcos or “Feast Day of San Marcos”. People of all ages flock to the internationally renowned festival with bullfights, concerts, rodeos, art displays, music and more.

This year’s line-up includes performances by the Aguascalientes Symphony, Joan Sebastian, one of the best-known voices in contemporary regional Mexican music, and Vincente Fernández, known as “The King” throughout the Latin world. Tickets are available through TicketMaster Mexico.

For information and schedule, visit the website: www.feriadesanmarcos.gob.mx

While in only its 7th year, the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival is quickly becoming a must- do for lovers of music and Mexico. Join the young, hip, musically-inclined as they gather at classic concerts, hot beach jams and cool bistro nights. Encompassing a number of scenic, historic venues around Zihuatanejo Bay, the musical offerings range from flamenco to classical to blues, folk, and jazz.

All takes place in one of the most beautiful and unspoiled bays in Mexico — Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, a world-class resort and sleepy fishing village rolled into one. Of course, the stylish riffs aren’t the only reason for this adventure — beautiful beaches, warm ocean breezes, sport fishing, golf, tennis, strolling, shopping, body-watching, partying, world class dining and incredible local hospitality and culture.

If you’re a music-lover, this a great way to fall in love with Mexico for the first time, or all over again, and help support the local Music School and other community projects. Whether you bring a harmonica for a jam on the beach, your surfboard for epic surf breaks or a camera for jaunts through the historic surroundings…whatever you do, make sure you come and experience The 7th Annual Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival — March 17-20, 2010. www.zihuafest.info

More Information
Visit Explore & Go Mexco to learn more about Zihuatanejo — where to stay, where to eat and what to do while you’re there!

Photographer Lander Rodriguez captures the beauty and spirit of Semana Santa (Holy Week) in San Miguel de Allende.

Email Lander:  landerro@mac.com

Preparations have begun. Statues are being removed from their nichos, angels are coming out of storerooms, flowers are arriving by the truckloads, palm weavers are traveling from Michoacan, papelarias are stocking up on purple and white decorations, lace mantias are being removed from boxes, black suits are being pressed: it’s time for Semana Santa. Holy Week, is the largest, longest, and most elaborate series of events in the entire year. During this time San Miguel is inundated with visitors from around the world. Images of the Easter story are everywhere. Statues of the tortured Christ and the grieving Mary are carried through the streets, displayed in churches and in windows of homes. Some streets will be closed for hours in preparation for a procession; fireworks at 5:00 AM will accompany others. For the visitor it can seem strange, confusing and sometimes irritating.

When I first came to San Miguel fifteen years ago, I was amazed at the visuals of the processions and particularly the angels. Being a photographer by trade, I was taking photos like crazy and when I developed them I was mesmerized by what I saw. These images led me on a quest that eventually brought me to the dusty back rooms of churches and introduced me to some of San Miguel’s most revered citizens, like Don Genaro Almanza, the local saint maker. He and others carry the stories of old San Miguel and the history of the processions going back hundreds of years, each woven together with local culture and creativity. I recorded my findings and photographs in the book “Tears from the Crown of Thorns”. After the book came out I was bombarded with questions: “What procession should I be sure to see? What time does it start? Where should I stand?” And perhaps the most important question: “What is the meaning?” Since I was already leading historic tours of San Miguel with Patronatos por ninos, I decided to create a venue for the public in the form of a slide show lecture, The Guide to Semana Santa. As it turns out, both tourist and long-term residents, find it useful. There is a saying in Spanish: “El que no sabe es como el que no ve.” Basically this means unless we understand what we are seeing it’s like we are blind.

I have watched the processions for so many years that I recognize some of the people carrying the statues. They are aging just like me, however the women now wear sensible shoes. Except the young ones, who wear spike heels as they carry the heavy statues for hours on the cobblestone streets, their penitence I suppose. The highlight for me is to see the angels in the procession of Santo Entero on Good Friday. They are brought out of storage for this night only. Inside my head I say to them, “Hello again”, I haven’t seen them all year. When you start talking to statues you know that Mexico has gotten into your blood.

To learn how to navigate Semana Santa, please join Charlotte Bell  March 25 or 29 at 2:30, Recreo #4, El Sindicato, San Miguel de Allende.  More information: www.tearsfromthecrownorthorns.com.

Ignacio Allende’s birthday is January 21st. Allende is a national hero of Mexico and many places and streets including San Miguel de Allende were named for him.

Allende was a captain of the Spanish Army in Mexico who came to sympathize with the Mexican independence movement. He attended the secret meetings organized by Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, where the possibility of an independent New Spain was discussed. He fought along with Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in the first stage of the struggle, eventually succeeding him in leadership of the rebellion. Allende was captured by Spanish colonial authorities while he was in Chihuahua and executed for treason.

On January 6th Kings Day Bread or Rosca de Reyes is a sweet bread traditionally served during family gatherings. This colorful bread has a baby Jesus doll baked inside. The person who gets the doll in their piece of bread provides the food and drink for the next celebration, La Candeleria on February 2.

In 2009, the world’s largest Rosca de Reyes was served in Mexico City.   To read the article in Spanish, click here…

In the year 1531, ten years after the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores to Mexico, a miraculous event occurred at the Hill of Tepeyac, the worship site of the Aztec Goddess Tonantzin, when a Noble Woman from the heavens appeared to the Aztec Juan Diego. This event forever affected all the inhabitants of this region and the world. Word of the appearance of this Noble Woman soon spread from indigenious to indigenious person, community to community, like a river of hope to the pueblos. Many families told of miracles when they prayed to this Virgin for Her blessings.

She is known to the Mexican people as “La Virgin de Guadalupe” or “Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.”  The name Guadalupe is derived from the Arabic “De Wad” which means river  and “Lope” or wolves. The Virgin of Guadalupe is also Maria del Tepeyac. Tepeyacac or “Tepetl” means hill and temple; “Yacatl” means nose or point. Tepeyac was the foundation for the new pueblo, the new land that was promised by Ometeotl, the Supreme Aztec God.

The true characters in this story of the apparition are Maria (The Virgin of Guadalupe), Juan Diego (the Aztec Indian), the Hill of Tepeyac, Juan Bernardino (Juan Diego’s uncle) and the Bishop Juan de Zumarraga. Juan Diego was the ambassador of the Virgin Maria and the intermediary between the will of the Virgin Maria and the Bishop. In the Aztec cosmology the Eagle standing on top of the Nopal (cactus) signaled that the people had reached the land promised to them by Ometeotl where they were to settle. Symbolically, Juan Diego was an Aztec warrior, the Eagle that was to convince the Bishop of the Virgin Maria’s message for the betterment of the People of Mexico. He was to capture the Bishop like a Mexica (Aztec) warrior. In the Aztec world, the warrior that triumphed was rewarded with land, gold, precious stones, women and an important government position. Juan Diego would be rewarded with the riches and prosperity of the Heavens.

The first time Juan Diego visited the Bishop in his palace he delivered the Noble Woman’s message to the Bishop but the Bishop was not convinced. Juan Diego was in grief because he did not accomplish his mission. The Noble Woman insisted that he return to deliver the message again. It was his Tonalli (destiny) to save his pueblo through the will of this Noble Woman. The next day, when he returned, the Bishop told him that he needed a sign, a physical confirmation that the Virgin Maria was truely the Heavenly One that sent him.

On Monday morning, Juan Diego did not arrive at the Bishop’s palace. His Tio (uncle), Juan Bernadino, had become very sick and was dying. Seeking healing for his uncle in Mexico City, he decided to go around the hill to the east to avoid the area where he had seen the Virgin Maria.  But when The Virgin Maria saw him, she began talking to him in loving language, as a Nahuatl father or mother would address their loving son.
“Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything.” (Words of Our Lady to Juan Diego on December 12, 1531)
She told him that his uncle would be healed and that he needed to continue to try to convince the Bishop of her message. The Tio, in the Nahuatl culture, represents the pueblo.  This is the point in the story where the Nahuatl pueblo is dying under the European domination. It is Juan Diego’s job as Her son to save this Mexica pueblo. The Virgin Maria heals Juan Diego’s uncle and at the same time she heals all the pain, anguishes, and miseries of the inhabitants of this land. She has proven to be the Savior of this Mexica pueblo, of all of the Americas, and of the world.

The Virgin instructs Juan Diego to go to the top of the hill (Tepeyac) and gather flowers. The gathering of the flowers was the moment of intergration: to cut, to gather, and to unite them.  Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego three times; the number three symbolizes intermediation. A true intermediation will occur between Juan Diego and the Bishop at this point of the story. The flowers symbolized new life. It was winter time and there was no evidence of any flowers growing in this region.  He ascends up the hill, which represents a temple, the place of freedom.  The top of the temple is where God meets humanity and humanity meets God. Juan Diego gathers the flowers and places them in the hollow part of his Tilma (apron), near his heart, like a mother would hold her infant. Mexica women carried the infants in the hollow part of their mantle like a portable cradle, and still do to this day. The Virgin Maria touches the flowers with her hands and transcends them so all the Knowing was imprinted on Juan Diego’s Tilma.

On the final visit to the Bishops palace, Juan Diego presents himself like a powerful Tenochca leader.  He carries the flowers very carefully and with reat love close to his heart. He is very precise in his message that the will of Maria of Tepeyac must be realized to give life to the Mexica pueblos. The story ends when the Bishop transfers to the Church the image of this Noble Woman from the Heavens. A true union occurred of the conquered and the conquerer, the invaded and invader. This sacred union continues to unite all Mexican pueblos in a new mixed race of Mexican peoples.

The Bishop was not the true evangelizer of the Mexica. The Virgin Maria was also the Eagle and the signal for a new foundation. This Noble Woman was to evangelize the people not only through her divine words but through her love. To evangelize requires goodness, unconditional love, forgiveness, and mercy. The Bishop did not know the Mexica culture and how to utilize the Nahuatl language reverently and metaphorically to win the indigenious people. The appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe was a divine miracle and a signal from above.  She is adorned with the Divine Sun, sacred to the Mexica because it was the sign of their Supreme God, Ometeotl.  It is believed that no man on earth could have painted this sacred image.

About the Author

Maria Teresa Valenzuela is an indigenous spiritual teacher and healer from an enduring lineage of shamanic healers and curanderos in the Sierra Madre of Chihuahua, Mexico. Taught the shamanic medicine way by her grandmother and father, she brings to her work a wealth of knowledge in Mesoamerican wisdom, myths, and traditional forms of indigenous medicine and healing. Drawing on her indigenous heritage, career as a registered nurse, life experiences, and traditional training as a “Mujer de la Medicina,” Maria Teresa serves as a unique bridge across traditions and cultures. She travels throughout the United States, Mexico, and Central America sharing her healing gifts and wisdom.

Maria Teresa conducts spiritual workshops, retreats and individual healing work using indigenous healing methods and visionary medicine plants.

Email Maria Teresa: laikaraiya@yahoo.com