The Lords of the Thunder in the Divine Cave

The Lords of the Thunder in the Divine Cave, Dreamers of Rain and Hail

Fernando Velázquez

"But in every epoch there have been men which perceived the ‘God’ that exists eternally in their souls, and in all creatures, so they stopped to pray to the god of the air; because they, themselves, are air in substance, they stopped to pray to the god of the water, because it flows through their veins full of joy; they stopped to summon the fire because in their eyes, the eternal flame shines against the darkness. They stopped to look outside, and now, they realize that the true path is inside their heart. Because I am with them, and they are with me."

Graniceros are people who are struck by lightning and survive ‘the ordeal’, in order to carry the obligation of serving the weather spirits. Being struck by lightning is considered to have the gift of controlling the elements of nature, and curing unusual illness or some other afflictions. After surviving, the person shall commit to the local group of graniceros, in a ceremony where the rain spirits are summoned to attend the induction.

The most important shrine of these groups is precisely a cave on the side of the Popocatépetl. When the obligation arrives, each granicero makes a journey to this divine shrine and asks for good rains; at the end, he gives thanks to the spirits for all the blessings they have done.