Poll: Religious Group (v6) Published on: 26 April 2022Reginistasalso known as “Reginas”By Yanitsa BuendiadeLlaca, Cal Poly, San Luis ObispoEntry tags: Latin America Religions, Religious Group, New Age Religion, Messianism, Mexican Religion, NewReligious MovementThe Reginista movement is a New Religious Movement that follow Antonio Velazco Piña's best-sellingnovel "Regina. Dos de Octubre no se olvida" as the basis for their believe system and organization. TheMovement was officially formed when, after publishing the novel, Antonio Velasco Piña appointed sevenwomen to start the “First Circle of Regina”. The seven women, gathered in Aldea de los Reyes tocommemorate Reginas sacrifice on October 2. Each of them, made the promise to recruit seven newwomen (total 49 new women) next year to make their circle bigger. In the fictional novel, Regina, the maincharacter has a unique life. She lives in several countries (Tibet, China, Mexico) where she is trained bydifferent spiritual teachers. In the book, this messianic character, who through her journey discovers hermission to “awaken” the energy of Mexico, which is believed to have been disrupted after the SpanishConquest. Regina decided to go back to Mexico to find out how she can complete her spiritual mission. Onher return, she encounters Mexico’s social unrest. It is in this part of the narrative, where fiction and historyare entangled. The student movement of 1968 is where the author positions Regina’s final mission: not justto awaken Mexico’s energy, but to awaken the female energy of the country. In her meditations, Reginafounds that the only way to achieve her goal is to commit self-sacrifice. With a group of followers andIndigenous teachers, she marches on October second, knowing she, and her followers would beassassinated. “Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida” has been a controversial novel in Mexico. On one hand,it created the religious movement of the “Reginistas” or “reginas”, but on the other, it re-narrates ahistorical event in Mexican history to de-politicize the event in order to “spiritualized” it. Anothercontroversial event is that Antonio Velasco Piña named her character Regina Teuscher, after one ofstudents that died and whose photo appeared in the national press after the Tlatelolco Massacre. Thefamily members from Regina Teusche confronted Antonio Velasco Piña in a book presentation. However,followers of the novel defend Velasco Piña’s narrative as real and do not separate fiction from reality. The"reginistas" (community members of the movement) gather at least once a year on October second tocommemorate the self-sacrifice of Regina, as based on the fictional novel. This annual ritual takes placebetween Aldea de Los Reyes (2 hours away from Mexico City) and Tlatelolco, the neighborhood in MexicoCity where the 1968 student massacre occurred. In Aldea de Los Reyes, the ritual is a night vigil with rituals,songs, and dances (the “reginistas” have created their own dance that is believed to be a combination ofConchero and Tibetan dances). Food is shared at dawn, and a committed then is sent to Tlatelolco to laydown the main offering made during the night with flowers. Since Tlatelolco is protected by the INAH(Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History), “reginistas” request a permit in advance to enter the area,but when not granted they leave the offering outside of the site. In addition to the annual ritual,“reginistas” also participate in “sacred walks” around Mexico City that are meant to “awaken” Mexico’senergy. These walks are organized by older reminisces and the dates for the walks and the map with aguided walk is usually shared through their personal emails or social media. There are two general routesaround the city, one that corresponds to the masculine energy and one that corresponds to the femenineenergy. For “reginistas”, they main objective is to finish the tasks that Regina herself was not able tocomplete. Because of the nature of the book, this religious movement is syncretic, mixing belief systems,practices, and material culture from Indigenous Mesoamerica, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Theosophy. The“Regina” movement is a good example of the Mexican New Age, where all these religions collude to formone movement with a nationalistic ideology. Most of the women that joined the “reginista” movementwere practitioners of other “non-tradition” (Catholicism is the most practiced religion in Mexico) religiousDOI: URL: https://religiondatabase.org/browse/1319This work is licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution 4.0 International license.Please see our Terms of Use here:https://religiondatabase.org/about/creditsPage 1 of 28© 2022 Database of Religious History.The University of British Columbia.For any questions contactproject.manager@religiondatabase.orgDate Range: 1968 CE - 2022 CERegion: Mexico City, and Aldea de los Reyes inAmecameca (State of Mexico)Region tags: North America, Latin America and theCaribbean, MexicoThe reginistas meet in different locations aroundMexico City. But the most important locations forritual activity are the Chapultepec Forest and the"Plaza de las Tres Culturas" in Mexico City. In addition,the annual ritual of October second is performed inthe small village of "Aldea de los Reyes", inAmecameca, State of Mexico.affiliations. Some of them were part of the Conchero Movement (an Indigenous Dance that mixes Catholicbelief and Indigenous ritual), The Gran Fraternidad Universal -Universal Great Brotherhood- (which followsNew Age belief and incorporated yoga practice), and Theosophy. Although most of the women (and Men)in the “reginista” movement grew up Catholic, there any connection to Catholicism is through the syncreticimages used (like the Virgin of Guadalupe). Since the 2020 covid Pandemic, some of the oldest membershave passed away, including the writer of “Regina. Dos de Octubre no se olvida”. This is a small movementthat is always surprising historians and anthropologists. With Velasco Piña’s passing, some of the mainleadership got disappeared, and although it seemed this may be the indication of the movement dyeing, aMexican production announced in 2022 they are working on Regina, the movie.Status of Participants:✓ Non-elite (common people, general populace)SourcesPrint sources for understanding this subject:Notes: My M.A. thesis is an exploration of the Reginista Movement in Mexico, their ritual, and theidentities created through the ritual of October second. It is available in Spanish http://ri-ng.uaq.mx/handle/123456789/729Reference: Jacques Galinier, Antoinette Molinié. The Neo-Indians. University Press of Colorado. isbn:9781607322740.Online sources for understanding this subject:Source 1: Antonio Velazco Piña. Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida—Source 2: Buendia de Llaca, Yanitsa. "La configuración de las identidades en los nuevos movimientosmístico-religiosos. El caso de Regina" (M.A. thesis)—Source 3: De la Peña, Francisco. Los hijos del sexto sol: un estudio etnopsicoanalítico del movimiento dela mexicanidad—Source 1: De la Torre, Rene and Cristina Gutierrez. Atlas de la diversidad religiosa en Mexico—Source 1 URL: https://reginamexihcco.blogspot.com/p/rutas-sagradas-de-la-ciudad-de.html—Source 1 Description: This Blog explains some objectives of the movement and the importance of thepilgrimages organized by its adherents.—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 2 of 28Relevant online primary textual corpora (original languages and/or translations):General VariablesMembership/Group InteractionsAre other religious groups in cultural contact with target religion:Notes: This group has contact with Conchero Dancers, Aztec Dancers, New Age groups, and TibetanBuddhism. Some of the contexts for this intermixing is that when then the group started in the late1980s, the people that converged together in the first “circles” came from other religious and spiritualcommunities. In addition to the personal history of practitioners. The novel, “Regina. Dos de octubre nose olvida” has in its narration the pre-established ideas of religious contact as being essential for thecharacter, Regina to fulfill her mission. Regina travels to Tibet and China where she also receiveseducation from spiritual teachers, before coming to Mexico and meeting her teacher from differentMexican Indigenous ethnic groups. Buddhism and Indigenous religions from Mexico are the basis ofthis mix, to which practitioners later added other forms of spirituality. For example one of the earlierreaders of the novel was also who founded the House of Tibet in Mexico City. He became anacquaintance to Velasco Piña and the group. Dalai Lama's first visit to Mexico was important toSource 2 URL: http://reginamexico.blogspot.com/2007/10/regina-un-musical-para-una-nacin-que.html—Source 2 Description: This blog has information of what one time was intended to be a musicalproduction based on the novel "Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida"—Source 1 URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Velasco_Pi%C3%B1a—Source 1 Description: Wikipedia page of the author Antonio Velasco Piña—Source 2 URL:https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina:_un_musical_para_una_naci%C3%B3n_que_despierta—Source 2 Description: Wikipedia page of the Musical Regina. Un musical para la nacion, based on VelascoPiña's novel—Source 1 URL: https://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/27180.html—Source 1 Description: Article explaining the controversy and tension between the author Antonio VelascoPiña and the Teuscher family—Source 2 URL: https://www.nexos.com.mx/?p=6900—Source 2 Description: Article describing the reginista movement—Source 1 URL: https://amalurra.eus/regina-y-el-despertar-de-la-conciencia/—Source 1 Description: Personal account in blog of what it is to participate in annual rituals—Source 2 URL: http://www.irenegoikolea.es/blog/articulo/2-de-octubre-circulo-sagrado-en-honor-a-regina—Source 2 Description: Description of the movement of Regina by a practitioner that participates in theannual ritual—Source 1 URL: https://books.google.co.ve/books?id=4cMnZbxR6K4C—Source 1 Description: Book, "Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida"—Yes—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 3 of 28practitioners of this group. Several of them welcome the Dalai Lama and performed rituals during hisvisit. Another example is that one of the members of the group, Soledad Ruiz, was also a ConcheroDancer. She established a connection between Aztec Dancers and the Regina circles. There are severalother examples of women in the first circles having a religious or spiritual life before joining the“reginistas”. It is also common to see people belonging to two or more traditions. For example“reginistas” are also part of the Great Universal Brotherhood, Aztec Dancers, Spiritualists, Buddhists,New Agers, UFO seekers, etc.Does the religious group have a general process/system for assigning religious affiliation:Notes: The group started when Antonio Velasco Piña, the author of the novel "Regina. Dos de octubreno se olvida" asked seven women to start the first "circle" of Regina. These women gathered tocommemorate Regina's sacrifice in Aldea de los Reyes, a town couple of hours away from Mexico City,where the house where Regina was born was presumably kept by the Velasco Piña family. After thefirst ritual, each woman made the commitment to inviting more women into their circle. The initialidea was to simulate a pyramid structure where the seven first women would be at the top, and byrecruiting new women, the bottom would be larger every year. Although recruitment did not work asplanned, because most members of the "Regina movement" come as guests only for annual ritualsand only a few women have full commitments with the “reginistas” movement. However, to be part ofthe group, one has to receive a personal invitation from women that had attended the circles before, itcan be after only one year or after several times attending. To join the group for the first time,participants have to join the group of older “reginistas” during the annual ritual and other eventsthroughout the year.Yes—Assigned at birth (membership is default for this society):Notes: Some of the kids of the first women's circle would engage in participation in the groupat some point, but the younger generations are actually less engaged than their parents.No—Assigned by personal choice:Yes—Assigned by class:No—Assigned at a specific age:No—Assigned by gender:Notes: As indicated by Antonio Velasco Piña, the Reginista group started exclusively as a groupled by women where only women could participate. Around 2005, a few men wereincorporated to the rituals as helpers. Some women of the movement believed that to be ableYes—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 4 of 28Does the religious group actively proselytize and recruit new members:Notes: Although there is no active proselytism, new members can be identified every year. New peoplecome as readers, or because they had contact with a "regina". In 2022 it was announced that a newproduction is working to make of the book a movie. With the production of the movie, we need to seehow the movement would be affected in numbers.Does the religion have official political supportIs there a conception of apostasy in the religious group:Size and StructureNumber of adherents of religious group within sample region (estimated population,numerical):Notes: The population is hard to count because in the annual ritual is hard to distinguish who is part ofthe “reginistas” and who is only a guest, or which of those guests are becoming part of the group forsubsequent years. Every year the population of adherents fluctuates. The core group of women into awaken the feminine energy of the country, they needed to balance the masculine energyas well. As a consequence, some men joined the movement. Today more men are welcome toparticipate, but women are still the leaders of ritual activity.Assigned by participation in a particular ritual:Notes: Usually, people that participate in the ritual of October second would be counted asparticipants, even if they do not engage in activities throughout the year. However, theOctober second ritual can be divided into the night ritual happening in Aldea de los Reyes andthe next morning pilgrimage to Tlatelolco. Not everyone participates in every activity. Somepeople are left behind in the Aldea de los Reyes to sleep after the night ritual. And people thatdid not participate in Aldea de los Reyes, join the ritual in Mexico City for the pilgrimage.Yes—Assigned by some other factor:Notes: There is a transnational movement of "reginas". Some people that live in Spain, France,Japan, the U.S., and northern Mexico may participate in ritual activities in smaller groups intheir home towns and only come to Mexico City, every so often to join the headquarters of themovement.Yes [specify]: Readers of the Novel "Regina. Dos de Octubre no se olvida" may be participantsfrom around the world and may physically participate into ritual activity a few times only.—No—No—No—Estimated population, numeric: 1000—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 5 of 28Mexico City can be count as 20, but the highest number of participants has been in the thousands.Number of adherents of religious group within sample region (% of sample regionpopulation, numerical):ScriptureDoes the religious group have scriptures:Scripture is a generic term used to designate revered texts that are considered particularly authoritativeand sacred relative to other texts. Strictly speaking, it refers to written texts, but there are also “oralscriptures” (e.g. the Vedas of India).Notes: The creation of this group is based on a fictional novel "Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida",which was published in Mexico in 1987. Although this is not a "religious text", it is the base for themovement to exist. This religious movement started after and because of the publication of the book.Similar to religious text, “reginistas” read the novel and based their believe system on this narrative.Before "Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida" was published, some people from this group startedgathering to read what they considered "esoteric literature". Another fundamental text read by thisgroup was Ayocuan "La mujer dormida debe dar a luz", published in Mexico in 1968. Some peoplefrom the “reginistas” believe that it was also Antonio Velasco Piña, who wrote “La mujer dormida debedar a luz” by the pseydomim of Ayocuan. In addition, people also used to gather to read MadameBlavatsky and religious texts like the Bible and the Bhagavad Gita. The connection between literature,religious texts, and reading circles is very important for “reginistas”.Reference: Antonio Velasco Piña. Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida. Mexico City: Punto de Lectura.Estimated population, percentage of sample region: 70—Yes—Are they written:Notes: This group was mainly formed through the reading of fictional/religious literature. As Iexplained in my M.A. thesis, I believe that the written text can be understood as a trilogy. 1.Ayocuan, "La mujer dormida debe dar a luz" 2. Anotnio Velasco Piña, "Regina. Dos de octubreno se olvida" 3. ibid, "Cartas a Elizabeth" Although the most important text is "Regina. Dos deoctubre no se olvida" the other two books complement the story and belief system of people inthis group. In addition "Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida" has been recognized as a bestseller novel in Mexico and as part of the genre literature that explores the student massacre inTlateloco, 1968. 1. "La mujer dormida debe dar a luz" narrates in first person the story of a manthat has a spiritual revelation during the student movement of 1968. 2. Regina is alsoconnected to the student movement of 1968, except this time is narrated in the third person.The main character is Regina, a young woman, who self sacrifice herself to safe Mexico. 3. Thelast book, "Cartas a Elizabeth" is also very important to understanding the construction ofRegina. In this book, Antonio Velasco Piña is writing letters to her niece, Elizabeth, who livesoutside of Mexico. In his letters, he describes to her his mission as the main witness of Regina'sjourney. By doing this, Antonio Velasco Piña is reiterating the "authenticity" of Regina, despiteof the scandals between him and the Teusche family.Yes—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 6 of 28Are they oral:Notes: Although most of the story is transmitted through the novel, “Regina. Dos de Octubreno se olvida”, there are some instances where oral tradition plays an important part. Forexample, some people have not read the book, but they know of the story because it has beentransmitted to them in conversations or during the annual ritual. In addition, the women fromthe first circle, as close friends of Antonio Velasco Piña are able to bring new information or toclarify questions about the story through private conversations all of them have had withVelasco Piña.Yes—Is there a story (or a set of stories) associated with the origin of scripture:Notes: Although the most important text is "Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida" the other twobooks complement the story and belief system of people in this group. 1. "La mujer dormidadebe dar a luz" narrates in first person the story of a man that has a spiritual revelation duringthe student movement of 1968. 2. Regina is also connected to the student movement of 1968,except this time is narrated in the third person. The main character is Regina, a young woman,who self sacrifice herself to safe Mexico. 3. The last book, "Cartas a Elizabeth" is also veryimportant to understanding the construction of Regina. In this book, Antonio Velasco Piña iswriting letters to her niece, Elizabeth, who lives outside of Mexico. In his letters, he describes toher his mission as the main witness of Regina's journey. By doing this, Antonio Velasco Piña isreiterating the "authenticity" of Regina, despite of the scandals between him and the Teuschefamily.Yes—Revealed by a high god:No—Revealed by other supernatural being:No—Inspired by high god:No—Inspired by other supernatural being:No—Originated from divine or semi-divine human beings:No—Originated from non-divine human being:Yes—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 7 of 28Architecture, GeographyIs monumental religious architecture present:Notes: Archeological Mesoamerican pyramids are considered to be sacred. People from this groupwould go to the pyramids to perform ritual activities. There is also a general belief that pyramids have"energy" and by going to archeological centers people get charged with energy. This belief is sharedwith Mexican New Age as well. The two most important archeological centers for the "reginistas" arethe center of Tlatelolco, which is also connected to the student massacre of 1968, and Teotihuacan, anhour away from Mexico city. "Reginistas" with other Mexican New Agers, and some Aztec dancerswould gather in Teotihuacan and other archeological centers to celebrate the Spring solstice everyyear.Are there different types of religious monumental architecture:Notes: Besides the monumental architecture, characterized by Mesoamerican Pyramids, it isimportant to notes that there are sites of importance for the "reginistas" that belong to the privatesector. Most of these places belong to Antonio Velasco Piña. For example, the house in Aldea de losReyes, where the October second ritual is performed belongs to the Piña family. But in the narration ofthe book, it is the house where Regina was born. Another example is that in Velasco Piña's mother'shouse in Mexico City he used to have his law office, and in front of his office there was a small roomcalled "Reginas little room". "Reginistas" believe that was the room Regina inhabit before his sacrifice.The room is used as a meditation space to "connect" to Regina and reflect. Not everyone has access tothis space/ Only closer friends of Velasco Piña, and closer "reginistas" to him have access to this space.During my field work in 2014, I visited "Reginas little room". I later interviewed Velasco Piña in 2015 andwas able to visit this space again.Notes: Both, Regina and the spiritual teachers that appear in the book are all non-divine human beings. They hold a special place on earth and it is clear they have beenchosen amongst the more popular people, but they are not considered divine.Yes—Yes—Tombs:No—Cemeteries:No—Temples:Notes: Mesoamerican Pyramids are considered temples for this group. In addition, there is asyncretic practice and ritual activity done also in some Catholic Churches.Yes—Altars:BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 8 of 28Is iconography present:Notes: Iconography is eclectic. It is common to see Regina Teuscher's photo. But also, there isappropriation of Buddhas and bodhisattva. Since it is believed that Regina received spiritual guidancefrom Biddhist, “reginistas” have adopted this iconography as their own and put it within the altars. Inaddition, because it is believed that Regina belongs to a femenine lineage, it is common to see imagesthat reprsent Reginas lineage such as Our Lady of Guadalupe and of the volcano Iztaccihuatl. Imagesof Guadalupe and the volcano are common, as well as images from Jesus Helguera, representing theNahua legend of the Popocatepetl and the Iztaccihuatl.Notes: Most altars belong to private households. The church of Aldea de los Reyes has atemporary altar during the annual ritual. A more permanent altar can be found in "Reginaslittle room".Yes—Devotional markers:Notes: The houses where Regina was supposed to live have an inscription stating that Reginawas present in that space.Yes—Mass gathering point [plazas, courtyard, square. Places permanently demarcatedusing visible objects or structures]:Yes—Other type of religious monumental architecture:Yes [specify]: The house in Aldea de los Reyes, that belonged to Velasco's family is supposed tobe Regina's house. The annual ritual is performed here and in the Church of the town, withpermission of the local community—Yes—Where is iconography present [select all that apply]:Notes: Private household of "reginistas" contained most of the iconography. However, duringthe October second ritual, when "reginistas" use the small church of the Aldea de los reyes,they bring into the church their own iconography, as temporary markers of their ritual. Thisiconography is later moved to the private house where the rest of the ritual is done.At home—Some public spaces—Are there distinct features in the religious group's iconography:Yes—Eyes (stylized or not):BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 9 of 28BeliefsBurial and AfterlifeNo—Supernatural beings (zoomorphic):No—Supernatural beings (geomorphic):No—Supernatural beings (anthropomorphic):Notes: The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is widely used.Yes—Yes—Supernatural beings (abstract symbol):No—Portrayals of afterlife:No—Aspects of doctrine (e.g. cross, trinity, Mithraic symbols):Notes: Our Lady of Guadalupe is used in rituals by "reginistas". There is a generalizedbelieved in the Virgin of Guadalupe, as a Mexican saint, or the Mexican mother. Butalso, there is a connection of believing the Virgin is related to Regina. This belief is notpart of the narrative of the book, it has been generated by oral tradition, and byAntonio Velasco Piña's public interviews.Yes—Humans:Notes: The use of the real photo of Regina Teuscher. In some instances, some peoplewill also have the photo of the Dalai Lama present in their home altars.Yes—Other features of iconography:No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 10 of 28Is a spirit-body distinction present:Answer “no” only if personhood (or consciousness) is extinguished with death of the physical body.Answering yes does not necessarily imply the existence of Cartesian mind/body dualism, merely thatsome element of personhood (or consciousness) survives the death of the body.Belief in afterlife:Notes: Generalized belief in reincarnation. This belief is borrowed from Buddhism. An example of thisbelief is through Regina's lineage as being Iztaccihuatl-Our Lady of Guadalupe-Regina. There is notbelief that Regina would reincarnate again, but there is a narrative in the novel about how the life thatwas narrated around 1968 was not her first life on earth.Reincarnation in this world:Are there special treatments for adherents' corpses:Are co-sacrifices present in tomb/burial:Are grave goods present:Are formal burials present:Yes—Spirit-mind is conceived of as having qualitatively different powers or properties thanother body parts:Yes—Yes—Is the spatial location of the afterlife specified or described by the religious group:No—Yes—In a human form:Yes—No—No—No—No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 11 of 28Supernatural BeingsAre supernatural beings present:Notes: Regina is able to contact supernatural human beings, that lived before Mexico's colonization.They give Regina messages of what to do in her mission. In similar ways, Antonio Velasco Piña,positioned himself as the witness (el testigo) and claimed direct communication with Regina after herdead.Yes—A supreme high god is present:No—Previously human spirits are present:Notes: In the fictional novel, Regina is able to contact her spiritual teachers. In similar ways,there is a general belief among "reginistas" that they all have spirit guides. These spiritualguides presented to people through different means, usually dreams and meditation.Yes—Human spirits can be seen:Notes: Some "reginistas" have claimed to see either Regina or other spirits. There is ageneral belief that spirits can be present in this world and sometimes seen. Thesespirits sometimes have messages or are in direct contact with people because theywould be guides, like the guides Regina had.Yes—Human spirits can be physically felt:Notes: Physically feeling a spirit or a "presence" is not exclusive to the "reginista"movement. In general, Mexican vernacular religion and popular belief support the ideathat one person can feel a spirit's presence. Although not particular to this group,"reginistas" would express when they feel the presence of a spirit during ritual activity.Yes—Previously human spirits have knowledge of this world:Notes: Because of the idea of reincarnation being ingrained as part of the belief systemof the "reginistas, it is believed that human spirits possessed historical knowledge(more specifically, Mexican history) which would allow them to understand better thepresent and future. History and time are considered to be circular (in contraposition toWestern linearity) which makes knowledge of the past even more relevant to knowingthe current world.Yes—Human spirits' knowledge restricted to particular domain of humanBuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 12 of 28affairs:Yes—Human spirits' knowledge restricted to (a) specific area(s) within thesample region:Yes—Human spirits' knowledge unrestricted within the sample region:Notes: Although human spirits are generally within the area of Mexico andMesoamerica, in some cases, spirits can also be from other regions andreligions. This diversity is justified through the novel narration, when Reginalived in places outside of Mexico, like China, India, and Tibet.Yes—Human spirits' knowledge unrestricted outside of sample region:No—Human spirits can see you everywhere normally visible (in public):Yes—Human spirits can see you everywhere (in the dark, at home):Yes—Human spirit's can see inside heart/mind (hidden motives):Yes—Human spirits know your basic character (personal essence):Yes—Human spirits know what will happen to you, what you will do (futuresight):Yes—Human spirits have other form(s) of knowledge regarding this world:No—Human spirits have deliberate causal efficacy in the world:No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 13 of 28Human spirits have indirect causal efficacy in the world:No—Human spirits have memory of life:Yes—Human spirits exhibit positive emotion:No—Human spirits exhibit negative emotion:No—Human spirits communicate with the living:Yes—In waking, everyday life:No—In dreams:Notes: Through sleep or daydreaming, Regina was able to communicate withher spirit teachers. In similar ways, people from the "reginistas" movementhave claimed to receive messages from Regina herself, or other spirits duringtheir sleep or daydreaming.Yes—In trance possession:No—Through divination processes:No—Only through specialists:Notes: Although there are no formal ritual specialists in the "reginista" group,women of the first circles are considered to have more ritual power than othermembers or newcomers. In addition, Antonio Velasco Piña, the author of thebook, is also treated with major respect and his word is never questioned.Yes—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 14 of 28Supernatural MonitoringIs supernatural monitoring present:This refers to surveillance by supernatural beings of humans’ behaviour and/or thought particularly as itrelates to social norms or potential norm violations.Do supernatural beings mete out punishment:Do supernatural beings bestow rewards:Messianism/EschatologyAre messianic beliefs present:Notes: There is a messianic belief that Regina was born (her bith in Mexico, his parents -one Germanman and an Indigenous women from Mexico-) in the right moment at the right time. Her upbringingas a mestiza that was not “contaminated” by Mexico, being able to live outside the country, holdingMexican values to the highest standards, within international communities, made her the “perfect”character to want to change things. Reginas coming to age is the time when she realized her missionis to safe Mexico. To awaken the energy of the country, more precisely, the femenine energy. This ideais rooted in the belief that the energy of Mexico and the femenine energy was disrupted aftercolonization. The motive of energy disruption due to colonization is also present in “La mujer dormidadebe dar a luz”, the book that was published before Regina, allegedly by Antonio Velasco Piña, as well.The creation of a mission, that will help the country (Mexico) is later extrapolated to beliefs thatdifferent places in the world hold energy charges that are more important than others. Although thefictional novel does not discuss this explicitly, there are implicit implications due to the geographyOnly through monarch:No—Communicate with living through other means:No—Non-human supernatural beings are present:No—Does the religious group possess a variety of supernatural beings:No—No—No—No—Yes—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 15 of 28where Regina lived. In addition, the author, Antonio Velasco Piña, who presents himself as Regina’switness, is also a pseudo messianic figure, that through his writing is helping complete the missionthat Regina started.Is an eschatology present:Norms and Moral RealismAre general social norms prescribed by the religious group:Notes: A general social norm that distinguishes this group from other Mexican or Indigenous religionsis the positionally of women and the respect everyone has for women as ritual specialists. Men stepdown and behave as helpers, it is expected for men to be more passive during ritual activities and beonly in supportive roles. At the same time, there is an expectation for women to be strong and active(unlike Patriarchal Mexican culture). This gender behavioral performance is part of the belief systemthat the female energy of the country needs to be awakened.Is there a conventional vs. moral distinction in the religious group:Are there centrally important virtues advocated by the religious group:Is the messiah's whereabouts or time of coming known?Yes—Coming has already passed:Notes: Regina is a messianic figure that is believed came to Mexico to awaken thecountry.Yes—No—Yes—No—Yes—Honesty / trustworthiness / integrity:Yes—Courage (in battle):No—Courage (generic):BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 16 of 28Yes—Compassion / empathy / kindness / benevolence:Yes—Mercy / forgiveness / tolerance:Yes—Generosity / charity:No—Selflessness / selfless giving:Yes—Righteousness / moral rectitude:Yes—Ritual purity / ritual adherence / abstention from sources of impurity:No—Respectfulness / courtesy:Yes—Familial obedience / filial piety:No—Fidelity / loyalty:Yes—Cooperation:Yes—Independence / creativity / freedom:No—Moderation / frugality:BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 17 of 28No—Forbearance / fortitude / patience:Yes—Diligence / self-discipline / excellence:Yes—Assertiveness / decisiveness / confidence / initiative:No—Strength (physical):No—Power / status / nobility:Notes: The group is organized by women's circles. The first and second women's circles createdin the late 1980s have more power and women from these circles received more respect thannewer members. Althoug power is not institutionalized it exists and it is evident when ritualactivity is organized. Women with more power would initiate and organize rituals, whileparticipants with less power may be helpers or observers of the activities. There is also powerdisplacement. Even though Antonio Velasco Piña, as the author and intellectual authority ofthe groups, holds the most amount of power, it is evident in the filed that the womenappointed by him would hold the most amount of power.Yes—Humility / modesty:Yes—Contentment / serenity / equanimity:Yes—Joyfulness / enthusiasm / cheerfulness:No—Optimism / hope:Yes—Gratitude / thankfulness:BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 18 of 28PracticesMembership Costs and PracticesDoes membership in this religious group require celibacy (full sexual abstinence):Yes—Reverence / awe / wonder:Yes—Faith / belief / trust / devotion:Notes: Even though it is clear that Regina is a fictional character, participants and readers ofthe book, still believe in Regina as a historical character. Antonio Velasco Piña used the nameof Regina Teuscher to name the protagonist of the story. Regina Teuscher was one of the fewphotos shown in the media of dead students after the student massacre in Tlatelolco, Mexicoin 1968. Although this Regina existed, there is no evidence that she was the same as VelascoPiña's character. At the beginning of the creation of the circles in the late 1980s, women fromthe group were confronted by the Teuscher family. The Teuscher family never recognized thecharacter of the novel as their own daughter.Yes—Wisdom / understanding:Yes—Discernment / intelligence:Yes—Beauty / attractiveness:No—Cleanliness (physical) / orderliness:Notes: General cleanliness. However, it is not important for the group.Yes—Other important virtues advocated by the religious group:No—No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 19 of 28Does membership in this religious group require constraints on sexual activity (partial sexualabstinence):Does membership in this religious group require castration:Does membership in this religious group require fasting:Notes: Although it is not a requirement, some people would fast before the night vigil on Octobersecond.Does membership in this religious group require forgone food opportunities (taboos ondesired foods):Does membership in this religious group require permanent scarring or painful bodilyalterations:Does membership in this religious group require painful physical positions or transitorypainful wounds:Does membership in this religious group require sacrifice of adults:"Adults" here referring to an emic or indigenous category; if that category is different from the popularWestern definition of a human who is 18-years-old or older and who is legally responsible for his/heractions, then please specify that difference in the Comments/Sources: box below.Does membership in this religious group require sacrifice of children:"Children" here referring to an emic or indigenous category; if that category is different from the popularWestern definition, please specify that different in the Comments/Sources: box below.Does membership in this religious group require self-sacrifice (suicide):Notes: It does not require self-sacrifice, but it is founded in the idea and story that Regina self-sacrificedherself.No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 20 of 28Does membership in this religious group require sacrifice of property/valuable items:Does membership in this religious group require sacrifice of time (e.g., attendance atmeetings or services, regular prayer, etc.):Notes: The main time sacrifice is for the October 2 ritual. The ritual starts on October 1st andpractitioners are expected to be awake and performed ritual activities throughout the night untilOctober 2nd. Some selected practitioners will continue the ritual and finish on the eve of October 2nd.However, some practitioners would also be very involved in walking pilgrimages and volunteer time toorganize and attend those walks throughout the year.Does membership in this religious group require physical risk taking:Notes: Since the October second ritual is a night vigil outside of Mexico, and people drive in and out ofthe town, we can consider sleep deprivation as an unintended risk that is required. Some practitionerssleep naps throughout the night, but most ritual specialist stay awake for around 48 hours.Does membership in this religious group require accepting ethical precepts:Does membership in this religious group require marginalization by out-group members:Does membership in this religious group require participation in small-scale rituals (private,household):Does membership in this religious group require participation in large-scale rituals:I.e. involving two or more households; includes large-scale “ceremonies” and “festivals.”No—Yes—Yes—No—No—Yes—What is the average interval of time between performances (in hours):Performances here refers to small-scale rituals.Notes: The large-scale ritual is annual.Hours: 8766—Yes—On average, for large-scale rituals how many participants gather in one location:Number of participants: 200—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 21 of 28Are extra-ritual in-group markers present:E.g. special changes to appearance such as circumcision, tattoos, scarification, etc.What is the average interval of time between performances (in hours):Performances here refers to large-scale rituals.Average interval [hours]: 24—Are there orthodoxy checks:Orthodoxy checks are mechanisms used to ensure that rituals are interpreted in a standardizedway, e.g. through the supervisory prominence of a professionalized priesthood or other system ofgovernance, appeal to texts detailing the proper interpretation, etc.Notes: The ritual specialists are senior group members.Yes—Are there orthopraxy checks:Orthopraxy checks are mechanisms used to ensure that rituals are performed in a standardizedway, e.g. through the supervisory prominence of a professionalized priesthood or other system ofgovernance, appeal to texts detailing the proper procedure, etc.Notes: The annual ritual has usually an order of activities that ritual specialist complete. Thereis general integration of the whole ritual community and everyone can participate, but it isthrough the verbalization of organized activities, songs, and stories.Yes—Does participation entail synchronic practices:Notes: For both the annual ritual of October second and “sacred walks” throughout the year,ritual practice is syncronic. Although most practitioners would gather in the same place inMexico City to participate, in different instances, practitioners from other regions of Mexico oreven outside of Mexico have participated at the same time. For example, there are somewomen that participated from Spain and France who performed their rituals on a smallerscale in their countries. Another example is when a woman from northern Mexico could notjoin the “sacred walks” and created routes to organize “sacred walks” in her hometown. Sheinvited Antonio Velasco Piña to approve the routes and then she synchronized with thecalendar created in Mexico City.Yes—Is there use of intoxicants:Notes: Not only intoxicants are not present, but women from the "reginistas" are against anysubstance abuse during the rituals and generally in life. Some "reginistas" have stories ofseeing other spiritual groups dealing with addiction or alcoholism and as a response theyreject all substances that alter mind and body.No—No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 22 of 28Does the group employ fictive kinship terminology:Notes: Kinship was created with the first circles of women. Today, those women are in their 60s andthey call themselves "abuelas" (grandmothers). This idea is emulating indigenous practices of respecttoward the elderly. However, they are not indigenous.Society and InstitutionsLevels of Social ComplexityThe society to which the religious group belongs is best characterized as (please chooseone):Notes: They are organized into "circles". People in smaller groups are part of a circle and in biggerrituals, all "circles" get together. Each circle has the presence of one appointed woman, who is incharge of their own circle. When the woman is in capacity and has enough ritual knowledge they cancreate their own circle by recruiting participants. This association received the formal name of "circuloscuadrados de Regina" (squared-circles or Regina), making reference to balancing the feminine(represented by circles) and masculine (represented by squares) energies.WelfareDoes the religious group in question provide institutionalized famine relief:Is famine relief available to the group's adherents through an institution(s) other than theYes—Fictive kinship terminology universal:Notes: This is one of the most important categories, since the religious group based mostactions, ritual activity and belief in the fictional novel "Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida".No—Fictive kinship terminology widespread:Notes: Kindship is widespread orally, from older practitioners to new ones. In addition, whenAntonio Velasco Piña created the first circle he created with it a kindship network in which thewomen that were invited first received more power. Since 2010 some "reginistas" startedcalling themselves "abuelas" (grandmothers in Spanish), making reference to only to their age,but to the wisdom and position of power, they were gaining as elders of the community.Yes—Fictive kinship terminology employed but uncommon:Yes—Other [specify in comments]—No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 23 of 28religious group in question:Does the religious group in question provide institutionalized poverty relief:Is poverty relief available to the group's adherents through an institution(s) other than thereligious group in question:Does the religious group in question provide institutionalized care for the elderly and infirm:Is institutionalized care for the elderly and infirm available to the group's adherents throughan institution(s) other than the religious group in question:EducationDoes the religious group provide formal education to its adherents:Is formal education available to the group’s adherents through an institution(s) other thanthe religious group:BureaucracyDo the group’s adherents interact with a formal bureaucracy within their group:Do the group’s adherents interact with other institutional bureaucracies:Notes: Members of the group interact with the Mexican cultural elite. This elite has a mediuminstitutional organization that is sustained through federal and local governments in Mexico. It is wellknown that Antonio Velasco Piña was a friend and received help from the Mexican novelist LauraEsquivel. Some of Velasco Piña's friends and supporters of "Regina", although not "reginistas"themselves also had positions of power within the cultural elite.No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—Yes—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 24 of 28Public WorksDoes the religious group in question provide public food storage:Is public food storage provided to the group’s adherents by an institution(s) other than thereligious group in question:Does the religious group in question provide water management (irrigation, flood control):Is water management provided to the group’s adherents by an institution(s) other than thereligious group in question:Does the religious group in question provide transportation infrastructure:Is transportation infrastructure provided for the group’s adherents by an institution(s) otherthan the religious group in question:TaxationDoes the religious group in question levy taxes or tithes:Are taxes levied on the group’s adherents by an institution(s) other than the religious group inquestion:EnforcementDoes the religious group in question provide an institutionalized police force:Do the group’s adherents interact with an institutionalized police force provided by aninstitution(s) other than the religious group in question:No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 25 of 28Does the religious group in question provide institutionalized judges:Do the group’s adherents interact with an institutionalized judicial system provided by an aninstitution(s) other than the religious group in question:Does the religious group in question enforce institutionalized punishment:Are the group’s adherents subject to institutionalized punishment enforced by aninstitution(s) other than the religious group in question:Does the religious group in question have a formal legal code:Are the group’s adherents subject to a formal legal code provided by institution(s) other thanthe religious group in question:WarfareDoes religious group in question possess an institutionalized military:Do the group’s adherents participate in an institutionalized military provided byinstitution(s) other than the religious group in question:Are the group’s adherents protected by or subject to an institutionalized military providedby an institution(s) other than the religious group in question:Written LanguageNo—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 26 of 28Does the religious group in question possess its own distinct written language:Notes: Although the group does not possess its own language, it is important to remember that itpossesses a written body of literature through Antonio Velasco Piña's literary work that is distinct tothis group.Is a non-religion-specific written language available to the group’s adherents through aninstitution(s) other than the religious group in question:Is a non-religion-specific written language used by the group’s adherents through aninstitution(s) other than the religious group in question:Notes: The books written in Spanish by Antonio Velasco Piña, and that constitute the main body of"sacred" texts for this group have institutional support from cultural institutions in Mexico, fromeditorials that mass-print the books to cultural centers where the work is presented.CalendarDoes the religious group in question possess a formal calendar:Notes: The group has a calendar with annual events and rituals. The calendar changes every year. Theannual ritual is always made on October 2, and the other rituals, gatherings, and pilgrimages vary yearto year.Is a formal calendar provided for the group’s adherents by an institution(s) other than thereligious group in question:Food ProductionDoes the religious group in question provide food for themselves:No—No—Yes—Yes—No—Yes—Please characterize the forms/level of food production [choose all that apply]:Notes: Usually, when food is involved it is because group members cook or when theyorganized and paid for others to provide food to them. Food is usually Mexican, like tamales,atoles, chocolate. In some cases, after the October second vigil people from the Aldea de losReyes, who are not "reginistas" provides food inside the Church to the "reginistas". When Iasked why people provided food, one "reginista" told me the community of the town wereOther [specify in comments]—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 27 of 28Is food provided to the group’s adherents by an institution(s) other than the religious groupin question:BibliographyGeneral ReferencesReference: Cristina Gutierrez Zuñiga. La danza neotradicional como oferta espiritual en la estanteríaexotérica new age. Raices en movimiento. Practicas religiosas tradicionales en movimientos translocales.Guadalajara: El Colegio de Jalisco.Reference: Yolotl Gonzalez. Danza tu palabra. La danza de los concheros en la Ciudad de Mexico. Ciudadde Mexico: Conaculta.Reference: Jelena Galovic. Los grupos m’stico-espirituales de la actualidad. Ciudad de Mexico: Plaza yValdez.Reference: Yanitsa Buendia de Llaca. La configuración de identidades colectivas en nuevos movimientosmístico-religiosos. El caso del movimiento de Regina.Reference: Renée De la Torre. Estética azteca de las danzas concheras. Tradiciones exóticas o memoriasre-descubierta.Reference: Renée De la Torre. Alcances translocales de cultos ancestrales: El caso de las danzas ritualesaztecas.Reference: Francisco De la Peña. Los hijos del sexto sol.. INAH.Reference: Francisco De la Peña. Tres cultos religiosos populares en el México Contemporáneo.Reference: Francisco De la Peña. El Movimiento Mexicanista. Imaginario Prehispánico, Nativista YNeotradicionalismo.Entry/Answer ReferencesReference: Jacques Galinier, Antoinette Molinié. The Neo-Indians. University Press of Colorado. isbn:9781607322740.Reference: Antonio Velasco Piña. Regina. Dos de octubre no se olvida. Mexico City: Punto de Lectura.grateful to them because after the October second ritual they give money donations to theChurch and town. Since the "reginistas" started coming to Aldea de los Reyes, the Church hasbeen remodeled with new hard wood floors, new roof, and chairs. Food is something thatconnects the community of Aldea de los Reyes to the "reginistas"No—BuendiadeLlaca, Database of Religious History, 2022 Page 28 of 28