The Assembly: “To his three young daughters, Cruz indeed explains his profession as that of a wizard, albeit one with a salt-and-pepper goatee instead of a long white beard. “They know Daddy goes on journeys, that he works together with people who are trying to heal, who are trying to grow,” he said.
To the rest of the world, Cruz describes himself as a psychedelic ceremonial facilitator. Through his coaching service, The SpArc, he prepares clients for and guides them through immersive experiences taking psilocybin-containing “magic” mushrooms.
Possession of psilocybin, the psychedelic active ingredient found in over 200 mushroom species, is a felony under both state and federal law, but that hasn’t stopped scores of people from heading off to see the wizard. (Cruz holds that his guide work is permitted because clients themselves, not The SpArc, provide the mushrooms, and he hasn’t yet faced any legal challenges.) A steady stream of clients last year, some paying up to $2,500 for a six- to eight-hour journey and the associated coaching, yielded a comfortable full-time income. He also brought on two part-time facilitators to help with the influx of interest.
The SpArc is gearing up for even greater demand in 2024, to be met by the space at the end of the hallway. Cruz emerged from the passage to face another door, this one intricately decorated with colorful stars and golden geometric tracery.”