Conjuring the Dead at Venezuela’s Fire Ceremony

Every October in Venezuela, hundreds of people make a pilgrimage to Mount Sorte for Baile en Candela, a celebration of the goddess María Lionza. Armed with drums, razorblades, liquor, and fire, mediums perform age-old rituals to channel the spirits of Lionza’s closest disciples—letting the mystic figures take over their bodies to speak directly to the living. On this episode of 'VICE INTL,' VICE Colombia trekked to the summit to see exactly what goes down on Mount Sorte each year. They spoke to Lionza's followers to hear why they made the pilgrimage, met up with a well-known spiritual guide, and looked on as a few brave souls had themselves possessed by the dead. WATCH NEXT: Sinking Rich - Speed Boat Racing Through a Failed State -- https://vice.video/2uz7ToL Click here to subscribe to VICE: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE Check out our full video catalog: http://bit.ly/VICE-Videos Videos, daily editorial and more: http://vice.com More videos from the VICE network: https://www.fb.com/vicevideo Click here to get the best of VICE daily: http://bit.ly/1SquZ6v Like VICE on Facebook: http://fb.com/vice Follow VICE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vice Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/vice Download VICE on iOS: http://apple.co/28Vgmqz Download VICE on Android: http://bit.ly/28S8Et0