"How many warriors make up a group?"
"The normal structure of a party is quadripartite, that is, based on the number four, since the Rule has a pyramid form. Its formation and growth are carried out in accordance with that basic structure. As in the pyramids, the architecture of the group consists of a base with four corners, each corner made up of three warriors: One female dreamer, one female stalker, and one male assistant. The corners are connected to each other through messengers, and the nagual couple is above them all.
"The Rule manifests itself to a double man or woman by means of a vision, and they have to accept it to be considered naguals. Following that acceptance, the naguals are joined by their warriors little by little, always following the signs of the spirit. Their capacity to lead is natural and indisputable, because, being double, they reflect each one of the energetic types in their party.
"Naguals can be defined as a man and a woman of extraordinary energy, involved in an act of fertilization of an infinitely greater scope than anything within human recognition. As long as they remain together, they are usually presented in society as husband and wife.
"The ability of the nagual man is to find and use the most appropriate words to express things with accuracy, intellectual clarity, fluency, and beauty. Among seers of the lineage which Don Juan's group belonged to, the omen to occupy this position was to be dying. All their leaders, except me, were found under such conditions."
"Why was your case different?"
"Because, properly speaking, I am a surplus nagual. I didn't come to continue the lineage, but to seal it."
"And what is the Rule for the nagual woman?"
"The nagual woman is the light that guides all effort, the true mother. Normally, she leaves before the rest of the group and stays fluctuating between the first and the second attention, visiting the apprentices in dreams. She functions as a lighthouse, and if necessary she can return from the second attention to sow a new generation of seers.
"When it comes to warriors, they come in two bands, stalkers and dreamers. They have two kinds of functions: Portals, and guardians. The portals belong to the direction of the south. They are the strainer or filter through which apprentices must pass. They determine whether a warrior stays or leaves, and they have the main influence on how members of the team are provided. They are also the organizers of power meetings.
"The guardians are kind of an external version of the portals; there is a white one and a black one. They are in charge of watching over the smooth functioning of the group, which means they are alert to possible external attacks, and they also stand ready to solve any internal problems. Among the new seers, women are in charge of all these functions."
"Why is it that?"
"Because women have greater mobility and more energy than men. Practically the entire universe is feminine by nature, and teams of witches travel through it as if they were at home in their own house. That capacity to circulate without interference from the dark energy makes them the battery of the group.
"On the other hand, we men are detected at once, because our energy is bright, and betrays us. Also, since we were not made to give birth, we do not have a specialized organ for dreaming. Except for the nagual, the male elements of a party don't carry much sparkle.
"Nevertheless, the Rule dictates that there are four male warriors dedicated to organize, explore, and understand. For this purpose, they fix their assemblage points in very specific energetic locations. Their presence serves to stabilize the group, neutralizing the frequent explosions of power staged by the female warriors. If not for them, the structure would explode as soon as the women achieve some degree of efficiency. So the men function as anchors; they fix the group until a maximum of power is reached.
"Due to its form, Don Juan called the party 'the organization of the snake'. It is a concept that he inherited from the old seers, referring to the pattern of squares on the skin of the rattlesnake. He affirmed that the head of the animal, with its fixed and hypnotic eyes, represents the nagual couple. The chest corresponds to the warrior dreamers, whose function is to inhale visions and distribute them to the whole group. The stomach represents the stalkers, able to digest any conceivable situation. The tail is the assistants, who are in charge of giving mobility to the group. It is a very fluid disposition."
"Are there any parties which are organized differently?"
"The warriors are largely the result of the implacable manipulation of the nagual. I'm sure you can see how, after years under this constant pressure, the form of a group - including the particular hue adopted by the luminosity of each member - becomes very specific. This is why so many lineages of sorcerers exist. But all of them have, basically, the same kind of pyramid-shaped parties which I have described to you, since experience has shown that this is the most stable formula."