Many times people lament that the spirits have assigned them to be Machi. The Machil begins in adolescence and in four ways. The first and most important is by blood inheritance, but skipping a generation. The second and more traditional, is with perrimontun or visions of spirits that are had suddenly. The third, by pewma or dreams that indicate and oblige to be Machi, under penalty of living with illness. The fourth is for personal interest, going through a long apprenticeship, but they are the least esteemed in the community.

The Machil lasts four years. The first thing to learn from a machi teacher is to use the drum, the protocol of the ceremonies, to know diseases and remedies and to enter a trance and address the spirits or Machi Püllu. After two years, the apprentice plants the Chinkol Foye, a bundle of cinnamon, laurel or maki branches, with blue, light blue, white and black flags. In the fourth year, she can give herself over to her work as a Machi and plants her Rewe in front of her ruka, facing east or Pu-El-Mapu in the Geyku-Rewen ceremony. This is a long prayer, where the Machi in a trance dances the ‘machi dance’ to the rhythm of her drum, flutes and rattles; at the end the spirits speak, the Zugumachife transmits its messages and the celebration begins with abundant food and drink.