Summary. According to a comparative approach, specific figures of entities whose habitat and space of action is the semi-arid area of San Luis Potosí, where the sacred territory of Wirikuta is located and where the peyotl grows, will be analysed. Seen by many as a ‘magic desert’, it is a high place of pilgrimage in Mexico. In this context, the figure of the deer Tamatsi Kauyumari des Wixaritari (Indians Huichol) is different, as it makes its presence multifaceted to the different pilgrims and travellers travelling in the area. According to these premisses, one will reflect on the links between the power of images and the power of presence, presence effects and personal effects in several ritual contexts and through various means of artistic expression.