This morning I woke with a touch of sadness because this is our last day together in Peru. The sky is bright and blue — a wonderful omen for the day and adventure ahead.
After breakfast, we boarded our bus and headed off to see another Temple of the Sun. This time at Sillustani. Enroute we passed small clusters of homes and farms, all made of stone — the homes, walled gardens and livestock enclosures.
After breakfast, we boarded our bus and headed off to see another Temple of the Sun. This time at Sillustani. Enroute we passed small clusters of homes and farms, all made of stone — the homes, walled gardens and livestock enclosures.
We also began learning about the importance of this sacred site:
- Sillustani is built on a plateau above Lake Umayo, which means “headwaters.”
- There is evidence that at one time, Lake Umayo connected to Lake Titicaca.
- Curiously, guinea pigs were used to scan the human body for ailments, not unlike an x-ray machine, and some Andean medicine people still practice this diagnostic method.
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Upon arriving at Sillustani, our local guide tells us that we would have entered the Temple of the Sun, now in ruin, by climbing three-steps — symbolizing the three Worlds — to a small doorway facing east towards Lake Umayo. The doorway would have lit up at dawn on the Winter Solstice, in June.
We learn, too, that archeologists found stone representations of the Southern Cross (symbol of the Inka Cross) and one of the most sophisticated celestial dials in the center of the Temple. The dial was a stone huanka, which are large stone monoliths that represent fertility, and were erected to provide an anchor point (coordinate) to the ongoing creative processes of life. The celestial dial huanka had four notches that would have held vertical rods that related to specific points in the night sky used to determine celestial coordinates. Four constellations, in particular, show up longer within this matrix longer than others: Fox, Southern Cross, Llama (Alpha and Beta Centauri) and Snake. |
All of the other stones in the ruin are in radial relationship to other celestial bodies. In fact, it has been found that the Temple is almost an exact approximation of where those four celestial bodies would have been 2800 years ago during the Age of Taurus. During that span of time, the earth has experienced a 23% wobble, many great earthquakes, floods. There is even evidence of a great flood at Sillustani, and stories about a white paqo (medicine man) who was messiah-like and had a white llama. |
Like all huankas, this one would have also been connected to other important and sacred locations. In fact, we are told, if you follow the northwest ceke connecting Lake Titicaca to this huanka and continue along that electromagnetic ley line, you will discover that it passes through the Temple of Wiracocha, the Qoriconcha in Cuzco, as well as other sacred sites.
Besides being a sacred place to bury the dead, Sillustani is also a place to honor one’s ancestors through symbols such as huankas. Standing at this one, facing northwest towards Lake Titicaca, I sent prayers to my ancestors and close relations who have made their great crossing, and as I did so, felt energy surge through my body. |
Then, closing my eyes and opening my heart, I sent out kollana, payan and kayao cekes — primary, secondary and tertiary qualities of energy, respectively — to connect me now and forever to these incredible sacred sites, exquisite energy, and bodies of knowledge they hold.
Shamans know that huankas speak to them, so it is vital that a shaman has a huanka at the primary place from which they source, generally at their home. Shaman connect through kollana cekes to their personal huanka, which serves like a backup storage devise for their relationships and engagements. In this way they never feel abandoned.
After taking group photos above the lake, a closing ceremony was held nearby in a square-shaped stone enclosure. Here we fed each other k’intus with our prayers. Then, holding hands in a circle, took turns thanking Pachamama, the apus, all of the celestial beings, elementals, Jose Luis, and each other for showing up for this extraordinary journey.
Shamans know that huankas speak to them, so it is vital that a shaman has a huanka at the primary place from which they source, generally at their home. Shaman connect through kollana cekes to their personal huanka, which serves like a backup storage devise for their relationships and engagements. In this way they never feel abandoned.
After taking group photos above the lake, a closing ceremony was held nearby in a square-shaped stone enclosure. Here we fed each other k’intus with our prayers. Then, holding hands in a circle, took turns thanking Pachamama, the apus, all of the celestial beings, elementals, Jose Luis, and each other for showing up for this extraordinary journey.
Sadly, our adventure was coming to an end ... we and our luggage were dropped off at Juliaca Airport, where we quickly paid our departure taxes and passed through security. Twenty minutes later, some of us boarded a plane to Lima via Arequipa, while others waited for a different flight. Little by little we all met up again in Lima, the magic of our shared adventure creating an enduring bond.
After a five+ hour wait, I boarded my flight to Los Angeles around 1AM. Exhausted and needing to begin process all that I'd experienced, I slept through most of the flight. The line through US Immigration and Customs went quickly, and after dropping off my luggage for a connecting flight to Santa Barbara Airport, walked the United terminal. By late morning Rick and our two Boxer boys were waiting to welcome me home!
After a five+ hour wait, I boarded my flight to Los Angeles around 1AM. Exhausted and needing to begin process all that I'd experienced, I slept through most of the flight. The line through US Immigration and Customs went quickly, and after dropping off my luggage for a connecting flight to Santa Barbara Airport, walked the United terminal. By late morning Rick and our two Boxer boys were waiting to welcome me home!