This morning after breakfast, we head towards Pisa’q. On the way, Jose Luis talks for about the distinction between pampamesayoq and altomesayoq medicine lineages.
- Pampamesayoq medicine people are healers, who use medicinal plants, divination processes, conduct soul retrievals, and “nurture seeds.”
- Altomesayoq shaman must also be master healers and be skilled at divination and soul retrievals, but their primary ability is to converse with mountain spirits (apus: winged beings) and know how to “craft seeds.”
On the hike to The Temple of the Falcon, Jose Luis tells us that another name is Temple of the Visionary because this place is all about vision — true seeing, unadulterated by ego and low level affinities. True seeing is about being able to see possibilities in any situation, creating magic, and planting seeds (higher visions; more refined qualities of energy; greater consciousness bandwidth). To have vision, we must assemble our reality within the context of our medicine body, not our physical body. In other words, within the context of who we are Becoming, not who we are presently, which requires us to be in alignment with the four functions discussed yesterday at Ollantaytambo —fertility, light, anyi and well-being.
We are told that in order for vision to come, you have to practice availability — making yourself available. You can master anticipation and adaptability, but availability must be imposed, so that once we are able to manifest that ability, it will feed our experience so that we become the steward of that experience.
As the path narrows and steepens, I find myself gripping the side of the mountain. Peru will teach me, if nothing else, how to be in relationship with my fear of heights! Below is the Wilkamayu River, which makes an “L” shaped turn at Pisa’q to become the Urubamba River, which is one of the larger tributaries in the upper Amazon watershed.
As the path narrows and steepens, I find myself gripping the side of the mountain. Peru will teach me, if nothing else, how to be in relationship with my fear of heights! Below is the Wilkamayu River, which makes an “L” shaped turn at Pisa’q to become the Urubamba River, which is one of the larger tributaries in the upper Amazon watershed.
Once we reach the Temple, Jose Luis puts his civil engineering background to use. He tells us the Temple has/had many rooms with 5% inclination of their walls for seismic reasons. Some rooms, like the Temple of the Sun, incorporate black basalt (natural rock) that they blended flawlessly with the block stonework they are famous.
Celestial time-keeping was very important and stone placement reflected important dates such as the apex of the Southern Cross in the night sky (May 2), the Winter Solstice (June 21), and when the veils are at their most thin (August 1).
We are reminded, again and again, that in this tradition, the allyu (group; community) is always more important than the individual. We are introduced to a new word — “minka” — which like ayni refers to ones responsibility to steward the land as well as people. These concepts always make my heart open wider and “sing” in resonance to the possibility of living in a community or world where this is a way of being.
We are reminded, again and again, that in this tradition, the allyu (group; community) is always more important than the individual. We are introduced to a new word — “minka” — which like ayni refers to ones responsibility to steward the land as well as people. These concepts always make my heart open wider and “sing” in resonance to the possibility of living in a community or world where this is a way of being.
As we approach Inti-Huytana or the Hitching Post of the Sun, the conversation turns to “time” — linear time and circular time. Jose Luis describes the hitching post as the representation on earth of the intersection of time and space. A visual depiction of our place in the moment in relation to the journey of the Milky Way.
Traditionally, a Hitching Post of the Sun has one “post” to determine solstices, like the one at Machu Picchu. The one at the Temple of the Falcon has several “mini” Inti Huytanas, each in relationship to different celestial bodies, including Alpha and Beta Centauri (eyes of the llama) and Sirius, the fixed “dog” star that circumnavigates the Milky Way and the curved wall of the Hitching Post. The latter takes 52 years to go all way around.
Traditionally, a Hitching Post of the Sun has one “post” to determine solstices, like the one at Machu Picchu. The one at the Temple of the Falcon has several “mini” Inti Huytanas, each in relationship to different celestial bodies, including Alpha and Beta Centauri (eyes of the llama) and Sirius, the fixed “dog” star that circumnavigates the Milky Way and the curved wall of the Hitching Post. The latter takes 52 years to go all way around.
For medicine people in the Andes, August 1 is recognized as the time the veil between Worlds is thinest. On this date, shaman conduct a despacho ceremony that is an accounting of their previous year/life cycle (pacha) and includes mapping the engagements and relationships they’re invested (created cekes) in that consuming their kausay (life-force) without return on that investment, so they can reclaim that kausay and bring it into their mesa, which is a representation of their Becoming.
After holding a kaypay and despacho ceremony, some of us hike back down the mountain (the route I’ve generally taken in the past) into Pisa’q. Along the way, Jose Luis calls out to me. Walking back to him, I notice he has a stone to his ear and hands it to me saying, "This stone holds a vision of your Becoming, add it to your mesa and work with it especially while you are here in Peru."
After holding a kaypay and despacho ceremony, some of us hike back down the mountain (the route I’ve generally taken in the past) into Pisa’q. Along the way, Jose Luis calls out to me. Walking back to him, I notice he has a stone to his ear and hands it to me saying, "This stone holds a vision of your Becoming, add it to your mesa and work with it especially while you are here in Peru."
During lunch in Pisa’q, we are told that a special honor awaits us — that the reason our trip thus far has not been very linear is that details have been evolving between Jose Luis and Alberto to hold a final despacho ceremony for and with their mentor don Manuel, and we are invited to be there. So, instead of heading back to our hotel for a swim and leisurely pack to leave the next morning for a several day trip to Machu Picchu, we are off to Cuzco!
The ceremony will be held at Jose Luis' home. The multi-story complex has a lovely front courtyard. The first floor, where the ceremony will be held, is where his parents live. Jose Luis lives on the upper floor.
The ceremony will be held at Jose Luis' home. The multi-story complex has a lovely front courtyard. The first floor, where the ceremony will be held, is where his parents live. Jose Luis lives on the upper floor.
Besides our allyu, Alberto and several of his students/teaching assistants are there. It is like "old home week" for a couple of hours. Before the ceremony begins, Jose Luis takes me to see Don Manuel, who I met last year and from whom I received a blessing. In that relatively short span of time, his health has diminished substantially. Though he is lying in bed and breathing in oxygen, he generously gives me a final blessing. |
The despacho ceremony is a happy affair; not solemn. Off oxygen, Don Manuel is smiling and laughing. When it is time to be seated, Alberto and JL take their "traditional" positions on either side of Don Manuel. At first in a benign manner, he signals for Alberto to move to his "left" side, then points more sternly. Afterwards, we learn that JL traditionally sat on Don Manuel's "left" (feminine) side and Alberto on his "right." By Don Manuel changing their sides, he was indicating a change in each of their personal direction. JL said he had no idea why Don Manuel had done that, or what it might portend — a mystery to watch unfold!
At the end of the ceremony there was a lovely cake decorated with coca leaf k'intus and in the shape of Ausangate, Don Manuel's apu benefactor and the local mountain of his village in Q'ero. The story we heard was that his children (two of his sons were present for the ceremony) wanted to bring him "home" to die. Converted by the Catholic church, they had taken their father's mesa away and scattered his kuyas. |
Because one's mesa is a "whole" representation of oneself, this was a dastardly thing to do. However, because Don Manuel had spent the latter part of his life living away from his family as he mentored young medicine people, he agreed to go back to his village. At about 14,000 feet elevation, this would be an arduous journey for Don Manuel. And, once there, the village had no electricity for an oxygen tank or indoor plumbing. It was a hardship that he knew he needed to do to restore ayni (reciprocity : balance : right-relationship) with his family so when his time came, he could make his great crossing elegantly.
There are some stories I hear that make a huge and immediate impact. Don Manuel's story was certainly one. I experienced bits and pieces of my mother-in-law's passing, and knew that was not how I chose to live out the end of my life. And, I had no idea how much longer I would be walking on this earth, but now I had coordinates — I absolutely knew that I wanted to live each day more consciously and in ayni so when my time comes to a close, I will be able to die elegantly. | Now I had coordinates — I absolutely knew that I wanted to live each day more consciously and in ayni so when my time comes to a close, I will be able to die elegantly. |
Absolutely filled to the brim with today's experiences and absolutely exhausted, I slept most of the way back to Urubamba, knowing that I needed to pack and be ready to leave for Machu Picchu before dawn ... less than four hours of sleep before we are off again!