Sacred Altars, Mesas, and Despachos
In Peru, the sacred traditions date back to the Inca and well before then. The Q’ero, who are the pure-blood descendants of the ancient Inca, pass their spiritual knowledge from generation to generation. I have had and continue to have the most profound gift of working with them in deep sacred ceremony. They are the family of my soul.
Here are some of the photographs we have of the manifestations of those sacred ancient traditions.
Sacred Altars
Sacred Mesas
A mesa in the tradition of the Incas is a sacred altar that is an embodiment of the energetic. There are different kinds of mesa. If you have seen a documentary or read about the Incan mummies found in the high Andes, you will have seen a small wrapped bundle of cloth. Inside that cloth are stones, other elements of nature and more. These are called, “q’uya.” A q’uya is an embodiment of an aspect of a person’s energetic body. Other mesas can be of an ayllu, the Quechua word for community, a native language of Peru. It is pronounced, “I.U.” I feel it is the perfect word for community. Isn’t “I.U.” what a community is? There are other mesas as well.
Apu Mesa Altar
Mesa
Apuchita
An apuchita is a bridge that brings the energetic into the Pachamama and passes through from Pachamama into the energetic. It is built of stones and remains where it is built until Pachamama and The Sacred knows its Work is complete. We built this apuchita at Apu Illimanay in the Royal Bolivian Mountains one month after 9/11.
Despachos
A despacho is an offering that the Q’ero create using elements of the earth. Despachos are usually given to fires when complete. They can be given to Air, Water, and Earth as well. They are created to bring healing, ayni, the Quechua word for reciprocity, gratitude, and more. Here are some despachos we have made throughout the years both here in the USA and in Peru.