Thoughts on Ceremony Jeffrey Backstrom
'Ceremony' is a ‘hummingbird’ work, mythic work. The hummingbird represents the Soul’s journey. Finding the resources to complete your sacred quest, to fully become what you are meant to be, what you 'came here for.' One's ceremony is about one's myth... where is one now on one's journey; where is one going??? Touch into your Soul's purpose here ... even as barely glimpsed today, however dimly; let that vision be fed, supported, nurtured.
Whether your ceremony is a traditional despacho, a solo or community fire ceremony, or the ceremony you create for yourself, just where you are and just as you feel the need, allow yourself to shift into that perceptual state of ‘Munay’ (love), connectedness and feel what will bring balance.
The indigenous view of man, nature, and the divine is that they are not really separate. Just as every cell is part of the whole body, or each fern or moth is part of a forest, so each of us is part of the whole organism of Nature. Hence, though the despacho involves “offerings”, it is not a sort of transaction, like an indulgence. The ceremonial acts are undertaken to create balance (in Quechua: Ayni). They express our participation in the ongoing process of nature, while at the same time they signal the needs, the receptivity that we, as part of nature, experience.
We are all an organism within the creation, like the llama or the mountain flower. The rest of creation will receive that which you produce. The animal takes oxygen and makes carbon dioxide and the plant takes it to make oxygen; thus the cycle continues.
When one brings one's personal concerns in this context, one does not impose one's limited will or wishes on creation; rather, one seeks to bring those wishes into the balance of the whole, to align ones desires with the rest of the creation process.
The Quechua term for the heart center is ‘Munay’. This is often thought of as love; another word is connectedness. Munay may be seen as a perceptual state, a state of consciousness, a way of knowing. Feeling through the munay center those threads of connection, between oneself and the rest of the creation one partakes in.
Altomesayok, Don Francisco, always asks that one bring to mind one's intentions in these six concrete areas:
Health
Work/manifestation
Home / home country
Family/relationship/community
Journey
Travel
Abundance
So what's with the offerings? Is this a transaction? What is ‘ayni’ specifically? ... give and receive … not just one's needs, but one's gifts to spirit as well. Well, clearly one is giving to Mother Earth what is already hers! Food, leaves, flowers, etc.; and, we are already one with the Creator. We live in the garden; we have been gifted this garden; we have never left this garden. We share in the beauty, balance and harmony of this garden.
Why coca leaves? The coca plant is revered as divine among the high mountain peoples. ‘Mama coca’, as is called, is the giver of remarkable life energy. Imagine living at 18,000 feet. Now imagine being a subsistence farmer at 18,000 feet. The alkaloids in the coca plant allow the body to extract much more of the oxygen from the air. As a result, much more energy is available for family, for culture, for spiritual life, at the end of a full day farming by hand or following herds.
When making a despacho, allow whatever leaves you use to represent the energy that we receive from the sacred marriage of Earth and Sun. Bring to mind the wondrous life-processes which transmute minerals and light into our own bodies; the very bodies which support our experiences, actions, emotions, soul-incarnation.
And finally, be prepared for change! If you have called forth realignment with Nature... do not assume it's the other-than-me parts of nature that are going to do all the aligning!
Despacho Ceremonies ... A Brief Introduction
Among the Quechua Indians of Peru, a despacho ceremony is the centerpiece of a complex spiritual and ritual heritage.
In Spanish, the word despacho literally means 'dispatch or shipment.' In the Andean traditions of Peru, a despacho is a ceremonial offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the Apus (Mountain Spirits). Hence, despachos are typically addressed to the larger forces of nature: Pachamama(Mother Earth), Apukuna (mountain spirits), Chaskakuna (the stars), Inti (the sun), and so on. You could perhaps think of it as a focused, formal way to 'dispatch' or 'ship' your prayers off to the powers that hold us. Despachos also help align personal energies with the cosmic ones.
The intention behind a despacho ceremony can range from something as noble as world peace, to something as down to earth as offering thanks for a bountiful harvest, to something as personal as relief from joint pain. One could even include prayers for all three in one despacho! Despachos can be done in and for groups, cities and countries and can also be done for individuals. A personal despacho is an opportunity to really focus on any areas of your life where you feel you need support or would like to ask for blessings. It is quite a powerful way to set your intentions and let them go. On very special occasions, despachos are also performed when larger cultural or ecological events threaten the entire community.
The Despacho Ceremony
The specialists who perform such ceremonies are known as Altomesayok, which translates roughly as ‘Alto = high Mountain, Mesa = altars, yok = power’. Over 200 different types of despachos have been recorded, depending on the results desired. Despachos can be performed by individual Altomisayok, or by teams of altomisayocs, often paired into male and female quadrilles.
In addition, a despacho ceremony can also be performed as a form of Ayni or balance or harmony with the universe. The concept of Ayni is central to Andean shamanism and is based on a mutual dependency between humans, nature, and spiritual forces. Ayni brings balance into our lives and creates relationship between our physical and sacred worlds. Andean shamans believe that human health and well-being depend on balanced reciprocity between all elements of life.
The despacho contains symbols of everything: the elements (earth, fire, water, air, spirit); the four cardinal directions (north, south, east and west); mountains, rainbows, stars and so on. When working with a despacho, the Altomesayok accesses the non-ordinary reality, the ultimate source of all things. Don Manuel Q’espi, an elder of the Q’ero tribe, spoke of despachos in this way...
"The despacho is a gift; a giving back of what we receive everyday in our lives. We seek, through the despacho ceremony, to bridge the ordinary and non-ordinary realms; to establish new patterns of relationships and possibility. The despacho places us in right relationship, right Ayni, with Pachamama and all of her manifestations."
A blooming Despacho ... Jose Luis Herrera in closing ceremony ... photo by Celia Blackwood
An Ayni Despacho in the making ... by Celia Blackwood
Below ... An amazing Dispacho for our healed state ... by Celia Blackwood.
Rose petals, rice, sugar and tobacco for the base; huge and full of power! The bundle was buried at the edge of the ocean at Laguna Beach.
Offerings for a Despacho Ceremony
For a despacho ceremony, the shaman gathers a variety of symbolic offerings such as wine, sugar, incense, gold and silver threads, red and white flower petals, grains, seeds, shells, candies and more. Each item is placed on a large sheet of paper with great care and intention, arranged in a mandala-like shape. Prayers are blown into small bundles of leaves called kintus and added to the offering as well.
Building up the despacho can take some time; especially as participants remember more people and things they want to pray for - family, career, spiritual growth, forgiveness. But eventually the mandala is completed, the bundle is folded closed and tied up. Then the shaman will run the whole bundle over your body, drawing out any heavy energy that may be lurking there.
The end product of a despacho ceremony is a graphic mandala made of a wide assortment of natural and man-made products: seeds and vegetables, gems and minerals, incenses, animal products, and man-made symbols that may depict or symbolize the desired result. In all cases, however, the intent is symbolic and metaphysical, and the understanding is that a despacho allows the client or the community to request a blessing from the realm of spirit.
When the offering is complete, the entire assemblage is folded, tied and wrapped in a sacred weaving. It is then offered to the forces of nature either by burning, burying, or by casting into water.
Burning a despacho is the fastest way to achieve transformation and is relatively common. The whole bundle is ceremonially burned, the participants turning their backs to the fire to allow the spirits to "eat" the offering in peace. The incense takes the prayers up to the Mountain Spirits, any heavy energy is turned to ash for Pachamama to consume and compost, transforming into fertile ground for new endeavors.
The energy of collective intention captured and contained in the despacho is thus released into the universe, where its message of reciprocity and gratitude can reach the most appropriate agent for manifestation. The result is renewed harmony and balance in ordinary life.
Constructing a Despacho, step by step
To construct a despacho, you first have to collect the items that you plan to include in the offering. This will depend on the intention or purpose of the ritual. The list at the bottom contains many of the most common items, with their respective meanings.
To begin, lay a large sheet of white paper on the ground. Add items in patterns that represent the purpose of the ritual, as well as the Cosmos at large.
Add items in sequences that reflect the organization of the Cosmos into the four cardinal directions ... south, west, north and east; and the three Shamanic worlds ... Lower world, Middle world and Upper world. Each layer is finished off with a generous offering of sugar to add lots of sweetness to the prayer and outcome. To finish, decorate with flowers, candy, glitter, cotton and other colorful items. The paper is then folded and tied with a natural twine; and additional kintu on the outside of the bundle represents forgotten prayers. The package is then carefully wrapped in a despacho cloth until it is finally offered to appropriate forces of nature ... earth, water or fire.
Stages in the construction of a Despacho ... photo: http://alexstark.com/how-to/despacho-ceremonies
Despacho Components
Below is a short list of the possible meanings to be used in despacho offerings by Alex Stark. You can add to this list or substitute other items that could also have a similar interpretation.
Vegetable Products
Although this is a generic list, many refinements can be made by proper selection of the specific harvest, location, and quality of the products listed below. In all cases, the item should be evaluated energetically through dowsing or divination in order to determine its qualities and meaning.
COPAL: Offering to the Lower World, the Shadow
FRANKINCENSE: Offering to the Upper World, the Light
PALO SANTO: Holds Space for our Prayers
COCA: Sacred Wisdom of the Mother
TOBACCO: Offering to the Sky Father
SAGE: Purification, Banishment of the Negative
ANISE: Celebration, The Senses
BERRIES: Rewards, Fruits of Labor
CEDAR: Wisdom of the Forest
CORN: A Gift of the Earth, Our Daily Sustenance
CORNMEAL: Offering to the Earth Mother
COTTON: Dreams, Clouds, Mountain Snows
FIGS: Ancient Mountain Spirits
FLOWERS: The Beauty of Nature, the Power of Light, Reproduction & Fertility
GARLIC: Absorption of the Negative, Banishment
GRAINS: Sustenance, Abundance
LAVENDER: Purity, Purification
LAUREL: Sacredness, Victory over Adversity
LEAVES: Honoring Nature Spirits
LIMA BEANS:Sacred Places, Huaqas, Power Spots
LIQUOR: High Energy, Honoring the Spirit World, our Ancestors
PEANUTS: Caves, Places for Elemental Spirits
POLLEN: Offering to all Living Creatures
RAISINS: Offering to the Dead
RICE Offerings to the Spirit World
SWEETS: Fertility, Beginnings, Potential
SUGAR: Sweetness, Feeding the Spirits
VEGETABLE OIL: Our connection to the Nourishing Power of Nature
WAYRUROS: Seed of Protection
WINE, RED: Honoring the Mother, Menstrual Blood
WINE, WHITE: Honoring the Moon, Fluids of Purification, Urine
Minerals
Various minerals will resonate differently with different traditions, but some aspects are common to all. There are nuances, however, depending on place or origin, manner of extraction, the relative age of the mineral, in whose possession it might have been, and so on. Old jewelry is a valuable source of quality minerals that can be also understood as being returned to the Mother, especially in burial despachos.
GOLD: Masculine, The Sun, Insight
SILVER: Feminine, The Moon, Intuition
AGATE: Acceptance, Emotional & Physical Balance, Raises Consciousness
AMBER: Protection, Memory, Calming
AMETHYST: Higher Knowledge, Insight, Grounded Psychic Growth, Courage, Self-esteem
AVENTURINE: Joy, Mental Clarity, Positive Attitudes
BLOODSTONE: Blood & Heart Healing, Vitality, Courage, Higher States of Consciousness
CALCITE: Astral Projection, Balances Yin/Yang qualities
CITRINE: Successful Relationships, Letting go of Addictions, Self Confidence
COPPER: The Earth’s Gift, Conductivity
DIAMOND: Removes Blockages, Balances the Mind, Sexuality & Power
FLUORITE: Practicality, Getting Things Done, Ability to Perceive Higher Levels of Reality
GARNET: Circulation, Stimulates Imagination, Self-esteem & Willpower, Calms Anger
HEMATITE: Protection, Aids Astral Projection, Increases Self-Esteem
HERKIMER: Cleanses Subtle Bodies, Past life Memory, Clairvoyance & Dream work
IRON: Strength, Persistence, Endurance, Direction
JADE: Good Luck & Prosperity, Strong Immune System, Divine Love, Protection
LOADSTONE: The Power to Attract & Bind Together
MOONSTONE: Open up to feminine qualities: Receptivity, Intuition, Sensitivity, Clairvoyance
OBSIDIAN: Removal of Obstacles & Negativity, Prophetic Vision
OPAL: Protection, Cosmic Consciousness, Intuition, Emotional Balance
PERIDOT: Clarity, Patience, Clairvoyance, Positive Emotional Outlooks
PYRITE: Material Realization, Good Fortune, Eases Anxiety
CLEAR QUARTZ: Purity of Perception, Purity of Intention
ROSE QUARTZ: Love & Romance, Purity of Feeling, Confidence, Expression, Creativity
SMOKEY QUARTZ: Purification, Elimination of Shadow Aspects, Fertility, Creativity, Joy
RUTILATE QUARTZ: Breaks old Patterns, Childhood Blockages, Ease Depression
RHODOCHROSITE: Cleansing of Subconscious, Self-Identity, Strengthens Androgyny
RUBY: Spiritual Balance, Heart Healing, Confidence, Flexibility, Vitality, Leadership
SALT: Protection, Boundaries
SAPPHIRE: Communication w. Spirit Guides, Clairvoyance, Telepathy, Expression
TIGER EYE: Works on Mass Consciousness to Separates Desire from Need
TOURMALINE Dispels Fear, Negativity & Grief, Promotes Balance, Eases Compulsiveness
TURQUOISE: Fresh Starts, Offering to the Ancestors, Strength of Entire Body, Protection
Animal Products
Please note that specific animals or animal products will lend to the item the resonances proper to that animal, species, or individual. A quail egg, for example is very different from an eagle egg. A chicken’s first egg is also distinct from her later eggs, and so on.
ANIMAL SHAPES: Honoring our Relatives in the Animal Kingdom
FAT: Purest form of energy
BLOOD: Life Force
BONE: Our Inner Core, Structure, Connection to Animal Relatives
CORAL: The Power of the Sea, The Subconscious
EGGS: The Unborn, Purity, Healing
FEATHERS: Connection to Birds and to Native American wisdom
FETUS: The Unborn, Pure Potential
FUR Boundaries, Our Relations in Nature
HUMAN HAIR: Honoring our Connection to the Animal World
INSECTS: Time, The Web of Life
MILK: Connection to the Mother, Honoring Trees
PEARLS: Infinite Wisdom & Purity
STARFISH: Foundations, Successful New Beginnings
SEAHORSE: Delicacy & Balance
SHELLS: Power of the Waters: Depth, Faith, Flexibility
Man-made Symbols
ALPHABET NOODLES: Language of the Soul, The Unwritten
ASHES: Offering to Our Personal Ancestors
BEARS: Personal Power
BUTTERFLIES: Happiness, Spontaneity
CANDLES: Celebrations & Rejoicing
CANDY: Compassion & Love
CIRCLES: Completion, Good Luck
CONFETTI: Happiness, Celebrations
COINS: Good Fortune, Wealth
IMAGES OF COUPLES:Marriage, Love, Reproduction
CROSSES: Decisions, Coming Together
DICE: Good Luck
FISH: Abundance, Prosperity
FLUTES: Voices of the Ancestors
FROGS: Keepers & Guardians of the Waters
GOLD LEAF: Wisdom, Direct Knowledge from Nature. Message from the Mother
SILVER LEAF: Intuition, Clairvoyance, Message from the Moon
GOLD THREAD: Connection to the Earth Mother
HANDS: Sensitivity, Mastery
HEARTS: Working from Love, from the Center
HOLY WATER: Blessings, Protection
KNOTS: The Web of Life, Interdependence
MEN: The Masculine Principle
MOON: The Feminine Principle, The Shadow, Nourishment
RAINBOWS: Meeting of Ordinary and Extraordinary
RABBITS: Fertility, Reproduction
SEQUINS: Happiness, Joy, Celebrations
SILVER THREAD: Connection to the Mountain Spirits
SKULLS: Power of the Past, Power of the Ancestors
STARS: Hope, Aspiration
SUN: The Masculine Principle, The Light, Creation
SUN & MOON: Balance of Opposites, Harmonization
BUDDHA: Enlightenment, Attainment
THE GODDESS: The Feminine Principle Made Flesh
THUNDERBOLT: Expression, Power of the Voice,
TURTLES: Healing Power
WOMEN: The Feminine Principle
WOMEN: The Feminine Principle
Bibliography:
http://alexstark.com/how-to/despacho-ceremonies
http://www.steppingintofreedom.com/ho/despacho-ceremony/peruvian-despacho-ceremony
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