http://www.dayoftikkun.com/qero/
The Q’ero
Who are the Q’ero?
High up in the Andean mountains of Peru lives a small community of farmers, weavers and medicine people known as the Q’ero. The Q’ero sought refuge in “villages in the clouds” following the invasion of Peru by the Spanish Conquistadors almost five hundred years ago and remain there to this day. They were “discovered” in 1949 by the anthropologist Oscar Nunez del Prado, who led the first expedition to the Q’ero villages in 1955. The medicine people within the Q’ero nation are known as “paqos,” which means “priest or mystic” in Quechua, the language of the Inca. The Q’ero paqos are credited with preserving and maintaining the healing knowledge, ancient prophecies, beliefs and traditions of the Inca – and the knowledge of the civilisations which came before them – via their oral tradition. Over the years, they have selflessly shared their traditions and wisdom with seekers of knowledge from all corners of the world.
The Q’ero do not see themselves as separate beings with separate identities as we do in the West, instead they see themselves as one with each other, one with nature, and – as with most indigenous cultures – also one with God.
In fact, they are so ego-less and focused on the collective spirit that they do not have a word in their language meaning “I.” Their main philosophy is to practise “Ayni,” which means living in reciprocity, balance and harmony with the Earth, with nature and with each other. Ayni is the practice of giving before taking, of fairness. For example, when harvesting their corn crops – which they do together as a community – they search to find the two most perfect ears of corn. These are then buried ceremonially, as a thank you to “Pachamama,” Mother Earth, for their abundance and as a prayer for future abundance. Thus they gift the most prized ears of corn back to the Earth, as a thank you and in order to remain in balance and harmony with Pachamama The Q’ero follow the shamanic way of seeing the Divine in everything, whether it be a blossom, river, rock, animal, or indeed another person, hence they treat everything and everyone with respect.
The Q’ero medicine path follows two main routes – that of the “Pampamesayok” and the “Altomesayok,” both of which are arduous and require many years of training. Pampamesayoks source their power and information from the land, and are highly knowledgeable about plant medicine. Altomesayoks have the ability to summon up and receive direct communication, wisdom and healing guidance from the “Apus”- the spirits of the Holy Mountains.
What is a despacho?
A despacho is created during a celebratory ceremony. In the cosmology of the Andes, all life is experienced as a celebration and is perceived as one grand, infinite ceremony. Because physical survival is so hard in the high mountains, life is experienced as a true gift to be lived, not a problem to be solved.
The ceremony brings participants into alignment with their personal intent, the group intent, and gratitude to the earth, which supports us in all our endeavors. It also brings participants into internal alignment with the “three bands”: physical (yankay), feeling and heart (munay), and spirit, or energetic wisdom (yachay). (The alignment of these bands is comparable to alignment of the seven chakras or the fifteen chakras of other cultural frameworks.) Finally, the despacho harmonizes the community through the sharing of coco leaves and gifts of stones, all of which strengthen the luminous fibers that connect us all.
The specialists who perform such ceremonies are known as Pampa Altomisayoc, which translates roughly as “high priests of the ordinary realm”, the work “pampa” referring both to the level ground of agriculture as well as to the ordinary world of mortals. Over 200 different types of despachos have been recorded, depending on the results desired. In general terms, a despacho is understood as a request for good fortune, its name derived from the Spanish word for missive, message, or care package. This implies that the ritualist is “sending a message” to the realm of spirit in which a particular outcome is being promoted. Depending on the purpose, a despacho may require the presence of the client, an extended family, or the entire community. Despachos can be performed by individual Altomisayocs, or by teams of altomisayocs, often paired into male and female quadrilles.
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 result from the realm of spiritual power. Consequently, 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.
Just as the end product of a despacho is a mandala, a complete expression of intention, so too must we strive to create in ourselves a perfect vessel for the receiving and projection of God’s light.
In order to create a despacho, the Altomisayoc must perfect a specific shamanistic maneuver, the harmonization and balancing of three “bands” or levels of consciousness: yankay, the physical universe, yachay, the spiritual or wisdom realm, and munay, the feeling or heart center. By integrating these qualities with personal intent, the group intent, and gratitude to the earth and nature, which supports all of the community’s endeavors, the despacho re-harmonizes and balances the community into a single energetic body in which the luminous fibers which connect us all are reaffirmed and strengthened.
Information from Day of Tikkun/Repair: http://www.dayoftikkun.com/