Despacho Ceremony
Despacho is a Prayer bundle created during a ceremony of intent. Desacho is the Spanish name for the ceremony(and that is how it is better known in the West).
The Q'ero name of this ceremony is "haywariska".
A Despacho is a sacred offering to Mother Earth (Pachamama), the Sacred Mountains (Apus), elements of nature, and the whole of Creation. It is a profound act of unconditional love to bring us back into alignment, into Ainy - a correct relationship with all Life.
The unconditional love (Munay), love from the heart (Munay Sonko) is not an emotion, but the glue that holds the Cosmos together.
Unconditional love is only possible when we step out of duality and enter the Spirit of Oneness (Pacha), realising that "I am you, you are me, and we are Creator". Everyone and everything is the manifestation of the One, where separation is just an illusion.
In Oneness everything is interconnected and is affecting everything else. The Despacho ceremony is a way to celebrate all Life. There are several hundred different Despacho ceremonies but all have something in common - a clear intent.
A Despacho ceremony may be performed for the purpose of physical, emotional or mental healing, harmonising relationships, for new beginnings, for abundance, a bountiful harvest, or for specific goals.
The Despacho may be a personal offering or a group offering on behalf of a whole community.
The offering is created on the basis of a woven Andean cloth during the ceremony.
Andean weavings represent the balance of the sacred masculine (mustanas) and sacred feminine (uncunas).
The base of the offereing is white paper that represents clarity of intetion,
The first layer on the base is usually incense - to carry the prayers and intentions upwards as an offering to all Creation.
Patterns of flower petals (a circle-representing creation, a cross- representing 4 directions, or other pattern, for example, heart-shaped). The pattern reflects the intention of the prayer bundle.
3 coca leaves (kintus) - are prayed over by every participant of the ceremony, the intent is "blown" into the leaves through the breath.
The Curandero (Medicine person or shaman) collects the leaves and places them in the offering in a specific pattern,
Once the initial shape and form of the offering is created, other items are prayed over and added to the Despacho.
Despacho on Amantani Island (Lake Titicaca) Aug 2011
Amantani is also often referred to as the "Love Island"
* Candy frogs and chocolate may be added to symbolise Mother Earth
* Seeds, grains, nuts, corn sugar represent different aspects of abundance
* stars may be added as an honouring of Star People
* White cotton balls represent clouds and moderate weather and gentle rain
* sea shells, representing water
* confetti - for joy
* animal crackers representing animal spirits
* play money representing real money;
* an lama fetus may be placed at the centre, representing that which is yet unborn or non - manifested- to move energied from formlessness to form;
* and many other articles symbolic representations of everything around us
Every item represents a part of the Andean cosmology, is filled with purpose and intention soas to affect the flow of energy through the Web of life.
When the offering is complete, the bundle is folded, tied, and wrapped in a sacred cloth with characteristic weavings.
The healer walks around the group with the prayer bundle, cleansing the energy bodies of participants from huchas (heavy energies).
Once the heavy energies are removed,each participant receives a blessing from the Medicine Person performing the ceremony
Once the clearing and blessing are completed, the despacho is burned. ( Or sometimes placed in running water)
Participants of the ceremony are not allowed to watch the burning as this may affect the manifestation of intent.
Only the Medicine person(s) who performed the ceremony can look at the burned material, and tell others whether it burned "well" *quick manifestation) or not (slow and difficult manifestation)
Finalizing the ceremony:Getting ready to burn the Despacho