Pachamama Mother Earth Ceremony in Cusco

The “Pachamama,” Goddess Mother Earth

The “Pachamama,” goddess Mother Earth, is a deity that is deeply rooted in the thought and feeling of our people in Peru, especially in Cusco, for she doth represent the feminine energy of a maternal nature and abundance.

She is the representation of Andean resistance after many centuries of external influence, a goddess whom we now consider as the most important figure of the spiritual world within our Andean worldview.

In this present time, Pachamama is still an object of worship and veneration, mainly by us, the inhabitants of the Andes; this devotion doth manifest even in the smallest details and in the grandest celebrations.

When and What Day Do We Make Payment to the Earth?

The payment to the earth we do at specific moments, especially during the times of sowing and harvesting, with greater emphasis on the day of Pachamama, which we celebrate on the 1st of August with great fervor and faith in our communities of Cusco and other regions of Peru.

What Is the Payment to Pachamama or Payment to the Earth?

The payment to the earth is a ritual of gratitude that we perform with the masters pampa misayoc or paqos; this ceremony is carried out amidst prayers in Quechua or Aymara.

This celebration is not limited to the 1st of August but also takes place at the beginning of the time of sowing or harvesting.

We feel that our connection to the earth is so deep that these ceremonies are conducted regardless of the date. Always with the purpose to thank the earth for all the blessings it grants us and to ask for its blessing and protection.

Offerings to Pachamama

The ritual consisteth of preparing a symbolic table where we place the offerings for the earth; this is organized in a specific manner by the paqos. It is important to note that this type of ceremony must be performed by Andean masters.

We always do so with much respect, for these ceremonies are as significant to us as a mass is for a Catholic man.

Among the elements we include upon the offering table are:

• The leaves of coca, which are sacred and cannot be absent from any Andean ritual.
• Chicha, a drink made from maize, which we offer to the earth, the apus, the sun, and other Andean deities.
• Though the sacrifice of the llama may be shocking to many, it is something that was practiced until recently. Now we place upon the offering the fetus of a llama or the fat of the llama.
• Cookies and candies, for it is said that Pachamama delighteth in sweets.
• Also present are incenses of native flowers and palo santo.
• Additional elements include the pututu, a musical instrument made from large sea shells.
• Feathers of the condor, which was a sacred bird, are also used during the celebration of these ceremonies.

The payment to Pachamama concludes with the burning of the offering and the burial of the remains directly in the earth.

Inca Ceremony to Earth

The feature expressed in the language of the specific (more gestures than words) experiential with fully internalized symbols need not be “explained.” The Andean characters have kept many natural/cultural and, in general, the symbol’s sensitivity and effectiveness.

There is a remarkable diversity of liturgical rites from one Pacco to another within a scheme and many common elements. Diversity implies being seen as a more incredible wealth than uniformity.

Two circles of ordinary rituals:

• The life cycle marks the main stages of life from birth to death while incorporating new links between families (relatives by marriage and cronyism).
• The annual cycle (popular liturgical calendar), which, on the one hand, seeks propitiation within the production cycle
• Secondly, social and religious consolidation, as the festivities and mass pilgrimages also rites extraordinary crises facing individual social and climatic. For example, health rites, prayers for rain, offerings to go through either a procedure or before mobilizing to take the land, and sacrifices so that there is no longer a mine collapse or a road destroyed by lightning.

Ambiguous Situations

Fear

Faced with the power of mystery, one may have mixed feelings of confidence and fear. Supernatural beings are perceived as protectors but as demanding when maintaining reciprocity when one neglects or even inadvertently reaches warnings that could lead to punishment if not remedied.

Mountain Gods as the center of ancient Andes cults & rituals

In ancient times, these Andean mountains, known as APUS, were considered divine and were objects of the cult of Inka Gods and Andean people. Up to our days, the Holy Mountains of Cusco continue to receive frequent Despachos (oblations to receive the grace of the Andean gods) from villagers in the region.

A specific resource example masters each mountain. While the Apu Ausangate (the spirit of that mountain) is the owner or ruler of cattle, the Apu Salkantay is the owner of jungle products. Likewise, the Apu Sawasiray, situated between Calca and Paucartambo (The Inka Valleys), is considered the ruler of maize. At the same time, the Apu Ajhanaku Paucartambo is known as the ruler of all Andean tubercles.

Relations between APUS mirror those among humans; thus, as ancient legends have it, the Apus and other Inca gods possess feelings, genders, interests, and rivalries. For example, it does say that during the world’s creation, there was a violent dispute between the Cusco Mountains, Ausangate (male), and Salkantay (female). The Salkantay fled to the jungle while the Ausangate Mountain remained saddened in the Andes. After some time, both mountains started talking to one another again, exchanging products among themselves.