Every August 1, the Andean culture worships Mother Earth or “Pachamama” following the indigenous traditions of the original peoples. Pachamama is a creative and protective deity who protects men, makes life possible, and supports fertility. As part of our gratitude for the help and protection, the “ALTOMISAYOC” (Andean priests in charge of performing the ceremony) are obliged to give back to the Pacha in various ways, not only on special occasions and in ritual sites, but during all activities cultural significant events. For the offering, you need to make a ceremonial blanket and know where it will be distributed.

You must know how to choose and order the coca leaves for the k’intus (three ceremonial coca leaves) that are used in the offerings, and you must also know all the other elements that are found sometimes they are used as shells, seeds, huayruros, candies, llama fetuses and other objects according to the intention of the payment or offering. Families of the city of Cuscommaintain this tradition alive by putting yellow confetti and yellow flowers in every corner of their homes, as well as lighting incense in each room as part of the tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. Offering ceremonies to the Pachamama take place on the first day of August. This day marks an important custom of the Andean people. The offering ceremonies, commonly known by the Andean peoples as “payments to the land or payments to the Pachamama” are rituals of the ancestors. The offerings are part of a system of reciprocity between the material world and the spiritual world. The purpose of the ritual is to give back to Mother Earth what she has given you, to express your deepest desires, what you want to achieve in our life and what you want for your loved ones. These rituals continue throughout the month of August. There are two types of ceremonies practiced by the Andean people. There are private offers and community offers. During community offerings, Andean priests perform ancestral ceremonies. These ceremonies are intended to satisfy the hunger of the Pachamama and grant the blessings. Taxi cusco. The offerings to Mother Earth are related to the origin story of the relationship between Andean man, specifically the peasant, and Mother Earth or “Pachamama”.

The offering is a symbolic way in which men and women can give back to Pachamama what he or she has taken from her. The main purpose is the restoration of an exchange between humans and nature.

Ceremonies, offerings and rituals

The main purpose is the restoration of reciprocity between humans and nature. With the offering or payment, the farmer requests permission from the Pachamama to be able to return some of the resources that the Pachamama offers him in a symbolic way. These rituals are also intended for the “Apu” or spirit of the mountain. The APU is the masculine aspect of nature and the Pachamama is the feminine aspect. The APU protects animals and men. The APU also fertilizes the Pachamama. The offering is an act of cosmic commerce. It is the realization of universal and cosmic justice or the fulfillment of a mutual duty. The belief is that if the Andean people stopped practicing these customs, the balance of the natural, social and religious systems would be broken. For the Andean people, offerings are a way to reconcile with spiritual forces to avoid misfortunes. They also represent initiation rites.

These offering rituals are supervised by specialists of the Andean religion who have been educated in the modes of the ceremonies and have a high level of experience regarding the offerings and the entire process. They can be classified into different hierarchies or levels of priesthood. Moving to a higher level is a long and complex process. The first level is the Pampamisayoq, which means “the one who has his work table in the Pampa.” The Altomisayoq or HATUNMISAYOQ is considered within the rank of priests. His work is considered prophetic, charismatic and mystical. Priests are said to have the power to communicate with spiritual entities or beings in the religious world. To achieve this rank, he goes through a test called “Karpay” and then dedicates himself to the service of an assigned APU. This is temporary, and may end in some cases, such as misuse of power, raising money for personal enrichment, or reprehensible sexual behavior. There is an even higher rank in the Andean priesthood which is the Kuraq Akulleq, who has the ability to have an intense connection with higher spirits. The Andean priests know how to make the ceremonial blanket, and they have to know how to collect and order the coca leaves for the K’intus (three coca leaves that are used for the ceremony). They must also know all the other elements involved, such as shells, seeds and huayruros. They can also cure ailments with medicinal plants, divinations and magical diagnoses. They have the ability to read coca leaves and see bad or good luck. They can provide amulets, talismans, and the like. raising money for personal enrichment or reprehensible sexual behavior. There is an even higher rank in the Andean priesthood which is the Kuraq Akulleq, who has the ability to have an intense connection with higher spirits. The Andean priests know how to make the ceremonial blanket, and they have to know how to collect and order the coca leaves for the K’intus (three coca leaves that are used for the ceremony). They must also know all the other elements involved, such as shells, seeds, and huayruros. They can also cure ailments with medicinal plants, divinations and magical diagnoses. They have the ability to read coca leaves and see bad or good luck. They can provide amulets, talismans, and the like. raising money for personal enrichment or reprehensible sexual behavior. There is an even higher rank in the Andean priesthood which is the Kuraq Akulleq, who has the ability to have an intense connection with higher spirits. The Andean priests know how to make the ceremonial blanket, and they have to know how to collect and order the coca leaves for the K’intus (three coca leaves that are used for the ceremony). They must also know all the other elements involved, such as shells, seeds, and huayruros. They can also cure ailments with medicinal plants, divinations and magical diagnoses. They have the ability to read coca leaves and see bad or good luck. They can provide amulets, talismans, and the like. There is an even higher rank in the Andean priesthood which is the Kuraq Akulleq, who has the ability to have an intense connection with higher spirits. The Andean priests know how to make the ceremonial blanket, and they have to know how to collect and order the coca leaves for the K’intus (three coca leaves that are used for the ceremony). They must also know all the other elements involved, such as shells, seeds, and huayruros. They can also cure ailments with medicinal plants, divinations and magical diagnoses. They have the ability to read coca leaves and see bad or good luck. They can provide amulets, talismans, and the like. There is an even higher rank in the Andean priesthood which is the Kuraq Akulleq, who has the ability to have an intense connection with higher spirits. The Andean priests know how to make the ceremonial blanket, and they have to know how to collect and order the coca leaves for the K’intus (three coca leaves that are used for the ceremony). They must also know all the other elements involved, such as shells, seeds, and huayruros. They can also cure ailments with medicinal plants, divinations and magical diagnoses. They have the ability to read coca leaves and see bad or good luck. They can provide amulets, talismans, and the like. and they have to know how to collect and order the coca leaves for the K’intus (three coca leaves that are used for the ceremony). They must also know all the other elements involved, such as shells, seeds, and huayruros. They can also cure ailments with medicinal plants, divinations and magical diagnoses. They have the ability to read coca leaves and see bad or good luck. They can provide amulets, talismans, and the like. and they have to know how to collect and order the coca leaves for the K’intus (three coca leaves that are used for the ceremony). They must also know all the other elements involved, such as shells, seeds, and huayruros. They can also cure ailments with medicinal plants, divinations and magical diagnoses. They have the ability to read coca leaves and see bad or good luck. They can provide amulets, talismans, and the like.