Inti Raymi: A Personal and Historical Storytelling The yearly Inti Raymi Celebration in Cusco is wonderfully spectacular and culturally informative. This was the day, June 24, 2019, that I was finally able to comprehend the ceremonial significance of the immense grassy plaza at Sacsayhuaman, the archeological site that sits above Cusco City. Although I had […]
PROLOGUE: I’ve attempted to provide readers with the closest verbatim English translation of the prophecy recounted by don Benito Qoriwaman Vargas, as shared in his idiosyncratic mixture of Quechua and Spanish, to the best of my recollection. A portentously rarefied wind slithered down from venerated Apu Pachatusan’s unmistakably serrated summit, flowing throughout the ancient
When The Night Leaned Down To Listen: A Don Benito Reminiscence Read More »
The echo of ayni: Sanctioned Teacher Andrea Groves shares how an unexpected gift led to opening up, letting go, and giving over to exquisite peace in the midst of chaos. Not long ago, a prospective student of shamanism and I sat down and had a lovely conversation about her interest in the year-long apprenticeship I
When a Mountain Calls You… Read More »
Life is complicated, an ironically simple fact. When I want to describe a situation that feels beyond a simple explanation or resolution it is easy to say “Life is complicated.”
Balancing Power: A Core Practice in a Complex World Read More »
“Right action, borne of compassionate, spiritual wisdom, unites.” This is the core axiom of the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition. Distilled down, I see this as a path toward right relationship, not just with all our relations, but with our own selves as well.
Authenticity: The Alchemy of Living Free of Trauma Read More »
Calling pijuayo the ‘apple of the Amazon’ is also a limited comparison deserving caveats. There are several ways in which pijuayo is very unlike an apple.
The Apple of the Amazon: An Ethnography of Pijuayo – Part 4 Read More »
In the Peruvian Amazon, many jungle dwellers are reluctant to call palms ‘trees’. They are a category of plants unto themselves.
The Apple of the Amazon: An Ethnography of Pijuayo – Part 3 Read More »
Some believe the Inkas maintained a kind of obsession with entering the rainforests to the east of their Andean domain.
The Apple of the Amazon: An Ethnography of Pijuayo – Part 2 Read More »
Every year in the high Andes of Peru, tens of thousands of pilgrims walk a cold stony trail to the base of one of the region’s many glaciers.
The Apple of the Amazon: An Ethnography of Pijuayo – Part 1 Read More »
It has been nearly a year now since my wife and I embarked on our first expedition to Peru. We sought a little adventure and a lot of healing. The medium for both was ayahuasca…
Intention: A Journey Not a Destination – Part 2 Read More »
It has been written that to control one’s breath is to control one’s life. Initiates of the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition are carefully apprenticed in several breathing exercises that…
Stay Connected: To Breathe as The Great Mother Breathes Read More »
When I began writing The Evolutionary Empath three years ago, I had the most unbelievable experience with an owl on the very first day I put pen to paper.
Fly, Sweetheart, Fly: A Portal, an Owl and the Birth of a Book Read More »
We arrived quite early that October morning; the second car in the Anacortes ferry line heading to Orcas Island off the coast of Washington State. Such was our excitement …
Ceremonial Alchemy Read More »
We seek transformation at every level of our being in our connection to the greater cosmos.
Intention: A Journey, Not a Destination – Part 1 Read More »
Ceremony sets the stage for us to be fully present and engaged with ourselves and others. It is also an opportunity to cultivate and maintain a deep connection with the numinous.
Conscious Living as a Ritual Artist Read More »
Walking down did have its easier aspects, and I felt some hope that I would be able to ride a horse for part of it. Going down, I could lean into gravity rather than fight it which meant that…
Pilgrimage to Huascaran: Part 5, the Grand Finale Read More »
It had been blessedly cloudy for most of the day which meant protection from the great and powerful Inti, and that the likelihood of rain was great. I suppose this is why Martín decided…
Pilgrimage to Huascaran: Part 4 Read More »
We are remembering and being re-Membered when we enact a ritual bridging the seen and unseen worlds. The simple act of offering a ritual begins when we become quiet, listen, and observe the natural world.
Ritual as Remembrance Read More »
