I haven’t blogged for awhile as I was traveling with a group. There were 12 of us who had been invited to share a really unique experience with the Q’ero tribe here in Peru.
The event is Hatun Karpay- the Great Initiation of the Inka to make the step to the 4th level of spiritual development. We visited many Inkan sacred sites, sometimes accompanying members of the Q’ero tribe and participated in their traditional ceremonies.
The Q’ero believe , as I understand, that nature and the cosmos are beings here to help guide us to a better world. The earth, water, wind, sun, moon and stars are living entities, all part of our world. To me, the 4th levels is about becoming a true adult, when (again from my perspective,) we begin seeing our life as having purpose to serve our community. The Q’ero want to share their ancient teachings with people from all over the world right now as they feel it can help us assist in the world’s transformation.
While you might feel that the changes we have all faced in the past 2-3 years have been painful, I believe they are also part of an important global transformation. We have built societies that are inequitable, unloving and unsustainable. We value money, power and things over love and compassion. We use the planet as though she’s a convenience store, just here to fill our orders, rather than seeing our world as a living entity who we must begin caring for. Many of us, especially in modern/western world see the earth as being a resource we take from to attain more wealth and power. It’s all about me, me, me. This time of transformation brings us face to face with becoming willing to step into a global community where we can play a role to help our world become more healthy, loving and peaceful. The adolescent is only focused on him or herself. The adult finds their true self and uses unique strengths to serve the whole
This idea of our society being stuck in adolescence isn’t new. Tribal communities have always tried to help their members grow from a self-centered existence to a place of more wholeness and peace. Before I even knew about this Peru experience, I started reading a book, “The Journey of Soul Initiation: A Field Guide for Visionaries, Evolutionaries, and Revolutionaries” by Bill Plotkin. Bill discussed our adolescent society in great detail. You can learn more about Bill and his organization thru Animas Valley Institute.
So I came to Peru to learn new skills in adulting? Yeah, in a way. But also to explore more deeply this beautiful country, their spiritual practices, ways of healing and using energy. And while I’m still processing my experiences for the past couple weeks, I believe all my dreams were fulfilled.
In completing Hatun Karpay, with 12 hours a day and more devoted to traveling, hiking, participating in ceremonies, I got a real taste of what it might have been like to make that step from adolescent to adult in the Q’ero world. In completing the 4th level, initiates then become candidates for the 5th level… which no one they know of has reached in modern times. A 5th level priest can heal any disease with one touch, every time. Sounds like an admirable goal. In case you wonder, yes, there are levels beyond that, but I’ll save that discussion for another time.
So am I a 4th level Andean priestess? Uh, no. But I was given the honor of acting as priestess in our final coronation ceremony. That was a mind-blowing experience. To be clear about what I received from this experience, try this scenario. Imagine you are given the opportunity to go thru spring training with your favorite professional baseball team. You suit up with them, go out and play your heart out. By the end of training, are you magically a professional baseball player? Of course not, But thru the experience, your skills and knowledge would have grown in ways you didn’t know possible. That is exactly what has happened to me. No titles… but so many rich experiences to share
I’m so grateful to have learned and experienced so much about Q’ero traditions of healing, about the Inka society and values and have gotten to be immersed in the beauty that is the Sacred Valley in Peru, all I will share more about.
Sending light and love to us all
❤️
