Arrival
     I am checked into my beautiful and inexpensive hotel room. It has a nice bathroom and a window that looks out on a gorgeous garden. Carrie showed me around and it turns out that there will be a big gathering tonight of Qero people from all over. Someone filmed a documentary and tonight is the debut.
     My travels went smoothly. I met a friend on the plane who is also down here alone and we will get together. I am well fed and ready for some sleep. There are two inexpensive restaurants around the corner. Carrie walked me around so I have my bearings. She is beautiful inside and out and dedicated to her path. Truly she is my guardian angel. So kind and open.
    While eating breakfast I asked if she knew the Paco I met at the elder gathering in May when I went to the Grand Canyon. Turns out that he is the brother of her best friend and she often takes care of his eighteen year old son when he comes down from the mountains. About 30 min. after she said that, his son came into the restaurant and I shared my Coca leaf tea with him. He was excited to meet me and will tell his papa I am here. Didn't even get the chance to look up Juan Gabriel's contact information and we will get together tomorrow or the next day. And so my sojourn of serendipity begins. I knew I went to Arizona for a reason:)
     I am truly blessed. Love suz

Friday 12/4/2009 1:41:08 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

blooming

Friday 12/4/2009 4:09:04 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

my door
     I scored a beautiful room in the art district two blocks from the main Plaza and two blocks from Carrie. $30 a night. I am so thrilled I am beside myself. It rained a bit, but was the sunniest day of the week.
     I will meet a flock of Q'eros tonight! I know that my heart is going to open and my love light is beaming with joy.- am finally living my waking dream! I managed to get myself here and I feel confident and strong! Love suz

Friday 12/4/2009 5:25:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

sunday mass
     Catholic churches abound. More merging of traditions here instead of obliteration. Statues of saints dressed in Incan clothing with symbols worshipping the sun god.
     I met an elder woman named Marissa yesterday who could not understand why I didn't have a husband (or why I didn't want one.) She gifted me a bracelet with pictures of the saints on it for protection since I didn't have an escort.
     They would not let tourists in the churches today. When the woman saw the bracelet she let me pass. It is so cool to have my path made clear. Suz

Sunday 12/6/2009 11:25:08 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

my porch
     I have a great view and am content to sit in the sun. Wandering around the city does not interest me.
Going to go down to the corner and sculpt a puma for my friend Maribell who is teaching my Quechua.
Sudeeme what is your name?
Sudukee my name is Susanita
Love suz

Sunday 12/6/2009 1:21:40 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Pissed off
There are some young Qero people down the street who have befriended me. I took my sculpting down there today to make a puma for my friend Maribell who is teaching me the Quechua language.
A dozen kids wanted a turn and a teen named Mario just took over. I will gift this piece to him since he is doing most of it.
A little two year old kept grabbing my tools and when I finally got stern with him, he whipped out his penis and pissed on my leg! Guess it is best not to piss people off here. Even the grown men just piss in the street so it smells like urine. Good thing it rains every day. Suz

Sunday 12/6/2009 2:34:53 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

mucho amigo
     My best friend Sebastian. (The name of my beloved dog) He is 10 and speaks some English. He sells stones on the corner and he and brother Mario have been helping me carve a puma. Sebastian is so kind and generous. He shares the food his mother gives him with all the homeless children. Such a bright spirit and loving heart. He is my interpreter. I have fallen in love with him and visit him twice a day. Without him I would be lonely. Love suz

Monday 12/7/2009 11:48:02 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

pica place
     I am sending you this message cradled in the place honoring the hummingbird where I received my blessing yesterday. I am carving a puma. Plan to stay here until the blue crescent moon appears.
     Good news. My beloved friends Jennifer and Jeremy managed to sell a car I have been burdened with in perfect timing. It will provide an apartment for me for two months.
     Sent an email inquiring last night. Then, on my way up to the temple this morning I met a man named Howard who I was introduced to briefly on Friday. I asked if he knew anyone who had a place to rent and he did. It is located not far from my pica rock.
     Turns out he is a network chiropractor and I told him how I work a trade weekly in Ft. Collins to keep my spirit clear. He has pain in his feet and can't wait to start working a trade with me.
     Wow! There are 300,000 people in this city and I get to recognize a familiar face:)
     All is swell. Love suz

Tuesday 12/8/2009 11:33:15 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Despatcho
     Despatchos are the way the Qero pray. They are little bundles that represent everything above everything below and everything within us. There are 270 different ways to make despatchos. Some for specific healing of mind, body and soul. Some for prosperity, protection, good luck or safe travels.
     It is called AYNI the way of reciprocity. It is the interchange of love, knowledge and work. Right relationship with Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) is about living in balance. It is being aware that we never take more than we give and we allow ourselves to receive so as not to block the generosity of others.

Thursday 12/10/2009 6:18:04 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

living prayer
     I woke up this morning full to the brim. With joy and wide eyed wonder. When I was 8, I had my first transpersonal experience. My second grade teacher, Sister Mildred, understood what had happened to me. She made me feel like it was a blessing. I was picked on a lot as a child for being weird. Her words always helped me to accept my uniqueness.
     Her words also troubled me because she told me that Jesus had called me to be a nun because of those experiences. I have wrestled with that my whole life. I settled on being a New Age Nun and have created my own definition for answering that call. I do belong to God/Goddess/Mother Earth.
     I found myself singing my favorite Catholic hymns this morning. "This is the Day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be Glad." And "Here I am Lord. Is it I lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go Lord, where you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart."
What I cherish most on earth are the indigenous ways. Part of what made me so weird is that I never bought into the ways of civilization. My nomadic spirit has brought me to this place in this moment of time.
     Today I give myself fully to my purpose. I answer that call that has guided my life to this point.
     As the sun rises on this day I embrace my authentic self as I go home. All of the aspects of my lives on Earth will integrate when I touch Pacha Mama in this pristine place.
     Today, I become a living prayer.

Thursday 12/10/2009 6:46:06 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

my student

Thursday 12/10/2009 8:06:59 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

front seats
     Front row seats on the bus to Orongate. We have a thee hour ride then a long taxi to a town .where we will get the horses. Tomorrow all day on the horses. Carrie says his community is off the map.

Thursday December 10, 2009 7:47:49 AM MST

buying groceries
     We are buying food for the community. Pretty wild that there is cell reception here. Thanks to all of you who are writing. I feel like my heart is with you. I am so happy to share this experience.. I am in another world and still close to my loved ones.

Thursday December 10, 2009 10:52:00 AM MST

IMG00285.jpg
     I had a hamster when I was 5. I would not wear a shirt without a pocket. He went in first thing in the morning and stayed til I got in my PJs. Mostly he slept, but every once in a while he would peek his head out. Your messages remind me of taking Bubbles out of my pocket to play.

Thursday December 10, 2009 11:27:45 AM MST

medicine wheel
     I have returned from the Q'ero lands. This photo is of the Medicine Wheel I built for you. I went down my list and visualized your face as I chanted prayers for you. Then I did some toning that was inspired by the land itself.
     The llamas roam freely in the area. The houses in the background are Juan Gabriel's community. I used the nice new camera Sue gifted me to take photos of the people inside their houses. They rarely see themselves and I quickly made friends with everyone. I will try to download some and add them to my web site. Photos are expensive to send with my Blackberry so please check there for future postings.
It was deeply meaningful for me to build the wheel and to do a chanupa (pipe) ceremony with his relatives and neighbors. He has done pipe ceremonies in the US and felt blessed to connect the eagle and the condor in his home.
     My traveling companion, Sophia, pours water for the Inipi (sweat lodge) ceremony at her home in France. She was trained by a Dutch man who hosted Denver's Grandpa Wallace Black Elk. I frequently had experiences with him as a teacher and always was moved by him in ceremony.
     So strange to feel the connection between she and I. The web is extensive. Seems like every time I mentioned something about my life she said, "Me too!" She is involved in translating the book written by the Thirteen Grandmothers and participated in their gathering in Spain.
She runs a womyn's drum circle and we have shared purpose in helping womyn journey through menopause.      
     She initiated me in a form of energy healing called, Ilahinoor brought forward by a man named, Khara. It is associated with whales and dolphins and calls in Divine Feminine energy. It shifts the DNA and balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain. It is a world wide movement that I will be excited to share with you when I return. In my session a white eagle came and said "My wings were open wide and I was flying my life" sitting at the Medicine wheel and looking out on another world it did feel like it took wings to get there.
     I pray that you are able to feel the deep appreciation I feel for each one of you and that many blessings come from our connection through this sojourn. You live in my heart and share in each step with me.

Tuesday December 15, 2009 9:02:07 PM MST

susanita
     We had a big celebration on Saturday night. This is a special hat we all took turns wearing. Everyone got slap happy on chica morada a type of moonshine that was served from a recycled Coke bottle. I tasted some as it was necessary to offer some during a ceremony and it made 180 proof seem mild. I took very small sips that made me gasp for air and my eyes water. Everyone was quite entertained by my reaction and laughter filled the room.
     Needless to say, my one shot blew me away and I was sick for most of the party that ensued. They laughed, cried and sang with drunken delight until the sun came up.

Tuesday December 15, 2009 9:37:55 PM MST

community

	Haircutting Ceremony Sophia and I are welcomed into the family  as Godmothers to Maria Luz
	Juan Gabriel shares  insights about the  ancient ways of his  people
	On top of the first 16,000 foot pass and letting the horses catch their breath

     The trip to Qero was truly an adventure. The two hour taxi ride on a four wheel road was daunting. 7 adults, two children, four day packs, two back packs and two bundles crammed in a four door hatch back on the way home. The smells were interestingly nauseating. I was queasy most of the time while in Qero because of all the smells. The road was washed out 11 times with 3 of them literally crossing fast moving streams. There were too many blind curves to count. The taxi driver (an Elvis look alike) honked before proceeding and twice we met on coming traffic. We encountered horses, cattle, sheep and chickens as well as cyclists, children and a pig. I held my breath and tried not to bump into others as we swerved and dodged things.
     Then the 8-9 hour horseback ride/ hike over two 16,000' passes. We got to ride going up and speed walked between 3 and 5 miles every downhill. My feet were blistered. The dismal relentless rain soaked me to the bone and was made worse by the sleet, pelting hail and snow.
I began the journey creating eloquent exposes to share with you, but was reduced to repeating one sentence, "hang on to the saddle and don't pass out."
     We were well received and did a despatcho ceremony and were asked to be Godmothers for the 1 year old granddaughter named Maria Luc. We did a cutting of the hair ceremony.
     Life in Qero is difficult and primitive. We had bought lots of food to share and people from the community came to receive. There was a lot of coca leaf being shared. Not sure if it was that, or eating the soup that was made from the cut up pieces of llama that hung from the ceiling that made my intestines groan. I have photos to share of authentic Qero cuisine.
     I did a little cooking to help out and will post photos of that too. You will see how smoky it was all the time. I am glad that I was blessed with the experience and grateful for a long hot shower and a laundry machine upon returning to civilization.

Wednesday December 16, 2009 2:44:45 AM MST

horses
     It was rewarding for me to fulfill my commitment and to live out my dream of praying in the Qero lands. I was happy to know that my donations allowed two loving grandparents to visit their year old granddaughter because she will have changed a lot before they can return again. I felt good about honoring my part in the Eagle and Condor prophecy. It helped me overlook the litter that trashed the beautiful landscape.
     Going to the Qero was very expensive. Juan Gabriel kept asking for donations. Sophia and I had to pay all of their expenses, purchase all kinds of food and supplies, buy double despatchos so they would have leftovers and give people money when they came to their house. Even being appointed a godmother was intended to provide more for the child.
     Sophia explained to him that both of us were servants in our countries and we did not have much money. He was convinced after seeing my things that I was withholding. The rain boots, jacket, sleeping bag and pad. He asked me how much the camera cost and I told him I didn't know because it was a gift and the backpack was borrowed. Sophie told him that these were donations from my community so that I would have what I needed.
     During the ceremony he told me that I was worrying too much about my journey to Peru. It is ironic that I was fretting over whether I would have to borrow some of the money back in order to get home. Like a branch fallen in the river my concerns blocked the flow.
     When we got back to town we arranged a time to get together to make another donation for the ceremonies because both Sophie and I were tapped out.
     I tried to find an ATM that gave dollars that I could exchange because I don't yet understand the sole. Finally I found one. I transpose numbers and goofed up on my pin. I tried again and it was going to charge me another fee so I punched the no button. I was anxious about being on time and finding the place by foot trying to remember the route the taxi had taken. Realizing it was worth the money I tried again. It would only give me half of what I needed. I found another machine and tried again. That red flagged my card and halted any transactions.
     I had told the man I was renting a room from that I would come with two months rent. I ended up gifting Juan everything I had and he demanded more. Sophie, who had already gifted him twice as much as me, gave him more.
     He never acknowledged the teachings I had offered, the ceremony which he had experienced before in the US or the reflexology/healing sessions that we gifted every member of his family and some twice.
     My dad was probably right, there is no place left on the planet untouched by the desperate hunger of greed. I went to bed with an empty stomach, but I felt satisfied. I had watched the Mother Theresa video right before I left and I remembered that my true teacher had said, "Give until it hurts." I knew that today I had lived out her teaching.
     The night we watched it I had commented "What else did I need to know?" Those words echoed as I pondered why I had come so far away from home. What was I trying to prove to myself, God or Mother Earth? In that moment a little piece of my ego fell away and a part of the shaman death had been realized.
     The man who is renting me the room showed me compassion, patience and kindness. He is letting me stay here without payment until I get the ATM straightened out. ( I have the money I need, I just couldn't get to it) When I came home tonight the front room was cluttered with furniture because his apartment had been rented to someone else. He did not look desperate or demanding. He is the true spiritual man.
     It made me sad for Juan Gabriel because I could see that he is a man caught between two worlds. A Paco who has become a businessman Desiring to get what he feels he deserves and what he wants to provide for the people back home who rely on him.
     I know that I am living the teachings of the Qero in an honorable way. I am grateful to him for showing me that.

Wednesday December 16, 2009 5:05:50 AM MST

IMG00310.jpg
     I did ceremony with a man named Jesus who was waiting for me to return from Qero. I had met him my first night in Cusco and he noticed my medicine pouch. He is very into Native American traditions and is connected to Wallace Black Elk through spirit.
     He took me by motorcycle to a very remote place away from the tourist sites. We were stopped by an old man on the road who told us we could pass.
     The place was called Seven Lakes. It was a waterfall with seven pools. First we set our intentions and offered Coca leaves in a small hole in a large boulder. Then we went to the other side and he showed me a place where the boulder had been carved out like a stairway. We did breath work and I connected with the ancient energy there.
     It was very powerful and I felt my heart expanding in my chest. I could feel the pressure of every beat. I had my arms outstretched and I envisioned holding the planet in my arms and cradling it like a precious baby. I had a sensation like the let down when nursing and felt stars flowing from my breasts like milk. They swirled above my head and connected me with the Universe. I felt as though I was levitating.
     We went to the deepest pool and he instructed me to bless the water. I placed my hands on the surface, prayed in gratitude for the water that sustains all life on this planet and sang the honoring song.
     He told me to bathe in the water fully submerging my head three times. Me, the happy nudist became shy and I asked him to look the other way. He went back to the area with the carved stone and began playing his flute. The water was cold and took my breath away, but I managed the three dunks, dressed and returned to the area where he was playing.
     He instructed me to take my time and lay on a warm rock in the sun. I was shaking from the cold at first, but the rock soon warmed me and I relaxed to the beautiful sound of his flute. I merged with the rock and felt as though I was sinking into it. The warmth of the rock absorbed me and I was lulled and cradled by it.
     Then we went to an area where I laid out my altar and we did a pipe ceremony. It felt very good to share it with him and his prayers were expressing appreciation. He knew a Sundance song and we prayed in Lakota and sang the Pilahmaya song together.
     We will meet again tomorrow at sunrise. No motorcycle ride and I will be hiking very steep inclines. We will smoke his pipe tomorrow and explore sacred sites that are off the beaten path. I feel most fortunate to share the love we both feel for Mother Earth.
In processing the experience with him he explained that his work is on a cosmic level. That was why I felt I had been swept into the Universe.
     It is so amazing here and I feel like a magnet attracting teachers. I met two more people today who Carrie had wanted me to meet. One knows the plant medicines and the other will take me to a school where single mothers get paid directly for teaching Spanish. Already I am using simple common phrases whenever I get the opportunity.

Wednesday December 16, 2009 6:08:22 AM MST

hope and kindness
     I got lost this morning trying to meet with Jesus. I wandered around for hours. Finally sat down on a tree root in a beautiful little forest.  I had my phone in my hand and five men approached me. Great, now I am going to get robbed. I Thought, and I quickly hid my phone.
     They could see that I was crying. Each one as they approached spoke kindly to me and either kissed my cheek or my hand. One offered me a branch from his pouch and said it was for altitude sickness. He held it to my nose and made a gesture that it would revitalize me. He said tranquillo and they continued on their way.
     The double arched rainbow this morning was without a drop of rain in two days. It lifted me and stayed for an hour.
     I am exhausted and raw and I can feel the shift happening in me now. This is what I prayed for and there is sweet kindness in the allowing. The course in miracles states, "In my defenselessness lies my strength." I have a better understanding now.
     Good news. The ATM worked, I have a roof over my head for two months for $260, my belly is full and I am going to take a nap.
     Thanks for your loving prayers and support. Suz

Wednesday December 16, 2009 7:44:41 AM MST

Jesus
     The photo is of Jesus buying Coca leaves. I went with him to a nursing home to visit a holy man. When he greeted me he told Jesus that I was a good woman and that I have many big spirits with me. It is like having a ticket or a pass with Jesus. He is teaching me every day. The approval of the old man had a very positive effect.
We went through the whole place gifting candy and coca leaves. We were greeted with such enthusiasm and joy. They take off their hats or have small pouches to hold the leaves. I had a couple of old women who just kept squealing and hugging me. It warmed my heart to know that we brightened their day.
     Then he took me to an astrological site. It was a large round rock that had stairs carved into it. The top was flat with two circles indented. One representing the moon and one the sun. We offered 4 coca leaves and he explained that there are four worlds. The under world of the dead, the world in which we live, the sky to which we send our prayers and receive guidance and infinity. The hummingbird governs the highest world.
     He also taught me that the three most important attributes to cultivate are: intuition, imagination and inspiration.
     We went up to some caves that were used for fasting and prayer. They were very beautiful. Sophia and I explored them and she drummed and we sang.. It turns out that they are on the way to the temple of the moon and very near where I live. I had been curious about that path.
     It was an easy flowing day. The only glitch was when I went to break a hundred sole bill before going to the market. I went to two banks and four money exchange places and everyone said it was counterfeit and no good. It came from an ATM. Not sure if I have any recourse. I will ask Jesus if he can help me. It was no problem because I found a market that would take my credit card which has a credit on it each month.

December 17, 2009 5:53:54 PM MST

sacred perspectives
     I spent the day at the most sacred temple called Qorikancha. I am fascinated by the way the indigenous beliefs were incorporated by the Catholic church here. Literally a huge cathedral encompasses the ruins of this sacred place. So different from the obliteration in the US at places like Chimayo..
     The golden statue of a 12 year old boy with a door in his chest that held sacred ashes is gone. As well as the silver and gold which once adorned the temples.
     On the solstice people brought a rock to receive blessings and to gather the energies of the universe. They would later sculpt it into a figure.
     They went to a river to purify and they fasted while here eating only a type of porridge. They held a bowl in one hand and a stick in the other that caught the energy of the sun on this auspicious day.
     Kollanas were the leaders of all of the temples and being here we connect with everything that was lost from their books of knowledge  because it is still alive in this place. Their teachings include three levels of awareness.
          Imata- living in communion with the highest perfection of the universe. (Enlightenment).
          Imaru- Your own knowledge. Many responsibilities come with knowledge.  The most pure energy is here and it calls the energy of the stones so they can speak with us to increase our understanding.
          Ime-Is reciprocity. You give your best to the world and the world gives the best to you.
     Jesus explained that you have to look with your heart because this place calls in the spirits of each person who enters. We chewed coca leaves to begin our prayers and chanted, "hiyo boya" 3 times. Coca connects us with the universe to guide us and build intuition. It was used for initiations. Coca in the bath purifies.. The shape and size of the leaf gives it meaning. Determines if it is used for good or bad purposes.
     The puma, snake and hummingbird are venerated here and there is a beautiful garden outside where they are sculpted into the grass. Puma walks in silence. Many temptations come when you walk a spiritual life, he explained. The puma brings humility. Puma gives us strength for our earth walk.
     We chanted, "Com kitachay" as we began walking through the sacred temples. First was the temple of the lightening bolt which opens you. The next temple of water was used by high the priestess. Next, Sophia, who walks with rainbow medicine, drummed in the temple of the rainbow. Then we entered the temple of the stars which holds a special doorway to the time of the sun
     There is a beautiful painting of Mau, the Milky Way. The Inca focused more on the dark spaces in the night sky called yana phuyu, (black clouds). There was a frog, snake, llama with a baby in their cosmology. They believed that all animals had a representation in the night sky.
Jesus guided us in chanting and feeling the presence of energy in each space. Unlike the other tourists moving through the space we took time to be present to it and to try to connect with the ancient wisdom that reverberates through these massive halls.
     Sweet charity met me at the door when I arrived home. Rajne had asked if I could pay both months up front so that he could buy a refrigerator. I felt happy to see that my contribution had delivered a brand new machine to make life easier for he and his family. I did a thorough job of cleaning the kitchen this morning and got to take a little Spanish lesson with his five year old daughter over breakfast. I am becoming a part of the family. I am blessed to call this my home until March.

Friday December 18, 2009 8:23:42 PM MST

feather cleansing
     We visited the home of the eagle, Ancawasi, about 40 kilometers away from Cusco. Jesus has an apprentice who is driving us. He took us to the rock that is in the shape of the eagle and did a meditation. It brings sensibility. It develops stability of the heart and mind. This is a Place of initiation. 7 is perfection of body, emotions, compassion, it helps us speak from spirit.
     The ornate seat carved in the stone receives the sunrise and the energy of the perfection of the creator. The people who came here had no concept of time, just a sense of place. This is where they taught the esoteric philosophy.
     It is a portal to another dimension. The universe is a library and nature opens the door. I is not necessary to have a teacher. The incense is sweet and it calls the spirits who are the true teachers of this place.
     There are carvings of sacred geometry. We are a sacred geometry. This place is about the Balance of masculine and feminine. There were different teachings for men and women. This is the place where we balance yin and yang within ourselves. The Inca came here to reach a new level. The spirits are here looking at us, but we have to see with our hearts to know them.
     Open the part of your hand that is below the pinky in order to allow healing. To breathe, eat and walk is the simple life.  We complicate  life with barriers in our heads. we purify with sound in this place.
     We stood on a big rock right in front of the sacred geometry. It was difficult to breathe because the energy was very powerful. I felt my heart expand and then I felt a bursting sensation in my solar plexus. It became a great void. And then it became the new moon. I felt a deep conviction to be devoted to unification of all nations and beliefs. I was singing a Catholic hymn that spoke of this. Then I heard in my heart that the moon is the mirror that helps us stay connected to the light of the sun so that we never lose our way.
     Next, He took us to a stone that replicated the mountain behind it. He placed my head at the top of it and I raised my hands just off the surface to feel the energy. Wanbli Gleshkla Weiaka (the spirit of my pipe) came in with the vision I received during my hanbleycha. There were streaks of lightening that came down from his eyes and at the base they became tears. I became aware of the line of the stone that passed through my third eye. It was in the shape of a crescent moon. Even as I type the impression and energy are with me. The flash of light that is in the shape of a crescent moon began flashing like it did when I was fasting in the inipi. It was very fast. Jesus was rattling and chanting and when he stopped I stepped away from the stone.
     It changed my eye sight and. I could see the molecular make up of objects and the movement of energy that is life on this planet. I feel as though it was a portal and that something shifted in my DNA. Now I am lighter in spirit freer to move between the realms.
     I am so moved by this place. We put our backs against a rock and two tears welled up in my eyes. They cusped and fell in perfect balance with one another. Slowly they traveled down my face. Suspended in time and following parallel paths. I could feel they were the same tears as the eagle's lightening bolts and I feel opened in a way I have never known. I feel as though I could never leave this place. My heart is happy and whole here. It has moved me to a new level.

Saturday 12/19/2009 5:29:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Monday
     Inca and Andean way are different Inca 10,000 Andean way created in this century with blending of traditions.  Inca explain the Interdimensional portals Andean healers are very good very few people know and follow the traditional way. Training takes 21 years. Their body holds the energy because they activate the energy. When you walk in your own way and you know your past lives you can walk into your future. Eyes are the most important because they are circles like the planet. Eyes reveal the spirits.
     Traditional ceremony with the wife of his master. Solstice ceremony. Ups wine and cheecha. For mother earth apu. Pacha kama hears our prayer.
     Coca with jagged edges is knowledge and prosperity.6 for loving connect with mother 2 for the sacred 7 4 is a general blessing.

Monday 12/21/2009 8:31:59 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

solstice prayers
     Hi! this is my last group e mail. I got the bill yesterday and Yikes! It was so worth it to me though to stay connected to all of you as I made my transition to an extended time in Peru. I know now just how much each of you mean to me.
     Your comments, and sharing the journey with you so far has given me focus and purpose. It kept me from spinning out. So thank you for peaking out of my pocket.
     I will still send photos and teachings to my web designer to post. Please check in there when you are curious and catch up on my adventure. I still welcome your responses and questions individually and will post answers on my site as well as send you a reply.
     I am certain there is much more to come. I am keeping your names and will continue to direct prayers to each of you when I build medicine wheels.
     Everyone here talks about the importance of their family and community. I am grateful that I have a first hand understanding because of you. Much love and many blessings.  Suz

Monday 12/21/2009 8:51:04 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Solstice
     The world is getting smaller for those of us doing the work of unification. The web ensnares our hearts with devotion to the same center.
     Each day we work the strands and receive our spiritual nourishment.
     Each night we go through the process of destroying and rebuilding in order to catch the freshness of the morning dew.
     I feel our hearts beat as one during this blue crescent solstice. There is so much energy available for transformation. Sip deeply of this cup and allow it to sustain your spirit.

Tuesday 12/22/2009 1:52:57 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Womyn's initiations
     We hiked a long distance to the Sun Temple today. It is a perfectly round structure with terraced walls. Jesus explained that unlike a spiral it represents the concentric circles of life radiating out from the center to infinity. There were beautiful gardens maintained by the people who still farm these terraced slopes and many piles of rubble from ancient times.
     He told us that this was an area used by both men and womyn to begin their path with the first initiations. Priest and priestesses were both respected equally, but performed different functions in the culture.
      He brought us to the place where womyn went to purify as they set their intention to live a spiritual life and begin the rites of initiation. They would fast, pray and recite lessons for three days.
     The area had a large stoned in space that once held water that was about six feet deep. There are stairs built in the wall for the women to use to descend. They had to submerge themselves three times and upon ascending they were dressed in new ceremonial robes and brought to the top of the sun temple in order to be blessed and acknowledge.
     Sophia and I were both troubled by the trash that illustrated the disrespect and loss of these ways. I descended in order to clean the area and knelt at the opening which still trickled sacred water. I blessed myself with it and like a bridge it transported me to another place in time. Before I came up the stairs again I put my head against the rock and had a profound experience that is too difficult to express in words.
     I felt a deep connection with this place and afterwards felt like the teaching for me was to always stay humble. To never aspire to ascend to some level of recognition, but to live a simple life of service. That the true power always comes from surrender and reaching different levels of initiation are not necessary. All that is required is a willingness to say "yes". I felt very humble in this place and prayed that all womyn would honor themselves and their bodies as holy temples.
     When Sophie and I spoke we both felt like the energy was dead in this place. Forgotten over time. We decided to build a Medicine Wheel and while she was in the well I looked for the necessary stones. There was a perfect place with a circular indention in the ground. It felt very good to honor the commitment of ourselves and all of the womyn who had come before us in this place.

December 22

Felize Navidad
     Bummer. I thought coming here for Summer I would miss the Christmas hoopla! No such luck. Summer Solstice is swallowed by Christmas consumerism. People are as driven here as at home. Packed like sardines and pushing shoving. The taxis are more like schooling fish and I experienced several near misses and some Spanish road rage today.
     Despite that, I will fight the crowds to buy a gift for my 5 year old house mate and enjoy the peace and quiet at the hardware store buying what I need to re-grout, caulk and paint the bathroom for Rajne.
    "Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good."
     Because I am blessed by angels. Carrie invited me to Christmas dinner so I get to figure out what to contribute. Trying to read labels is a trip. The shop keeper cracked up when I questioningly asked if the bags extended in my hands contained salt and sugar.  I have mastered Cuanto cuesta? But I have no idea what their response means and they always say it so fast. Good thing Olivia has taught me to count to 20.
     Rajne took me to his dentist today and paid the $20 bill for EX-Rays, drilling And cleaning the tooth in preparation for the $200 repair job. A savings of $1,600!!!! Inflation is so insane. Pharmacies still getcha RX was $35.
    I found a Qero restaurant that serves a sweet drink, soup, rice with meat and sauce for $3 soles. About a dollar. It is a family who just opened up and are giving competition to the $5 sole vegetarian place across the street. Ahhh I will survive. Not quite sure what the meat was. Probably llama. It is fun to eat authentic food and I feel fine.
     Wishing all of you a Holy, peaceful, prosperous Holiday season. With much love, many blessings and deep appreciation. Suz

Wednesday 12/23/2009 8:46:59 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

peru family

   I had a wonderful Christmas. I started the day with a traditional breakfast of hot chocolate and fruit cake. My Peruvian family: Rajne, Monica and Olivia are so loving. They were thrilled to see the bathroom (even half finished). Olivia set to work creating her first masterpiece with my gift of art pad, stickers, crayons and markers. She received only one Christmas present, an electronic educational toy. She was thrilled!
   I had a great dinner at Carrie's with people from several countries. The conversation was esoteric and hopeful about the shift and the role that each of us plays in it. Very powerful to see the world coming together over a vegetarian meal. My contribution a no brainer. A colorful fruit plate. Ahhh no translation of ingredients required.

Friday 12/25/2009 10:25:25 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Olivia's Art

Friday 12/25/2009 10:28:19 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

love begets love
     My lesson today was simply profound. It has to do with a depth of love I am discovering for the family I am living with. Rajne is such an angel. He took me back to his dentist today to translate. The infection is going down and so is the pain.  He is so protective of me and although he is 35 I feel like he is my papa. I am leaving for Canyon of the Condor tomorrow. He found a guide book in English and is writing down details to make my travels easier. He wants me to check in by phone every other day. I have always been so independent. My mother says my first full sentence was, "I'll do it myself." Here I am reduced to a dependence I have never known. There are so many things I cannot do for myself. It is humbling and it is causing me to find the aspects of myself that do not feel safe in the world. Vulnerability is something I have masked even to myself.
     Monica is beginning to warm up to me as she sees the loving relationships I am developing with her family. She and I stumble to communicate. She is experiencing morning sickness as she enters her fourth month. I helped her with ginger and reflexology tonight. I was cautious because of the pregnancy focusing on circulation and relaxation techniques. People in this culture are uncomfortable with sensuality and when I do reflexology I get some peculiar reactions. At the end of the session she was very relaxed and was effusive in her appreciation. Now we are bonded. I am doing lots of little things to express appreciation and to help out. I have to stay busy and instead of serving 3 to 5 people a day they are receiving all of my need to give.  Olivia is very bright, but has been refused by three schools. Her parents are worried about her. I have been able to reassure them with my background in early childhood education and child psychology. When I return I will ask Carrie to take me to the school supply store to buy books in order to teach her to read. This is how I will learn Spanish. We started our first English-Spanish lesson today and I polished up my old teaching skills. She took to the lesson with enthusiasm. Isn't it amazing how the path unfolds and every step of our past relates to our future. I am amazed by the blessings in my life and how all of the pieces of the puzzle are fitting together with a new meaning. I am a soul in wonder.

Saturday 12/26/2009 10:00:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Pinnacle point
     I am trying to fall asleep, but I am so filled with enthusiasm it is difficult to do. I leave early in the morning to witness the sacred condor in flight. They have a wing span of 11.5'. For me this is an apex of a moment.
     I have been devoted to the Eagle/Condor prophecy since '95 and feel a deep sense of conviction that what I am doing helps to shift the imbalance of the dominant culture. I believe the prayers help to usher in an enlightened age of peace for future generations. The timing is significant as a new year begins and we draw closer to 2012. Sophie and I will go two mornings to different sites.
     We will set an altar and have everything ready to begin the ceremony as they soar silently into the Heavens above our heads. I am praying for all life on the planet, but I will take time to speak your name and imagine your face with special intention. I hold you in my heart because you asked to be on my list. You tether me and add meaning to this journey. I am grateful for your interest in my story and want to include you in these blessed moments.
     I have prepared a write up explaining what I know about the prophecy, but there is so much that is difficult to put into words. Often, my conviction shakes me at the core. Many of you do not know about the experiences I have had walking the Good Red Road. I hold them as sacred and try not to weaken the power of them by speaking carelessly. I mention them only when there is a reason to share. Some experiences I have never uttered a word.
(Imagine that!)
     Suffice it to say I have been witness to all of the Lakota Sacred Ceremonies (other tribes as well). All of the medicine (tools) that I work with have been gifted to me by indigenous people in appreciation. Although I am non native in this lifetime, I feel sincerely called to serve as a hollow bone. Coming here is my contribution and a culmination of all of the ceremonies I have ever been privy to.
     So know that as my soul soars I take you with me high into the realm of spirit. I know that you and your loved ones will benefit. So pay attention to the signs and flow with the synchronicities that present themselves in your daily life. Open your heart and honor your intuition.  
     All things are connected and these prayers bridge past, present and future helping us to live more consciously present to the NOW moment. NOW is the pinnacle point of all creation.
     WOW, tomorrow is a big NOW!

Tuesday 12/29/2009 11:15:07 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Eagle And Condor Prophecy
   At one time teachings, ceremony and trade were fluid between indigenous North and South Americans. The prophecy states that when this sharing begins again it would restore balance and mark the beginning of a new age of enlightened conscious living.
   Elders gatherings of indigenous leaders from all over the world have been taking place since 1995. I have attended about ten of them. Generally the elders meet in private and then share information, traditional beliefs and ceremony with the larger group. The emphasis is on recognizing our similarities. Tito LaRosa was the first person to acknowledge me as a contributor to the prophecy. He encouraged me to come to Peru.
   The eagle is the symbol for the North American continent. It represents the intellect. The dominant culture is obsessed with ingenuity and the capacity to create from the mind. The mind thinks sequentially, linearly and logically. The ego mind sees itself as separate and individuated.
   Technology is constantly changing our understanding of the world we live in. The Western world continually expands the potential for growth in the material world.
   The Condor is the symbol of the  South American cultures. It was reintroduced to California where it is gaining population. It represents intuition and the intelligence of the heart. Intuition is perceptual, infinite and experiential. The heart relates through emotional connection, entrainment, is circular and cyclic in its orientation. The heart recognizes the gestalt and unification.
   The system is healthy when the bridge between the intellect and intuition is strong enough to support expansion. When the head and heart work in harmony there is a balance of energy for creation with vision to guide it.
   The balance of yin and yang are also a part of the process. Yin is associated with the condor. It is receptivity, vision, interconnectedness and nurturance. Yang is the energy of action and is illustrated by the eagle. It is creative life force energy and manifestation. Each person embodies both aspects and when they are in balance co creation occurs. We become truly human, spirit made manifest. What we bring forth is blessed and of lasting value.
   When we have too much yin we are always dreaming, but not able to bring the vision into the world. When there is too much yang we are creating without an understanding of long term ramifications.
   I believe my role is to share as a teacher and ceremonialist. Building Medicine Wheels at sacred sites helps to enliven natural areas and reawaken and honor ancestral wisdom. I am contributing pa pa seeds (a unique fruit grown in the mid west) to connect the place of my birth with the places I am visiting. In this way I bring the eagle and condor together. I am also sharing what I have learned about Native American culture, philosophy and ceremony.

Wednesday 12/30/2009 1:59:08 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

End of the line

On the Way  To Work	Little girl  Kanau?	Little boy  Saul?	Sophia's Mendala	Cabanaconde  Apu	Terraced  Farming

   I am at the far reaches of civilization and there is cell reception here.  The weave of the planet is getting tighter. Cabanaconde is the dead end of the Colca Canyon, known as the "valley of wonders." The terraced farming is beautiful and over 6,000 yrs old.
   There are few cars here, only the buses who bring people from all over the world to witness the wonder of the condor in flight.
   Revered like the phoenix rising up out of the ashes it is an inspiring bird to witness. One that renews the soul. This planet is so precious and amazing. Such incredible diversity and creative thought forms brought into physical manifestation. Today I experienced one.
   The bus broke down and knowing that we had a window of time we decided to walk. It was about 6 miles up steep inclines. I had a sun burn and the weight of my pack chaffed my shoulders. I prayed to forget my body. Now I know I am made of faith, prayer and perseverance.
   We arrived at 9:30 am. Just before I set my altar the first condor came. We began our prayers full of emotion our hearts so full that they were pounding. Two children Kamea (girl) and Saul (boy) came with their curious eyes and sincere hearts. One man also joined us in prayer.
   As soon as we finished our prayers and were singing the Pilayma song another condor came right over head and made a circle over us to take our prayers. It was unbelievable! Sophia and I embracing with tears streaming down our faces. Saul was the first to say that our prayers had been heard. I gave each of them a pa pa seed and explained the significance.
  There was no time to build a wheel. Tomorrow we will arrive early enough to offer prayers for each of you.. Today I held you all as one.
   Isn't life sweet? I am so lucky and blessed. Condors, like book ends to our ceremony. Unbelievable! Sometimes I have to pinch myself to know that all of this is really happening. Prayers offered ten years ago met with reality today. Never doubt your ability to live your dreams. Just dare to believe, trust and put one foot in front of the other.

Wednesday 12/30/2009 2:19:03 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Perfecter

Canyon de Colca	Sophia's Ride	Suzanne Soars!	Condor Hug	Continuing  Canyon	Peruvian Altar

Condor  Wait	Sophia's  drum	Meditation	Canyon

How do you make a perfect day perfecter?
You see the condor coming home to roost.
   Sophia and I went to a lookout pt. 10min. From our hotel. It was so beautiful with a rock in the shape of a condor head. It was the perfect perch for me. We meditated and enjoyed exploring the deep canyon with our eyes. Trails zig zagged across rugged terrain and waterfalls in the distance dropping hundreds of feet danced like mirages. Sometimes seeming to stand still.
   I taught her how to do the Tslagi Dance and just as we faced East for the 7th round a condor came sailing straight at us just slightly above our heads. Then jetted up into the sky and off into the haze of the endlessly continuing canyon.
   We resumed the dance and hugged each other afterwards feeling blessed that once again the condor had come to witness our prayers. Just then, another came around the bend as I struggled to get to my camera. Ahhh success! I was able to catch some good shots with the condor silhouetted against the cloudy sky. A few moments later a third appeared and we felt so inspired.
   After they departed Sophie taught me a Qi Gong sequence designed to balance earth, human and sky energy zones in the body. Can't wait to share it with you. Simple, effective and profound.
  This was my best day in Peru by far. I am blissed out. I love everything about this tiny village. Tomorrow we head off for the Cruz Del Condor then back to Arequipa. Friday I head to the beach for the weekend so I can add shells to my shrine to the sea bathroom masterpiece.
   You will be with me in prayer manana. Hoping to update photos next week when I get back to Cusco. Soaring salutations, suz

Wednesday 12/30/2009 9:51:56 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Happy New Year!
May the coming year bless you in every way imaginable. Love suz

Thursday 12/31/2009 10:12:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Luna Luz el mar

Arequipa's  Active Volcano	Juxtaposition  of Traditions	Sophia and I  say goodbye

   The Moonlit sea greeted me in Mullando. Some of you have been giving me credit for courage that I finally earned tonight. Setting off alone to spend the weekend at the beach. Touching the ocean in another part of the world served as a strong enough motivator to risk being alone.
   Sophie spent the day coaching me with the necessary Spanish. Like how to reply to the all too often asked question, "Are you married?" "Soy casado." (It's just a little white lie to get by.)
   Andrea, the woman at the hotel in Arequipa, gave me all kinds of tips about getting by at the beach. She generously offered to keep my backpack safe in her tiny bedroom. That was a huge blessing! Sophia called and made a reservation for me so I could take a taxi from the bus station as I would be arriving at 8:30 pm.
   I managed to get myself checked in. The most I have paid for a room, which included breakfast, is 30 soles. This place costs 50. I was asking the woman for a lock and she went to fetch me a stick to slide through the ring in the door. Realizing that one was not enough she got another. I took out my handy travel dictionary and pointed to the words lock and key. She gave me a tiny lock and key so that I could go out.
   The room has no window, I share a bathroom with 4 rooms and there is no outlet to charge my phone. Carlos is on night duty and the TV is blaring on the other side of the wall.
  I managed to ask, "Donde esta la playa? Where is the beach?" Exasperated, she asked her son to walk me to the corner and show me the way. I managed to follow my nose and on the way scored a bag of groceries, sweet bread and ice cream. Comfort to relieve my stress.
   I contributed my salty tears to the salty sea as I prayed for all of the people who are writing to me and all of my earth angels here in Peru.. The impressive waves were beautiful under the full moon and I felt triumphant!!!! It was a profound moment of freedom from fear. So worth the effort to jump the hurdles it took to get here.
   So tomorrow, by the light of day, I will look for a hostel in someone's home for 10-15 soles, practice my Spanish and explore the punta where I could see the waves crashing into the rocks tonight. Pachamama is embracing me with a wet kiss and I am filled with wonder at her awesome beauty.

Friday 1/1/2010 11:05:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

An Anomaly

Condor  Lookout	I See You	Sea Condor	Tough Guy	Will I  Miss the Point?	The Rock  Before Me	Tide Pool	Sand piper Call

   I spent the day sitting in silence watching the sea. Started off on the beach watching as the young men put up and at the close of the day took down the umbrellas and chairs. Bearing heavy loads like ants following the same trail day in and day out.
   I spent the last six hours perched on a rock. Observing the ebb and flow of people searching for clams in the tide pools on either side of me. The waves cresting and rolling like Hawaii 50. Shifting in color from grey to green as the light shone through.
   I was able to observe the progression of time by the changes in the waves from low tide to high tide. Watching the ocean's temperament turn to tumultuous as the sun began to set. The waves restless and fierce, sending spires of water into the air to catch the last light of day. The waves crashing against the rock to my right creating waterfalls as the pools and crevices emptied.
   I stayed until the rocks in front of mine were submerged and the waves began to encroach sending a sea mist over my raincoat. My rock becoming an island as I waded back to shore. The tide pool now full to the brim.
   I paused a while to watch three brothers playing in the water. They were stair steps like my boys and my heart ached for the days when I stood patiently, like their father, letting them enjoy the last moments of light and laughter.
   I contemplated infinity as I stared at the golden orb slowly descending into the horizon. The eternal wisdom of nature dancing with time, courting the moon to draw near each evening and racing back out to catch the sun.
   Yesterday, I was intrigued by a point off in the distance. Was not yet ready for the stillness I experienced today, so I wandered the beach. Beyond the umbrellas, boom boxes and laughter of people to the rhythmic sound of the sea and the call of gulls, sandpipers and egrets. I was blessed to see two condors perched at the top of a cliff. I sang a Lakota honoring song and watched as they cocked their heads listening to the vibration of indigenous words that have not confused their meaning over time. Still in harmony with the sound of the heartbeat of mother earth.
   I walked for three hours picking up shell treasures along the way. Turns out the cliff that had drawn my attention was the next town. Looking back over my trail I could barely see the point from where I had begun. I am guessing about 17-20 miles.
   I was glad that I had chosen Mollendo. The lesson here was one of being solo and different. Pairing up is a high priority and from the evidence I gleaned on the beach boys and girls are matched young and mated for life. Very rarely do you see anyone walking alone. Boys not yet matched roam in packs and girls in groups of two or three.
   I was the anomaly here. After a month under the Peruvian sun my skin is a leathery bronze. Certainly within range of the local skin tones. It is my bright blue eyes that set me apart.
   After three days I have yet to see another gringa. At the restaurant I had the feeling of "don't look now". Little children with gapping mouths hid behind their mothers or grasped at their hands. Women elbowed their husbands for looking and teenagers did double takes. Most were not friendly, a few asked me where I was from. I wore sun glasses to give myself a reprieve. I have never felt so different before. An outcast and a lone wolf to boot.
  I contemplated what it means to me to be alone. To be quarantined to silence because of the language barrier. To feel as though I am flawed in some way that has rendered me without a partner or travel companion. I told one man who was hitting on me that I was married to God and was not available. My broken Spanish, or the very concept, left a perplexed look on his face.
   I am grateful at this juncture in my life to be alone. Free to discover my preferences. Able to travel on the wind. Not having to be considerate of someone else's needs. Time to discover the depths of my own soul and the weightlessness of my whimsical desires.

Sunday 1/3/2010 11:05:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

St. Francis

St. Francis	Mary's Grato

   My return journey is by the light of day and I am grateful to see what I missed. The highway travels along the coast. Occasionally I get a glimpse of cresting waves on the horizon.
   The landscape reflects the balance of yin and yang. The sandy earth in varying shades of fleshy tones  reminds me of the smooth, sensual feel of a woman's skin. The slate gray mountains thrusting upward from the desolate plain remind me of the protection of being held in the strength of a man's arms.           
   Mother earth and father sky meet in this place. Merging together in a beautiful embrace. From this merging creation is birthed and our prayers are heard. It is a place of worship for me. Grander than any cathedral.
As the miles rumble and quake beneath me I am sending you prayers.
   It is difficult for me to avoid the dilemma posed by the influence of the Catholic church in this country. I have always considered myself to be an expanded Catholic. A seeker on a quest to know and honor diverse ways of worship and connection with the Divine.
I have struggled with the extravagance of gold laced cathedrals. Money that could have been spent feeding and sheltering the poor. With the obliteration of the matriarchy, the loss of a historical memory of the time when Goddess worship reigned and the degradation of womyn within the roles of patriarchy. I am troubled by the crusades and genocide committed in Jesus' name on indigenous people as well as the dissolving of their cultures. The greed of the patriarchy for power and the arrogance of priests who's repressed sexuality finds expression through perpetration.
   Yet something of value remains. Roots set deeply into the earth touch past lives in me. Somehow I am able to receive sustenance from my Catholic roots in times of need.
For me, the nutrients come in the form of inspiration. 
   The veneration of the Divine Feminine channeled through the worship of the Blessed Mother. Witnessed in grato along the highway and scattered in courtyards and backyards throughout Peru.
  Arriving in Arequipa, I enjoyed the quiet of this historic 1545 church/museum. The churches here are stocked with statues of saints. One of my favorites is St. Francis because he bridged the gap between the cathedral and the natural world. Honoring the infinite wisdom of the Divine in the perfection and harmony of nature.
   Creator is beyond name or gender. Creator experiences creation through our hearts, eyes and actions. When we notice the flower or the beggar on the street God/Goddess is present through us. When we are inspired by beauty in the artwork of a church or the landscape out a bus window we are the witness of Creation allowing the Divine to know itself more completely.

Monday 1/4/2010 7:22:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

my cell

   I sat in contemplative prayer in this room for a long while today. I have been told by many people that I have several past lives in monasteries. It was wonderful to feel this room and imagine lives lived long ago.
   One of the teachings of 2012 is that we are moving toward unification both globally and personally. It is a process of soul retrieval work. Calling home aspects of ourselves and integrating them with meaning in our current circumstances. I focused on this as I breathed in the musty smell of this bedroom inhabited in the past by cloistered nuns.

Monday 1/4/2010 7:28:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Andrea angel

This is Andrea the angel who so graciously kept my big bag for me so I could travel lightly to the beach. She has the biggest heart and so willing always to be of assistance. She practically runs the hotel by herself. She has a bedroom here. Sometimes I wonder if any of these people have personal lives. Kindness is a blessing and I hope that hers comes back ten fold. She made me feel safe and welcomed in Arequipa.

Monday 1/4/2010 7:33:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

20,000 books

This library contains 20,000 books most were written in the 16th Century. It is made up of manuscripts, letters, memories, Bibles and priceless maps. It was very interesting to see the different bindings. I was intrigued by the written word that surrounded me and the hands that had recorded them.

Monday 1/4/2010 8:15:39 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

catholic vestments

Monday 1/4/2010 8:20:53 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Amazonian ceremonial

These headdresses were stunning. I have never seen better examples of the Shipibo prayers in the textiles. It was an honor to witness them.

Monday 1/4/2010 8:25:04 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

pre Incan art

Monday 1/4/2010 8:26:45 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

pre Columbian art

Monday 1/4/2010 8:31:46 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

A sense of place
  I wandered around Cusco today and I am grateful that I landed here. I was warmly greeted by the street vendors I have gotten to know. Smothered with kisses by Olivia and welcomed by my neighbors. It feels like home.
   Cusco is the place to be. It has a certain charm with the tiled roofs and old architecture. The city prides itself on being clean and they recycle bottles. I am not the odd ball here. The plaza has a broad array of people from around the world. It is interesting to see the different clothing and hear the many languages. This is truly a place that honors diversity and welcomes strangers. I feel comfortable and at home here. I exercise caution, but it is safer for single women and there are many of us adventuresome types. 
   My impression is that Lima is dirty, dangerous and desperate. A big city with crime that rivals the larger cities in the US. Tourists are targeted for their gadgets.
   Arequipa is modernized, developed over the past 30 years as the second largest city. It is dirty and run down in areas beyond the restoration of the downtown area that is cluttered with shopping malls, heavy traffic and modern clothing. People show disregard for litter and trash is everywhere. It dulls the beauty of the main plaza.
   Qero is filthy without a concept or means for cleaning. It has taken three washings to get the greasy smell out of my jacket. People go unbathed with matted hair jutting out like mangy dogs. Food preparation and cleaning dishes is daunting. I was glad to leave it behind. Litter blew across the countryside with no means of disposal other than to offer it to the wind.
   The small towns along the route of Canyon del Colca are quaint with traditional clothing and architecture. Loved the feeling of stepping back in time where donkeys still bare the burden and bicycles are the way to get around. No pollution and an emphasis on cleanliness with people washing the sidewalks twice a day to keep the dust down.
   I got the impression in Mollundo that the wealthy Peruvians want to keep it to themselves. Very unwelcoming to tourists from other countries. That was the hardest place to feel comfortable and people were constantly taking advantage of me. Over-charging me for items because I was white. There is a tension there that feels primal and wary. It made me feel like I was carrying the crimes committed by my ancestors.
   So it is good to be in my tiny room in my now familiar town of Cusco. Looking forward to setting down some roots here in January. Hoping to get some business going teaching and doing reflexology. I know my way around both the city and the sacred sites. It is a very good place for me to be in the coming months.

Tuesday 1/5/2010 5:43:06 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

incan mummies

Wednesday 1/6/2010 2:42:55 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Meat Market

Bone Jelly	Tongue	Guinea Pigs	Delicacies	Sanitary?  Not!	Internal Organ  Stew	Oink!	Snouts About	Trotting  About	New  Refrigerator

   Rojne was so proud yesterday of sharing his past with me. It was Epiphany and he took me to the meat market his grandmother used to take him to. He so wanted to share the tradition of organ stew. I am now officially a vegetarian. The smells were awful and the scenes traumatic! I took lots of photos as proof of what I witnessed. I could not disappoint him so I ate around the unidentifiable disks floating in my soup.
   It was interesting to watch throngs of people carrying baskets with baby Jesus dressed in his finery. Some were simple and some quite elaborate. All rushing in different directions toward the six different churches within sight of the main Plaza. Everyone certain that their public display celebrating the arrival of the three wisemen would guarantee good fortune in the year to come.

Wednesday 1/7/2010 6:22:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

5 Andean Principles
There are five organizing principles of the Andean people. Like earth honoring ways in America many of these teachings have fallen by the wayside. We can not return to, or recreate the past, but we can contemplate the value of these basic principles and begin to apply them in our daily lives. In this way we honor the ancestors and establish a clear path for future generations.
What we model-matters.
MUNAY
Is the way of love and beauty. It is witnessed in the loveliness of nature. For me, kindness is the highest attribute. We practice kindness when we extend ourselves just because we can. When expressions of love are spontaneous and sincere we are living the beauty way. I have experienced Munay from so many and in such simple ways in Peru. I have discovered that when you are vulnerable the magnitude of kindness is amplified.
YACHAY
Is the way of knowledge. It is to learn, know and remember. Wisdom is knowledge with first hand experience. Yachay is the inner guidance to live the beauty way. We utilize what we have learned from our past experiences, but remain open to possibilities. We do not allow our memories to influence us with fear. We meet the potential in each new moment using what we remember to help us navigate a clear path.
LlANKAY
Is the way of action. It entails right livelihood using the gifts that are uniquely ours to our greatest potential. Our actions are in harmony with ecologically sound choices that honor ourselves and the earth. Right action encourages community service, recognizing ourselves as contributing members of a global family.
KAWASAY
Is the way of life. We practice kawasay when we tune into the matrix of energy that links all life on the planet. We develop our sensitivity to both the visible and invisible realms. We extend compassion for everything we encounter recognizing and honoring the gifts and intelligence of everything that has energy; animals, plants, elements and minerals. The spark of the Divine expresses through all of creation.
AYNI
Is the way of reciprocity. It is the heart of the despatcho ceremonies. In giving we receive. Harmony and inner peace are the fruits of being in balance. Growing beyond self-serving motives and being open to opportunities to both give and receive keep the water wheel of grace flowing in our lives.
   My prayer in sharing these teachings with you is that they will open your heart to a guiding light from within. That in connecting with these teachings and making them visible through your daily actions you will join me in the fulfillment of the Eagle and the Condor Prophecy.
Once awakened we will all be a part of the Pachakuteq (overturning of earth). We will create a new world in which our children can be free.
I believe we will live in a time when the beauty of each soul will be illuminated and seen. When we embrace our fragility we develop the capacity to honor and protect the light in all things.
Plahechkapo "take courage and have faith." These changing times are dependent on the actions of each one. Let your love light shine brightly.

Wednesday 1/7/2010 9:24:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

sending summer
   Sending you some summer to give you a break from the deep freeze and snow of your winter. Burrrrr
   I see this plaza every day on my way to the dentist. 6 visits so far and 2-3 to go. Good thing I don't have to take off of work. All because he only gave me 7 days of antibiotics and it didn't quite kick the infection. Each visit putting the equivalent of about $80 in his pocket for the 15 minute cleaning where he prods the tooth and smells the poker.
   It is primitive to say the least. No Novocain made me nervous at first, but the tooth is dead so it is no big deal. I did get a little nervous today when he decided to cauterize it using a metal tool that his assistant torched with a Bick lighter. Smoke rising up off of the glowing metal as he headed toward my mouth. I prayed that he had good aim and wouldn't nick my gums or lips. It was somewhat painful, but fortunately he did have a steady hand.
   He has been disinfecting it using a syringe filled with Colgate Plax. (If I remember right sugar is an ingredient). Sterile conditions are a joke and he often leaves the office to answer the phone at the reception desk, returning with the same gloves on. Ewwww! The floors are not swept and the tools lack that rubbing alcohol taste.
   I really miss the suction deal that helps remove saliva and the flecks of tooth that he saws away at with a small hand tool.
   I will be grateful when everything is done and paid for. Still a bargain, but by sole standards he will make the equivalent of about $1,200.

Saturday 1/9/2010 1:45:25 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Rodney's Casa
     Rodney (I have been misspelling it because of his pronunciation and my need to make things more exotic) explained to me that the mailman did not know where to deliver the mail because he didn't have a house number.
Some of the people on my list wanted to send things to help out the street kids here. Two dear friends are sending me simple books in English and Spanish so I can teach Olivia to read.
So, today I painted a little blessing on the house. When I leave maybe it will remind them of our love for each other every time they enter their house.
I am having fun with home improvements. The patio furniture on the roof is a definite plus for me. Makes soaking up the sun much more comfortable.
My Peruvian family makes all the difference in the world for me and it feels good to help them out. Missing all of you who make up my extended family in the US.
Suzanne Rouge
C/O Rodney Caldron
436 Ladrillos interio #2
Cusco, Peru

Sunday 1/10/2010 11:31:44 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Initiations
I received this email from a woman. It so honors my integrity and the lesson I gleaned at the women's initiation site. I am not council chief of anything, but the words were lifted and adulterated from my site by chief too many weird letters to spell.
   I had hoped for initiations when I came here, not to be exalted, but to better serve. The lesson that all it takes is a humble "yes" feels so clear in my soul tonight. I am walking my talk.
   I came here to deepen my well and I can feel a new level of integration, maturity and clear purpose. It is the simple surrender that lifts me and carries me. Divine Providence is present in me, as me, and through me. I feel closer to the truth of being a hollow bone. More able to be of service so that the Divine can manifest through me to benefit others and to cherish this beautiful planet.
___________________________
Hello, I just came across a page on your website:
http://hummingbirdhorizons.com/articles/ArticleMoontime.htm 
on which there is copied and pasted writing from native council chief Xielolixii, from this page of hers:
http://www.bearfootn.org/WomansMoontime3of4.html
I do not see any reference listed or mention of those being the words of Xielolixii, so I wanted to bring it to your attention. I am not saying you intended to present the words as your own, as I do not know your intention in posting them, and likely for the highest good.
In light,
My response:
Thank you for bringing this to my attention in such a gentle and respectful way.
The words and experiences are my own. She must have taken them from my site. I think many women have similar experiences and the important thing is that we share them in order to heal.
I do not have a copyright on any of my material. If you know her, it would be nice if you asked her to acknowledge my contribution.
In my opinion if people go to her site and see my words then it spreads an important message that much further and perhaps reaches someone I would never have connected with.
Unfortunately she not only lifted my teachings without consent, she also altered them. Saying things like a ceremony was televised. This compromises not only her integrity but mine as well.
I hold serving as a hollow bone as the highest good. Recognition is not important to me, but integrity is. The words are mine and shared from my heart. Sincerely, Suzanne

Monday 1/11/2010 1:11:06 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Hummingbird
   Ojos de luz translates eyes of light. It is the name the Q'ero give for the chakras. They are popo, oval shaped centers of energy in the body.
   They teach that the base chakra is governed by the snake. The second chakra, the place of sexuality and creativity is the home of the jaguar or puma. The third chakra, the solar plexus and place of personal power is the place where the hummingbird resides. The heart chakra houses the condor who flies highest and connects our hearts with the heavens.
The rest of the chakras are governed by luminous beings. Cekes is the luminous energy that exits the crown and re enters the feet. Huaskas are luminous threads that go beyond the body that attach to the texemuyo, all pervading web of life. In this way we are all connected.
   I am pleased to know that two of the medicines I walk with, my protector and guide, puma and hummingbird are housed in the chakras.
   The solar plexus is a ganglia of nerves that perceive and send a response to the heart and brain. It is otherwise referred to as a gut feeling. I have to rely on it here for safety and to even understand contexts of meaning because of the language barrier. Juan Gabriel named me the bird of his heart even with no reference to my tattoo or the name of my business. I am glad to know that one of my main guides is coming from my place of power and grounding.

Monday 1/11/2010 6:57:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Explorations of the Heart

   I wandered today searching for some greens for the two new guinea pigs who have come to live in our house. Stumbled upon a Sacred place just 10 min from my house. I was so happy that Jesus had pointed out the attributes of Sacred places and their meaning so I knew where I was and how to pray in this place respectfully.
  I did not have an offering of coca leaves or tobacco so I offered some of my hair. Two long silver strands, a real sacrifice as I long to be all gray and I always hate to loose them. A fitting sacrifice of self to pay homage for the blessings granted in this place.
  I sat in meditation for a long while and connected with the wisdom of the stone I was sitting on. It had carved circles representing the sun and the moon and an ancient carved stairway. I sat between the two and some teachings came through that I want to share.
   Some are from the teachings of JE Williams and some are from my heart. I was contemplating Munay and its relationship to Yachay. Williams states quite beautifully that...,"Munay is a deep, abiding, impersonal love that comes naturally from the heart. It simply radiates emotional warmth and caring. It is born of acceptance. When one loves in this manner, thoughtfulness and kindness follow as a rainbow follows rain. Tranquility, beauty, harmony, symmetry, correctness and beauty within and without are visible. Beauty is the outer wrapping of Munay; inside is kindness and love.  When both outer and inner worlds reflect beauty one manifests benevolence in action and character.
Yachay   When the heart is not tranquil, the mind becomes agitated. In order to practice Yachay you have to let go of opinions, judgmental behaviors and the idea that the accumulation of information produces knowledge. It implies unlearning." 
   We learn experientially like children when we clear our minds of perceived notions. We become the hollow bone when we become aware of consciousness looking through us. True knowledge is when we come into knowing without analysis. Thinking is not perceiving. Thoughts belong to the ego mind, perception belongs to the heart. We substitute what we "think"  reality is for what it truly is.
   Wali Ali once taught me that all of reality is within a few feet of your body. It is just a step up or down in frequency/vibration that allows us to experience it.
   I was free for a while today of mental chatter and analysis. Free to pass between the veil and experience the luminous world. The heart becomes unencumbered when the mind is free. I experienced a sense of love beyond loss because it was beyond attachment. Willing to release "defined relationship" in order to experience unconditional love of life and of self. I let go of feeling rejected by someone, but more importantly I released the ways that I reject myself.
   When I came home opportunities to be of service unfolded. A neighbor, just returning from the jungle, was feeling sick so I brought my oils and did a reflexology session. I had gone to Carrie's to offer a Medicine Wheel reading and a man who was there to give a guitar lesson was having a panic attack. I was able to use some valerian, a mild tranquilizer, do some reflexology and breath work to help relieve his anxiety while Carrie smudged him to clear spirits. Then I was able to do the reading which was helpful to Carrie. Got home and did some emails addressing specific prayers. In the evening I was able to share medicines with Rodney to help him get over the creeping crud.
   It was a living example of how Yachay and Munay relate. Such an immediate response to my meditation. (Carrie invited me over as I was feeding the pets.) In letting go of my own emotional turmoil I was available to love globally in the way I know my heart is called to love. Instead of being reserved for one person it was pouring out of me selflessly in many directions.   
   There is something to a sense of sacred place that is palpable and accessible here. I am enjoying the internal as well as external exploration.

Monday 1/11/2010 8:46:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

ancient bridge between worlds
The bridge in the background has three arches. These are considered to be windows, or portals to other dimensions. There will be a world day of healing for the waters on May 18th that a friend of mine is organizing.
She has asked that I collect waters from Peru to offer at Rolland Moore. I will take some from here as well as the Sacred river called the Urabamba (reflection of the milky way) near Machu Picchu.

Monday 1/11/2010 8:53:53 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

ancient stairway

The steps carved in this stone lead to two carved wells representing the sun and moon. I will make offerings to the moon to honor my Native name here.

Monday 1/11/2010 8:57:55 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

chacana
    This is a chacana window in my bedroom that I interact with daily. Rainbow prisms peak through at night. It is an unusual feature in architecture, but is found prolifically in jewelry and at Sacred Incan sites. (I was standing before the ruins of one at Seven Lakes when I had my cosmic meditation.) It was the deciding factor in taking this room as my home-away-from home.
   I first became aware of the chacana while cleaning Sarah's house. There was one hanging in her bathroom and I would often touch it and say a little prayer about manifesting my dream of coming to Peru. They usually have a hole in the center representing the void/creator.
   My new network Chiropractor, Howard, lent me a book yesterday after our 1st visit. Cusco: The Gateway To Inner Wisdom by Diane Dun. It serendipitously helped me understand the transformational experience and Shaman Death I had the day before. (It really is uncanny here if you are open.) I met Howard in the first 45 min that I was in Cusco and he missed reflexology as much as I miss network so we are working a trade.
   This is a synopsis of her teachings of the Andean Way with some of my own philosophical interjections. The steps of the chacana also represent the three worlds, the 4 sacred animals, Munay, Yachay and Llankay as well as the unconscious, conscious and super conscious.
  The teachings of the chacana begin in the South. It is the element of fire. It sanctifies and transmutes energy. The word associated with it is "Dare". The West is the earth, which cleanses our denser energy (hoocha) refining it like compost for new growth. The word is "Want". The North is air, which purifies and enlightens us so we can expand our sense of time and space. The words are "to know" The East is water, which washes and balances us. It washes away our fears and frustrations. The words are to "be silent".
DARE
To dare is to move beyond fear. We choose to act in a different way than we are used to. The ego is always more interested in comfort than in growth and change. We alter our patterns and create space for growth when we move beyond our comfort zone. Our souls want us to dare to discover more than the familiar, literal and mundane aspects of life. When we are willing to enter the void/unknown we connect with the guidance of Spirit within ourselves.
   Profound benefits have come to me in the simple act of ordering food from a menu written in Spanish. When it is my only meal for the day I have to be willing to see the value in whatever shows up. Being a picky eater this aspect of "daring" to put myself in another culture has been very life changing.
WANT
(I would substitute the word desire as I make an association with inspiration and wanting with a sense of lack.)
   Intention is the first step in manifestation. The clearer your intention the more energy there is to magnetize yourself and set the law of attraction in motion. There are many layers hidden under each intention. The deeper we go with our awareness of the what and why, the better chance we have of experiencing it 3-D..
   My lesson has been to release and allow instead of trying to push and control. The Moon Circle Healing Center is my greatest teacher in this regard. I experience it not in my imagination, but as already existing. I even know how it smells to walk around in it. But I have to wait for it to gestate with perfect timing to be berthed into every day reality. My task is simply to believe that it is so with conviction. Wanting something is not the same as forcing it into existence through the power of our will.
   We have to choose what we want, name it, and give it wings to fly. It is essential to keep setting new intentions and follow the treasure hunt of clues from our intuition. It will show up, but maybe not in the ways that we are looking for it. It is necessary to stay open to every interpretation. Illumination helps us to recognize it when it arrives.
KNOWING
In the Newtonian/Piscean Age the definition of knowledge was based on the senses and the physical world. In the Quantum/Aquarian Age knowing is based on image and energy. Energy organizes matter and therefore creates the physical. The elements and nature communicate through the integrative quality of image and energy. Meditating and connecting with nature heightens our senses and can open the 6th sense of perception. We take in only a small fraction of what is available. We tend to register the familiar, predictable things and exclude the unknown.    Meditation and breath work are the portals to knowing. Inspiration, insight and intuition exist on a different level than thought. The more present we become, the better able we are to expand our awareness.
   Pay attention to your languaging. Is it past tense or focused on future concerns? Bring yourself back to the present by making eye contact and noticing the sights, scents and sounds around you.
   Being in the present fine tunes our ability to sense the guidance of spirit. It gives us a more expansive sense of time because we are not wasting it on projecting into the future or worrying about the past. Creation happens only in the NOW moment.
SILENCE
Silence is essential. Without it daring lacks intention, wanting lacks consciousness, and there is no path to access other knowing. Silence slows us down. Silence is associated with water. It is adaptable and always seeking balance. If you take the water from the rapid current of the stream and place it in a container it becomes still and conforms to the shape it is held in.
   In silence we unblock our energy centers and learn to listen to the still small voice within. Develop a relationship with water by gazing at it and focus on your breathing. You can invoke the healing power of water by imagining it. 
   When you are taking a shower affirm that you are clearing your energy as well as cleansing your body and use the time to connect with your feelings. Be truly present and grateful to the waters. When you exit reestablish boundaries by recognizing the beauty of your authentic self. Imagine a shower of white or golden light bathing your body with protection and shielding you from picking up the dense energy of others.
   Learn to release your emotions. When we are attached to them we are anchored to the material world and we block our ability to perceive. Meditation in silence is the doorway to deeper understanding of self and an infinite relationship with the cosmos.
   Meditation is not restricted to a sitting position. The Tslagi Dance Of Life is one of my favorite modalities for meditation because I meditate best when I am in motion. Meditation/contemplative prayer is the primary motivator for me in cleaning. Meditation is mindfulness on one level and release of mind on another. That is the duality when I practice the Zen of cleaning. I stay in a state of acute awareness to the task at hand while my consciousness is free to roam.
   My transformational experience happened the other day at a waterfall up the street. I go once or twice a day now to meditate and sit in silence or contemplate the things that I am learning.
   There is a difference in the power of place here because the collective conscious still values natural spaces as ways to connect with ancestral wisdom. Not everyone does it, but most people honor the belief.
   Connecting with the elements and using these teachings can help us embrace change and continue to seek the highest expression of self. Like the stair steps that move around this Sacred geometric shape, there is never a time when we reach the destination. It is an ongoing process because we are eternal beings.
   When we are willing to do the work of expanding our consciousness we contribute to the evolution of the global consciousness and advance the archetypes.
  Taripay pacha "meeting ourselves again" is another reference to these changing times. The wisdom of the chacana can help us to call home our authentic self to show up and stay present through this global transition. In discovering the adventurous aspect of ourselves that is willing to embrace the unknown, we find our true spiritual identity and purpose. Once we have this navigational point in place we contribute what we came here to offer during this unique time in history.

Wednesday 1/13/2010 9:21:53 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Breaking point
   It is the 13th of the month and the beginning of a new billing cycle so I am celebrating with a group email. Coming out of my Blackberry silence to say hello.
   I have begun setting up apt for reflexology and working trades here. If you are a client, know that I have gained an even deeper appreciation for you. I have a need to share the gifts I have been blessed with and working with you brings meaning and purpose to my life.
(Everything improved in my life here once I could work and share my gifts)
   I am enhancing my skills receiving two new healing initiations; Ilahnoor from Islamic roots and Munay-Ki from the Andean way. Both are progressive fusions to help move through the shift. I will be excited to offer sessions when I return.
   I have experienced the Shaman Death I prayed for and a shift in my identity. "Turn and face the strain ch...ch...changes." Plays in my head. As well as the lyrics, "I'm living and walking in a vertical reality."
   I am living more in the NOW moment. I realized in writing to you and receiving your responses I was clinging to the past, afraid to step into the moment. A dream I had about my future has shattered, the pieces disintegrating before they hit the ground. It simply was not meant to be. The hand that I was holding released me into an emotional free fall. Spirit caught me immediately with the up draft of service and clarified my true identity. NOW I have a clearer understanding of my purpose to "be" global love (munay) recognizing how it moves through me.
   It was a breaking point and I feel broken open. Check my site hummingbirdhorizons.com for more teachings on the Chacana and how you can use this Andean wisdom to break open and create a new you. The eclipse on 15-16th offers assistance.
   I am settled in Cusco now. I know how to meet my basic needs and I am establishing friendships. I don't have that just off the plane tourist look I recognize so often. Street vendors, no longer trying to hock their wares, greet me with hugs and sit beside me on benches to practice their English.
   I love my Peruvian family and have had fun doing little things to make their lives better. I work with Olivia every day to practice reading, writing and creativity. I so enjoy playing pretend grandma!
   Hoping all is well with you. I continue to speak your name, imagine your face and invoke your spirit every time I build a medicine wheel. ( I will make one tomorrow Thurs.) I hold you in my heart and in my prayers with love and light. Love Suz

Wednesday 1/13/2010 12:53:35 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Cleansing Ceremony

Puddle	Cleansing ceremony			Caesar  and Suzanne
	Our Prayers  Go Up In Smoke

   The day began with Caesar and me sitting up on the roof. He offered me water that had been blessed by Inti (sun). He prayed over it offering it to me to "drink in the light". There was a plant that I asked him about and he pointed to the bright yellow pedals and said it was calling my spirit to be happy and to lift my sadness. He said my mind was distracted and heavy and the water would lift me.
   He brought me to the mountain of lightening and fire. (Befitting my purpose and prayers). He pointed out things in nature as we walked along. First he noted the song of the birds and their diversity. Some sing high and some sing low. We have both joys and concerns in our lives and we have to balance them.
   The thorn always grows with the flower he said as he pointed out a wild rose. We have to be willing to carry our wounds with a joyful heart in order to lift up our burdens and karma.  
   He asked me to look at the puddles of water in the road. One is cloudy and one is clear. We always go back and forth. It is necessary to keep a happy heart and let go of the turmoil. All you have to do is know yourself and you will have the keys to everything. Our hearts are the place of knowledge. Your happiness is not dependent on other people or outer circumstances.      
   Then we passed a big pool of water by the side of the road. No one could really touch this love because it has cut itself off. Isolated, it cannot flow and becomes stagnant (I knew that my heart was in the same condition.) We get attached to the familiar and don't notice the pollution in our own souls he reminded. We have to be willing to give up our addictions and clear our bodies in order to live a Spiritual life. I realized my addiction to riding an emotional roller coaster is just the way my ego amuses itself.
   We met a woman on the road who had lost two llamas to a mother puma and her cub. There had been a lot of talk about it in the area and Caesar shared his concerns with Carrie. It raised an excitement in me. I kept my eyes peeled in case I got a glimpse of my life long protector and guide. I just finished sculpting one and feel very connected to the energy.
   He saw the face of the puma on the ground in the area where he laid out his altar. Then he pointed out the fur of the puma two feet away. The probable cave about 75 yards up the slope. I put some fur in my medicine pouch and he put some on the altar. Already my main prayer was being addressed. The puma governs the second chakra and I was praying for the healing of my sexuality.
   He said that I needed to cultivate patience and harmonize the totems in my body. I needed to be aware of my inner anger and depression. I needed to learn to be happy so that the light could shine through me.
   I was being with my feelings, which were heavy and dark. I had decided this morning, as I meditated by the waterfall and clarified my intentions, that I would not put on a mask or skirt my emotions. If this was a cleansing ceremony than I wanted to bring all my disappointments to the surface so they could be washed away.
   At the end of the ceremony he told me that the puma (creativity chakra) and condor (heart chakra) could now relate better. It is the exact focal point for the breath work I am doing in network.
   It was cloudy and overcast and we were trying to determine if we should move the altar into a nearby overhang before we began. He told us to decide and concentrate our prayers. My prayer was to have the sun, (but I would accept the rain). I asked that if it did rain it would not distract me or disturb our ceremony. I recognized the indecisiveness of my intention when we had light rain and sunshine simultaneously throughout the despatcho. Caesar advised me to decide what you want, insist! And then be patient.
   He allowed me to set the healing crystals that I keep beneath my reflexology chair on his altar to be re-energized  My intention was to clear myself so that I could better serve as a conduit of Divine healing energy. He later told me that the crystals are just tools. That our bodies are the true crystals and keeping them clear is important if we want to receive and share spiritual messages with others.
   The ceremony itself I hold as sacred and want to integrate in silence. I did want to share that while my despatchos were burning. I built a Medicine Wheel and prayed for all of you one-by-one.
   I experienced the presence of the Holy Mother and invoked all of the Divine Feminine aspects who work through me. Their presence was palpable.           
  There was also a familiar element of being the willing sacrifice. I offered myself for you and for all that I love about planet earth. It is always oddly gratifying to move beyond the physical to endure on behalf of others.
   I had prayed that my 6th and 7th chakras would be opened and activated. There was a specific part of the ceremony that I know addressed this. I will hold that memory like a seed that needs the water of my awareness to germinate.
  I had my eyes closed most of the time, but Carrie reported that the clouds parted above my head and there was a patch of blue. She also noted that there was a brighter cloud above where my despatcho burned that was illuminated in the shape of a hummingbird. A little one hovered around the area during the ceremony as well.
   I am blessed by these experiences and I send the fruits of these blessings to you. Please pray that I am truly able to accept and integrate this rebirthing experience and express joy in the casa de mi corazón (house of my heart).

Friday 1/15/2010 8:26:53 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Cleansing Circle

   Caesar is transferring the clouds in my heart to a hematite stone that he left behind for Pachamama to purify.

Friday 1/15/2010 8:32:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Caesar and Carrie
   This is a photo of Caesar and Carrie at the infamous Jack's Cafe after my healing ceremony. Glad to finally have a photo of Carrie, the most memorable person in Cusco. She translated and assisted the ceremony which was beautifully profound.

Friday 1/15/2010 8:28:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Puma Place

   I saw this Puma head (which is set into the corner of my street) last night as if for the first time. I have walked by it just about every day without noticing it. After adding puma fur to my medicine pouch it had a more synchronistic meaning.
   It boggles my mind that a dream would be set in motion ten years ago to come to Peru for spiritual direction and manifest with such perfect timing. Seeing the puma stone on the street where I landed and the chacana in my bedroom made me feel as though the rest of my trip has just been waiting to reveal itself to me and now I have open eyes to see what is being illuminated on my path.
   I am learning more about the sacred animals and how they relate to the chakras. I am also interested in their cultural relationship, both contemporary and historical. My first week was spent in the Amaru Hostel, a reservation I made from the states with no clue as to the meaning of the word. I spent time connecting with and honoring the snake before I fell asleep last night. I was walking home today and I noticed this stone marker of Amaru, the sacred snake of the base chakra.
   Again, I have passed by it before but I was not yet awakened to its presence. When the student is ready the teacher appears. In Cusco, the teacher can be found in a sense of place. I feel like my experiences this week have opened a portal to the teachings imparted by the land and the ruins themselves. This is a widely accepted belief and I am tapping into the collective conscious to experience it.
   I am curious about when I will encounter the hummingbird and the condor stones. I began sculpting both into the flip side of a piece today.

Friday 1/15/2010 10:41:39 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

New Moon Eclipse
   Tonight is an eclipse and I plan to make an offering at the sacred place I discovered on Monday. My connection with the moon during my stay here has been poignant. The fact that my native name, Blue Crescent Moon Woman, which was given to me in 2001, was manifesting in December was another example of auspicious timing.
   Although my plans to come were delayed three times, I arrived to do ceremony for the Summer Solstice which was a significant date to the Incas. I have been dedicated to reigniting the sacred fire on the solstices and equinoxes for years. It was meaningful to honor the day here.
   There was the awesome New Year's Eve full moon eclipse on the ocean.  Timing is certainly calling me to strengthen my relationship with the power in my name and with Mikawanci, grandmother moon.
   Astronomy was very central to the construction of many of the ruins. It is also a part of natural places of worship like the one up the street.
   To be here for the alignment of the celestial bodies evokes a deeply profound feeling in me. A sense of responsibility to contribute what I can to usher in an expanded consciousness heralded by the age of Aquarius. 2012 is around the bend and I am hopeful about this astronomical event and the fulfillment of the prophecies of so many indigenous people around the world.

Friday 1/15/2010 10:59:44 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Senior Huanca

Senior Huanca	Shepherd Boys	My prayers

   Today I did ceremony at a Sacred Mt. named Pacha Tucson el Señor de Huanca. Never have I climbed such steep inclines, watching the earth rapidly drop below with each step. It created a very strange sensation in my knees. The song I heard the other day now a premonition: "Living and walking in a vertical reality."
   The hike was a lesson in mindfulness to avoid the pricklies of bushes and cactus. We were tangibly touching the sacredness of this apus' majestic view of life.
   The sheer faced rocks shining black hematite invitations. It is the stone that helps break our addictions and releases the denser energy in our souls. I found a stone that fit perfectly in my hand and put my prayers into it. Spirit helped me to release the last of what had not burned in my despatcho when I accidentally left the rock behind as we stopped to rest.
   I could feel the heat of exertion contrasted by the coolness of the breeze on my sweaty brow. Large cold droplets of rain sending vapors of steam off my skin like tiny smoke signals.
   During the ceremony, three curious shepherd boys sat quietly watching from a distance. Their presence focusing my prayers on the happiness and well being of my sons.
   After the ceremony we walked to a huge boulder that creates a direct line from our prayers to the summit of the mountain. I placed my forehead to the stone and opened my sixth chakra. I asked to see inside the stone. I visualized a group of ancient ones sitting in a council circle. There was a tranquil knowing being shared clairvoyantly. They offered me a white feather to give to the woman we were offering remote prayers to.
   Caesar built a shelter and lit 7 colored candles representing the chakras. We each took turns praying there before descending down the mountain to the Cathedral of Senior Huanca. It is a huge pilgrimage site. Thousands of people hike over the steep mountains each year to come here to pray.
   We lit candles here too. I put mine in the shape of a crescent moon with a candle for myself, my children, my loved ones, my parents, siblings and the one in the center for those on my list and the Moon Circle community.
   Then we went to the well of holy water which surfaced from a natural spring. I submerged my body three times. Afterwards Caesar told me to follow him into the church. I felt self-conscious wearing a swim suit and wrapped in a sarong. I was carrying my pack and shoes, but there was no time or place to dress. He brought me up to the altar and told me to pray. I closed my eyes and was saying the Hail Mary when he suddenly splashed my face with a flower that had been dipped in holy water. The third time he had evoked the startle effect as I gave away the illusion of being unsupported and welcomed the surround of Spirit into my soul. He smiled and said now my rebirth was complete. Just then a man announced the beginning of mass. I quickly gathered my things and exited, dripping a trail of Holy water as I departed.
   The day was blessed with the simple beauty of nature. I pondered the peaceful life of the shepherd boys who would never learn to read or know the outside world. The innocence radiating from their eyes and the whiteness of their bright smiles accentuated by their dirty faces. I thought how close they would always be to Creator because of the freedom in their lifestyle and their close connection with nature. I prayed that a little of their spirit would protect my sons from the harshness of the modern world.

Sunday 1/17/2010 7:57:56 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Sacred Valley

My first glimpse of the Sacred Valley. The church below with red roof.

Sunday 1/17/2010 8:07:10 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Before and After
   After laughingly sharing my dental experience with Carrie, she gave me the name of a guy who speaks English. My Qero smile has served me well and I am ready to see my familiar face again.
  The first time I phoned him he was a block away after having had lunch and we met on a park bench for my first consultation. He later sent his assistant to pick me up in a taxi so I would know how to get to his office.
  His name is Ernesto, he is very professional, meticulous and has all of the modern equipment of the states including trained assistants.
   I have felt very relieved to be in his care. Yesterday he noted all the work that needs to be done. I have spent thousands of dollars on my mouth since I turned 40 and still have not gotten around to getting the amalgams replaced.
   Yesterday, after the ceremony with Caesar, I was riding high on happiness and I felt like I was glowing. Certainly magnetized to receive my highest good. I had mentioned to Ernesto how I do a lot of trades. He asked if I would be willing to work a trade to get my mouth in good shape. He will replace nine fillings and do a thorough cleaning.
   His wife, Claudia, is as frustrated with learning English as I am Spanish and anxiety seems to be the culprit derailing both of us. I think it is a match made in Heaven. She is from Bolivia and is missing her family as much as I am. So we will meet for a couple of hours each day to hang out around Cusco and converse as friends.
   Suzanne, the one who loves to talk and write is a little nervous about my skill set in that area, but I will do my best. I was relieved to know that my reflexology skills will serve to relax her and help to resolve a problem she has with TMJ. It sounds like she is an empath so it will be rewarding to share what I have learned about breath work, meditation and shielding.
   Divine providence strikes again! He said that everything happens for a reason and he knew that fate was bringing me into their lives when we met that first day. Turns out I am living in the house of one of his closest friends. Small world heh? My Chacana room on Puma street was exactly where I was supposed to land.
   When he gave me his card it reads; Idahocondor Humanitarian Services. I am intrigued to find out more about both of them.
   The fact that he took my credit card for the crown allowed me to hang on to almost six hundred soles to use for my living expenses. That leaves enough in the bank to travel with Sue and Barb when they visit. My funds are dwindling, but my resources are growing:)
   Minor sent this excerpt and in light of my good fortune it was fitting to share it with you.
DECREE OF ABUNDANCE
From The Light of God that I Am.
From The Love of God that I Am.
From The Power of God that I Am.
From The Heart of God that I Am.
I Decree-
I dwell in the midst of Infinite Abundance. The Abundance of God is my Infinite Source.
The River of Life never stops flowing. It flows through me into lavish expression. Good comes to me through unexpected avenues and God works in a myriad of ways to bless me.
I now open my mind to receive my good. Nothing is too good to be true. Nothing is too wonderful to have happen. With God as my Source, Nothing amazes me.
I Am not burdened by thoughts of past or future. One is gone. The other is yet to come.
By the power of my belief, coupled with my purposeful fearless actions and my deep rapport with God, my future is created and my abundance made manifest.
I ask and accept that I am lifted in this and every moment into Higher Truth. My mind is quiet.
From this day forward I give freely and fearlessly into life and Life gives back to me with magnificent increase. Blessings come in expected and unexpected ways. God provides for me in wondrous ways.
I AM indeed grateful. And I let it be so.
Saying it is not enough, believing it changes everything and then acting upon it changes everything, yet again!
Please share this with your loved ones, with copyright Maureen Moss and
Websites:
http://www.worldpuja.org
http://www.maureenmoss.com

Monday 1/18/2010 6:23:27 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

before

My missing tooth has been a lesson in indecisiveness and connecting with my anger. I feel I have gained insights here in Peru to help me address both issues. I am no longer blocking my highest good!

Monday 1/18/2010 6:27:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Way To Work

I can almost jog to the top of these stairs now. A month ago, I could manage about five and then stopped to gasp for air. This is the way I go to do reflexology for Howard.

Doorway

This is the doorway into my cul de sac. There are three hotels and several apartments. It is amazing to me how many people can fit into small spaces.

The Hood

This is the view from my sitting rock down my street. Mi casa (my house) is just behind the big tree to the left.

Stray Animals

I have one stray dog who has taken a liking to me. Every time I go to meditate, I see about 10 dogs roaming. It is interesting to see how they relate like a family. Today, there was a stray llama.

Sculpting Stone

I love to sit in this spot for 2 to 4 hours just sculpting. Curious people stop to say hello, and I practice cliché conversations. The back support is great, and the view is beautiful. Rain usually chases me away. This stone is my home; my bedroom is my house.

Sun and Moon

This is a sacred symbol to the Inca that makes an alignment with the celestial bodies. They are found along the Sacred Valley from Cusco to Machu Picchu. This one signals that the Temple La Luna is up ahead.

Tuesday 1/19/2010 5:54:22 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Hucha to Sami
Info synthesized from Masters Of The Living Energy: the mystical world of the Q'ero of Peru by Joan Parisi Wilcox.
   Don Medesto and Benito live next door. Benito is such a wonderful and well respected man. Don Medesto is joy made manifest. Both are featured in the book and I am learning a lot from being in their presence. Having the teachings in English helps and they are worth sharing. When I get home I will know how to munch on your Hucha.
   Joan does a good job of illustrating how the mystical magic of the Q'ero is accessible in the simple every day practices that they teach to anyone willing to listen.
   The Andean way is really about cultivating consciousness. To be aware of your every action, thought, emotion, intention, intuition, dreams and vision. It is about holding the state of your being.
   As we focus our attention on New Year's resolutions, it is important to remember we begin again each day. Aug. 1st is the New Year, (beginning day) of the Q'ero. It is when the Apus awaken and when we have the opportunity to leave the past behind and begin anew with clear intention.
    We are governed by two kinds of energy: Hucha, which is created by humans and prolific in the physical world, is the dense disorganized energy of the sub conscious. It is not in union with Anyi (reciprocity). Sami is refined, organized energy harmonized with the perfection of nature. We cultivate what it means to be truly human when we have the power to recognize our own energy and stay steady in the midst of life's turbulence.
   Power is only the difference between being able to do something or not able to do something. Power is generated by our connection with reciprocity and gratitude. It is fueled by our emotions, thoughts and actions.
   There is no judgment about energy. Hucha is more about incompatibility than good or bad and is uniquely personal. When you feel dense energy, the work at hand is to keep your energy open and flowing instead of closing down to protect yourself. In this way, the giving and receiving reorganizes the flow of energy, and you feel empowered. You either harmonize or are unaffected by hucha energy. It is important to shift a belief from negative and positive to dense and refined.
   A person's intent shapes reality in a manner that enhances or decreases the energy and power of someone else. There is no inherent evil; just the motives of human beings. What we perceive as evil is usually energy upon which we have projected our fears.
   The power of revelation comes in the package of fear. It always has transformational potential to unlock our power and free it up to better serve. Our job as light workers is to transmute hucha by dialoguing with the heavy energy or entity. This makes us aware of the trickster teacher within the experience and helps us to illuminate and own our shadow. The more we embrace ourselves the more readily we refine our energy and take responsibility for our projections onto others. This is how we reach unification and Oneness.  
   Our primary responsibility in life is to maintain at all times the ecology of our internal energy environment. Everyone has a poq'po (aura) that surrounds our body with living energy. It has a skin to protect us from absorbing disorganized energy. If we hang onto our "stuff" and fail to cleanse ourselves regularly, heavy energy can accumulate and seep into us over time. This is the cause of illness.
   The Q'ero have every day practices that help align and balance energy. Anyone can practice saminchukuy. Just imagine the dense energy being drawn down into mother earth through your root chakra. As the energy is being released you draw in sami energy through your crown chakra.
   We can also practice hucha mikhuy (eating hucha) for ourselves or others. You open your qosqo (solar plexus) and draw the hucha in. There it splits into two streams. One flowing down to mother earth and the other carrying sami to the crown. In this way, you actually gain sustenance from the hucha like the intestines draw nutrients from waste. In both practices, it is important to draw in sami to increase the light body and fill the space left by the hucha.
   Mother Earth loves hucha as food. Our giving away of dense energy is a gift of reciprocity. It is like the symbiotic relationship we have with trees and plants. They take our carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen. Mother Earth turns our hucha into nutrients for restoration and renewal of the planet.
   The process is ongoing because the world in which we live (Kawasay Pacha) is not yet in balance. Our offering expands our capacity to illuminate first our own field, then the fields of others, our immediate environment, people we are at odds with, our community, and the global energy of the natural world that is experiencing degradation.
   We are all called to be healers of the earth by learning to limit the amount of hucha we miscreate and generously offering what we do have to Mother Earth on a daily basis. Ushering in refined energies helps us contribute our physical bodies, minds and spirit as conduits to re-establish Heaven on Earth.

Thursday 1/21/2010 11:47:29 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Relying on Experience

	Tombs for the Inka at Pisac We began the ceremony invoking and  honoring the ancient ones.
	I am holding a small trumpet flower to help  me focus my attention away from the city  and to the heart of the hummingbird,  drawing on the essence to keep me balanced.
	My little friend came at just the right  moment to soften the harshness of the  city and my disappointment with my guide.

   I spent the day in prayer. My ceremony offering me many blessings and many lessons. Still holding silence about the ceremony I can say that my intention was fully met. I was praying for Kate Taylor and all of her family, holding Ruth and Don especially close to my heart, when my prayer was answered. I asked Creator to let me serve as a hollow bone and take some of their suffering. I know that it happened, and I am blessed by the love I feel for them.
    Pachamama surprised me with an early and unexpected moon time. It answered my prayers to honor the female body as a temple and to wash my womb clean. I sang Brooke Medicine Eagle's song. "I give away this blood of mine to all my relations and I open my womb to the light."
   There was plenty of moss around, but when I told Carlos I wanted to take some time to do a moss ceremony. He seemed concerned so I thought it best if I not go off by myself.
   It turns out that I believe he was more concerned about the extra time it might entail. I was hoping for a holy man, but what I got was a tour guide more connected to his cell phone than ceremony.
   I always struggle to find my voice so I did not question him when he moved us on from place to place, "seeking new energy". Leaving barely enough time for my body to settle and relax. I was thinking it was a good lesson for me to finally want to settle in one place and "be" and have someone else prodding me along. Karmic justice! (The angels and coyote were laughing).
   The rain was light, but persistent, so I was secretly hoping that we were moving in the direction of an ancient cave to spend the day.
   I was paying him for a full day of being together so I gave him the benefit of the doubt when we came around the bend to overlook the city.
   Hummingbirds are very sensitive to harshness and need beauty to stay balanced. I turned away to face nature as he made a couple of calls. Then he pointed out several hummingbirds who had come to rescue my fragile and exposed soul. One iridescent blue one lighting on the branch right in front of me and the rest making noise in the background to help me tune out the sounds of the city. I cried about Paul and sculpted on the hummingbird piece until the rain moved me on.
  I reminded Carlos that I wanted to build a Medicine Wheel and pray. We stopped on the last switch back and I looked for a suitable site on the steep incline along the well traveled path. He interrupted my prayers to ask if I was ready. It was then that I decided it was best to complete my time with him and continue the ceremony alone. I knew that I would be returning his business cards so as not to have them go to waste.
   Going to the ruins cost me 40 soles which left me short on the money I owed him. I had asked before we got out of the car if he could wait until I returned in Feb. with my friends to pay him the rest. He said he would come to Cusco tonight to get it. 
   The ruins were an expense and an experience I could have done without. I came to honor a ceremony that was pre Inka, pre patriarchy, connected to the earth and nature. Being amongst tourists and seeing the broken stones of what mankind has created was not what interested me. I was flowing with the blood of life, not resonating with the blood of sacrifice and death.   
   When I first stepped into his shaman store, I was impressed with the many Sacred things that were present. He grabbed several items to take along for our journey. He did play the flute and banged his drum, but I never felt his prayer or saw focus on his face. I gave him the teaching that Bernice had given me so long ago about preparing yourself to take on the responsibility of receiving and never going after sacred items, but I think it fell upon deaf ears. He asked me if I wanted to buy something from his store before I left.
   I had already emptied my pockets leaving just enough for a bus ride and some pads. He would deplete over half of my money for groceries before the night was through. He turned inspiring condor feather fans into tourist kitch.
   I had thought that perhaps it was compassion in his heart that led me down the mountain so rapidly. I thought maybe he was thinking he could beat the heavy rain and have half a day left to relax giving me 1/2 price. Not the case. We spent about 3 1/2 hours together. 
   I was relieved to give him every penny he thought he deserved. I blessed the money with the thought that it would be eternal. Providing abundance and never be completely spent, nor would the lesson attached to it fade of the opportunity he missed to be an example of a spiritual man.
   He said he was surprised at how strong I was and how fast the medicine had moved through me. I told him I was a hummingbird and I metabolize everything quickly. I said a prayer of thanksgiving for my frequency and my ability to transmute even poison with relative ease. I changed my bloody pants and asked him to take me to the bus.
   There I sat, a common woman having an uncommon experience. The bus driver making the sign of the cross before he blazed down the mountain like a maniac. Lines on the highway are always ignored, with daring feats of passing the norm. I have gotten used to it.
   I had made the commitment to pray all day. So drawing upon my experience, I blessed the place as we drove by where the five caring men had passed and I got off the bus at Temple La Luna. The guard told me I had to pay. I walked past telling him I was just walking home.
   Then I went to the place where I met the young apprentice sent by his father to wait until he could teach someone about the sacred site. I held the memory of him warmly and sent him blessings as I crouched down shivering under my poncho nestled into the carving of the hummingbird. It was here that he sang to my heart and GAVE me the blessing of the hummingbird in my solar plexus. It was long before I would learn about the ojos or the hummingbird's placement in the chakras.
  His face a shining light of hope for the young men coming up trying to walk in an honorable way. I sent the love I feel for my sons to him wherever he may be.
   I stayed and listened to the stones until the vinyl was soaked through and through, and I was chilled to the bone. Then I remembered the caves on San Blas, and I went to sit in their shelter. My heart sickened by the trash, my stomach nauseas from the smell.  Still I knew that here I could honor the medicine still in my system, Mother Earth and the ancestors who had sat in ceremony in this same place.
   It is a dangerous place so I put up protection and took comfort in knowing no one would set out in the down pour to seek out this place. If someone came along they would stumble upon it seeking shelter as I had, making us equals.
   It disappointed me that I had thanked my compadre earlier in the day for taking care of me. I sat alone, damp and cold until my commitment to Pacha mama was complete.
   I allowed enough time to get home, change my blood soaked pants and get the rest of his money to meet him on the Cathedral steps at 7 pm. It was truly the fitting place to recreate what adulterated the religion of my birth being transacted again in relation to an earth honoring ceremony. Go figure?
   For those of you men reading this who have never offended me, I sincerely beg your pardon. If it were not for Jeremy Taylor, I would have no faith in a man's capacity for compassion. But alas, for me he holds the doorway for his gender, and I have to surrender to the belief that if he can demonstrate such a depth of true love and sensitivity, then all men are capable.
   I received in ceremony what I project on to men. Carlos simply validated my beliefs so that I could see them with new eyes and take responsibility for shifting them.
   I know that any man who accesses my site is on a spiritual path so please hear my words not as a chastising or a criticism, but as a plea.
   The women and children are turning over stones looking for a spiritual man to serve as an example of the Divine Masculine. Take up the burden that patriarchy has put upon you and cast it to the side. Stand up and be counted during these changing times and model what it means to be in the likeness of the Father. Even if our paths should never cross, I need to know that my words are heard and my prayers answered through you.
   Returning I saw a little girl tucking in her stuffed animal safely out of the rain in her sweatshirt. When I arrived home, Livia came into my room with her baby dolls carefully tended to in their basket. I burst out crying and, startled, she instantly had such compassion in her eyes. She stroked my hair which further prompted my tears.
COMPASSION IS NOT GENDER SPECIFIC! 
That belief is culturally induced. We are all called to be more than a two legged. Munay is what it means to be truly human. So tonight I give away this blood of mine to all of my brothers. These last moons of my life I pledge to use to nurture my belief that all men will live in their hearts, seek spiritual union and serve with compassion.

Friday 1/22/2010 9:44:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Chunpis
   Chunpis in Quechua means belts. There are seven belts of power which are similar to the chakras.
The first belt (yana chunpi) is located at the base chakra and is the color black. It is associated with water. The eye (ojo), or point of entry, is called the (siki nawi).
   The second belt (puka chunpi) is the color red and is located in the area around the solar plexus. The eye is called the (qosqo nawi) and is located just below the naval.  It is our place of power that allows us to push the kawasay pacha, which means to affect the world around us through intention. It is also referred to as the "blood of the mother" because of its relationship to Pachamama, Mother Earth.
   The third belt (qori chunpi) is the color gold. The eye of the belt (sonqo nawi) literally means "eye of the heart." It is where we cultivate love, empathy, compassion and refined energies. It is associated with the sun and the element of fire.
   The throat center is next (qolqe chunpi), and the color is silver. The eye is called the (kunka nawi). It is the center for creativity and communication. It is associated with the element of air and the moon.
   The more refined fifth belt (kulli chunpi) is found in our two physical eyes and the pineal or third eye located in the center of the forehead. It is violet in hue. The eye is called the (quanchis nawi).
   A paco who is trained to activate these belts is called a chunpi paco. There are very few pacos left who can do this work. Everyone, however, can heighten their awareness of the subtle energy exchanges between themselves, others and all aspects of nature.
   When we open our poqo and develop our third eye to tune into these exchanges, we are better able to harmonize with the Kawasay Pacha. Pushing the Kawasay is using our personal power to reach our full potential, and in the spirit of taqe (cooperation), to empower others to develop theirs as well.
   The dominant culture is based on competition instead of collaboration. As society continues to escalate the imbalance of the haves-VS-the have nots, the whole planet wobbles with distortion. We create hucha every time we cast the judgment that we are either inferior or superior to others. We all sit in the same circle and share the same earthship.
   All of us, regardless of our status, are just bundles of energy and light. What enhances the refined quality and magnitude of that energy is our desire to serve the planet by staying in a state of awe, respecting the miraculous wonder of the physical world in which we live.
   Info synthesized from Masters Of The Living Energy: the mystical world of the Q'ero of Peru by Joan Parisi Wilcox.

Monday 1/25/2010 11:52:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Madre De Dios River (Mother of God River)

   We are driving along a tributary of the Amazon River. My surroundings replicating the photos in my 8th grade geography book that opened wide my wanderlust. Years later I find myself turning the pages of my own adventure story.
   The driver undaunted by the dangers of his daily trek. Patiently pausing for two hours as a landslide with boulders the size of mini vans is cleared. I say a prayer of gratitude for the timing that left us the first bus waiting. Shuddering to think of what it might be like to be caught in the moment of the hillside's abandon.
    The wide, wild river frothing from the relentless rain. Raging uncontained by her banks to flow across the dirt road that winds along hugging her curves. 
   He bravely traverses the swift waters washing out the road beneath us. Safely on the other side, he  investigates the billowing steam rolling out from beneath the belly of the bus. The next attempt is not so successful as we are caught mid stream. A bunch of locals and a fire truck trying to free us from our peril.
   The long wait tests my patience as the dawn breaks and we are not at our destination as expected. I try to open my poqo and assert my intention to push the Kawasay Pacha. Uncertain of my skill, I pray to the Blessed Virgin. The words of the Miraculous Medal flowing from the recesses of my memory like the water beneath me.
   Somehow, I feel buoyant and amused not attached to the outcome. Like a spectator on the shore, I feel only curiosity and the need to remain patient as we inch our way backwards. 
   Cameras are flashing like fireflies in the pre dawn light. It is exciting to be the talk of the town and from the looks of it, all the town is standing on the banks observing with excitement.
   Suddenly, bulldozers pull around us clearing a path so that we can move forward instead of backward and we are rolling again into the heart of the jungle.

Monday 1/25/2010 5:50:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Heart Of The Jungle
   Michael, my travel companion from Germany, has been the answer to my prayer for an example of a spiritual man. Once a teacher and musician, a few years ago he felt he was called to serve. He is now a shamanic practitioner and offers sessions that help people to connect with and release their emotional limitations.
   Devoted to his wife and children, he is a perfect gentleman. I am learning not to flinch when he touches my elbow, pointing out possible dangers along the street or path.
   The hardest part of my prayer is learning to acquiesce to the protection that a man provides. It is so much easier to travel with a male escort that my appreciation is paving the way. I long for safety from a man, but there is nothing in this world that I mistrust more. So tonight during the ceremony I am praying to give away the warehouse of negative feelings I have stored about men. In alignment with my last ceremony and the teachings of hoocha and sami, I begin anew, seeing the highest potential for all my brothers.
    It is fun to have a companion. Michael and I went walking in the jungle. Swinging from a dangling rope and tasting ripened fruit along the way. Pachamama provides abundantly here with ease and grace. Nature is bold and vibrant. Like a brand new box of markers, it colors my reality. With childlike curiosity, I am expanded by witnessing it for the first time. I am awakened by the fresh perspective, and wonder fills the tiny dark spaces of the dense foliage. I am peaking down deep within myself with the awe of discovery.
   I have likened eco systems to Mother Earth's wardrobe, and this must be the G-string of the planet, wet and slippery as Gaia's own erotic pleasure.
   Everything comes fully alive here. Beyond the five senses to the 6th sense of perception. This is the magic of Peru. The overload of stimulus that forces one to transcend the known world. One has to be willing to merge here or risk being consumed.
   The chattering of the jungle sounds like an orchestra tuning. Dissonance that somehow, given enough time for the listening, harmonizes. Playing the mystery of the time before time. Deep in the overlays of a myriad of greens, mankind is forgotten and Nature reigns.

Wednesday 1/27/2010 2:01:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Nature's Medicine
   I spent the day in the jungle observing wildlife and fauna along the Madre de Dios River and Sandoval Lake. I feel truly healed and purified. The ceremony I did a couple of days ago with Don Ignacio washed my body completely clean and nature polished up my soul.
   I feel fresh and new on every level. Purified in my intent, renewed in spirit and physically fit. Peru has been an optical illusion where one door opens into the next. All of my experiences connecting in a shining silver web like the massive, glistening spider's webs I witnessed today. Each strand a single path that interconnects to weave together all of the experiences of my life with a sparkling new clarity.
   I have known for many years that an essential element of growth is integration. Calling home the aspects of ourselves that have been disenfranchised. Embracing the bright shadow as well as the dark in order to truly know and "BE" our authentic self. I am stripped of pretenses and held accountable for my thoughts and feelings.
   The indigenous people here are called Ese Aja. Our guide, Maria, is a beautiful example, both inside and out, of a modern indigenous woman. She was observant, respectful of nature and exuded a true communion with her homeland. She took the time to point out medicinal plants and their uses. She gave me a connection in Cusco to learn more about the brews made of medicinal plants.
   After the tour, she graciously helped us connect with a reputable shaman and joined us for a traditional dinner of Paco, a type of local fish wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. It was served with plantain prepared a little like mashed potatoes. I topped it off with ice cream made from two different tropical fruits. Having just returned home after two years of study in Cusco, her appreciation for the sweet taste of the water here was apparent.
   The Ese Aja cosmology consists of three worlds. The (Eya) sky, which is governed by the (Eyakuinaji) sky people. The (Meshi) the land we walk upon which gives us our sustenance and (Ena) the water which gives us life. The beliefs and practices are simple, clear and related to communing with nature. These are the ways that awaken my spirit.
   Their ceremonies are based on the power of the words spoken in delivering herbs for healing. The spirit of the plant is invoked with gratitude that the Creator has already heard the prayer before it is spoken. The words, like a homing pigeon, give it direction. They rely on song and dance to bring health and well being.
   For all the hoopla of religion and ceremony and the many and varied ways I have experienced it in Peru, it is the fullness of nature that inspires my faith. It reinforces my belief in ONE Creation to which we all belong. Like the fragile balance of the rain forest, we are all symbiotically related. Each one a tiny flame in the cosmos that originates from the spark of the Divine.

Friday 1/29/2010 12:51:20 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Hell and Back
   I can honestly say that I have been to Hell and back after visiting a village named Inferno in the Amazon jungle. It was named during its boon as a rubber production town. Its reputation cast by the heat and nasty smell of the work that kept its inhabitants alive. Now it is a port for shipping fruit.
   It was here that I did a ceremony that cleanses the body of parasites, the soul of impurities and transgressions. It has a reputation of seeking out and healing every ailment on every level of being. It was a long night with a bit of suffering, some disappointments and the opportunity to transcend expectations through forgiveness. I woke up feeling renewed. My eyes and body are clear and I feel wonderful!
   The road traveled to get there was hellish. Barely missed a landslide and got caught in a flash flood. Coming home, I could see the one lane road clearly with its sheer faced cliffs plunging into the river below. After slipping around in the wet clay of the jungle, I am glad that I didn't know then what I know now.
   I carry you with me on my journey and imagine your face as I pray for you. 16 hrs of rolling wheels beneath me gives me plenty of time to go down my list holding each of you close to my heart and praying for your highest and best to unfold as you journey through life.
  P.S. I arrived safely in Cusco and all is well here. The surrounding areas are in a state of emergency, but I am fine. Please say prayers I get my camera back. Someone stole it last night on the bus and I had fantastic photos to share with you. Bummer:(.

Saturday 1/30/2010 12:01:03 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Puerto Maldonado
   Puerto Maldonado is a sauna. I drip with sweat until nine at night. The tepid breeze after sunset offering some relief. The heat is draining and the muggy air a greenhouse - rich with the smell of foliage and heavy with oxygen.
   This is motorcycle/pollo (chicken) town. Whole families with new born babies pile onto motorcycles and it makes me cringe. Traffic in Peru is like schooling fish. There are no rules, but a heightened sense of space in relationship to others, similar to the Seventh Wave. I have been here for two months and have yet to see even one accident. Intuition and awareness replace traffic lights and lined streets.
   Once again I am made acutely aware of my need for cleanliness and order. I am thankful to live in a litigated society that regulates sanitary conditions.
   This city is dirty with smells of rotting meat ambushing my unsuspecting senses. There are two restaurants that don't serve chicken. One vegetarian and the other fish. Hundreds of plucked chickens dangle from their toes in the thick hot air all day. Swarming flies lighting and landing to keep the shop keepers busy with swatters. The activity fails to wipe away the boredom in their eyes. I send up gratitude for my occupations as the flies disperse into the blue Heavens taking  my prayers on tiny wings. Within minutes they regroup to taunt the humans in a game of cat and mouse.
   The market is beautiful, decorated with the bright colors of strange tropical fruits. Clothing and sandals as bright as the flowers that adorn the jungle. Some of the houses a fiesta with splashes of every hue painted and planted in the tiny yards. Flowering trees spilling over fences with fragrances providing a respite from the smells of throttling vehicles.
   James Taylor sings a song with the lyrics, "take me way downtown in a tin can." Now we have shared experience and the song plays in my head every day conjuring prayers for my brother, David.
   All-in-all, I have enjoyed this town with the friendly helpful people who gaze with smiles at foreigners. Their eyes minus dollar signs. No one ever approached me trying to sell things.
   Michael and I parted ways earlier in the day and men, like the flies of the market, began to swarm. Nice and polite, but somehow proving their manhood by landing a conversation with a gringa. One man, after sheepishly offering me two perfectly ripened bananas, introduced me to his friend as his new wife! Aye, it is a good thing I can recognize a few Spanish words and we all had a good laugh at my wide-eyed reaction!
   James also sings, "It's alright you can stay asleep. You can close your eyes. You can trust the people of paradise to call your keeper and tender your goodbyes" I lived that out today as well. Maria making sure that I was safely set for my bus trip back to Cusco. A warning that the bus would stop and make everyone exit for a 20 min dinner break was a reassurance that spared me confusion and anxiety. I felt a sadness in leaving her even though we spent less than 24 hrs together.
   Even sola, I felt safe enough here to take my Blackberry out in public. It always attracted attention and I loved the look of wonder and delight that I was able to share showing it off. Entertaining Maria's son, Alex, with photos of himself. It felt good to hear the giggles of two sisters on the bus as they poked fun at each others' image. The curiosity on their faces as they looked a little more closely was precious.
   My tattoo drew attention from people as well. Young womyn longingly asking me where I had it done and wanting to touch and admire it. I love my tattoo and welcomed the compliments. It was obvious that one had to travel long distances to acquire one and it gave me an air of mystic.
   I am fortunate to have a seat with a window that opens. Promising a pleasant journey home through the muggy air. I am hoping that we reach the summit of the snow capped mountain before sunset. I so want to capture images to share with you. It amazed me how quickly after cusping the peak we entered the jungle. The high mountain region being the most captivating topography. The bus speeding by too fast to click the shutter on the many beautiful waterfalls. It is difficult to render the mystery of the misty morn through photographs so I will have to hold it as a freeze frame in my memory.

Saturday 

Seque
Teachings inspired by Fredy 'Puma' Quispe Singona.
   Seques are lines of energy dispersed around the planet that radiate out into the cosmos. The modern world conceptualizes them marked on maps as longitude and latitude which determine time zones. The use of lay lines in GPS mapping helps navigate exact locations on the planet.
   On a metaphysical level, they are lines of energy that lead to specific power places, or portals. Indigenous people who relied on the rhythms of the earth for their survival were acutely aware of these energy points. Machu Picchu, the Great Pyramids, Temple of Artemis and Stonehenge, as well as a host of less notable structures, remain as testimony of the great significance placed on recognizing these power places.
   In recent years, much has been written about the shifting of these lines of energy through conscious intent. Many claim that lines associated with the Divine Feminine have moved from the Himalayas to South America.
   Since 1989, groups of people have united through prayer to restore the "grid" and re-energize it in order to accommodate the higher frequency energy that is embracing the planet via the Photon Belt/Golden Nebula.
   The teachings of the Inka talk about our qosqo (solar plexus) as the point of entry each of us has to connect with these lay lines and power points. Each of us represents the center of the Universe through the orientation of our qosqo. This point can be compared to the center of the spiders web. From that point all of the lines are connected and radiate out.
   As chief Seattle so eloquently stated, we are all strands in the web of life. What we do to the web, we do to ourselves. Our thoughts, words and actions have an affect on everything seen and unseen. Truly honoring this concept is to accept personal responsibility for our contribution.
   So what does all of this have to do with you and me? I learned through ceremony that the shaman "holds space." In the past, I have uttered the words with sincerity, but with a lack of depth in my understanding. Today I have gleaned a tangible understanding because of my love for you and my connection to you through prayer. Words can not express how rewarded I feel.
   Puma teaches that the real purpose of seque is to connect us with community. At one time, the world was healthier because people did not see themselves as individuated and alone. Each person was aware of their ancestry, family, community, tribe and race. These relationships were interdependent. When a paco performed a healing, it was for the whole community. One prayer had the power to heal many.
   We are returning to a point of unification. As Christ expressed, there are many branches, but only one vine. The escalation of this process often frightens and disorients people. When we intentionally connect to others with common purpose, as all of you have done on this list, we gain the strength of the collective.
   Crossing the swift current of a river it is easier to maintain balance if we join hands. In this manner each one supports the stability of the others. Everyone feels protected and arrives safely on the other side. 
   The 80 people on this list have become a tribe to me. When I pray for you, the energy that radiates out from each of us becomes a link in the chain of healing. Not only for our individual needs, but for the planet as a sentient being.
   When one person prays all of the lay lines that connect each other are activated for healing. We have a wonderful opportunity to put the Andean teaching into practice. I would like to try an experiment for those of you interested in participating.  
   Puma teaches that Tuesday and Friday are the best days to work with remote healing. I propose that we all take some time on those days to first release our own hoocha (see write up on Hoocha and sami for techniques), bring in sami and then invoke the seque to connect us. After beginning in this way we can practice Ayni Karpay for 10 minutes.
   Ayni karpay represents sharing your happiest or most meaningful moments. It is giving the finest energy as a gift to another person. In so doing we can connect our Poq'po (aura) and share a collective chain of joy.
   I encourage everyone to journal before and after and when I return we can get together and share our experiences. Pay close attention to your dreams and any shifts in your emotional stability or daily life.
   If you would like to participate please send me a message titled Seque. (Please do not hit reply as the whole message will post and I get charged by the bites) just the title and any personal comment you might like to make.

Monday 2/1/2010 6:10:56 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Hummingbird and condor legend

Hummingbird Sculpture	Condor Sculpture (the flip-side of the hummingbird)

Adapted from the rendition by Diane Dun
   In the time before memory, out of the nothingness that was, all that is was created; all the worlds and stars, all the rivers and rocks, every creature and every being.
   The people were created without knowing what was beyond them. They longed to know, but the place of the All Knowing was in the upper world, and the people could not go there.
   The condor was the only bird strong enough to fly to the Hanaq Pacha, the upper world, and speak with Creator. For this reason, he was the one who took all the prayers of the people. He could not look upon the face of God/Goddess so he would turn his head as he gave and received messages.
   Now, the hummingbird was the tiniest of birds. Because she had tasted the sweet nectar of every flower, she knew many things. And because of all the things she knew, she had a great desire to know the face of God/Goddess. It was impossible for her to fly so far. Then one day out of her great desire an idea grew.
   That night, when every creature was asleep, she crept up to the condor and nestled deep into his feathers in a place where he could neither see nor feel her. The next morning when the condor rose into the Heavens he did not know he had a stowaway.
   When the condor delivered his messages, the bold little hummingbird flew out from beneath his feathers and saw the face of God/Goddess. In that very moment, her plumage turned translucent gold, shinning like a rainbow.
   Together the condor and the hummingbird returned to earth and since that day they have both been guides to the upper world; the condor for his strength and fortitude, and the hummingbird, for her daring and desire.

This piece sculpted from alabaster was inspired by this legend. It carries the energy of four eco-systems in Peru and several ceremonies. I am selling it to help finance the month of Feb in Peru: $250 if you are interested please contact me and I will make arrangements for you to drop off the cash so my renter can deposit it. I will send the piece home with Sue Feb 17th. When I get home to my tools, I would like to polish it better and sign it for you.

Monday 2/1/2010 9:54:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Flooding aid
This is a message from the group I do ceremony with in US. They are very reputable and have several people here who are on the ground assessing the needs and meeting it. Your money will be spent wisely and directly.

houses	casa flood	3 amigos

Andean Research Institute
Greetings,
There has been such a beautiful response from each of you expressing concern for our brothers and sisters in Peru. Thank you for your prayers, ceremonies and well wishes extended to the people of Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and effected areas. We have heard from our medicine people, and they and their families are well. They send their gratitude to you for your prayers.
At the moment, it has stopped raining giving people a chance to regroup and assess. We have heard that there are over 10,000 people without homes. Most homes are built with adobe bricks, which have been either washed away by the floods, or broken beyond repair by mud slides. The Sacred Valley continues to deal with flooding in areas. The bridge across the Urubamba River will be under repair soon. Machu Picchu will remain closed until the end of March.
There is a need for aid in the rebuilding of homes. We have gathered the pricing of materials to give you an idea of the costs involved to rebuild a home. As you are well aware, it is beyond the means of the people to rebuild without assistance.
We have an opportunity to participate in our Peruvian Ayllu and offer whatever support we can. Please continue with prayers, and sitting with your mesas.
If you wish to donate funds towards the rebuilding effort, our team in Cusco and Maras will purchase and distribute the materials.
Our prayers continue to be with the people of Peru.
In Spirit,
The Andean Research Institute
Board of Directors
DONATIONS Please mail your cheque to:
United States:
Andean Research Institute
2655 N. Ocean Drive
Suite 110
Singer Island, FL
33404
~ Rebuilding ~
Roof Tiles: $215.00
Gasoline: $40.00
Cement: $10.00 /bag
Sheet metal: $10.00
Wood: $7.00
Nails (1kg): $3.00
RAINBOW JAGUAR INSTITUTE | PO Box 1491 | Boynton Beach | FL | 33425 

Tuesday 2/2/2010 9:55:20 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

2012

Each time a baby is born a salt bin is assigned to them in order to sustain the community.
Barb, Sue and I are at an initiation site for womyn. The flow of the water runs over granite that has a quartz vein. When you touch the vein, the flow of the water slows, and there is a touch point where it resumes its flow. I did a ceremonial Andean baptism there. The shape of the chacana reflects the need to live the principles in your interior as well as exterior life.
This half chacana is a solstice point. At the rising of the sun on the solstice, the shadow completes the design of the chacana.

Tuesday 2/9/2010 9:35:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

2012 Prophecy
   Many people have asked about the Peruvian perspective on 2012 prophecies, which are alluded to in the Mayan, Inkan, Aztec, Egyptian, and Hopi traditions. There are teachings about the age of enlightenment referenced in Judaism,  Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Islamic traditions. Connecting with the prophecies is, in part, why I came to Peru and why I traveled to the Mayan lands of the Yucatan.
   I will admit that my search did not turn up first hand or conclusive information, but my quest has led me to a deeper connection with my own inspired interpretation. So take what I have to say as coming from my hopeful heart.
   Beyond the sensationalism of doom and destruction that fuels the fear in our society, I believe that we have the power to shift fatalistic outcomes that may appear inevitable. The beliefs I share are what I have gleaned from my connection with sacred ceremony and the living energy of earth honoring philosophies. I have also accessed information from texts that align with the truth of my soul.
   It is useful for me to create context for meaning by utilizing Andean words to connect with the energy of their prophecies. "Qhepa pacha", in Quechua, means future time or future world. All future events are just potentials that are either supported or aborted. We can not see into the collective future, but we each play a significant role in its unfolding through our conscious awareness.
   "Taripay Pacha", in Quechua, means the time of conscious awareness. It is heralded as the time between 1993-2012. The Qero (with blended concepts presented by 16th Century Catholicism), believe this is the time of the Holy Spirit and an awakening in which humans have the potential to manifest Heaven on Earth.
   "It is the time when time ends."  The end of time does not mean the end of the world.  The Mayan calendar, an extensive and complex mathematical calculation of time, ends on Dec.21, 2012. This is when our planet is said to align with the center of our galaxy. It is associated with the procession of the Equinox which happens approximately every 2,000 years. 
   Time is culturally conceptual and held by collective agreements. I have been experimenting with bending time since 1996 and I have witnessed that our awareness effects time. I believe simply, that "time as we know it", will shift. As we adopt different beliefs we will perceive ourselves in relationship to time more fluidly.
   Time allows us to relate within society, but it also limits our consciousness. The Gregorian calendar was established in 1582 in order to correct the inaccuracy of the Julian calendar. Despite its relative accuracy, it was designed with a consciousness to facilitate commerce. It has been used to enslave us into ridiculous work schedules that disconnect us from the rhythms of the natural world.
   The earth honoring calendars, dating back to pre-civilization, facilitate inspiration and unification. Many of the sites I have visited are gathering places for people to witness the architecture, expertly designed to visualize the solstice and Equinox. Sacred sites are scattered all over the globe where people gather in wonder and awe, visually touched by the power of the cyclic advancement of time.
   We have to release the limitation of modern day time in order to expand and tap into potential capacities for relating in less restrictive ways. The primary difference being a shift in awareness that stays present to the NOW moment. This orientation gives us flexibility and heightens our capacity to perceive rather than calculate. It is central to shifting our decision-making away from the preoccupations of the mind to the perceptions of the heart.
   We all come from the roots of calendars based on the natural world. When we align ourselves with the living presence of the Creator through nature, we are given the necessary education for growth. Mother Earth, Father Sky and Grandmother Moon are evolving as sentient beings tuned into the guidance of the ever expanding cosmos.
   Time, like generations, evolves in consciousness. Each generation building upon the beliefs acquired and developed by the ones who came before. So too, the cosmos advances through the astrological signs. We are in the transitional time of leaving the Piscean Age and entering the Aquarian Age. The attributes associated with this sign are now energetically available for our evolutionary process.
   Each procession of the Equinox is ushered in by an Avatar. Jesus, marking the beginning of the Piscean age, is symbolized by the fish. He demonstrated the attributes necessary to advance into the Aquarian Age. Unconditional love, Peace, harmony, compassion, unification, non-judgment, metaphysical healing and stewardship were among the values he modeled. As our elder brother, he encouraged us to do, "greater works than these". He was showing us our potential and the ways in which we could develop it.
   Taripay Pacha is also referred to as the time when, "we live with the dead". This sentiment is echoed in many belief systems. This is not to be taken as a literal event with zombies rising up out of their graves, but rather as a shift in consciousness that allows us to find a connection with the ancient wisdoms of our own ancestry. This wisdom connects past, present and future through the encoding of our DNA.
   "Mallku" means ancestor or relative. I believe the prophecy is about connecting once again with our past in order to heal the future. This concept is also prevalent in indigenous cultures. The orientation of time is reversed from the concepts widely accepted by the modern world. History tells us that the past is behind us. We look back at what has happened before.
   First Nation people see the past as coming before us. We are walking on the path behind our ancestors. This brings a different relevance and motivation for connecting with our ancestors who precede us on the journey to enlightenment.
   Whatever we heal in ourselves we heal in the whole. This includes seven generations before us and the seven generations yet to come. It takes time for shifts in cultural beliefs to be widely accepted and put into practice. If we consider a generation to be twenty years, then 1872 marks seven generations prior to 2012. This is when Benjamin Black Elk, a revered Lakota holy man, had his visions of the destruction of earth honoring ways and the eventual blossoming of the Tree of Life.
   He speaks of a return to the value of reciprocity and acknowledgment of our stewardship. He makes mention of the rainbow as an analogy for the eclectic and diverse gathering of people who would emerge during the changing times. People dedicated to saving the planet from the destruction of manifest destiny and greed. He predicted that people of all races would return to a love for, and an appreciation of, Mother Earth. This rainbow tribe is now clearly established through the gathering of people representing the Eagle, Condor, Owl and Hawk. (The elders will be meeting in Puna while we are visiting)
   Rainbows are mentioned in ancient texts, especially in the context of hope for a time of unification and peace. We are now in this time, and stepping fully into our own power allows us to recognize the beauty in the power of diversity.
   The Earth is being bathed in the light of the Golden Nebula. Our bodies, like prisms splitting light into a rainbow, activate our chakras with this higher frequency. I believe that this activation is changing our DNA. This allows us to access our true capacity by utilizing more of the 98 percent of what scientist now refer to as junk DNA.
   Imagining a world in which we are able to manifest our needs with ease and grace may seem magical, but alchemy is acknowledged from antiquity. There are examples through the ages of people who demonstrated this power. If one of us is capable, then all of us share this potential. We may indeed experience the power to manifest thoughts instantaneously in the next phase of human development.
   It does not take much of a leap to extrapolate what that would do to the consciousness of our monetary world.  Nothing could level our society faster than establishing equality by eliminating the "concept" of money and lack. Loaves and fishes for us all.
   During our tour of the Sacred Valley, Rodney spoke of the areas where people still live communally and without an emphasis on monetary exchange. The salt mines are an example where every time a child is born another bin is created to support the growing community. There was also an area he pointed out where when a young couple marries the community bands together to construct a house for them.
   The Age of Aquarius is a time of humanity embracing our interdependence and celebrating the joy of communion. A time where we return to the value in each individual's unique and significant contribution to the whole.
   I believe that we are in the changing season of an Age of Enlightenment. Be hopeful and develop practices that create an avenue to your own soul. NOW is the time to tune into the silence that speaks. We are embarking on the embodiment of the Lakota words, "Mitakuya Oyasin"- I live in harmony with all my relations.

Tuesday 2/9/2010 11:15:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Valentine
   From my heart to yours, I wish you Munay this Valentine's Day. I continue to hold you dear and put up prayers for you. I have added a place called Moray, the Temple of Pachatata on the island of Amantani at Lake Titicaca, (very cool. I will have a post up as soon as I download photos) and today we will go to some local ruins called Saqsahuaman, where I will be sending you my special Medicine Wheel Valentine.
   Speaking of Heart, I will be organizing a benefit for a non profit we visited here when I get back to the states. Check out www.livingheartperu.org
For more information. I am thinking about making it a welcome home party at the Island Grill where we can dance and play to celebrate our good fortune to live the way we all do in the states. We can spread the joy to the less fortunate here in the highlands of Peru.
    It is too expensive to mail things, so I will put out a donation basket and send the money through PayPal. $10 is about 28 soles. $50 is 150 soles. I have been living on about 25 soles a week. Our money goes a long way down here and will help womyn and children.  I will send a message with details after I get home.
   I have had such a delightful time sharing my temporary homeland with Sue Walker and Barb Lehner. We have packed a lot of travel and some unique experiences into a couple of weeks. They have been participating in ceremony with me so the prayers for you have been X3! We have been doing the experiment together on the bus on Tuesday and Friday. Two more weeks to go for those of you participating. Thanks for sharing the experience;)
   A few more weeks to go for me here in Peru. Please keep me in your prayers. I am hoping to receive the training that would enable me to work with khuyas (healing stones) and offer simple despatchos. (Reciprocity ceremonies) for you when I return. I have to find the right paco to ask for guidance.
   Much love and many blessings to you on this day dedicated to the heart. You are vividly alive in mine. Suz

Saturday 2/13/2010 6:39:06 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Spiritual Sustainability

   We are touring Lake Titicaca today and visited a floating island. Although the inhabitants welcome tourism, they are still very self sustaining. The lake reeds provide their needs if not their desires. The reeds serve as the platform for their existence. They are able to grow potatoes, raise chickens and ducks and have areas carved out for fish farming. The reeds provide the shelter of their homes and the food that they eat.
   Located not far from the shores of Puno, they are acclimated to the modern world. Solar panels power radios and TVs. Five families inhabit the island making souvenirs and taking tourists for rides in the reed boats. They speak their traditional language and seem content.
   Their ancestors lived on the land until the Spaniards invaded. Adaptability always amazes me. It is so easy to see how these people are able to maintain some aspects of their cultural identity while acclimating to the ever changing world around them. A skill we all need to emulate.
   The water of the open channel is tranquil and deep. It is a good place to practice inner balance with the elements readily available. Fire from the sun, breeze of the moving boat, water surrounding us and land jutting up from the glacial basin provide a background that leaves the modern world behind. The glacial waters are refreshingly cool and clear. Amazingly azure waves produce the same lapping sound that echo sentiments from the Ice Age.
    Despite the adulteration tourism brings, it also provides sustenance and purpose to the hands of the First Nations people. I am grateful to witness their way of life. I love the draw of people from all over the world and the sound of so many languages blending. Chili, Spain, France, Holland, Norway and USA all represented on this small boat. It increases the value of my belief that we are ONE to actually know our oneness through common experience. Aida (Holland) and I experienced a heart connection while visiting at the dance.
   We settle into a  little room with our host family on the island of Amantani. Eating a simple lunch we travel to the temple for Pachatata (father sky). I truly love being immersed in this culture. This little island is far from civilization and again a model of sustainability. Gardens growing around the house with colorful flowers attracting bees for pollination. They have sheep and a donkey. There are no police. Only a mayor who meets with the people in the plaza every Sunday to resolve grievances and organize assistance.
   Two peaks provide the profile of the mountain and distinguish it from others. The temples are built in alignment with the lay line (seques) energy points that run from Bolivia to Cusco. Although tourists climb the steep hills like ants, the locals use the temples for only one week of the year.
   During the second week of January they celebrate the San Sebastian Festival. After a Catholic Mass the people traverse the steep hill stopping at an appachetta to place a stone to release their hucha. The locals express ayni, (reciprocity) for the blessings of the coming year. Similar to a Mayan Fire, the shaman makes a bon fire placing wood in the four directions and offering; aqua florida, candy, grains, seeds, crackers, resins, colored paper, flowers and most importantly, coca leaves. Each member of the community adds their own kintu of coca leaves with faith that their prayer for the coming year has already been answered.
   The ashes, now long since cooled, serve as a reminder to the tourists who peek through the locked gates. They are told by their guides to walk counter clockwise around the temple three times and then make a wish at the door.
   This particular temple is especially meaningful to me as it is dedicated to the balance of yin and yang. Chuno, the place I am standing, is the place between the polarity of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine. There are 4,000 people living in eight villages on the island. They divide in half to support the energies on the two peaks and to pray for fertility. The temple to Pachamama is circular and Pachatata is rectangular. 
    Standing in this space of merging and balancing inspires the work that I am dedicated to and my solo ceremony feels as deep and still as the ancient waters that surround me.
   Returning to the village, I find my compadres, Sue and Barb, slap happy and exhausted. We eat supper and they decide to bed down and rest while I go to the festival to welcome the tourists.  
   Everyone is dressed in local clothing. Full, brightly colored skirts layered with ruffles and white blouses embroidered with seven colors adorn the women. Long black wraps intricately embroidered with flowers, birds and symbols cover their heads. Men are dressed in simple earth tone ponchos.
    On the neighboring island of Taquile, the clothing is telling of their marital status. It is truly a matriarchal society and when a woman has chosen a man she weaves her hair into an extravagant belt with symbols that denote her wishes including the number of children she wants to have. If he receives her invitation, he begins to make a hat which instead of being half white, representing a single status, is complete in its design with the same symbols of his beloved. Divorce is nonexistent. To ensure a life of devotion the couple lives together for a year to five years before making a commitment to marry.
   When we arrive at the festival, Flora, our hostess, gracious and shy, bursts open with energy and exuberance. Eager to lead, she ushers me out on the floor and I find myself being twirled and shuffled. The group of about fifty people join hands and do the spiral dance.  
   The band, comprised of young men playing guitars, ukulele, pan flutes and a big bass drum raise the vibration that relieves the exhaustion of the weary travelers. Cerveza (beer) flows freely and soon everyone is smiling.  
   The pleasant walk home under the midnight blue sky is inspiring. The brilliant stars twinkle unencumbered on this island void of electricity. The man from Chile, responding to my query, points out the Southern Cross and I am satisfied that at last I have witnessed it.
   Arriving back at our hut with another unique Peruvian experience under my thick woven belt, I undress and call it a day. I snuggle down in my bed padded with reeds and fall blissfully asleep.

Sunday 2/14/2010 8:03:18 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Medicine Wheels

   I forgot to make the Medicine Wheel at Saqsayhuaman which was the last of the sacred sites I had planned to visit. So early this morning, after my friends left, I came up to my waterfall and rock to meditate.
   This is the most sacred place for me in all of Peru. One with easy access and all of the attributes of the publicized ruins. Quiet and unpretentious. I am praying that my daily visits develop my ability to quiet my mind of preoccupations.
   Caesar will initiate me to perform despatchos when I can sit for an hour with a tranquil mind. I must be able to call in the directions and elements and call to and commune with the apus. After demonstrating these skills, I will undergo three days of fasting and receive an Andean Baptism. I am determined to stay in Peru until I have met this desire so that I can serve as a hollow bone. I feel it is the way I will use my body as a vessel to embody the Eagle and Condor prophecy. I ask for your prayers in learning how to hold complete silence of my mind in meditation for such a long time.
   Under the rock in this photo is where the ashes of my despatcho will always hold a space for my prayers in Peru. It seemed the most appropriate place to leave my last papa seed. Everyday I can sit in stillness now knowing that my quest has reached its destination. No more planning of the next thing to do; just being with all that has already been done.
   Not rushed for time or with a cluttered mind I can truly be present to my prayers for each of you. Today I took the time to be with you and to send my love and joy to you through the seque with sincerity. The distance giving me perspective on how we hold one another in love and light despite the miles. Recognizing more fully how my relationship to community helps me to transcend the ego self and how deeply you are connected to my soul.
I AM ONE because of you.

Neck brace
I am cradled by my sacred rock as I practice trying to quiet my mind for an hour.
I watched a hummingbird hanging out on a branch yesterday. Every two or three minutes he would fly up about a foot or two and then land again. I could relate.
Being truly still for an hour is a challenge. Caesar said I need to develop patience. I know it is true and that learning to listen to the spirits is vital if I am going to serve. I am hoping he will initiate me at this spot using the water from the falls.

Monday 2/15/2010 12:03:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Ignacio Recoletta nursing home

Barb brings joy to the elders at Ignacio Recoletta nursing home where we helped serve lunch. Alberto is my favorite. He is so full of light.

Monday 2/15/2010 7:51:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Saqsayhuaman

   Saqsayhuaman is the temple of lightning named because of its long zig-zagged shape. The great city of Cusco was built in the shape of a Puma and Saqsayhuaman is the head.
   It is mistakenly known as a fortress because of a fierce battle that was waged by the Spaniards, but in reality it was a sacred temple. 20,000 Quechua people were killed in the battle. The Spaniards would not let the survivors bury their dead and the hawks began to eat the corpses.  Saqsayhuaman means "satisfied hawk."
   The man who discovered it was a visionary who could see what was buried under the earth. He was considered crazy. An archaeologist read his writings and decided to excavate finding everything as he had described it.
   Next to Machu Picchu it has the largest stones in its amazingly accurate architecture. It took 700 -1,000 people to move the larger stones into place. Archaeologists have found the remnants of aloe vera that was used between the stones to slide them into place.
    A Huaca is a sacred stone that has seven points. The stones surrounding the center stone represent the rainbow and the chakras.
   The Inca were master builders whose engineering is not rivaled. This place has survived two 7.0 rector earth quacks because of inner pillars that allow the walls to move. The largest stone in the structure was present naturally and extends down into the earth. The rest of the wall was built around it. 
   15-20 percent of the stones of Saqsayhuaman were carried away by the Spaniards to build the Cathedrals.
    Quina trees surround the temple. They are the original trees of the area. Eucalyptus was introduced from Australia and is now the most prominent tree in Cusco.
    The ruins of the Inca community surround an ancient sacred stone like the ones at Temple La Luna. Although the Pachakuti Empire sprang up and ended quickly, these rock outcroppings take us back in time and explain the true significance of this site.
   Sue, Barb and I enjoyed our visit here and were grateful for the guide we bumped into at the gate.

Wednesday 2/24/2010 7:57:35 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Quidado/Careful
   Be careful what you pray for is my lesson today. I have been working steadfast at going within and staying still with my thoughts and emotions.
   Torn between receiving an initiation that would enable me to better serve and longing to return to my pleasant home, added a sense of urgency. I have been trying in earnest to accomplish the task. Twice a day I meditate for an hour focusing on my breath as a mantra. Sometimes encouraged by my capacity and sometimes feeling that it is futile.
   This afternoon I was prepared to run errands to gather materials to do some repairs for my Peruvian family. But when I tried to leave, I found the dead bolt jammed. I was locked on the inside!
   I called my Peruvian Padre and he and three neighbors were unable to free me from my inward captivity. I am now waiting on the lock smith and hoping I don't miss my dental apt.
   One of the things that Caesar expressed to me was that I was very high strung, preoccupied and intense. That I needed to calm and refine my energy. I realize as I sit here, unable to leave "my space", the true stillness that comes from being in nothingness is something I had not considered.
   In my typical yang fashion I had set a goal to accomplish. My tally marks a measure of my left brain activity and my ego's distortion to derail my desire. Gaining, instead of releasing, stress as I counted the immeasurable task of letting go.
   So here I sit, patiently waiting for the door to my super consciousness to be unlocked. There is nothing I can do accept practice patience and trust that the greater insight has been revealed to me. I will retire my tally marks and sip at my chai tea letting stress and expectation go.
   I hope Caesar is tuned in and snickering with satisfaction. This is truly the land of serendipity. Be careful what you pray for, you just might get it!

Friday 2/19/2010 3:00:05 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Stumbled Upon
   While I was out looking for materials to build a window, I stumbled upon a flea market that turned out to be a cultural experience. Four city blocks were lined with blue tarped vending spaces and people tucked in nooks and crannies selling the oddest array of new, used and most likely, stolen items.
   After having walked at least ten miles and entering at least two dozen hardware stores, this looked like the most promising place to find the necessary items. (I did manage to score some used nails.)
   This was the kind of situation that the guide books warn you about. To be wary of people slashing pockets and purses. I put up protection and put aside my fears in order to immerse myself in the moment.
   What I experienced were the same honest, everyday people I have encountered during my stay in Cusco. I never felt threatened and I wouldn't have missed it. It was one of the most real and authentic things I have experienced in Peru.
   I was literally the only gringa there. It made me feel privileged to witness this opportunity tucked away from the greedy, gawking eyes of tourists. These deals were reserved for the locals.
   The crowd, so robust that at times it felt like spooling snakes squirming, twisting and turning with a chaotic flow of movements. Illuminated items in the eye of the beholder creating an immediate halt that shifted the dynamic of the crowd. Absolutely no personal space. Intersections were an interesting stop and go venture. The assertive ones making way for the rest of us to follow.
   The energy was electric. The sights amusing with an eclectic gathering of clothing styles: three piece suits, NYC and Euro chic, traditional Q'ero dress, tattoos, dreadlocks and piercings. All mingling in a merchandise feeding frenzy.
   My olfactory, barraged by smells coming from the many food vendors, was overwhelmed. Some scents tantalizing and some nauseating. Watching the locals delight in delicacies prepared in the most unsanitary of conditions, I resisted any temptation to partake with anything other than my nose. To say that some of the items were unidentifiable is an understatement. People politely and courteously waited in lines to obtain the strange and wondrous cuisine. My eyes were filled to the brim while my stomach was left empty.
   It would be impossible to recount everything I encountered. It was a whirlwind blur. I was grateful when I was finally spit out of the crowd and back into the normal commerce of the day-to-day life on the streets of Cusco. The normal world beyond the boundary of those four blocks, roped off for the day, seemed dull and dreary. It truly felt like I had stepped into a different dimension with its own unique energy and enthusiasm. Somehow more vital with unusual colors, shapes and sounds. Similar to the New West Fest, but with the exotic intrigue of a different culture.

Sunday 2/21/2010 7:08:34 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Rainbow over Cusco

The one good thing about la lluvia everyday are the wonderful double rainbows.

Rainbow's End

My Neighborhood

Sunday 2/21/2010 8:00:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Andean Symbols

	Intiwantana Intiwantana is a stone that connects our prayers to the top of the apu. This one came from the 16,000 foot pass at Anancasi gifted to me by Juan Gabriel. It has a foot in it that will aid me in my reflexology practice.
	Qori Inti The symbol of the sun is found in conjunction with Catholic art. Often the statues of saints wear clothing honoring the Sun.
	Qori Inti Masks Sun symbols are often a part of shamanic masks and tools.
	Inka Punko Gateway to higher consciousness

   Symbols speak to the right brain hemisphere and can contain multiple layers of meaning. Symbols, being the first form of written language, activate deeper understanding and connect us to ancient wisdoms. They also inspire the freedom that allows consciousness to evolve and expand because symbols leave room for new interpretations.
   Language, by its very nature, limits us. It contains our thinking with concepts that are abstracted. These abstractions disconnect us from perceiving the living presence of all things because words objectify. We label things like; the apu. This shows disrespect for the conscious "beingness" of the mountains. We would not say, the Suzanne. Simply stating Suzanne indicates a directness of being.
   Tawantinsuyo (original 4 nations or directions) symbols are found prolifically in the Cusco region. They orient Andean people to their cosmology and philosophy. These symbolic reminders help to enliven the beliefs they are associated with. Seeing them daily in my walks around town has tuned me in to the importance of living true to my beliefs 24/7.
   It is a different orientation from a Christian belief in worshipping in a certain way on a certain day. As we enter the Holy Season of Lent, when Catholics focus more attention on forty days of preparation, I am grateful for the shift that indigenous ways have brought to my life. My preparation is to become aware of how I am expressing my faith in the NOW moment. How my every thought, word and action is the true reflection of my worship.
   The El Unancha (rainbow) symbolizes full dominion over our passions, feelings, weaknesses, emotions, and physical/psychological limitations. It reminds us to take personal responsibility and self-governance. We are like the rainbow when we harmonize with the perfection of nature, which we are meant to be an expression of. This symbol is reflected in our courage to explore and express our authentic self. I think it is befitting that it is the symbol chosen to represent homosexuality. People who have the courage to be "out" in a society that does not condone their beingness are, in my opinion, the best example of courageous authenticity.
   El Qori Inti (symbol of the sun) is the first manifestation of unity. The sun nurtures and sustains all life on our planet and connects us with the other stars in the Universe. We activate this symbol within ourselves when we help others. It is exemplified by our willingness to comprehend and bring ourselves into balance with the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. When we are out of balance in any of these realms we create a bulge in our spherical nature. The longer we stay out of balance the more elongated our energy becomes. In essence we throw ourselves out of orbit. Becoming self-indulgent in our own story creates more distortion. When we step outside of ourselves and volunteer to help someone else, we begin to self-correct and regain balance.
   Inka Punko (doorway) symbolizes learning and applying new knowledge. We have to develop perseverance and conviction to walk a spiritual path. To enter this gate we must be willing to move past any obstacles, especially the booby traps of the ego, in our pursuit of spiritual unity.
   The Intiwantana (stone representing an apu) develops discernment and aids in making decisions. It is the light that guides each of us from within. Making a commitment to nurture and support a relationship with our internal wisdom is essential to spiritual maturity. It requires time devoted to stillness.
   The Chakana symbolizes many things I have mentioned before. The four points represent the principles to live by.
Ama Qella-  be industrious
Ama Suwa- be honest with yourself
Ama Llulla-  be truthful
Ama Hap'a- be faithful and loyal
   Applying the four basic principles of the Andean way allows us the realization of service. This realization enables us to recognize our ONEness. In doing so, our very being facilitates unification.
   Being ONE is to know Wiraqocha, the Quechua word for God. Broken down, wira means oil and qocha means water. To be Godlike is to be able to unify even oil and water. We are called in these changing times to truly honor diversity and unify all aspects of ourselves in order to assist the unification of the planet.

(Information extrapolated from Inkawisdom.org)

Monday 2/22/2010 11:16:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Co creation
We are not intended to be the reporters of our circumstances, but the forecasters of our future.
    As I sit here with Crackberry in hand, I think about my need to tell my story. My parents would tell you it started at the moment I learned to speak. I believe it is, in part, because I was born to be a teacher. It is not a profession, but a personality trait and a vocation.
   In documenting this journey, I have momentarily touched beyond the individuation of "my" story and into the collective, global story that is being told by Pachamama. Like an innocent child, I am sitting in the comfort of her lap and listening. Feeling a duty to share her messages with anyone who resonates.  Many of you have commented about shared experience and commonality in lessons being presented in your life. It is verification of unification.
   Jesus was a teacher too with the same need to communicate his hope for a better world. I think exalting him to be the only son of God is the way we have dodged taking personal responsibility. We are all sons and daughters of God with the power to mis-create or co-create our own reality.  
   This interpretation is the one that really honors Jesus and his purpose. Every teacher is rewarded by their students' success. He is waiting for our desire for mastery. He was the way shower of Oneness. The minute man of the Quantum Age.
   I imagine him crying in the garden because he knew that his message would be lost, adulterated and used for a consciousness of separation. I also imagine Mary stepping in, as mother's often do, to give us hope and inspiration through apparitions. Her message always about creating a time of peace and equality.
   Both of them speak to the issue of Unification and co-creation. Tracy Chapman, a modern day prophet, sings; "We create the pain and the suffering and the beauty in this world. Heaven's here on Earth."
   For me, Jesus was teaching us two important lessons: to be the vessel by which Heaven could manifest on Earth and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The hook here is not in how we treat others, but what thoughts we hold about ourselves and project onto others.
   "What we hold in our awareness (especially in the hucha/unconscious) we attract into our physical life experience." Just like the bolted door, lessons come in physical form when we energize them with prayer and emotion presenting the next clue in the treasure hunt of our spiritual evolution.
   So, if what you are seeing in your life is the mis-creation of suffering, negativity and lack, turn the dial from your head and tune into different frequencies within your heart. Like a rudder on a boat, we can change course, by directing the ego mind to quiet and be still.
   No need to judge or compare ourselves for the way our story looks. Pachamama is ready for the feast we have to offer at any time. It gives her energy to help save the planet if we are really willing to offer our hucha and leave it behind.
   Even with recognizing these teachings, true solitude and stillness eludes me. Sometimes I wonder if hummingbirds, by their nature, are exempt. Yet in earnest I continue taking advantage of this opportunity to be in the heart land of Peru to expand my heart awareness.
   Free of my commitments I have the chance to practice daily. My motivation to clear the cartilage of my personality to better serve as a hollow bone provides momentum. My clients are my purpose in personal transformation.
   What I have come to know is that the key to co-creation is surrender. To have the courage to free fall into the void that exists in each of us. It takes courage to illuminate our shadow; to recognize and own our flaws. Like the Navajo weavings with their intended mistake, it humbles us before the Creator.
   Mis-creation is rooted in arrogance and pride. The belief that our knowledge is right. It is our knowing that overrides the ego mind. All of us have equal access to the knowing of all things through the intelligence of our hearts. It is valuing our intuition, instead of negating it, that connects us to our knowing.
   Each of us is a luminous thread in the web of life. When we allow ourselves to be ensnared and immobilized by the web, our luminous being can focus its light to make known the aspects that are yet unhealed. The struggle to free ourselves from this connection instead of relaxing into it is the testimony of our fears.
   As I imagine myself caught in this web I bless the struggle. Now I can see how the thrashing of my mind is the key to illumination. Every thought that surfaces gives me information about my ego's intentions.
   Caesar repeats often that all we need to do is see ourselves clearly. To know our own hearts is to know everything in the Universe. Then the desire of the Universe to express perfection through us is possible. This is co-creation made manifest.

Wednesday 2/24/2010 8:17:05 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Perfecto!

   I just returned from my initiation/benediction ceremony with Caesar. We started off early to go to his casa to get two additional items, wine and water. It always makes me feel special to walk down the street carrying flowers, and my bouquet today was bountiful as well as beautiful displaying the seven colors of the chakras.
   Caesar's house is behind the store that his wife, Anna, runs. Between the store and their living space there is a room for ceremony. A condor hangs in the corner next to a glassed in sanctuary with saints in the four directions and Jesus in the middle. There are flags with Inka symbols surrounding Christ.
   In front, the altar houses flowers, candles, incense burners, shells stones and a photo of him as a young child with his Madre and Padre. He smudged the photo after showing it to me with pride. His mother was his first maestro. I have noticed he keeps a photo of the maestro who trained him in his mesa.
   I did not have an interpreter, but I have picked up enough Spanish to get the gist and in ceremony it feels like his heart speaks directly to mine. I am able to follow directions and I came home with a few new words in my head to look up that he mentioned frequently.
   He stressed the importance of the work with the Condor and the Eagle as he had me stretch my arms to be embraced by the black bird hovering over me. Several times he touched the beak to my third eye and prayed for the light to illuminate my kulli chunpi (third eye). We shared our gratitude to embody the prophecy. He being the condor and I the eagle. Brother and sister in ceremony.
   Then listo, we took off with his 6 yr old son as his apprentice. I think his name was Apu, though I am not certain. We took a taxi up into the mountains and then hiked into the wilderness. His son skipping gleefully ahead of us and splashing in the puddles. All boy, he reminded me of the bundle of energy my sons once were. Turning sticks into swords and slashing his way through the forest.
    Apu's favorite game was holding a eucalyptus branch in front of me until his father was almost out of sight. Then he would lift the bridge and we would run to catch up. It was fun to play along and I could tell that it made Caesar happy to see the bright connection between his son and me.
   We walked to a churning, caramel colored river. When I asked the name he replied, "Sapa Rio". Perfecto! Serendipity strikes again. I was born into the Sapa Sante Oyate (Black Tail Deer Nation) on the Medicine Wheel. All of the tools I have been gifted relate to deer medicine. It was a good omen for me that the link between my Native American Altar and my Andean Mesa would be strong. I had mentioned my Native name earlier, and he told me that February is the month dedicated to Mama Killa, the moon.
   First he demonstrated how to use the khuyas to cleanse the body of hucha using Apu as the model. Then he dug a hole and had his son drop the magnetic stones from his waist into the ground and cover them up. Then he showed me how to place the cosmic khuya so it would be charged by the sun and the moon. After doing this limpia ceremony, I must fast for two days and then go back to retrieve them.
   It was heart warming to watch his young son assist my despatcho ceremony. He is at my favorite age and watching him follow his Padre's directions brought back memories of the years I taught. I remembered the patience and persistence it takes to work with young children.
   He brought a lightness of spirit and an acceptance to me that even repeated mistakes are ok. His father was gentle about reminding him to stay off the mesa cloth, but he trespassed the space several times in his eagerness to be in the middle of things.
   Caesar performed the ceremony slowly checking me for answers about the protocol. Making sure I understood the importance of each item and the sequencing of their placement. There are 270 different variations on a Despatcho ceremony so although I was providing the information about how to build an ayni despatcho (gratitude) he was constructing one differently for my initiation. It was a gorgeous mendala.
    After, he laid out several rows of Kintus that we later buried along with some despatcho items for Pachamama. When we went to burn my despatch, he sprinkled confetti around the fire pit to celebrate my arrival at the first step on the path to being a pampa mesayoq. I felt joy inside that was very powerful. I sang my favorite Catholic song about surrendering to service.
   After performing an Andean Baptism, he went to the river as I built a medicine wheel. He returned with a beautiful white square khuya for me. He did limpia with it and held it on my crown blowing into my head with the call to the spirit of the stone to enter me. "Hempway, hempway." He blessed it as he put it in my hand explaining that it was a four directions stone. I used it to call in the directions as he watched on.
   Square khuyas are doorways to higher levels of awareness and perception. They manifest new possibilities and release blocked energy as well as resistance to change. Later he gifted me another one he found that was similar, but smaller, confirming that my mesa would hold these attributes. 
   The hike home through eucalyptus forests was breathtaking. When we arrived at the house, he started a palo salto fire. Being a pyromaniac at heart, I sat blissfully in front of it warming my hands and gazing into the blue flame. Finally, I met with success in meeting his expectation of calming my mind. 
   When describing the state of my being to Matt, the day I asked about doing this ceremony, he threw his hands up in the air shaking them, rolled his eyes back and wagged his tongue. Expressing that my energy was crazy.
   With the fire burning before me to capture my attention, I had let go of what he was doing and just sat contentedly waiting for what was to come next. Seeing this, he placed his hand on my shoulder to get my attention and I looked up into his broad crooked smile. He was so proud of me I could see his chest puff up. "Tranquillo" he said reassuringly. As if now he could trust that he was putting a mesa into capable hands.
   He brought a special mesa cloth to me and pointed out the symbols for the Eagle and Condor woven within it. I placed my two khuyas in the center. Then he sprinkled yellow pedals reminding me to keep the light in my heart and not get depressed. He handed me a yellow flower and a white candle to hold. He smudged everything with a strange smelling herb and after placed the candle on the altar. He lit another one representing himself and said they would burn themselves out to ensure a good connection between us regardless of the miles.
   Despite the derailment of my dream with Tito, the spirits managed to guide me with perfect timing through 13 ceremonies over three months in preparation for this moment. It filled me with purpose to know that I would return to my community with new gifts to share.
   Muchas gracias to those of you holding space for me. Keep it up until I can eat again on Friday afternoon. Fasting while just living my daily life is a challenge! I had to put everything out of sight. I have a bottle of water that he blessed to tide me over.
   I am eager to offer my first despatcho ceremony to anyone who cares to participate (you can do it remotely.) Just send me an email with the title despatcho and I will be sure to include you when I get home.

Wednesday 2/24/2010 6:48:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Autentico

    My Peruvian Padre and Madre invited Matthew, Carrie's brother, and me for Domingo dinner with the family. We ate an authentic meal prepared to honor us and to celebrate Dieter's birthday.
    Matthew is studying Spanish and learning to teach English as a second language. It was an opportunity for him to practice and for me to have a translator.
   It was a privilege to be a part of the family for the day. Our plates a heaping potpourri of delicious foods. There were carrots, potatoes, yams, lupine, rice and cabbage arranged around meat from hooves, pork ribs and a strip of bacon on top. The soup was made from the broth of boiling all of the ingredients with parsley to spice it up. A garnish of green chili sauce brought a delightful zip to the meal.
   I was able to obtain two new beer bottles for my bother Michael's extensive collection. The cervezas, conversation and laughter flowed freely. We exchanged birthdays, number of people in our nuclear families and listened to a variety of Peruvian music. We talked about their visits to the US, 2012, Facebook, Blackberries and occupations.
   Everyone took pleasure in proper pronunciations and laughed at the near misses. It was truly a delight to be included in an event so familiar, but with a cultural twist.
   I am so grateful for the warmth of all of my new friendships and will miss all of the good people who have graciously extended themselves to me. Peruvian people are hospitable and kind. Interested in the people who visit from foreign lands. I feel very blessed that I chose to come here.

Wednesday 2/24/2010 7:32:44 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Repair

Broken window	Repaired window	Side view	Open / close

	Kitchen sink
Home improvement	BEFORE	AFTER

	Bathroom Ceiling	Shower	Finished nath
Dust mask	BEFORE		AFTER

   I am having fun using my brain to figure out how to fill the void in my house and keep the wind and rain out. In the process, I am learning a lot about Peruvian construction. Home Depot gets the larger portion of my spending money, and I think I will kiss the floor on my next visit.

THINGS TO KNOW FOR THE PERUVIAN  DO-IT-YOURSELFER:
A. It is an insult for a woman to walk into a Ferreteria (hardware store).
B. There is no such thing as one stop shopping. Most of the ferias are 8X10 spaces jammed with unorganized odds and ends.
C. They do not have drywall. The walls are made of plaster of Paris. If you hammer on wood, pieces fall from the surrounding area.
D. There is no such thing as Gorilla Glue or 5 min epoxy. (I did manage to secure some Super Glue). The contact cement takes 40 minutes to set. My arms got tired of holding so I had to be inventive about propping the broken door jam up.
E. Nails are near to impossible for the average Josephine to find. They use glue to hold things together. It makes it difficult to remove and replace broken wood.
F. Measurements are an impossibility as everything in the original handiwork is an approximation. The door jam was off at the top by 1/8 inch. Leaving an odd angle to hang the window. A diagonal line on the frame was a challenge fitting a square window into.
G. I managed to find a lightweight handle to glue on for easy opening. I am going to use a scrap piece of wood to create a stopper.
H. Stores in Cusco Are dispersed in different areas. One area of town will have all the paint, another lubricants, wood, flooring etc... Retail is based on loyalty as there doesn't seem to be a significant difference in price. 
   So I had one more creative problem-solving hurdle to leap. How to replace part of the 5cm frame when all I could find was flimsy 2cm pieces of wood.
    Ernesto brought his friend for ceremony and to have a reflexology session. Turns out he is an architect who was able to fetch the wood I needed. Small, serendipitous world.
    At the end of our last session, Ernesto made sure the taxi driver knew where to take me to find the brackets.
   Wish I could be here to see their faces when they notice that Goldie Locks has been going from room-to-room making repairs.
   The true reward being the satisfaction of fulfilling my daily prayer to be of service to someone and the mental floss cleaning out the plaque and actually utilizing the grey matter in my skull.

Friday 2/26/2010 10:43:05 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Breakfast

   I went to the village of Caycay to visit a piece of property that Rene has invested in. The owner of the restaurant wiping the scraps off of the table to the dogs below. Flies circling in a thick swarm.  A propane stove houses the tea kettle and soup pot. The tea, brewed from a local plant called canilla, had a taste similar to cinnamon. It was delicious.
   Women, dressed in traditional clothing, peeling potatoes, chopping up the meat with the same ax that splits the wood and cooking over a wood burning stove. I watch them put together the stew for later in the day.
   A heaping serving of rice, egg fried in oil and a thin slice of spiced beef was served graciously with a big Quechua smile. I have gotten over worrying about sanitary conditions in moments like these. I bless the food, the hands that prepared it and the cast iron stomach it is going into!
   I love the opportunity to be close to the natural people the most. There is an innocence in their eyes and a purity in their aura. It calls to the ancient part of me. The one within that remembers the time before time. The indigenous aspect of myself that longs for the closeness of the Earth. The simplicity of the sun rise and the sun set.
   I have called to her in the out of the way places of Peru and she has awakened in me. I know now that she sees through me and beckons me to tell the story of Earth Honoring ways to the modern world.
   As I prepare to leave the land of magic, I will walk away with my double by my side. I will hold the memories of these simple people with their deep wisdom close to my heart. I cherish the many places that have allowed me to step back into my ancient memory with more clarity.

Saturday 2/27/2010 2:21:55 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Caesar's Blessing

   I received my khuya blessing from Caesar. He chose a simple 4 directions poncho and gifted me three magnetic hucha stones so that I could do limpia ceremonies. My mesa is now complete.
   The word khuya means affection. It speaks to the love that the stone people have for us. The wisdom that they long to share. The assistance they offer in building inner sanctuary.
   My goodbye with Caesar was so uplifting. He gave me a yellow gladiola off of his altar and the exchange of love between us was so powerful. His smile and pride made me feel like a child who just got her first A+
   He said he was mi El hermano, brother and I his la hermana, sister. He gestured broadly with a smile that matched and told me that his casa was my home. That I am always welcome. He named me serena the first day we met and often called me the endearing name of serenita. He reminded me again that I need water to stay balanced. I chuckled inside as I imagined my hot tub awaiting my arrival. He would have really witnessed my tranquillo after a 15 min. soak!
  I feel so truly blessed in this life. Despite its hardships, heartache and  pain it truly is splendid. I walked away from his humble house with my bundle cradled like a baby in my arms. Simon and Garfunkel singing Feeling Groovy and Homeward Bound. The air felt crisp and filled my lungs. The sunshine brighter, highlighted against the slate grey sky. The smells of foreign cuisine now familiar and more appealing. All of life engaging me with vitality and wonder.
   How did this little girl from the suburbs of Kansas City find the path that sprawls before me now? Each step a little closer to the truth of my being. Closer to awakening the ancient one within.
   This sojourn has been a waking dream. One that has altered the course of my life. My identity, like a precise watercolor dropped in a puddle of rain. I can no longer see the picture I painted so meticulously. I see only the colors of emotions bleeding into one another graciously.
   I stopped at my waterfall and sacred rock. I scattered the flower pedals over the Medicine Wheel with an intention to keep my thoughts pure. Clearing my psyche of the self-indulgence of depression. I claim the power to control my mind! Yellow flowers, which were present in all of my ceremonies, will be my guardian and reminder. (I can see my backyard already! Bunches for give-aways). I am ready to live up to my childhood nick-name which was Little Ray of Sunshine.
   In my own Baptism of renewal, I blessed myself with the water cascading down from my beloved waterfall. Then I filled the rest of the bottle that will be used on May 18th for the World Waters Day. I have gathered waters from every place in Peru accept the ocean.
  My mesa, laid out on my bed, both humbles and exalts me. My commitment and confidence to serve stronger than ever. As Mother Earth shakes her back in a series of earthquakes to wake us up, I feel prepared to help people stay steady in the midst. Ceremony centers and renews us and now my breadth of knowledge as well as my arms are outstretched wider.

Saturday 2/27/2010 3:27:56 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Hmmmm?
   I am saying some of my goodbyes. I finished my last trade with Ernesto. They were all so affectionate toward me as I did sessions and clearings for everyone. He wants to see me off at the airport. So I guess I won't escape a tear filled goodbye. Our connection truly a gift from Spirit. One of perfect timing and mutual assistance.
   My family got home early as Monica is sick and back in the hospital. I finished the window last night and Rodney was very happy. Our goodbye was rushed before they left for Lima. He being sick and Sue, Barb and I heading to Puno. It was a relief to imagine leaving the house empty. Now, I will have to face my tears in our parting. He will be the hardest one to leave. He has truly been my: brother, shelter, protector, confidant, inspiration, spiritual mentor and guide to Cusco.
   As I prepare to make some connections before I leave, I recognized something curious. Although Carrie was the first to welcome me and was the connecting point to every aspect of my journey, almost all of my support and all of my spiritual experiences have come from men.
   As my moon and my dedication begin to flow this month, perhaps my prayer has been answered? There is sufficient evidence to support that I am moving in a new direction of trust and appreciation for all of my brothers. I have attracted men who are consciously aware of the changes they want to make to be a part of the global shift.
   There was the young apprentice, the five kind men, Rodney, Migal in Puerto Maldonado, Matthew, Rene and Puablo watching over me and the house, Ernesto and Caesar. Back in the states: Markham, Stephen, Jeremy, Ken, John, David and Allen, my Dad, brothers and boys have all written sharing insights and supporting my journey.
   As I give away this blood of mine for all my relations, I do so with an inward knowing. Ahhh, my sojourn really has shifted and healed many things in me.
   Coming to the land of the condor and the heart-centered people of Peru has unlocked forgiveness and compassion in my heart. I have healed the deep wound once hidden in its dark corners and recesses. I have left the hucha of abuse, abandon and mistrust of men as rich fertilizer to nurture the balance of the Divine Feminine. Now my heart is illuminated! Brightly polished from the grit of my experiences with less than honorable shamans/charlatans.
   At our parting, Migel, Rodney and Ernesto all pledged to educate themselves and live better lives. It honors my trust in them. I do believe the world is changing for the better. Women and men finding the beauty in balancing the aspects of yin and yang within themselves. All of us coming together with better communication skills and respect for our differences. I am sending the peace and hope I feel for my children's-children out onto the seque.

Saturday 2/27/2010 8:10:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Hobo
I slept in the Orlando airport last night. In Denver the security does not allow you to sleep. Here, the cleaning staff banged, buffed and sucked the carpet. Those noises gave way to the Starbuck's latte machine, rattling gates and shuffling people.
I felt delighted to be a modern day hobo. I had my pillow, blanket and eye pad at the ready. After all the primitive places I have flopped this one was not bad.
I am back on the North American Continent and exercising my adaptability skills. No big deal. I am ready for my hot tub!

Monday 3/1/2010 5:35:53 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Spiritual Sojourn

Spiritual Sojourn
   My intention for this sojourn was to honor Paul's last wish that his gift "change my life." I have thought of him often. Sung and prayed to him along the way. Invoking his spirit in times of need and in times of joy. Barb and Sue listened to a litany when we ate at the "Fallen Angel". The evening inspiring a poem for him. Six years after the milemarker of his death, I can clearly see how much I have matured and grown.
    Above all, I hope that he has looked upon this journey with pride, knowing that he is the one who inspired and facilitated it. (Many thanks to Kenny and Suzy who graciously acknowledged his desire). I was always his mouth piece, spreading his teachings in my work. I think he would have enjoyed reading the insights I have gleaned. Many echo and expound on the conversations that we shared.
   It is staggering to view the time lapse of my three month stay. People were turning heads today as I gallivanted to my favorite ice cream shop. My energy beaming with pride.  Memories flooding in of my first days on these now familiar streets. The confidence gained, emanating from a now engaging smile.
    I have glimpsed more of Mother Earth's wardrobe. The dessert, ocean, tundra, jungle and highest natural lake in the world. As I haul my pack in place, I port many memories, sacred tools and a bag full of trinkets back home.
   So, the first of many travels is behind me. I plan to visit a variety of earth honoring countries with the intention of eventually compiling the common threads into a book. I am content with all that has transpired and pleased with the documentation..
   I have been blessed by all of you who have tagged along. I have appreciated your prayers, comments and support. They have lifted me up in the good and challenging times. You have served as motivation for my seeking. Provided a forum for my teachings and have played along with my experiment.
   It is so important to feel connected to community. You are the affirmation of Munay in my life. Can't wait to celebrate at the Island Grill! I'll fill you in on the details when we get it organized. We can support H.E.A.R.T, when our hearts connect and our arms can embrace!.

Monday 3/1/2010 5:47:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time