WHO ARE THE Q’ERO INCAN SHAMANS ?
“This is my spirit. This is my journey. This is what I am. I am the mountain. I am the river. I am the condor. I am the puma. I am the snake. I am the Earth. I am the cosmos. I am the prayer. This is who I am.”
In the heart of Peru, the Amazonian shamans (knowns as P’akkos) continue to practice healing methods, passed down through generations over thousands of years. These native healers are the wisdom keepers of the ancient Incan traditions of the Andes and the jungle of Peru, with deep knowledge of the mystical, natural medicines of Pachamama (Mother Earth) and a Cosmic understanding of the nature of all reality.
HISTORY OF THE Q’ERO INCAN SHAMAN (P’AKKO)
At the highest altitudes in the Andes Mountains in Peru live a group of indigenous Indians called the Q’eros. They are the direct descendants of the ancient Inca people who were invaded by the Spanish Conquistadores in the 1500’s.
During that time many of the Inca people were forced into labor in the gold and silver mines by the Spanish, but a few others escaped to the “villages in the clouds” in the refuge of the holy mountains (Apus). These people survived and safe guarded much of the sacred knowledge keeping it intact over the centuries.
Protected by the Andean mountains (Apus) and hidden from the Spanish Conquistadors and modern civilization for 500 years, the Q’ero people have miraculously been able to preserve and orally pass on their sacred Inca traditions and ceremonies from one generation to the next.
Since the Q’ero were completely isolated for 500 years, their ancient wisdom is very pure and unaffected by any other cultures, teachings and religions. Their wisdom has been verbally passed down from father and mother to son and daughter for hundreds of generations and they have continued developing these advanced techniques in healing, divination and ceremony.
Many believed the Inca Q’ero to be nothing more than a myth of a long lost people and way of life. But, in the early 1990s the people of the Q’ero saw signs on the horizon which indicated the time of ancient prophecy had arrived, and realized it was time for their Q’ero shamans to finally wander down from the mountains with their rainbow colored clothes. A people who have been a myth for almost 500 years began to answer the call of their ancient prophesies, and now share their 10,000 year old healing tradition and medicine with the societies of the modern world.
The prophecies spoke about a new age when large changes would start to happen on the planet.
“When there is a tear in the sky that causes the sun to shine and damage us, when the glaciers melt, when the climate changes and natural disasters come and when the Condor is close to dying out, shall we walk down and share our spiritual tradition and wisdom with the world. It is time for the people from the West’s to wake up from a deep sleep. A new age has been born, and the modern human of intellect and brain is now touched by the heat, heart and soul of Andes.”
What is Andean Shamanism
Shamanism is an essential part of the culture of the Amazon, a land full of mysticism and magic. The shamans of Peru represent a group of healers, offering authentic Andean and jungle ceremonies for spiritual transformation and are known as P’akkos.
For thousands of years, the shamans provided an essential role in Amazonian cultures. These wise men and women in the community had deep knowledge of healing. Shamans - or P’akkos were once members of an ancient religious cult and temple building culture, known as Chavin. Long ago, members of the Chavin worshiped at temples in the Sacred Valley of Peru, including the world-famous Temple of Light, Machu Picchu and the Chavín de Huantar near Huaraz.
The ruins of these once mighty temple complexes remain standing thousands of years later. Sacred pottery, architecture, and archaeological relics display likenesses of their feline deity, a stern-faced god always showing its fangs. Although the apex of the Incan civilization has long since passed, their temples still resonate the powerful healing energy.
Ancient Wisdom Keepers - The Shaman Rituals of Peru
The shaman understands the medicinal powers of the plants. Their mystical abilities enable them to connect with the spirit world, a link between the gods and nature.
Peru shamans often use sacred relics, like bone snuff-tubes, beads, pendants, needles, ceremonial spondylus shells, and quartz crystals to invite healing powers of the gods. Healing shamanic crystals provide a way to communicate between the visible and invisible worlds, a crystallization of solar energy.”
Shamans consider coca a “divine plant”, used for its medicinal properties chewed or consumed as a tea. They read coca leaves or observe the leaves falling for sacred messages from the spirits or to decipher future events.
The ancient healers also use a special hallucinogen: vilca (meaning “sacred” in Quechua). The Incan shamans would sniff seeds of the vilca tree to invite visions and make contact with the gods and spirit world. Cleansing plant baths, temazcal (sweat lodges), sound and energetic healing are also types of methods used by the shamans.
Today, the Shamans of Peru continue to pass down the rich healing and magic of their ancestors. People from around the world visit sacred and spiritual archeological sites of the Sacred Valley for restoration. Those who visit can participate in private plant medicine and energy healing ceremonies. Q'ero Shaman facilitate and guide Incan cleansing, purifying, healing and uplifting ceremonies, part of a carefully preserved lineage of Shamanic wisdom.
The Tarypay Pacha - A Time of Transformation
Many cultures of the world have long since abandoned their traditional healing approaches. And yet, despite the major advances in science and technology, people feel more isolated and disconnected than ever. The global environmental crisis and a worldwide pandemic has made this glaringly obvious after the chaos and confusion that came to a head in 2020.
When the world shut down, many people could feel that stirring, a calling from deep within. The breakdown of modern systems reveals a dire need for change. The universe called for healing in times of crises, to reconnect to the wisdom of the ancestors, to listen once again to the earth, to the spirits, to the intuition.
The time has come for lightworkers and healers to raise the vibration of the planet and restore harmony. Society must reconnect with its roots and return to balance with Pachamama (Mother Earth).
Shamans have the unique mission of ushering in the new age, the TARYPAY PACHA (Time of transformation). As the world remembers the wisdom of our ancestors, we will restore union in the earth, to expand our spirituality and our love.
Will you answer the call to reconnect with Mother Earth? Join Seeking Sacred Journeys and the Q'ero Shaman on a journey of spiritual awakening. Explore the Andes, connect with Mother Earth and with the Cosmos.
With our uniquely crafted itinerary you will have the unprecedented experience of traveling with two Q'ero Shaman – as well as a professional Guide and Translator – and Rebecca and the team here at Seeking Sacred Journeys. Together visit the spectacular, spiritual sites that the Sacred Valley is known for.
In the words of the Shaman, “we will let our souls fly in the Andes learning and recognize the truth of all life. Come explore, feel and awaken - we are shamans, as you.