Andean Ceremony with the 4 elements: The earth, the water, the fire and the air

EARTH is the place where we live; it is “mother” to those who have not lost contact with her. Mother Earth feeds us, cares for us and protects us. The earth supplies us with everything necessary, just as all good mothers care for their children. Humans live within “culture” but we should not forget that essentially it is “nature”. If we break our ties with “nature” our energy and ability to live will diminish and our ability to live is what remains for us in a world in which ideas about our existence predominate. In our civilization humans have broken connections with the earth, we live in big cities without natural elements and we have lost contact with nature. Some knowledge is perhaps gained from television documentaries but we are not aware of natural cycles and we do not follow them to maintain our physical, psychological and social health.
When we walk barefooted on grass or on a sandy beach we are interacting with the earth, feeling its energy, its electromagnetism. We must remember that we are the earth and ultimately we will become part of it.

WATER, an element present in our organism, in blood, and other liquids, is a sacred element on our planet; it is the earth’s blood. Water is distributed in streams, lakes and rivers until it reaches the sea. The life cycle of water is similar to that of humans and for this reason we should harmonize our bodies with terrestrial water, at least once a year, to avoid physical ailments and cleanse our temple (body) to feel more at peace with ourselves.

FIRE is the driving force of the unity with divinity. Fire is the symbol of the soul forever seeking reintegration; it is the synthesis in the transformation of the other three elements: earth, water and air. Fire is associated with the heart and also with the sun; the giver of light which is the symbol of the soul. Fire is present within us in our feelings; fire also represents the sun that gives us warmth and energy.

AIR is the breath of life without which we could not survive. We have to be in harmony with the air, we can not a single minute without breathing; air is life.

Quero's Andean Community

Q'eros is not a place you'll find in a regular guide book. It is the home of the Q'eros people, believed to be the last remaining blood line of the Incas. They live in isolated mountaintops in the Andes, still speak the pure Qechua language and have had little contact with either the church or the state in the last five hundred years. They here fore have lived in a very traditional way for hundreds of years, nearly self sufficient, growing potatoes at 3350 meters and herding alpacas and lamas at 4300 meters.
They employ the same agriculture methods, play the same panpipes and flutes, and weave cloth using the same patterns as described by the chroniclers of the 16th century Spaniards.
The Q'eros people live in 6 different annexes, villages with each approximately 30 up to 35 houses. Hatun Q’eros (Hatun= big) is the main village and the biggest of the 6 villages.
The Q’eros nation communities are still keeping the Andean religion customs and traditions from the Inca ancestors, making rites and Ceremonies. The Incas’ spiritual and healing practices were transmitted orally. It persists in the Peruvian Andes because it is the only South American country where the shamanic practices still thrive on a large scale.
On our 4 day tour to Q’eros we will be immersed in the culture and way of life of these medicine people. The leaders of the villages are all shamans, and we will be introduced to their ancient ceremonies accompanied by a shaman himself.

Corpus Christi and Qoylloritti Festivities

Some Pictures of our ceremonies