Gratitude to our Mother Earth in the Andes Mountains

Since ancient times, especially in the period of the Incas, nature and Mother Earth have been venerated and seen as a Goddess.

pachamamadios

Since ancient times, especially in the period of the Incas, nature and Mother Earth have been venerated and seen as a Goddess. This has been maintained for generations until today; the man who lives in the Andes Mountains still has faith in Mother Earth. This faith is demonstrated with different traditions that in pre-Inca cultures, Inca and the current Andean culture is still carried out. One of the most important ancient traditions is the so-called “Offering to Mother Earth”, a beautiful ceremonial ritual for Pachamama (Mother Earth).


This special ceremony of the Offering to Mother Earth is a ritual performed by people who have the knowledge and wisdom that was inherited for generations. We call these people Paqos (Master healers), who are very important people for us who respect themselves, since they are the intermediaries between the Apus and the Pachamama (Gods and Mother Earth) and human beings. They usually come from the Q'eros nation located in the province of Paucartambo in the Cusco region, which is currently protected by the Peruvian government as a World Heritage Site, since it is the last generation that comes directly from the Incas.


This beautiful ceremony has as its main purpose the gratitude for everything obtained, both materially and spiritually, here on earth as living beings that we are. This gratitude goes mainly to nature and the universe, which has been encompassed in a single Quechua word "Pachamama" (Mother Earth).


The Pachamama is very important for Andean people. She is considered as the protective Mother in our daily lives because we feed ourselves from her through the products we consume daily, from her we drink water to remain alive; thus to her we owe our well-being as living beings, also in a spiritual way.


La Madre Tierra / Pachamama / Our Mother Earth


Example of an Offering to Mother Earth


Since we have been receiving so much from Mother Earth, we are obliged to give something back in the same way, and this can be done through the Offering to Mother Earth or Ceremony of Gratitude. The Paqos (Master healers) use a lot of sacred elements during this offering; products that come from the same land ready to be offered to Pachamama. This ritual or sacred ceremony can be performed by any person, man or woman, families, even children, but always with the guidance of a Paqo, who guides the ceremony with sacred prayers. This ancestral ceremony of gratitude helps us sustain a balance with nature or Mother Earth for all the love and care that we have been receiving in our past, present and future lives.


It is also important to mention that besides the Pachamama (Mother Earth) there are the Apus (Sacred Mountains) who are the male part always being present during the ceremonies or rituals of gratitude, because the mountains are as well part of Mother Nature who protect us every day.


AUGUST AS THE MONTH OF GRATITUDE


According to ancestral traditions and the Paqos (Master healers), there is a very special moment dedicated to Mother Earth each year, in which she is willing and open to receive our offerings of gratitude even more. This period takes place in the month of August, starting from the first day until August 31. This time of the year is a very sacred month for the Andean culture, most of the people take the opportunity to make their thanksgiving offering with the purpose of being in balance with Mother Earth. And as part of this celebration, on August 1, Mother Earth Day (Pachamama Raymi) is celebrated, an event where many Andean communities and people perform Offerings to Mother Earth together with many people as one of the most important celebrations of the Andes.


The gratitude to Mother Earth can be performed any day and at any time, the most important thing is that one is willing to do this, recognizing the love and care we receive from her. Everyone in the world is able to say thank you to Mother Earth, since we as human beings, living in this earthly world, have to be aware that we are living on and from Mother Earth, and as children we should acknowledge moments of gratitude, so she will always keep on blessing and nurturing us.



Maestros performing a Mother Earth Offering on August 1 (Pachamama Raymi)




HOW TO PERFORM THE OFFERING TO MOTHER EARTH


Our family association Sonqo has the mission to share ancestral knowledge with today's lifestyle, so each human being can learn and grow from it. This is why we created a beautiful shamanic teaching online class with the wisdom from the Andean Inca cosmology to teach everybody to perform their own ceremony of gratitude to Mother Earth. Our Paqos (Shamanic healers) explain to you step by step each element of this ancestral ceremony, and teach you how you can perform this offering by yourself at home. This spiritual learning experience is not only very beneficial for your life path and personal growth, but you will also be able to perform this ceremony for your friends and loved ones. If you would like to know more about this opportunity, please find more information on our website (HERE). After completing this course you will receive a certificate and have access to the audiovisual material that our Paqos made for you.


About the Shamanic Teaching Online Course

Learn how to perform this Mother Earth Offering by yourself.