The Despacho Ceremony
During my time in Peru, we spend hours every day doing ceremony with the Q’ero medicine men and women. This beautiful and powerful ceremony was one we do often and creates the biggest shifts.
Initially it was all completely new to me and sometimes arduous, but I just did what I was taught and became astounded by the results. Even our friend’s Dad, a conservative Catholic who was just along for the ride finally said “ geez ok, I can actually feel this thing.”
Similar to a mandala or sacred art, a despacho holds symbolic elements and the wishes of the participants who created it. It’s a living prayer which creates a palpable vortex of spiritual energy that helps bring healing, grace and manifestation of the prayers it contains.
It honors all of life, the Earth and it’s inhabitants, the sun, moon and stars. It is about giving back and coming into right relationship with everything and everyone in our lives. When we honor all of life and the sacredness of what is, we are led back into alignment with our highest destiny. This is how you can work at the level of your soul – the most elegant and efficient way to create change in your life.
Watch this bit of footage from one of the ceremonies I participated in:
Because they’re so cool and fascinating, here’s a bit more from a past teacher of mine
“For hundreds of years, the Paqos or wisdom-keepers from the Q’ero lineage of Peru, have used the ayni despacho ceremony. Central to their cosmology is the understanding that the universe is benign, and only seems predatory when we are out of balance. They believe that the world mirrors back our own state of ayni or right relationship. Coming back into ayni, allows the Universe to work on our behalf once again, restoring the flow of synchronicity.
Traditionally, in the Andes, an ayni despacho ceremony is performed individually or communally after each earth cycle to renew and re-imprint the powers of nature on the luminous body. This brings the shaman and participants into harmonious relationship with heaven and earth, aligning the three worlds of the Uhupacha (lower world – the past), Kaypacha (middle world – the present), and the Hanqpacha (upper world – our future) as well as the archetypical organising principles of the Universe.
For the ayni despacho, the shaman begins with a large piece of white paper that will serve as a ‘wrapping’ for all of the offerings. All ingredients have significance and each receives prayer before being placed on the paper. Coca leaves or bay leaves are used to hold prayers. Sugar and various sweets bring sweetness and love to the prayers. Corn and other grains are used to nourish participants and the Pachamama (the Earth). Once all ingredients have been added, the shaman carefully folds the bundle into the shape of a square ‘gift’ and ties it.
The despacho is buried (for slow, steady results), burned (for quicker transformation) or fed to the running waters ceremonially.
The prayers are now with Spirit. The ayni despacho is a powerful way to bring balance to ourselves and our world at this time!” Dr Alberto Villoldo
The results of a despacho are quick and depend on how far you’ve strayed from your destiny – gentle if you are on track or quite intense if you’re not. Coming in right relationship with aspects of your life could initially lead to unexpected results. You might see dramatic changes in your job, relationship, or financial situation. But all these occurrences, however challenging they may seem at the time, will invariably lead to much better circumstances: such as your dream job, the partner who matches you in body, mind, heart and spirit and greater abundance than ever.
If you’re ready to attract abundance and new possibilities in your life download the instructions for one of the most common despachos here. For the first time, I highly recommend doing an aya despacho for closure followed by an ayni despacho for balance and manifestation. This is a great out with the old in with the new practice. You can do it alone, with your partner or with a group. I find anything done in a group is the most powerful. In the group setting, your individual kintus (prayer offering) are placed in the bundle by someone else giving the added key benefit of non-attachment to their outcome.
A final note – don’t be overwhelmed by all the ingredients and elaborate procedure. You can make do with what you have on hand, draw pictures of what you don’t and make it personal. As always, your intention is everything and this is so innate, once you begin it will all flow very easily for you. Just have fun with it. Your joy will be felt by the Gods and returned to you tenfold.
Here’s to your highest destiny,
