"A ritual is the enactment of a myth. And, by participating in the ritual, you are participating in the myth. And since myth is a projection of the depth wisdom of the psyche, by participating in a ritual, participating in the myth, you are being, as it were, put in accord with that wisdom, which is the wisdom that is inherent within you anyhow. Your consciousness is being re-minded of the wisdom of your own life."  Sacred Feathers...Feathers in hair for Native Americans had a spiritual meaning. They were worn by Native American Chiefs to symbolize their communication with the Spirit, and to show off their divine wisdom. Feathers also represented the power of the thunder gods, along with the power of air and wind. Sometimes feathers were representative of courage during a battle or a successful hunt.  This Condor feather is a rare find as they are illegal to purchase since Condor's are on the endangered list. This feather was bought to us from Peru as a gift to be used for healing ceremonies.... Again I write about ritual and symbolism. Ritual is important aspect of healing, as our ancestors used it to help clear psycho-spiritual-physical aliments. The act of a ritual is a powerful healing tool for all people collectively, as it has been practiced for millennia by our ancestors, around the world. Symbolism is the language of the psyche (subconscious) and is most effective in communicating with the parts of ourselves that are still in the in the dark or unconscious as it were.
Feathers have an ancient symbolic meaning, they are linked to the air element, freedom and pure potential. They are attributed to transformation that is strong, swift and potent. Feathers are used by a healer ("yachek" in the Andes or shaman) on the aura (energetic body) of an individual, in smooth, long strokes from the head to the feet, in order to clear energy. They are used from any one of the nine cardinal directions towards the body in order to invoke healing energy. The Andean Condor is associated with the Sun deity and is the ruler of the upper world. Condors live in the Andes Mountains, the highest peak of which is 6,962 metres high (some smaller species are found in California and Mexico). Condor is a symbol of power and health. Condor has a wingspan of 2.7 to 3.2 metres. Its plumage is all black, except for frills of white feathers at the base of its neck. It also has patches of white bands on its wings. The colour of the skin on its bald head changes as a form of communicating emotion. In males the irises are brown and in females they are deep red. Condors have extremely good eyesight and can spot food from miles away, symbolising being able to see or plan far into the future. Condor’s talons are not for hunting. In fact condors hardly ever kill for food, they eat meat that they find (benevolence) and thus symbolise making use of what we find and working with what we have. They use branches, sticks and feathers to make their nests, also symbolising the use of things that are to be found in our everyday lives. They nest very high on cliffs teaching us to make our home in heaven. They glide from mountain peaks and often make use of wind currents to soar, teaching us to surf the currents, ebbs and flows of life. Condors typically lay one egg, teaching us to treasure that which is rare and that some things only come along once in a lifetime. They have no natural predators and are thus Kings and Queens of the heavens, because they are at the “top of the food chain” although they rarely kill. These birds can fly at 90 km/h and are thus the harbingers of rapid transformation. The people of the Andes view the condor as their guardian. When the Spanish arrived in the Andes the condor became a symbol of freedom from oppression and slavery. Condor is the messenger of the gods and the carrier of our dreams and prayers to heaven, because she flies much higher than any other winged animal. She teaches us about the ancient mysteries of life and death, about communion with the spirits and how to soar above our limitations. Condors have an uncanny ability to sense death, so they are sometimes seen as the angels of death, circling around when life is about to end. Condor is very powerful protection in the spirit world. Condors live on average between 50 and 80 years, roughly the average lifespan of a human and thus teach us about life. Although humanity has been responsible for the near extinction of the condor, we have also been responsible for saving these birds, whose numbers have increased in recent years. This represents humanity’s ability to solve problems which we have created for ourselves. The prophecy of the Eagle & the Condor says that when the Masculine Eagle (mental aspects) and the Feminine Condor (heart aspects) fly together again (when the north and the south are no longer at odds), we will again live in harmony and recreate paradise on Earth. Condors rest at night and fly by day. Legend says that they draw the dawn and the sun across the sky. Condor chicks leave the nest at age two, symbolizing independence. These birds also signify connection to the land and one’s place of birth, because they do not migrate at all. Condor helps us transform that which is dead and no longer serves us into energy that helps us soar above, into greater heights of awareness. Thank you for reading! Monica* References: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condor en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Condor kalypsyd.hubpages.com/hub/Animal-Symbols-and-Meanings tqe.quaker.org/2005/TQE138-EN-Condor.html
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On this trip to my farm, I did a walk thru with two knowledgeble people who are Ecuadorian and experienced in ancestral knowledge and andean agriculture. To my surprise, they both told me I have a ceremonial mound called a tola. It is considered a powerful energetic point or center of the land, basically of the entire farm in this case. It is where energy radiates or is created, and symbolizes a mothers whom. It is used to heal people, and originates from the yachac's (quechua word for shaman). Andean culture share the belief (as many other ancient cultures), that all illness is a decrease in energetic vibration of the body, before and while it is manifested in the physical. The tola is for healing ceremonies, to raise the energetic vibration of the person(s) in it, and it is considered a direct connection to the cosmos. In ancient times, the tola also had a pyramid constructed over it to focus the energy on the people inside. It is located using an instrument, called a tupuc. It is flower shaped with a point at the end, where a shaman holds the tupuc until it carries and points them to the energetic center of the land. The tupuc pics up the energetic points or lay lines where the tula is to be created. It's shape is a circular mound surrounded by stones giving it structure, with an entrance/exit for an unbilical cord (symbolized by a tree tunnel). The tree tunnel is created by planting them into a topiary, giving them the form of a passage way leading to the center of the mound. These trees are important in the cosmo vision, as they are considered spirits and are often referred to as grandfathers or abulelitos, who assist in the healing of the earth and the individual in the center. We will be restoring our tola at some point and will share the pictures of our progress as it goes! Thank you for reading, Monica* Theses photos of a reconstructed tola were taken at the Jatun Yachay Wasi; Ancestral Wisdom & New Consciousness University in Colta, Ecuador. |
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