Celebrating Pachamama

Pachamama Day Ceremony courtesy of Joan Parisi Wilcox

Be flexible and follow your own guidance, these are only guidelines. Pachamama Day is about your reawakening . . . your rebirthing.

The Pachamama Day ceremony is not a group ceremony. It’s a private one, done between you and you. It about your relationship to spirit… your relationship to yourself, and letting go of the past so you can walk in balance, declaring who you are NOW moving forward.

On August 1, carve out some time for your special connection to the earth, include your sacred objects or mesa (if you have one), choose a special place and make your place sacred for your work

Here's the basic framework:

1. Connect with your own energy, the bubble of light and life that is around you. You can call on the vital life force energy to cleanse and or nourish your bubble (called your poq’po by the Andeans). Take your time.

2. Slowly release the heavy thoughts or energy that comes up, working from the present moment back to your birth. This is a typical recapitulation practice done in every shamanic process, and part of dying and rebirthing. Again, take your time!

It can be intense – if you need, bring in that amazing vital life force energy while you continue to release the hucha (heavy energy down to the earth. The earth uses the heavy energy like fertilizer to grow flowers and trees, it is gift of her favorite food.

Honor what you have learned, and let it be finished both emotionally and energetically.

With your intention, release or cut any energetic cords, disconnecting from emotions, events, people. Remember this is not a “head” or analytic practice, so simply let it come up and release to Mother Earth.

Also releasing all the cords to the things you “love”… i.e. cords to your kids, your pets, your significant other. You can reengage with them later but you want it to be a choice, and you may want to reengage in a new way.

3. Drop into your heart. Now it is time to renew yourself, to refill, to reconnect. Be clear about your intentions for the future, who you want to be. What do you “intend” for yourself in this coming year? How is your spirit calling you? Who is the wild one within you? What is the vision for your life you are looking for? Listen.

Go even deeper back, listen for your own voice; asking where is (say your name)? How are you? Ask yourself: why do you eat every day…. Reply I don’t know…. And listen more.

Take your time, going down to the most important essentials. Be gentle.

Stand and declare aloud to the spirits, “I am what I speak, not what I have spoken.” (This is the incantation don Julian gave to Joan.)

Speak aloud your intentions; who is this NEW you? From your personal core, your essence…. What are your personal capabilities, service to the world, kind of relationships you choose, the qualities of your life, and so on.

You are being realized in a new way. Be alone with yourself, get to know yourself, take all the time you need.

If you have a medicine bundle (mesa or misha) you now need to “reintroduce yourself to yourself,” since you are a new you. Stones or sacred items may need to shift around – honor them, thank them, remove them and they may go back to the earth or on an altar. Remember to feed your mesa or sacred items, and sit with it, absorbing its new changed energy.

This is direct connection to your personal power.

You can add a small honoring despacho (prayer bundle) at any point in the ceremony. A small one might be a shell, and prayer offerings… then gift it to the ocean, bury in the earth or put in a fire.

Deepest gratitude again to Joan for her wisdom, sharing and generosity!

And enjoy your own Pachamama Day ceremony on August 1.