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WISDOM OF THE STONES: A READING FROM MY MESA

Posted in Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , , on August 6, 2012 | 2 Comments »

A mesa is a medicine bundle often referred to as a shaman’s altar used for healing, ceremony, prayer and divination. Sacred objects are wrapped within the mestana, a woven cloth, the most powerful of which are kuyas. Kuyas are stones received through rites, initiations and passages of healing. I first began building my mesa with Alberto Villoldo’s Healing the Light Body School. Since traveling to Peru my mesa has transformed and currently holds kuyas gifted through the karpays and initiations from shamans of the high Andes as well as Pachamama herself.

My heart is moving through many shifts as it heals and integrates through this compelling time of life transition. I turn to my mesa to speak to the wholeness of the heart. The kuya that came forward was received on my last journey to Peru gifted by Don Andreas from the holy mountain Ausangate.

I read the stone by blowing in with my breath the intention of the reading. Holding the stone I begin to notice marks, shapes, images, textures. These impressions from the literal level of perception lead to a mythic understanding and awareness. What I notice in one reading is completely different than what I may notice in another reading with the very same stone.

This particular kuya is four sided. At the top of each side of the stone is a white peak resembling a mountaintop. Below the white mountaintop on one side of the stone is a gray and mottled pattern of dark spots in all different shapes and sizes letting us know the wholeness of our heart is held in all our experiences including the darkness. The journey to the mountain top is not straight and narrow as noted by the mottled pattern. Everything that happens to us as we journey toward the peaks of consciousness is necessary for our awakening. Once we respect and honor the journey as integral to our awakening we begin to drop the destination and recognize it is all part of our own evolution.

Another side of the kuya reveals many, many faces woven together below the white mountain peak. The faces of our ancestors. We do not stand alone as our ancestors are intimately woven into our journey. They are longing for our connection. Part of our journey includes making peace with our ancestors as they long to make peace with us as well. Anger or sorrows that bind us to our past hampers our own evolution. It is difficult to move forward carrying the weight of what has come before us.

The ascension to the mountaintop of consciousness is part of the whole. The whole is not the ascension. It is easy to place all of our desires on the mountaintop and lose sight of the journey but the mountaintop is just a part of the whole. It is not the whole.

All journeys have rough spots and edges. Let us remember to be tender. No one is given a smooth path to travel. The more we can bring a tenderness to our own journey the more we can respect with tenderness the journey of every other soul.

This is what the kuya speaks.

AHO my friends!

Karen Chrappa
Author of A Structure for Spirit
www.karenchrappa.com

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TWO MEDICINE WOMEN MEET FOR LUNCH?

Posted in Ceremony, Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , on July 11, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Temple at Machu Picchu

Temple at Machu Picchu

A ceremony is born!

Ceremonies that were taught by our grandparents are not the same ceremonies we hold today. With each experience, each reflection, ceremonies transform to become the sacred offerings of the present day. As boundaries and preconceived notions are left behind ceremonies evolve. It is a time for birthing new ceremonies. And so it is how this ceremony came into being. A meeting of two medicine women with the heartfelt desire to share the joy of sacred ritual and ceremony from their own lives with the world around them.

Through evolution we must walk in honor and deep respect of the traditions that have come before us. When any evolution happens, we are cautious to reflect to ensure our approach is deeply respectful and in integrity with each step. A teacher once explained, very long ago, whenever we cling absolutely to something, whether it be tradition, ritual, ceremony, or emotion, we are stepping into the ego. Ego is only one way – my way.

When we evolve and create from the old, we are breathing our own life force into the ceremony. There is no greater honoring than to give life. It is about walking in balance with integrity and honor in all things – including creation.

As we evolve to co-create ceremony, it is also important to understand that the intention of any ceremony is to create a bridge between the world of Spirit both within us and surrounding us. The intention of this ceremony is to balance the water and fire elements with the new beginnings of the new moon. To co-create a prayer stick with a despacho. To use the power of water to carry the fire of passionate joy.

We will be weaving different tradtitons through the waters of both the Atlantic and Pacific in this ceremony. Carla Goddard was gifted a prayer stick during a tropical storm as the rains, winds, and the fire of lightning fused in one moment. During the next week she will take your prayer requests while adding your name to the prayer stick through a daily ceremony. At any time you may blow your intention into the prayer stick picture. As she travels to the West Coast, she will carry this sacred object and release the prayer stick into the Pacific Ocean to be carried by the waters in another ceremony.

Photographer Clark Little

Photographer Clark Little

At the same time, Karen Chrappa will be in Bimini where she will create a despacho on the shores of the Atlantic. A despacho is a prayer bundle from the shamans of Peru that traditionally is made by blowing prayers into cocoa leaves, placing them with offerings in wrapping paper to tie up like a gift before burning in a fire. For this ceremony, prayers will be held in a natural finger sponge into which your prayers and intentions will be blown in with your breath through a short ceremony on video. The sponge will be carried to Bimini and become part of a mandala of natural elements created in sand. Our despacho in sand will return to the waters through the tides of the Atlantic.

Through this unique, bi-coastal ceremony, we call to the waters to cleanse us of all that blocks that flow of JOY in our lives. We call to Pachamama and all her elements to balance our beings to the vibration of JOY. We call to Inti Ti Ti, Father Sun, Mama Killa, Grandmother Moon and all celestial beings above to shine the light of JOY in our hearts. We call to the medicine of dolphins to teach us the ways of unwavering JOY.

Ascension to JOY allows laughter and play into our life. So many times life seems to wear us down into a seriousness that does not allow joy to flow. Ascending to the joy inherent in our Soul brings smiles, laughter and play into our daily life. Doorways open so our moments of joy grow simply by being able to enjoy whatever your journey brings to you.

May you join us in JOY!

AHO!

To find the event on facebook click here.

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A TIME FOR BIRTHING NEW CEREMONY

Posted in Ceremony, Ritual, tagged , , , , , on June 11, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

“It is a time for birthing new ceremonies and rituals.”

We received this message during one of our Apu sessions in Peru last month. During an Apu session we are in dialogue with the spirits of the mountains and the Santa Tierras, the feminine land spirits as called forth by the shamans we work with.

Personal rituals and ceremonies are most powerful as they are offerings of our heart. They give voice to our Soul for ceremony and ritual are the language through which our Soul speaks. Our Soul is animated through the actions we take when we step into ceremony and ritual.

Birthing new ceremonies does not mean we need to reinvent the wheel each and every time yet this Spirit message reveals ceremonies no longer have to be held to hard and fast rules. I share here are a few simple rituals from my last trip to Peru, starting with a healing herbal remedy from Don Sebastian to inspire the birth of new ceremony and ritual.

Don Sebastian

Don Sebastian

It was very cold at Segrena Cocha, the lagoon where we set up camp under the peak of Apu Colca Cruz. Our trek involved plenty of rain and hailstorms to mark our passage. We never really seemed to dry out. After a long day of trekking and ceremony we huddled in our kitchen tent and Don Sebastian shared with us his medicine and healing.

Healing herbs of the Andes had been gathered and dried. Rubbing alcohol was added to make a loose paste. An egg white was added to the mix for binding. Infused with prayer, one of the most important ingredients added was munay or unconditional love. This healing remedy was vigorously massaged into sore muscles and aching spines as each one of us was willing to bare our skin in the cold to receive a healing from this humble master high in the mountains.

Another simple and profound ceremony anchored us to Earth and Light. After purification and prayers, red mud was applied to our left leg, the feminine. A red thread was tied at the ankle to anchor us to Earth. White mud was applied to our right leg, the masculine with a black thread at the ankle to anchor us to Light. These threads are left in place until they fall off on their own. The connections are strong as mine are still in place a month now after ceremony and don’t feel like they will fall off anytime soon.

Since returning home the herbal recipe has transformed my abundance of medicinal healing herbs from Thailand from their cotton muslin pouches previously used for steaming. As a rub I have used them now for purification ceremonies to clear the entire body. This can be done in a shower or if weather and privacy permits, is most profound done outdoors.

The herbal rub has also been used on specific areas of pain applied in a thick layer and wrapped with cotton gauze as a poultice. The herbal rub was also used in ceremony for anchoring Earth and Light instead of mud.

Above all, the most important ingredient we bring to any ceremony is munay. Whatever ceremony you create bring all the love you can muster.

May this serve to inspire, to heal and to birth new ceremonies.

In munay.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Karen Chrappa
Author of A Structure for Spirit
www.karenchrappa.com

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REMEMBER THE SHAMAN OF YOUR HEART

Posted in Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , , on May 9, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Remember the delight in finding dandelions as a child? What did you do when you found one? You blew the desires of your heart, your wild imagination into its seeds. And then what happened? Off they went, set free in the wind, scattered over the Earth.

There was never any attachment to how your dreams would show up. There was never any fear about how you were going to make it happen. And this is how the Shaman prays. Riding intent on the conduit of breath. Offering into elements of nature and returning to Spirit. In the traditon of the Q’eros, the Shamans of the Andes, prayers are blown into cocoa leaves, then burned in a fire, buried in the Earth or offered to the waters.

We have forgotten how to pray this way, this way of the Shaman. In your heart this way of praying is a part of you. We are all at our very heart a Shaman. One who is conncected to the Earth. One who is connected to Spirit.

So go ahead. Make a wish.

Do you think because you are all grown up that way of praying does not work anymore? Have you tossed it aside because you feel it is useless?

What has been cast aside is your heart. What has been cast aside is your joy. What has been cast aside is your wild imagination.

What has become of your dreams?

So go ahead. Make a wish.

With all your heart. It is that simple.

Let your dreams take flight on the joy of your breath. Let them ride on the winds of trust. Set them free on the heart of faith.

So go ahead.

Make a wish.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Karen Chrappa
Author of A Structure for Spirit
www.karenchrappa.com

And be sure to visit Sacred Lodge Sister Iva Peele at
The Road to Q’eros messages from the Andes
to learn more on the Q’eros traditions
and keep updated on the release of their upcoming film!

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FORGIVENESS DESPACHO OPEN FOR PRAYERS

Posted in Ceremony, Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 20, 2012 | 2 Comments »

~Welcome to the New Moon Despacho Ceremony for April~

Artist Stephanie Gagne

Artist Stephanie Gagne

Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Great Spirit.
We bow before you with good intention
as your sons and daughters
under the dark of Mama Killa,
Grandmother Moon,
to lay bare before you
the knots of our heart.
We bow to Great Jaguar Spirit
who walks with us in ceremony
to devour these knots
so they may unravel
and wash clean from our systems.
We thank Mama Cocha
for the cleansing of her waters,
the healing of her waters.
As our hearts are purified
they right themselves in Munay.
The waters of unconditional love
flow freely through us and to us.
We thank Great Hummingbird Spirit
for flying with us in ceremony,
for uplifting our hearts in joy
so we may align our hearts
with our truest calling,
the call of our Destiny
May our hearts be nourished
with the sweet nectar
that flows through the sacredness of all life.  

AHO!

Before watching this video for prayer and ceremony you may want to light a candle to transition from your day to sacred space. You may use sea salt, floral waters, incense or smudging to create a purification ritual. Set aside 20 minutes where you will not be interrupted to unravel the knots of your heart and align with unconditional love and munay. Include family, friends and loved ones if you wish. Blessings my friends at this most auspicious time of prayer!

FORGIVENESS DESPACHO

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

You may wish to create a ceremony for yourself
by offering your intentions into seeds or qintus

~Blow Personal Intentions of Forgiveness
and Healing into Your Own Qintus~

~Burn, Bury or Offer Your Qintus to a Natural Body of Water or
Create a Despacho of Your Own to Hold Qintus~ 

It is a wonderful time to literally plant your seeds of intention in the Earth

~Blow Personal Intentions of Forgiveness and Healing into Seeds~ 

~Plant Seeds of Intention in Garden or Potted Soil~

Listen to the Guided Meditation below
once you have offered your intentions

~Heart of Peace~

~Close Ceremony with a Prayer of Thanks~

*********************************************

Elements of Despacho: Our despacho is surrounded in a circle of shells, honoring Mama Cocha, the waters. Each is turned upward in a posture of receiving and filled with pink sugar so our cleansing may be gentle and full of sweetness. At the very heart sits hummingbird, the spirit of Joy, resting on a bed of flower petals to uplift our hearts and restore the rightful place of unconditional love and lightness of our Being.

The black beans create a circle of darkness along with the outer circle of tobacco to honor the darkness of the New Moon, the void of potential and the darkness of birthing. Another circle of candies and sweets asks that our hearts be full of the sweetness of divine nectar. The tulip buds sit in eight directions to balance and stabilize our heart in the center, where munay sits. These elements lay a bed for our qintus to be held as we cleanse the darkness of our hearts and align with the lightness of munay and unconditional love.

Offerings and qintus will be placed in the despacho during the time it is open. Ceremony will close Sunday morning, April 22nd EST at 7:30 am when our despacho, full of prayers and offerings, will be folded and tied like a gift. A forgotten prayer holder will be tied to the outside. Our ceremonial gift will then be burned in a fire at the same time that fires are burning around the world with Shamans and Fire Keepers in a Global Vigil Fire. The sisters of the Sacred Lodge of We the Women are gathering in ceremony and prayer from wherever they may be to join with our hearts in unity.

Deep appreciation and gratitude for bringing your prayers to this ceremony, for your prayers empower the prayers of us all.

More will be posted after ceremony.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Karen Chrappa
Daughter of Pachamama
Sister of the Sacred Lodge of We the Women
Sunflower of Bouquet of Light Ayllu 

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PREPARING FOR OUR FORGIVENESS DESPACHO

Posted in Ceremony, Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2012 | 4 Comments »

“Our task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it.”
~ Rumi ~

Here are a few things to prepare for our New Moon Despacho as we gather as a virtual community to unravel the knots of our heart that block the flow of unconditional love or what shamans call munay. We ceremonially offer these barriers to restore our hearts to munay so we may right our relationships to others, to Pachamama, to Spirit, to our own Soul. We bring this love to ourself with self forgiveness for the harm these barriers have perpetuated.

There are a number of ways to participate in ceremony depending on your time and what calls to you.

Artist Stephanie Gagne

Artist Stephanie Gagne

Here are some things you may need depending on your plan to take part:

Once ceremony opens you want to create time and space that feels sacred for you. This ceremony is offered with a 20 minute video so be sure you have set aside time where you will not be interrupted. You may want to light a candle before you begin as a simple way to leave the routine of your day and enter into ceremony.

Another practice that helps prepare us for ceremony is purification. A simple purification ritual can be created by rubbing your dry hands together with fine sea salt holding the intention of clearing any negativity from your heart. Continue until you feel your hands are clean and clear. As our hands are energetic extensions of our heart, cleansing in this way helps clear our heart. Purification practices are believed to make the heart more pure, empowering the strength of our prayers and intentions. Smudging, floral waters and incense can also be part of a purification ritual.

Before ceremony opens take a moment to pause and reflect. We will be using our relationships to discover where our hearts have become knotted in anger, hatred, pride, greed, jealousy, judgment, blocking the life force of unconditional love or munay through our heart.

Who are you in struggle or conflict with?
Who depletes your energy or makes you feel diminished?
Who do you avoid?
Who tends to bring out the worst in you? 

These relationships that we struggle with are our teachers and may include those who have already passed. The energetic cords that hold each other exist beyond time and space. We offer in ceremony the sacred discomfort, pain and struggles of our heart that arise in response to another. We discover the knots in our own heart and make of them a prayer, changing their vibration as we surrender them to Spirit to soften our heart and restore a flow of unconditional love.

There are a number of ways to participate so notice what calls to you:

  • Once ceremony opens a video will be posted on the blog creating an opportunity for us to meet in prayer and ceremony online.
  • Your prayers and intentions will be blown directly into the qintu on the video. This collective prayer holder will be added to the despacho before ceremony closes.
  • You may create your own qintu with 3 bay leaves, small native leaves or flower petals and blow in your prayers which you can bury or burn.
  • A picture of the despacho will be posted which you may print to hold your qintus and make a despacho of your own. Place 4 qintus (12 bay leaves) in a meaningful arrangement and add offerings such as incense, sage, tobacco, herbs, flower petals, grains, sweets or dried fruits to energetically feed your prayers. Fold your despacho into a square and tie closed with ribbon, twine or string. Do not turn your despacho over or shake in any way to keep your intentions undisturbed. Your despacho is then burned or buried.
  • You can blow your personal intentions and prayers into seeds which you plant in potted soil, a garden or somewhere on the Earth.
Once you have finished placing your prayers and intentions in whatever way calls to you, you may listen to the guided meditation Heart of Peace to deepen the sense of munay in your heart and the connection with all that is around you. The meditation lasts about 10 minutes and is wonderful to listen to before dreamtime.

The Despacho will be available and open for ceremony for 3 days starting on April 2oth, the day before the New Moon at 7:30 pm EST, until April 22nd at 7:30 am EST after which it will be offered in a fire ceremony. You can participate during any time the despacho is open. The Despacho will be anchored by the kuyas (stones) of my mesa received during rites and initiations from Shamans in the mountains of Peru.

Our ceremony is supported by the Shamans, Medicine Women, Healers and Priestessess of We the Women. It is simultaneously occurring with a Global Vigil Fire of hundreds of Shamans and Fire Keepers from around the world as they weave a new global tapestry and feed the living giving energy of the circle.

Please share any comments or questions that arise as we create a collective intent to energize and empower the opening of our hearts as we step into ceremony.

Join in ceremony here.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Mesas in Peru

Mesas in Peru

Karen Chrappa
Author of A Structure for Spirit
www.karenchrappa.com 

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PROSPERITY DESPACHO OPEN FOR PRAYERS

Posted in Ceremony, Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on March 21, 2012 | 20 Comments »

~Welcome to the New Moon Despacho Ceremony for March~

Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Great Spirit.
We bow humbly before you
as your sons and daughters
to plant the seeds of abundance
under the dark of Mama Killa,
Grandmother Moon.
Thank you for holding our fears Pachamama.
We surrender the wounds of lack and scarcity to your belly.
We thank you for composting this dense heavy energy
so that we may be reborn,
under the light of Inti Ti Ti, Father Sun.
May we reclaim our birthright
and align with abundance and prosperity
so our hearts may overflow in love,
compassion, generosity and sharing.
May we be vessels of Light.
We thank you for hearing our prayers
and answering our call. 

AHO!

Before watching this video for prayer and ceremony you may want to light a candle to transition from your day to sacred space. You may use sea salt, floral waters, incense or smudging to create a purification ritual if you desire. Set aside 20 minutes where you will not be interrupted to set your intentions to shed the wounds of lack and scarcity and align with prosperity and abundance. Include family, friends and loved ones if you wish. Blessings my friends on this most auspicious day of prayer!

PROSPERITY DESPACHO

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

You may wish to create a ceremony for yourself
by offering your intentions into seeds or qintus

~Blow Personal Intentions of Abundance
and Healing into Your Own Qintus~

~Burn, Bury or Offer Your Qintus to a Natural Body of Water or
Create a Despacho of Your Own to Hold Qintus~ 

It is a wonderful time to literally plant your seeds of intention in the Earth

~Blow Personal Intentions of Abundance and Healing into Seeds~ 

~Plant Seeds of Intention in Garden or Potted Soil~

Listen to the Guided Meditation below
once you have offered your intentions

~Inner Garden~

~Close Ceremony with a Prayer of Thanks~

*********************************************

Elements of Despacho: A golden chalice was the inspiration for this despacho. The starfish that sits at the center holds our intention to heal the wounds of lack and scarcity and align with abundance. It symbolizes above, the stars in heaven where our intentions are set, and below, so they may manifest in form on Earth. Lots of gold sparkles were sprinkled throughout to align with abundance. The chalice symbolizes our abundance as an empty vessel. By being empty we are able to receive. What gets in the way of receiving are the dense, heavy energies, or hucha, of lack, limitation and scarcity. Shedding these wounds clears our golden chalice and allows us to be a container of Light and Love rather than lack and limitation.

The stem of the chalis is rooted in Earth and sits on a bed of money representing manifesting abundance in material form. Placed along the dollars are small magnets to attract what we need into our lives as vessels of receptivity rather than struggling to try and make things happen. At the very base of the stem sits a clay statue of Lakshmi. In the Hindu tradition she is the Goddess of Prosperity and Wealth in all dimensions, spiritual to material. We draw inspiration from all traditions.

White flowers are placed on top of white feathers that sit like a halo holding our chalice and informing it with light. May we hold an empty golden chalice in our heart so we may be receptors for Light. It is the abundance of this Light that will manifest abundance in form on our Earth plane.

Offerings and qintus will be placed in the despacho during the time it is open. Ceremony will close Friday morning, March 23rd EST at 7:30 am when our despacho, full of prayers and offerings, will be folded and tied like a gift. A forgotten prayer holder will be tied to the outside. Our ceremonial gift will then be burned in a fire. More will be posted after ceremony.

I offer deep appreciation and gratitude for bringing your prayers to this ceremony, for your prayers empower the prayers of us all.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Karen Chrappa
Daughter of Pachamama
Sister of the Sacred Lodge of We the Women
Sunflower of Bouquet of Light Ayllu 

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PREPARING FOR OUR PROSPERITY DESPACHO

Posted in Ceremony, Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Here are a few things to prepare for our New Moon Despacho as we gather as a virtual community to heal the wounds of lack and scarcity and offer our gratitude for the abundance that already exists in our life. We ceremonially offer our intentions to heal the energetic impressions that have laid a foundation of lack and limitation in our life so our actions may be informed from a well overflowing in prosperity, generosity, compassion and love. There are a number of ways to participate depending on your time and what calls to you.

Here are some things you may need depending on your level of participation:

  • 16 bay leaves, small native leaves or flower petals to make 4 qintus (Read more about qintus on How A Shaman Prays)
  • Fine Sea Salt for Purification
  • Seeds for Planting
  • Potted Soil, Garden or Mother Earth
  • Candle for Creating Sacred Space

Before coming to ceremony, you want to create time and space that feels sacred for you. This is a personal experience so whatever prayers or rituals you have will work. If you have not created sacred space or come to ceremony before, offer a prayer of thanks to the Earth. Reflect on all the blessings the Earth provides in your life. Lighting a candle is a simple way to enter into ceremony. We transition from our ordinary routine and shift to a space that feels sacred.

Another practice that helps prepare us for ceremony is purification. A simple purification ritual can be created by rubbing your dry hands together with fine sea salt holding the intention of clearing any negativity from your heart. Continue until you feel your hands are clean and clear. As our hands are energetic extensions of our heart, cleansing in this way helps clear our heart. Purification practices are believed to make the heart more pure, empowering the strength of our prayers and intentions. Smudging, floral waters and incense can also be part of a purification ritual.

Once you have created sacred space and performed a purification ritual, take a moment to turn your attention inward. Bring both hands together over your heart center (middle of your chest). Close your eyes. Breathe into your heart. Let your attention rest here as you reflect on the blessings and abundance that already exists in your life. Hold the intention of healing the wounds of scarcity and lack and source from the wellspring of abundance that is our birthright.

What is the highest manifest vision of prosperity?
What does a heart full of abundance feel like?
What might your walk in the world look like if your actions were informed by a heart overflowing in generosity?

This is what we offer in ceremony, surrendering our intent to Spirit.

There are a number of ways to participate so notice what calls to you:

  • This is the first ceremony that will be offered with a video.
  • Once ceremony opens a video will be posted on the blog creating an opportunity for us to meet in prayer online.
  • Your prayers and intentions will be blown directly into the qintu on the video. This collective prayer holder will be added to the despacho before ceremony closes.
  • You may create your own qintu with 3 bay leaves, small native leaves or flower petals and blow in your prayers which are then buried or burned.
  • A picture of the despacho will be posted which you may print to hold your qintus and make a despacho of your own. Place your qintus in a meaningful arrangement and add offerings such as incense, sage, tobacco, herbs, flower petals, grains, sweets or dried fruits to energetically feed your prayers. Fold your despacho into a square and tie closed with ribbon, twine or string. Do not turn your despacho over or shake in any way to keep your intentions undisturbed. Your despacho is then burned or buried.
  • You can blow your personal intentions and prayers of abundance into seeds which you plant in potted soil, a garden or somewhere on the Earth.
Once you have finished placing your intentions in whatever way calls to you, listen to the guided meditation Attitude of Gratitude. This will awaken a sacred awareness of your body and cultivate a feeling of thanks and appreciation. This takes place while lying on your back. If time is not available at ceremony, listen before dreamtime.

The Despacho will be available and open for ceremony for 3 days starting on March 21st, the day before the New Moon at 7:30 pm EST, until March 23rd at 7:30 am EST after which it will be offered in a fire ceremony. You can participate during any time the despacho is open. The Despacho will be anchored by the kuyas (stones) of my mesa received during rites and initiations from Shamans in the mountains of Peru.

Please share any comments or questions that arise as we create a collective intent to energize and empower our becoming as we step into ceremony.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Karen Chrappa
Author of A Structure for Spirit
www.karenchrappa.com 

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SACRED UNION DESPACHO OPEN FOR PRAYERS

Posted in Ceremony, Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 20, 2012 | 5 Comments »

~Welcome to the New Moon Despacho Ceremony for February~

Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Great Spirit.
We stand humbly before you
as your sons and daughters
to plant the seeds of self love
under the dark of Mama Killa,
Grandmother Moon.
Teach us the ways of the heart. 
Guide our Sacred Masculine and Sacred Feminine
to balance and unity from within.
May the clarity of an awakened mind
merge with the intelligence of our emotional waters
to inform our actions from our deepest knowings.
May we be of fearless service with a tender heart
in this time of walking upon Pachamama.

AHO!

SACRED UNION DESPACHO

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

~Create Sacred  Space~

~Perform Purification Ritual~

~Blow Personal Intentions of Self Love and Healing
to Rebalance Heart and Mind into Image of Despacho~

You may wish to create a ceremony for yourself
by offering your intentions into seeds or qintus, see below

~Blow Personal Intentions of Self Love and Healing into 4 Qintus~

~Blow Personal Intentions of Self Love and Healing into Seeds~ 

~Plant Seeds of Intention in Garden or Potted Soil~

Listen to the Guided Meditation below once you have offered your intentions

~Attitude of Gratitude Meditation~

~Close Ceremony with a Prayer of Thanks~

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Elements of Despacho: The two circles symbolize union as their shapes intertwine with each other. The masculine is represented on the right where it energetically resides in our bodies. White flowers indicate the heavens, celestial spirits and Apus or Mountains as we hold the spiritual masculine as residing above. To the left the feminine is held in red flowers symbolic of the blood of Pachamama, Mother Earth, as we are spiritually held from the feminine below. Within each circle is a seed of the other as shown by the red flowers of the feminine in the white flowers of the masculine and vice versa. A feather sits in the masculine representing Air and Spirit while a shell representing water and Earth resides in the feminine. Red and white candles in each circle symbolize the Sacred Fires of Passion that burn within the heart of the masculine and feminine. All four elements are symbolized and brought to balance, Earth, Air, Water and Fire. At the heart of our despacho is a bed of tobacco and sugar to hold our intentions which sit in the shell in the center, our intention to plant seeds of self love and bring internal balance and harmony to our Sacred Masculine and Feminine, heart and mind. Two small figures of a man and a woman sit inside the shell. A wreath of rosemary surrounds the flowers.

Once all names and intentions have been placed in the despacho a variety of offerings will feed our prayers before being fold and tied like a gift. A forgotten prayer holder will be attached outside. Our ceremonial gift will then be burned in a fire. More will be posted after ceremony.

I offer deep appreciation and gratitude for bringing your prayers to this ceremony, for your prayers empower the prayers of us all.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Karen Chrappa
Daughter of Pachamama
Sister of the Sacred Lodge of We the Women
Sunflower of Bouquet of Light Ayllu 

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PREPARING FOR OUR SACRED UNION DESPACHO

Posted in Ceremony, Ritual, Spirituality, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 18, 2012 | 7 Comments »

Here are a few things to prepare for our New Moon Despacho as we gather as a virtual community to harmonize and integrate our Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine. We ceremonially offer our intentions to bring Sacred Union to heart and mind and plant the seeds of self love so our actions may be informed from our deep knowing and our life may shape itself from the deepest expressions of our heart. There are a number of ways to participate depending on your time and what calls to you.

Here are some things you may need depending on your level of participation:

  • 16 bay leaves, small native leaves or flower petals to make 4 qintus (Read more about qintus on How A Shaman Prays)
  • Fine Sea Salt for Purification
  • Seeds for Planting
  • Potted Soil, Garden or Mother Earth
  • Candle for Creating Sacred Space

Before coming to ceremony, you want to create time and space that feels sacred for you. This is a personal experience so whatever prayers or rituals you have will work. If you have not created sacred space or come to ceremony before, offer a prayer of thanks to the Earth. Reflect on all the blessings the Earth provides in your life. Lighting a candle is a simple way to enter into ceremony. We transition from our ordinary routine and shift to a space that feels sacred.

Another practice that helps prepare us for ceremony is purification. A simple purification ritual can be created by rubbing your dry hands together with fine sea salt holding the intention of clearing any negativity from your heart. Continue until you feel your hands are clean and clear. As our hands are energetic extensions of our heart, cleansing in this way helps clear our heart. Purification practices are believed to make the heart more pure, empowering the strength of our prayers and intentions. Smudging, floral waters and incense can also be part of a purification ritual.

Once you have created sacred space and performed a purification ritual, take a moment to turn your attention inward. Bring both hands together over your heart center (middle of your chest). Close your eyes. Breathe into your heart. Let your attention rest here as you hold the intention of bringing together in sacred union the highest expression of your Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine essence. This is a union of heart and mind.

What is the highest manifest vision of your heart?
What does a heart full in self love feel like?
What might your walk in the world look like if your actions were informed by the highest expression of your heart?

This is what you will offer in ceremony, surrendering your intent to Spirit.

There are a number of ways to participate so notice what calls to you:

  • If you have joined ceremony at the event page on facebook or through the blog, a qintu with your name is offered to the despacho with the intention of creating a Sacred Union of our Divine Feminine and Masculine essence to rebalance heart and mind and plant the seeds of self love.
  • A picture of the despacho will be posted into which you can blow in your own personal intentions with your exhale, sending them into the image of the despacho with your breath and intent.
  • You may blow your intentions into 4 qintus which are then buried or burned.
  • You may print a copy of the despacho to hold qintus and make a despacho of your own. Place your qintus in a meaningful arrangement and add offerings such as incense, sage, tobacco, herbs, flower petals, grains, sweets or dried fruits to energetically feed your prayers. Fold your despacho into a square and tie closed with ribbon, twine or string. Do not turn your despacho over or shake in order to keep your intentions undisturbed. Your despacho is then burned or buried.
  • You can blow your personal intentions and seeds of self love into seeds which are planted in potted soil, a garden or somewhere on the Earth.
Once you have finished placing your intentions in whatever way calls to you, listen to the guided meditation Attitude of Gratitude. This will awaken a sacred awareness of your body and cultivate a feeling of thanks and appreciation. This takes place while lying on your back. If time is not available at ceremony, listen before dreamtime.

The Despacho will be available and open for ceremony for 3 days starting on February 2oth, the day before the New Moon at 7:30 pm EST, until February 22nd at 7:30 am EST when it will be offered in a fire ceremony. You can participate during any of these times. The Despacho will be anchored by the kuyas (stones) of my mesa received during rites and initiations from Shamans in the mountains of Peru.

Please share any comments or questions that arise as we create a collective intent to energize and empower our becoming as we step into ceremony.

AHO my friends! AHO!

Karen Chrappa
Author of A Structure for Spirit
www.karenchrappa.com 

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