Despacho Sacred Ceremony
- Michele Marchese
- Jul 26, 2022
- 2 min read
Everyone one of us owes it to ourselves to be like a shaman, follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and pave a path for future generations.
Shamanism is so much more than a journey it truly is the way of life. A spiritual transformation that allows for your own belief system, and healing of our mind, body, and soul. Truly uniting your divine essence.
Shamanism is very ceremonial, a Sacred Despacho Ceremony is so beautiful to be part of. The wisdom-keepers of the Q’ero lineage of Peru, have used the despacho ceremony for many occasions of life events, birth, marriage, death, gratitude, healing and more. A ceremony when done for gratitude is healing for us as well as Mother Earth. The despacho is in essence a part of you, your symbolic connection to Mother Earth, it holds the energy of you and all participating in the ceremony. Holding all your prayers and divine energy within your divine connection to nature.
The ancestors assigned living attributes inside the despacho such as rocks, caves, mountains, skies, waterways, weather phenomena, and the skies above.
While there are certain elements common to all despachos, the particular healing intention -- such as bringing harmony and balance to the earth, honoring new beginnings, or getting rid of an illness -- determines the design of the offering, some of the contents, and even the way that offerings are added. As the ceremony is done all of the intent is placed out in the world and the gifts are placed as a symbol, such as seashells representing water, feathers of birds, stones, herbs, salt, candy..The Despacho ceremony you create will be part of you, your participants, and the intention. After everything in the Despacho is placed in the paper an outer fabric material is tied around the pouch. The prayer and ceremonial intent part begins by use of caco leaves, thanking, and chanting around each member, the pouch is them placed in a fire. Here in our desert dry lands we would bury over using a fire element to avoid forest fires. The dispacho harmonizes the community and the earth together by sharing these gifts, a luminous energy can be felt.
Video of a traditional ceremony:
How to make a Despacho
A beautiful fabric cloth for the outside, square shape.
Begin with a large piece of paper that you can decorate with whatever is in your heart or you can use plain white paper very symbolic of purity of intention.
Start filling the paper center with natural things from the area you live in, such as leaves, plants, stones, seashells, pine cones, herbs, candy… anything that defines your soul felt intentions.
Use a ceremonial smudge over the contents and do a blessing. Typically coca leaves are used.
Tie your despacho and then begin the ceremonial prayers and chants. Please refer to the video as to properly include all that are present.
Burn or bury the Despacho.
If you use fire, ancestors watched the smoke patterns during and would look at what was left after it was burned to see that the spirits were happy. The same can be said of burial, as you will feel the earth energy from the place you buried the Despacho , such as new life growing in the area.
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