Dispatches – Offerings to Mother Earth and the Cosmos

In Peru, one of the oldest traditions is the elaboration of offices, sacred offerings that are made to the spirits of the mountain (Sagrados Apus) and to Pachamama (Mother Earth). This practice is intended to bring ayni, or reciprocity, in balance and is an act of deep love. In Peru, this concept of love is called Munay, and it is a reminder that we are all one with absolutely no separation, and that loving others is loving ourselves. To love a stone is to love others. To love a tree is to love ourselves. All this interconnection of beings, elements, spirits and sacred places is represented in an office.

So what is an office? Well, the easiest way to describe it is by translating the word “despacho” from Spanish, which means “office” or study. In ancient times, people did not have “offices.” For the shaman, his office was the medicine package, which when opened, would contain all the energy and frequencies of the environment, and would contain all the tools that the shaman needed to balance things. Therefore, you did not “cure” someone, you put them in balance.

Dispatch is similar to a medicine package in that it is an open package. The difference is that the shaman would have spent many years learning and getting started in the practice and use of all the tools that make up his medicine package. In an office, the items that are placed in the package are made on purpose, with the specific intention of balancing the creation. I’ll talk more about that in a moment.

In the Sacred Valley of Peru it is said that there are more than 300 types of office offerings. Some are to heal, others to bring abundance, others to attract loving relationships, or perhaps to honor new beginnings or endings. The preparation of dispatches is not limited only to the Sacred Valley. There are coastal, mountain, jungle and northern Peruvian healers who work with offices all the time. And it is a practice also known in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay. Not only are there hundreds of types of offices, but as you can imagine, you could put 5 shamans in a room so that each creates the same type of office, and each office would be different from the other!

Essentially, the creation of an office is done as a ceremony, in which attendees seek to align themselves with whatever their personal intention, as well as create a group intention. The most important purpose behind the office is to thank Pachamama, sweet Mother Earth, who supports us in everything we do. Only after expressing our gratitude to the Pachamama does one begin to ask for whatever intention he seeks to manifest.

In Peruvian mysticism one works energetically with three very powerful energy centers. Like the chakras, these three energy centers have certain characteristics. The first is the physical center, called Llankay in Quechua. This center is roughly between the first and second chakras and subsumes the two chakras. It is one’s power center, the place from which the ability to stay in power is drawn, similar to the Tan Tien, the body’s center of energy and gravity.

The second energy center is called Munay, and is located in the center of the heart. It is here that we gain love and compassion and connect with Spirit. Subsume the third, fourth and fifth chakras. And the last energy center is Yachay, or the center of wisdom. If you were to place the palm of your hand on your forehead (in the third eye) and allow your fingers to rest gently on the top of your head, that is the center of wisdom. Therefore, incorporate both the sixth and seventh chakras. It is here where we access our wisdom and, from here, we can access the wisdom of the cosmos.

The shaman who creates the office works from all the energy centers and infuses each and every one of the elements placed in the office with the characteristics of each energy center. In addition to invoking the attributes of each energy center, the shaman will create ayni, or balance, working with the energy of the community of participants. By weaving the luminous threads of each person in the office, it harmonizes both the personal intentions and the intentions of the group as a whole.

Typically, offices are built in beautiful glossy wrapping paper. After all, it is a gift for Pachamama! Some offices can be very elaborate or very simple. Usually there are items placed on the paper that represent certain basic categories. One of them is the animal kingdom, or Tirakuna. Tirakuna are vigilant spirits of nature. Its function is to help us always keep in balance. Some Tirakuna reside on rocks, trees, sacred ceremonial sites. Others manifest as cows, dogs, animals.

Another element that is represented are the vegetable products for the Auquis, which are the mythical spirits of nature such as devas, gnomes, fairies. And there are mineral products for Malquis, or tree spirits. Then we have human-made products. These products are offered to Machikukuna, the ancients. And finally there are elements that represent the Cosmos, the Chaskakuna (the stars) and the Sun and the Moon.

An office is usually created as a mandala shape on paper. As mentioned above, the simplest of dispatches will have sugar (Pachamama LOVES sweets!) And flower petals or bay leaves to support the prayers. In Peru they use coca leaves, sometimes in groups of three or seven. Each group of three is prayed and infused with the intention of providing beauty, power and energy that will create balance, thus allowing our prayer to be heard. Even if the dispatch only has two ingredients, each set of flower petals or bay leaves can be infused with the characteristics of the five basic categories.

A more elaborate dispatch will include symbols of everything: the elements, the four directions, the weather, the clouds, the mountains, the rainbows, the fruits of human labor, emotions, ideas, etc. In fact, on August 1, considered one of the most auspicious dates of the Inca calendar since it marks the change of vibrations (almost like a new year), almost everyone hires a shaman to create a Hatun Dispatch, or Great Office. These can be quite large!

When the offering is completed, the entire ensemble is folded, tied, and wrapped in a sacred fabric. It is then offered to the forces of nature, either by burning it, burying it, or throwing it into the water. Usually the dispatches are burned, for a faster demonstration. The energy and intention of all participants is contained in the dispatch and released into the universe, where it is then transmuted into manifestation.

I often encourage people NOT to buy kits from Peru or from shaman markets because if we are creating an office in the United States (or wherever you are), you will want to use those items that are representative of your locality. That is the energy that permeates your sensitivity, not a Peruvian energy. We don’t live in Peru, but we can certainly take the blessings and teachings and use them honorably in our own landscape. When we create with what is abundant in our landscape, we reinforce the area and let the Universe know that we are honoring our own time and space.

For example, if you lived in the Northwest, you would want to substitute flame fat for salmon fat. Or maybe you live nearby or have access to buffalo fat. That would be an excellent replacement for flame grease. Or instead of coca leaves, which we don’t have, you can substitute bay leaves, which look a lot like coca leaves in shape. Because whole bay leaves are difficult to find, I often use flower petals, whatever is growing in that season. I am fortunate to live in Southern California so I can find a variety of items quite easily. The point is to think about the source, energy and intention that you are putting into each item that is placed in the office. If you have had a summer garden, you will have a lot of seeds at the end of the season. These are home grown, probably organically grown, and therefore have much more potential and personal healing energy than something bought from the store.

In addition to encouraging you to use those articles that are local, I recommend that you travel and dedicate time beforehand to the articles that you would like to put in the office. Ask the Spirit if it is a gift of honor or if it could represent something that you have in mind in terms of what you would like to manifest. I often use brown sugar instead of white sugar; the idea of ​​”sweetness” still manifests itself and honors both my intention and my beliefs. Or maybe you are in the Minnesota area where wild rice is somewhat abundant. This would be a wonderful addition to represent grain in place of quinoa, which is a Peruvian staple. That’s not to say you shouldn’t use quinoa, which is available in many health food markets. It’s just that there is probably something that is specific to the area you live in and that carries the energy of the place.

Since I love working with both essential oils and frankincense, I will always include them in the dispatch. Copal, a resin widely used in Central America, is frequently used as an offering to the Lower World, to help illuminate the Shadow. Incense, on the other hand, is an offering to the Upper World and reflects the Light of the Cosmos that shines on us. Lavender, whether in plant form or as an essential oil, represents purification and healing.

I love animals and I have three fur kids, so I always try to include something in the dispatch that represents the animal kingdom. An easy way to do this is to use animal cookies, like the ones you give to a child, or even teddy bear graham crackers. I collect the fur of my cats and dogs and use it too. Any feathers you may find on hikes or hikes can easily be added to represent not only the animal kingdom, but the power of prayers to “fly” into the Great Spirit.

Use your imagination. The list of items you can include is endless. But … you don’t want to make the office so big that you can’t fold it up and burn it. As with so many things, less is more. It’s about intention! And if you want directions for specific offices, such as Abundance despachos, or perhaps an Aya Despacho, one to honor someone who has passed away, do not hesitate to contact me. I can share information about many different types. However, in the end, it is you who knows what you want to express and what intentions you want to put in the office. So get creative and do it! The spirit loves everything that comes from the heart and is your gift. As good cooks know, a recipe is just a template; it is the act of creating that produces the most wonderful food, in this case, the most sublime of dispatch offerings!

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