By Karen Allaire

I learned it may be easier to connect to spirit in higher altitudes. I was curious to feel what that was like. Traveling to the Andes Mountains and Urubamba River in the sacred valley of Peru seemed reasonable. I had read about a retreat center in the sacred valley offering tours to sacred sites in the area including Machu Picchu. I talked with a good friend and she had a yes for the trip, so we booked it.

We flew to the city of Cusco in Peru to meet our tour guides and group. We spent two days traveling to sacred sites before heading to the retreat center and later to Machu Picchu. Throughout the trip I participated in sacred ceremonies led by a Q’ero pakko healer. He is among the last in a line of Andean elders who still teach Quech-ua spiritual traditions.

I had a Coca leaf reading. The pakko starts with an invocation to the mountains. He walks and prays while chewing the coca leaves. He told me “You are a spiritual lady. At the beginning it was hard for you to become a spiritual lady. There was a person in your life who was saying why? Against this, why? Now this person is trying to understand you. He is very happy for you and about you. Now he’s very happy. Can’t express, but you have to know he is very happy. Pachamama is going to bless you and help you a lot. Mother earth will help you. Good life. Everything is going to be happy. Lucky woman. These mountains will protect you all your life.” I left wondering who is the person in my life he is talking about?

A few days later we took a bus, then a train to the town of Aguas Calientes. It was stunningly beautiful and exotic to travel by train and watch the mountains, the rapids of the Urubamba River and the Inca Trail go by. From there a bus to Machu Picchu. When we arrived, our guide led us through the site. I saw every room and ruin. My intention was to feel the experience of being there. It felt old, sacred, touristy and amazing.

I hiked to the Sun Gate (Inti Punku) from Machu Picchu. Slowly and steadily, I climbed the mountain path to the sun gate and around every bend was a gorgeous view. The mountains were lush and green with trees of pine and eucalyptus. The sky was a brilliant blue and the air smelled fresh and clean. Soon I saw the Sun Gate and made my way tired but exhilarated to its ledge. As I sat on the ledge, I asked myself am I feeling God? and waited for a feeling.

A couple of days later at the retreat center we gathered inside the ceremony room for an Andean fire ritual. The pakko prepared bundles which he placed on a piece of paper. Prayers, blessings and good intentions were added, and it was sealed. The offering was wrapped inside a woven cloth (ukuna). I was fixated on the ritual. We went outside to the sun garden. The pakko asked permission from the surrounding deities to conduct the ceremony. He said prayers. We gathered around the fire to connect with the energy. He chanted and sang while we drummed and played rattles. When the fire was ready to receive the offering, he placed the bundle into the center of the fire with loving care. We were invited to release and offer our thoughts and emotions to the fire. To assure us all was well, he announced that the spirits of the fire had accepted the offering. When the fire burned down to glowing embers the ceremony was complete and we left. That night I laid in the grass of the garden looking at the stars of the southern hemisphere. My mind turned back to the question I had on the ledge at the Sun Gate. I asked again did I really connect with God?