SOMETIMES IT'S OK TO BREAK THE RULES

Yesterday we had visited the shrine to Pacha Mama. So today we again set out for the twin mountain shrines of Amantani, this time intending to go straight to the nearer shrine of Pacha Tata. But we somehow lost the path to the saddle, ending up far to the south, again on the slope of Pacha Mama. Clearly she was calling us to return. It was evidentially not yet time for Pacha Tata.

The Amantani villagers live in separate houses but often work communally. Today is a communal farming day and sure enough, there at the very top of the summit, right next to the shrine, was a family, hoeing ground for planting potatoes. I rested a while, then felt drawn to Pacha Mama's shrine. The entry was still sealed with rock . Dare I transgress, and scale the wall before the eyes of the locals. Of course not. I conversed with the man about his labors of farming. He offered me a try with his hoe, I declined. "Mucho trabajo" I told him, and we both laughed. Then I asked his permission to meditate at the shrine. He led me over and pointed out the sealed entry, and said that it was forbidden. I caught the word "molestari". Aha, that must mean to molest. "No, no" I explained, "no molestari - meditatione". I don't know how I knew the pronunciation, but it worked. "No molestari, hablar con dios, hablar con Pacha Mama". "I won't molest, I want to talk with God, talk with Pacha Mama". He seemed to understand my barbaric Spanish and nodded OK, and motioned go ahead. Just to make sure I pulled out my embroidered sack containing Hopi blue corn. The Quechua word for corn is Sarah, easy to remember. "Sarah por Pacha Mama" I explained. His eyes lit up and it was obvious I was now most welcome to scale the wall. He returned to his farming. There was peace and understanding at the shrine of Pacha Mama.

Having scaled the wall, I was moved, almost instructed to remove my shoes and circle the shrine, then seek a spot. Erased from my memory was last nights resolve to try the exact center by the fire pit. I was drawn to the phallus and noticed that there was an offering there that was not present when I left yesterday. Obviously the nearby farmer understood my mission. We worship in the same way. The energy felt stronger than yesterday. I felt called to empty my bag of crystals, cocoa beans and other objects on a flat stone. I cleansed my chakras with my Tibetan Poorba, stuck it in the soil and awaited. The power was mainly through the crown (seventh) chakra. After a time known only to God I was drawn to move to the fire pit. I left the objects on the rock, took Poorba and moved to the fire pit at the center, stuck Poorba in the ground and found the energy there to be even stronger. After some time I lay back, arms and legs outstretched, I spaced out blissfully in the hot Andean sun, shielded from the mountain top wind by the circular shrine walls. I wanted to disrobe entirely but resisted out of respect for the family farming nearby. I was then directed back to the phallus. The energy was strong here, but this time in the brow (sixth) chakra as well as the crown.

The Circular Shrine for Pacha Mama

A message came to eat some lunch, give David a turn if he wanted one, and then go visit Pacha Tata. As I gathered my crystals and stones I couldn't find a small piece of lapis. I searched frantically for a brief moment, then realized that Pacha Mama wanted it, and stopped searching. Then thunder struck. It suddenly dawned on me that if, from anywhere on the planet, I could recall that bit of lapis, I could psychically return to this place of power and again partake of its energy. Perhaps that is the ancient secret of why pilgrims have since time immemorial left objects at places of power. The object can be far more than an offering to the gods. It can be a terminal for a transmission of the power of that place, whenever desired. The potential is for a personal linkup with places of power. Thus, following the model of the Crystal City ritual of Machu Picchu, one has the power to create ones own crystal planet.I then found a low spot in the wall and climbed back out. The family had stopped their farming and were eating their lunch. I put my hands together over my heart, bowed in thanks and then touched my heart. They smiled. We understood one another perfectly, "no molestari, hablar con Pacha Mama".

We ate our lunch by the Eat Your Lunch monument, which is a tall four sided pillar of rocks. It may have a more majestic title, but I call it that because I find no energy there, (I suspect it is a recent construction) and no matter which direction the wind is coming from, you can always find shelter there from the wind, to eat your lunch, or have a nap. We did both, and then it was finally time to visit Pacha Tata. The trail led down the hill from Pacha Mama, across the saddle, and up the adjoining hill to Pacha Tata.

3 Arches with Pacha Tata in Distance

In several places there were arches across the path. Something told me there might be seven arches. If this were so, it would correspond to the seven chakras of the Hindu system. In my travels in Peru I never once saw evidence that the number seven was special to the ancients nor did I see any specific reference to chakras. Under the assumption that there would be seven arches I decided to play a bit, and meditate on a different chakra at each arch. To my amusement the seventh arch was just before Pacha Tata, and indeed my crown did seem to open. Isn't it interesting that there were in fact exactly seven arches between the Pacha Mama shrine to the Earth Mother and the Pacha Tata shrine to the Sky Father. Just another one of those quaint coincidences, I'm sure.

The shrine was square in shape rather than the circular shape of Pacha Mama. There were entries at either end and these too were crudely filled with rock. Two locals were sitting outside the shrine, and this prohibited us climbing over the walls. So I sat outside leaning against the wall, enjoying the afternoon sun, and inviting Pacha Tata to enter my crown chakra. A gaggle of French tourists with their Peruvian guide suddenly came up to the shrine and I had to grudgingly acknowledge the locals wisdom in blocking up the entry. The tourists enjoyed the magnificent view, lit up cigarettes and chattered like magpies. Not one in their party seemed at all aware of the shrine behind them or the energy it emanated. I tried talking to their Puno based guide about the energy and got nowhere. Unlike the Peruvian guides I had been working with, he hadn't a clue what I was talking about. He is clearly a guide suitable to their level.

The sun is leaving and the tourists are staying. I probably won't to be able to enter, so it seems I'll only be able to experience the energy from the outside.

The tourists finally departed just as daylight vanished. The locals went home and David and I could finally ask the shrines' permission and then climb over the wall. We didn't have much daylight left and it was a long walk back to the village. I felt cramped for time. I quickly circled the perimeter and then headed for the sunken center where I assumed the greatest power to be.

As I began to sit down, to my amazement I saw that the ground was swarming with large orange bumble bees. The only ones I ever saw in my weeks in Peru. We were above 13,500 feet elevation, night was approaching, and it was quite cold. What on earth were bumble bees even doing here, and more importantly, keeping me from my power spot. I couldn't speak Bee and they weren't speaking English! I tried to shoo them away, impertinent fool that I was. Instead they shooed me away. Their message was unmistakable. You are not to sit here! I obeyed, and retreated to the next level up, where a bench invited me to sit. There I sat, the bees a distant, and perhaps imagined reality, and felt my crown chakra open more fully than it had yet on this trip. This indeed is the place of power for Pacha Tata.

Our host Alphonso later confirmed our intuitive sense that the correct way is to first journey to the farther hill of Pacha Mama and then come back to the nearer Pacha Tata. The tourists do it in reverse because it is more logical for them and many only go up the nearer Pacha Tata, are fully satisfied by the absolutely incredible view, and see no need to journey to the farther Pacha Mama. We energy freaks know better, don't we? So once again, the energy reveals itself to those so inclined to follow their own music, and go against the conventional flow. If you can't hear your own music and must follow someone, you might do best to follow the odd fellow, out of step with the masses, dancing to his or her own tune.

We stayed well past dark, secure in the faith or folly that we could find our way down the mountain by starlight and the crescent moon.

As I sat, I felt a powerful flow and yet it was unlike my prior Kundalini experience at Ulu Marka. Kundalini originates from Pacha Mama and moves up and finally out the crown. This flow was in the same direction, but there was no strong sense of the first chakra, No feeling that the energy originated from Pacha Mama. Rather it was being drawn from me by Pacha Tata above. Pulling me up out of my crown chakra. The feeling was blissful.

We finally left Pacha Tata, and by crescent moon and starlight made our way down to the saddle where we encountered still more magic, a glowing green lite in the earth. It took us quite some time to realize that we weren't imagining it, and it was in fact real. It was a glow worm.

Stopping at this latest miracle, we sat cross legged on the trail and I became aware that this entire day of mystical play was my greatest joy. My child within was totally present. I thought back to my home in California, and the photo on the wall of myself as a three year old child. I knew that right now I was he, fully expressing himself.

My inner child was and is healed, and he can now express himself through me. We are whole.

Hallelujah!