If you travel to South America, prepare to be enlightened by the concept of Pachamama. Also known as Mother Earth, Pachamama is celebrated in various rituals that honor environmental and cosmological principles. In the Andes Mountains regions, Pachamama originated as a goddess of fertility, planting and harvesting with a focus on sustaining life on Earth. Reportedly, people believe Pachamama is the origin of water, earth, sun and moon. Although she is mostly viewed as benevolent, Pachamama has a feisty side to her – as it’s believed that if people take too much from the Earth, she’ll respond with earthquakes.
After the exploration and settlements of South America occurred, religious syncretism adapted Pachamama to be more of an association to the Virgin Mary, the good mother, and the Virgin of Candelaria. The common thread was that the concept of Pachamama was to remind people to respect the environment – believing that problems occur when people take from nature without giving back.
While it’s prevalent throughout many South American countries, the practice of Pachamama in Peru and Ecuador, specifically, is present in tourism activities. Driving through the sprawling landscapes, one can see signs and symbols of Pachamama rituals. Protruding from earthen dwellings or lodgings, sticks with red sacks tied in a balloon-shaped fashion identify a practice occurring there.
On backyard patios amidst fluttering chickens and vining florals, cauldrons can be found containing a fermenting concoction extracted from corn and yeast. It’s a beer called chicha, and the residents sell cups of it to tourists and tour guides. Raise your cups in the air for salutations and anticipate that your tour guide may pour a trickle of the golden chicha beer onto the ground proclaiming, “And the first taste for Pachamama!” Pooling and absorbing into the fertile ground, the chicha beer becomes part of the ritual of honoring the Earth first and giving back before you indulge in the Earth’s pleasures.
Historically, priests or shamans sacrificed offerings of llamas and cuy (guinea pigs) to Pachamama. People buried food and burned incense, plants or wood in gratitude for good crops and harvests. Some families cooked all night in preparation for honoring Pachamama on a particular day of significance, Aug. 1, the beginning of the sowing season. On this day of gathering, the guests don’t eat the meal until the host first presents a plate of food to Pachamama. In fact, reserved food is poured onto the ground (like the chicha beer) in dedication to the earth mother.
Certain travel agencies are incorporating new age practices of Pachamama into their excursions and itineraries. There are retreats focused on the principles of it, as well as tours visiting the sites of Machu Picchu and Cusco offering opportunities to participate in the rituals. Some ceremonies involve wool, flowers, herbs and condor feathers assembled into the shape of a heart. Coca leaves and instrumental music have also been involved in some ceremonies, as people focus their intentions as they connect with nature, condors and other animals. (Since the condor is the emblematic bird of South America, how appropriate that it’s part of the process!)
Winding your way through the Andes Mountain regions, you are constantly confronted with verdant beauty and pristine nature. The fields are punctuated by saw-toothed agave plants and succulents. The luminosity of a terra cotta burnish fills the landscape. Descending into the Urubamba Valley, a rushing river sparkles and roars between peaks.
Perhaps it’s the respect for Pachamama that is evident there. Pachamama promotes and protects the sanctuary of our land, Mother Earth. Observe and appreciate the cultural nuances and remember: “The first taste is for Pachamama!”
Featured image cutline: The Andes Mountain range provides a beautiful backdrop for South American adventures. Photo by Gina Michalopulos Kinglsey
