CHAN CHAN, the gate to the afterlife.

CHAN CHAN ruins are found in the Peruvian region of LA LIBERTAD (The Liberty).
WEST of the principal CITY OF TRUJILLO. The ruins covers 20 km2 and the urban center covers 6 km2. The ADOVE made  city of CHAN CHAN is the largest in the world.
CHAN CHAN situated in a very fertile-well watered section of the coastal plain was the center or capital of the region. Food was primarily from the sea and included such foods as sea lion, shore birds, mussels and shallow-water fish. Later a decline in the local shellfish food forced them to find food from the ground. Then a major part of their diet included AJI (chili peppers), a great variety of LEGUMES, PACAE, LUCUMA, GUAYABA, and AVOCADO. They traded heavily with other regions obtaining CANE, ALGARROBO, and GUANABANA.
CHAN CHAN is also known for its large amount of intact burial mounds and sub-floor BURIALS.
The burials sites give a major view into the complex organization of the city itself. The mounds or tombs have been found within the city walls toward the SOUTH. The change in the patterns give the idea of the beliefs this people had about the afterlife process. It was a process of learning the way of the cosmos and the way of the world. The cosmic life was compared to sparks of energy forming entities which its primarily role was to teach the way of harmony between them.
Bodies were originally buried lying flat on the back in the earliest mounds because the traveling to the other world had to follow a specific ritual then in later burials the body is placed in a flexed seated position showing a different way to departure in the spirit.
Kings were seen and believed to be divine or semi-divine beings.    
Each king's tomb was located beneath each of the large citadels and the hallways of the tomb spread out from the center and equaled the same amount of ground space that the above palace covered. The king, even dead could continue his duties in the physical world in the same palace. These palaces became royal mausoleums which would have been looked after and maintained by his close kin.
Funerary rites were performed over a long period of time. Large amount of fine goods were scattered around the dead body. Sacrifices of young women who willingly offered themselves to continue serving the king in the afterlife were performed together with a large amount of llamas. It was believed that the afterlife was a mirror of the physical world and the continuity and harmony of both depended on how the individuals in the physical world maintained the unity of both.

The "OFFERING" ceremony of the People of the Andes.

The Andean People's practice the religious ceremony of making offerings to the mountains, Mother Earth, an other spirits. It was and still is an act of love and a reminder of the connections we share with all beings, elements, spirits and sacred places. It is done in reciprocity, reverence, and thanksgiving. At a deepest level, it is an opportunity to enter into the essential unity of all things.
There are at least 300 variations of OFFERINGS. While there are certain elements common to all, the particular HEALING INTENTION determines the design of the offering, some of the contents, and even the way that offerings are carried on.
The CEREMONY brings PARTICIPANTS into ALIGNMENT with their PERSONAL INTENT, the GROUP INTENT, and the GRATITUDE  to the EARTH.
"Intention" was defined as WHAT CAN MAKE A MAN SUCCEED when his THOUGHTS TELL HIM THAT HE IS DEFEATED. "Intent" is the power that sends a shaman pass through a wall, through space, to infinity.  "Intent" gives the CAPACITY TO CONTROL SUBTLE ENERGIES.
Subtle energies was known as the ones who moves throughout the LIGHT ENERGY BODY that cannot be quantified and do not involve the physical fields of energy. This luminous body is defined as a COCOON that ONLY PERCEIVES. It belongs to the energy bubble that surrounds the body.
The CEREMONY also brings PARTICIPANTS into INTERNAL ALIGNMENT WITH the THREE
BANDS : physical (YANKAY), feeling and heart (MUNAY), and spirit (YACHAY). The alignment is comparable to the alignment of the seven energy centers of other cultural frameworks.
Finally, the CEREMONY HARMONIZES the COMMUNITY through the SHARING of COCA LEAVES and gifts of STONES, all of which STRENGTHEN the LUMINOUS FIBERS THAT CONNECT US ALL.

The WERE-JAGUAR of the JUNGLE (Runauturuncu).

The RUNAUTURUNCU (were-jaguar) is an entity like the WERE-WOLF of western lore. This entity is a human being who is able to transforms or shape-shifts into a JAGUAR. The entity magically assumes the physical manifestation of a different entity.
The non-entities able to channel the energy to shift their bodies were called the NAGUALS. They showed DOUBLE ENERGY configuration. Human beings develop an ego driven by psychological desires, the naguals do not have this configuration at all. The naguals are the bridge between man and animals like gatekeepers and receive orders from cosmic forces that surpasses the effect of space and time. They are non- entities able to move in the spirit world. The word NAGUAL describes the TECHNIQUE of SHAPE-SHIFTING and the SORCERERS who had learned its secrets. Such individuals were greatly feared.
The RUNAUTURUNCU are the ANCIENT DWELLERS of the FOREST. The JAGUAR is identified as the god of the UNDERWORLD, always associated with BLACK SORCERY and riches.
Admired for its HUNTING PROWESS and STRENGTH, it came to represent beauty, power, cunning and mystery.
The powerful hunting skills of the jaguar STRIKE FEAR and ENVY, but although these powers are alluring, the jaguar can be FOOLISH and WEAK.
One tale says that THE END OF THE EARTH will come when JAGUARS ASCEND from the UNDERWORLD to EAT the SUN and the MOON. We can translate this tale into this quotation:
"Sometimes people  foolishly take more than is needed for food, consuming their environment, maybe even themselves without realizing what they are really doing....... that will be the end of this world."

The HUMMINGBIRD of THE ANDES.

The tiny jewel-like iridescent coloring bird, little more than two inches long, is remarkable for far more its decorative qualities. Its flying abilities are unique and the only man-made object that come near to matching the bird's versatility is the helicopter. The bird's WINGS, unlike most other birds, have particularly long "HAND" bones to which the feathers are attached. The wings can MOVE  in many directions like the HUMAN WRIST. The flexibility allows the bird to KEEP its BODY PERFECTLY
STILL while hovering. The wings move very fast -up to 78 beats a second- in a number "8" shape, all that can be seen is a propeller-like blur that creates the characteristic humming SOUND. The bird is able to fly backward, forward, and upside down; to accelerate to full speed at takeoff; and to stop abruptly when it arrives at its destination. Amazing migrators, they are known to wing their way as far as 2000 miles to reach their destination.
The SPIRITUAL significance of the bird is very deep among the Andean people. The bird is known as a MESSENGER and STOPPER of TIME. Also symbolizes LOVE, JOY, and BEAUTY.
Able to flight backwards is interpreted as ABILITY TO LOOK BACK IN TIME BUT MUST NOT DWELL IN IT, INSTEAD MOVE FORWARD.
A symbol of RESURRECTION, because the bird seems to die on cold nights but comes back to life again at sunrise. When the heart is hurt it seems to die but still it is a chance to heal coming to life again.
The fierce INDEPENDENCE of the bird symbolizes that we can heal from deep wounds that make us weak and dependence of others but if we face our own demons then we will be STRONG and able to find the way to heal. Reaching this stage, INDEPENDENCE will knock at our spiritual door in a healthy way.
The tiredness of the bird seeking the sweetest nectar tells us that FOREVER we need to SEEK OUT THE GOODNESS OF LIFE and THE BEAUTY OF EACH DAY.

MOCHES (MOCHICAS), who were they?

They were people that existed prior the formation of the Inka Empire. MOCHES settled on the north-ern coast of what is now PERU. They were the dominant CULTURE OF THE NORTH. The name was taken from the SACRED RIVER that runs through their land. Their capital was placed at the midst of the Valley of MOCHE, and they were the GUARDIANS of the ENERGY FIELDS produced in the area. The land of the MOCHES extended along the hot coast from LAMBAYEQUE RIVER VALLEY to the NEPENE RIVER VALLEY (215 miles or 350 kilometers south from Lambayeque).
The best-known remains are near the CITY OF TRUJILLO in the sacred MOCHE River Valley.
Two giant structures, known as THE TEMPLE OF THE SUN (HUACA del SOL) and the TEMPLE
OF THE MOON (HUACA de la LUNA), dominate the site. They truly believed in the astral bodies of the SUN and the MOON. As leaving creatures, these forces or energies were in control of the physical realm. They selected warriors of superhuman nature to serve as priests and, trough ceremonials and rituals, were able to opened the gates between realms and let these forces to take control of the elements that governed the Universe according to their own system of laws. These energies materialized in the physical realm in harmony bringing prosperity but if they were in conflict the live energy of the culture itself was in jeopardy.
The way of understanding how these energy field worked out, they were instructed to channel STREAMS that came from THE ANDES, at the same time they were channeling THE FORCES OF THE UNIVERSE manifested on the ground. The MOCHES form an extensive SYSTEM OF IRRIGATION. The WATER ENERGY was manifested as LIFE ENERGY used to grow corn, potatoes and other crops. The same pattern was followed in a cosmic way.
The sophisticated craft goods that they produced shows the manifestation of these forces over the physical world. Pottery shows heads of individuals, animals, plants, buildings, and demonic beings.
Painted scenes show a profound understanding of ceremonial and everyday life, including the offering of prisoners-of-war to the cosmic forces of the universe and the ritual consumption of their blood.
As skilled metalworkers, in their jewelry they used chemical processes to electroplate gold and silver.
The cease to exist because the energy forces of the universe that maintained them alive moved forcing them to move or being meddled to a bigger energy center, that was the INKA EMPIRE.

GREEN MEDICINE OF THE INKAS : ACHIOTE TREE

For thousands of years ACHIOTE HAS BEEN USED by the Andean People for thousands of years to CURE and PREVENT MINOR and LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESSES.
ACHIOTE is the common NAME for the SEED THAT GROWS INSIDE THE FRUIT of the ACHIOTE TREE. During the AUTUM season, the ACHIOTE FRUIT RIPENS, the fruit itself is not edible, but the seeds inside are. The seed's coating is dried under the sun and then ground and added to the dishes to punch up the flavor in the Latin American cuisine. It is used as a natural food coloring.
Its NATURAL YELLOW COLOR is due to its high BIXIN LEVELS. Bixins are POWERFUL CAROTENOIDES that PROTECT THE EYES FROM THE HARMFUL EFFECT OF THE UV RAYS preventing the formation of CATARACTS and premature blindness. They are also potent ANTIOXIDANTS preventing the sign of aging by fighting off the free radicals that destroy cells.
The Andean people use the LEAVES to HEAL EXTERNAL as well as INTERNAL AILMENTS.
The leaves has anti-inflammatory properties. They mix the leaves with alcohol producing a decoction and applied this to the skin soothing rashes, burns, cuts, and other ailments. For women, the decoction is used to cure vaginal infections, specially after giving birth.
The LEAVES are one of the richest sources of TOCOTRIENOLS. They are important because they LIMIT THE LIVER'S ABILITY TO PRODUCE LDL CHOLESTEROL that is the kind of cholesterol that clogs arteries and causes HEART ATTACKS.
The TEA steeped FROM the LEAVES helps to stop DIARRHEA, specially the kind produced to cancer patients receiving radiation or chemotherapy. Three daily cups of tea improve general digestive problems or discomfort.
Also A DAILY ingested dose of TEA made of leaves and roots from the tree REDUCE BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS.
This powerful product was and is the natural healer for the Andean People of the Andes.

Green Medicine of the Inkas: HEALERS (CURANDEROS)

The DIVINE SYMBOLISM OF THE HUMAN BODY and ITS RELATION TO THE COSMOLOGY OF THE UNIVERSE was treated as A SACRED BOND by the healers in the Inka Empire
The Andean system of HEALING ENERGY was based on a profound understanding of the  FORCES OF THE PHYSICAL BODY (nature), FORCES OF THE SPIRITUAL REALM OVER THE PHYSICAL BODY, the PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT OVER THE MIND, and the SOCIAL NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE who use it (collective energy).
The GOAL of this SYSTEM OF HEALING ENERGY was to CREATE A BALANCE between the human body and the forces of the universe acting over it.
They believed that the human body was a being of light formed at the beginning of everything. It was the product resulting from the manifestation of the Creator (Wiracocha) of the Universe. In other words a replica of Himself acting inside the human body. It was his own image in a compressed body. All worlds were reflected in the human body and through the journey in earth, men  were perfecting his own nature.
The HEALING ENERGY was treated as a blending of many things such us RELIGIOUS BELIEFS,
FAITH, and PRAYER; with the USE OF HERBS, ENERGY CENTERS, and other traditional methods of healing. It can be defined as a set of traditional beliefs, rituals, and practices that addressed the physical, spiritual, psychological, and social needs of the people who used it.
Today western healers seek to treat the person, not the illness itself. In the belief that the mind plays a major role in certain bodily ailments, they use supplements in order to alter the patient's emotional state and thus leave the door open for the consumption of a variety of pharmaceutical products.

Ancestry, how the Inkas dealt with it.

Memory, was and is something that is present everywhere and nowhere in particular. They brain, according to them, was not a warehouse full of memories but a powerful devise for tuning them in. They observed the way of nature, the capability that animals species inherit their unique characteristics.
As forms of living creatures have evolved, they believed that a certain field was formed according to their nature and characteristics. This field ensures that the descendants will conform to the patterns established by generations of their own kind, be they any living creature.
The ANCESTORS have created the forms of their species, as new species develops, it contributes to the perseverance of their own fields, and at the same time the field shapes the individual. This beliefs made them very aware of the consequences for breaking the laws of nature.
This type of phenomenon are not detected in laboratories. They do exist in harmony with the laws of nature, and, they do not obey accepted man's laws of science. They exist from the beginning of times and are the only ones that allow direct communication between the past and the present, a phenomenon that no existing scientific instrument can detect.
The astral knowledge of the forces of the universe let them be aware of the language that they hold in order to coexist without interruption, otherwise the same fields with no coordination to the source ended up destroying the field in which the species formed and survived.
Imagine a force of resonance by which one in this present time is able to communicate with those that resembled them in the past. This resonance not only permit individuals to communicate with their ancestors but also enables to tune in its own past.
Therefore MEMORY IS A JOURNEY THAT THE MIND MAKES INTO THE PAST VIA THE FIELD OF RESONANCE, not a physical record stored in the brain.

Black Magic and White Magic in the Inka Empire

Black magic was understood as "the conscious exercise of evil." In other words "the perversion of white magic." It, sometimes called "the left-hand path." The various stages of white magic were concerned with helping the soul in order to overcome the difficulties of the evolution of mankind. The methods used to the aid of the human being were intended to ease the conflicts and separations that existed between the physical body and the spiritual body of mankind.
Black magic was used to block this healing process, perverting the forces that were suppose to heal and converting them in the malpractice of poisoning the spiritual and physical bodies. Both, the white and the black magic, used the same knowledge to canalize the healing or poisoning process but with different views. While the healing forces created a storehouse of healing energy diminishing the obstacles that created the separation of the spiritual and physical bodies, the opposite mechanism instead had the view to creating conflict between the spiritual and physical bodies of man, making him vulnerable to any kind of illnesses.
The black magicians always had a selfish purpose underlying his ceremonial ritual; usually he had in mind the perversion or destruction of another entity for his own personal gain or for the gain of those whom he represented.
The popular distinction that was drawn between white and black ceremonials was that white magic was involved with "the work of the sons of light," whereas black magic was involved with "the work of the demons."
The people of the Andes were very deep connected with the forces of nature. They had a profound respect towards them because they were "the protectors of their souls." The people pleased them with festivals and offerings and were very concerned when they were offended through any kind of wrongdoings. They, as much as they could tried to maintain the balance they needed in order to increase its power and maintain the unity of their people.

GATEKEEPERS

Gatekeeper, also called doorkeeper, served at various places, such as CITY GATES, TEMPLE GATES, even at the DOORWAYS of HOMES.
Gatekeepers of the CITY GATES were appointed to see that the GATES were closed al night time, and acted as a WATCHMEN at the gate. Other watchmen were posted as lookouts on top of the gate or in a tower where they got a wide range of view  and announced those approaching the CITY. They cooperated with the gatekeeper.
It was a very responsible position inasmuch as the SAFETY of the CITY DEPENDED ON THE GATEKEEPER to a considerable degree, and he was AN INSTRUMENT OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THOSE OUTSIDE the CITY and THOSE INSIDE.
They were responsible TO GUARD the CITY's doors and see that they were opened and closed AT THE PROPER TIME. Besides guard duty, SOME took care of the CONTRIBUTIONS BROUGHT IN BY THE PEOPLE FOR USE AT THE TEMPLE.
In the mythology of the INKA EMPIRE, the SOULS were linked to the ascent or descent of the planetary spheres, each of them having their own GATEKEEPERS.
They had a rebirth tradition linked with the descent of the SOUL through the planetary spheres prior the release of the SOUL from the GATEKEEPER of the place where it was bounded, which postulates   a progress harmful to the good of the soul. The descent pictured the "sluggishness" (slow to act or move) of Saturn,  the "desire of domination" of Jupiter,  the "passionateness" of Mars,  the "lustfulness"
of Venus,  and the "avarice" and "greed" of Mercury. It was believed that the PURE SOUL was tested by these influences and the weak ones were blinded by the influences of these powers making it unable to use its own powers. Ordinary life was that of a unconscious or semiconscious tests in the spirit, like passing in a sort of shadow realm.