THE MEANING OF THE INCA CROSS, CHACANA.

The Inca Cross (Chacana) is a strong Incan religious symbol and the most holy and complete geometric design formed by superimposed geometric shapes representing the 3 levels of existence: Hanan Pacha (Upper World inhabited by the higher gods), Kay Pacha (the world where we live on), Uku Pacha ( underworld inhabited by the spirits of the dead).

The symbol is often found in old places that belonged to the Old Cultures in The Andes of Peru and Bolivia. It was understood as an axis made of stairs in which only the permitted and trained ones were allowed to ascend or descend through it.

The Inca Cross represents the Constellation of the Southern Cross which is to be seen on the Southern Hemisphere. They considered it as the Centre of the Universe in which all the universal forces converged to it or diverged from it.
The 4 main stars of the Southern Cross are Acrux (Alpha Crucis), bottom; Becrux (Beta Crucis), left; Gacrux (Gamma Crucis), top; and Delta Crucis, right. 

The Incas used the Cosmic Cross in their architectural design of many buildings, temples, and artifacts such as The Condor Temple in Machu Picchu. In The Temple of the 3 Windows, the half Inca Cross is to be seen in the middle, and when the sun shines, the shadow forms the other half of the Cross. 

The oldest representation of the Cross was found in the Bolivian Andes within the archaeological area of Tiahuanaco. Other many productions of The Cross have been found in the ruins of Machu Picchu, Pisac, and Ollantaytambo.

The Quechua word "Chacana" is based on the word "chacay," which means "to cross," "to bridge," "stairs," in other words "a inter-dimensional passage."

The top left represented the Past, Present, and Future. The top right represented the Hanan Pacha (Upper World of Light and sophisticated energy. Stars, Divine Creatures, and gods); Kay Pacha (The Earth made of different Light and heavy energy, the here and the now, Mother Earth, People"s lives); Uku Pacha (The Underworld made of such heavier energy, not the place of Hell but the place of Death). 

The bottom left represented Peace, War, and Intelligence. The bottom right represented the holy animals (Condor in the dominion of the sky, Puma as a powerful land animal, and Snake as the representation of the lower world of the animals).

The center hole represented the Inca capital Cuzco, the center of the Inca Empire. The people who lived there were able to interchange between the worlds, or understand the 3 levels of the universal life interchanging with the 4 elements and at the same time in the middle of the whole universe.

The 4 sides symbolized the 4 cardinal points of a compass (North, South, East West), and undirectly relating to the sun god or highest diety; the 4 elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air); and the 4 big stars in the South Cross Constellation.

The 12 corners of The Cross dictated the Inca's calendar composed by 12 months, each of 30 days. Each month  had its own Festival.