The Inca Empire consisted of a central government with the Inca at its head and 4 quarters, or Suyos: Chinchaysuyo (NW), Antisuyo (NE), Contisuyo (SW), and CollaSuyo (SE). The 4 corners of these quarters met at the center, in the sacred city of Cuzco as a symbolic connection between the Cosmos and Earth, and Sky and Earth, where the 4 compass directions meet. At this point travel and correspondence was made between Higher and Lower Realms. Communications from Lower Realms ascended to Higher ones and Blessings from Higher Realms descended to Lower Ones and were disseminated to all. Cuzco functioned as the Navel, the World's point of beginning, and as the preeminent center of the Sacred Energy that encompassed Religion and Politics.
Cuzco was essentially governed by the Sapa Inca, and his close royal lineage of relatives. Each Suyo was governed by an Apu, a term of great esteem used for men of very high religious status and for venerated Mountains. Cuzco and the 4 Suyos were grouped into Upper (Hanan) and Lower (Hurin) religious divisions districts. There were likely more than 86 districts, with more than 48 in the highlands and more than 38 on the Coast.
The most populous of the Suyos was Chinchaysuyo that encompassed the former lands of the Chimu Empire and much of the Northern Andes. At its largest extent, the Suyo extended through much of modern Ecuador and just into modern Colombia. The 2nd smallest of the Suyos was Antisuyo which was located NorthWest of Cuzco in High Andes. Collasuyo was named after the Aymara-speaking Colla People and was the largest of the quarters in terms of area. This Suyo encompassed the Bolivian Altiplano and much of the Southern Andes, running down into Argentina and as far South as the Maule River near modern Santiago, Chile. Contisuyo was the smallest of the Suyos and was located along the Southern Coast of modern peru, extending into the Highlands towards Cuzco.
The Wiphala, a square emblem, used as a flag, represents the Peoples of all the Andes. The emblem is composed of a 7-by-7 square patchwork in 7 colors, arranged diagonally. The precise configuration depends on the particular Quarter (Suyo) represented by the emblem. The color of the longest diagoanl line (7 Squares) determines which of the 4 Quarters (Regions) the flag represents: White for Collasuyo, Yellow for Contisuyo, Red for Chinchaysuyo, and Green for Antisuyo.
The 7 colors of the actual Wiphala originate from the visible spectrum. The significance and meanings for each color are as follows: -Red: The Earth and the Andean Man. -Orange: Society and Culture.
-Yellow: Energy. -White: Time. -Green: Natural Resources. -Blue: the Heavens. -Violet: Andean Government and Self-determination.
The stepped Inca Cross (Chacana), made up of an equal-armed cross indicated the Cardinal Points of the Compass and a superimposed square. The square represented the other 2 levels of existence.
The 3 levels of existence were: -Hanan Pacha, the upper world inhabited by superior entities. -Kay Pacha, the world of our everyday existence. -Urin Pacha, the underworld inhabited by the spirits of the dead, the ancestors, their overlords, and various entities having close contact to the Earth plane.
The hole through the centre of the Cross was the gate by means of which the Shaman would transit the Cosmic Vault to the other levels. Cuzco was the symbolic representation of the hole, the center of the Incan Empire, and the Southern Cross constellation.
The geometry of the symbol has a high degree of symmetry. It can be drawn from a circle. A square is inscribed in the circle, with the corners tangent to the circle. This forms the middle step of the ladder. A smaller square (tilted 45 degrees) is made from the midpoints of the large square.
Connecting the midpoints of the small square and extending the lines to the edge of the Circle will form the arms of the Cross. A small Circle is made from the diameter of the Cross Lines.
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