What is a despacho?
A despacho is a ceremony of thanksgiving and intention setting that comes from the Andean mystical tradition. They are performed in honor of Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the Apus (spirits of the mountains), and are a way for us to practice sacred reciprocity (Ayni), with the world in which we live. A despacho ceremony is an opportunity for the community to come together in collective prayer and to manifest through conscious intention.
Occasions to have a despacho
Despachos can be created for almost any intention, most commonly, they are made for healing and blessing, to clear obstacles, and to mark new beginnings. A despacho is an offering of gratitude and a clear, concise request for help from the unseen forces that guide and support us. A few examples of occasions we have performed despachos for would be: as the opening ceremony (intention setting) for festivals & workshops, as house blessings after purchase and before building (to request permission of the nature spirits of the land), house/land clearings (harmonizing energies), blessing ways for babies, as a rite of passage, and for the health and well being of individuals and for Pachamama.
Schedule an in person despacho or long distance -remote despacho; due to the energetic nature of this ceremony you do not have to be present to receive the benefits, intention knows no boundaries.
Perhaps, Q’ero Elder Don Manuel Q’espi, best describes what a despacho is in a presentation he made at Canyon de Chelley in May 1997 (translated by Jose Luis Herrera): “The despacho is a gift–a giving back of what we receive everyday in our lives. We seek, through the despacho ceremony, to bridge the ordinary and non-ordinary realms; to establish new patterns of relationship and possibility. The despacho places us in right relationship, right ayni, with the Pachamama. It establishes a linkage between our three centers of interaction in the kaypacha (the physical universe); our llankay (our personal power and source of action, located in our solar plexus), our munay (the source of our love, located in our heart chakra), and our yachay (wisdom, sourced from our foreheads or “third eye”)… The contents of the despacho are in part determined by its purpose. The various elements that comprise the despacho energetically interact to permit access to portals or bridges from the ordinary and non-ordinary worlds. When working in ceremony with the despacho, one is accessing the non-ordinary energetic dimensions, the source of things. Though the contents may have symbolic significance, the despacho, when performed with the correct intent, transcends literal and symbolic domains and directly accesses the archetypal and energetic realms… In order to build a good co-existence with nature, the only real choice we have is to enter with our heart, wisdom, and our action. We call upon the spirits of the waters, of the mountains, and of the Pachamama to come and help us prepare the offering. We have the intent of seeking to establish and maintain a continuous dialogue with the Mother and to bring balance and harmony to our lives, and to all our relations. It is through the dynamics of love, of right thinking,and of right action that our lives become bountiful.”
I’ve had the immense honor of attending three Despachos, each of different in natures. One was to bless a group of healing practitioners on their educational path, another to bless a newly built house, and the latest, to stand in solidarity with the indigenous people of Standing Rock.
All three ceremonies were lead by Pyasa and Vinaya whom I believe are taking the ritual to the next level. Part of the ceremony is to help balance light and heavy energies, as well as feminine and masculine energies. Pyasa and Vinaya not only posseess these qualities, they bring a grounded yet loving presence to the ceremony… It is so sweet and pure; you become a part of what they invite everyone to create.
A Despacho is a very powerful ritual that has changed my life and my beliefs about where we are headed as co-creators of our universe. It’s a beautiful sharing of intention and love. Pyasa and Vinaya guide the ceremonies with grace and balance that goes to the heart of the intention. I highly recommend anyone to attend a Despacho and see how powerful and life-changing it is.
Vinaya and his partner, Pyasa, are initiated as fourth level healers in the Andean mystical tradition. Among other healing modalities, they are trained in the sacred art of despacho making. For the last four years they have performed despachos for their local community in Ecuador. Now, during these times of great change for humanity and our planet, Pyasa and Vinaya are guided to bring the gift of despachos abroad, to support the global community in reconnecting with Pachamama utilizing the wise ways of our indigenous elders —> through the power of collective prayer. This shift is a potent time! The structures and paradigms which we have heavily relied upon are breaking down; we have the opportunity to birth new holistic structures and paradigms. It is time to focus our collective intent, to consciously co-create union, harmony and reciprocity with nature and each other. Despachos are a powerful way for us to unify our co-creative powers and practice RIGHT-RELATIONSHIP with the world around us. Send a message for tour dates in Europe 2017 or to book your own despacho for your festival, family or community
With loving reverence for life and heartfelt connection with the sacred; Pyasa and Vinaya skillfully create sacred space, inviting the community to experience the ancient ceremonial Andean Despacho ritual to deepen our understanding of our relationship with the unseen divine forces of life. We were blessed to have them share opening ceremony with us during our retreats at Canción del Corazón Wholistic Lifepath Center in Vilcabamba Ecuador.
