WARNING: This is a personal post.

Daniel practicing the curandero art. Photo by http://www.elainag.com/.

The path of the curandero can be, without a doubt, the least gratifying vocation one could ever choose.  Truly, the only reason one chooses to do it is if they have a "calling." More often than not, it is a thankless gig where heart and soul is poured into a life serving others with very little returned in favor. Additionally, like any vocation there are hits and misses. Not everything is perfect.


I use Sharon's definition because that is primarily the lineage that I practice, as there are many different lineages of curanderismo throughout the Latin Americas depending on the country (or part of each country) you are referring to. Beyond that, there are a lot of misconceptions with this practice, especially as a Caucasian American practicing this work in a modern world filled to the brim with New Age self-help gurus on every street corner offering enlightenment at a specially priced package.

Let's run down the list of misunderstandings about what I do (or don't do):

1. I am not a shaman. Shamans are indigenous healers/priests that live completely immersed in a lifestyle of which I could only hope to aspire to. They truly walk between the worlds of the seen and Unseen (and I don't mean someone who can just snap right out of a 30 meditation and then drive on over to Whole Foods to get a smoothie). Some of the practices inherent in curanderismo are shamanic, per se (in the same way that some of the practices are also Christian or Buddhist) but that does not make me a shaman (in the same way that I am not a Christian or a Buddhist). I do try to live my life by a code of conduct as a priest would, as that is how I was trained and initiated.
2. I am not a doctor, therapist, or a life coach. Nor do I want to be. I provide this warning every single time I have a client that I choose to work with. I am not certified in psychology, psychiatry, or social work, though I may be knowledgeable in them all. If you want your life problems solved what I offer is a chance to cut into the Truth underlining your soul and pave a path for transforming your current circumstances to rise up to a higher potential. It is always up to you, the client, to make those choices. You are completely responsible for yourself. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to make money off of you.
3. I am a father and husband, first and foremost. I have a life. Although this is a vocation, it is not my primary source of livelihood. I have two full-time jobs already: the first is my day job to support my family, and then the second is my family itself. I will always do my best to help someone in need, but my life comes first. Sometimes I just may not be able to find the time. And that's okay, because (refer to number 2).
4. Yes, I charge for my time. I am not claiming to be a Lakota medicine man or a spiritual guru. I am trained within a specific lineage based upon folk healing practices. In this tradition, which stems from northern Peru, this is the primary vocation of those claiming to be curanderos and curanderas. This is how they pay their bills, it is part of their culture, and it has been so for thousands of years. Some of them even advertise. So, before getting triggered about someone "capitalizing off of indigenous spirituality" do some research first on the history of curanderismo, as well as take into consideration that for the 9 to 10 hours I work at my day job, then the raising of three children, as well as being a husband (and maybe even having some time to myself....maybe?) that my time does need to be compensated in some way shape or form. I don't gut my clients. I do not aim to make a living off of them. I certainly don't swindle. I try to be flexible or sometimes even accept trade if someone is in dire need. I'm here to serve to the best of my ability. But, the teachings of my tradition beg sacred reciprocity in all of life. That means giving must always happen before receiving.
5. You have to be ready to do some work. My job is to reveal that which you are unable to currently see. After that, I provide you with some breathing room as well as tools to be able to get the desired result you would like to have. After that, you have to get to work, because any true healing comes from you doing the majority of the work. I've always been taught that curing is likened to sitting in the passenger seat of the car . . . the client is driving, I'm just there holding the map. I can point the way, but you have to get there. If I did everything for you, you wouldn't heal. You would become dependent upon me, then hyper-dependent, and finally you would become worse off. You have to be willing to change things, change behaviors, change habits, as well as change addictions. Healing is transformation and transformation means turning one thing into another, lead into gold. It is not an easy-going process. It takes work.
6. Warning! Shadows abound! If you are looking for healing it's because something isn't working right in your life, with you. 9 times out of 10, something is not working right because you are not seeing something clearly and have developed habits that prevent you from seeing it. My job is to see it, then to get you to see it, so you can then do something about it. This often leads to very uncomfortable revelations that can turn your world upside down. If you are not ready for that, and especially not ready to do anything about it, then you may want to reconsider this modality and seek elsewhere. Most especially, if you get started and do not stick with it to address the unforeseen revelation, you may open a whole new Pandora's box for yourself that could potentially unravel more chaos into your life. Be ready to face anything, most especially your own self. 
7. I am not enlightened, or more spiritually special than you are. Curanderismo takes training, skill, and an artistic knack. To be a curandero doesn't mean God chooses me especially to be more spiritually better than anyone else. It's a craft. Some people just have a knack for being a doctor, a lawyer, a painter, or a project manager. Some people are good at those things, are meant to do them somehow. It doesn't mean they are spiritually enlightened or better than anyone else. In the same light, not everyone is meant to be a curandero; everyone has their own knack, their own purpose. Because I was trained as a curandero doesn't mean I am enlightened or a spiritual guru. Moreso, it doesn't mean I always have my shit together, either. I am a human being. I'm not perfect. But, I do have a knack for this particular craft and am definitely called to share it with the world. Do not hold me to a higher standard than you would hold yourself.  

These are just some of the misconceptions that float around about those who practice shamanic healing, or any other form of alternative healing modality. I cannot speak to other traditions, but I certainly can speak for my lineage.  Somehow, for some reason, I see many people in this tradition get a lot of flak, a lot of projection thrown at them for things out of their control. We are all human, and we need to treat each other such, at the same time holding each other up to an equitable standard of integrity and respect. 

I'm here to serve. There's no question about that. But, I'm also here to be vulnerable and make mistakes as well. It's a human experience and we're all here to paint the picture we were meant to paint.

Daniel and his beloved Autumn with their mesas. Photo by http://www.elainag.com/.

What exactly is a mesa and what is it used for? I am going to attempt to concoct the most comprehensive of definitions (with a little explanation of course).

Courtesy of Ej Johnson

Put very simply: a mesa is an altar that is used shamanically for healing and connection with the natural world. One way to see the mesa is as "a living control panel, co-created by Spirit and the curandero [shaman], to become a vehicle for experiencing the ineffable." (1)

The word  mesa is a Spanish term meaning "table." It denotes the typically flat surface area in which a mesa is generally used.  The mesa geographically comes from the Latin Americas, most specifically Peru. There are many styles and variations depending on both the region and the individual user. This makes pinpointing a distinct and categorical definition of the mesa sometimes challenging. In essence, there is no one way or tradition of the mesa that is the way.

An altar is a created space where religious rites are performed to gain access and connection to whatever source of spiritual awareness one may have (God, Goddess, Nature, etc.). Anyone can use a mesa, there is no special priest or priestess hierarchy to go through in order to work with it. It is a very personal, individualized tool one uses in their spiritual work, though there are certain traditions and lineages that are worthwhile to recognize and honor as well. Here are some listed below.

CURANDERISMO

The curanderos (curers) of Peru are shamanic folk-healers with roots dating clear back to the ancient Chavín culture, approximately 900 BCE. The layout of a curandero's mesa usually consists of a type of cloth laid on the ground (or sometimes a table) with an assemblage of sacred artifacts (called artes) arranged on top of it. These artes act as tools for the curandero's use to conduct healing on others, assist in divination, and commune with the unseen world of spirit.

The assemblage of these objects is very personal in accordance with a curandero's own spiritual guidance. however there does seem to be an overall theme most curanderos in the north-coastal region of Peru follow. A curandero's mesa is generally divided into three vertical fields, or sections, called campos. Each one of these campos designate the type or style of healing that is performed on the client. For instance:

• Left side: called the campo ganadero, this field of mesa deals with releasing dark, dense energies.
• Right side: called the campo justicerio, this field works with raising lighter energies in the client.
• Middle: called the campo medio, this is the field generally associated with balance. 

" . . . the mesa can be regarded as a representation of divine (rather than human) scales of justice where the goal is equilibrium and order, not a weighted outcome in favour of 'light' or 'dark' . . ." (2)

From El Comercio.pe

PAQOKUNA

The paqokuna are a class of shamanic priests within the Quechua ( also known as the Q'ero) peoples of the Andes Mountains. The Quechua are the direct descendants of the Incas (1400 CE) and have maintained as much of their heritage as possible through centuries of colonialism. Unlike the open mesa of the curandero, the Quechua paqokuna (or paqos) operate their rites with the mesas closed in a bundle. Most paqos very rarely open their mesas, if at all. The bundle is full of sacred artifacts similar to the curandero's mesa, though they generally refer to these artifacts as khuyas.

The bundled nature of the paqo's mesa is very fitting to cultural framework of the Quechua. The Quechua are farmers and lama herders, they spend a lot of their time walking the landscape of the Andean highlands, toiling in the dirt. So, their mesa are conducive to this environment.

"Much like North American medicine men who carry the objects of their trade in a bundle that they keep by them at all times, Q'ero paqos carry objects they find in the mountains, that come to them directly from other dimensions, or that are given to them by another shaman." (3)

Courtesy Teri Gilfilen

THE PACHAKUTI MESA

The version of the mesa that I use can be considered a mix between the curandero and paqokuna lineages. The Pachakuti Mesa was developed by don Oscar Miro-Quesada, a kamasqa curandero from Peru who established a more cross-cultural component to the use of the mesa.

don Oscar

The Pachakuti Mesa Tradition facilitates a particular placement of various artes on the mesa cloth (also called a manta or banco) that honors the directions of the compass, as well as the elements of Nature. When invoked, these directions/elements create a generative field of energy that assists one in their medicine work. Using terminology from the Quechua, the directions/elements honored are:

• Pachamama: South/Earth
• Mama Killa: West/Water
• Wiracocha: North/Air
• Inti: East/Fire
• K'uychi: Center/Aether (Soul)

Although the Pachakuti Mesa follows this distinct regimen of unity, every single altar space is completely unique to the individual carrier of the mesa. Note these glorious examples from Pachakuti Mesa carriers across the globe:

Courtesy Michael Schuver

Courtesy Nancy Salmons

Courtesy Pamela Hess

Courtesy Shea Armstrong

Courtesy Rosanna Murphrey

Courtesy Aeyrie Silver Eagle

Life is never stagnant. It changes, goes through phases, and like a person who is often growing from one day to the next, so does the mesa. Mesas change and transform over time, and that is exactly the way it should be. For the mesa is not only a "control panel" to interact with the unseen forces of Spirit, but also a reflection of the inner realms that exist in every one of us. My own mesa is dynamic and has evolved over the years:

My Mesa from 2012

 "The Mesa itself is a mirror, a microcosm of the all-encompassing Self, which is paradoxically both internally experienced and externally expressed throughout the universe." (4)

Hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to the mesa. Stay tuned for more information on the philosophy and application of the mesa here on the Daedalus Thread.


FOOTNOTES

1. Magee, Matthew. Peruvian Shamanism: The Pachakuti Mesa. p. xvi
2. Heaven, Ross. The Hummingbird's Journey to God: Perspectives on San Pedro, the Cactus of Vision. p. 57
3. Wiiliams, J.E. The Andean Codex: Adventures and Initiations Among the Peruvian Shamans. p.47
4. Magee, Matthew. Peruvian Shamanism: The Pachakuti Mesa. p. xvi

The Flammarion Engraving (1888)

The other day I was in counsel with one of my fellow apprentices in the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition Apprenticeship Program. She had sent me a raving email earlier in the day venting about the bombardment of negative feelings in her life. We had met for coffee later that evening to discuss it; by that time she was calm and the day had transpired from negativity to a heightened illumination then into something more manageable.

Nodding, I mumbled something like: "Hmm, moving through those realms."

"What?" she asked with a look of mildly contorted confusion.

"The realms, the shamanic realms. Remember that definition I gave in the first weekend of apprenticeship, the more generic definition of what shamanism is?"

While she slumped in her seat muttering a collection of "Ums" and "Ers," I recalled the source I always use to provide what I believe to be the most comprehensive definition on the practice of the shamanic arts, by Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph.D.:

"Shamanism can be defined as a family of traditions whose practitioners focus on voluntarily entering altered states of consciousness in which they experience themselves or their spirit(s) interacting with other entities, often by traveling to other realms, in order to serve their community." (1)

"What are you talking about?" she retorted. "I didn't travel to any realms."

"Sure you did, the three realms."

In the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition (PMT), there is a three-realm cosmology we use to describe the framework of the universe. This framework is not just PMT, nor mesa, centric. It is a universal paradigm ascribed to many spiritual-religious traditions across the planet, particularly shamanic.

"The shaman's world of spirit is often seen as divided into three distinct regions: the Middleworld, the Upperworld, and the Lowerworld." (2)

The three worlds, or realms, are where the work is done in the shamanic arts. A concise description of each can be:

• Lowerworld: the world below; the inner realm; the place where is stored our most repressed aspects of psyche. This is the place of shadow, where we go to face those parts of ourselves we rarely wish to see.
• Middleworld: this world; the here and now; the physical plane of existence. From the other realms, this is the place where the shaman returns to do their work.
• Upperworld: the world above; the transcendent; the realm of the highest state of consciousness. Often thought of as celestial or angelic, this place can be thought of as aspiration toward one's better self.

The Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, stemming from the Peruvian worldviews of North-coastal curanderismo and Andean paqokuna, has its own terms to apply to these three realms. These terms are in the language of Quechua, from the Quechua peoples of the Andes, the descendants on the Incas. These terms are:


Take a look at the graphic below and see how these realms interact with the human body. The Ukhu Pacha in the lower section, connecting the feet to the Earth below. The Kay Pacha section existing where the hands exist, those instruments we use to bring our work into the world. The Hanaq Pacha at the crown, where we ascend to higher planes for inspiration.  


Relating to the work of mythologist Joseph Campbell, shamanic practitioner (and fellow PMT mesa carrier) Matthew Magee has correlated the experience of these three realms with the hero's journey. The hero's journey is the universal story Campbell found in all myths and spiritual traditions around the world. Magee suggests:

"In the hero's journey, a person must leave the familiar in order to fulfill a destiny (usually divinely inspired), overcome difficult obstacles, and finally, return to his or her community to share the message learned and to restore or enhance the lives of the people he or she represents. Campbell depicts this universal myth as having three stages: 'separation - initiation - return.' Similarly, in the shamanic journey the curandero leaves the realm of the familiar and either ascends to the Hanaq Pacha or descends to the Ukhu Pacha, gains otherwise inaccessible knowledge or power, then returns to the Kay Pacha." (3)

What initially confounded my fellow apprentice was the literal perspective of traveling to these other realms, and viewing them as external dimensions or realities. Although that could be taken into consideration, I asked her to view these realms in the perspective of psychology: as psychotherapeutic states of being.

Notice in the graph above the realms are separated. Andean mysticism suggests that at one time these realms were highly integrated, in fact are meant to be integrated, and it was humankind's fall from grace that separated these realms. In fact, it is because these realms are separated that our society remains in its collective malaise of self and global destruction. Anthropologist Catherine J. Allen, Ph.D., through her own inter-personal work with the Quechua, reveals a way in which we can begin to integrate these realms:

"The power of the inner world [Ukhu Pacha] is the inverse, a kind of crystallization, of the power emanating from the upper world [Hanaq Pacha]. We human beings live at the interface, in this world [Kay Pacha], where exchange and transformation take place." (4)

Now take a look at the graphic below. Imagine life before the hero's journey, before apprenticeship/initiation into any shamanic or mystery tradition. The three worlds exist separately, without interconnection.


Imagine the timeline of a person's life, your life, running left to right on this graphic. If we exist in a state of being without integration with these realms, we walk throughout our lives unaware of the shadow, the repressed notions of psyche hidden deep within the Lowerworld, the Ukhu Pacha. If these shadows are not tended to, left unchecked they explode unexpectedly into our lives, often leaving a fallout that bleeds over into the Middle World, the Kay Pacha: hurting ones we love, undesired consequences, depression, etc. See graphic below:

This state of being leaves one out of balance and affects the rest of the realms negatively. Unattended, these shadows can become worse, more out of control, and harder to manage as time goes on.

Now, when beginning an apprenticeship in the shamanic arts, and specifically in the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, the first realm one learns to interact with is the Lowerworld, the Ukhu Pacha. This is because the work of the curandero, of the medicine woman or man, is to learn to manage the energies of the Lowerworld. Part of this is to harness what is necessary from these shadows and return the rest back to the below, to be composted in the regenerative soils of Mother Earth. So, when one works with this realm correctly, life begins to look a little more like this:

So, even though we have mitigated the out-of-control qualities of shadow arising from the Lowerworld and into the Middleworld, we can see that they still interact. Shadow doesn't go away. However, it can be managed and integrated more harmoniously into the interface of the Middleworld. But, the integration of the three realms is still out of balance . . . we need interaction from the Upperworld, the Hanaq Pacha, in order achieve this balance.

While we are spending our time working with the Lowerworld and its many teachings, it often helps to receive guidance from on high. The Upperworld acts as a sort of beacon here in the Middleworld, a guiding post helping us aspire to be the best we can absolutely be. We sit in the Kay Pacha, looking to the Hanaq Pacha while working with the Ukhu Pacha. This is just one way, out of many, to envision working with the shamanic cosmology of the three realms both in the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition and in other psycho-spiritual modalities and traditions as well.

So, in a nutshell this is what I explained to my fellow apprentice. That within one day she brought up a stream of negativity (of shadow from the Lowerworld) and due to some illuminations (the Upperworld) she found a balanced, manageable state of being (in the Middleworld). It was her excitement over this new way of looking at the three realms that inspired me to write this column. I hope others can gain a little extra insight as well.



FOOTNOTES

1. Walsh, Roger. The World of Shamanism: New Views of an Ancient Tradition, p. 15-16.
2. Rysdyk, Evelyn C. Modern Shamanic Living: New Explorations of an Ancient Path, p.37.
3. Magee, Matthew. Peruvian Shamanism: The Pachakuti Mesa, p. 13.
4. Allen, Catherine J. The Hold Life Has: Coca and Cultural Identity in an Andean Community, p. 48.

Excerpts from my most published article "The Universal Heart" are in the latest book by shamanic author and psychopomp Ross Heaven: Cactus of Mystery: The Shamanic Powers of the Peruvian San Pedro Cactus. You can link to the book and purchase it on Amazon.com and it will be out soon on Kindle!



"The Universal Heart" details my first experience in a mesada with San Pedro. It has been published online, as well as in the hardcover magaiznes Indie Shaman and Sacred Hoop. To see the full article you can read it on Reality Sandwich online magazine: http://www.realitysandwich.com/universal_heart or here on The Deadalus Thread: http://www.danielmoler.com/2010/10/universal-heart-written-spring-2010.html.

Thank you Ross!

Just recently, I embarked upon my paqowachu, the vision quest to encapsulate my Pachakuti Mesa apprenticeship. I will not go into details about my vision, I am sure that will manifest in who I am and how I express myself over time. I will, however, post some photos of the areas and logistics.

I went to the Great Sand Dunes area in Southern Colorado, the Sangre de Cristo range. Below is  a pick of the Dunes, looking to the North/Northwest. The Sangre de Cristo arch around from the North to the Eastern side fo the Dunes, forming a peninsula of fourteeners. The jagged peaks to the left are Crestone. It was Crestone Peak that originally called me to the area, though is not my primary apu (mountain lord).


This is Mount Herard. I had some questing there to do before I set off for Blanca, my primary apu. Herard called for my blood and sweat and toil. Go Herard...


Then I set off for Blanca Peak, in the Eastern peninsula, the Southern most section fo the Sangre de Cristo, and the Eastern Gate of the Dine (Navajo) Nation. Blanca is said to be fastened to the Earth by lightening.

Blanca is the left, though just looks smaller because the range to the right is closer. I have no idea what the peak on the right is called, so I just called her Mount Moraya, after my new medicine kitten at home.


I went far up the mountain. Here was my view when I settled. You can barely see Blanca on the left.


Better shot...this was my view of Moraya the whole time, facing East. Moraya was my beacon to Blanca, because Blanca is much too high and treacherous to get any closer to.


When I turned to the West, this was my view of San Luis Valley (though my direct view was a little more to the South, didn't get a great pic at the time....was busy questing).


There were many wonderful confirmations throughout the trip. Here was a random hovel in the rocks on the side of the road leaving San Luis Valley. Perfect resonance with my experience.




And Garden of the Gods on the way out through Colorado Springs. Ancestors are heavy there...a lot of good medicine when the tourists aren't around.


Overall, a perfect trip. Again, can't really go in to it, but maybe I'll do a painting soon that speaks more the essence of the journey. Llankay munay yuyay yachay hunuy...

My article "The Universal Heart" has been published in the UK hard copy magazine, Sacred Hoop! You can go to their website and purchase a hard copy or a downloadable version: http://www.sacredhoop.org/

Notice I got a cover blurb: "Facing Fear." Below are the cover and Table of Contents. Thank you Niccholas Breeze Wood and everyone at Sacred Hoop for the opportunity!

Given to me in a recent medicine journey, an homage to San Cipriano.
Aho Mitakuye Oyasin.

For my fellow mesa carrier bruthas and sistas:



Rolling out magic


Wind blowing, feel the friction in the air

Crisp as pithy adornment

     Atmospheric pressure

Pin-prickle goose bump hair rising on the back of your neck

     Have you asked for the storm?

Look to the West, where the Awkikuna stir it up

Stand naked out in the field, open your arms

     Open your heart

     Wait for the humidity to rise, then friction collide

Dualistic polarities; positive, negative

     Negative, positive

     Yang and ying; ride the middle current

30,000 amps of luminous charge

Feel the nanoparticle dance on your epidermal shell

     The campo medio angle

A voltage of light, and punch, from Indra’s wand

Potential gradient upper ionization of true power

Output rapid flicker in 300 millionths of a second

Concrescence initiation on the high ridge of experience

     Akashic Record smack down kiss and embrace

All packed in one supersonic acoustic shockwave of 36,000 degrees

     Hotter than Inti Tayta on a good day

And you, I, electromagnetic radioactive conductors

Crystalline filters of positive/negative intergalactic intercourse

Potentiality of polarization effect seamlessly ionizing the air around us

     Spilling over to the next village in a cumulous convoy

     Strobe light flash, Thor hammer thunder crack

From upper to lower, in smash stroke staccato ribbon

From northwest to southeast, collecting, resolving

     Coalescing into a fountain of Om Shanti transition

     Bearing the wounds of a healer’s spherical grace

Magnetic field current solemnity inherent charge

Mama Killa regulator soothing the fervor

     Drink heartily from the village of the heart

Yield, and honor the bolt’s destination.

This is a visual representation of my most recent experience with the healing medicine of San Pedro, otherwise known as the Great Wachuma. Go to this post for a stream-of-consciousness synopsis of my experience: http://www.danielmoler.com/2010/11/blue-moon-surgery.html

Tonight I made my first smudge wand:



The large feather is a little over a foot long, a turkey feather my wife and I found walking in the woods. We found the smaller feathers later that same walk as well, but could not identify them. The handle is made from wood, wrapped in suede leather and hemp rope. To secure the leather and knots, I used a special eco-friendly leather glue that can be found at Michael's hobby store. I constructed the whole thing in candle light. Once completed, I blessed it with frankincense, aqua de florida, and (of course) sage. It makes a great addition to my mesa, sitting with my other Wiracocha feather.

I'm pretty proud. It's my first self-made shamanic object. Next, I aim to work on either a walking or chonta staff.