Payment to the Pachamama

This is an ancestral ritual that consist to prepare a great feast in honor to the spirit of the mother earth “Pachamama”. This ritual is celebrated in order to ask blessings, abundance,  prosperity and health.

We made a payment to the Pachamama to start any business or when you start the construcction of a house, or to ask for health and wellness.

Due to the custom of our towns, people usually do this ceremony in August. But there is no specific date to do a Payment to the Pachamama. You just do it when you have to.

The offering has beans, cereals, bread, fruits, animal fat and sweets; such as, chocolates, cocoa or chancaca which is a sweet from the sugar cane. It also has the fetus of an animal, it could be a cow, a shep or a llama, which firstly appears for the occasion. For drink, it is served  “chicha de jora” a tipical drink made by the fermented corn or it can be black bear instead.

To participate in the banquet, another table is set up separately, from where all people present can eat and drink to accompany the Pachamama spirit.

The ritual ends with the burning of the offering.

Jose Coila
Shaman of Shaman Wasi