Honoring Peru’s Pachamama and My Jade Tributes (Copyright by Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal)

My Peruvian tour last June 2019 with my mother opened up new vistas of inspiration as far as my jewelry designing and collection, and interest in Goddess worship, go.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal’s photo of a part of the magnificent Macchu Pichu settlement, Urubamba, Cusco, Peru

The Incas who were fearsome warriors built a “CosmoVision” that venerated the PachaMama, or Mother Earth, the Goddess of Fertility. In our travels outside of Cusco, Peru, last June, 2019, my mother and me were taken by our personal guide to Qenqo, which is a labyrinth worship complex that was the site of several important temples.

The ruins of the Temple of the Puma, Qenqo, Peru

The Puma, in Andean cosmology is the “Kay Pacha”, a deity that represented all living beings. A cult devoted to it had a Temple built from a massive limestone that unfortunately was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores who vilified the Incan deities and used the stone to build their churches. What remains is a haunting reminder (just look at the eerie colors of the limestone) of the powerful cosmology the Incas had.

Part of the remains of the Temple of the Puma, Q’enqo, Cusco, Peru, photo taken by Dr. Atty. Noel Guivani Ramiscal

Qenqo also had a Temple devoted to the Pachamama, located very close to the Temple of the Puma. It was carved out of the limestone cave, and had a small opening for entry, and an even smaller exit. Inside, there is a rock hewn funeral table where human sacrifices were made. The sun supposedly lights the interior of this temple in the morning. But we visited in the late afternoon and all I could see is a rosy hue intermixed with blackness. It was said that the Incas ritually strangled women and flayed men alive, but they practiced human sacrifice only during special occasions and times of crises. Human sacrifices were warranted in their belief because these were made to appease the gods and to make the earth fertile.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal at the Museo Inka, Cusco, Peru

Entrance to the underground Temple of the Pachamama, Qenqo, Cusco, Peru, photo taken by Dr. Atty. Noel Guivani Ramiscal

Inside the underground Temple of the Pachamama, Qenqo, Cusco, Peru, photo taken by Dr. Atty. Noel Guivani Ramiscal

The savagery, havoc and destruction wrought by the Spanish conquistadores on their culture and their lives brought many changes. The Incan descendants carried the belief in the Pachamama alive by transmuting this in the Virgin Mary. In fact, one of the many festivals of Cusco, undertaken during the month of June, when we were there, is the fiesta imposed by the Carmelite friars way back in 1662. This is in honor of the Virgen del Carmen, who according to Erick Manga A., had been adopted by the locals as a representative of the Pachamama. This festival, held in the tiny town of Paucartambo, consist of people dancing and venerating the image of the Virgin that was crowned by Pope John Paul II.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal’s photo of an 18k gold Inka god set with precious gems, in a Cusco “Joyerias”, Peru

 

Visiting the museums and shops in Cusco which displayed the wonderful jewelry made by the Incan descendants’ goldsmiths and silversmiths made me sigh. There is an abundance of great creativity in Cusco, and the one thing that I specially noticed is the prevalence and reverence that Peruanos appear to give to one particular symbol: the Pachamama.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal taking a photo of the fantastic “Joyeria” and masks at Cusco City, Peru

 

It consists of circles upon circles that starts with a point that can stretch to infinity. All the stores I visited had them, whether they be in 95% silver, or “alpaca” silver, or in silver inlaid with turquoise, mother of pearl, spondulus coral, jade, amethyst, or some other precious gem. I bought this “Pachamama” pendant as a souvenir of my store foraging at Plaza de Armas in Cusco.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal’s photo of the “Pachamama” pendant he bought in Cusco, Peru

 

Back in the Philippines, I searched from my hoard of gems collected for like 25 years, because the Pachamama symbol appeared quite familiar. I hunted the two sets of jade circles from my collection, had the circles joined together with stainless steel wire, attach the uneven stainless steel chains I collected, and had the tiny jade beads strung together in different places.

The result is something that I have not seen anywhere, not in Cusco or Lima, not in Rio De Janeiro or Sao Paolo, not in Hong Kong, not in Efes, not in Jordan, not in Auckland, not in Brisbane, not in Cairo, not in Los Angeles, not in Hawaii, or in any of the other jewelry shops and places I have visited in the past two decades of roaming this planet.

 

The fascination by the ancient peoples in Mesoamerica (the Aztecs and the Mayas), the Andes (Incas), the Chinese and the Maoris of New Zealand, with green gems stem from the belief that these gems embody the Life Force of the Earth.

 

The connection is not surprising and in crystal healing, Jade, as a premiere green gem, (whether it be the more common Nephrite or the more expensive Jadeite) has always been associated with Life, Balance, Calmness and Love. Green Jade, according to Simmons and Ahsian, brings harmony and happiness in business and family relationships, as well material abundance. “It is a reminder to smell the flowers, touch the ones you love, and share your heart with others in affirmation of plenty. Green Jade is perfect for keeping a venture on course, a project on schedule, and life on track”.

 

In God Joy and Love!

PERU, THE LAND OF THE INCAS AND THE FINEST CAMELID TEXTILES (Copyright by Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal)

Peru has inhabited my dreams for like a quarter of a century. I have had dreams where I participated in ancient rituals, where I flew with the wings of a Condor, and saw and breathed in everything like a Puma. I had dreams where I woke up and could still feel the real sensation of bloodletting, of my chest heaving from the labors of lifting a heavy slab of stone,

Dr. Ramiscal at the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, Peru

of a coldness that is quite familiar on the back of my nape, and uttering strange words which were very similar to Quechua, an ancient language of the Incas. So being in Peru, last June of 2019, amidst the labor strikes, fiestas and the perils of high altitude, and the reality of having some of our paid tours cancelled, was just about right.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal at Macchu Pichu, Urubamba, Cusco, Peru

Being assaulted by the visceral scents of Lima, traversing the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, standing in awe at the magnificent boulders of Sacsayhuaman,

The Boulders of Sacsayhuaman, Peru

conquering vertigo at Macchu Pichu, and all the stuff that came in between and after, made my trip with my mother, more than a satisfying connection with my dreams.

It was in Peru that I discovered: Andean cuisine which makes use of certain flowers and herbs that I have never heard of before; the taste of coca mate, used to fight altitude sickness, but which is banned in countries outside of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador; a lovely coral called “Spondulus” which can only be found in Peru and Ecuador; the Pink, Blue/Green Opals and Angelite, which are all powerful stones for Love and Communication; the Peruano character of resilience and turning and making everything they touch with Beautiful Humility and Dignity, and so on.

One of the things that truly captivated me in this cold high country with a hot sun, is the exquisite woolen textiles that the Peruanos wear everywhere. I could not get enough of the colors and patterns that the women and children, and some of the men wear, in their daily activities. I learned that the material for these extraordinary articles come from what are known as “camelids”.

The camelids are divided into four species. The llamas are the Peruvian equivalent of the workhorse, they are used to haul baggages. Their coarse fur is used for yarn or ropes. The nearly extinct guanaco is hunted for its meat, not for its fur. The most famous source for fleece material is the alpaca, whose wool is softer than sheep. But the most expensive wool comes from the smaller vicuña, which produces wool that is softer and finer than the alpaca. These camelids’ meat are eaten by the Peruanos and are now part of the exciting New Andean cuisine.

In our last day at Cusco, my mother and me took a tour of Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Pukapukara and Tambomachay. These sites are all impressive and they form an essential part of the Inca trail experience. It was in Tambomachay that I got a first-hand look and encounter with the camelids who left their home pasture and decided to graze in the water bath fountains of Tambomachay. They were chased after by a pair of overzealous but friendly dogs and their owner. For someone interested in the ancient art of weaving wool textiles, the tour ended in going to a shop called Miapu, in Colchabamba, where we were treated to a display of different alpaca textiles and the more expensive vicuña wool. Of course, I had to try some of the hats made from both types of wool.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal’s selfie of himself wearing an alpaca fur hat, in a store in Saqsaywaman, Cusco, Peru

But the most memorable part of our journey, as far as textiles go, happened at the conclusion of our Macchu Pichu tour. To reach this sacred Inca site, my mother and me took the Vista Dome train from the Ollantaytambo train station.

Gregoria Pumayalli Achacusi, the Peruana from Chinchero, Cusco, Peru, who wove Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal’s Inka Cross alpaca poncho

Part of the highlights of the Vista Dome ride is the wool fashion show, dubbed as a “cultural show” which happens when the weary but exhilarated travelers take the train back to their hotels to Pisac or Cusco.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal modelling his alpaca poncho at the Lima International Airport, Peru

We had an additional treat when our private chauffeur took us to Chinchero, where we actually met a group of Peruanas, indigenous women who have mastered the ancient arts of dyeing and weaving the alpaca wool into wonderful and complex Incan motifs. I made the acquaintance of one Peruana, Gregoria Pumayalli Acchacusi, who showed me the different vegetables and ingredients in creating the colors for the dyes. We chatted the women and we learned how important the wool textiles are in the life of their community, that has survived hundreds of years of oppression, violence and neglect, at the hands of central governments and leaders.

Dr. Atty. Noel G. Ramiscal wearing the alpaca poncho of the Inka Cross he bought in Cusco, waiting for his plane at the Lima International Airport, Peru

To show our support for the women, I bought one of the most exquisite alpaca wool ponchos I have ever seen, with the motif of the Inca cross. Gregoria Achacussi who created the poncho gave me a certificate of authenticity. I wore this proudly for the remainder of our Peruvian tour (where I received praises like “İQue Lindo!”) and on our trip back to Sao Paolo, Brazil, for more adventures.

In God Joy!