Part Three: Interview with Kerri Colegrove – Andean Symbolism and Archetypes
Now we will learn more about the magical properties of despachos and how creating one invokes change.
In part three of our interview, Karri Colegrove, the author of Feasts for the Gods ebook discusses some of the symbolism within the Andean culture.
Learn more about the power of despachos for creating positive life changes.
Click here to read the interview from the beginning > Part One: Despacho Secrets of the Andean Medicine Masters
Putting Action Behind Creative Intention
Sandy Breckenridge: Amazing times indeed!
I love your detailed explanation of the 2012 prophecies and how we are moving toward a huge shift for humanity. Seems the more we enliven our lives the easier and profound the coming shift will embrace us as we embrace it.
The despachos seem like a very fun and magical way to facilitate this shift, so thank you for doing all the work to make them available. I also get a sense of the profound value of focusing attention to one’s intention through creating a despacho(s).
I gather when creating a despacho kit we are working with archetypes and symbolism (which holds a powerful collective wisdom or what Rupert Sheldrake would call a useful morphic field of consciousness) to facilitate change. And in doing so we are being “active” and “creative,” which is a vital step in the “Law of Attraction.”
In other words, we have to be willing to take an active part in our own transformation versus just putting thoughts out there with no active power behind them. We need to build a velocity of energy behind our intention and by using ancient Andean medicine rituals we provide powerful assistance to clear and open channels to potential and possibility.
I imagine each of the objects and elements you choose for the kits offers a combined synergy when the kit is assembled. Can you tell us a little bit about some of the items you incorporate into a despacho kit and the Andean history, or beliefs held about the various components?
Andean Shaman Symbolism and Archetypes
Kerri Colegrove: Sandy, you’re right, right and more right! With despachos we are working with archetypes and symbolism to facilitate change. So let’s do analyze the items that go into a basic despacho, an ayni despacho, such as the Abundance Ayni Despacho for which kits are available on the website.
It contains various items that together, create a whole universe.
To make the earth we use a seashell with female and male figures inside. This represents the earth in healthy masculine/feminine balance.
We also make the heavens using a white cottonball, a starfish and multi-colored yarn. The cotton represents clouds, which provide the water that is essential to life.
The starfish represents the stars in the heavens, and personal destiny, and the concept of as above so below.
And the multi-colored yarn represents the rainbow, which in Andean culture is symbolic of a rainbow bridge that connects the visible and invisible worlds and assists spiritual healing and transcendence. It is traditional to place this earth in the center of the despacho, then the heaven elements above.
These are the basics of a human universe.
Aspects of our Human Lives
The majority of the other items in the kit that go into this despacho represent important aspects of human lives, for example…
- Sugar is sweet and therefore symbolizes love, the sweetness of love.
- A dollar or other type of money is a measure of our success and therefore symbolizes success.
- Candy and the sharing of it is a way to foster good relations and therefore the candy symbolizes harmony with all our relations, family, friends, acquaintances, even our enemies including those upstream, in our future. So the candy helps make peace even before we encounter conflict.
- The small red beans symbolize places of emergence, where opportunities appear, such as a crack in the sidewalk through which a blade of grass emerges and grows.
- The animal crackers symbolize all the creatures of the earth, the animals, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects. We put the animal crackers in the despacho to honor and acknowledge them and their importance on the planet.
Now remember, when we make a despacho we are making an offering. This brings in the element of gratitude, thanking the universe for these aspects of our lives. So when we place these items into a despacho we are basically communicating, “we have these, here they are, thank you for them!” Then when we blow our prayers and wishes into leaves and put these into the despacho, we are saying, “this is what I would like more of!”
Healing the Feminine
Next, to this despacho we can add symbolic items to help us achieve even more specific goals. The Despacho to Heal The Feminine is an example of this. It includes all the items that are in the Abundance Ayni Despacho kit. To these are added a few symbolic items specific to feminine healing.
These items include a large pinkish/red flower which symbolizes a vagina or feminine power.
A picture of a white kitten or cat which symbolizes sexual purity.
Dried red rosebuds or red candies around the diameter of the despacho to create a “ruby necklace” to symbolize the onset of menstruation and the right to be a woman.
This is a real right and many cultures acknowledge this with female coming of age rites such as bat mitzvah ceremonies.
The last item, and this is a really amazing one, is a miniature place setting. It symbolizes making a place or space for one who is missing. Now, many modern day men are completely missing their inner feminine or anima on the energetic level. So when a man makes this despacho, the place setting actually facilitates the return of this missing part!
I have seen this happen and it is incredible, the energy body of the anima (and it is huge size-wise) actually returns and is reintegrated into that man’s energy body or spirit. When a woman makes this despacho, the place setting can facilitate a soul retrieval related to feminine healing. This would be the return and integration of a soul part (a piece of personal energy) that went missing or was “lost” as a result of sexual trauma, such as often occurs with rape or incest. When such missing parts return to us, a whole new level of healing and wholeness becomes possible.
Creating Your Own Despacho
All the despachos in my Feasts for the Gods ebook (with the exception of the Death Despacho and the Protection Despacho) use this “adding on” technique. So anyone who wants to make one of these other despachos can get the Abundance Ayni Despacho kit and add the few specialized items (that are listed in the directions for that despacho in my ebook) to make that specialized despacho.
I should add you don’t have to get the kit though it does make despacho-making easier. People love the kits too and rightly so, they are deluxe kits with beautiful white scallop shells and delightful hand-crafted miniature dolls for the female and male figures for example. That said, if someone wants to make the Abundance Ayni Despacho without buying the kit, they can download directions for this despacho for free from the website, gather all the items themselves, then use those to make their despacho.
Sandy: And how did you decide what items to use in each of your despachos?
Ancient Ayni Despacho Traditions of the Andean Medicine People
Kerri: First and foremost, the items in the Abundance Ayni Despacho, in my ebook, and the kits are based on the ancient ayni despacho traditions of the Andean medicine people.
I have slightly modified some of the items for purposes of practicality. For example, instead of using cleansing herbs from the Andes which aren’t readily available here, the directions in the ebook suggest lavender, rosemary or sage and the kits use lavender.
Still, the large majority of items in my ayni despacho are the same as those found in ayni despachos made in the Andes. So my Abundance Ayni Despacho is very authentic, and I know from experience, it works great.
The specialty despachos, such as the ones to heal the feminine and the masculine, those are my own creations, sorta. I knew enough about despachos and how they work that I knew I could add specialty items to an ayni despacho to focus the intention of that despacho for more specialized healing.
So, when I knew I wanted to create a despacho for feminine healing, I thought about what I knew about it, based on my own experience with myself and others.
I knew feminine healing required the restoration of female power, sexual purity, womanhood rites, and perhaps the return of the anima or one or more soul parts. Then I found items to symbolize these, a large pinkish/red flower, a picture of a white kitten or cat, a “ruby necklace,” and the miniature place setting. Then I simply added these to an ayni despacho and voila! It worked!
So this is a simple way to create a specialty despacho, add symbolic items to an ayni despacho. For those who might be interested in dabbling in this, I’ll mention there are some items to NEVER put in a despacho, specifically weapons (such as knives and guns) and locks.
Sandy: You mentioned working individually, and with a partner, but what about working in a group? Do you offer group visions and Despachos creating workshops? I would imagine a group of individuals supporting each others transformation would be all the more powerful. What a blast that would be!
Keri: Sandy, you are so insightful! Group despachos are lots of fun and very powerful. And there’s really no limit to how many people can make a despacho together. What seems most important is that everyone contributes something to the despacho.
Once I made a despacho with a group of nearly 100 and we made it outside on a sheet onto which we each put a handful of mixed grains and legumes along with pinecones we’d found earlier on the ground and into which we’d blown our intentions. Then one lucky fellow had the task of taking the sheet, with all the contents folded up in it, home to burn in his big outdoor fire pit. This is a good example of getting really creative with despachos.
When I make more traditional despachos for larger groups, I have everyone blow prayers and wishes into leaves and put these into the despacho. If the group is small enough, I also have everyone help put the various symbolic items into the despacho too. Anyone can make despachos these ways.
As interest in despachos grows, I am holding despacho workshops as well. The first one is February 28th at Indigo Rising in Glendale, California. Persons interested in attending can visit the website at www.indigorisingonline.com for details. And of course if someone is interested in hosting a despacho workshop with me, they can contact me through the my website. Workshops can be a great way to get introduced to despachos!
Read Kerri’s Full Interview
< Part Two
Kerri Colegrove is the author of the ebook, Feasts for The Gods, The Healing Art of the Incas.
You can learn about the ancient wisdom and magical properties of despachos and how you can use them to create positive change in your life.
The ebook comes complete with directions for making thirteen different types of despachos. To learn more visit > FeastsForTheGods.com
