bienvenidos a bolivia // welcome to bolivia

Last night, we participated in a very special ritual led by Calixto Quispe, an Aymara priest and Catholic deacon. I will to recount the details the best that I can, but this is in no way a complete description of all parts of the ritual and their significance. We gathered around as Calixto gave us an introduction to the Aymara cosmovisión, or cosmology/worldview.

In this spiritual tradition, there is the existencia infinita, or infinite existence--time has no beginning or end. “Hay seres espirituales en todas partes,” explained Calixto--there are spiritual beings everywhere. There are three categories of living things: los humanos; las plantas, casas, u otros objetos; y los espiritus (humans; plants, houses, and other objects; and the spirits).

Calixto explained that humans perform rituals and celebrate festivals to maintain harmony with nature and the rest of the world. We are not to exploit the earth, but to only use its resources for what we need. Sometimes, we fail at this task, and then the other living beings (plants, animals, the weather, etc.) have the right to be angry at us.

Right now, la Pacha--all of time and space--is angry with us, because we have destroyed and mistreated the planet. Now, we must hold a spiritual ceremony to estar en buena hora con la Pacha--to restore our relationship with Pacha. Calixto explained that such a ceremony was a banquete espiritual, una fiesta de restorar-- a spiritual banquet of restoration.

Last night’s ritual was a ceremonia de bienvenida, or welcome ceremony. Calixto explained that the purpose was to ask for blessings on us, the students, as we begin our time in Bolivia: for healing when we are sick, for company when we feel alone, for our safety, and many other petitions.

First, Calixto distributed coca leaves to each of us. We held them up to our foreheads, turning our attention to ourselves, then our families, then the whole world. Each of us stacked our coca leaves together, as if they were one leaf, and then placed them on the table in the center as an ofrenda (pago), or offering. Next, we each received some flowers. We contemplated our flowers, representing el proyecto de vida, the project of life. “Cómo podemos hacer nuestras vidas como esta flor? Nuestras comunidades? La humanidad?” Calixto asked us. (“How can we make our lives like this flower? Our community? All of humanity?”) We added our flowers to the offering.

Calixto then placed one colorful wafer candy in the pile for each of the students present. As he did so, he gave thanks: for our ability to come here, for our families in supporting us, for the opportunity to learn here, and many other things. Next, Calixto encircled the offering with colorful dyed wool, symbolizing the universe.

Calixto carried the offering to a place on the grass and set it on fire. We gathered around the fire and crossed our hands over our chest, an Aymara gesture that symbolizes receiving and offering. Calixto then led us in several rounds of motions with our hands. In one, we held one hand to our hearts, beckoning the other toward our bodies to receive the energy of life. In another, we held the palms of our hands toward the fire to receive the sun.

To conclude the ritual, we all exchanged greetings and hugs, wishing one another peace. The fire was extinguished, but for the rest of the evening I felt a lingering sense of contentment, peace, and belonging. We ended the evening with a wonderful meal together and a group discussion. I can’t think of a better way to begin my time in Cochabamba.

With love and gratitude,

Theresa

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