This August 1st, Pachamama Day is celebrated throughout Latin America, it is an ancestral custom of gratitude to the earth, a date to to be thankful, ask for, and bless everything that our Mother Earth gives us.
What does Pachamama mean?
"Pacha" means universe, world, time, place, while "Mama" is mother. Pachamama is the principal female deity, symbolizing the Great Mother Earth and, consequently, feminine energy as synonymous with fertility, protection, and unconditional love.
It is also a celebration that attempts to erase the borders between Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru, in a sacred and ancestral bond that harks back to our native Andean cultures.
Rituals
Two rituals are currently performed: one to give thanks for everything the earth gives us, and the other to pray for the health of all those around us.
In the first, a shallow hole is dug (in a patio, garden, park, or even in a large flowerpot). A clay pot or bowl is placed inside with food (potatoes, corn, or maize), coca leaves (or rosemary or rue), a splash of sugarcane (or other liquor), and a lit cigarette or incense stick to ward off evil spirits. The whole thing is covered with earth, while giving thanks to Pachamama for what has been received.
In the second, we drink caña con ruda, a mixture of white sugarcane or gin with male rue leaves. It's drunk on an empty stomach to cleanse the body (physical and spiritual) of everything we want to leave behind. It's taken in 3, 7, or all at once. It's customary to pour a small amount of it into the ground (it can be a flowerpot) to 'treat' Pachamama. And then say "kusiya, kusiya," which in Aymara means "help me, help me."
We embrace the most beloved mother of all, the one who cares for us, protects us, and above all, gives us life. We are responsible for caring for her and being her guardians.
Get to know our chapter 04 "Mother Earth" which was inspired by her, because we are part of a whole 🤍
