In the world of modern spirituality, the words “ceremony” and “healing session” are often used interchangeably. But in the Andean tradition, these two forms of sacred work are distinct in purpose, energy, and intention. Each has a role to play in the spiritual development and energetic harmony of the individual and the collective.
What Is a Ceremony?
In the Inka lineage, a ceremony—or hatun ritoq—is a ritual act of offering and alignment, usually done to:
- Honor Pachamama, Tayta Inti, and the Apus
- Mark cosmic events (e.g. solstice, equinox, Pachacuti)
- Give thanks, ask for guidance, or restore collective balance
- Initiate a new cycle (such as receiving a Karpay)
A ceremony is less about individual needs and more about relational energy. It’s a time to serve life, to listen, to offer beauty and gratitude through ritual acts like:
- Despacho offerings
- Fire ceremonies
- Pilgrimages to sacred sites
- Coca leaf prayer (k’intus)
Ceremonies often take place outdoors, in sacred wak’as (places of power), or during auspicious times in the lunar or solar calendar.
What Is a Healing Session?
A healing session in the Andean tradition focuses on restoring the energy body of a specific person. Led by a Paqo, Altomisayoc, or Chakaruna, the session may include:
- Coca divination (kuka qhawarina)
- Energy clearing (removing hucha)
- Alignment of ñawis (energy centers)
- Personalized despacho or invocation
This is intimate, diagnostic work. It addresses the spiritual, emotional, or ancestral blockages that affect a person’s flow of sami (refined energy).
A healing session is often preceded by conversation or divination to reveal the root of imbalance, and it is followed by energetic sealing or integration.
Key Differences Between Ceremony and Healing Session
When to Seek a Ceremony vs. a Healing Session
Seek a ceremony when you want to:
- Offer gratitude to Pachamama
- Mark a transition (birth, death, new cycle)
- Receive initiation (Karpay)
- Celebrate a cosmic event (e.g. Inti Raymi, solstice)
Seek a healing session when you need:
- Clarity in times of confusion
- Energetic cleansing
- Support through illness, grief, or trauma
- Help integrating spiritual experiences
“The difference is not in importance—but in direction. A ceremony reaches upward. A healing session reaches inward.”
(Wilcox, 2004)
Blending Both in the Andean Way
Many Paqos naturally weave both ceremonial and healing work in their practice. A personal healing session may end with a despacho. A community ceremony may reveal individual wounds that need further clearing.
In the Andes, life is not compartmentalized. Everything is energy, and both offerings and healings are forms of sacred alignment.
Bibliography
- Wilcox, J. (2004). Keepers of the Ancient Knowledge: The Q’ero Mystics of Peru. Vermont: Inner Traditions.
- MacLean, K. (2012). The Shape of the Inka Heart: Wisdom from the Q’ero Masters. UK: Heart of the Andes Press.
- Núñez del Prado, J. (2009). The Andean Cosmovision. Cusco: Willka Nina Press.
- Miro-Quesada, O. (2010). Lessons in Courage: Peruvian Shamanic Wisdom for Everyday Life. Boulder: Sounds True.
