The basic relationship of complementarity refers to:
As above, so below.
As right, so left.
This is found in all realms of the cosmos:
As there is feminine, there is masculine.
As it is day, so it is night.
The morning star (Qoyllur) is the sign of the “death” of the moon and the birth of the sun, while the evening star (ch’aska) is the sign of the “death” of the sun and the birth of the moon.
For the runa, life and death are complementary realities, not opposites or antagonistic: Where there is death (the end of something), there is also “birth” (the beginning of something).
The Andean conception of time reflects this experience, where it is circular: the beginning and the end coincide (“the extremes meet”).
The elements of the Hanaq Pacha also correspond to the main seasons of the year and the cardinal points: the sun corresponds to summer and the East, while the moon corresponds to winter and the West.
There are even traditions that associate the masculine, diurnal, and solar with political authority (warayoq), and the feminine, nocturnal, and lunar with religious authority (paqo, altomisayoq).
The rain and the sun fertilize Pachamama; the mate of Pachamama is the apu, the summit of the nearest mountain, which serves as a chakana between Hanaq Pacha and Kay Pacha.
The most expressive way to ceremonially present the principle of complementarity is through a despacho (also called “pago” or “mesa”).
Reference:
- Esternmann, J. (1998) Filosofía Andina. Estudio intercultural de la sabiduría autóctona andina. Seminario San Antonio Abad, Cusco Perú, (pag. 104-107)
