Ecuador - A Female Universe in the Andien World

Luz Maria de la Torre is the mother of 5 children. She belongs to the village of Otavalo from the Quechua nationality. She and I met in Pasto Colombia this past Aug. 2009 at a gathering of indigenous men and women Shamans, healers and leaders. She is working as a lecturer in national and international forums. She is a researcher and director of some non-government organizations and the author and trainer of intercultural bilingual projects for the people of Ecuador. Maria gave this wonderful story of the Quechua in book form to me that I would like to share with you.

The title is Un Universo Femenino En El Mundo Andino "A Female Universe in the Andien World" Achiq Pacha Inti Pukarapaxi "Dawn when the Sun is at dusk"

In the beginning she writes GRATITUDE "Intimate recognition to the gifts granted the Great Mother Land, life and its compliments time - space: My home, my wise husband and my five children, that are the one that wrought maturity and understanding of life for the Quechua speaking people" Luz Maria de la Torre

INTRODUCTION: We want others to understand and accept us. Because of this we try making us understand. We define ourselves with regards to others. But we also we want to understand to be able to locate us, to belong and not to be isolated of the persons with whom deal and on those which we depend. We want to be part of their reality and further more about it.

Also in the relationships of gender we seek for our place, our role, and our behavior must make sense and not alone validity with respect to our own needs. We want our relationship to our environment to make sense and that it could help us to surpass the limitations of our individuality.

Human identity is relative and unstable particularly in their collective and social dimensions, which is to say also with respect to the genus relationships. In the course of the last 100 years, it was tried to redefine what women and men could mean the one for the other in the social context, and the behaviors, the roles and traditional positions were questioned. The importance of the sexual projections for the genus relationships was taken away from the taboo that had protected it, but also has inactivated it and exposed it to a freedom and rational analysis through this limiting.

The limited ideas not only opened a greater action margin for an intelligent concept of the social relationships but brought also the appropriation and unlimited development of life and its sources. Thus the feminist movements in the 20th century societies emerged along with the symptoms of the crisis and the loss of direction towards modernity.

The culture predominance of the Christian religion from the west blocked the intercultural exchanges during the last centuries. To arrive together to new horizons and not to lose the truth of life and our conceptions, we should take care that those that during centuries did not have a voice, or obtain the necessary power and space to express and to formulate their thoughts can now do this. We can achieve this only if we are in the same level to confer as associates in Latin America's a development.

THE ANDEAN WORLD AND ITS TRADITIONAL WISDOM: The Andean World is the cultural expression of the pre-Colombian world. It is an expression of all America together, especially South America an old continent with more than 40,000 years of human population and 300 million years of existence. Alone, unique original and independent, its inhabitants have generated a series of ways of life that have the ability of a deep and powerful culture: building huge civilizations that had many millions of square kilometers of population that lasted thousands of years.

These indigenous people built many thought systems. Which had basic principles that could never be erased. That are part of the universal cultural patrimony of the entire planet. It had many other secondary manifestations that are the ones that are necessary to be renewed. For the western world and the rest of humanity, the Andean World is a mystery and it is the New World that has to be discovered yet.

Many cultures of the Andean World exist today, their traditions, language, daily life and wisdom are still alive. Their Yachacruna (priests) or shaman's still remain with the secrets of their wisdom. This is our home land, we are permanent, we are from here, we are here, we will never leave and we will never extinguish.

The philosophical principles is duality: the world is dual, the universe is also. One demonstration of this principle is the necessary opposite and complimentary that rules the entire Andean Nature. This principle has its base in the deep mechanisms of the existence within its continuity, and its greater expression in the men and women duality.

Not as personal expression, but as natural principles of an expression that covers a whole duality: it is not a lone universe. the whole Andean becomes the feminine whole and the masculine whole. Two existing worlds that oppose each other but are joined to interact in its own fulfillment.

The source of our wisdom is set in tradition. One that is alive and is developed so as to avoid extreme aggressiveness of other cultures that attack without human considerations. The tradition is hidden and will flower when time becomes positive to do so. The time for the tenth Pachacutik is now, once again the wisdom of the Andean World will flower and will reach further than our borders.

On talking to a shaman about the spine of man and woman, he a wise master stared firmly at me. That look empties you, because they get into your thoughts; they "see" the truths of our will. He showed me that a the spiritual world is like a sphere, it is a continuous surface, it has no beginning, we can cover it without ever finishing the journey because it is endless.

But when human spirit takes the physical form, in this material plain, it is transformed and takes away one part of nature which is dual. It has polarity, it is like a paper sheet, or a coin, it is a shingle sheet, a single coin but has two faces to each one there is a corresponding face.

Which one of them is important? Which one should rule the other? Which is the best one? and should prevail? and so on. The answers are obvious: either one! each surface of the duality of a sheet is a universe that is opposed but sustains itself. Without a surface there is no room for a stamp. The shaman explained that each being is a whole, is the unity of the whole surface.

Man seems as Man because the feminine universe is hidden to him and works only in the masculine, nobody could work normally in both surfaces of one sheet. And Woman if feminine because her masculine nature is hidden, working actively in her woman's part. But in her hidden body is the register of the masculine presence. Each one is a universe and a universe is a whole. Now we are going to talk about the feminine universe, the feminine whole.

I refer first to tradition, I am going to tell you a story about our forefathers: the tale of "Man and Woman"

After the creation of the human being: man and woman, the great spirit of the complete universe: "Pachacamac" Great Mother God, told them to rest, so that later they could see each other the next day. The Mother god asked them to come, to give each one the rights they deserve and to show them their acting fields, government and authority. To show each of them what they had to do and what they were created for.

The human couple rested peacefully in their new homeland and prepared themselves for their first interview with the Creator. The woman slept easily with the firm intention of going the next day as early as possible to meet the Great Spirit and being herself the first, ask for her the best of existence. The next day, she did this and before dawn, the woman woke up and let man sleep who had gone to sleep late and looking absorbed at the variety of nature surrounding him. Therefore woman always woke up earlier than man, in life, up to this day.

She presented herself to the Creator and told her that she was ready to receive the instructions of what to do in life, what her mission would be and what was her destiny. The Creator took her and showed her the vast fields of nature. Each one of the created wonders since rocks itself in the big tall mountains, wide valleys of fertile land, rivers and lagoons, thousands of the most varied plants, each one for each place on earth, with the joy of their flowers and the property of their different perfumes. She showed her animals, their behavior, what each one does, their furs, and their utility. And all together the wonders of the landscape.

This is how they review creation showing her the blue skies of the day, the flashing light of Father Sun, in charge of giving energy, the skies at night full of stars with the Lady Moon in charge of sensibility of life.

Woman was shocked of so much beauty she wished for herself all of this. She touched everything, felt the beating of all of life in the different creations.The crystals, insects and animals and hard rocks attracted her. With all of this creation a will was growing inside of her. All of this should be her domain to be taken care of, to keep it beautiful and she should take care of the cubs, to protect them from harm. But she did not know which to choose in particular to care for to exercise her own nature of having these things given to her. But in the end she made her mind up and said to the Great Mother, The indescribable beauty of all the creation where you have placed us, this vast universe all that I see is wonderful. I am sure I will take care of and obtain all of it. I will that the female domains to be all through all that you have showed me.

Woman would be the defender of life, in charge of life of keeping it and woman will now be in charge. The Creator said, your mission is to give to it continuity in eternity. Your will will be the one which will beget the life and give birth to the shapes of existence, the bodies of all human beings.

Woman will be understanding, loving and tender. your wishes will always be of feeding, taking care and fixing. Yours will be the beauty, the harmony and the balance that is needed. You will be sensible, loving and affable, since the continuity of creation depends on you, for this everybody will help you. Woman will be prepared to sacrifice giving to the life you have wished to bring forth. Children born of you will need your care, and might be that they could demand from you to get to the limits of giving yourself away to make the new life stay.

What ever shows up you will turn it into beauty,you will ornate things and will take care that everything remains in beauty. The spirits of water and of earth will always accompany you. The Maiden god Moon with all their children, the stars, will be at your side directing life.

All the universe is feminine: I give you the responsibility of generating, maintaining and protecting life, nature and man himself. That man could only live for you and will look for you because you will transmit him the force to be useful and to see his strength. You will take all responsibilities and I will help you with all the gods and goddesses. Each day your desire of giving life to what surrounds you. You will motivate and give soul to your children, you will transfer your sensibility, taste and knowledge to all born from you. So it was that the universe became feminine and woman became the owner.

Later the man arrived in front of the Creator and said. I come to you so that you can tell me, what is my action field? what are my responsibilities in this Universe? The Creator Mother told him that woman came first and has wished to care for all that could be seen. Therefore the Universe is feminine, she has taken the responsibility of taking care of life and had generated the honor of giving continuity to all of life.

Man was first surprised, but recovered his tranquility. Then Creator said, woman has taken everything from the visible world and you will devote yourself to the invisible of creation. All that does not exist, all that is invisible will be your field. There it is to be found the world of the future, of projections, of plans and ideals that wait to appear someday. You will go to that world so that you can bring them to place in the woman's hands. You have the world of death, of transformation of renovation of causes of the phenomena and existing things. You have the great field of the mystery that is for you to solve it.

Man will be creative, and understand causes and knowledge of things that generate all phenomena and elements, how to obtain it, strengthen it. You will discover your fields and will be deep in your knowledge. If you discover the mystery of what is invisible,you will transform yourself into a great magician. What is invisible will appear, by your art, and will comply then for the life and of the woman because she has the need and you ought to respond to it.

Man was then taken by the Creator to the world of quantities, of transformation processes, to the internal world of thought, of imagination, to the world of decisions to the world that is unseen, to the world of the death. Descended and deepened the human passions and knowing hell and ascended to the unknown heavens.

Man will always be a seeker, a researcher, a discoverer, man will have the curiosity and the anxiety of discovery. Man's eyes will see what is not seen, because of this you will need woman so you can walk in the present. You will be under the woman, to who ou are to fulfill your assignment and she is the world of the present, you will have the force, the tenacity, the will the acute thought, pervasive and inquiring, your will be the meditation, the pondering.

Therefore you have gained the dominance of what is invisible. To organize and to govern what is visible you will obtain much sacrifice to be a useful person for the other. All that you search for and obtain will not be yours. Woman chose the present, you will project your actions so that life of the woman and its fruit would live safely. To be a worthy man of the Creator all what you obtain must be distributed, the more you share you will become stronger. All that you give life all that appears will not be of your kingdom, but the kingdom of woman. Therefore you will always be with her and the action of man and woman will keep the universe.

The Creator Mother told the man and woman that she is hidden in all of nature, that all that you do is so that we the Gods may have eternal life and that you may find yourselves at our side. Nothing that is in the Universe is of you, all is for the life itself. Life has been given you, so that life could continue through you.

If you divide, pain and distress and disease and the death will be the price the measure of your mistake. I will be present to amend and put you back on the right road. Take your responsibilities and grow. Hatun Pachacamac withdrew to the absolute field from the Divine Presence in the quantities that direct the nature and the cosmos as a whole.

There are in all of nature man and woman, for instance female mountains and male mountains they are joyful and make us richer in knowledge of the elements of nature and why they behave as they do. We understand the phenomena that surround us in a simple way, joined together in daily life with clear symbols of father and mother, man and woman. This wisdom is what gives freedom to our people, but with the concepts of man and woman as separate brought by the western culture, there are now polluted places.

Saramamalla is the symbol of feminine representation of nature and of the feminine universe and the spirits that direct food are always considered. All beings have life, in one way or another it is shown its own conscience. With whom we talk and they communicate with us. Plants understand our needs and give the food we need. The plants are alive therefore it is necessary to communicate with them and they hear, and present to us their wisdom.

My daughters learn during a few days how to carry the responsibilities of their life. Since they are little they carry firewood, prepare food, bring grass for the animals, help skin potatoes and wash and prepare food. They have chickens, dogs and cats, they have a field with their plants and their sisters, they have father and mother and their home, all that is responsibility and they all need care. That is the feminine world. To say woman is to say continuity of existence, to win death a space more in the universe. Is to fill up seeing it grow everything else, is a continuity that great vital continuing of feminine cosmos in the Andean Conception. Luz Maria de la Torre 1999