JOAN PARISI WILCOX

An intimate glimpse into the world of ancient Peruvian spiritual practice and cosmology Reveals the mysteries of the world of living energy (kawsay pacha) through intensive in-depth interviews with six Qero mystics Explores the energetics, spirits, tools, and practices of Andean mysticism--the real story behind the fictionalized accounts in The Celestine Prophecy Known as the keepers of the ancient knowledge, the Qero Indians of Peru are the most respected mystics of the south-central Andes. In 1996 Joan Parisi Wilcox traveled to the Andes and was able to record the mysteries of kawsaypacha, the multidimensional world of living energy, through more than 40 hours of intensive interviews with six Qero paqos, masters of the ancient spiritual traditions of Peru. The Qero are known for having preserved the Inca spiritual tradition more purely than any other indigenous population in the Andes. The in-depth interviews presented in this book recount the direct words of these masters so readers can discover for themselves the mind and heart space of these people. Four new chapters of this revised edition focus on the work of the mesa, the Andean form of a spiritual medicine bundle, and its use as a conduit for the healing energies of nature. The mesa is called the hearts fire because it represents the finest energy--the energy of compassion--that a paqo cultivates while walking the sacred path. Wilcox provides instructions on how to make, activate, and work with a mesa, as well as other practical exercises showing how we can use the power of the Andean spiritual tradition in our own lives.

A comprehensive autobiographical account of the transforming experiences possible with ayahuasca Reveals the protocols of a traditional ayahuasca retreat and the importance of its ritual diet, isolation, and sacred songs Relates an extensive personal account of the traditional indigenous use of ayahuasca for healing and revelationAyahuasca: The Visionary and Healing Powers of the Vine of the Soul is an autobiographical account of the authors work with ayahuasca, a potent and sacred plant brew of the Amazon region that is known for its extraordinary visionary and healing powers. As she learned from her experience, with the help of ayahuasca we are able to grasp our paradoxical nature, the first step to acceptance of ourselves in both our glorious and dark aspects. Ayahuasca teaches us how to release the illusions we hold about ourselves and makes it possible to integrate our many diverse aspects to acquire our true power. This book reveals the ritual protocols that must be followed prior to partaking of ayahuasca, including the traditional preparatory diet--which requires enduring austere conditions, isolation, and only small amounts of bland food before receiving the powers of the plant spirit from an ayahuasquero, a healing master--and the sacred songs, icaros, that are sung when imbibing the substance. Although the use of ayahuasca is growing among underground spiritual seekers and through the burgeoning ayahuasca tourism trade in South America, few of its seekers understand how it is used traditionally and the importance of the rituals the indigenous people follow. With this book, the author hopes to restore the importance of these indigenous practices so that we may truly understand all the gifts of ayahuasca.