In Peru, one of the oldest traditions is the elaboration of offices, sacred offerings that are made to the spirits of the mountain (Sacred Apus) and to Pachamama (Mother Earth). This practice is intended to bring ayni, or reciprocity, in balance and is an act of deep love. In Peru, this concept of love is called munay, and it is a reminder that we are all one with absolutely no separation, and that to love others is to love ourselves. To love a stone is to love others. To love a tree is to love ourselves. All this interconnection of beings, elements, spirits and sacred places is represented in an office.
So what is an office? Well, the easiest way to describe it is by translating the word “despacho” from Spanish, which means “office” or study. In ancient times, people did not have “offices.” To the shaman, his office was the medicine packet that, when opened, would contain all the energy and frequencies of the environment, and would contain all the tools the shaman needed to bring things into balance. Therefore, one did not “heal” someone, one balanced them.
Dispatch is similar to a drug package in that it is an open package. The difference is that the shaman would have spent many years learning and getting started in the practice and use of all the tools that make up his first-aid kit. In a dispatch, the items that are placed in the bundle are made on purpose, with the specific intention of creating balance. I’ll talk more about that in a moment.
In the Sacred Valley of Peru it is said that there are more than 300 types of dispatch offerings. Some are to heal, others to bring abundance, others to attract loving relationships, or perhaps to honor new beginnings or endings. The elaboration of dispatches is not limited only to the Sacred Valley. There are healers from the coast, the mountains, the jungle and the north of Peru who work with offices all the time. And it is a practice also known in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, Bolivia and Paraguay. Not only are there hundreds of office types, but as you can imagine, you could put 5 shamans in a room to each create the same office type, and each office would be different from the next!
Essentially, the creation of an office is done as a ceremony, with attendees seeking to align with whatever their personal intention is, as well as creating a group intention. The most important purpose behind the office is to thank Pachamama, the sweet Mother Earth, who supports us in everything we do. Only after expressing our gratitude to Pachamama does one begin to ask for whatever intention they seek to manifest.
In Peruvian mysticism, you work energetically with three very powerful energy centers. Like the chakras, these three energy centers have certain characteristics. The first is the physical center, called llankay in Quechua This center is located approximately between the first and second chakras, and subsumes the two chakras. It is one’s center of power, the place from which one draws the ability to stay in power, similar to the Tan Tien, the body’s center of energy and gravity.
The second energy center is called munay, and is located in the center of the heart. It is here that we draw love and compassion, and connect with Spirit. It subsumes the third, fourth and fifth chakras. And the last energy center is Yachay, or the center of wisdom. If you were to place the palm of the hand on the forehead (at the third eye) and allow the fingers to rest gently on the top of the head, that is the wisdom center. So it incorporates both the sixth and the seventh chakra. It is here that we access our wisdom, and from here we can access the wisdom of the cosmos.
The shaman who creates the office works from all the energy centers and infuses each and every item placed in the office with the characteristics of each energy center. In addition to invoking the attributes of each energy center, the shaman will create aynior balance, working with the energy of the community of participants. As you weave the luminous threads of each person in the office, you harmonize both personal intentions and those of the group as a whole.
Dispatches are usually built with beautiful shiny wrapping paper. After all, it is a gift to Pachamama! Some offices can be very elaborate or very simple. Usually there are elements placed on the paper that represent certain basic categories. One of them is the Animal kingdom, or tirakuna. The Tirakuna are spirit observers of nature. Its function is to help us always stay in balance. Some Tirakuna reside on rocks, trees, sacred ceremonial sites. Others manifest as cows, dogs, animals.
Another element that is represented are the Vegetable Products for the here, which are the mythical nature spirits such as devas, gnomes, fairies. And there are mineral products for the malquis, or spirits of the trees. Then we have man-made products. These products are offered to machikukuna, the ancients. And finally there are the elements that represent the Cosmos, the chaskakuna (the stars) and the Sun and the Moon.
An office is usually created as a mandala shape on paper. As mentioned above, the simplest dispatch will have sugar (Pachamama LOVES sweets!) and flower petals or bay leaves to celebrate the prayers. In Peru they use coca leaves, sometimes in sets of three or seven. Each group of three is prayed for and infused with the intention of providing beauty, power and energy that will create balance, thus allowing our prayer to be heard. Although the dispatch may have only two ingredients, each set of flower petals or bay leaves can be infused with the characteristics of the five basic categories.
A more elaborate office will include symbols of everything: the elements, the four directions, the weather, the clouds, the mountains, the rainbow, the fruits of human labor, emotions, ideas, etc. In fact, on August 1, considered one of the most auspicious dates in the Inkan calendar, as it marks the change of vibrations (almost like a new year), almost everyone hires a shaman to create a Hatun Dispatch, or Grand Office. These can be quite big!
When the offering is complete, the entire assembly is folded, tied, and wrapped in a sacred cloth. It is then offered to the forces of nature by either burning it, burying it, or throwing it into the water. Offices are generally burned, for a faster demonstration. The energy and intention of all participants is contained in the office and released into the universe, where it is then transmuted into manifestation.
I often encourage people NOT to buy kits from Peru or shaman markets because if you’re building a firm in the US (or wherever), you’ll want to use those items that are representative of your locality. That is the energy that permeates your sensitivity, not a Peruvian energy. We do not live in Peru, but we can certainly take the blessings and teachings and use them honorably in our own landscape. When we create with what is abundant in our landscape, we reinforce the area and let the Universe know that we are honoring our own time and space.
For example, if you were to live in the Northwest, you would want to substitute llama fat for salmon fat. Or maybe you live nearby or have access to buffalo fat. That would be a wonderful replacement for llama grease. Or instead of coca leaves, which we don’t have, you can substitute bay leaves, which look very similar to coca leaves in shape. Because whole bay leaves are hard to find, I often use flower petals—whatever is growing that season. I am lucky enough to live in Southern California so I can find a variety of items quite easily. The point is to think about the source, energy and intention that you are putting into each item that is placed in the office. If you have had a summer garden, you will have plenty of seeds at the end of the season. These are homegrown, probably organically grown, and therefore have much more potential and personal healing energy than something store bought.
In addition to encouraging you to use those items that are local, I recommend that you take a tour and spend some time prior to the items you would like to put in the office. Ask Spirit if it is a gift of honor or if it could represent something on your mind in terms of what you would like to manifest. I often use brown sugar instead of white sugar; the idea of ”sweetness” still comes through and honors both my intent and my beliefs. Or maybe you are in the Minnesota area where wild rice is somewhat plentiful. This would be a wonderful addition to represent the grain instead of quinoa, which is a Peruvian staple. That’s not to say you shouldn’t use quinoa, readily available at many health food markets. It’s just that there is probably something that is specific to the area you live in that carries the energy of the place.
Since I love working with both essential oils and incense, I will always include them in my office. Copal, a resin widely used in Central America, is frequently used as an offering to the Underworld, to help illuminate the Shadow. Incense, on the other hand, is an offering to the Upper World and reflects the Light of the Cosmos that shines on us. Lavender, whether in plant form or as an essential oil, represents purification and healing.
I love animals and have three furry children, so I always try to include something in my office that represents the animal kingdom. An easy way to do this is to use animal crackers, like you might give a child, or even teddy bear graham crackers. I collect fur from my dogs and cats and use that too. Any feathers you might find on hikes or hikes can easily be added to represent not only the animal kingdom, but also the power of prayers to “fly” to the Great Spirit.
Use your imagination. The list of items you can include is endless. But… you don’t want the office to be so big that you can’t fold it and burn it. As with so many things, less is more. It’s all about intention! And if you want addresses for specific offices, like Abundance offices, or perhaps an Aya Despacho, one to honor someone who has passed away, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I can share information about many different types. In the end, however, it is you who knows what you want to manifest and what intentions you want to put in the office. So get creative and invent! The spirit loves everything that comes from the heart and is your gift. As good cooks know, a recipe is just a template; it is the act of creating that produces the most wonderful food, in this case, the most sublime of despatch offerings!