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14 The Journal of Shamanic Practice VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2 FALL 2012 www.shamansociety.org 14 Deborah Bryon What is the status of the Qero shamans practicing in Peru today and what is your relationship to Qero shamanism Jose Luis Herrera I was born in the city of Cusco and exposed to the Inka medi- cine traditions at an early age. The common denominator in the Andes is Qechua the ancestral people and lan- guage of the Inca Empire. There are many lineages of shamanism alive in Peru today. In the Andes there used to be twelve active lineages of Altomesayok shamans but now there are four. The Altome sayoqs are the most highly specialized shamans who have the ability to create the doorway between realms between worlds. Bryon What happened to the other eight Altomesayok lineages Herrera The other eight lineages have died out. Much of the technology of the ancient teachings has been forgotten due to the Spanish conquest and the church and nowadays industrialization and the immersion into Western culture. Out of the four surviving Altomesayok lineages I have assimilated a body of knowledge that draws upon the vision of Don Manual Quispe one of the last Qero Altomesayoks. Bryon I heard about the Altomesayok Don Manuel before ever visiting Peru. I understand that he was a remarkable per- son with tremendous vision. In sharing his knowledge of the ancient traditions he was key in bringing about the renaissance that is occurring in Peruvian medicine today. Herrera Yes before his death Don Manuel had come into a place of deep awareness and realization. He knew wholeheartedly that his people were not going to have the strength to be the conduits of the old tradition. The old Altomesayok masters have been dying and the new Qero generations do not have the interest or passion to maintain the tradition due to the seduction of modern living. Nowadays most of the Qero shamans are Pampame- sayok shamans. Pampamesayoks are Inka shamans who work with the land elemen- tals herbs mountains as healers perform- ing sacred ceremonies and rituals in service of Pachamama the Great Earth Mother. Because of the popularity of Qero sha- manism in recent years with seekers and students visiting Peru the demand to work with and learn from the Qero shamans has been created. As a result many Qero non-shamans have stepped in to ll this need. For many of the Qero right now the opportunity to work as paqos medicine people has become an economic adventure. This surge of interest in Inka medicine has created nancial opportunity for the Qero people who have traditionally been farmers herders and weavers. With this being said it is still important to recognize that these non-shamans do know the rich cosmo- vision of their lineage and are stewards of a wonderful tradition. Bryon Would you please say more about the economic adventure Herrera People primarily from the West interested in shamanism are coming to Peru to learn and as a result working with medicine people has become very protable. The Qechua people now have the oppor- tunity to earn higher wages then they nor- mally would in their villages and are able to sell their weaving and other handmade items for better prices. Because of their recent spiritual popularity everyday Qero people are realizing they have a wonder- ful spiritual cosmology and it is becoming necessary for them to re-learn their dying Altomesayok tradition. Does this make them shamans Perhaps to some extent. They still live within the tradition honoring the land. But does that make them masters Perhaps not because the old Altomesayoq masters are gone. Now- adays there doesnt seem to be individuals in the villages t enough to become the next Altomesayoqs. Altomesayoqs are highly specialized shamans. These shamans are able to commune with the spirit benefactor of holy mountains the Apus and have the ability to summon and materialize moun- tain spirits for healing and advice. Training to become an Altomesayok is demanding. It requires focus diligence and tremendous love for service. It is like teaching a class or training students and very few will go to the extent of obtaining a PhD. A few will have the drive stamina focus or guiding light Photograph by Deborah Bryon _____________________________