“The despacho is a gift–a giving back of what we receive every day in our lives. We seek, through the despacho ceremony, to bridge the ordinary and non-ordinary realms; to establish new patterns of relationship and possibility.” - Q’ero Elder Don Manuel Q’espi
A Despacho is a sacred offering, which restores and honors our connections with the elements, helping spirits, and sacred places. It can be created to honor births, marriages, and deaths, to ask for healing, to restore harmony, to reestablish balance, to express gratitude, to support an intention, and to bless any new project or endeavor.
The Despacho tradition originated in the Andes mountains with the wisdom keepers of the Andean communities of Q’eros. The Quecha word for the despacho ceremony is "Hariweequi", which means to offer with one’s own hand. The more commonly used name, “despacho,” is Spanish for “to send.”
Once the offering, usually created as a prayer bundle, is complete the Despacho is closed and bundled, and gifted to Spirit through ritual burning, burial, or offering to the water.
Traditionally, despachos are made using:
Large piece of white fabric or paper.
Sugar: Represents sweetness and love.
Qintu: In Peru, they typically use three coca leaves, but you can utilize three small leaves from trees native to your area, such as bay leaves.
Red and White Carnations: Red for the Earth and white for the mountains. Place a red and a white carnation petal on top of the Qintu (to represent the snow-covered mountains reaching the Heavens) on top of the red petal representing the Earth.
Build the foundation of the despacho with the Quintus, informing each with your prayer (use a minimum of 12 Qintus).
Cover the Qintus with a little more sugar, representing even more love and sweetness.
Place one open shell in the middle of the prayers, representing the womb of the Earth, our source and birthplace. This holds us, nourishes us, and provides opportunity and safety.
Here is a summary of the basic instructions:
Prepare yourself mentally to be completely present and intent on what you are doing and why.
Set your intention for the sacred offering.
Light a candle, smudge the area, or say a prayer.
Gather your offerings.
Place a sheet of fabric or paper in the center of your work area.
Call in sacred space.
Offer your gratitude to the Q’ero people for their generosity of heart in preserving and sharing this practice.
Blow your the prayers into your offering and place on the fabric or paper. If multiple people are participating, take turns making offerings until all the offerings are used.
Wrap the fabric or paper around the contents and tie the package with string or yarn, colorful thread or a band made form a thin strip of paper.
Add a sprig of sage, feather, or other item to the outside of the despacho bundle.
Decide how you want to release it. Placing it in the earth can represent gestation, releasing it to the water can be purifying, and burning it can be transforming. Whatever method you choose, always be conscious of the environment and safety.
When you are ready, close your eyes, lift your hands upward to the universe releasing your intentions. When complete, bring your hands to your heart in gratitude.
Close your sacred space by thanking the energies you invoked for their support. Send your love to the Q’ero to wish that their people and traditions receive our love and gratitude.
Note: It's important to release your expectations about how your prayer or intention might be answered. The universe works in mysterious ways and rarely do things happen in the exact way that we envision.
Here are some items that you might choose to use:
Rice – fertility and abundance, to bring your prayers into fruition
Lentils – vibrant health
Nuts– sustenance
Beans – for protection, abundance, power places, and the springs that nourish us
Corn – sustenance: a gift back to the earth for what we have been given
Raisins and dried fruit – spirits of our ancestors
Animal Crackers – for animal spirits who hold certain pure energies on the planet for us
Black licorice – protection and safety
Loose sage or other incense – to feed the elements of the earth
Gummy or candy frogs – messengers, envoys to carry our prayers; cycle of waters
“Play” money, one piece – abundance, successfulness
Cotton balls unraveled – clouds; represents aware time and dream time
Confetti Stars – connection to the stars
Colorful candy or sprinkles – to celebrate all life
Flower petals – for healing
Remember, energy follows intention and if look for things you are grateful for, you will surely find them. Create more beauty in the world by appreciating the beauty that is already here.
"The Despacho is a gift to spirit...Let the ceremony be simple.
You say thank you. You say thank you for as much as you can think of.
And then you keep saying thank you until you feel like you could say thank you for hours."
- Rochelle Schiek
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