An account of an initiation into ancient Andean spiritual traditions during which we learn to tap into and work with the natural energies of the earth and the universe. Hatun Karpay Initiation in Peru RAINBOW ROCK In March, 2004, I received the following email from Fritz von Coelin: "I just returned from Peru and wish that I had found your website before the trip. I was surfing for "Rainbow Rock, Ollantaytambo, Peru and came across your comments on "The Big Black Rock." Our guide was evasive about what the rock was used for. He said that children in the town used it as a slide and when we visited a small fence surrounded it to keep them off. I asked him if it was used for sacrifices and he would not answer directly. Looking down from above, my guess was that the depressions in the top of the slide were for the sacrificial bodies (people or llamas) and that the blood would flow down the slides to be collected for distribution throughout the empire for religious ceremonies. I had read "The Secret of the Incas" by William Sullivan and such a ceremony was described. The book was overwhelmingly scholarly and I struggled through it. Maybe the fence was to keep us from experiencing what you described. "I am a CLE student at the California State University, Fullerton. A group of 16 of us seniors (all 65 years old plus retirees) went to Peru with Overseas Adventure Travel tour. It was excellent. Walking the crest of the trail and coming onto Machu Picchu in the afternoon sun was breathtaking. We were exorcised twice by shamans but unfortunately I had no out of this world experiences. On the other hand, our one week in the Sacred Valley and a week on the Amazon were incomparable (and we have been around a bit.) "The rock, the secret and our guide, Veronica, inspired the poem attached. It is her face that is in the sketch. Thanks for your website I will spend more time reading your experiences." Fritz Rainbow Rock - Ollantaytambo, Peru I Her features shaped as the custom of the day I could not see her eyes Dark I can imagine deep, black I could not see her hair dark as her eyes long, flowing yellow iris or pink corn orchids braided her perfect face masked knowledge of the future gleaming, gay, may I say sunny? yet deep, reverent The Chosen One! II Her features shaped by this same helix I gazed into her eyes dark, deep, smiling but maybe that was the curve of her lips A simple silver ring dangled from her ear her perfect face bronzed the future shaped by knowledge and friends an occasional glaze remote, may I quander? yet, a blossom unfolding A Promise! III Each had a place a purpose Each accepted place, purpose should I say destiny? The Chosen One the pilgrimage to the center The sun rising each morning a step closer on the trail An offering of corn at each altar the preparations finery, pomp, mind Will it rise tomorrow masked in the knowledge of the future? IV Each makes a place a purpose may I say molds destiny? The purpose Created, not succumbing to fate The sun rises each morning a step closer through sacrifice The preparations intensity, only if intense It will rise tomorrow will she see it? the smiling bronze face and deep eyes. V The secret The war against time will it rise tomorrow? The Sun God bow all to him give all to him circumstanced procession precessional default climb the steps, bow your head ¨Oh God of the Sun Does she please thee? Will you rise in the morning?¨ VI No mystery, no secret true, time is the enemy It will rise in the morning each morning a thousand and one mornings Promise only a promise Her dark, black eyes stare back at me and they smile unmasking the future may I say I glimpsed into the future? Fritz von Coelln - © 2004 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Midi playing is "Titicaca" (Lake Titicaca) This large lake is the highest in the world and is shared by Peru and Bolivia Click on the numbers to go to that page. Index ~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 6 ~ Rainbow Rock 7 ~ 8 ~ 9 ~ 10 ~ 11 ~ 12 ~ Travel Tips 13 ~ 14 ~ 15 ~ Links 2 ~ 16 ~ 17 ~ 18 19 - Musings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Florence W. Deems © February, 1999; revised May, 2002; November, 2002; May, 2003; March, 2004; February, 2008; September, 2008; July, 2010; July, 2012 March, 2014 August, 2016, all rights reserved