The Non-Negotiable Calling:

Answering the Ancient Whisper of Peru

Apu Ausengate

Have you ever been intensely drawn to a land you’ve never visited, just knowing deep in your soul that you were meant to be there, even if your rational mind had absolutely no idea why?

Did you trust that calling? Or did you pass it up, brushing it off because it felt just a bit too weird, too illogical?

Years ago, I felt a distinct, powerful calling to Morocco. But because I couldn’t logically understand what I was meant to do there, who I was supposed to meet, or what the purpose was, I didn’t go. I let the mind overrule the medicine.

But Peru? Peru was non-negotiable.

From the moment the impulse struck, I just knew. No doubts, no hesitation. I had no roadmap, no grand explanation for why I was packing my bags for this place, except for a profound, quiet certainty that I was meant to be here. I arrived with a completely open script, trusting that my history and my true purpose with this magical land would reveal itself as I walked it.

(And oh, how it did... but we will get to that).

This is the beginning of a progressive journey. Over the next few months, I will be sharing installments as this sacred experience unfolds before me, traveling alongside a truly special group of souls.

The Opening Ceremony: Entering the Temple of the Moon

Floral Offering

Our journey truly began when we stepped into the sacred, living energy of the Temple of the Moon. To walk safely and respectfully in the Andes, one does not simply show up; you must ask for permission. You must enter into Ayni—the sacred Andean principle of holy reciprocity and right relationship with the earth.

We were led by our incredible Peruvian Paqos (our mountain Shamans), who served as our guides between the physical and energetic worlds. Together, we gathered to set our intentions, officially opening our hearts to work directly with the great mountains: Apu Ausangate and Apu Waqrapukara. We asked them for guidance, for protection, and for safe passage on our journey, offering our deepest intentions into the bedrock of the land with immense gratitude for being of service.

To bridge these worlds, our Paqos prepared a Despacho—a beautifully intricate, sacred prayer bundle. Layer by layer, like a living mandala, they built an offering of gratitude packed with various symbolic gifts for the land: food, vibrant flowers, crystals, sacred coca leaves, and aromatic oils.

the Paqos team and the Despacho offering bundle

What made it deeply moving was that this despacho was infused with all of our unique energetic signatures. Each of us held our individual K'into—three pristine, carefully selected coca leaves fanned together, representing the three worlds of the Andean cosmology. We blew our prayers, our breath, and our essences into our K'intos, handing our hearts over to the Paqos to be woven into the bundle.

The Watchers in the Sky

Just as the offering was being finalized, the planet answered back in the language of the wild. We looked up to see a condor soaring effortlessly overhead. Weaving the frequency of our request and our offering in a spiraling line upward towards the heavens. During our ceremony, a hawk also positioned itself nearby in the grass, watching over us, while hummingbirds darted through our space, kissing the air and blessing our offering.

To be surrounded by the avian spirits at the exact moment we gifted our intentions to the earth left us entirely breathless. It was a moment of profound alignment. I felt so unbelievably small, yet so completely seen and honored to be there.

The despacho was closed, the space was sealed, and the gateway to our next two weeks was officially unlocked. I am stepping into the unknown, but for the first time in a long time, the unknown feels exactly like home.

Stay tuned for the next installment, where the layers begin to peel back, and the ancient history of this land begins to speak.