Pachamama or Pacha Mama - Mother Earth of the Andean culture
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Pachamama, also known as Pacha Mama, is the name of the goddess of fertility, regarded as the greatest female deity acclaimed by numerous cultures - but mainly by the Inca culture, which possesses the mythology that originated her. This unusual name comes from an indigenous language called Quechua, very ancient and spoken by a people before the Incas, the Andean people. Pachamama means "Mother Earth", and carriesCheck out this article to learn more about this maximum deity who is considered to be the goddess of earth fertility!
Pachamama's History
According to the history of the Inca civilization, women had no freedom at all in the society of the ancient people, but they were essential for the belief system of the society to be created and structured. Thus, they became the reason why all things exist and are crucial figures of all religious organizations. Thus, within the cultural connection, Pachamama is afundamental figure of the mother who generates life, who gives her life and gives meaning to everything and everyone - both the earth and human beings.
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Its various names
Mother Earth has many names - each culture calls her one way based on their beliefs and perceptions. Get to know some of her names: Gaia, Terra Mater, Danu, Erce, Spider Woman, Mahimata, Nerthus, Haumea, Mutant Woman, Haumea, among others. Universally, her symbol is the cave, which is connected to the womb and refers to birth and welcome - some say that all thingsIn the Hindu culture, many places of worship were established in caves and grottoes. At that time, it was customary to lie on Mother Earth's body, in order to receive healing and answers through dreams, and to reconnect with ancestors and beings from other planes.
Image of Pachamama
Pachamama is often represented as a scattered body in a symmetrical image, or as part of nature itself. Her image represents perfection - in some of her representations, she has a circle of arms and legs wrapping her body, with a newborn on her lap. Her face is always tranquil or smiling, in order to provide peace to the beings that are her children.
The strength of her image represents a calm woman who is always working - in the context of divinity, always producing lives. Her body is a symbol of security and calmness over the world.
Celebrations
On August 1st Pachamama's day is celebrated, and many creditors of this deity make offerings in her honor. It is customary to bury a clay pot with ready-made food or other items such as alcohol, cigarettes, wine, etc.
Pachamama is considered the greatest female deity in the world, especially for shamanism, because it was from Mother Earth that all things were created and many teachings were spread across the Earth.
Pachamama and nature
It is possible to find countless references to Pachamama among the traditions known throughout the years, and in many of them, Mother Earth has different names and represents different things, but with the same meaning: maternity, fertility, creation, the sacred womb, the beginning and the end of cycles. This figure is the sustenance of existence, in different textures, smells, and colors,Recognizing the Earth as a mother figure provides a reverence for all that she offers us, from nourishment to security.
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Pachamama is our home, it is through her that things come to us. She is the deity who cares for the care of nature, who feeds the ecosystem, who preserves the cycles, the elements, and all the things that we may not realize are contained within our being.In ancient times, the main representation of this deity was "the nurturer, the giver of abundance" - that is why many shapes of spirals and circles have been found in caves and in images of goddesses. These symbols represent the Earth, circular, as well as life on Earth.
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Mother Earth Cults
Any kind of ritual performed to Pachamama has always been cared for and led by women. In their rites, many would talk softly to her, kiss and caress the earth throughout the planting and harvesting season, often pouring offerings over the chosen surface. At other times like weddings, for example, Mother Earth was also worshiped for fostering fertility.There have been and still are many ways to celebrate, honor, and connect with Pachamama, and all forms are well regarded.
But in any case, Pachamama is inside each one of us and it is possible to connect with her and respect her on a daily basis. When we take care of the external (environment), we work with her in the macro; and when we take care of the ecosystem existing in our own physical body, we work with her in the micro. This care and honor start from respect, nurture, and nourish everything that comes from this divinity.
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