On the September, 2011 trip to the North Coast and Highlands of  Peru, we'll be joined by  Andean paqo, master in the arts of healing the luminous body, and of opening to transformation, Puma Quispe, to act as the primary teacher.

In 1999, Joan Parisi Wilcox published a book called “Keepers of the Ancient Knowledge”, recording her rare interviews with several of the most revered Andean elders.  A revised edition was published in 2004, as “Masters of the Living Energy”, primarily to add material from Puma Quispe. Here is part of the author’s description: “Puma  commands a presence that is disproportionate to his physical stature: he is approximately five foot six, with a slight build, but his smile literally lights up a room. His gentleness of spirit is palpable, and his humor can be disarming. The comment most people make about Puma upon first meeting him is that they have never met anyone with such an open heart.  His knowledge becomes evident almost from his first word, and although it is a cliché to call someone wise beyond his years, it is true of Puma.”

After being struck by lightning as a child, and apprenticing with his shaman grandfather, Puma reached beyond his own village, and even in his 20's connected with others in the mountains surrounding Cusco. He speaks excellent English, and has reached out for many years to interested people from around the world.

When we met Puma Quispe, we walked with him to an Inca site just outside Cusco. We sat for quite a while by the mouth of a cave. He began to address the urgency of the times in which we are living, and talked about the sharing between cultures. Then he got up and poured a little water on some of the grey rock outside the cave. Just enough to help us see the outline of an Inca carving: two birds flying wing-to-wing, identifiable by their outlines as eagle and condor.  The descendants of the Incas believe that now is the time when the peoples of the north and the south, symbolized by the two great birds, will share their wisdom. This is clearly the agenda of many of the Andean teachers today. It is Puma Quispe’s mission. And we invite you to investigate its meaning for you.

We have made a short video that features Puma Quispe and an elder from the Q'ero nation, from our 2009 journey.  I hope you will watch it to get a feeling for Puma.  He is the one who is speaking English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwYy4Y4Uk3c