Some of the amazing, intricate rock etchings at The Temple of the Jaguar
After our arrival in Chavin, we first made a trip around the sacred Temple of the Jaguar, taking in her sites with only half-opened eyes. It was important that we understand the history of this temple; it’s the most sacred place in the world, after all, so every detail meant a million epiphanies.
The Temple is 3,000 years old, but the lines of time have only made her more beautiful. It’s a highly complex place, full of mysterious nooks and crannies that beckon to us with mystical allure. The base of the Temple is shaped like a square, with stairs on each side (about 
that offer a slightly elevated view. Stairs ascend beyond the central area, leading visitors into the labrythns. But we’ll get there.
The process back then – and now, ever so rarely – worked like this:
All interested parties assembled in this ceremonial Mecca and joined the attending Shaman for a spiritual journey. He administered the medicine to the assemblers, and began the incredible dive.
Participants were then led around to behold a large number of *stunningly* beautiful rock carvings. There are faces, morphed into various stages of ascension, and profoundly detailed animals; all depicting sacred and spiritual messages. These rocks — you guys, they’re *alive*, and they’re pulsing with the most beautiful energy you could ever dream of feeling. Jaguars, condors, serpents — they’re everywhere around the Temple, in the most unexpected places. It makes your heart zing to life every time you spy a work of art – these creations talk to your soul, not your head. It’s amazing to experience the difference.
We saw enough to know where we would be, and we asked our questions. We were ready. Most of us had no clue what to truly expect, but the grandeur and the welcoming embrace of the Temple made us fearless and reverent.
Because the Temple is a public place (tourists are welcome, though rare) we performed the opening ceremonies in Howard’s hotel room. Each of us accepted our blessed dose of medicine, and with shaking hands, I once again jumped through the portal. We then gathered our core goods and headed out for the walk to her gates.
By the time we arrived, the strength of the Huachuma started to draw me in again. I felt dream-like yet lucid, strong yet incredibly malleable. Our crew was led through the gates, and we walked to our first destination: a small makeshift museum, which featured many of the sacred carvings under the safety of covered area. We posed for pictures, took in the messages of the stones, and felt ourselves … changing.
It was hard to name the feeling. Familiar, she was, and romantically seductive, but without and edge. Without any fearful qualities. This place felt safe beyond words; a place to truly just … release.
I kept thinking about control, and how ridiculous it was – notion-wise. It doesn’t exist. And why would we want it to? Why would we, as flawed and curious humans, want to control our destinies, when we have no clue about our mysterious powers? I kept glancing around at the majestic mountains that embraced our view, and once again, I thanked them. They had the secrets.
But as I meanered up the path and followed the group further into the temple, I felt myself … slip. An odd little release; silent and poetic, real and imagined. The voice in my head felt muffled; she wanted to analyze this space. She wanted to explain these incredible shifts. But there were no words. I could only feel the warmth of the energies that surrounded me.
We walked to the headwaters of the Amazon – this unassuming, perfectly beautiful river that lie at the base of the temple. This was our resting spot – our chance to fall into this experience and really just – let go. No control. No expectations. A chance to completely surrender.
We spent many minutes in meditation, each of us finding our own private spot along the water’s edge. Maybe it was an hour, maybe it was just a few moments – I don’t really know.
I lost myself there, soaking in the majesty and sacredness. I watched the tiny river trickle down her path, imagining her strength as she grew into the mighty Amazon. I saw myself, thirty years past, a tiny though powerful being, following her own trail. I looked at my hands and recognized that child; and this, this was my turning point. This was my chance to really find myself.
I fell backwards and lie motionless in the soil, watching the world tick by through the tiny blades of grass the inhibited my view. The whole wide world, inside a tiny blad of grass. It’s all the same, I thought – everything is necessary. Everything is sacred.
As I connected to this divinity, opening my heart to any and all possibilities, I felt the most unbelievably warm and comforting energy flash across my back. I turned my head – a laborious process, as the medicine had me in a deep grip – and rejoiced to find the sun revealed, and shining like a goddess at the base of the mountain tops. She had been hiding all day, and suddenly, I was illuminated. I knew I could trust in the profound goodness of this moment. I knew I was unlocking my own divinity.
I knew the Temple was waiting. What I would find, I couldn’t begin to name … but I wanted to know every last Secret.
