We live in complex and chaotic times, the pulse of life intense and unrelenting. Many are suffering and in the throes of unprecedented crisis. People we know or work with are dealing with karmic lessons around survival/money/homelessness, ending long term relationships, experiencing strange health issues, struggling mightily with addiction/depression, paralyzed by stress and confusion, groundless in direction or true purpose, assimilating formidable spiritual lessons and myriad other challenges. There are also many who feel wonderful, vibrant, self-actualized and strongly guided, although, in my experience, they are definitely in the minority. When rapid change and continuous adaption become the norm, being human and getting by, much less thriving, can seem a daunting task.

Following the much heralded end date of the Mayan long calendar on 12/21/12, there’s been a definite shift in the collective consciousness. It has been subtle and imperceptible to most, especially for those unaccustomed to sensitive shifts in energy and frequency. However, a shift did occur and nothing will ever be the same again. Like a small, local grass roots movement that then becomes a powerful collective social issue in the mass spotlight, so to the effects of this shift follow a similar trajectory. It’s a slow, steady build that is starting to gain momentum and increasingly amping up. Get ready!

What’s at the heart of this shift, what does it mean and how do we navigate it?

Truly, we’ve lost our way as a species. Over-identification with the mind and matter has created endless difficulties. We’re living through the last insane gasp of a child-oriented, success-at-all-costs, me-first paradigm. You can feel it in your own life. When feeling overwhelmed and disconnected it’s easy to fall prey to fear and become lost in the illusion of ego, of addiction. Over the last few millennia, we’ve become disconnected from the earth, the cyclical wisdom of the seasons, the great movement in the heavens and the intuitive intelligence of the spirit that dwells within. Luckily, there’s a remedy, a powerful medicine available that galvanizes us to reconnect to the source that nourishes and supports us. This medicine is at the core of the shift currently underway; it’s the awakening of Pachamama consciousness.

In Peru, and throughout the indigenous of South America, the Earth is revered and venerated as Pachamama, meaning ‘world mother’. All of life is seen, felt and ritualized as an exquisite matrix of interconnected intelligence, endless creativity and raw power. Shamans, yogis, saints and mystics have all described this matrix through techniques of dance and song, prayer and ritual, ceremony and meditation, storytelling and rites of passage.

Pachamama is the living spirit of the planet, of which we are an intricate part. She gives birth to creation and is the great sustainer and nourisher, assisting us to deeply learn the lessons of love, compassion and forgiveness. She is the great initiator of change that encourages us, personally and collectively, to shed our old skins, release the heavy armor of suffering and selfishness and to lovingly but powerfully get on with the art of transformation. Central to the wisdom teachings of Pachamama is love, and in particular, self-love. Self-love is the prime key to regeneration, to healing ourselves and the planet. Pachamama is telling us to slow down, love ourselves, simplify our lives, use only what we need, invoke beauty in our surroundings, re-dream culture and to create new myths and stories about our intrinsic place in the grand scheme of existence.

It starts with you, here, now. Surrender your need to control and micromanage life. Identify the difference between what your ego ‘wants’ versus with your soul ‘needs’. Nourish yourself with good food, especially rooted vegetables and herbal teas, to ground into Pachamama. Turn off the TV, the computer, your phone and get quiet. Be in the void of not knowing and be ok with that. Feel the growing pains of life and extend warmth and love into its depths. Reach out to your community or find a new one if need be. Be humble enough to ask for help. And, of course, be outdoors and move the body as much as possible. Attuning to Pachamama consciousness is most easily done when immersed in the healing power of nature and attuning to her transmissions.

This is but a brief introduction on the topic. Support is available for those who feel a resonance to this work.

May we all listen to our hearts and heed the wisdom of the Earth.