It was an amazing experience, to find the silence to listen and the patience to not know, to build my receptivity to all those gorgeous stars in the sky, and to gather others in this great work of bringing harmony to the planet.

What Is a Star Despacho? 

     Q'ero Elder Don Manuel Q'espi, from the Q'ero nation in the high Andes of Peru, explained star (chas'ka) despachos this way before he passed:

     "The Chas'ka despacho is an offering to our star, the sun. This despacho is not prepared as often as the offerings to the Pachamama and to the apu (mountain). Most of our business has to do with living in this world. Only when very big events (such as an earthquake) are occurring, or whenever an offering is made for the benefit of a great number of people, are Chaska despachos prepared. In this case, the stars as well as Mother Earth and the apu must offer their contribution. For example, in the case of large-scale environmental events which affect larger numbers of peoples, one wishes to bring together the power and the blessings of the earth, the mountain, and the star to bring them into right relationship. This is to help assure that the people go on the right path." 

     As we witness more and more weather events and environmental damage due to our warming planet, our need for more star despachos is obvious. I thought about it all during Covid, but the time was never right. Now it is.

     Please join me—either on Mt. Tamalpais or in your own way in your own place—in creating these offerings. They are beautiful and profound ways to move the energy of the group and the world. You'll find lots of images, along with a chronicling of the process, in this article published in the  Journal of Shamanic Practice. 

     When I asked the Old Ones how we can access star energy, they replied:

     “Open your energy fields to us. Think about us. Journey to us, asking your questions, asking to learn, asking for help... If you call on us, we can teach you to shine through everything. To draw on our energy to fuel and transform your work and your lives. To access our ancient wisdom held in glacier water, crystals on the mountains, and cenotes in the Yucatan...What you humans really need to do is learn to shine all the time and weave your webs of connection with all beings on a regular basis. We love it when the earth is lit with your inner lights.”

What's a Despacho Ceremony?

     A despacho is an act of love and a reminder of the connections we share with all beings, elements, spirits, and sacred places. At the deepest level, it is an opportunity to enter into the essential unity of all things, the living energy of the universe. 

Despachos offer us a vehicle for moving and shifting the energy of a group, the world, and the cosmos. Learn all the basics here.