Glossary
Ayni - Means "divine reciprocity" in Q'echua. It is the balanced exchange of energy between people, nature, and the universe, balanced reciprocity in all exchanges. This is the most important principle in the Andean cultures.
Chakra - Means "wheel" in Sanskrit. Your body has 7 main energy centers, or chakras, that spin like wheels, located at your tailbone, lower abdomen, solar plexus, heart, throat, forehead, and crown. They are gateways for vital life force energy to enter your body, and are essential to keeping your life force flowing properly, and maintaining your health and balance.
Energy body - The body's complex, interconnected energy system, ranging from dense, slow-moving energy (the visible, "physical" part of the body) to the subtle-body layers (faster-moving energy, invisible to the eye). The body operates on vital life-force energy, or Qi (chi), which enters through the chakras, and powers the entire body through the body's meridians.
The (Shamanic) Lineage - The Lineage is the living body of knowledge, gate-keeper, and preserver of shamanic initiation, knowledge, induction, and transmission passed down from master to initiate (student) through time; the lineage is comprised of all of the full-mesa carriers---those who reached a critical level of initiation---who have walked the earth throughout time. Each shaman's medicine and expertise contributes, and is present when called upon, even after their death. It is the Lineage who calls an individual to the path, and who tests the Initiate, and who administers the transmissions of initiation. The human teacher may facilitate this process, but it is the Lineage who determines who is ready and worthy. The archetypal forces and allies are also part of the Lineage.
Medicine Wheel - A sacred process of healing and balance, practiced by most indigenous tribes of the Americas. This cosmology recognizes the impeccable relationship between the microcosm and microcosm, in which the world is comprised of the Four Directions, and supported between earth and sky (Mother and Father). It represents the interconnection of the cosmos. Each of the four directions (South, West, North, East) is ruled by an archetypal animal, who teaches and heals a vital component of life. The healing journey begins in the South, ruled by Great Serpent, who teaches us to shed our whole past, as the snake sheds her skin. Then we progress to the West, (clockwise around the wheel), ruled by Mother Jaguar. Jaguar teaches us to conquer fear of death, so that death no longer stalks us or prevents us from fully living. The North is ruled by the Hummingbird, teaching us pure faith in life's journey and to sip from the sweet nectar of life. The East is ruled by the Condor in South America, and the Eagle in North America. Both great birds teach highest perspective and clear, far-reaching vision. Then we continue again around the wheel, at a new level---like a spiral, never-ending.
Mesa - Means "table" in Spanish. In shamanic terms, it is a medicine bundle of stones, acquired/earned by someone as they are initiated into the Lineage as a Full-Mesa Carrier. These stones also receive initiations, corresponding to the initiations received by the shaman-initiate. When the bundle is unfolded and laid open, it becomes "active," and becomes a powerful microcosm of the universe in which energies can be shifted from within the mesa.
Mesa carrier - When someone is called to the path of the shaman, he or she progresses around the Medicine Wheel with a teacher, not only for his own healing, but to transform his wounds into medicine. During initiations at each of the four directions of the wheel, the Initiate acquires medicine stones which are also initiated into his or her mesa. If the Initiate completes the initiation journey, she is considered a full-mesa carrier. Traditionally, the path of becoming a mesa carrier is a very long, extremely arduous process full of tests that few can master or tolerate unless they are truly ready. Modern shamanic schools in the west are often significantly watered down (for accessibility and profit); however, the Lineage are still the gate-keepers, and carry the final word.
Miqui - a shamanic term used for eons across multiple indigenous cultures and languages of South and Central America. It literally translates as "mulching," because it is the energetic equivalent of taking organic debris and decay, and transmuting it back into pure soil and nutrients. At the energetic level, miqui transmutes energy debris back into pure energy. Miqui is under the domain of the Jaguar archetype, whose unique medicine is to mulch heavy energies back to their pure essence. All cats have this ability.
Miqui is a highly intelligent, highly finessed operation that works at the quantum level of energy, engaging with the origin of the wound that caused the debris and is keeping the debris in a holding pattern. Miqui moves impeccably in an organic way from one area of density (corrupted energy) to another, in the order that it must be cleared. The miqui also oversees the integration of the clean energy once the old has been transmuted and dissolved.
Unfortunately, the ability to do miqui is a shamanic gift that cannot be taught. At one time in human history, in shamanic cultures, it was still able to be transmitted from shaman teacher to student directly. But much of this old "magic" that once was accessible is no longer accessible in the same way (for complex reasons). Now, a person is either born this ability as a gift, or not.
Pachamama - Means "Mother Earth" in Q'echua and other ancient languages of the Andes. Pachamama is viewed by South and Central American indigenous groups as both the physical earth and the divine, protective god/goddess force embodied by the earth, the Divine Mother principle.
Q'echua - The direct descendants of the Incas, and their language. They live in the high Andes of South America.
Reiki - A non-physical healing energy, which is life force energy guided by Higher Intelligence. In Japanese, Rei means "God's wisdom" and Ki (Chi/Qi) means "life force energy." Reiki helps promote and accelerate healing, relieve stress, and reduce pain.