Bolivia Mística

Sundance in the Bolivian Andes

*Can be combined with previous ten day visit to the Sacred Lake Titikaka, the Island of the Sun
and the land of the Kallawaya Shamans

The Bolivian Sun-Moon Dance. During three days
of ritual dancing and fasting, in La Paz, Bolivia, in front of sacred
mt. Illimani, many people from all over the world will gather for this
potent blessing rite around the "tree of life"'. we will be blessed by
the presence of aymara musicians who will encourage the dancers with
their sacred "kantus" drumming and singing, as well as with the
presence of aymara amauta elder(wise-man, healer) keeper of tiwanaku,
don policarpio flores, who will offer traditional burnt-offering
ceremonies to the earth, the mountains and celestial beings.
(Need to arrive 3 days earlier to adapt to altitude)

Placing the buffalo skull on the tree of life

Medicine-man, healer and visionary of Picuris Pueblo and Southern Ute ancestry Beautiful Painted Arrow (Joseph Rael) came to the Bolivian Andes to conduct his first Sundance in the Southern Hemisphere during the Summer Solstice in December, and passed the mantle of Sun-Moon-Dance-Chief to Miguel Kavlin, who has been conducting them since.
At the site of the Sacha Runa Peace Chamber, in front of some of the most powerful "Achachilas" (mountain Gods) of the Andes, at 12,000Ft high, we will spend the first few days acclimatizing ourselves to the altitude and helping to ready the dance site, as well as participating in purification ceremonies.

The "Canyon of the Souls", just west of the site,
and one of its powerful spiritual influences

The half-undergroundoval-shaped Sacha Runa Peace Chamber

The roof entrance to the Chamber overlooks sacred Mt. Illimani

Accompanied by local Aymara Elders, we will conduct traditional burnt-offerings asking for blessings for all the dancers and all of life.

The Aymara Elder of Tiwanaku, Don Policarpio Flores, conducts
a blessing ceremony for the dancers

Then we will begin the three day dance-an- fast; an incredible opportunity to transcend self-imposed limitations and glimpse sacred realms through prayer and effort.
We will conclude the dance with a feast.