The Chakana Oracle: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century

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Andean Cosmology, Divination

In many ancient cultures divination was used to determine if an action taken would be favorable. In ancient Greece, an oracle was a seer who was the intermediary between the people and the gods and goddesses. In The Chakana Oracle, the cards themselves play the role of the ancient oracle, connecting the user to an ancient Andean lineage, whose roots go back over 500 years to the Inka Empire.

Just as working directly with textiles, natural items, sacred places, and medicine bundles are useful vehicles to rekindle connections to the earth and to the cosmos, working with The Chakana Oracle will also serve to promote connection. Over time, with dedication and awareness, we can each rekindle and remember our own personal cosmology and reconnect to our indigenous soul. In doing so, we are engaging ayni, a sacred reciprocity of both receiving and giving back to the energetic universe, known as the Kawsaypacha (Living Energy World).

The Chakana Oracle project is a co-creation of Drake and Wake, who together have 36 years of experience working within the Andean cosmology. They have drawn information from multiple sources including journeys, discussions, ceremonies, and initiations with indigenous teachers of the Andes. They are available for Chakana Oracle readings and workshops. For further information please visit The Chakana Oracle website: www.ChakanaOracle.com. In addition, both Drake and Wake are available to give Chakana Oracle readings and workshops.

The Chakana Oracle project consists of a guidebook, a card deck, and a cloth textile for divination layouts. The Chakana Oracle is a vehicle designed to help the user explore the depth and breadth of who they are, who they are connected to, and what they’re capable of achieving. It also presents ways to find and then engage their own energy companions. So, user, journey, sing, reweave stories, and activate your living energy!

The Chakana Oracle Guidebook is a compilation of Andean cosmology and spiritual culture that is presented from a fresh new perspective. It includes:

• In-depth information with rich, full-color illustrations of Andean cosmology and symbology.
• Layouts for divination work with a foundation that is based on the geography of the terrestrial land overlaid with the energy of the celestial sky.
• Description, interpretation, and practice for each of the 100 oracle cards in The Chakana Oracle Card Deck.

The Chakana Oracle Guidebook is available in printed form as a 6”x9” trade paperback (ISBN 978-0-9862498-2-2). It is 292 pages with 250 full color illustrations. An electronic version of the book (ISBN 978-0-9862498-3-9) will be available soon.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Divination & Card Layouts

Antisuyu (Northeast) Suit: P’acha Q’epe (Woven Textiles)
To Be (Green) – 28 Image Cards

Qollasuyu (Southeast) Suit: Khuyakuna (Sacred Stones)
To Emerge (White) – 19 Image Cards

Kuntisuyu (Southwest) Suit: Rikchaykuna (Carved Images)
To Vision (Yellow) – 18 Image Cards

Chinchaysuyu (Northwest) Suit: Ruruchina (Energy Companions)
To Master (Red) – 29 Image Cards

Appendixes
– Glossary
– Reference Links
– The Marketplace
– Acknowledgements
– About the Authors

The Chakana Oracle Card Deck consists of 101 3.5”x5” cards (ISBN 978-0-9862498-4-6) printed on linen card stock. Each card is an energetic companion from the Andean cosmology that can help the user activate, animate, and move energy within different grids of time, dimensions, and portals. Each card includes a photograph of the companion as well as its title in the native language of Quechua with its English translation.

Cards usually contain archetypal or sacred images that portray a concept. Cards, as symbolic inquiry, can be a powerful adjunct to core spiritual practices. This sacred symbolic dialogue can enhance and deepen our relationship with Spirit. The process involves taking a literal image, sensing its symbolic messages, hearing its mythic story, and moving its activated energy. The essential layers of perception and experience become engaged.

  

The Chakana Oracle items can be purchased individually or as a set. These include the book, card deck, and other items that accessorize your divination work, such as textiles, chumpi stones, and dice. All of these items are available at The Marketplace (www.SacredPathways.us/shop/). The guidebook is also be available in printed form or as an ebook on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. The ebook is on Apple iTunes, too. You can also visit us at www.ChakanaOracle.com. We invite you to write a review on Amazon or send one to us directly. Thank you.

Photo of don Francisco Chura Flores, doña Juanita Apaza Ccapa, and Wilbert Salas Atasi reviewing the prototype of The Chakana Oracle cards in Cusco Peru.

Photo of don Francisco Chura Flores, doña Juanita Apaza Ccapa, and Wilbert Salas Atasi blessing the prototype of The Chakana Oracle cards in Cusco Peru.

Copyright © 2020 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged.
www.ChakanaOracle.com
www.DrakeInnerprizes.com

Do It Yourself Divination

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Divination

Divination is the practice of foreseeing the future. Many diviners, however, work with the client’s past and present in order to clear the way for the future. The word divination is derived from the Latin root “divinus”, which means “divine” or “inspired by a god”. Sometimes divination is called fortune telling. Divination has been used throughout history and within various cultures in the form of reading events as signs or omens.

Anyone can practice divination. You don’t have to consider yourself a psychic even though everyone has intuitive capabilities. The more you use your intuition, the more developed your intuitive skills become. There are specific ways to enhance your intuitive skills such as reading intuitive instruction books, taking intuitive development classes, and practicing, practicing, practicing.

Use divination wisely. It has been proven in the study of quantum physics that just by focusing on the future we can alter its course. However, divination can be used as a tool to bring unconscious information from our subconscious and superconscious minds. By calming our mind and focusing our attention, we are able to open our conscious minds to new information. The act of divination and the use of tools to form patterns can greatly assist us in our focus.

There are many forms of divination but this article’s focus is on one particular form of casting lots. This practice of throwing items such as shells, stones, bones, sticks, beans, dice, coins, or cards, is called cleromancy or sortilege. The items may be thrown on the ground, on a mat or hide, or in a circle.

“Throwing the bones” is a slang term that originated from some indigenous cultures. The bones might consist of animal bones, stones, coins, cowrie shells, nuts, and other natural objects. “Bones” is also slang for dice, which may have originated from divination bones.

DIY DIVINATION STEPS

Here is a step by step process for creating your own divination system. Divination systems can be purchased but I have found that when I created my own system with meanings that I assigned to each item, my intuitive readings felt much more powerful and clear.

Step 1: Collect your objects. You can use any number of items you wish and they can be of any type. I use natural items so that I feel tapped into the nature spirits and the energy of mother earth. (See photo below.)

Step 2: Assign a meaning to each item. The meaning of each item can be obtained through simple intuition, meditation, or shamanic journeys. Make sure you record the meaning of each item in a journal.

Step 3: Pick a ground to throw on. Some suggestions for a ground to throw on would be a circle or square large enough to contain all the objects when thrown. Some objects may fall outside of the circle or square and that has as much meaning as those that fall within. You can draw a “grid” on paper or you can purchase a cloth to use as a ground. The Q’ero, the indigenous descendants of the Inka, weave a cloth called a four quarter cloth. It is a great ground to use for divination. (See photo below.)

Step 4: Ground yourself and create a sacred space. This is an important practice for protection purposes. When you are ready to begin a reading, do a grounding visualization. Then open sacred space by calling in your spirit protectors and guides. Ask them for their guidance and support during your divination session.

Step 5: Choose a question. Here are a few guidelines to help you formulate the question you want to ask during your divination session:

• Ask one simple precise question at a time. Do not use compound questions, i.e. use “and” or “or” in the question.
• Don’t ask “yes”, “no”, “should”, or “when” questions. You will get more precise information if you use questions that begin contain “who”, “what”, “where”, “why”, or “how”.
• Only ask questions about yourself unless you have informed consent to ask questions on behalf of another soul.

Step 6: Cast objects on ground. As you consciously think about your question, throw the items on your ground.

Step 7: Interpret meaning. Your intuition is stimulated by focusing on the visual results of the items thrown. However, you may receive information through feelings, hearing, or thinking (knowing). For additional information about interpreting meaning, refer to Section #3 below.

Step 8: End the session. When your session is complete, gather up your items. You may want to clear them by some form of smudging with sage or Florida water. Keep them in a safe place. Thank and release all the spirit protectors and guides that assisted you during the session.

The photo below shows a set of items I created. They have been thrown on a Q’ero four quarter cloth.

I will share the meaning of each item for example purpose only:

Stick – Male Acorn – Growth / Future
Cowrie Shell – Female Prickly Seed – Fire / South
Crystal – Thought Triangle Stone – Earth / West
Coral – Emotion Shell – Water / North
Pine Cone – Spirit Feather – Air / East
Eucalyptus – Ancestors / Past Corn – Abundance & Sustenance
Oval Stone – Foundation / Present Open Cone Pod – Possibilities
Acorn – Growth / Future
Prickly Seed – Fire / South
Triangle Stone – Earth / West
Shell – Water / North
Feather – Air / East
Corn – Abundance & Sustenance
Open Cone Pod – Possibilities

DIVINATION INTERPRETATION

Many times Spirit passes messages to us in forms other than language such as metaphors and pictures. You may not be able to interpret the meaning of your thrown objects literally or the meaning may have an obscure message that will make more sense sometime in the future. You may want to record the results of your divination session in a journal for future reference.

There are two ways to derive meaning while “reading” the bones:

1. Each item has a specific meaning. Note where the items fall in relation to each other and the significance of their meanings. What metaphors can be drawn from the location of each item?
2. The overall pattern of the items after they are thrown. What is the meaning of their position and their relationship to other items on the ground?
   The figure below shows how meaning can be applied to the location and pattern of the items after they are thrown. I developed this grid after studying different sources including the psychology of art therapy and sand tray therapy. Don’t take this grid as gospel. You can develop your own meaning from the location of items on the ground.

Copyright © 2014 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged. http://www.DrakeInnerprizes.com