Traditional Andean Offerings
The traditional Andean offering is a beautiful ritual form in which we express our gratitude towards life for the great abundance we have in the mere fact of existing, it is also a means to restore the balance of the energy of reciprocity.
In the Andean worldview, which is where this practice finds its origins, it is said that the offering is a form of communication between the human and the divine. It is considered that the axis that sustains our universe in harmony is the practice of reciprocity. Reciprocity is the balance between giving and receiving. To sustain our existence we require and take a great amount of resources. In the consciousness of reciprocity, we seek to give back what we receive through the action of giving. Therefore, reciprocity is the consciousness of the balance between giving and receiving, it seeks to dwell in a correct relationship between giving and receiving. It is to live in harmony with generosity (giving), and humility (receiving).
The act of giving is also born from the recognition that life is an opportunity of great meaning and from the fundamental appreciation for everything that makes it possible. This leads us to the desire to give back through the practice of sharing all the energy that is given to us. Giving also comes from recognizing that this is the natural way in which energy flows.