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SERPENT – Sacha Mama

The serpent is the archetypal animal of the South direction on the Q’ero medicine wheel. It is a
universal archetype symbolizing knowledge, sexuality, and healing. Physically and metaphorically,
the serpent stays low to the ground so it sees the world from the perspective that everything is
exactly as it seems to be. A rose is a rose, a cloud is a cloud, and an obstacle is something to be
merely navigated around. It sheds its skin when it grows out of it and leaves it behind to grow into
the next version of itself with no thought of what it is releasing, only what the next action is in front
of it.

On an energetic level, the serpent is about literal, day-to-day functioning. We acquire knowledge,
make to-do lists, solve logistical problems, and move through our lives mechanically at this level.

The serpent is our connection to the divine feminine. It is the place from which passion is born, the
place where mystery is allowed to be exactly that - the unknown. The sexuality of the serpent is not
about sex, but about creation and connection - the things that bring purpose to our day-to-day
actions. We may not know what something is about, but we know we are belly to belly with an
empowered path.

The serpent is universally associated with healing. The Western medicine caduceus is two snakes
wrapped around a staff. Nearly every culture has associated the serpent with physical healing.
When we intervene at the level of the serpent we are working with the physical body. Everything
from exercise to massage to diet to surgery is serpent-level healing.

The serpent is associated with the first chakra, or the root chakra. It is the Kundalini energy of
Eastern traditions that is the coiled serpent at the base of the spine - our physical foundation. The
first chakra, or energetic center, is about survival and procreation. It is concerned with food, shelter,
safety, and the ability to provide for oneself.

JAGUAR – OTORONGO

The jaguar is the archetypal animal of the West direction on the Q’ero medicine wheel. It represents
renewal and sudden transformation. It is the king of the jungle with no natural predators and moves
with precision, certainty, and impeccability. The jaguar is associated with the cycle of life and
death. Energetically, it devours what no longer serves us and pounces without hesitation into what
we are becoming. There is nothing incremental or gradual about jaguar energy. It sees opportunity
in sickness, in that healing is not a chance to get back to normal, but rather to leap beyond our
previous circumstances.

On an energetic level, the jaguar is the place of our mental and emotional self. Curiosity lives here.
At the level of the jaguar, nothing is exactly as it appears to be. Our perceptions color the painting
of reality in front of us. Our beliefs systems heavily dictate the world we see. The jaguar knows
that stability is an illusion and that comfort comes from being in the present moment, not from
hanging on to the happenings of the past. The jaguar knows that if we don’t write our story, our
story writes us.

Jaguar teaches us how to be in balance with life. It teaches us how to track patterns and listen to
nature. But it also tracks us if we are out of balance and not being true to path. It will devour us if
we do not answer the call within us.

The jaguar is associated with the second chakra, the sacral chakra. It is the energetic center at the
base of our gut - the place of passion and sexuality, of fear and self-esteem. Inherited stories and
issues manifest here and it is the jaguar that helps those things to die so there can be a rebirth into a
higher state.

HUMMINGBIRD – SIWAR KENTI

The hummingbird is the archetypal animal of the North direction of the Q’ero medicine wheel. This
tiny creature represents courage and perseverance. It is in no way physically suited for the journey
it embarks upon, yet it goes. It flies to a destination it should not be able to make it to, stopping for
nectar in places it doesn’t know how to find, all while bringing a smile to the face of every person
that happens to catch a glance of it. The hummingbird is the definition of possibility. It knows
nothing of probability.

Energetically the hummingbird represents the mythic part of us, our subconscious. It lives in the
territory of dreams and fairy tales and magic and stories. Hummingbird thrives on ceremony and
ritual. It makes a space sacred when we call it to us. In the North, through the eyes of the
hummingbird, everything is exactly as it should be.

The hummingbird teaches us that our world can be bigger than we think it can. It expands our
territory and shows us where to go, when to leave, and how long to stay. It lets us know that our
nectar comes from places we never imagined and reminds us the universe is on our side when we
flow with it. If the hummingbird did not obey the direction moving through it, it would not last
long. The same is true for us. If we do not follow the pull inside us, we begin to lose our luster.
We begin to die.

The hummingbird is associated with the third chakra, the solar plexus, or sun chakra. It is our place
of power. The energy of the third chakra is courage and expression in the world. When it’s
functioning well we walk with certainty, not arrogance - we manifest through being, we don’t just
simply materialize by the sweat of our brow.

EAGLE / CONDOR – HATUN ANKA / HATUN KUNTUR

The eagle and condor are the archetypal animals of the East on the Q’ero medicine wheel. They
bring perspective into our lives. From their height they can see that what we perceive as separated
on the ground, is actually part of a unified whole. They bring the the possibility of destiny to us by
allowing us to see horizons we didn’t even know existed. A different perspective is often all we
need to let our limiting belief systems go.

The eagle and condor energetically bring transcendance, the ability to move beyond the roles,
identities, addictions, and diagnoses we have either shackled ourselves to, or have been laid upon
us. In the East direction the eagle and condor teach us how to see life in the big picture and not get
tied down in the minutia. Once we can see a greater vision, then we can use the perspectives of the
other archetypes to navigate our day-to-day world towards that vision.

The eagle and condor live in the consciousness of “Thy will be done”. They move in pure energy.
They give us the courage to put the cart before the horse if that’s what the situation calls for. They
also remind us to not get too attached to our outcomes because what we think may be best for us
may actually be a limited point of view.

The fourth chakra, the heart chakra, is associated with the eagle and condor. This is the center of
pure love. Not simply sentimental love. It is love that is ineffable and everpresent. The Q’ero call
it munay. It is also known as agape. It is the impersonal perfect love of creation; the love that the
predator has for its prey, and vice versa. The love that a flower has for the rain. The energy of the
heart is the energy of the eagle - freedom.