Building an Ancestral Apacheta
By Susan Brown with Ed Mayer
Earlier this year at a Music as Medicine Ceremony with Firewalker, while doing ancestral healing and journey work, Jeff suggested I could construct an Ancestral Apacheta (a stone cairn from Peru built at places of power). Since I have little knowledge of my family history, and relatives are long deceased, this seemed like an interesting way to connect with my heritage. Both sides of my family immigrated from Eastern Europe near the turn of the 20th century, and I learned from 23 & me that I was 100% Ashkenazi Jew. Knowing of this Jewish heritage, Jeff recommended including the Sephiroth or Tree of Life from the Hebrew Kabbalah into the construction of the Apacheta. Further, he instructed that the base of the Apacheta should be a six-pointed Star of David.
Being unfamiliar with the mystical aspects of the Kabbalah, I began an exploration of the meaning and symbolism of the Sephiroth, which is an arrangement of 10 interconnected spheres. The spheres or spiritual lights, each represent an archetype and are arranged in 3 pillars. The right pillar of expansion is referred to as masculine, active, with aspects of giving. The left pillar of constriction is referred to as feminine, passive, with aspects of receiving. The middle pillar balances and harmonizes between the two opposites.
Working with my husband, we first selected an appropriate site, which needed to be on a line from our house in the direction from where my ancestors originated in Eastern Europe. While on our hikes during the early spring, we began to collect the stones needed for the star and to represent the 10 spheres of the Sephiroth. This took some time as we looked for stones that called out for us to take them. The platform with the Star of David was laid out first and after sitting with it for some time, when all the other stones were gathered, the Apacheta began to take form.
Soon after construction was completed, we had an activation ceremony with a small group of close friends, which coincided with a celebration of our 45th wedding anniversary. During and after the activation ceremony all present could sense the strong Sami emanating from the Apacheta. Since then we have been cultivating our relationship with the Ancestral energy that is starting to unfold, and how to best work with the potent archetypes embodied by this alter. Join us for an afternoon of Ancestral Honoring and nature walk on July 28th
Archetypes of the Sephiroth