Pachamama
Pachamama is a revered earth mother and fertility deity in Indigenous Andean religions, associated with the earth, agriculture, and life.
Ayni: Ayni is reciprocal exchange of labor and support among people in Andean communities. Reciprocity toward Pachamama parallels the mutual obligations that organize human relationships.
Pachamama Raymi: Pachamama Raymi is a ceremony honoring Pachamama, especially associated with offerings and agricultural renewal. The ceremony makes devotion to Pachamama explicit through communal ritual.
Inca religion: Inca religion was the religious system of the Inca state, involving deities, ancestors, sacred places, and ritual obligations. Inca-era practices shaped some later forms of devotion to Pachamama.
Inti: Inti is the sun deity in Inca religion and a central figure in Inca state ritual. Inti is associated with the sun, unlike Pachamama's connection to earth and fertility.
Despacho: A despacho is an arranged offering bundle used in Andean ritual practice. Despachos give material form to offerings made to Pachamama.
Coca leaf divination: Coca leaf divination is a practice of interpreting coca leaves in Andean ritual and consultation. Coca leaves can be used in offerings and consultations involving Pachamama.
Huacas: Huacas are sacred beings, objects, or places in Indigenous Andean religious traditions. Pachamama is honored within landscapes where particular places can also be sacred.
Mama Quilla: Mama Quilla is a moon deity in Inca religion, associated with the moon and calendar rites. Her lunar associations differ from Pachamama's earth-centered ones.
Andean cosmology: Andean cosmology is a set of Indigenous understandings of the relationships among humans, places, ancestors, and other-than-human beings. Pachamama belongs to a relational world in which places and beings can hold agency.
Andean agriculture: Andean agriculture is the cultivation of crops and livestock in the diverse mountain environments of the Andes. Agricultural work depends on land and seasonal conditions often addressed through Pachamama rites.