These Ancient diviners would connect with animals, plants, and rhythms of nature in order to help their patients. Find out about the roles and purposes of these mostly forgotten traditions.
For many of us in the Western world, these ancient practices might seem like a far-flung concept to use divination. We are used to thinking about medicine in terms of objectivity, such as through testing and proven procedures. But the fact still remains that Inca healers were very effective in treating illnesses.
Ancient healers knew that the healing they gave to others didn’t come from themselves, but rather was something that they allowed themselves to be channels for. It was by concentrating within themselves that they connected with these healing energies, and sent them to others.According to the historian of traditional Andean medicine, Lorgio A. Guibovich Del Carpio, “Traditional healers would enter into a meditation in order to speak with spirits and protector gods about a patient’s illness, and in this way, they practiced a very advanced form of parapsychology.“
One of the fundamental ways that healers would diagnose illnesses was by looking to animals, plants, and rhythms of nature to find signs for what was at the root of a patient’s illness, and what the remedy would be. For many of us in the Western world, this might seem like a far-flung concept. We are used to thinking about medicine in terms of objectivity, such as through testing and proven procedures. But the fact still remains that Inca healers were very effective in treating illnesses.
The types of Ancient Inca healers
Moscoc: dream readers
Those who read patients’ dreams in order to give a prognosis of their illness. Fire symbolized a grave sickness, turbid water represented death or a family disgrace and dreaming about children signified losing something important.
Curicucuy: the guinea pig healers
Those who used guinea pigs in their healing practice. This usually involves rubbing a guinea pig across the patient’s body, killing and the dissecting it in order to find out about a patient’s illness.
The Yacaracas: metal melters
These healers worked with fire. They blew various plants and metals into a flame in order to watch how it be morphed and changed. From this they diagnosed illnesses.
Guarcarimachic: connecting at sacred sites
Healers who opened a conversation with the power sites such as ruins, temples, and sacred sites, in order to diagnosticate illness.
Ayartapuc: communicating with the dead
Those who opened conversations with the dead.
Rumatingui: Love doctors
These healers often made love potions and worked with herbs in order to bring lovers closer together
Camasca: the herbalists
Those who heal with the help of herbs and roots
Rapiac: readers of reflexes
Those who gave a prognosis to patients by working with a patient’s reflexes and the movement of their limbs.
Source: The Book of Ancient Inca Traditional Healing
Cover photo: Flickr
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