The Sierras: 

KOGUI SPIRIT

KOGUI, Bathing in the sacred springs, Sierra Nevada, Colombia.

The Kogui live in the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains near Santa Marta in Colombia. They are a people who remained isolated from the world for many centuries. Then they noticed that the eternal snows and their snowy peaks were melting. They could see that little brother--people living in the valleys--were polluting the Earth. When they saw this, the Kogui came out of their centuries-old isolation to become the voice of Aluna, the Great Mother who takes care of all of us. The Kogui say that nature is a sacred temple and that not only our thoughts need to be aligned with the Great Mother, but that we need to ask nature permission for any work that we do. 

For the Kogui, the world was created out of darkness by the Great Spirit Mother. When the morning light came from the sun, the Spirit Mother created the Earth. Then she created the spirits of the mountains and stones, the oceans, rivers, streams, lagoons, the winds, trees, plants, animals, insects, man and woman—everything. 

The Kogui, were then given the task of maintaining the balance of the world. They say prayers at sacred sites and give offerings so that not only the Sierra is in balance, but the entire world. They consult Yatukwa, their oracle, for spiritual guidance. The Kogui spiritual leaders, or Mamos, describe sexuality as a sacred act for reproduction and that keeping the right balance between humans and nature assures that the Earth’s carrying capacity is respected. 

They emphasize that all humans were intended to live on Earth in peace and with respect for nature and her abundance, and that their sacred coca leaf is only to be used for sacred spiritual practices. 

The Kogui have taken on the task of realization as highly-spiritualized guardians of life on planet Earth. They have established a black line, or circle of protection around the perimeter of the Sierras where they give constant offerings at sacred sites to keep the natural energy fields of the Earth alive. They say, “if we, the Kogui die, the entire Earth will die."