AFP, published on Friday, December 30, 2022 at 21:57
At the top of a sacred hill in Lima, Peruvian shamans toss coca leaves into the air while a boa flies between images of various personalities, including presidents and soccer stars. It’s time to make predictions for 2023.
One of them, Walter Alarcon, holds in his hands a shamanic conch or pututo which he blows like a bugle. Dressed in a colorful poncho, the man holds a portrait of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who will begin his third term as Brazil’s head of state on January 1.
“Lula’s tenure will be a bit complicated at first because there will be opponents who don’t agree with his mindset, but then things will calm down and he will thrive and play a good role,” predicts the man who is also president of the organization the shamans of Peru.
The New Year’s welcoming ceremony this year brings together thirteen shamans from across the country: some wear straw hats, others colorful ponchos, while those from the Amazon are adorned with feathers and necklaces.
The ritual takes place on Cerro San Cristobal, a sacred hill overlooking Lima. It begins with a prayer to Tayta Inti, Father Sun, and Pachamama, Mother Earth, for a prosperous 2023. Then come the predictions.
After taking ayahuasca (a hallucinogenic medicinal plant from the Amazon consumed in shamanic rituals, editor’s note), the shamans are worried about the health of Pelé, the Brazilian soccer legend who was hospitalized in Sao Paulo.
“We appreciate him all over the world because he was a good footballer and we want him to continue with us, but next year is the anniversary of his death, ed. Red.” predicts Cleofé Sedano, a 63-year-old shaman.
Shamans placed oranges, tangerines, bananas and apples on colorful blankets spread on the floor as a sign of abundance and prosperity. They drew the numbers of the year 2023 with yellow petals.
The Maria boa touches the portraits of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “The war will calm down. Next year there will be peace. It won’t last longer than August,” announces Cleofé Sedano.
Walter Alarcon, on the other hand, has bad omens for the American: “There will be deaths all over America, but North America will see a lot of deaths, mainly from natural disasters,” he predicts.