Doña Maria’s Blessing: A Starseed Adventure into the Heart of the Andes

An Initiation, Reciprocity, and Cosmic Remembrance.

As we prepare for our Starseed Adventure into the heart of the Andes, I want to share something deeply personal and profoundly moving. What began as a humble intention—to honor Doña Maria Apaza, an Altomesayoq of the Q’ero people—has unfolded into something far greater than I could have imagined.


Equinox Ceremonies in the Sacred Valley 

Under the Autumnal Equinox energies, our Starseed family will journey together to the breathtaking Urubamba Valley, the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. There, we will participate in two community integration ceremonies—one honoring Pachamama (Earth) and the other honoring Mama Killa (Moon).

These ceremonies are not just rituals—they are acts of reverence and alignment. They allow us to attune ourselves to the rhythms of nature and the ancestral wisdom of the Q’ero before receiving our personal initiations. By honoring the Earth and Moon, we enter into sacred reciprocity, preparing our luminous fields to receive the energetic transmissions that follow.

The Lightning Path 

Dona Maria Apaza

Lightning is not something to seek—it chooses. In Q’ero tradition, being struck by lightning is a sacred calling, a direct initiation from nature itself. Doña Maria Apaza is one of the few living Altomesayoqs to have survived this divine encounter. She joins a lineage of lightning-struck mystics, including Don Sebastián Suclle Apaza and the legendary Garibilu Q’espi, who built a sacred saiwa stone column that was struck by lightning and protected his village from conquistadors.

I’ve experienced this intimately—having once been temporarily blinded by a nearby strike—and I share a common thread with a few of my teachers who have been struck by lightning, some multiple times. It’s not a path I pursue, but one I deeply respect. If you’ve taken my Lightning Initiation course, you’ll understand how deeply this moment touches my heart. This is not just a subject dear to me—it’s one I know firsthand.

Ancient Medicine and the Luminous Energy Field 

Long before the term “energy healing” entered the New Age lexicon, the Q’ero were working with what they call the Luminous Energy Field—a subtle, radiant matrix that surrounds and informs the body, mind, and spirit. This field is the blueprint of our well-being, and Q’ero medicine works directly with it to clear imprints, restore harmony, and awaken our highest potential.

Their healing practices are vibrational, ceremonial, and deeply rooted in a cosmology that sees all life as interconnected. The concept of ayni guides every exchange, ensuring that healing is not just personal, but planetary. This is not a trend—it is a living lineage, passed through ceremony, silence, and sacred relationship with the Earth.

A Living Lineage 

The Q’ero have preserved these teachings for centuries, untouched by conquest and colonization, thanks to their remote mountain villages and the protection of the Apus. Their medicine is a gift to the world, and we are being invited into it

Many of our starseeds have personally elected to receive healing support from the Q’ero elders. Whether through readings, clearings, or initiations, this sacred exchange is rooted in ayni—the principle of reciprocity and energetic harmony. And now, an unforeseen blessing awaits: Doña Maria Apaza herself will offer the Qarpay Initiation to many of us.

The Qarpay is not just a ritual—it is a transmission of the living energies of nature. It empowers the initiate by awakening their connection to the Apus (mountain spirits), Pachamama (Mother Earth), and the cosmic lineage of the Andes. To receive this directly from Doña Maria is a rare and humbling honor.

Preparing for the Qarpay: A Reflection of Energetic Lineage

Althea Provost, Arhauco ceremony, Santa Marta, Columbia

Photo Credit: 2017, Althea Provost, Santa Marta, Colombia.

As I prepare to receive the Qarpay Initiation, I find myself reflecting on a deeply moving experience I had years ago—a baptism from a gentle Arhuaco elder in the Santa Marta region of Colombia. The ceremony was simple, yet sacred: I knelt on the earth and placed my forehead onto a stone, entering into a moment of stillness and connection.

Though the traditions are distinct, the energetic quality of that ritual felt strikingly familiar to the vibrational medicine of the Andes—subtle yet potent, deeply cleansing, and rooted in a sacred relationship with the Earth.

I share this not to elevate my own experience, but to honor the universal threads that run through Indigenous medicine. These traditions speak to something ancient and true—a way of being in reciprocity with the natural world, of healing through connection rather than correction.

The Q’ero, often called the “last of the Incas,” have preserved their medicine through centuries of resilience. Their concept of ayni—sacred reciprocity—reminds us that healing is not a transaction, but a relationship. In receiving the Qarpay, we are not simply initiated; we are invited into a lineage of balance, reverence, and service.

©2025 Thea’s Heart, LLC® – All Rights Reserved

 Out of Office Notice

Thank you for visiting! Our office will be closed from September 16–25 as we embark on our transformative Starseed Peru Adventure—a sacred journey through the Andes to reconnect with ancient wisdom, cosmic energy, and the Q’ero ceremonies.

If you’re looking to book a private session, we welcome your request! Please note that all inquiries and appointments will be responded to on September 29, once we’ve returned and integrated the powerful energies of our pilgrimage.

We appreciate your patience and look forward to connecting with you soon
—refreshed, inspired, and deeply aligned.
Althea Provost

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