Summer solstice was upon us, the sun’s last rays were disappearing behind mountain peaks as we made it to the ruins of Ollantaytambo, the ancient citadel of the Incas. It was our night, after weeks of bitter purging we were ready for this, brave warriors stepping up for another transmission of pachadata. We waited for the guards to close the entrance gates and leave, as the last tourist buses were guzzling out of the parking lot. Now it was just us, a group of young spirited warriors guided by our fearless shaman, waiting patiently to claim our destiny. It was barely dark out, but the sky was already being littered with the stars of the Milky Way, the air growing thicker with dense electricity as the veils between worlds were weakening. We were the only group that evening to claim these ruins, it was our playground for the night, and we salivated with eager anticipation.
We calmly waited for the darkness to take a firm hold, starting our climb by the side of the mountain. Without flashlights, careful not to slip or step on thorns of a random cactus, we followed in each other’s footsteps, slowly adapting our eyes to the night vision. It was quiet, I could see random flickering lights in the distance of a nearby town, as if giving me the last opportunity to change my mind. As I pressed on, creepy dark shadows started crawling along the side of the rocky surface, as if the spirits were already watching us, carefully studying our flaws and weaknesses. My mind, as if being squeezed by the rising tensions, started playing tricks on me, fears and emotions bubbling to the surface trying to gain control over my senses. We already had a good dose of mescaline inside of us, as if warriors headed for their last brave fight, we were ready to let go and accept what followed.
The perception of time was slowly changing as we entered the ruins through a chipped crack in a poorly reconstructed wall, as if it was an invisible barrier between timelines. We were inside another realm now, filled with ancient stories of courage and mystery that were so dear to many of us. Memories of times long past started once again tickling my inflamed imagination as adrenaline was gradually filling my veins.
The ruins were quiet, random ghosts of confused tourists still lingered around the site taking photographs, trying to grab a small piece of the ancient memory with them. Our group split up in the darkness as we were headed straight for the megaliths, most beautifully carved and aligned rocks standing proudly on a plateau unlike anything I’ve ever seen, as if ancient gods themselves constructed them. We knew our way around through the maze of countless steps, turns, and secret passages, silently diving through the darkness like shadows, feeling the rocks as if connecting with them, letting their energy once again merge with my own heart vibration, aligning my spirit for the journey ahead.
It was getting colder, the sky now filled with countless stars as we made it to the open plateau. I could see silhouettes of my fellow adventure seekers in the darkness, each surrounded by their energy presence of past experiences and accrued lifetimes, firmly determined to walk through the sun gates on this fine evening. The shaman took his place by the protrusion on one of the rocks, firmly rooting himself in their presence, and started unpacking the medicine. Everyone quieted down as we watched him take out the magic bottle filled with divine crystalline liquid. There was a sense of intense anticipation in the air, as we all waited for this defining moment.
The shaman opened the bottle and a familiar smell of nauseating bitterness slowly spread through the air. We all lined up, mentally preparing for the journey ahead. One by one, we kneeled with our mouths open, firmly grabbing the sacred rocks for support, grasping for our fair dose of the divine medicine. He poured the liquid by the side of the rock face, as it was an ancient custom, merging the magic of the mescaline with the rocks themselves. It was dark, there was no way of telling how much medicine each one of us ingested, adding even more fuel to an already inflamed imagination. The liquid was thick and bitter, almost chewy, which meant only one thing, it was extra concentrated this time. This was the way of the puma, fear was not an option, we were in for a long night, there was no turning back now.
The substance quickly took hold of my previously cleansed body, allowing the medicine to spread through it smoothly. As before, I felt the presence of a greenish masculine consciousness, greatly enhancing my senses and physical abilities. I haven’t had much food for hours, which made the effects so much cleaner and stronger. With enough water to last through the night and a few healthy snacks to replenish the brain with nutrients, I proceeded to explore the ruins. It was our night, there were no rules to follow, simply enjoy the high, interact with the energy the best you can and heal yourself.
The group slowly started to disperse, as we all knew our way around the maze from daytime explorations. My thoughts were scattered, I had no plan to pursue, as the mescaline effects were getting stronger and stronger by the minute. I started perceiving these strange energy lines, as if there was a grid pattern permeating through everything, like in some kind of a strange computer game. I could now tell which places converged with vortexes of energy knots, clearly signalling a potential point of interest. Cleanly polished rock walls lost their tourist luster, and now stood naked in their presence, revealing the mirror of a time long past. I stopped half-way through my walk and leaned against a rock that felt very special to me. Our energies merged, my mind instantaneously filled with bizarre images, ancient stories of a time long past, memories contained within the rocks opened up and spoke to me. I sat and quietly absorbed the transmission, mesmerized by the immensity and vividness of the information presented.
Like an open book, I observed an unending sequence of multi-dimensional images dissolving into an aware presence of my mind. Stories of love and heartbreak, family and joy, children playing in the sunshine, young maidens swimming naked in pure waters, mothers giving birth in mountain rivers, valleys covered with blooming wildflowers passed in front of my eyes like a mirage. Warriors half naked, sun-bronzed and decorated with armor, passing quietly like a pack of jaguars on a hunt along the narrow mountain passages to sneak up on their prey, armed and fearless, their minds drenched in mescaline, running like shadow ghosts towards their destiny. Multi-faceted rock walls, interlinked and polished to perfection, with soft round corners as if made from clay by a child, covered in pure golden sheets, reflecting the energy of the sun as if gods themselves made it. Perfect and complex geometry, inclined trapezoidal doorways and windows, countless steps and terraces with divine gardens, acoustic chambers tuned to perfection, narrow water channels streaming with pure mountain melted crystals, my mind was absorbing it all, like a magnetic resonance chamber filled with divine sound. My body was lost somewhere in space, only awareness remained without shape or size, merging with emptiness, witnessing and absorbing this universal knowledge without limits. The rocks had a story to tell, and I listened.
Regaining my awareness after some time, I ran like the wind across the scenery, as if transformed into a puma. My body felt light and agile, I could suddenly jump long distances, skillfully hopping rocks and landing with precision, my mind always a few steps ahead of my body, calculating my exact trajectory with cold hunter-like intelligence. My hands felt warm and padded as I used them to bounce off rocks at sharp turns and crawl through dark crevices. My face muscles tightened, eyes enlarged, breath calm and steady, teeth present as if now with sharp fangs, body hair perceiving slightest wind movements, I was alert as never experienced before.
It was at the peak of my mescaline journey, when gentle moonlight started peaking through the mountains, creating mystical shadows and appearances, illuminating my mind with a soft and gentle whisper, as if soothing the fire in my soul with the coolness of the divine feminine. My tensions eased, I felt calmer now, as the delicate light of the goddess entered the divine house. Stopping near the terraces, I observed with awe this beautiful moonrise in the distance, gracefully illuminating nearby mountain peaks, saturated with pure bliss of the divine presence. There was no separation, I lived an eternity within that moment of oneness, my soul merging with countless previous versions of itself, as if recognizing this same view over and over again.
I don’t remember everything that happened that night. I do, however, recall my head popping from the combination of mescaline, adrenaline, cold air, and the countless stars above. I’ve never felt so awake before, like a puma, I jumped about the ruins, fearlessly participating in imaginary battles and vision quests. Passage of time no longer mattered, everything breathed with life, many of my previous lifetimes flashing before my eyes, my soul memories reemerging from deep slumber as if activated by this experience. My body was like a beacon, absorbing geometrical patterns and mandalas, everything was interweaved by visible reddish energy patterns, often seen on Inca tapestries and pottery. I felt connected to all of it like never before, no book could describe what I experienced that night. My surroundings were breathing with me, there was no telling where I ended and everything else began, the veils of separation were lifted, the environment and I were one. It all made sense now, I had no more questions, my initiation into the path of the puma was complete.
The sky started getting brighter from the rays of the rising sun. The effects of mescaline were slowly wearing off, bringing back the experience of time. Our group was gathered by the side exit, ready to leave the ruins as quietly and unnoticeably as we’ve entered them the night before. The journey was over, a new life awaited me the next day. I was a puma warrior now, the next challenge was clear, the world was waiting.
Within a few days of this experience, I had an auspicious dream. I was standing on the plateau in front of the megalithic stones, they were no longer solid, brightly radiating with a golden orange presence. Amazed, I looked at my body, it was composed of the same liquid golden plasma, any trace of solidity dissolved within the light. Gazing back at the rocks, I saw an opening through them, my path illuminated by playful golden sunlight that was so dear and familiar. I expressed my intention to move towards the light, leaving my fears, doubts and worries behind me. The golden beam brought my soul through the opening as if confirming my intention, releasing me on the other side within pure golden presence, closing the gates behind me with soft precision. I was in the realm of pure light, firm substance had no meaning, everything was permeated by the ethereal, myself included, countless possibilities of manifestation at my radiating fingertips.