In the center of the table lay the mesa. "Mesa" literally means "table" in Spanish, but in these ceremonies the "mesa" means the grouping of offerings. The mesa is a piece of paper that holds objects that represent your hopes and desires. Little sugar sculptures - brightly colored - symbols of your home, your work, your health, your love, and family. Little bits of llama wool, dyed in brilliant colors, encircle the offerings. Little bits of confetti sprinkled on. And, of course, coca leaves.
The workers from other departments were leaving, casually saying "See ya Monday!" as they walked by our conference table and smoky fire.
"Yeah, see ya!"
The boss portioned out the coca leaves, cigarettes, and beer.
They taught me that over the course of the evening we would each consume three small glasses of beer, three cigarettes and three handfuls of coca leaves. Well, you don't consume the coca leaves, you chew them. Well, you don't really chew them, you pixcha. Pixcha is a Quechua word, an Inka word. It might also be an Aymara word. My friend taught me her way to pixchar coca.
First you nip off the stems and put the leaves in your left cheek and you let them sit there for about five minutes. You think good thoughts for the happiness and wishes of everyone around you in the ceremony. Then you give it a couple of little chews and tuck it into your right cheek, and think good thoughts for your own desires and happiness. Then you split the wad and put half in one cheek and half in the other and think good thoughts for the happiness and desires of yourself and everyone with you, and contemplate how we are all one. Then after 15 or 20 minutes you spit the wad out. And you put some more in.
The feeling of chewing coca was very subtle. A big cup of strong coffee gives me way more of a jolt. I hardly noticed anything, except that hours went by and I was still not tired.
As we sat at the conference table consuming our ritualistic three handfuls of coca leaves, three glasses of beer, and smoking three cigarettes (the ritual cigarette with the smoke carrying our prayers into the invisible realm) over the course of five hours - we talked.
At first people just chatted and told jokes. The boss joked in Quechua. Very informal. After about three hours or so, slowly the talk came round to the concerns and uncomfortablenesses of the last month of being a tax collector. It came out in such an accepting environment of warmth and loving oneness. I thought, "O my gosh! This is healing!"
Article comments
1 - Mark
Nice work.
2 - Lynette Yetter, author of the novel, Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace
Thank you, Mark. It is a surprise and an honor for this article to be chosen as an Editor's Pick.
3 - ruthy
Great Lynette!
This is correct: Coca is not cocaine!
You help educate people actually.
Cheers,
4 - Kristy
That was interesting! the ceremony is one that I wish I was part of once a month. Sounds like a great way to decompress>
5 - Carolina
Beautiful Bodhisattva Leonette!!!
The world needs to know this. Perhaps it is possible to deconstruct the stigma on the coca plant, and declare war on cocaine makers instead;)
6 - Titi Dauner
Dear beautiful Lynette,
Thanks for your song and the informations about coca leaves. I brought a bag of them back in Paris.
What is an editor'picks?
Baisers de Paris.
Titi
7 - Lynette Yetter, author of the novel, Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace
Hola Ruthy, Kristy, Carolina and Titi,
Thank you so much for reading Coca is Not Cocaine and posting your feedback.
Ruthy, thank you for your encouragement as we educate people about the wisdom of the Andean cosmovision and how it is in harmony with Nichiren Buddhism.
Kristy, like you, I would like to participate in this ceremony every month.
Carolina, thank you for your beautiful words. :)
For me, dialog is preferable to war on anyone, but I get your meaning and sincere heart, amiga mia. :)
Titi, enjoy your coca leaves in Paris! :) To answer your question - I think that Editor's Pick means that the editor really likes this article and chose (picked) it as a favorite.
Un abrazo (a hug),
Lynette
8 - Lynette Yetter, author of the novel, Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace
Hello everyone,
A Peruvian reader just sent me this lovely response (in Spanish), so I am sharing it with you.
Hola Lynette,
Felicitaciones!, por tu excelente articulo acerca de la coca , soy peruana, naci en Lima, mis abuelos y mis padres son de Jauja una hermosa ciudad capital de Junin, localizado en un valle de los Andes. Mi familia se reunia y realizaban el ritual de la coca, hablaban acerca de problemas cotidianos, laborales, academicos y de lo que les deparaba el futuro. Yo tenia cerca de 5 anos, lo que percibi de esta reunion fue la paz, que emanaba del dialogo armonioso de la familia.
Ahora conozco Nam Moho Rengue Kyo que puede cambiar un futuro malo por uno mejor, soy totalmente feliz
Que sigas teniendo mucho exito!
Con todo mi aprecio!
Julia
9 - gaspard
hola lynette.. como estas?? muy bien el articulo. realize varios trabajos sobre la coca y cocaina en Bolivia. Uno en frances y los otros en castellano.. mandame un e-mail si te interesan, y te los mando.. un abrazo muy grende desde tarija.
10 - Lynette Yetter, author of the novel, Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace
Hola Gaspard,
Muchisimas gracias por tu comentario. Por favor, manda me tu email y con mucho gusto vamos a estar en comunicacion sobre tus trabajos.
Sinceramente,
Lynette
11 - Bruce Mitchell
Thank you so much for your e-cards and messages of good will, Lynette! I've been sharing by passing them along to others.
I well remember arriving at the airport to La Paz in 1991 and feeling the sudden onset of a massive headache that plagued me for 3 days. Medication dispensed by a doctor for altitude sickness did nothing for me, but the coca tea made by hotel staffers worked wonders! I only wished I had tried it sooner. And that I could have brought home a package of coca leaves, but I had been warned against doing so.
During that 3 month trip I hired a multi-lingual bellboy at the hotel as my assistant, who educated me as to the importance of coca in Andean societies and cultures. How it inures one to cold, increases stamina and suppresses appetite, how useful it can be to maintaining overall good health.
Right now a friend, Joyce Major, is living and working for a few months in Sucre. She's working with kids and at a radio station, polishing her Spanish and staying with a local family. Are you anywhere near Sucre, Lynette?
Joyce is a wonderful person who works at and teaches low-cost 'volunteerism' and has published a wonderful book about her adventures: "Smiling at the World" and also has a website by the same name: SmilingAtTheWorld.com - for travelers with a purpose.
How I long to re-visit Bolivia and the Andes! Thanks again for all your kind thoughts and good wishes.
12 - Lynette Yetter, author of the novel, Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace
Hello Bruce,
Thank you so much for reading my writings and sharing some of them with friends. :) Thank you for sharing some of your coca experiences in Bolivia with the readers here.
Your friend Joyce sounds like a wonderful person doing valuable work.
I am in La Paz, about 12 hours or so from Sucre. Here in La Paz, a lot of foreign volunteers connect with Diane Bellomy of Artesanias Orata to work with deaf children.
Bruce, you are such a positive force on the planet, linking people together.
Keep shining your light and illuminating humanity! :)
Un abrazo,
Lynette
13 - Lynette Yetter, author of the novel, Lucy Plays Panpipes for Peace
Here is a comment that came to me via email, that I am sharing with you all here -
"Congratulations, dear Lynette! I loved the article! It was very descriptive and informative, and you also have a very clear, persuasive style of writing!
It's about time we stop "waging war" against coca and try to understand its medicinal, nutritional and spiritual benefits, as well as its sacred and important role in Native Andean cultures. Thanks for clearing up some of the misconceptions we have in Western cultures about the use of coca!
(I would have added my comment to your blog, but I tried every which way, and I couldn't figure out how to do it! Thank goodness I have my students to help me out with technology! LOL :)
Tukuy sunquywan,
Margarita"