Do you have altars in your home? Areas that are dedicated to honoring others, or uphold that which is sacred to you? Truthfully, most of us create altars in our homes without even thinking about it.

Does this sound like a place in your home?

A placement of family pictures is the honoring of Ancestors, Self, and Descendants. The display of groupings or single candles, holy objects and symbols, and findings in Nature – like shells, crystals, leaves, and stones – that have spoken to you, or provide you with wisdom, or comfort. You might set up a tribute to a Beloved for whom you are praying for health, or for a soul that has transitioned.

Such dedicated areas, activated by your intentions, and ‘feedings’ of prayers, candle lightings, flowers, and other focused attentions, become places of power and connection – Sacred Sites and altars. Vortexes of energy.

What is a Mesa Cloth or Altar Cloth?

To take your creation of sacred space to another conscious level, consider the use of an authentic Peruvian Altar Cloth, or Mesa Cloth, as it is known to those who practice shamanism. For Curanderos and Curanderas, Medicine Men and Women, the Mesa Cloth is the holy vessel of safekeeping, and then the foundation for the very particular arrangement, of objects of special meaning, power, and connection to a sacred site – a place of connection to the Divine and to Mother Earth/Pachamama, a vortex of prayer.

One of the offerings I provide on my travels to Peru is hand-picking Peruvian Mesa Cloths specific to the intentions of the buyer, the direction of her Guides, and the energies of the cloths. I purchase them from a variety of places; some are from the Chincheros village, where a co-op of women weaves the cloths to support their village. Some are crafted by the Q’ero peoples, and other villages around Cuzco, and even from the Amazon jungle.

Mona also visits a tiny store that sells “antiguos,” used cloths from decades ago, that are spectacular in their energetic components. These cloths are always priced higher due to their increasing rarity as progress influences the ancient traditional ways.

How are Mesa Cloths and Altar Cloths Made?

The cloths are woven from llama, alpaca, and other wools. The finer alpaca (vicuña) is available, and their pricing is higher due to the market value of the animal’s soft wool. Colors and sizes vary. Sizes start at approximately 1’x1′ and can go as large as 4’ and 5′ in the finer selections.

In Chincheros Village and few others, the women use natural berries to color the wool based on their ancestral processes that have been used for generations. In others, the weavers have submitted to the advancement of progress by using synthetic dyes. Designs are woven into the cloth that symbolizes their village.

How to Order Your Mesa Cloth/Altar Cloth

This is a sweet, unique offer for those dedicated to living consciously, those who honor or have an affinity for Heart Island (South American) and Peruvian traditions, those who appreciate indigenous art, and those who are devoted to their shamanic paths, such as the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition. They also make wonderful gifts for birthdays, holidays, and any time – just because you love another.

Contact us for more information about the kind of wools available, sizes, and costs, and to discuss shipping fees where applicable.