High in the most remote Peruvian Andes lives a people called the Q’ero. Living in very modest one-room dwellings made of clay and stone, they keep llamas and grow corn and potatoes. They are deeply spiritual. However, they do not practice any particular organized or dogmatic religion. They live in balance and respect for all living things, practicing “ayni” - reciprocity. This idea is based on the practice of always giving and knowing that in the end you, yourself, will receive. It is practiced with individuals, families, neighbors and community. It is also practiced with the spirit world, and puts one into the right relationship and harmony with all things, including nature and the universe. This painting depicts a paquo, or spiritual leader, making a despacho, or offering, to the mountains, to Mother Earth, and to the spirits in reverence and thanksgiving. The offering is created on Andean weavings that represent the balance of masculine and feminine. White paper, for clarity, is placed on the weavings. A bed of incense is laid in order to carry the prayers of the offering into the cosmos. Once the bed is created, symbolic items such as seeds and nuts, flower petals, coca leaves, feathers, figures of animals, and people are placed in patterns. Every item represents a part of Andean life and cosmology and is imbued with intent for connection with the totality of the universe. The ceremony is an act of love and respect for the spirit of life and the balance of nature. This is based on picture taken by Robert Malhotra during his hiking trip.