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On Top of the World in Peru

The Sun's message
A smiling child sits astride a horse - naked to symbolise his innocence. Flying gaily in the breeze is a large banner - orange to represent the boundless energy and passion that flows from the hand of the young child. A brilliant yellow sun dominates the sky and golden sunflowers are in full bloom behind the garden wall. The child is riding away from the confines of the world behind the grey wall - he fears nothing as he rides forth to experience the joys that life offers.
When the Sun appears in your spread, rejoice! This is a time of optimism, clarity, enlightenment, exuberance, creativity and self-expression. It is time for you to release the inner child, to live for the moment, to look afresh at the world. You will enjoy good health and vitality, experience a burst of new energy, and feel ready to take on the world, full of confidence in yourself. The Sun heralds a magical time.

My journey
Dancing circles of torchlight guide us along the trail in the pre-dawn dark. As we tread the rocky track hewn out of the mountainside more than 500 years ago, we listen to the rustle of creatures stirring in the trees and undergrowth. The air is thin at 2,800m and even the fittest in the group slow down, as we climb the last set of steps to the Sun Gate. We catch our breath and wait for the first rays of the sun to dispel the mist that swirls about the gate. The clouds rise to reveal below us the magic of dawn in the Andes and the splendour of Machu Picchu.

The imposing mountain peaks give way to terraces that were a political and administrative centre for the Inca Empire, as well as a site for sacred rituals. The Incas saw images of the sacred puma and condor in the mountainside and the ritual space of terraces was built to resemble a flying cayman or crocodile, crawling up the mountain. An aerial view shows how the whole complex was designed in the shape of an old condor flying towards the west, towards the Milky Way and the world outside.

The old condor could also be the mythic bird Llulli, messenger of the Sun. It is said that every time mankind sinks into a state of dissipation and disorder, the Sun sends Llulli, whose presence in the sky produces an atmosphere of love and reduces the desire to rebel or wage war.

We watch the pattern of clouds, sun and shadow and become aware of the early morning breeze. We hover in a space beyond time, overwhelmed by a sense of peace and tranquillity. Are those whispered messages from the inhabitants of this ancient place that we hear on the wind? Or is it Llulli flying towards us with a message from the Sun?

Perched on the mountainside overlooking Machu Picchu I felt the spirit of Llulli, messenger of the Sun. I had arrived here to experience her energy after living through the trauma of the stroke - my own personal Tower experience. She reminded me of the healing power of the Star and her bright rays dispelled the fears and ghosts that had haunted me in the dark pools of the Moon. Here, on top of the world, I experienced the joy of being alive, of being able to climb a mountain, of believing in life's possibilities. I knew the future was bright.

We returned that evening to Cuzco, capital of the Inca Empire. It was June 23rd - the eve of the winter solstice, New Year's Eve in the Inca calendar. The streets were filled with music and dance and there were no strangers on the streets that night, as we danced and clapped our way back to the hotel in the wee hours.

Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, is the second largest festival in South America. Still tired from the night before, we climbed with thousands of people to the ancient stone fortress of Sacsayhuaman in the hills above Cuzco.

The winter solstice is the time when the sun is farthest from the earth. Fearing the lack of sun and ensuing famine, the ancient Incas gathered to honour the Sun God and plead for his return. The ceremonies are conducted in Quechan, the language of the ancient Incas still spoken today by local Indians.
The theme of joy at the regenerative powers of the Sun was played out in the giant natural amphitheatre. After calling for the sun's blessing on the site of the ancient Temple of the Sun in Cuzco, the ruler, Sapa Inca, is carried on a golden throne to Sacsayhuaman. With him come the high priests, officials of the court, nobles and others all clothed in dazzling costumes that provide a bright contrast to the grey stone and dust of the fortress.

A white llama is sacrificed to ensure the fertility of the earth, which, warmed by the sun, will provide a bountiful crop. As the sun begins to set, stacks of straw are set on fire and the celebrants dance around them to honour the Empire of the Four Wind Directions. A new year has begun.

As I sit in the ancient Temple of the Sun I see a wall forming between my past and the future. I am the child in the Sun card, travelling joyously and triumphantly away from the confinement and pain of the past into a bright, sunny future.

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From the Rider-Waite Tarot published by U.S. Games Inc.

The magic of dawn in the Andes - Machu Picchu.

Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, celebrates the power of the Sun and heralds the start of a new year in the Incan calendar.