The condor was a bird sacred to the Incas who believed that it communicated the upper world (Hanan Pacha) with the earthly world (Kay Pacha). Due to its ability to fly over heights of 5 thousand meters above sea level (16,404 feet); for the Inca worldview, it was the only animal that could communicate with the world of gods and received answers from the gods. Represents goodness, justice, leadership, and wisdom. It is a symbol of freedom and peace. The condor was believed to be able to spread its great wings to gather clouds and fertilize the land with rainwater.
Peruvians considered the condor to be a symbol of the Thunderbird because of their large wingspan.
Today, condors symbolize conservation and thankfulness. They eat the carrion and this symbolizes renewal. We should use what nature gives us wisely.
Condors only have one mate and they both are devoted to their babies. They have mastered the Air Element and are a symbol of riding the changing currents in our lives.
Currently, the condor is still a sacred bird for the men of the Andes. In some towns of Peru, the Andean ritual known as ‘Yawar Fiesta‘ (Blood Festival) is still celebrated, which has the condor as the main protagonist.
The puma is a symbol of strength, wisdom, patience, and intelligence. It represents the ‘Kay Pacha’, Quechua word that means ‘the world of the living’. The Andean puma is the subspecies of the puma that inhabits the territories of South America. The puma adapted to the tropical areas as well as to the rugged terrains of the Andes. For the Incas, it was a divine animal that represented the power of the world.
The snake represented the infinite for the Incas. The serpent symbolizes the world below or the world of the dead (the Ukhu Pacha). When people left the earthly world they joined this other dimension represented by the serpent. For the Incas the serpent also represented wisdom.
