June 21, 2018
Knowing Maria
For some time I purchased fajas in the market of the town of Otavalo, one of the main craft markets in Ecuador. After a while, I decided to actually meet the people who make the fajas. I started a little research to find the origin of all my fajas. I found two main suppliers: One that I decided to discard and María. María is an indigenous woman who lives in Los Andes Mountains. She makes fajas for living. She is very native and preserves most of her culture traditions.
Her house is lovely. A small home in the middle of the Andes mountains, where she has very old traditional symbols to protect her home and family. Different elements are hanging around as amulets, offers and energy protectors; for example:
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She has a dried corn in a cob hanging to make sure that her family will never lacked of food. A way to thank mother earth for the food.
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Also aloe and nettle plant to chase bad energies away and prevent that anyone could wish them bad.
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Finally she has ared rope to avoid something that indigenous called “bad eye harm”. It helps to protect from any envy that people could have about her family that could fill her home with negative energy.
If we pause and think on her believes, it is easy to find analogy to our live since we always want to be protected and safe. Indigenous main believes and values are spiritual. Their priority is to protect their energy.