The Nazca Lines
Dear Friends,
Finally, a few paragraphs on the enigmatic Nazca lines of Peru that may help to further stress the importance of astronomy as a key element of religion for all ancient civilizations. And not only for the auroral ones, created in the image of the primordial civilization, but also for those that appeared later on as an image of them and both in the Old and the New World, but mainly in the New. Also, to understand the fact that everything in the universe was sacred for them - and "both in heaven and earth", as in the Lord's prayer.
Here is a superb video showing the Nazca Lines in Peru. The music is also most impressive in its solemnity and beauty.
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Here, a few remarks may help realize what the lines were and what they were used for. Also, whether there is any similarity with the recently discovered geoglyphs in the Brazil's Amazon forest - in fact, not far from Peru, and you may remember that it is in Peru that the Amazon river has its source - and with the so-called crop circles that regularly appear in Britain and other countries of Europe.
Aerial photograph and plan of the Fazenda Colorada site, which is made up
of clear geometric shapes. Excavations suggest inhabitants lived in the
three-sided square. (Photo: Science & Tech at
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1240821/Lost-Amazon-civilisation-revealed-forests-cleared-cattle-grazing.html)
One of the things Mejia Xespe, the real discoverer of the Nazca lines in around 1929, observed from the start was that the most recurrent straight lines converged on the setting sun at the horizon. This clearly indicated that their main purpose was astronomical and specifically intended to determine the equinoctial and solstitial points in the year, thus enabling the Nazca priesthood to create an elaborate agricultural calendar to ensure the people's survival.
Of course, this main purpose was not exclusive of the Nazca culture; it was the case with absolutely all ancient high cultures. All other purposes, including the ceremonial and ritualistic ones, were subordinated to the main purpose. In the case of the solstices, processions and ritualistic dances were conducted not so much to propitiate the higher powers into favoring good, successful crops - in other words, to get the stars and everything in the universe to keep working like a perfect mechanism - as to make the image of order and harmony of the celestial movements sink into the faithful's minds by imitating them. Here the other figures also played a crucial role, since they reproduced the main constellations and by following them (in a way, by re-creating them) a successful outcome would be ensured.
Yet another purpose was to teach the novices the astronomical science. In this way, the lines and all other buildings and paraphernalia served all three major purposes. It is absurd to say, as archaeologists do, that the monuments in the Brazilian forest "may also have had a ceremonial function", since all ancient cultures would always resort to ceremonies in order to propitiate, or rather imitate, their "gods" - that is, the entire universe.
Of course there were other, more esoteric ceremonies reserved to the priesthood where they adored the Supreme Spirit, the AUM, the owner of everything, that lives everywhere and in every being as well.
Remember, for ancient cultures, everything was sacred, all beings, all activities, all endeavors, everything.
As I always say, we have a lot to learn from them. It was in times of decadence that they performed sacrifices and the like.
Hugs and Blessings,
Luis Miguel Goitizolo
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Nazca Lines - El colibrí
('The Humming Bird')