On Wednesday, Dec. 29, a group of Peruvian shamans and healers united in a mystical and traditional ritual and offering to "pachamama" (Mother Earth), to ask the universe for 2022 to be the year of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Lima's most sacred mountain, Cerro San Cristobal, shamans and healers from the coast, the Andes, and the Peruvian Amazon, came with their various rituals to call for abundance, happiness, and health for the coming year. Some of them, like shaman Felix Rondan, shared their journey in an interview with EFE. 

"We are gathered together asking father sun, mother earth, mother water and father air to definitely end all this chaos that has caused so much pain all over the planet".

As part of the traditional rituals, the shamans drew a circle with seeds and used petals to write 2022 in the center. All the offerings they brought were entrusted to the coming year. Coca leaf, a medicinal plant used for rituals, and chicha de jora, a fermented corn-based drink used by the Incas in ceremonies, were the centerpieces.

Rondán siad at the end of the ritual that he felt COVID-19 would subside in 2022. The shamans not only prayed for the end of the pandemic, but also performed a ceremony to "cleanse" negative international relations. Border tensions and possible international conflicts have also been hot-button issues in 2021. 

The shamans who gathered in the ceremonial space in the Peruvian capital are known for joining forces for special occasions, and this year-end meeting will hopefully bring a brighter future.