Handmade and Hancarved Chrysocolla Semipreciosus Stone Chakana Cross from Peru measures : 1 1/2 inches x 1 1/2 inches A Chakana is an Andean symbol of the Incan civilization. Derived from the Quechua (traditional language of the Incas) word "chakay," meaning "to cross" or "to bridge," a chakana is a 3-stepped symmetric "cross" with a hole in the center of it. The 3 steps represent the 3 tiers or worlds that the Incan culture believed in, with the centered hole representing the Incan capital of Cusco. This included the upper, middle and lower worlds. The upper wold (Hanan Pacha) included the stars, celestial beings and gods. The middle world (Kay Pacha) represented the world of human life, and the lower world (Uqhu Pacha) represented the underworld and death. These tiers/ worlds were also represented by their revered animals: the condor, puma, snake. The condor represented the upper world in the sky; the puma, a powerful land animal represented the middle world; the snake, living underground, represented the lower world. The chakana is also a symbol of the cycles of life, and the stages of initiation that we must each pass through as we walk a soulful journey through life. Each point represents one of the four cardinal directions (South, West, North, East), and each stair-step in between represents a transition point between these phases. Each direction has a theme, an energy, and a time of life associated with it: South is the place of beginnings, and stepping upon one's personal path to Spirit. West is the place of the journey into the darkness of the Soul, and the trials of self-discovery. North is the place of wisdom, the ancestors, and the giveaway, where we dedicate ourselves to a life of service. East is the place of Spirit, of the end of life and also of birth.
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