la volcano, Mama Tungurahua

Hi all this entry is about the acceptance of the duality of women. I know I open a rats nest on the traditional perceptions of how (they=men and cultures) view women. In this case, this concept was described and explained to me about our volcano, Tungurahua. Those people that live here fall, in love with her, it is something very hard to describe because I love her too. She is marvelous.
Anyway, I was innocently walking with my lady friends, both non-Ecuadorians, when they introduced me to a local vendor of touristy stuff. I have met and known this Ecuadorian for a while but never really had a chance to get to know him. As in life, often we pass something or someone and never really getting to know them for the special persons that they are. He appears, for the masses of public, as a mild mannered verdor of stuffs you buy for remembance of your vacation only to create a destination for dust to gather on, but if you look closer you find out he is a shaman. I guess even if you work with the gods, you still have to make money too to support their family. And here I thought his wild colorful and perhaps challenged fashion choices were meant to attract the tourists, it turns out, it is an indicator of his spiritual beleifs...... silly me. Oops, the fashion police came out in me..... Sorry, I digress. Fortunately, my friends were with me and they both know, said shaman, quite well because I couldn't understand a thing he said in Spanish. My friends translated with wisdom. He was referring alot to "olas buenas." Direct translation: good waves=good vibrations. Over the years, I have had the priviledge of knowing some awesome and special people. In their enlightened state, some of the enlightened ones are so light and spiritual that neither foot touches the ground and they develop a different vocabulary and method of communication as they connect with others. Of course, some of those people seem flaky and light headed but I quite like them, their messages and their "olas". It does ,however, take me a bit of time to shift my head over to the "spiritual" talk and this time I had to shift to spiritual talk and then translate it from Spanish to English and still make sense of it. My girlfriends, knowing him for much longer, and having superior Spanish and could see by the confused look on my face were quick to translate. Both of these wonderful ladies have had experiences that have lead them into amazing journey's of growth and understanding, so it is no shock to me that they are so adaptable and so open to so much, that they made the translations with kindness and wisdom. They both are just so good at loving and supporting I feel very nurtured.....
Sorry, I digress once again, I must be in one of those ADD head spaces today, sorry.
Okay....., so I ask my friends about the my most curious question of Banos..... where is the Virgin? The lady of Miracles, the lady of inspiration, forgiveness, protection and love, where is she? Everywhere you go in Banos and Ecuador, the people talk about the "savior", the Virgin of Banos. I have been looking for her for quite some time. I mean, really, how many times in your life do you have the opportunity to be with something so special and life altering. I was not going to let the opportunity pass me by. So I have been looking, I have issues, needs and curiosities that cannot be dampened. My obsessive compulsive nature cannot let this one pass without answers and a meeting.
So, they have the church, a Cathedral, in Banos, good place to look right? But after much looking, there are only the traditional Catholic effigies, paintings and stories. Next, around Banos, there is a marble statue and alter destination atop a steep mountain, but that was built in the last 20 years or so and that can't be the "Virgin" that performed the miracles for all the ages gone by longer that 20 years ago.
So this is the explanation that was given to me: ......it is the volcano herself......
Okey dokey, now this is where the story gets interesting and gripping, hang in there and be patient I promise this will all make sense if you stay with me. According to the shaman, the indigenous peoples here know that volcanoes are much like people: They have personalities, characters, moods and gender. As it turns out, Tungurahua is a female. Actually, she is a saucy flirty thing, and is described as a very beautiful woman with long flowing black hair and a black feather up her skirt. Translation for those who are curious, the black feather means a woman of loose virtues. In protection of her person, I much prefer "a woman who can love many people". Tungurahua apparently, is married to the volcano Cotopaxi and even has a child with him called .... Wallapincha....(??not sure of exact name or spelling??) She then had an affair with the vocano, Chimborazo. When Cotopaxi found out, in a jealous rage, he fought with Chimborazo and created twin mountains that stand between them (??again spelling and exact reference??) That is that part 1 of the lesson.
Apparently, when there is a bit of an eruption in the smoke of Tungurahua, you can see the demons trying to get out and wreak havoc with the world, but Mama Tungurahua forces them away and protects us all. A geography lesson here, the smoke tends to blow to a city called Rio Bamba. Just of the legends alone, I would never move there as she blows the smoke/demons to Rio Bamba and keeps that smoke and ash and demon there and not in Banos. A part of her territory/home is Banos and one that she lovingly protects and those who live within Banos.
Here's where things begin to shift. When the Spanish came in, they couldn't deal with the whore/loose woman aspect of the volcano, but they couldn't deny the fact that she was performing miracles when you asked for her help and love. The old world aspect of a female miracle worker must be pure, hence the Virgin. So to get the population of "convert" they changed Mama Turnguahua to...... The Santa Maria de Agua. Yes, instead of the mountain they changed it from earth to water. Interesting hey. Personally, I prefer the multidimensional indigenous female than the flat and catholic saviour, sorry if I offend, but I do. I find the Mama more real and personable. I like people with "godly flaws" and I can respect that, maybe because I have so many, that if a goddess can have them it gives me permission to have some too.
As being a woman, supposedly, she gets cranky and occasionally fights with other volcanoes and sends lightening to them to smarten the others up. This shaman and other people, as well have witnessed this. She sends the lightening, horizontal, in the air to the other volcanoes. I am trying to describe this as best that I can.... the lightening begins a top of the volcano travels overhead to only touch the top of another volcano. Apparently, this is spectacular to see. Imagine if we had this ability to shoot each other with lightening, there would be electricity everywhere, and we could power up the world with our negative but socially acceptable electrically harnessed anger. So here is a woman, Tungurahua, venting her displeasure, and still everyone loves her. It is so amazing that people here can love her unconditionally, through all sorts of so called character flaws. The Catholic populace embrace her as the virgin, but underneath and quietly they honor the Mama. You can't hide the true nature of her, who she is and what she does. You just accept and love.
Hmmmmmm, makes you think doesn't it.
Talk with you all later.
Be gentle with one another
Robin