Our group sat in a circle at a 15 th  century Inca site. We each held three coca leaves glued together with llama fat and concentrated on protection, prosperity and a balanced life. A young shaman named Lucas alternately prayed in Quechua and explained things to us in Spanish, both translated by our guide Wilfredo Huillca. The shaman added quinoa, corn, confetti and other symbolic items to Pachamama, the Andean earth mother. Fortunately, modern rituals substitute animal cookies for alpaca sacrifices. “Since we are very young, we are educated that the Earth is a woman,” Lucas said, looking from one to another, meeting our eyes with his open, direct gaze. “A friend. A sister. A lover. How do you steal the heart of a girl? Flowers and chocolate.” We all laughed, breaking the intensity of the ritual, as he added chocolate and flowers to the offering. Our coca leaves also joined the goodies for Pachamama. Lucas would go to a nearby mountain at the edge of Cusco, Peru later that night and burn the bundle.…