What follows is not especially Kallawaya but for the entire Andean world and its cultures. Of course, as a man Andean ( runa), the Kallawaya is also strongly influenced by the cosmological own vision to the Andes. 
In this drawing, the names of parties are Andean language Aymara. We are currently December 21, which is sacred in our calendar at the summer solstice, mid-Andean. For all the natives, December 21 is the feast which celebrates the abundance. In Quechua, this celebration is called Capaq Raymi or Feast of solar power . In those days, you went past the mummies of the Inca emperors to walk in the sacred city of Cusco - name meaning navel (the world) in Quechua - to drink and commune with them. We also collected the ashes of all sacrificial places to throw into the sea, make the god Viracocha. Many sacred principles are associated with this festival, which is also for us, as in the northern hemisphere, the time of year when the night is longer. Previously, it had chosen the date to celebrate the famous Inca initiation Warachikuy, by which they passed from adolescence to adulthood (15 years), just as the sun this time of year mature.
But that leads me to speak today of 21 December is another aspect of this feast, something which now, with the influence of the Gregorian calendar and the Christian holidays, is no longer celebrated December 21 as was the case in ancient times, but on January 24. I refer of course to the feast of Alasitas , which means "buy me".
That day, we celebrate the abundance by honoring a little god named Ekeko, an equivalent of the Greek god Eros. The Ekeko is a deity to own the local sphere of Bolivia, is not found in Peru, for example. He is a god of fertility and abundance, represented as a dwarf and easygoing boy, loaded with food, bags seeds and all that men and women may need to live. Ekeko is also responsible for receiving all the wishes represented by illas , amulets representing in miniature what you would get in the coming years. A legend unites closely Ekeko Kallawaya our culture, since it is said that Ekeko would be nothing but a Kallawaya entered history and deified for its efficiency and kindness. Thus we speak of Portuga Zamora Idol Kiko, a character originally from Curva, magician and prophet of very small size that would have given its name the Andean god Ekeko. That there are all sorts of illas or amulets in the Andean world ( Yapu illa, illa Ampara uywa illa, illa qala, Mullu illa, illa wayruru, kuti wayna illa, illa dry, warm illa , quta illa, etc.) and it is likely that the Kallawaya Curva we speak Zamora was a kind of Runa illa, a person amulet, you might say, whose energy was lucky enough to to enable it to help other people fulfill their wishes. To define what a illa an amulet , we could say that this is an attractor of energy that can be made of stone, bone, color, plants, seeds or even, we have seen, people with healing powers. In the tradition Kallawaya the term amulet is rather expressed by words or Khochqa waqanqui. There are two kinds: Illas themselves that are tiny representations of a wish and Sepjas, whose constituent parts are much more symbolic. According to the worldview Kallawaya the Machula or deified ancestors, relate to their ponchos all kinds of symbols which directly inspired the amulets Andean doctors. Obviously, the source of a Sepja , whose origin dates back to some very ancient times, there is a shamanic vision itself has had its Kallawaya Machula .
Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, is in the hands of Ekeko representation.
Anyway, La Paz, around January 24, we set specific markets where we can provide in illas. It is probably this aspect merchant who gave his name to the festival of Alasitas " buy me", in same time as the term is not unlike the principle cosmosophy Andean reciprocity . All these objects are small representations of homes, livestock, engaged or even credit cards and wads of banknotes. Once acquired these miniatures or illas, preferably January 24 at noon, they had it blessed by a priest and a shaman (or yatiri Kallawaya ), before presenting them according to Ekeko the prescribed rites. The Ekeko is the master and the guardian of illas. must see in this shop and folklore somewhat distorted symbolism and practice some simple Andean shamans have nonetheless managed to retain the meaning. December 21, as party of illas or illa raymi, is an implementation period of the wishes and dreams, not only individual but also collective or cosmic. The dream, aspiration, desire is seen by the native image of a seed implanted in the universe that pachasophique so there is fertilized and made the transition unmanifested stage manifested. However, the catalyst of this whole process is illa.
Although this design is general throughout the Andean world, I would note, to end this short presentation, Kallawaya that have their own illas , created from ancient symbolism and special ceremonies for this purpose. The illas and sepjas prepared and blessed by Kallawaya are reputed to be particularly effective, given the exceptional continuity of tradition and the high esteem in which they enjoy throughout the Andean world, from as far away time the Incas, and long before, the Tiwanaku culture.
Mii Shana , Kallawaya amulet in the shape of a cube. Fringes represent the magical power of the hand.
In summary, Illa is an invitation to the fulfillment of dreams. The Andean Man, the runa must be the bearer of dreams and implement them by fine for the Pachamama, as we do other Kallawaya even today. You learn a lot of his own aspirations when you are actively listening to the dreams and that is why the Andean cosmic vision assigns a sacred holiday special recognition and implementation of dreams. Formerly celebrated on December 21, this festival is now held on January 24.
