In the first years of life you live beneath the shadow of the past, too young to know what to do.

In your last years you find that you are too old to understand the world coming at you from behind.

In between there is a narrow beam of light that illuminates your life. The woman is your guide, like a fan of guayusa leaves (Ilex guayusa), the spirit, waira sacha, and the wind's brush to sweep you clean. The red and blue macaw feathers paint the visions and the necklaces of seeds are the sounds of the forest, the jungle music.

THE ANACONDA CREATION, CONTINUITY, AND DESTRUCTION

THE ANACONDA IS PROBABLY one of the most powerful animals found in Amazonian mythology because it contains within itself life's beginnings and its end. Its body, moving through primordial waters, symbolizes the vital energy of creation. When it is coiled and at rest, it is the image of the preservation of life. Finally, it symbolizes the destruction of the vital principle. It is believed that the fearful anaconda creates the whirlpools in rivers that cause canoes to capsize and the persons aboard to drown.

The anaconda has a key role in a number of myths from the Amazon. Often, an encounter with one marks a decisive moment in an individual's life. In Huaorani mythology, the feared obe stands guard at the entrance to heaven; if the person who has died does not succeed in charming it, and thus receiving permission to pass into the world beyond, he or she will remain forever trapped in this world. For the Kichwa of Pastaza, the anaconda is the ultimate power on earth, represented by Tsumi, the mythical being who controls the aquatic world.

For the Shuar and the Achuar, it is Tsunkui, the most important shaman found in myth, and in searching for Arutam, one of the most powerful experiences the seeker will have is that of seeing the anaconda and touching it without fear.

The figure of the anaconda is present in archaeological finds of various types. It has been carved in petroglyphs and painted on ceramic pieces.