Ekeko (Bolivian God of Abundance)

Ekeko is one of the most distinctive and beloved deities of the Andean world — a short, round, perpetually smiling figure of an Aymara man dressed in traditional clothing, literally festooned from head to toe with miniature versions of everything the heart could desire: houses, cars, bags of food, money, diplomas, airline tickets, consumer goods, and all manner of wealth. The name Ekeko likely derives from the Aymara word for 'dwarf' or 'short person,' though tradition identifies him as a fully divine entity rather than a merely human character.

Ekeko's origins are ancient — archaeologists have found pottery figures with similar forms dating to the Tiwanaku civilization (400-1100 CE) near Lake Titicaca, suggesting this deity's association with abundance and material gifts predates the Inca conquest of the Aymara people. In contemporary Bolivian practice, Ekeko is the patron deity of the famous Alasitas festival held each January 24th in La Paz, where miniature versions of desired goods are purchased, blessed by Catholic priests and/or yatiris (Aymara spiritual specialists), and given to Ekeko figures in the belief that the real objects will follow within the year.

The miniature goods hung on an Ekeko figure are understood not as decorations but as active petitions — specific requests made concrete through the purchasing and offering of miniature versions. A miniature diploma says 'I want to graduate.' A miniature house says 'I want to own a home.' The act of finding and hanging the right miniature is itself a creative visualization practice, declaring in physical terms exactly what you intend to attract.