Watariamba-WAR AND JUSTICE!

A young buck who went down in the snow came into our Munanso still warm and we prepared a feast immediately for Watariamba, the Misterio of War and Justice.    He was a buck who must have been born much earlier this year and his antlers were just beginning to develop.  We were aware that the Misterio himself had pulled this young buck so that we could prepare this feast.  We realized once again how blessed we are that we are able to have space where we can prepare these feasts outdoors in cast iron pots and directly on the grill, with the aroma of the meat and corn filling the air, and that we are in a position to be able to utilize the whole animal, including the skin which we scrape in preparation for tanning.  We are very fortunate that we live in the countryside where these animals cross our paths on a daily basis, which gives us the opportunity to present these highly valued animals to the Misterios. It is not every day that a Fundamento is presented with a complete venison feast!

These achese (organs) which include the eyes and penis of the buck will be dried and ground into a powder after being presented to Watariamba.  This powder will then be utilized in many ways, including directly in Fundamento, Bilongos, travajos, and for other Medicine Pieces.  The organs of this wild buck were very, very healthy, with a much darker and clearer coloring than any domestic animal would have.  For us it is very important to utilize healthy animals for the Misterios, as there is greater value and strength and vitality in a healthy animal.  This young buck was in supreme health before the snow put him in a position where he was unable to stand up and his organs themselves suffocated him.  (Certain animals- goats, sheep, horses, ...- if they fall in certain positions and get caught in something or it is too icy for them to stand up, their organs will put too much pressure on their lungs and they suffocate themselves.)  We see this situation and circumstance as the Misterio himself "hunting" this animal, especially since we found it while it was still warm!  Significantly this young buck arrived at a specific time, which coincided with a time when this Misterio was already in his process of going out to "hunt". 

Below, Watariamba with his buck and acheses.  The buck was cooked in one whole piece (as can be seen) upon the grill.  It is not every day or even every year that this happens, and again we have much gratitude for the blessings from Misterio that made this happen!  

Full Moon

Full Moon the night before the true full moon on the following night that also was involved in a Lunar eclipse.  This particular full moon was very significant since it was also the Winter Solstice.  The moonlight was so bright it was easy to see everything at night without electrical light.   The Misterio of the Moon is very significant in both Palo and Taino traditions.  The Moon is related to the Feminine Misterios, and is a powerful puller for all manner of results.  We often put certain Medicines or Spiritual Baths out in the Moonlight so they can absorb the energies of the Moon.  

In considering the significance of the Full Moon, we realize that it is the Sun's light that illuminates the Moon, and that what we are calling moonlight is in fact Reflected Sunlight whose reflection gives us a glimmer of the sunlight without its radiant heat.  We know that the direct sunlight comes with a heat, regardless of whether it is winter or summer, however the Moonlight is cool in nature.  The moonlight will illuminate things from a different spiritual perspective than the sunlight, and is can bring light to situations or things without bringing heat.  

The full moon illuminates an generally unseen world at night, its light creates alertness, enhanced activity, and even increased insanity in some minds.  The full moon under lunar eclipse also activates Mother Earth and we see increased rumblings and shakings, as even she is stimulated by the alignment of Sun, Earth and Moon.  During an lunar eclipse we see the Full Moon with the Earth's shadow over her, and on the opposite side of the Earth from where we are standing the Sun is pulling with its usual gravity.  We are simultaneously being pulled in opposite directions by these two cosmic Misterios.  As the Earth's shadow falls upon the Moon, what is that Misterio seeing in that shadow, what is she Divining about this Earth and the activities upon this Earth?  The shadow is being cast by the Sun, so what is the Sun communicating to the Moon concerning the Earth?  We can utilize these moments but must do so with respect for the power of what is occurring cosmically.

Absolutely a profound cosmic event!

Mbambo-Kulusu!

Preparing for Ebo with Mbambo-Kulusu, now that the leaves have fallen from the trees, we can see Kongo Land from a distance.  The cluster of huts on the left is the primary Munansos.

In the foreground our grill is heating water, the hut visible on the left is the Munanso where we do ebo with Mbambo Kulusu.  The central tree is right next to it.

Looking inside the Munanso, various Nkisi are visible along with the offerings.

A close up of the Nkisis.  Below the full offering is down, with many fruits, roots and sugar cane.  

We do this every year and it is an aspect of our preparations for closing out the year and preparing for a new year.  To us, the year ends and begins at the winter solstice, which corresponds with the movements of the Sun, rather than any societal or religious significance.  Although it is not as simple as just this, as Taino cycles also recognize a new year beginning with the Spring Rains and planting (closer to Spring Equinox).  Absolutely we know that the 'shortest' day of the year holds particular significance and is a marking point that is very obvious to most observers.  The quality of the Sun's rays shift at this point as the energies of moving into the Spiritual Darkness (that Darkness of the Cosmic Womb) shift to energies of moving into Spiritual Brightness.  These are important shifts that do impact what we do and when we put certain plans into action.  It is much easier to acknowledge and move within natural cycles rather than attempt to move contrary to the cycles.  We are grateful for the Ancestors and Misterios that continue to guide us to greater wisdom, understanding and abundance.  We are also especially grateful to the Ancestors for exposing and guiding us to turn our backs on the empty behaviors of spiritual "enactments", those things that are called "ceremony" but which completely lack Spirit, those things that have diluted our spiritual traditions for too long!

Simba Simbi

Ebo to the Feminine Misterios

It is the time of year when we spend intensive time within the Munansos, making offerings to the Misterios and strengthening and empowering the Ancestors.  Although the weather is cold, sometimes raining or snowing, there is no weather condition that has prevented this from occurring.  Here we are speaking specifically about the Ebo that we did for the Feminine Misterios in the women's Munanso.  The women's Munanso is located behind Nsasi's Munanso and can be seen in the photo below at the very end on the right.  A critical element in the offering is the fire and grill on the right that in the photo is heating a large pot of water so that we have some hot water available.

Below is the doorway into the women's Munanso.  Concentration and focus is vital during this whole process to assure that the sacrifices entailed in the offerings are not in vain.  We want to be certain that the offerings are reaching the World of the Ancestors and that our invocations accompanying the offerings are clear and carefully considered.  We also stay focused in order to catch any disruptive energies before they cross the energy of the offering.  

Below the late afternoon light shines through the small window and door, illuminating the Munanso in a very beautiful way.  The bano utilized during the process has been made from plants that have come directly from our array of tropical plants (kept indoors in winter) and plants still growing outside despite the unusually cold temperatures.  We are very excited that we were able to make all three banos that we utilized during this particular time exclusively from plants that we have growing.  This not only saves us money that we would otherwise have to spend at botanicas, but it also means that plants are picked fresh moments before they are used and that we are achieving our goals of providing the materials the Misterios need from our own harvest.

A beautiful view of the offerings in the Munanso.  Herbs harvested during the summer hang from the ceiling, including sage which is used to smudge the space.  Behind the offerings (not visible) are jars of herb infused oils.  When making offerings to the Ancestors and Misterios it is important to bring an abundance not only physically but also mentally.  People (in this society) are very used to an incredible rate of consumption (much of which gets wasted).  The offerings made to the Ancestors are delivered to the Ancestral World where it increases and enhances the Abundance of the Ancestral World, and enables the Ancestors to move in more powerful ways (which of course also benefits the Living).  We always make sure that we select very high quality offerings for the Misterios.  It is especially wonderful when we can use offerings that we have grown ourselves as they have an even greater innate value than those that we simply purchase elsewhere.  

Fundamental to our understanding here is that when we give with abundance to the Ancestors and Misterios, we build that which never dies (that which is immortal) that which we came from and return to.  Although it is very important to provide for the Living, oneself, family, community, it is just as important to provide for the Ancestors for that is the true "wealth".  Simba Simbi (Uphold that which hold you up)!

Bear in mind that world wide traditions of offering to the Ancestors are practiced with great love and dedication.  However we find ourselves in a society and a time when that has been pushed to the side.  The concept of making offerings to the Ancestors is a concept that sadly many find strange and unnecessary, and many others approach with a stingy mentality.  As Paleros and Tainos we must understand that we come from Traditions who truly have concepts of the Ancestral World, the power of the Ancestral World and the methods by which to communicate and make offerings to the Ancestral World.  Although we may fall short in our concepts of these things at this point due to the onslaught of colonialism and the american dream, this must never be taken for granted, and we must strive to reclaim our full Ancestral Understanding of these things.  The doorway to reclaiming that Understanding is to approach Ancestral Offerings and Offerings to Misterio with Love and Great Respect!

The Story of “Grandmother Trust”

The Story of “Grandmother Trust”

(A trail of betrayal)

By: Yayi Siete Rayos Mundo Nuevo Carile

Almost 6 years ago within a Teaching Circle, there was fascinating teaching experience that took place.  The Circle was involved in exploring many different avenues to Spiritual Growth, and on this particular weekend we had been discussing TRUST and the false expectations that get attached to Trust and how those false expectations confuse the energy and spirit of Trust.  There were several meditations that took place with the Sacred Drum and with the Casimba.  The story that I want to share today arose around one Meditation in particular.  The Essence of the Meditation was a process of transforming agony into progression and healing.  The instructions were to call forth 7 Ancestral Spirits.  One of the individuals went beyond the instructions and called forth more than 7 Ancestral Spirits, this particular woman (who for the sake of confidentiality, I will call “Liriope”) called forth an uncle who died violently in the “Old Country”  and several young relatives who died tragic deaths (including suicides).  This brought about a spiritual reaction within the Circle as another woman responded by being influenced by her Spirit to tell “Liriope” that she had overstepped a boundary, and that she had no license to invoke those Spirits.

We have a Palo saying “Por que tu mi llama si tu no me conoce”, which translates to “Why do you call me, if you do not know me.”  As with many proverbs or sayings there are multiple layers of meaning to this proverb, however it is a caution against calling Spirits that one is not prepared to respond to.  This was a case when the individual “Liriope” went “over the head” of the Elder in disregarding the instructions concerning the Meditation.  It is important to understand that this was not a casual meditation but rather that it was part of a very powerful Spiritual Circle which was being directed by the Power of the Muertos, in fact a Kiyumba was right on the table.  

The second woman spoke about violence and impatience, although since the Spirit was only “Influencing” her, she was unable to articulate very clearly what she was perceiving, only that it was something that had gone to an extreme of negativity.  She did indicate violence as being involved, saying “the knife cuts the body, too much slicing”.  The Elder said a specific verbal Garavato as a general statement not directing it towards anyone in particular.  At this point “Liriope’s” younger sister (who we shall call “Crocus”) began to confront the Elder as if he had said something directly to her (which he had not), she loudly stated “Oh you think I can’t handle darkness, you think I do not know about darkness?”  Simultaneously  “Liriope” said “no he is talking about me!”  

At this point there are strong spiritual forces present and various Ancestral Spirits are very “close” as we say.  Both sisters (who are biological sisters) had stood up to “claim” the negative spiritual energy that was present (which could be accurately described as a spiritual energy of “Agony”).  At this point the Elder was aware that there had been a failure to follow directions and that the energy that we were seeking to transform was creating a blockage to transformation right within the Circle, in other words the “Spirits of Agony” that accompanied these two sisters were becoming aggressive in the face of transformative and healing energy.  It is common with what we call “Maboya” or “Ndoki” that these negative spirits will suddenly emerge with either aggressive and hostile energy or with an extreme energy of victimization and wailing, one energy seeks to bully, the other to manipulate, both energies are antagonistic because they feel “exposed” and they become highly antagonistic towards the Elder.  

The Elder understood that he needed to bring further “light” to this spirit of agony, and he began to sing a mambo (which was not understood by the listeners because it was in the language of the Elder and the Spirit that the Elder was working with).  This mambo called the “agonizer” to step forth and not to stay in hiding anymore.  After a potent moment of silence “Crocus” began to speak, and as she spoke she began stuttering and speaking as if english was not her first language, she avoided eye contact and held her head down.  The Spiritually insensitive may have imagined that she was “in spirit”.

To clarify we make a distinction between people who are being “influenced” by the Egun (Ancestral Spirit) and those who are “In Spirit” (ie. mounted by the Egun).  Those who are mounted are generally easily recognizable through their completely different behavior than the person normally displays, and generally the first thing the mounted Spirit will do is identify themselves.  A person who is being influenced by the Spirit is feeling the “fluids”, the spiritual currents of the Egun but the person’s conscious mind is still firmly rooted and the person is formulating the words they are saying through their conscious mind.  In this case, “Crocus” was only being influenced by the spirit, and more being influenced by a desire to be mounted by the spirit as well as by a spirit of agony.  However she wanted to be perceived as being “in spirit” and played as if it was really the Spirit speaking.  The Elder was aware of this and further tested the individual by a series of questions which made it clear that this individual was “playing as if”.  

For Paleros it is very problematic when an individual pretends to be mounted when they are not.  This creates a dangerous situation.  First of all the pretending individual dispenses “readings and messages” that are coming from their conscious mind, and which range from invalid, redundant, to downright manipulative and dangerous.  Additionally pretending individuals are opening themselves to dangerous spiritual currents as they are insulting the Ancestral Spirits of the Spiritual House and of those present.  They also run the risk of being discredited by the people who are aware that they are “faking the funk”!  

After some discussion with this “alleged spirit” concerning “caves” of darkness and “caves of creative energy”, the Elder asked the individual to speak of “Trust”, at this point the individual refused to do so saying “I cover my head and I turn my head” and suggesting that the Elder was in a better position to speak about trust.  When asked to identify herself, the individual refused to do so, saying that no words were coming up.  So the Elder suggested that we refer to “her” as “Grandmother Trust”.  The individual responded that the Elder was bold.  After some more “discussion” during which most questions that were posed to the “spirit” were directed back to the asker by the individual who simply asked a question in response to a question.  As the discussion turned to trust once more, the individual began to scream loudly (and I mean SCREAM!) “I am nothing, my voice means nothing, their voices are louder” and began an agonizing wailing.  At this point the Elder stepped in having revealed and exposed with his “garavato” the agonizer. 

This story reveals many things just as the proverbs do, and we could explore any of the many layers of meaning.  Here we had two sisters, both of whom were being influenced by the spirit of agony, this spirit of agony was both within their minds and within their ancestral tree.  We have the elder sister, Liriope, pulling Ancestral Spirits which were in agony, in particular pulling a uncle who had died violently (the other half to the story which was not told to the Circle was that further violence was also generated by the family of this individual in the “Old Country”).  This could have been what the third woman was referring to with her statement of the knife cutting the body and slicing.  

The younger sister then rides that energy and consciously participates in a deception (pretending to be in spirit when she was not).  She is being influenced by an agonized spirit but is not being honest about what is going on, and is getting in her own way in terms of healing the ancestral and present agony in her and her sister’s life.  The spiritual energy that is influencing her is being equally deceptive trying to present itself as being about spiritual progression, however the word-garavato “trust” broke the deception. The Elder chose to expose the spirit of agony rather than let it fester beneath the surface of the Circle where it could have created spiritual and / or physical dis-ease.  Much like an abscess that needs to be drawn out with a poultice until it breaks the skin and is released from the body, he decided that for the health of all, the spirit of agony within this particular ancestral tree had to be exposed, and he had to address the energy that “Liriope” had called to the “table”.  

It is fortunate for “Liriope” (who was in the habit of bringing in agonized and tormented energies) in this particular instance, that she had made this particular invocation of that spirit (uncle) under the protection of the Spiritual House and the Elder, since he was able to address that and bring it into the “light” exposing it and preventing it from spreading poison beneath the surface.  What this woman and her sister did outside the Circle in terms of invoking the spirits of agony or torments is another story, because unfortunately they applied the same lack of spiritual discipline in their lives as they did in the Circle.  It is a powerful story and a tremendous teaching story on the need to be aware of what one invokes and what spiritual forces one is “pulling”.  It is also a strong admonition to those who are tempted to “fake the funk” that this is a dangerous and disrespectful practice.  One never knows what energy the particular Spiritual House is holding within the Universe or what Mysteries and Ancestors are examining this behavior.

Grandmother “Trust’s” name is ironic, as it was a trail of betrayal that the story brings to our ears.  But, even within this irony is a truth as often great agony and torments will “hide” behind a mask of “peace, love and happiness” that is a thin layer of projection hiding the agony beneath.  Being dedicated to healing, we always seek below the surface or below the mask to see the true spirit that is there.  When one speaks of bringing “light” to something, we must always ask “what does that mean!”  Trust is a spiritual energy of great power and beauty, and we must look for when it is misappropriated as a tool of manipulation.  Grandmother Trust unwittingly gave us further definition of “trust” by giving us a view of its misappropriation.  

Dia de Los Muertos

Dia de Los Muertos, November 1st, 2010

Every year our ceremony for Dia de Los Muertos is different.  It can be very complex and other years it is very simple.  This year it was very simple.  The Day of the Dead is a day when we honor all the Dead, all the Ancestors.  This includes biological Ancestors, it also includes spiritual Ancestors of the Traditions, and all the Ancestors of the Munanso and Batey (Bakongo and Taino and "other"!).  We also honor the Ancestors of the African Nazarite Community who created a Spiritual Community here more than 100 years ago, and the Indigenous People whose were the original caretakers of this Land.  We do not exclude any of the Ancestors who made this Land their home and worked it as farmers, as fruit growers or what have you and we do not exclude any of the Ancestors whose blood runs in our veins.

For us Dia de los Muertos is all inclusive, in the same sense that we do not exclude Ancestors from our concepts of the blood in our veins or our Ancestral Trees.  We recognize that there is a complexity to our situation as people who come from across the Sea to embrace both our Ancestral Spirits and the Ancestral Spirits in whose home we are living.  There is also a complexity to the Ancestral Trails within our DNA as over many years there are many "ghosts" in our DNA, people and traditions that we may be unaware of.  There are many Ancestral Voices and Ancestral Spirits who step forward.  We approach the Day of the Dead in a humble way, embracing our Ancestral Collective with an approach and Heart that does not offend any Ancestor, and that embraces every Ancestor who steps forward with Nchila (heart).  

As we cook the Ancestral offering out on the open fire grill, the aroma of the food fills the air, and we recognize that the Aroma of the food itself is very important to the Spirit.  The aroma is one of the energies of the food that the Ancestral Spirit is able to absorb.  It is important how the food is cooked, and that it is cooked in a good way, with love and care.  We never give the Ancestors food that has been prepared in a restaurant, we always cook it ourselves and for a number of years now we have always cooked it outside.  The air is crisp, the fire is warm, and while we cook we watch the transformation of the trees around us, the way that half their leaves are adorning them in a colorful array and half their leaves lie on Mother Earth enveloping her in her yearly blanket that then becomes topsoil, the humus rich soil that sustains life.  We see the embrace of death and life around us in its yearly story of the continuation of life.

Various foods are cooked, including pig heads.  Although we do not  eat pork ourselves, it is traditional to give the Ancestors roasted pig head, and they request it, so we willingly comply coating it with palm oil.  This is accompanied by the cooked root vegetables (yucca, batata, jautia, name, and potato), with green bananas, red onions, olive oil.  We also cook green bananas and eggplant with bacalao (salted cod that gets cooked), onions and olive oil.  Smoked fish are cooked with whole corn and an abundance of palm oil.  In addition to this we put down fresh root crops, yucca, jautia, name, potatoes, and fruits, pineapples, mangos, apples, pears, papaya, coconuts, and most importantly guava.  The guava are especially important in Taino tradition as the food of the Muertos.  We always seek out the guava for the Ancestors!  Included in this is also sugar cane.

The aroma from the cooking food is compelling and stimulates memories of all the other Ancestral Offerings that we do on a consistent basis.  The Palm oil transforms the raw corn and smoked fish into a delicacy that attracts the Spirit.  This is cooked in the Iron pot.  We take the time to discuss in a simple way with Anani the various Misterios involved in the process, from the Iron of the Pot (Zarabanda), the Fire (7 Rayos), the Palos themselves (feeds the fire), the air (Centeya) that enables the fire to burn, the Sun that provided energy for the growth of the woods and foods, the Rains (Chola Wengue/ Kalunga) that nourished the wood and foods, the soil (Mother Earth) that give minerals and space for the growth, and so on.  Obviously it is much more complex than this, however it is good to have these conversations with children utilizing concepts and terms that they can grasp.  The complexity can come later. 

The pig itself is an animal that is not indigenous to Boriken, to the Caribbean.  It was introduced by europeans.  However the pig has tremendous cultural significance to humanity and within Afro-Caribbean traditions.  The pig is one of the earliest domesticated animals (9000 plus years ago) who is linked in Palo to the Mpungo Zarabanda, the Mpungo of Iron but also of all things to do with the development of agriculture, hunting, building of civilizations.  In the Caribbean the pig represents survival and wealth, and also represents the force which is wild, free and untamable of both the Forest and Ancestors!  In Haiti in 1771 the witch doctor Boukman sacrificed a black pig in the birthing of the Haitian Revolution which established the first free African Republic in this Continent (post Columbus).  

If we look at Egyptian Myth, the pig also is significant in the Death and Rebirthing Rituals (Osiris and Thoth Rituals), and the pig itself was utilized to tread the seeds into the Earth during planting times.  The pig is historically and mythologically connected with both development of human culture, agricultural practices and seasonal cycles, and is connected with survival, and in particular the survival of African Traditions within the Caribbean which also enable Taino Traditions to survive through the incorporating of certain Taino traditions and Cemis into Afro - Caribbean traditions.  

We offer the pig head to the Ancestors to honor these traditions and to empower the future generations which will be born from the Ancestral world.  We hold the understanding that everything that we offer to the Ancestors is transferred to the Ancestral World where it accumulates ready to be reincarnated in the future to feed the Future Generations.  We offer to the Ancestors in the understanding of Invoking the Abundance for the Future Generations and for ourselves in the near Future.  In this way we make our contribution to the Eternal Cycles of Death and Rebirth, Renewal that occurs on all levels of this magnificent Creation!!!

As our cooking for the Ancestors comes to a conclusion we free up some space on the fire to cook some potatoes and eggs for our own consumption.  Significantly the potatoes and eggs are direct fruits of our work upon the Land.  We dug up the potatoes from the garden on the day itself and collected eggs from the chicken house. By consuming "fruits" of the Land itself we further reinforce our connections to the Ancestors and further empower our invocations for Sustainability, Thriving and the Abundance of both the Future and for the Future Generations.  We also are complying with our commitment to the Misterios to manifest the reality that we are always invoking.

Invocations (and Ebo) cannot be seen in a one dimensional way.  They are not simply lists of requests delivered to the Ancestors and Misterios for us to wait idly by for fulfillment.  When we give the Misterios fruits, animals, foods, waters, tobacco, rum, etc, we are not just making a simplistic exchange of materials for benefits or solutions in our lives.  We are empowering their realm (the realm of the Dead) as a complying within the cycles of renewal.  We consume foods (vegetables, animals, fish etc) to sustain our bodies, but we also know that we will need sustenance tomorrow and the tomorrow after that, and we know that our Children and Grandchildren will also need that sustenance, so we do not just exist as consumers but also apply ourselves as producers, offering the Misterios sustenance that the cycle of renewal may continue, and we also include in the compliance not just the act of going to the market to gather the fruits of someone else's labor but also of cultivating our own abundance here to offer to the Misterio and to our own Future the fruits of our own sweat and intelligence.  

In other words we are not just asking the Ancestors to do for us in exchange for one passing offering, but we are assuring the Ancestors that we also are complying with our aspect of that cycle of continual renewal, we are caretaking our domain within that cycle.  It is the continual fulfillment of a pledge and commitment, made during Initiation and renewed with every Ebo, towards the Sustainability and Thriving of our Experience.  Our Action on a daily basis empowers these moments of offering, such as the Day of the Dead.  The Day of the Dead is a moment in time for us to pause to bring our commitment to this perpetual cycle of evolution and continuous renewal into a focal point where both the movement of the world of the Dead (Invisible to us but intertwined in the physical) and the world of the Living into a moment of mutual appreciation and a moment a renewal of a mutual commitment which will enable those very Ancestors who we are honoring and venerating to be able to reincarnate once again into Future Generations.

In a world which is suffering so much and where there are so many fears for the Future of Life, these processes are so very important. We do not allow ourselves to become paralyzed by the oppressive things that are taking place and the fear that such things as atomic bombs, super viruses, genetically modified seeds, the breakdown in the the family and communities, drought, flood, and earthquake, and so much more bring to our consciousness.  In these times of so many changes, Earth and Societal, it is all the more important to strengthen the Spiritual Foundation and to strengthen the bond, the communication and the understanding between the Living and the Dead.  We have to understand that the Dead are not in a different place or different World, we have to understand that we are in a World within "their" World, which is in truth "Our World".  

We see and acknowledge the power of the Spirit of the Ancestors as it vibrates its voice globally through song, through garden, through movements, through poems, through choices, choices and more choices!  When we offer to the Ancestors, we offer to that Spirit.  We offer to the Ancient Taino Spirit whose voice grows louder, dispelling misconceptions, who manifests in Cemis created in the here and now but who bring with them Wisdom from the Taino World of the Dead.  We offer to the Bakongo Spirit whose voice sounds loud, bringing forth new understandings and stimulating connections between seemingly disparate fragments of knowledge to recreate a whole, to pull together the fragments of broken cultures and traditions.  We offer to the African Spirits, and to all the Indigenous Spirits who are stimulating a Resurgence which does not allow itself to be compartmentalized into "us versus them" mentalities, and that is overcoming the segregations and the pitting of Sister against Sister and Brother against Brother and Sister against Brother that has been consciously utilized as a tool of Colonization, a tool of slavery and a continued tool of maintaining the power status quo.  

While we speak in terms of Bakongo and Taino, we cannot possibly exclude the influence and intertwining of multiple African and Indigenous Traditions within the Trails of Bakongo and Taino both BEFORE and AFTER the psychopathic occurrence of the serial killer columbus and his gang.  Traditions within Africa, although diverse in terms of expression, still held to a common Root, which is the Root of all Culture and Spiritual Traditions World wide.  This common Root honored the Ancestors and honored the Earth and strove to not just Survive but to Thrive upon the Earth.  This is the Common Root that has allowed Humanity to Live and Grow for hundreds of thousands of years. And it is this primordial Spiritual Root which can allow us to continue to live for Hundreds of Thousands of more years, but only if we come back to the true knowledge and wisdom and practices of those Traditions, only if we Embrace the Principles of those Traditions.

African and Indigenous (which is still African in primordial origin) Traditions are not about empty gestures, actions by rote, or blind routines.  Traditions are living breathing entities based on the Foundation of the living breathing relationship between the LIVING and the DEAD because of a basic understanding of the CYCLE between the Living and the Dead, which is ONE WHOLE CYCLE, not two distinct ones.

There is an interesting development of Myth that has to do with the pig as it moved from Ancient Kemet (Egypt) to Greece.  In Kemet the pig was, as mentioned above, utilized within the cycle of the Agricultural Cycle, symbolizing the fertilizing of the soil so that the growth of the next year could be assured.  And in contemporary Ebo the pig or other animal is Sacrificed in a way where there is a consciousness that this pig or other animal is being transfered to the Ancestral world so that it can be reborn to sustain future generations.  The SKY Goddess Nut was seen at one point as a Female pig who ate all her piglet children (Stars) every morning and gave birth to them all again every evening, suckling them all night long.  This represents a clear understanding of the CYCLIC nature of the Life.  However when this understanding was transferred to the Greeks (ie.  Stolen Legacy), the Greeks had problems understanding the Spiritual Message and Concept within the Myth, and approached it in a very linear way, although retaining important aspects of the cyclical quality of the Myth.  The Greeks raised piglets in their homes all year long until October, then these beloved piglets were sacrificed directly to the Earth and buried, there would be great weeping and grieving because of the sacrifice and because a emotional and shortsighted relationship or attachment had developed. At the same time the old corpses of the previous years piglets were dug up and utilized to fertilize the seeds that were to be planted.  This reflects a breakdown in understanding, although the symbolic gestures are spiritually relevant and indicate a full cycle of Season, and of Birth and Death and continual renewal.  It was a failure in the ability of the Greek mind to conceive of the Universal Truth of the Cycle of Birth Death and REBIRTH!  And we can trace this mental breakdown to a slew of modern misconceptions and emotional problems, as well as to the great grieving and fear of death prevalent in the so called modern world.

As a note we have seen this attachment to the animal within the Ebo manifest in some individuals due to their misconception of the Cycle of Life and Death and Life.  They developed sympathy towards the animal that was shortsighted and created problems within the Ebo.  This could also indicate in some circumstance a deep psychological desire to avoid the commitment towards spiritual-physical development that Ebo signifies!  (This can also be seen on a societal level within this society in particular where there is an obsession with pets, which are often given more attention and protection than Children, or those individuals and families that find themselves without food, water and shelter).  

Even a simple Ancestral Ceremony, such as the one we did this year can bring us so much Abundance.  It brings us Wisdom, Understanding, it brings us Inspiration, and it Teaches the Young Generation and grounds them in the Spiritual Tradition.  

In Palo we say "We are here Today and gone Tomorrow!" which is a continual acknowledgement of the Cycle of Life and Death, because we are not utilizing "gone" in the sense of being nowhere tomorrow, but in the sense that we will not be in this physical experience forever but will enter that next phase in the Ancestral Cycle of Life.  We do not want to forget, while we are in physical bodies, about the whole cycle and we do not want to become bloated consumers in this phase, forgetting about the Ancestors, and only bringing our self serving obsessions into the Ancestral world when we INEVITABLY do make that Transition.  The Ancestral World certainly has a consciousness about us, and we must strive to develop a vital consciousness about them, because after all, WE are THEM and THEY are US!

May the Ancestral Spirit continue to be empowered and continue to Bring the Winds of Transformation into our Lives!

NSUNGA, TABACO

In our Munanso, Nsunga is very Sacred!  The Spirit of the Tabaquero is very strong within the Munanso.  Like all Paleros we give copious amounts of Tobacco (Nsunga) the the Muertos!!!!  We also utilize Nsunga in Ceremonial Drinks, smoke it directly in Ceremony, and utilize it in Bilongo, Bano, and in its multiple additional uses inside of our Munanso/ Bateys.  

The Tabaquero is not just a smoker, not all smokers are Tabaqueros!  The Tabaquero has a Spirit that works directly with the Spirit of the Tabaco, a Spirit that can direct the Tabaco for healing or for harming, let us not be naive!  Amazonia is full of Tabaqueros, and our Taino Ancestors continue to vibrate the Spirit of the Tabaquero very strongly.  The pipes utilized vary widely from region to region.  In our Munanso we have a variety of pipes from Africa to the Amazon, and one is carved into a female fertility form.

The Tabaquero embraces the Spirit of the Tobacco.  We grow the Tobacco from seed, and we grow a variety of tobacco, smoking (large leaf), Huichol, Aztec, Hopi (smaller leaf and stronger).  We grow this Tabaco for multiple "reasons".  One is that the Spirit of the Land and the Spirits of the Munanso appreciate the growing Tabaco, the Spirit appreciates the living plant, not just the dried plant, or the smoke from the dried plant.  The Tabaco has a fragrant flower that releases its perfume at night!  This is an aspect of the Spirit of the Tabaco that someone who has never experienced the living plant would never know of or realize.  The Tabaquero is holistic and embraces the whole process of growing, harvesting, drying and smoking the Tabaco!  The plant itself has an energy as it grows that is significant and produces also a super abundance of seeds, tobacco is extremely fertile!  The tiny seed easily overwinters in the frozen Earth and snows, sleets and ice, then emerges in abundance through the rains and warm sunshine of the Spring!  It is only through growing the Tabaco oneself that the Palero or Taino can truly grasp these powerful attributes of the Spirit of the Tabaco itself!  It is one thing to buy a tobacco from a store in the from of loose tobacco or cigar and utilize it in ceremony, but it is a totally different experience when you yourself are experiencing the growth and unfolding of the Tabaco plant itself, when you can walk through the tall tobacco plants, smell their aroma, feel the stickiness of their leaves, and to be able to see first hand the multiple insects that the Tabaco attracts that tell you more stories about the Tabaco!  

From the miniscule Tabaco seeds, huge plants grow, embodying a phenomenon of how a tiny seed, almost invisible, can become as tall as a person through the magical process of Sun, Rain and Earth!  The Tabaquero is intimately involved and connected to these three Misterios which enable the Tabaco to grow, and also the Wind who not only carries the tiny seeds all over to reincarnate again into huge plants, but also provides the oxygen that the FIRE needs to transform the Tobacco into Sacred Smoke!

As a night of FROST approaches we gather all the Tabaco plants and pile them up, because once the frost penetrates the Tabaco plants, they will loose their structure and quickly disintegrate into Mother Earth.  Yet we do not want to harvest them too early in the Season because we want them to be able to reach their full growth and we want the Spirit to enjoy them as Living Plants as long as possible.  This is especially important for those relatives (Ancestors) who enjoyed their Tabaco when in the physical body!!!

The Tabaco fills up the back of the pick up truck and we bring the Tabaco up to a sunny spot with a large table where we can begin the process of removing the Tabaco leaves from the stalks, saving the dried seed heads and rolling some of the Tabaco up into bundles.

We take the small leaves of the Indigenous Varieties of Tabaco (Huichol, Aztec, Hopi) to dry for use in the pipes, as they are the strongest varieties and are Indigenous to this continent!  The large leaves of the Smoking Tabaco are dried or rolled up and dried for use within the Munanso/ Bateys, within the Sacred Fire, within Ceremony as direct offerings to the Ancestors and to the Misterios!

We remove the leaves from the stalks.  Some of the stalks are 2 inches in diameter and very tough!  The leaves vary in size and also vary in size year to year depending on the amount of rain we get. This year the leaves were on the small side due to the droughts we had this year.  They are still large leaves though!

We do wear gloves to handle the Tabaco during this process because as one handles the Tabaco the nicotine within it will leach out and be absorbed by the skin.  Too much nicotine can cause sickness, which is also why we do not allow any children to be involved in a hands on way in this process.  Once the Tabaco is dried this is no longer a concern.  The Tabaco can also be irritating to the skin for people who are very sensitive to it.

We roll the Tabaco up into bundles which dry out and are then used, this is also a way to save space because from our relatively small Tabaco garden we harvest a significant amount of Tabaco.  If we were to bundle all the Tabaco we would have hundreds of bundles.  We bundle some of it and dry the rest in loose leaf form.

A full basket of bundles is ready to be taken indoors to where it can dry without direct sunlight or rain.  

 

This container is full of growing tips of the Tobacco which were not appropriate for the bundles, it also dries and is used.

This box is full of seeds and some dried leaves, the seeds are in the little round seed pods.  One seed pod literally contains hundreds of tiny seeds.  We save the seed for next year.

Even the stalks are saved and utilized for spiritual purposes.  We also save the roots.  We do not waste any part of the plant and we honor and respect the whole process. As Tabaqueros we understand the Sacredness of this plant and we also understand the abuse of this plant and how the Spirit has rebelled on so many creating much disease!  We do not smoke recreationally at all, it is only Ceremonially and bulk of the Tobacco is burned directly for the benefit, strengthening and enriching of the Ancestors!!!  Again, we understand that we are blessed to be able to have the space, the Land to grow the Tabaco.  We are blessed and grateful to the Misterios who have enable us to manifest "Mundo Nuevo" where we can connect once again to our Roots and to the fullness of our Traditions, and where we expand our understanding of Palo and Taino with the blessings of the Misterios and the Ancestors!

To see account of Sage Harvest:

http://tukuenda.blogspot.com/2010/11/sage-harvest.html