What does it all mean? Vittiti

Here we continue on our Camino of Chola Wengue.  Looking carefully at all the photos below we see layer upon layer of Spirit manifestation, in the waters, trees, stones, in the play between them all, within the Spider web.  These manifestations remind us of cosmic images, of images from wombs, of various animals, and of many human Spirits.  Depending on which layer we focus on, we can see multiple manifestations layered upon one another from the river bed to the surface of the water, like many layered veils.  As we come to realize and develop our eyes to have the Vittiti (spiritual eye) to see these Spirits, not only in photos but when we are right in front of them, the question arises "what does it all mean?"  

The language of words, especially written words, has come to dominate our minds.  Starting early in our (mis)educational process we are taught that there is a right answer and that it is desirable and we will be praised if we get this "right answer".  The educational system is dominated by a very intellectual and quasi-rational approach to the Spiritual Phenomenon which is life.  While this system prides itself on its "objectivity" it has many blind spots because of its inherent "subjectivity".  As a child we are guided away from seeing and understanding the subtle symbols and energies that are all around us.  The subtle energies of life are dismissed, pushed aside, and we are led further and further away from our natural understanding of the language of the Spirit, who always speaks in symbols.  Our minds become increasingly calcified into superficial thinking, and our minds have meltdowns when confronted with anything complex or profound.  


Even within systems of Divination, there are many practitioners who approach Divination under the influence of this mis-education, and therefore who can only Divine the superficial, acting more as "psychic readers" who will let you know if your spouse is being faithful or your boss is going to fire you and then prescribe various "brujerias/ travajos" to counter these issues.  A true Diviner will be able to understand the Divine Message she or he is receiving  within the shells, or within the waters of the River, the Ashes of the Fire, the Stones of the Mountain and so on.  The Misterios are always sending us messages, it is our ability to first recognize and then understand these messages that is stunted.

Our daughter heard us discussing Vittiti (spiritual sight) and came in on our conversation to add "Vittiti is not only seeing from your Eye but from your Heart".  Vittiti is only possible through the eye of the heart that reaches out to connect with the Misterios around it.  Understanding the symbols we see in these images in the water requires that we suspend our intellectual habit that constantly wants to categorize and qualify whatever it perceives.  By immediately interpreting and categorizing what we see, we block out the more profound messages that it is bringing.  Vittiti allows to us suspend this mental behavior to allow the symbol we are witnessing to speak to us in the heart, and from that place our minds can interpret what our heart is recognizing.  

When we look at Taino Petroglyphs or a Patipemba, we are seeing symbols that have multiple dimensions, multiple meanings and multiple trails within them.  We will understand them to the depth that our minds can go at the particular time we look upon them.  We could be told what they "mean" and we can then parade around with this intellectual knowledge, but to truly understand them we need to recognize them internally, in our hearts, and allow our "definition and knowledge" of them to come from the heart, not from an external "expert".  It has been external "experts" that greatly contributed to the mental enslavement that we suffer from and greatly contributed to our miseducation and our subsequent "lazy minds" that want to entertain themselves constantly in the "superficial".  Becoming a "Palero", or waking up to being "Taino" initiates a process of re-education where our minds recover from their calcification and become agile and flexible once again, and are able to return to their higher function of serving the Spirit's voice rather than serving the voice of the oppressors of life.

The spider weaves her web and waits patiently for the prey to become caught in her web, where it exhausts itself struggling to disentangle itself.  When we see the spider by the river, we need to ask ourselves, are we the spider or her prey?  Are we struggling in someone else's web, or are we a spider in the web of life creating connections between all the Misterios of the Universe?  In the photo above the web appears to have stars in it like a night sky, and the stars are connected by the web fibers as if someone is drawing the connections between stars to illustrate the meaning of the constellations within the cycles of life.  If we are not a "spider" within the web of our life (especially as a Palero, a Bruja, Brujo) then we are the prey getting caught up in the orchestrated chaotic energies of society going from one drama to the next.  Note that the Spider is often referred to as a female entity (Grandmother) and as a Creator/Generator of Life, the matriarchal deity if you will.   The Spider is a Ngangulera weaving the threads of her world rather than being the debris caught in the threads.  Here she sits in the center of the web, as if in the eye of the Hurricane, where she is the mover and shaker of her world.  

Within these particular photos many of the Misterios visible are remarkably "feminine" in energy.  Now, if we were to come to the River in a different moment we may see primarily masculine energies.  To us, it is significant that these were the Misterios who showed us their faces on this day, and we had to allow our minds to become active and open up the Eye of the Heart to see the symbols and images and to Divine the meaning of them.  We ask the question "what does it all mean" and we know immediately that it means a great deal, but that being mentally lazy will never allow us to get beyond the "what does it all mean?" stage of the experience.

We also understand that the Misterio has a mastery of language that make us look like babies in our immature abilities to communicate.  The same River can communicate simultaneously two different stories and messages to two different people who look upon her waters.  The River can communicate multiple different messages to one person that looks upon her waters.  We are fortunate that we have photos that "capture" these images and many can enjoy these photos from the computer.  However our presence at the River and the eye of our Spirit, the eyes of our Ancestors walking with us, are the most important aspect of this Divination, because as we walk along the River, overwhelmed in a way by the sensations, sounds, energies, and millions of images, our Ancestors are communicating, divining and understanding the messages of the Misterio of the River, Stones, Sun....  Their presence in those moments (through our physical presence, our body, our DNA) is what truly allows us to Divine what we see in these photos.  


The photo below clearly shows a primordial human entity, the image reminding us of two things immediately, a fetus in the dark of the womb (almost like an ultrasound image) and also of the Taino Cohoba Cemis (very skeletal).  This entity clearly is busy doing something, taking ACTION, digging, fishing, plowing... This is a profound communication coming from the world of the Misterio and requires our ongoing contemplation to fully appreciate the depths of it.  Cohoba Ceremony has everything to do with standing on the crossroads of Life and Death and communicating with the world of the Ancestors directly.  The fetus is making the transition from the world of the Ancestors to the world of the Living.  In fact there are many images within these photos of Skeletons, and Kiumbas.

We always take into consideration the context of the Camino.  We never isolate the Camino from its context, historical and contemporary.  This park had been heavily logged to feed the iron furnace nearby for hundreds of years, then it became a presidential retreat, trees were planted and its recovery process began.  It is a space that has been raped and abused, and today it is a space that many come to enjoy the forest, river and mountain, but with what "consciousness"?  Is it with the consciousness of Reconciliation, or is it with the consciousness of exploitation?  Or is this place a battle ground of these two opposing Cultures?

Within these images we also see the bear appear, both within the waters and in the stone.  Of course bears were once in this area, and once in a while they reappear briefly.  Bears are natural medicine animals and utilize herbs to enhance and protect their health.  Great respect is given to bears among those cultures who live in "bear country", from the Indigenous People of this continent, to the Indigenous People of what is now called Russia, Siberia, Asia and Europe.  In fact tracing the bear we find that there was an Ancient Bear Goddess in Europe who was the Goddess of Nature, connected with "shamanism".  Bears are associated with Medicine and Medicine People all over their territories.  This Bear Goddess was of course the target of  christianity, and was shunned and pushed to the side.  We see more recent manifestations of this behavior in the witch hunts of Europe and in this country both in the witch hunts of caucasian witches in "new england" and the witch hunts of our Indigenous Ancestors all over this continent who were barred from speaking our Ancient Language, and who were barred from practicing the Spirituality of our Culture.  This bear is speaking about this oppression, and connecting this oppression globally and across time, across thousands of years and thousands of miles.  It is the oppression of our cultures and the denigration and destruction of the Mothers of Life (women) and pushing aside of the Feminine Divinities, replacing them with a singular male divinity.  

Although our cultures have sustained much damage, records and books were destroyed, Cemis destroyed or stolen, Carvings decimated, Cemeteries robbed, Sacred Grounds polluted, and our memories distorted, the voice of the Spirit remains clear and vibrant.  We may have had our language taken, so much that there are Paleros out there who claim that if one does not speak spanish, one is not a real Palero...!  However, the language of Mother Earth, the language of the Misterios is something that cannot be destroyed or stolen, it is too complex, too profound, too multidimensional and too relentless to be silenced.  Here the River is telling us that she has stored all the stories, she has not forgotten one of them, and that at any given moment she will begin to share their secrets with the Diviner.

As we continue to follow the bear we see a cosmic connection...  the Bear Goddess in Europe and the Bear Spirit on this continent is associated with the constellation "the Big Bear" (the Big Dipper, the Big Dog).  This constellation is see by our Ancient Taino Ancestors as a constellation connected to the arrival of the Hurakan (Hurricane Season) and the story of Guahayona, Anacacuya and Guabonita (Medicine Teacher).  The Bear is the messenger between the world of the Dead and the world of the Living, just as the Taino Dog (or South American Dog) travels between these two worlds.  The Bear's message of Feminine Medicine, Feminine Power and the Power of the Natural World (Mpungos) connects cosmically to the story of Guabonita, powerful Taino Medicine Woman Teacher through this particular constellation (BIG BEAR).  The Misterio is bringing up a primordial root to our Ancient Cultures globally.  They are not all diverse, independent, non-connected "cultures" they are evolutions of an Ancient common Spiritual Root (which has nothing to do with what is spoken about in new age circles as Lemuria, Atlantis and the like (pure fantasy)).  

Below we see a dog or bear moving through the water, connecting again to Taino- Opiel Guabiron- the Cemis that travels between the world of the Living and the world of the Dead.  

What a Camino of Chola Wengue, and how much more profoundly do we understand her now!  We understand more about this particular River, and more about the Misterio herself.  This understanding takes time, it takes focus and concentration and it also take heart, because it is the heart that understands the value of this exploration which has nothing to do with the usual needs and greeds of life.  It is this exploration that truly empowers us and allows us evolve and develop as Paleros, Tainos, Indigenous People, People with Trato, with Initiation, and to develop and evolve as the "Walking Sticks" of our Ancestral Trees!

Mama Chola's whispered Stories

Water is the Mother of Life upon this Planet, and our evolutionary process rises out from the Primordial Oceans to then walk upon the Land.  Although we left our watery "homeland" (in terms of the Evolutionary Process and in terms of our Birthing from our Mother's Womb), we continue to submerge ourselves in water on a daily basis.  We have the ability to swim, dive, and float upon the waters, in both River and Ocean, and when we do this we are entering a more Ancient World in terms of our Story.  

In the terms of our Mother's Womb, we need to understand that this Womb is much more than a simple sack of fluid in our Mother's Uterus.  Womb is a manifestation on a microcosmic level of the Macrocosmic Maternal Womb of all life.  Our Mother's Womb is a doorway from that Cosmic World to this particular experience upon and within Mother Earth.  Our Mother's Womb holds the power to carry us through a whole process of evolution from a tiny embryo, through stages where we appear like Ocean Creatures, to the formation of the Fetus and recognizable human features.  Our Mother's protective Medicine Pouch (Placenta) is a defense and a nurturer for our process of incarnation, coming from the World of the Ancestors to the World of the so called "Living".  In Taino Understanding the Lagoon is the entry way/ passage way to the World of the Ancestors.  We also place clear containers of Water for the Fundamento, we go through much effort to make Spiritual Baths which are primarily Water, and we utilize water to refreshen all kinds of situations.  


To us in this Munanso we find it offensive when some Paleros describe the Woman's Menstrual Cycle as a weakness, and describe Yayis as weak because of this.  We have also heard Tainos say that women cannot be "Medicine People" and cannot be involved with the Medicine at all.  In terms of Taino this ignorant statement contradicts one of the powerful Taino Myths regarding a powerful Medicine Woman named "Guabonita" who taught the Casike "Guahayona"  the secrets of the Medicine.  In terms of Life itself these ignorant misconceptions contradict the evidence that Life herself continually gives us, demonstrating the power of the Woman's Menstrual Cycle and the Power of Woman's ability to Nurture and Give Birth to new Life.

When entering any body of water, whether it be Ocean, Lake, River, Waterfall, Lagoon, we need to recognize that we are entering manifestations of our Mother's Womb and that we are entering manifestations of Mother Earth's Womb that has given birth to Life in all the diversity that we enjoy from her.  Waters should never have become dumping grounds either physically or spiritually, yet today they have become both.  When we walked to this (relatively) pristine River, we were immediately struck by her Golden Color and how her Waters were the texture and color of Honey.  The Waters were clear and we could see to the bottom where many Misterios looked back at us.  We were able to submerge ourselves in her cool waters, refreshening in ways that are never possible using indoor plumbing.  In some parts we saw many tiny fish.

In all these photos many Spirits are easily visible, some fierce, some ancient, some beyond what we may even recognize.  And it is important to note that it is the currents of the River that has moulded the expressions of the Spirits that become visible upon the stones.  She has "revealed" them, if you will.  Our Ancient Taino Ancestors carved Cemis from Stones, revealing the Spirit that had been "hidden" in the Stone or piece of Wood.  In this sense Mama Chola is the carver of the Cemis that are found within her.  The photo below clearly shows the face of a Spirit looking directly at us.  In giving this some contemplation, we realize that Mama Chola, the Spirit of the River, is creating "Medicine".  

On the particular day that we came to this River, we had been hearing a Palero, who will remain unnamed, speaking on the internet about how Yayis are weak because their menstrual cycle, and talk too much, and that Yayis are not even allowed in some Munansos.  In our walk to the River, the River herself spoke to us, not through the internet, but through her Waters, her Stones, and the glimpses that she gave us into her world.  We need to consider the historical facts of colonialism of our Matri-focal cultures by paternalistic aggressive western mentalities.  These onslaughts of colonialism with its genocide and enslavement of our Peoples, left its scars that we are still struggling to heal from.  The most dangerous of those scars are the ones that we do not even realize are scars because of the scar tissue of ignorance that covers them.  The degrading of women and the describing of the Powerful Cycle that allows our Human Experience (the Menstrual Cycle) as weak is  one of the scars of colonialism and genocide that still haunts us.  

Other schools of thought blur the line of the Menstrual Cycle and try to attempt to give it a function with the Man, which is yet another scar from colonialism.  Some Tainos (who will remain unnamed) depict "Guakar", a female Misterio relating to the Menstrual Cycle of Women, as a masculine force.  This is another psychological scar that still seeks to undermine the Power of Mother, the Power of the Menstrual, the Power of the Mother giving Birth!


For those who have never read Willie Lynch's speech to his fellow slave owners,  we suggest reading it for a better understanding of the psychic attack that we as a Culture, as a People, as Communities and as Families, as Women and as Children and as Men endured and continue to endure.   Note that the individual "Willie Lynch" is described as a slave owner in the West Indies giving a speech to slave owners in Virginia on how to keep control and power over their 'slaves'.   We also suggest reading "The Dark Side of Christian History" by Helen Ellerbe for a deeper understanding of the energies within Christianity, the same Christianity that was forced upon our Indigenous ways through violence and psychic attacks.  It is important not to turn a blind eye to the story of the past, because it is only through facing the stories of the past that we can detoxify our mental bodies in the present and break free from our mental enslavement.  

Many within our Traditions come to the River to address "love issues", issues between Women and Men, issues of Marriage, and issues of fertility.  This is of course very appropriate.  We come bringing the River honey to sweeten these relationships in our lives, to open up energies of healthy relationships and love, and this is wonderful and good.  The River will take us as deeply into these trails as we are willing to "dive", and when we dive below the surface of our "apparent" need, we find the stories of our Ancestors vibrating within her waters, taking us to much more profound levels concerning our "issue with love, relationship and fertility".  We have seen the River enable Children to be Born to so called "infertile" parents, we have seen the River heal tumultuous relationships, we have seen the River open up doorways for relationships of love.  We have also seen how the River always has a deeper story to tell to us, if we are willing to listen, because these issues are never just a phenomenon of the present, they are trails linking to the Ancient Past, and the trails are not often nearly as beautiful as the River appears on this day.  

With all her beauty when flowing through a bright, clear summer's day, we have to also remember the tumultuous, debris ridden raging aspect of her that appears from rains from storms, and recognize that we are not dealing with a split personality, where we can relate to one without relating to the other, we are interrelating with a whole Mpungo, a whole Entity, and we offend that Mpungo when we look at her from limited perspectives, just as we offend the Mother of Life when we look at her daughters from limited perspectives, calling Yayis weak and indicating Yayis lack discipline.  Rape is rampant upon this Earth and is used as a weapon of war, globally.  In terms of the "homeland" of our tradition, Kongo, we see that every day hundreds of Women, Girls and Babies are raped, and this is certainly not the only place Women are being raped on daily basis.  Violence is used against the Mother's of Life and on a minute, yet significant, level when Tata's find themselves speaking down about Yayis, this violence is perpetuated further, and when women are sidelined and told they cannot "learn the Medicine" again this violence continues.  Some claim it is "tradition" but that has to be examined closely and the legacy of colonialism and its christianity, both on the African continent prior to the Atlantic slave trade, and on this continent, needs to be factored in as a real pollutant of our "Traditions".   Once we recognize it as the pollutant that it is, we can break our  enslavement in the most important place, and that is within our Spirituality.

A Tree visited by Paleros

"Palo" short for "Palo Mayombe" with its multiple RAMAS (Lines) is a deeply cultural system of Spiritual Understanding, Spiritual Practices, and a deep and enduring Spiritual Root.  It is complicated and most often misunderstood by outside "observers", and it is often maligned, and often misrepresented by both non-Paleros and (sadly) some Paleros themselves.    Palo means "Stick" and is most often explained as being a reference to the various Palos that are found within the typical "Fundamento or Nganga" of the Palero.  


"Palo" is a spanish word, which clearly places its usage within the Caribbean after the arrival of the mad malevolent Ndoki (or Maboya) Columbus and his gang.  Palo is readily accepted by most of its practitioners as being of African Origin, specifically of Bakongo origin.  Some make outrageous and ignorant claims that Palo traveled intact from Africa to the Caribbean within the slave ships and subsequently continued (primarily in Cuba) intact to the present day.  However historical fact indicates otherwise as many of the Mpungos spoken of in the Tradition today were not described or addressed in the Bakongo Traditions (remember we are speaking of a large region) in the way they are described and addressed today.  Many Paleros deny the influences of Taino Traditions within the Palo they practice, and will only begrudgingly acknowledge influences of other African Traditions within Palo.  This is either due to arrogance, ignorance or business/ political agendas.  Our Munanso embraces firstly the Taino Influences within Palo and also the other African Influences within Palo.  In our assessment of historical fact and human responses to oppression and need for survival, we are confident that Palo as an AFRICAN-CARIBBEAN tradition, evolved and transformed greatly due to multiple influences during its 400-500 year evolution within the Caribbean.  


In returning to the term "Palo" as meaning "Stick", we understand that "sticks" come from TREES, and as Paleros and Human Beings we understand TREES to be very SACRED to us.  As we walked by the River we came across the TREE below growing on the bank of the River, sending its roots over and between stones.  It is a "Beech Tree",  native to this region.  It came to our attention because our daughter insisted and persisted in leaving an offering for Mama Chola at the Roots of this Beech Tree.  This Beech, being native to our area, is a tree that we often utilize when gathering "Palos".  In looking at the photo of the Beech, we see an Ancient Face, or Faces, looking at us.  

Beech is Medicinal (although rarely used as a medicinal these days).  It has properties of astringent, antiseptic and disinfectant.  On a physical level, these are properties of tightening or tonifying the body tissues, preventing growth of micro-organisms, and destroying bacteria.  Spiritually this translates to energies of defense, protection and strengthening.  It is a strengthening of protective boundaries.  This also applies to the mental body, and it is important to note that our mental bodies are constantly having to fend off "invasive, parasitical/ Ndoki energies".  

Beech is also very nutritious to animals and humans from the leaves to the nuts and has been consumed Traditionally upon this continent.  This nutritional aspect places the energy of the Beech as also very nurturing and sustaining.  Beech is in the same family as OAK and SWEET CHESTNUT, two other trees that also offer much sustenance to human beings and animals.  In the right conditions Beech Trees can live 500 years.  Tsalagi People (Cherokee) would raid the Beech nut stashes of chipmunks and allow the chipmunks to do the work of gathering, sorting and shelling the nuts for them; a beautiful example of working with the natural energies of Mother Earth, not against them.  

In Europe, among Celtic tribes, the Beech is associated with the development of the Alphabet and writing as well as its root DIVINATION.  Trees inscribe within them a written history of the cycle of seasons that they live through from conditions in the air, soil and water as well as conditions of the Sun.  They are a book that records this natural story.

So we see that the Beech Tree is a tree of great interest to the Palero.  It has significance in all areas to which it is native (Europe and America) and tells us a profound story as well as gives us profound tools.  Are we to, as Paleros, reject both the Beech and the gesture of a Child to insist upon placing her offering for the River at the Root of the Beech, because the Beech is not native to Africa or the Caribbean?  Did the Bakongo who arrived on the shores of the Caribbean in chains reject the traditional plants of the Caribbean because the plants were not native to Africa?  Did they refuse to learn the medicinal and nutritional and spiritual qualities of the plants from the Indigenous People of the Caribbean (Taino, Garifuna, "Carib" and so on), because these plants were not familiar to them?  Not so, lets review any list of plants typically used by Paleros (or other African-Caribbean traditions) and we find many plants native to the Caribbean on the list.  If we are to uphold the principles of the Ancestors, then we need to follow in their footsteps of adaptability and willingness to "remain teachable!" especially in the face of great "Changes" be they changes brought about through colonization, war and oppression or be they the Earth Changes we are facing today, emanating from Mother Earth and the Great Light of our Life, the Sun!  

Returning again to the term "PALO" we arrive at the root.  In Taino Tradition any person walking through the forest (and we must understand that there was more forest than anything else over this whole continent at that time, the deforestation is a travesty and a growing issue), who would see a Tree shaking or moving in an usual way would immediately call the Bohitu (witch doctor or brujo) who would come and determine what the Spirit was asking for, be that a Cemi, or what have you.  Many times a Cemi (Nkisi if you will) would be made from that particular tree.  These roots here called our daughter.  Was it the Taino in her responding or was it the Palero in her responding?  Should we honor one Spiritual Tradition over the other, give one "superiority" over the other?  In our Munanso we uphold the principle of respect for Spiritual Traditions and Roots and do not follow the line of thinking that gives one "Spiritual Superiority" over the other.  For us the most important point is that she responded to this powerful tree, whose Spirit, having received the innocent offering, Nchila, from this child, in that moment strengthened her in terms of defense, immunity, sustenance, and wisdom, all vital spiritual energies for her evolution and progress.  This Spirit also guided us, her parents to seek out further understanding and appreciation of the Spirit of the Beech Tree!  

Spiritual Heat

An intense Spiritual Heat is enveloping us globally, expressing itself on multiple levels.  This year has seen an amplification of Earth Changes; tornadoes, increasingly violent storms, fires, droughts, the Earth cracking, sinkholes, earthquakes, and volcanoes.  The Sun himself is sending energies towards the Earth that are not understood by "science" and there are events occurring cosmically that are outside the "norm" or what is expected.  On human levels the increase in a behavior of desperate denial among some populations has reached a truly psychotic stage.  Meanwhile many voices globally from People and from the Spirit of Mother Earth herself continue to get louder urging not only AWARENESS but also ACTION.  


We have had several people mention (independently) to us how their experience of the Sun has intensified, how the Sun's rays are carrying an intensity not felt before, which does not have to do with the "temperature".  And we know that there are changes occurring within the Sun and that the Sun truly is the governor of our climates and ecosystems, and therefore our sustainability.  


As People of Tradition who not only have skills and tools of Divination but also skills and tools of Resolution (Solution Finding), we are well aware of the energies present in this yearly cycle, and are not surprised by the intensity, and neither are we expecting this intensity to pass so we can all "go back to normal", we are expecting this intensity to increase as the Earth herself, including all of us, goes through intense changes.  We understand that now in all this intensity is the time for us to turn to our Spiritual Practices even more strongly.   Within those practices we also know this is the time for us to amplify and focus our efforts at Reconciliation with Mother Earth and the returning to a Sane way of living upon her.  


One of the ways that we approach this Spiritual heat is to go to the Camino of Chola Wengue and refreshen ourselves in her waters.  This refreshens and vitalizes not only the body but more importantly, the Spirit, the Ancestral Frame, and the various subtle energies that are within our Spiritual-Physical-Body.

To truly appreciate these photos, they must be clicked on to enlarge, this way the various Spirits become more visible.  Something else becomes more visible as well...  There are many Paleros out there speaking about "patipemba" or "firmas" (depending on who is talking), emphasizing the need to understand the meaning of the various symbols, arrows, lines, and so on.  They do not all agree, except they do agree that each of them is the expert and knows "the real Palo" which they will teach you, for a price.  While some of the information being distributed out there is valid and useful, there is a narrow-mindedness that does not serve the Tradition.  We make this as a general statement and make no statement regards the specifics that anyone is teaching or not teaching.  As with all generalizations there are EXCEPTIONS.  As we look again into the Water Rapid created by River, Stone and Air, by forces of gravity and illuminated by the Sun, we come to realize that the Misterio of the River herself is making a patipemba or firma right within this rapid.  This is an ever changing patipemba that will be very different from moment to moment.  As we make our invocation to the River at this place, at this time, she is creating a unique Patipemba that is receiving and transmitting our invocation and her response to our invocation.  We are standing at the crossroads of life and death, just as we do every time we invoke the Misterio, however here we are able to see the Misterio's response to us.  

Understanding the Misterio's response to us is another matter.  While most Paleros are skilled and familiar with the use of the coconut shells or caracoles, or fire, ashes, and so on as systems of Divination, they are not (again as a general statement) so skilled at first recognizing and second deciphering the messages from Spirit that manifest in expressions of the Mpungos themselves.  This is a lost (?) or misplaced skill that we as Paleros or we as People of Rooted Tradition must regain (Remember Once Again!).  While we are more or less familiar and knowledgeable concerning the patipembas that we use for our Fundamento, Nganga, Nkisi and so on, we must also remember to always remain "Teachable", with the understanding that the greatest teachers are the Misterios themselves.  

We are a Munanso that strongly holds the principle that we are suffering, as Indigenous People, from a "Stolen Legacy", in which our traditional knowledge has been dispersed and co-opted by the so called "dominant" society or the "crusading" society.  In this moment in time where so much information is available to us, we have an unprecedented opportunity to retrieve our "Stolen Legacy" and connect the shattered wisdom through the wisdom of our Ancestors and our Traditional Root.  Only we can do this, for the "scientists and academics" are too narrow minded, too specialized, too compartmentalized, too much "experts" and too engrossed in the "crusading society's" pathological mindset, to be able to do it "for us".  We cannot turn an eye of denial to the historical facts of colonization and the devastating "work" of the missionaries among our People.  We cannot turn a blind eye to the stealing and perverting of our traditions in the past and in the present, and it is our responsibility to uncover and overcome those perversions that through colonization created the conditions that turned "us" into unconscious agents of the crusading societies pathological mentality.  All these energies are intertwined within this Spiritual Heat, and to adapt and find our way to still progress and evolve within this Spiritual Heat we must see beyond our narrow viewpoints and habits.

Erosive Power of Chola Wengue

We found a tree growing by the River, simultaneously growing and decaying.  Like many trees a hollow was developing inside creating a rich habitat for bugs and a rich buffet for birds.  By crouching down we realized that the roots and the process of decay had created an opening through which our daughter could look.  

She "bounced" around the tree, checking it out from different angles, having fun, however a deeper teaching was taking place.

Interesting to note that from certain angles the opening is not visible.  Upon examining the tree closely we realized that it is the root forming the opening, most likely due to not only the decay but also to the soil erosion.  Every time the river floods this tree has more soil pulled from it.

This tree shows the effects of the "play" between the River and the Tree.  It also shows the power of erosion that the river has.  This power of erosion through water (rain, flood and river) is a major issue that occurs worldwide and is a major threat to our sustainability upon this planet.  In this particular location the system is balanced, in that the hill is covered with trees, who are constantly through their annual leaf fall and through their eventual decay, building new soil so that the soil taken by rain to the River and by the river herself is replenished by the trees.  In those places that the trees are removed from hills and the soil plowed up or left bare, nothing is renewing the soil and the top soil (the rich soil created by decaying organic matter) is lost every time it rains.  This continues to devastate our ecosystems, as the feet of topsoil once stabilized on this continent are now reduced to inches or fractions of inches.  This tree is a beautiful example of the erosive power of the River, who is able to erode rocks themselves and carve canyons deep into the Earth's surface, but is also a lesson in the importance of trees upon the hillsides rather than plows.  It also gives us insight into the Misterio, Chola Wengue, her power to renew life, and her power to take away the gifts that she has given when they are unappreciated and are not caretaken with love and intelligence and respect.

"Palo Rompe Monte" Palos and the Stones they break and consume!

When we found this tree we named it "Palo Rompe Monte", "the tree that breaks the mountain" due to the fact that it is growing right out of the rock, and in the process of its slow growth broke the rock in two.  When we go to the rocky hillside it is important to understand how some of the formations that we see were created how they continue to change over time.  In this instance the Palo is stronger than the stone through its endurance and tenacity and extremely efficient use of resources.  This is a tree that ADAPTED to its conditions.  We can use soil from this tree, bark from this tree, or Palos from this Tree, when we are looking for these qualities of endurance, tenacity and adaptability to challenging conditions.  We can also use soil from this tree in situations where something seemingly less strong (Palo) is facing something seemingly more strong (rock).

This tree has overcome adversity or challenge and adapted and even flourished in a seemingly impossible situation.   Its journey is a powerful teaching story from its humble seed falling on a crevice of the rock and taking root in the little patch of soil created by leaves falling on the rock, to its breaking of the rock over time.

From a different angle we see the same tree with its multiple holes due to the wood pecker drilling for insects.  This tree at the time we found it was a half-alive tree, with parts that are dead, and parts that are alive.  It feeds life with both parts (dead and alive) giving habitat and food to insects, birds and animals, and every year building the soil with its falling leaves.  In turn it gives us magical ingredients to work with!

The same tree looking up shows it as having a foot in each world (death and life) and being a powerful contributor to both.  Western thinking has a tendency to "separate" life and death, whereas Traditionally we understand their interrelationship.  Both processes are always occurring simultaneously; this tree is a beautiful representation of this truth.  It also shows life (the tree) relating to death (mineral/ stone) because the fact is that the trees pull nutrients (minerals) from the soil which in great part is made up of pulverized stone.  Life requires Death.

Below we look at a second tree.  This tree again grows around stones, quartz in this case.  The tree had the quartz underneath as if protecting a treasure.  Only by walking around the tree did this become visible.  It is also important to note that all trees described here were not on a 'trail', they were off the path and we found them when we were walking down the hillside towards the river, so we could use the river to guide us back to where we had started out from.  Some of the most powerful places are "off the beaten path", by not venturing off the beaten path we miss out on Misterios that may be calling us.  We do not want our "Camino" to be governed by what is typical or conventional or easy.  

The tree is actually growing around the quartz and appears almost like an amoeba eating it prey.  We do not know if years from now the quartz will even be visible and we do not know how much quartz the tree is "hiding" or "consuming".  We do know that this is not a usual sight and that we would have difficulty ever finding it again because it is not on a marked trail.  This is one of those moments to treasure.  Our daughter was especially thrilled by the tree hiding its treasure, an image that came alive for her.

Children have an openness to Spirit that too often gets calcified in adults.  Through seeing the children in this way, we begin to understand through the depths of its root what is meant by the phrase "Trato son trato"!  By walking these Caminos with our daughter, we are constantly getting new perspectives on the Misterios, and she is always using unexpected terms and expressions to describe the Spirits, using words in ways we would never think to.  Since we are not going on these Caminos for any negative purposes, it is a excellent place for the growth and education of our daughter and the continuation of Tradition.  By excluding the children, we only harm the tradition, and then are surprised when our children turn their backs on tradition.  And when the children turn their backs, is when the tradition harms us.  We also know that the Misterios of the forest, river, monte, are seeing our daughter and are receiving offerings embodying love and reconciliation from her hands.  Not only is it important that we recognize the Misterio, it is important that they recognize us.  In the photo below you can see a Misterio looking right at our daughter as she interrelates to the Spirit of the Tree.

Finally a third tree is home to many insects and animals, and has this little cavity within it that is filled with tree dust (which we did collect).  It was also filled with moths who were hiding from the daylight waiting for night to come so they could go about their "business". 

If you go into a Botanica (and we have nothing against Botanicas and the essential services they provide) and purchase a Palo, a soil, or a water, one consideration we must make is that we do not know the story or the hand that collected that Palo, Soil or Water.  In some cases it was collected from the local park (sad but true), in other cases it is a legitimate item in that it is what it is said to be.  The fact is sometimes we have a need and the only way we can address it is through the Botanica.  However when we have the opportunity to collect Palos, Soils, Waters and Stones for ourselves, we can have a much more profound and empowering understanding of what it is we have in our hands and what we are putting in our "Medicines".  We also have the opportunity to appreciate the various insects, bugs, bones and feathers that may also be in those soils, or collect them separately for our spiritual purposes.  We definitely appreciate the access we have to these wonderful Caminos, both right here on the Land that we caretake herself, as well as accessible through relatively short travel.

Walking The River And Mountain!

We speak about the "Caminos" of various Misterios (Mpungo), such as the Caminos of Chola Wengue, and there are many Caminos that are discussed and are significant within our Spiritual "Trails".  Caminos always carry historical, ancestral and geologic significance, or we could also say, Caminos are born from time (the story of our evolution within this planet), from our Ancestral trail and from the expressions of Mother Earth herself.  Caminos are simultaneously spiritual and physical and relate to the interweaving of the spiritual and physical expressions of life.

On this particular trail we sought out the "mountain river" which is carrying the energy of coming down from a high elevation over many rocks, full of small water "falls" and rock pools.  The river here has a momentum that we were seeking for particular purposes that have to do with a spiritual energy that we are needing at this particular time.  The mountain river which is a specific Camino of Chola Wengue is very different than the slower and wider flowing valley rivers, or the deep wide delta rivers that are sometimes so wide we cannot see the opposite shore.  The mountain river, since it is not flowing past agri-businesses, chemical and nuclear plants and urban dumping grounds, has not only more pristine water, but a more pristine energy.  We have to take note that historically, or our-story-ically, this has not been the case, however it is a reality we face today, which does affect us spiritually and does affect our "walking" of those Caminos.

The other consideration we make when coming to this River is that this River is intricately connected to the Monte down which she flows.  Her river bed is full of the Mountain's Stones, which create the various water falls, and bubbles that make this river so attractive.  We cannot separate this River from the Mountain that she is flowing from, which emphasizes the point that Life is an interwinding of Misterios, it is not a rigid, linear entity that can be neatly boxed into different categories or Misterios.  When we go to the Camino of Chola Wengue, we also are visiting other Misterios, and these Misterios express themselves more or less strongly as we travel up the River.  

Yet another consideration we make is that the energy of the River changes from day to day.  On the bright summer days that we were on this Camino, the River was clear, with a golden brown tint from the leaves of the trees that had decomposed on her river bed, and from the contributions of micro-organisms, fish, insects, and other organisms that live within her.  If we visit during a rainstorm or right after a heavy downpour, we see a churning brown river, rushing down the mountain pulling the soil of the mountain and small rocks, sometimes even much larger rocks, down to the valleys.  During the coldest times of winter we see ice all over, and only where her strongest current is, would we see the water flowing.   Here the seasons also affect the "Camino" we are walking on.  We have to expand our minds and also our knowledge to take into consideration the various dynamics that are vibrating within this one "simple" (?) Camino!

From the River we walked up the mountain, looking closely at the Palos and the Spirits expressing within them.  These are the trees from the steep hillsides whose leaves are flowing into the River and giving her the golden color that we have been appreciating.  These Palos are contributing their energies, their "medicines" to the Camino of the River.  They take in nutrients from the bedrocks as they send their roots into the soil, sometimes wedged tightly between rocks.  Those nutrients (which hold spiritual power) express in the leaves, which are also transforming the energy of the Sun as billions of beautiful, life-giving, "power plants".  When the leaves fall into the River, or when the leaves decompose into soil that washes into the River during rainstorms, this spiritual empowerment is entering the River.  When we look at the above photo, which clearly shows a tremendously expressive spirit, we gain greater understanding of the River Camino herself.

Most times simply moving around the tree reveals multiple Spirits expressing within the Tree.  If we are seeking soil from the monte, we look out for particular places, trees, or formations that hold spiritual energy.  We do not want to just pick up "any" soil, we want to put sensitivity and insight into the particular soil we need for a particular purpose, be that purpose the creation of a Medicine of some kind, the creation of a Ceremonial Space or the energizing of a Spiritual Garden.  We also always give respect and acknowledgement to the Spirits that we encounter.  There are far too many two-leggeds walking "blindly" through the forest or by the River, we, especially as people within Spiritual Tradition, by no means want to contribute to ignorance, callousness, carelessness, or lack of groundedness.

Within the River, right within the rapids, the camera "captures" some of the Spirits that otherwise remain unnoticed.  This rapid carries a powerful energy, that even though we are speaking of a mountain river that many consider "small" and a mountain that many consider "small" we can seek out and find within this seeming "smallness", places of energy and spirit that connect to the larger more rushing mountain rivers, that for us happen to be far away.  We never approach the Caminos with arrogance, or with comparisons to other Caminos, every Camino is unique to that place, that season, and that moment in time, and the Spirits are able to speak more loudly to a humble mental approach.

To fully appreciate these photos it is essential to click on them to enlarge them.  There are many, many Misterios in these photos, layer upon layer of Misterios, in the water, in the stones, in the transitions between them.  The photo below shows a large powerful Misterio with water coursing down his head, along with many smaller Misterios all around.  This is an excellent place to collect River Water for Spiritual Purposes.  Again  we do not just blindly collect waters and soils in places that are most convenient, but take the time and energy to go to more difficult, or deep places to collect specific energies.  If we are going to cleanse ourselves in the River, again we look for specific currents, specific locations where the energy that we are seeking is expressing itself.

Here the Yayi is about to cleanse her head in the River, when we look closely at the photo we can see all the Misterio that she is actually touching, as she places her hands on the stones of the River, as well as all the Misterio in the water into which she is about to plunge her head and face.  This is important to recognize.

Here we see a quieter pool, where the water is moving more calmly, yet still with a good current.  Here we can look at and appreciate the colors of the River, and how the Sun Rays are interacting with the water, glittering on the surface, penetrating to the depths and lighting up her golden riverbed.  Here again we have the interaction of two Misterios, in this case the River and the Sun, once again, we may be thinking of Chola Wengue primarily, yet we must take into our thinking the multiple other Misterios who are "at play" here.

Moving back towards the trees and hillside, we see many more Spirits within the Trees, and we need to also think of the insects, animals and birds which contributed to the expression of these Spirits.  Time itself is critical to the expressive process of these Spirits, as time reveals the many faces of the Spirit of Life.  Some of the most awesome Spirits we encounter are on trees that are dead (the natural Palo Muerto) or are half dead, trees that would have already been cut down in the city or suburbs for fear that they would fall on a house or car.

Below our daughter (5 yrs) pulled this Stone from the water herself, insisting we carry it back for her.  Every Camino we embark upon brings more learning and understanding to her, and gives her the space and time to exercise her Spiritual Eyes, Ears and Understanding.  It also gives us the opportunity as her parents to gain greater understanding and appreciation for her Spirit as she moves around the River and Forest.

Below are two views of a tree whose roots grew around a stone.  There is a phallic expression above the stone reminding us  that the natural world is full of sexuality and sexual symbols, as it is this energy of sexuality that gives rise to the ongoing expression of life.

The tree below is on the River bank, erosion slowly takes away its soil as it adapts by bending its roots out around and back into the river bank, developing a powerful network to keep it upright in spite of the erosion taking place.  This tree is very tenacious.

Every time we visit the River, the forest or the Mountain, we learn more, and we have the opportunities to gather vital spiritual ingredients that simply cannot be purchased at a Botanica.  We have the opportunity to spend time in places that are not so disrupted by human activity, places that are in advanced stages of recovery from the degrading activities that once occurred in them.  It is important to go to these places as they empower our Spirits and vital energies, it is also important to go to these places to give the Misterios and Spirits that we see in them the recognition from human beings of their beauty and power.  We also note that we always leave our offerings to the River, Forest and Mountain.  These are moments of Healing and Reconciliation!