Yayi- Somos o no somos?

Woman's Nkisi has traditionally been for Fertility, Ease of Childbirth and Healthy Children.  Taino Female Cemis are also about Fertility and Children.  These Nkisi and Cemis are concerned with the Continuation of Life, which is the Vital Life Force of all People and is the Vital Life Force upon this Earth, within this Cosmic-Earthly Circumference that we find ourselves within.

Long before Humanity walked this Sacred Spherical Earth and much longer before someone decided to say that women came from the rib of man, the tiny organisms of life in the Oceans were reproducing, ensuring the next generation and the evolution of life.  The first organisms reproduced by simply replicating their DNA and dividing in half, a process that I (with a background in biology) as a Yayi suggest is a more reflective of female Ovums than male Sperms.  Ovums provide the "UNIVERSE"with its own snake of DNA into which the Sperm brings its complimentary snake of DNA.

In the depths of the Heart of this Continent in the Amazon, the practices of Ayahuasca have been practiced for millennia.  In the Ayahuasca ceremony two plants are used, the Banisteriopsis caapi  (Ayahuasca) Vine and the Psychotria viridis (Chacruna) Leaf.  Some describe the action of these two plants as the snake of the Chacruna penetrating the snake of the Ayahuasca producing Spiritual Visions!  From a scientific stand point there is an active ingredient in the Chacruna that is destroyed by the digestive system unless combined with a second compound in the Ayahuasca.  This potent combination allows the journey into the spiritual and biological foundation of life itself.

To demote the Yayi within Palo to a lesser role in any way is to bring ignorance to the Tradition.  A Yayi is just as powerfully equipped with Spiritual Power, Spiritual Vision and Spiritual Wisdom as the Tata, and has a rightful role to be just as active within the working of the Nkisi.  In many Munansos the Yayi is given a lesser role simply as a tactic of "power over"- a way to disempower the Yayi.  Some Paleros even suggest that Yayi's menstrual blood is "evil" and "bad", forgetting that the menstrual blood is what enable him to develop from a fertilized egg to a fetus, to a baby and to have children himself!

In our Munanso, the Yayi is as empowered as the Tata.  Here we can see various views of the Women's Nkisi Munanso which has a forest garden with various (mostly native) plants, seen above and below.  The plant above is Oswego Tea (Monarda) with both culinary and medicinal uses and used extensively by Indigenous People of this continent where it grows profusely.  The Munanso structure itself is built from trees from the Land itself with the gaps filled with a mixture of straw and mud.  An extension was built using stucco.  This Munanso is the home of multiple female Nkisi.

Various spaces around the Munanso are used for bringing the Nkisi out to absorb Sunlight and Moonlight, and as well for certain ceremonies.  Here vines wrap around the trees at the edge of the clearing.

Below Wild Ginger is a native spreading ground cover we brought into the forest garden.  Its rhizomes can be used for cooking (ginger flavor).

Below is Golden Seal, well known powerful medicinal, native to this region and used by Indigenous People here.  It became over harvested during colonialism and no longer covers the forest floors.  However, when re-introduced it grows well.  At one point the forests of this continent were more diverse but due to the abuse and ignorance brought upon them by greed and recklessness, they are in need of our contributions in terms of bringing back the diversity.  In the Women's Munanso's forest garden we are concerned with making this contribution as well as providing plants to be utilized medicinally, to eat and for spiritual purposes.

Below is a powerful women's herb, Black Cohosh.  This is a powerful herb used by generations to strengthen labor.

Sweet woodruff is a sweetly scented herb and groundcover, it is native to Europe and North Africa.

Remembering the Ayahuasca and Chacruna as a potent combination giving rise to profound vision and spirit, remembering the Ovum and Sperm as a potent combination giving rise to Life, and knowing that it is the female Universe (Ovum, Placenta, Uterus) that nourishes this Life, and it is the female "Milk" that provides Divine Nutrition to the growing baby, we state as fact that the Yayi is an ESSENTIAL component within a Healthy Munanso and is ESSENTIAL to the continuing Evolution of the Spiritual Traditions.  To negate or diminish the Yayi is to diminish the Tradition.

This fact has been shown within our Munanso, as the space for the Female Nkisis was created, the contribution brought forth by them was greatly enhanced and this contribution benefited the "whole" of the Munanso, the "whole" Family opening new pathways.  An example of this that we are willing to "share" is the Munanso Garden, which has brought more magic into the Munanso space as well as bringing a contribution to Mother Earth and us all.

Returning to Women's Nkisi and Women's Cemis and the Fertility and Ease of Childbirth and Healthy Children, we must also track along side the disempowerment of women within Palo, the disempowerment of women in the area unique to women, Pregnancy and Childbirth.  Traditionally women gave birth with the midwife at "home" where the power of the Nkisi and Cemi were utilized to empower and protect this process.  There was no "pain medication" other than herbs, no "inductions" other than herbs such as cohosh, no fetal monitoring other than the midwife's expert hands, and childbirth was "raw" and in this rawness childbirth empowered the women and was a true rite of passage.  Now women place themselves in the hands of institutions and a medical system that regards pregnancy as a disease, women give birth on their backs in disempowerment, frightened due to the scare tactics of the system, and in this country 32% get their uterus sliced open so the baby can come out, told that their uterus is not strong enough to push the baby out or their pelvis to small to allow the baby through, in other words they are not good enough, strong enough or competent enough to give birth, giving rise to a generation of babies born through a procedure that the women's body interprets as a violent attack, not a health giving process.  Birth pain is the only pain that is telling us something good is happening (a baby entering) and is not warning us of something wrong in the body.  The Nkisi and Cemis empowers women to trust and align with the power inherent in life that gives rise to all life, to trust and align with Mother Earth in those Rite of Passage Moments.

Above and Below, two faces of Nkisi, one African, one Taino, both powerful!

Somos o no somos!!!

Article by the Yayi of this Munanso.

Ceremonial Tree

Trato son Trato

There are agreements with the Living and there are Agreements with the Dead and there is the skillful use of Nkisi by the Brujo to navigate through difficult waters.  


The tree that is photographed here has a long story, and it is a story of agreements, Nkisi, and the wisdom of the Ancestors guiding the Brujo.  This tree was originally planted in a different location, where the Munanso was at the time, before this Land came about.  It was also originally a different tree.   

The original tree was planted Ceremonially with a large fundameto which was in the process of being created, underneath it.  The ceremonial purpose of the tree was to hold the winds of challenge and navigate the Munanso through the difficulties involved in transitioning from a state of "landlessness" to a state of "Land".  At the time there was additionally a great state of confusion created by those people and those spirits who did not want to see this transition occur due to their own mediocrity, jealousy, greed and even hatred.  


The day after the tree was planted Ceremonially, with the Nkisi underneath it, thousands of flies crowded around it, and the tree became infested with parasites and within a month it was dead as it took the spiritual impact of all the negativity and opposition to the transition we were bringing forth.   At this point we removed the dead tree, gave it to the sacred fire, and planted the tree you now see in these photos in the same place, right above the Nkisi.  This tree flourished since the original tree had absorbed all the vicious negativity and spiritual attacks that had been projected towards the Munanso.  

Once we were able to transition from "landlessness" to Land about a year later, we brought both the tree and a large marble stone that also came from the original location.  We removed the Nkisi from beneath the tree and the Nkisi continued its transformations to take on the form that it holds today.  The tree was again planted ceremonially to take up its rightful place within the Bateys of the Land.

Here the tree maintains it's thriving good health, and is quickly maturing, never showing any signs of the parasites that destroyed the original tree.  

We share this story to share a vital understanding that we hold within our Munanso, which is to always continue to develop one's spiritual practices beyond the confines or prejudices of the dominant "society".  This tree is a story of overcoming negativity, of victory within a spiritual battle.  This tree is also symbolic of the positive outcome of the Brujo listening to the Ancestral Spirit and not stubbornly walking with "blinders" on, being afraid to develop the spirituality further.


One thing that we know is that our Ancestors were constantly evolving and transforming the ways that they communicated with the Dead.  For example if we look at the spirituality of the Arawak peoples as the spirituality changed and evolved we see all through the chain of islands that is the Caribbean the diversity of spiritual practice, which all followed some central principles, yet was very different in its expressions.  Spirituality is an expression of the Essence of Ones Spirit inside of this Mother Earth that we find ourselves within the Community of the Living and the Dead.  By Living we also include all Living forms, and even include the minerals and metals of Mother Earth.  Spirituality is not a stagnation and it is not a dogma.  


Many Paleros like to utilize the term "Religion" to describe Palo, however that is a term that we personally find to represent a more dogmatic, stagnated form of spirituality, usually guided by a "definitive word of god" text, which is constantly quoted.  Palo in our definition of it, is not a "religion" it is a "Spiritual Tradition" and like all "Spiritual Traditions" or "Indigenous Spiritualities" upon the Earth is always undergoing transformations, yet holding onto Spiritual Principles of Thriving and Evolution and continuing discovery and understanding of Mother Earth and all her Life Forms (Spirits or Relatives).  


We are well aware that many folks will criticize our practices and claim that there is no precedent for this particular ceremony with the trees and Nkisi, and we can dispute that on various levels, including historical ones, as we all have to agree that Palo developed in the Caribbean undergoing many transformations, and it is only ignorance that today would have Palo suddenly become stagnant and rigid.  However, one of the most compelling "arguments" for this particular ceremony is that "it worked".  The original tree with Nkisi underneath did indeed take the impact of all the negativity and indeed "brujeria" and the second tree has been able to flourish.  We put many Palos in the Fundamento, however in this case we utilized a "living palo" to enable the Fundamento to overcome the obstacles and opposition.

Plant Spirit (A rare glimpse)

(Click on photos to enlarge)

During the bright light of day, it is rare that we can truly "see" the Spirit of the Plant express itself within the very shape of the plant.  However there are times of the day- night cycle, and times during certain weather conditions when the Spirit reveals itself much more clearly.  One time of the day-night cycle we use a lot to see the Plant Spirit is dusk, when the Sun has set, or very early in the morning before the Sun rises, or at night, especially with a full moon.  However it is very difficult to take photographs that accurately represent what we are seeing during these times with the camera we have.  So we look for certain Weather conditions to take photographs to "capture" glimpses of the plant's Spirits!

As Paleros and as Tainos it is vital for us to build a relationship with the various plant Spirits that we utilize in our Spiritual Practices.  There is a world of difference between going to a Botanica to purchase so called "fresh" leaves or dried herbs to make a Spiritual Bath, or going into our gardens, parks, forests and streams to find and directly interrelate to the whole plant or tree that gives us those leaves.  Relying on the Botanica separates us from the source of the plants and we miss out on this direct experience, although we are well aware that many of us do not have the access to the plants directly due to location or mobility. We are fortunate to be able to be in a place to study these things in depths with direct access to the plants under all kinds of weather conditions and at all times of the cycle of day-night and the yearly cycle.  We are able to see the plant grow from seed to seedling, to flowering plant, fruiting plant, to seed producing plant and also see its death and return to the Earth's soil.

This plant here is a Rhubarb plant that has large heart shaped leaves.  Its stem is edible (delicious) but its leaves and roots are "toxic" although the root is a powerful medicine if used by a fully qualified herbalist.  During the heavy rain storm the leaves become fountains or funnels.  For those who have followed the various research concerning vibrations of water and how water absorbs the vibration of whatever is around it, you will realize here that if we were to collect the water that is flowing off this leaf, we would have a very special water that could be used for certain things Spiritually.  (We do not recommend drinking this water).  

When we look closely at these photos, we can begin to see the multiple Spirits that are showing us their faces within the surface of the leaf, as revealed by the water flowing over it.  Some are old, some are young, some are almost like petroglyphs, others are more like animal faces, or faces that are not human, not animal, but clearly intelligent.  It is at this point that we can begin to appreciate the multi-dimensionality of the plant that we may be using to create an important Spiritual Bath, or to utilize directly in the Fundamento or Nkisi.   We can also gain a greater appreciation for the Spirit within the various plants that we may need to go to the Botanica to pick up.  

When we take the time to study these things, and take the time to be outside with the plants under various conditions, and we take the time to go walking in the forest, or up the mountain or by the river, we are stimulating our Minds and Spirits to bring us further wisdom an understanding concerning the Plants that we use Spiritually, as well as the soils, Palos, stones and so on.  We also come to understand that depending on where the plants and trees are growing, they will have a healthier or unhealthier vibration which also will have an impact on how we may use them or decide not to use them.  This rhubarb is in a very diverse and lush garden which is not sprayed with any chemicals whatsoever.  This rhubarb has a very different energy than a rhubarb that is grown for profit in a monoculture.   Just as these have different levels of nutrients if we are to eat them, they also have different levels of spiritual "nutrients" when we use them.  As Paleros, Paleras, and Tainos, these are vital considerations when we are going to use plants, as our work is about healing, therefore just a when a person who is physically sick needs high quality organic fresh food, a person who is spiritually sick needs high quality organic fresh plants for their Spirit!

We want to conclude with a true story:  One day there was a conversation going on between a few people.  One was a brujo who possessed various spiritual plants such as "chacruna" and "yage", which they had growing.  The others were several women who had journeyed at great expense to south America to have experiences with the Shamans using exactly these plants.  The Brujo pointed to the Chacruna and Yage and asked the women if they knew what the plants were.  One women made a guess that they were "Peyote", which the Brujo thought was very funny as it is fairly common knowledge that Peyote is a cactus.  None of the other women could tell the brujo what the plants were, however they talked over and over again about their experiences in the South with the "Ayahuasca", never even realizing that they were sitting in front of the very Plants themselves.  This is the level of ignorance that can be found today, where we have situations that allow people to have experience with the Sacred Plants yet not even be able to recognize them when they are sitting in front of them.  


This story is not to denigrate anyone because how many of us realistically can recognize all the plants we use if we found them growing in the forest?  It is a wake up call for us to reclaim our medicinal power!

Masu!

While planting some new medicinal herbs and plants, the turning of the soil revealed a beautiful female spider (Masu) carrying her eggs.  We were even able to see the cord that she uses to carry them around.  (enlarge the photos by clicking on them to fully appreciate her beauty).  In the close up below you can even see her black eyes and red mouth, an awesome sight!

As Nganduleros, it is a blessing to encounter Masu when planting in the garden.  This is a powerful totem and is also something that from time to time we utilize in working with the Muertos.  This particular spider was obviously female, it is not always so obvious!

Spider is the weaver of webs, webs that can bring knowledge and webs that can entangle!

Kudilonga

(enlarge the photos)