The Yayi's World -By the Yayi Nkisi of the Muanso

Over the years I have heard more than one Yayi complain to me about Palo Mayombe Tradition being 'patriarchal' and centered more on the Tata's role than the Yayi's role.  From my own experience, while I understand the complaint, I could not disagree more, when it comes to the Munanso here.  

We always have to take into account, not only the impact of colonialism and slavery on the growth of theTradition, but also the structure of (white) male supremacy that we are compelled to live with.  However, at their root and in their heart, our various Earth Centered Traditions are deeply rooted in the Mother, and her role of giving, and taking life.  This is not to say that there is both a lot of male centered rhetoric concerning the role of Yayi out there, and perhaps a domination of the internet by Tatas rather than Yayis.  At every turn in my trail, my Camino within Palo Mayombe, I have been strengthened and encouraged as a Yayi to take active and indeed leading roles within the Munanso.  For those Tatas that insist on Yayis having nonsignificant roles in the Munanso, my guess is that they are fundamentally threatened by the powers of the Yayi because they are infected by the mental incarceration of white male supremacy.  

Before I became a Mother, I was a Yayi, and both of those Initiations and Tratados strengthened the other.  As a Mother, giving birth, I realized that the process of giving birth is a process of walking to the world of the Dead and bringing Life from the Dead into this world.  Giving birth is a moment of standing on the Kalunga line, much like those moments in the Munanso when we draw the patipemba (firma) on the Earth and invoke the Dead to this Living Moment.  

There are many out there who complain about animal sacrifice, most of whom are also carnivores and have no problem eating inhumanely raised battery farmed chickens, hogs and cows, which are slaughtered in the most vicious and heartless of manners.  It is never easy or gratifying to take a life, even when it is to sustain ones own, however it is the way of this world.   It takes more responsibility, more consciousness and requires more humility to take the life of an animal that you raised yourself than leave the "dirty work" to some one else.  It is only in this modern day that such a large portion of the Human Family have become so disconnected from the life that sustains them.  

Here, we are going to go on a journey into a specific process that we recently did in order to address some intense spiritual energies, and to fortify, vitalize and strengthen the Nkisi and Ancestors of my Munanso.  The 4 chickens that we used were 4 older chickens from our hen house.  These chickens had been with us for years, arriving as day old chicks.  Besides being entertainment for the family, they ate kitchen scraps and laid eggs for our table to be enjoyed by ourselves, our friends and relatives.  In fact our youngest child's first solid food was egg yolk from these chickens.  This year we got more chicks, and so the decision was to cull these older birds (which is typical).  They are far to tough to roast (for our spoilt modern tastes) but would make good stock, however, we are Paleros and have another use, which to us is a very honorable way to "cull" the chickens.  

These chickens were specifically used for the Nkisi of my Munanso, for the Nguenges.  When working with my Nkisi, I do everything, other than use the Mbele.  

The aspect that I want to share here, is the gutting and cooking of these chickens.  Inside the chicken I found not just mature eggs, but lines of eggs getting smaller and smaller, numbering in the hundreds.  It was an awe inspiring sight and for those with Vititti, numerous spirit faces and figures can be seen.

 Here the mature egg is covered in a sack, much like a placenta.

 Behind the mature egg, eggs yet to be born line up getting smaller and smaller and paler as they go back.  

The mature egg was removed to be given directly to the Nguenges (witches) in their tree with a particular message.

Here you can see the numerous immature eggs, almost like a reverse Ancestral Tree, stretching back or forward in time....

The organ meats are cooked in the iron pot, and those immature eggs are included.  The energy in them is potent, and can clearly be felt.  Here you can see the line up of the eggs from mature getting smaller and smaller.  These powerful embodiments of fertility will bring great energy to the Nkisi and Ancestors.  They also remind us of the Sacredness of Life, and the importance not to make sacrifice in vain, the importance of taking responsibility for ones actions.

Here the organ meats, feet and eggs are all ready, each holding vital energies that are essential for the continuation of life.  

Corn from our Conuco is added, along with palm oil and the food is ready to be cooked.

Three mature eggs (just like eggs you could buy from a farmers market or store) are ready for their journey to the Nguenges Tree.

Chickens and Organs are cooked on the open grill, and I take some moments and burn some sage and tobacco to acknowledge the sacrifice of the Trees that provide the wood and the many small insects that call this wood "home".  

The aroma of the chickens cooked in palm oil fills the air, combined with the aroma of the tree wood and fire.  When the food is ready it is taken to my Munanso to be presented to the Nkisi.

This resident spider hangs from the rafter above the Nkisis.

Inside my Munanso, the chickens, along with Coffee, Melafo, Nsunga, and Champagne are offered to the Nkisi.  The various herbs around the Nkisi are very important in the Munanso, and much of the time, herbs hang from the rafters to be used for various purposes.  

Another closer view of the chickens.  

 I take the guts along with the three mature eggs, carrying the message to an amazing tree we are blessed to live with.  This is the tree of the Nguenges and many important offerings are brought to her.  She is half alive, half dead, and her entrance is a powerful view into a subterranean world where the vibration of the Dead can clearly be felt.  

 The tree is an inspiring sight, a giant within the Nfinda, magical forest, overlooking a sacred spring, surrounded by the herb "touch me not" (jewel weed).

Fertility is everything to life, for without it nothing grows.  Even the most powerful seed cannot express itself without the rich moist earth providing it with fertility.  No endeavor can come to fruition without the creative energies of fertility, and of course no Ancestor can incarnate into this world without fertility.  Without fertility we cannot grow food.

Fertility is being ripped from this Sacred Earth as trees are cut, soils are eroding, and the sacred water cycles are interrupted and distorted.  Quiet as it is kept, many conflicts around the world are caused by loss of the Earth's fertility, and are solved by restoring the Earth's fertility.  The Yayi holds a critical role in the world of the Palero because she is the embodiment of the energies of fertility.  She is the embodiment of the energies of the water cycle.  These powers bring life and they take life.  Having a healthy relationship to these powers is essential within any Tradition which is focused on a sustained and harmonious existence.  For Paleros, Water, Soil, Air, Fire, are not "things", these are living entities, powers, Mpungus, which extend their reach in this world and into the world of the Ancestors.  

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.

Revisiting the Odu of the Year for our Munanso!

"Mateka Mbuta, Mavwa Vwinya"

The Kikongo proverb above loosely translated means "The water the Old Man gives removes the Thirst" (ie.  The Old Man gives good advice).  This is a proverb alluding to the wisdom of the Elders, and is a proverb that also alludes to the need for the Yayi and Tata to listen carefully to the wisdom of the Elder(s), especially the wisdom of the Tata Nkisi and, or Yayi Nkisi of the Munanso.  

Back in January we Divined the "Odu of the Year" for our Munanso.  We examined in depth the significance of the Odu, its reflection within the Munanso itself, its reflection within all the Tatas and Yayis who have been initiated within the Munanso, and we also took the time to explore how the energies of the Odu interrelated with and reflected the larger global energies.  

Note on term: We use the term "Odu" to signify the caracol divination that we do within the Munanso.  The term "Odu" itself is Yoruba and the Caracol divination is a Palo absorption of utilizing aspects of Yoruba divination.  It is important to understand that the Bakongo people who arrived in the Caribbean adopted various practices and spiritual tools from various other peoples, including Taino, Yoruba, Dahomey, Mandika, Takua, Kissi, Calabar, (also known -excluding Taino- including Kongo-as the Seven African Powers).  The adoption of practices and spiritual tools from other Cultures was (and continues to be) contingent on one thing- the Results!  If it works, a Palero/ Palera will use it!

The Divination of the Year made reference to various Spiritual Forces (Mpungo) and other Powers!  Chola Wengue- Mpungo manifesting as the Rivers, Waterfalls, Sweet water floods, Springs, and Blood in the Veins.  Kalunga- Mpungo manifesting as the Ocean, strong powers of Motherhood and Emotions.  Centeya- Mpungo of the Tornado, Mother of the Dead!  The Odu also made reference to the Seven African Powers, the Power of the Palo Tradition, its adaptability, it ability to transform in order to survive.

Vital points for a Yayi or Tata of this Munanso to remember for this year is to renew, reinforce, expand and empower one's connection to the Munanso.  Negative thinking, lack of self worth, and bitterness, sourness and refusal to take action for progression were/ are to be those things the Power of the Tornado-(Guabancex/ Centeya) was/is coming to take!  Family could be a source of drama and  emotional manipulation, Yayis and Tatas were instructed to stay in clear waters emotionally and not to get drawn in or become victims of emotional manipulation.  The Spiritual Family of the Munanso was to be honored and respected and attention given the Mysteries and effort applied to one's progression and spiritual evolution.  The Spirit of Humility and Gratitude was to be embraced!  Yayis and Tatas were to reflect on their Initiation, the meaning, significance and progress of that.  Divination was to be the key to overcoming anxious or difficult states of mind.  It is not a good year to allow negative feelings to fester, but to air them out through Divination!  

It is a year of a pivotal point of choice.  A crossroads and the choice of road taken would/ will make all the difference.  The choice was simultaneously the choice of the Munanso and the choice of the Individual Yayi and Tata.  In this Odu relationships can be very strained and the power of the Tornado comes testing all those relationships.  Centeya comes to take away all that the individual shows through their actions that they do not value.  It is an odu of renewal but the odu reminds us that renewal cannot occur except through letting go of those things that are not fertile and productive and embracing positives choices that bring about positive changes.  

When we see a tornado ripping through an area, she tears up trees, rips houses, buildings, cars apart, debris is flying everywhere at a high velocity.  People and animals run for shelter and sometimes the shelter they are in is ripped right from them.  Lives are lost, structure is damaged and destroyed.  Tears, frustration and anger are inevitable in the wake of the Tornado, however we must remember that the destruction brought by the tornado forces Renewal!  New structures are imagined and then built and sometimes the choice is made to build newly based on Ancient Practices or to build in a way that is sensitive to our Mother Earth.  The tornado also reminds us of those that "it" took, it reminds us that they were sacrificed in the wake of the tornado.  

We also can look at a raging river.  Is she beautiful?  Many years ago we were doing a Cleansing Weekend and it was raining heavily.  We did meditations in the rain sitting on the edge of the bridge.  At one point I asked those gathered as we looked into the churning muddy raging River below, "Is She Beautiful?"  All those present responded "yes" however from a new age perspective, so I responded "so jump in right now into her beauty".  No one took me up on the offer, but the moment was memorable.  We call her "Chola Wengue La Machetera" when she is in her raging, muddy, swirling, outraged state.  She will take houses pulling them down into her, she will rip out concrete roads, take out bridges, and again like the tornado, she will take lives.  On a global scale every year we see floods but some of the most damaging floods have occurred this year (Pakistan) which continues at this date its effects and devastation.  We have also seen droughts followed by flooding rains.  Again and again we are reminded of the need to appreciate and conserve the precious sweet water that we are blessed with, but which we so often take for granted.  It is a reminder to "count our blessings" and show gratitude to the Mystery for the abundance spiritual and material within our lives.

The odu also speaks strongly of not just the Ocean, but of the Depths of the Ocean, and we all know what happened at the depths of the Ocean this year, the bleeding that occurred of the Blood in our Mother Earth's veins.  This Bleeding on the Global Scale is a cry, a yell of outrage and of consequences, a question and decision- how far will greed go to destroy even its own foundation?  Within our Munanso in the mini-microcosm that it represents, this parallel of the Blood erupting from the depths of the Ocean must be considered carefully, not only on the physical level, but also on the spiritual level.  Globally we continue to hear a cry from Mother Earth of Rage, Frustration, Anger and a call to make radical and revolutionary leaps within Spiritual Consciousness and Physical Progression.  How that cry is answered with each Yayi and Tata of the Munanso is critical and will make the difference in the micro-cosm and contribute to energies within the whole!  Is the choice to embrace Spiritual Consciousness and Physical Progression?  Is the choice to embrace Reconciliation and Thriving with Mother Earth and her Indigenous Traditions?  Or is the choice lack of self worth, selfishness, mediocrity, negativity and the victim syndrome and mental sloth.

At this point we find ourselves three quarters of the way through the year and involved in a deepening of the ongoing analysis and exploration of the energies of the Divination of the Year.  We look back on several critical points and decisions that took place within several Tatas and Yayis of the Munanso.  We also look deeply at the decisions that we need to make as caretakers of the Munanso to move with integrity within the energies of the Divination of the Year.  We explore those things that the Mysteries themselves are bringing to our attention, those things the Mysteries are looking to take away and those things the Mysteries are looking to bring renewal to.  

Several Yayis and Tatas have been given (spiritually and also in some cases physically) the Machete, 7 Ribbons, 7 Sunga, $21 (for those that understand what this refers to).  This came about through both the choice of the individual to prefer and choose mediocrity, negativity, procrastination, refusal to embrace teachings of progression, and refusal to transform negative habits into positive changes.  This also came about through the choice of the Munanso not to continue to "enable" mediocrity and negativity especially in those cases where many years have been spent in profound teachings and opportunities.  This decision was presaged in the beginning of the year and shared with some of the Yayis, although at the time we did not see who exactly it was referring to.  In these situations decisions may be difficult but the choice must be made with clarity and certainty and with the integrity of the Munanso at the forefront of the Tata Nkisi's mind.  

The root of betrayal lies in allowing the Ancestors to be "second class citizens".  In a sense this statement flows to the essence of the Divination.  The Divination is calling for our total commitment to the Tradition.  This total commitment is very difficult for those who come with a new age mentality or have been staying with a new age mentality to fully grasp, as new age encourages "butterfly" spirituality (going from one flower to the next).  Total commitment to the Tradition means total commitment to one's Ancestors and the Camino that one's Ancestors have guided one towards.  It means that one puts the needs of Ancestors on equal footing with one's own needs, and is not only what we term a "weekend warrior" or a "workshop Palero".  The root of the Ancestors is Full Time!  It requires a greater commitment to accountability.  

Ancient tradition that has survived to the present, such as Palo which derives from more ancient tradition (Bakongo, Taino and more) is to be protected and defended.  It is to be cherished, care-taken, honored and nurtured.  It can never be just about empty words and part time interest.  We say "somos o no somos" which is a profound declaration as to our commitment to Palo and the Ancestors.  Palo is committed to YOU as a Yayi or Tata, and it is a treasure to be valued and respected, and you as a Yayi or Tata must be committed to Palo!  This year the energies spoken of in the Divination all gather their forces disrupt the complacency that the individual may have fallen into and bring one face to face with the meaning and essence of one's Trato, ones Initiation (RAYADO) for Life!  Somos o no Somos!

Kulusu Bilula Npanguila

Munanso Kulusu Bilula Npanguila (4 Viento Vira Mundo) has transformed yet again!   

Around the new porch with the transparent roof on it, we have constructed a dry stack wall which is a combination of local quartzite stone and our local boulders in this area which are a dusky turquoise color.  The combination of the two types of stones crafted into both a courtyard type area and a retaining wall, together with a set of steps, benches, and sitting areas has created a "mundo nuevo" for the Nkisis, Bilongos of the Munanso..  

Once the wall was constructed Nkisis found their way into the structure itself, and some of the carved stones made by the Taino-Babalao-Palero Ciba Jaguar have found their way into perfect locations within the wall.  

The wall has enabled us to have a relatively flat area in the porch of the Munanso which makes it easier to work with the Medicine.  It has also defined the space in a powerful way and brought much energy to the space!  While having a Munanso on a loma (hilltop) is sometimes challenging, it also allows us to create these types of terraces which brings a creativity and energy to the space that would not be possible, in this way, if it was flat.

This photos is a view from the door of the Munanso looking out.  You can see that the porch is now "enclosed" with this stone wall, many are standing stones.

The photos above and below show a view from one of the entry pathways coming into the Munanso clearing, the stones create a barrier that guides one to move right and come in the step entrance to the courtyard.  It is an energy of creating a boundary so that greater respect is given entering into the house of the Misterios!  

At the same time we embarked upon a massive clean up and reorganization of the Munanso, creating a space behind Nsasi's Munanso where there are cabinets and worktables for the Ngangulero, Tatas and Yayis to work.  It is also an area where we keep all the supplies.

Above and below are photos of views of the Munanso clearing two other entry paths.

And another view from what is going to become the kitchen eventually, in the distance you can see the Yayi's Munansos.

The central Tree is all cleaned up, this is a space that we utilize to bring any of the various Bilongos to work.  It can be accessed from 360 degrees and we have worked with the tree from all directions!

A view from a higher elevation looking down on the central Tree.

On the right photo above and the photo below you can see the pathway that goes along the wall that leads to the Yayis Munansos!  You can also see some of the Bano plants on the right.

Above there is a view into Anani's "Munanso"(this is her term for her space which she defends wholeheartedly!) and you can see stone benches created right into the wall which gives her places to sit or to place things on.   Above an Ancestral Baton is seated.

Carvings by the Taino-Babalao-Palero Artist and Poet Ciba Jaguar!

Above two horse skulls which sit on both entry posts in front of Nsasi's Munanso!