| This blogpost is to chronicle work done during August 2017 and the ability to manipulate the weather. I put 5 river rocks that were taken with offering to put in this cherry tree that produced alot this summer. This is part of a Taino Caribbean Indio way to make rain. We are having one of the most dry and most wildfires here in the PNW in history. The smoke and air quality is very bad in some areas.  I sang to my Lwa Legba, Metrisili, Cachita Tumbo, Papa Sobo y Bade and Tindjo Alawe while harvesting peas for hours in the evening and my main 2 spirit guides on Sunday. I sang a song my spirits told me for rain. Thank you to my brothers and sister and native tribes doing drumming in western Canada, those who have prayed & assisted. I cannot take credit but I know they have helped us, and thankful to the Lwa & mercy of Bondye, I felt drops of rain when there should be none a few nights ago. There was no forecast for rain, now there is rain coming about 5 days to the day after I did ceremony, and they increased the forecast to rain all weekend for my birthday. My Lwa I am assured! Ayibobo!
Cheeehooo its raining! our water was almost out I am on well and duck pond pump and rain barrels right now on this property. Did my rain dance song 24 hours ago. I am going to sing it again!
look at the change in temperature too And I always get headache before it rains. And its the thunder full moon just put my pot out to catch some!  Vancouver Island 29-32 degree Celsius down to 16! Clear Clear 28°C Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 77% Wind: 6 km/h Thu Sunny 29° Fri Mostly Sunny 27° Sat Scattered Showers 21° Sun Showers 16° Mon Cloudy 17° Tue Partly Cloudy 19° Wed Showers 19°   Recently I have had to walk to work in the mountainous western area of the USA and it rains late winter and spring. I asked my spirits several times to hold off the rain until I could make it to work, and miraculously the weather obliged each time, with a few sprinkles only the one time! As to the relation between the offices of chief and rain-maker in South Africa a well-informed writer observes: “In very old days the chief was the great Rain-maker of the tribe. Some chiefs allowed no one else to compete with them, lest a successful Rain-maker should be chosen as chief. There was also another reason: the Rain-maker was sure to become a rich man if he gained a great reputation, and it would manifestly never do for the chief to allow any one to be too rich. The Rain-maker exerts tremendous control over the people, and so it would be most important to keep this function connected with royalty. Tradition always places the power of making rain as the fundamental glory of ancient chiefs and heroes, and it seems probable that it may have been the origin of chieftainship..... | ||
The foregoing evidence renders it probable that in Africa the king has often been developed out of the public magician, and especially out of the rain-maker. The unbounded fear which the magician inspires and the wealth which he amasses in the exercise of his profession may both be supposed to have contributed to his promotion. But if the career of a magician and especially of a rain-maker offers great rewards to the successful practitioner of the art, it is beset with many pitfalls into which the unskillful or unlucky artist may fall. The position of the public sorcerer is indeed a very precarious one; for where the people firmly believe that he has it in his power to make the rain to fall, the sun to shine, and the fruits of the earth to grow, they naturally impute drought and dearth to his culpable negligence or willful obstinacy, and they punish him accordingly. Hence in Africa the chief who fails to procure rain is often exiled or killed. Thus, in some parts of West Africa, when prayers and offerings presented to the king have failed to procure rain, his subjects bind him with ropes and take him by force to the grave of his forefathers that he may obtain from them the needed rain. The Banjars in West Africa ascribe to their king the power of causing rain or fine weather. So long as the weather is fine they load him with presents of grain and cattle. But if long drought or rain threatens to spoil the crops, they insult and beat him till the weather changes. When the harvest fails or the surf on the coast is too heavy to allow of fishing, the people of Loango accuse their king of a “bad heart” and depose him.
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Showing posts with label dead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dead. Show all posts
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Weather witch: the rain maker
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Oral hygiene, the mouth, divination and working with the dead
Spiritual hygiene such as cleansings was given an introduction in a previous blogpost.
As well another blogpost covered how the dead can affect a living persons physical health.
Looking at the liver of a sacrificed or animal killed to divine a physical illness, often the entrails or gut and liver of the animal was looked at. This often would show negative energy removed from a person or divinatory information. Likewise the gut, liver and intestines of a person are often affected by negative energy.
Bowels have been related metaphorically to lower realms or "hell" where there is the stench of sulfur, feces/excrement and to lower energetic frequency.
The other area is the bones and teeth related to saturnine aspects of the dead, the material and death...a skeleton.
Omens such as dreaming of teeth falling out is said to portend a death in the family.
The mouth and teeth are related to digestion and our ability to nourish ourself for health and life to eat to take in energy. If we do not eat we do not live and will waste away as if something was feeding on our energy. As well as to express and defend ourself "tooth and nail". We may not be literally biting people but if we look at symbolism and how that plays out on energetic realms such as with totems and the use of animal parts in folk magic such as horn and fang in protection and warrior traditions, it also relates to being a human/animal in warfare or fight and flight.
With divination in the ATRS (african religions) many refresh their shells used for divination with coconut water and cleanse the instruments with cigar smoke. The devices are instructed that the mouths of the shells, or tarot cards used speak truthfully and accurately. This is done in some Yoruban faiths because misfortune causes the divination devices to be inaccurate unless they are cleansed. One Espiritismo Cruzado prayer of tobacco, asks that may the spirits that speak through the sacred smoke of this tobacco... and through the spiritual fluids communicate as such with purity.
In Palo, a communal drink of chamba is used for several reasons. One being practical to decrease illness by cleansing the mouth, sickness believed to be caused by bad spirits. The drink contains antimicrobial substances like alcohol/rum steeped with ingredients such as hot peppers, ginger and garlic. Some recipes contain bone powder and sticks from different species and is made or human consumption or for feeding items and spirits only. It is buried in the earth, a tomb to absorb the energies of the universe and the ground. Chamba again has many applications, but it is believed the dead can cause cavities and residue from their energy can rot inside holes in the teeth. Coconut products were also possibly used as daily routine in personal care, such as with oil pulling in the mouth which is spat out after swishing for minutes.
Despite not having modern dentistry many areas of the world with tropical climates did not have as many dental problems as we see in modern cities. Natural products like these were used in traditional medicines and preventative remedies....
Still, it is a good idea to be up on your regular care and appointments.
Chamba drink is swallowed and is also a form of internal cleansing against witchcraft affecting the body, or if injested in our food that someone laced with witchcraft. In days of slavery poisons, insects, dirts etc were often put in rivals and slavemasters food and drink. Popular today is a love spell where women put heir menstral blood in their mens food like spaghetti sauce to try to dominate them and ensure fidelity. So be careful about who you accept food and gifts from! This is why some will not accept or have prohibitions on leaving drinks around especially dark drinks that can mask what people have put in.
My post on Mama Juana describes a Caribbean native medicinal drink made to also cleanse the body of witchcraft as well as detox the gut, liver and gallbladder area, and can help many disease process. Detox of the body is a good idea in general to help elevate your energy, increase spiritual faculties and health.
You can also do this with coffee fixed how you like or dandelion root tea sweetened with honey, as it is bitters and a digestive tract cleanse. It is dark in color and therefore is good for "banishing" or cleansing. Speak and pray over it to intend to cleanse your digestive intestinal organs and body, to remove any negativity, sorcery, witchcraft and stagnation before drinking. To make a ritual of it light a white tea light candle along with your beverage.
Myself I spray rum with my mouth to clean areas and feed and connect with spirits and use my energy, there is a great supply of personal power of Ashe upon the saliva. Often times sweat/scent or unbrushed mouth has a persons energy connected to it so spirits can find you faster with Vodou, or with bad spirits, which is why we change our clothes, linens and do spiritual breakings and cleansings with worn dirty clothing.
As well another blogpost covered how the dead can affect a living persons physical health.
Looking at the liver of a sacrificed or animal killed to divine a physical illness, often the entrails or gut and liver of the animal was looked at. This often would show negative energy removed from a person or divinatory information. Likewise the gut, liver and intestines of a person are often affected by negative energy.
Bowels have been related metaphorically to lower realms or "hell" where there is the stench of sulfur, feces/excrement and to lower energetic frequency.
The other area is the bones and teeth related to saturnine aspects of the dead, the material and death...a skeleton.
Omens such as dreaming of teeth falling out is said to portend a death in the family.
The mouth and teeth are related to digestion and our ability to nourish ourself for health and life to eat to take in energy. If we do not eat we do not live and will waste away as if something was feeding on our energy. As well as to express and defend ourself "tooth and nail". We may not be literally biting people but if we look at symbolism and how that plays out on energetic realms such as with totems and the use of animal parts in folk magic such as horn and fang in protection and warrior traditions, it also relates to being a human/animal in warfare or fight and flight.
With divination in the ATRS (african religions) many refresh their shells used for divination with coconut water and cleanse the instruments with cigar smoke. The devices are instructed that the mouths of the shells, or tarot cards used speak truthfully and accurately. This is done in some Yoruban faiths because misfortune causes the divination devices to be inaccurate unless they are cleansed. One Espiritismo Cruzado prayer of tobacco, asks that may the spirits that speak through the sacred smoke of this tobacco... and through the spiritual fluids communicate as such with purity.
In Palo, a communal drink of chamba is used for several reasons. One being practical to decrease illness by cleansing the mouth, sickness believed to be caused by bad spirits. The drink contains antimicrobial substances like alcohol/rum steeped with ingredients such as hot peppers, ginger and garlic. Some recipes contain bone powder and sticks from different species and is made or human consumption or for feeding items and spirits only. It is buried in the earth, a tomb to absorb the energies of the universe and the ground. Chamba again has many applications, but it is believed the dead can cause cavities and residue from their energy can rot inside holes in the teeth. Coconut products were also possibly used as daily routine in personal care, such as with oil pulling in the mouth which is spat out after swishing for minutes.
Despite not having modern dentistry many areas of the world with tropical climates did not have as many dental problems as we see in modern cities. Natural products like these were used in traditional medicines and preventative remedies....
Still, it is a good idea to be up on your regular care and appointments.
Chamba drink is swallowed and is also a form of internal cleansing against witchcraft affecting the body, or if injested in our food that someone laced with witchcraft. In days of slavery poisons, insects, dirts etc were often put in rivals and slavemasters food and drink. Popular today is a love spell where women put heir menstral blood in their mens food like spaghetti sauce to try to dominate them and ensure fidelity. So be careful about who you accept food and gifts from! This is why some will not accept or have prohibitions on leaving drinks around especially dark drinks that can mask what people have put in.
My post on Mama Juana describes a Caribbean native medicinal drink made to also cleanse the body of witchcraft as well as detox the gut, liver and gallbladder area, and can help many disease process. Detox of the body is a good idea in general to help elevate your energy, increase spiritual faculties and health.
You can also do this with coffee fixed how you like or dandelion root tea sweetened with honey, as it is bitters and a digestive tract cleanse. It is dark in color and therefore is good for "banishing" or cleansing. Speak and pray over it to intend to cleanse your digestive intestinal organs and body, to remove any negativity, sorcery, witchcraft and stagnation before drinking. To make a ritual of it light a white tea light candle along with your beverage.
Myself I spray rum with my mouth to clean areas and feed and connect with spirits and use my energy, there is a great supply of personal power of Ashe upon the saliva. Often times sweat/scent or unbrushed mouth has a persons energy connected to it so spirits can find you faster with Vodou, or with bad spirits, which is why we change our clothes, linens and do spiritual breakings and cleansings with worn dirty clothing.
But also make a point to brush my teeth before misa or when I know I will be speaking during spiritual readings so that I too may speak via spirit and work cleanly and speak accurately to remove obstacles to our work with higher entities.
The mouth is a gateway or portal. The holy spirit and gift of tongues are mentioned many times in the bible, and about the mouth of God, and even in genesis how the spoken word leads to creation or manifestation from the spiritual to the physical world. The mouth is an opening and energy center of the body, blood circulation under the tongue supplies ready energy to the breath, along with the lungs during speech to create a vibrational current, and in the use of breath in spiritual works to charge and awaken such as blowing Vodou powders to the 4 winds.
For what is the language of the birds? It is not literally understanding a bird chirping..hahaha The birds carry our prayers to the spirits in our ceremony, the feathers and wings are metaphors of airy spirit flight.
It is to speak and communicate with spirit(s). And there are much deeper secrets than these.
There are certain Lwa who will not touch earth in their horses, nor interact with the community unless strict cleanliness has been observed.
Hope that these words have been illuminating for you,
until next time,
Sancista Siete Enruzhiladas
The mouth is a gateway or portal. The holy spirit and gift of tongues are mentioned many times in the bible, and about the mouth of God, and even in genesis how the spoken word leads to creation or manifestation from the spiritual to the physical world. The mouth is an opening and energy center of the body, blood circulation under the tongue supplies ready energy to the breath, along with the lungs during speech to create a vibrational current, and in the use of breath in spiritual works to charge and awaken such as blowing Vodou powders to the 4 winds.
For what is the language of the birds? It is not literally understanding a bird chirping..hahaha The birds carry our prayers to the spirits in our ceremony, the feathers and wings are metaphors of airy spirit flight.
It is to speak and communicate with spirit(s). And there are much deeper secrets than these.
Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them,and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
I will also wash my hands if a bath for some reason was not performed with florida water.There are certain Lwa who will not touch earth in their horses, nor interact with the community unless strict cleanliness has been observed.
Hope that these words have been illuminating for you,
until next time,
Sancista Siete Enruzhiladas
Thursday, January 25, 2018
The Book of Mediums by Allan Kardec
The Spirits Book was the first published in the works compiled by Allan Kardec, dictated by the spirits of light in attending seances, and by observing and interviewing mediums. Table turning and these reunion sessions were en vogue during the Victorian era. The second in the series is the Mediums Book.
The philosophy of spiritism was thus codified, which set it apart from other spiritualism at the time during the mid 1800's- 1900. Classic or scientific spiritism follows this doctrine, in spanish espiritismo.
Thus defined:
"Spiritism has no priests and does not use or use in its meetings and practices altars, images, candles, processions, sacraments, indulgences, alcoholic or hallucinogenic beverages, incense, smoke, talismans, amulets, horoscopes, cartomancy, pyramids, crystals or any other objects, rituals or forms of worship.
Spiritism does not impose its principles. However other religions assist in Espiritismo aka Spiritism.
VS
Cruzado:
Espiritismo is a separate spiritual and religious practice that has incorporated into most houses of SanterÃa. The type of Espiritismo practiced in SanterÃa Lucumà is called Espiritismo Cruzado (Blended Spiritism) because it has been blended or hybridized with African elements from the Congo people." It is a nod to Kardec but contains syncretic elements in its spiritualism."
The Book of Mediums is essential to understanding Espiritismo Cruzado in our lineage and spiritual house, although it is beneficial to read other Kardec books. And of course our misa, folk seances are conducted with the Kardec Book of selected prayers.
The language is somewhat antiquated and dry. A hard copy of the book can be bought, but a free pdf is provided here. The Mediums Book <<<<<click here
The difficulty also for some I have encountered is learning difficulties and problems with reading a digital pdf on a screen.
Therefore I have dictated a summary and parts of the chapters, and adding some information to the Mediums Book in a series on youtube, for learning in my temple, and to provide it to the public.
Book of Mediums youtube series <<<<<click here
"Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, under the codename Allan Kardec; proposed the study of "the nature, origin, and destiny of spirits, and their relation with the corporeal world". It encompasses "A discussion of the means of communicating with the invisible world, the development of mediumship and the difficulties encountered in the practice of spiritualism" and more....
Luz y Progresso,
Sancista 7 Crossroads
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
African & folk magic perspective of the Broom & Trees
The well known European aspects of the witch has the broom as an instrument of moving energy, performing marriage and the couple hopping over as a sign of fertility as an implement that contains both sexual polarities and some made of corn fiber. We should note flying ointments being placed on the handle and used internally for "shamanic" journeys, and the pole of the broom as an axis point or world tree.
Jumping the broom was also incorporated in African American folklore which has African roots of stick bundles and can be found in many cultures. It represented the home, change, and new beginnings. The broom represented being scattered and the handle represent God's hand that brings them together.
The broom could be made of several trees and plants such as birch for rebirth or cinnamon for love, good luck and prosperity, like a wand, different sacred woods could be used for various intentions as an extension and conduit of the practitioner.
In neopagan aspects the broom could be used to open and close the threshold and portal of the magic circle depending on the direction and by raising or chasing away energy.
These aspects certainly did collide with other indigenous ideas in the new world. Sweeping and repetitive tasks do lend to a meditative state where the mind wanders or daydreams into a psychic or receptive state to receive messages. When cleaning the house spiritually some tie a white or red cloth around the waist with cascarilla and wear a head wrap as not to be carried away from the spiritual energies being kicked up using song and prayer. The energy or ashe deposited during ceremony in ritual area is also deposited around and blessings are picked up when the spirits see you tending to the area in service.
Floor sweeps of powders and dried herbs are used along with this action to increase intent and cleanse the house of negativity or maintain sacred space in preparation for ritual. Herbs like eucalyptus remove unwanted energy and people from visiting swept from the back door or farthest point out the front door. Some sweep from east to west as the sun sets to chase energy away. A sweep to draw things in for prosperity is done the front door to the back of the house after mundane cleaning so that all the luck isn't swept out. Although there is variations depending on purpose and if one has a backdoor. Special care is taken to the front step and where tricks and powders might be laid against the house occupants.
A broom can be placed upside down behind the front door on the inside of the house to discourage visitors and unwanted people to the house. Some say this encourages poverty and uncleanliness. A broom was hung over the door for protection to sweep away bad energy upon entering, and still to this day by neopagans.
There are many superstitions or folklore about the usage of brooms such as not to sweep against someones feet, under someone or place on a bed, or carry someone else's broom into your home. When you move you need to leave your old broom behind or throw it out because it carries the negative energies such as poverty from the past you do not want to bring to your new residence. If you move to a new place and see a old broom dispose of it right away. You must upright a fallen broom and watch the way it falls. Superstition from different cultures about brooms can contradict each other, such as not burning a broom.
A broom gathers energy such as deposited at the crossroads to take bits of trash or dirt, to control an area, or gather spirits at the graveyard. Typically then the handle or staff would be tied with a red cloth as it indicated it is now empowered by the dead or "hot". You may see this in Rara band processions in Haiti or against certain altars. The items gathered are then used or the spirit employed. These marching and dancing military-like musical bands are known for activism, popular protest, celebration, warfare as seen with congo aspects. Kalfou is associated with the broom, whip and whistle. As Legba opens the way for Rada and are in divisions of Lwa families, so does the Baron open the way for Ghede, or Kalfou to the Petro nations of Loases, as well as djabs or evil spirits.
The broom can be used to sweep away the bad much like energy healing movements and the use of herb bundles or brooms on the energy body. After a bunch of herbs is used to say, cleanse the house, the stalks are broken to break the bad energy, sometimes as an asperger to sprinkle solutions. Sometimes also florida water is poured over them on cement and lit on fire. The broom can be sprayed with different spiritual waters before use.
The broom is linked to the dead and spirits as much as the cauldron.
Our palo or baston de muerto is used for calling the dead from the earth by tapping the ground 9 times. This egun stick can be tied with 9 different color cloths for the clothes of the dead ancestors such as egungun dancing masquerade outfits. Many in Sanse also keep a ritual broom to clear the space before misa tied with 9 colored ribbons to indicate the dead. This also indicates the winds of the dead or air. Much like some of the fly whisks of some of the Orisha such as Oya, or whips to keep away unhealthy influences or gather energies. This is also much like the royal fans I wrote about that remove "bad airs" or sheild and protect against spirits. Such as the use of birds or feathers to also sweep away bad energy.
Legba has the cane for opening to the other Lwa which is tapped 3 times at specific areas which is tied with 7 different color ribbon for the families of Lwa of the higher spirits.
Legba Avrada is pictured with a broom and one is sometimes kept behind the front door for ritual purposes only. He is linked to the Gran Chemin or big road that the Lwa come down on. For this purpose he can be seen as clearing the way. I keep a palm frond bundled one. Legba Avrada who some use the saint Lazarus to depict is said to be a wanderer (which Lebga isnt?) but likely said so because the broom touches many or all places on earth. Some use the image of St Martin de Porres.
We gather dirts from different power areas to make a world/tree or use its powers in folk magic or Palo said to be 21 for the roads and also herbs or sticks/branches as roads or branches that make all possibilities. In Palo the Mpungo would be Lucero the road opener, whose number is 21.
The palm is sacred to Lwa Mambo Ayizan among other Lwa as one of the possible world trees as brooms had/have wooden handles and palms are used to sweep the streets. The palms for her are shredded and are used to filter energies and protect in the temple. The sweeping end of the broom thus is corresponded to earth/dirt and roots/the dead. Palm fronds can be hung over the door like a sweeping car wash and are often used to cover and protect the new initiates face and with the straw hat in Haitian Vodou. A broom likewise can be hung over the front door for protection. Ayizan is associate with the house temple or Hounfort, the priesthood and initiations. She is Loko's wife who has an aspect also dealing with priests and healing leaves of the tree some see as an path of Legba, and an aspect of Ayizan as Legba's wife.
When I visited Cuba, I saw men sweeping the street with long palm fronds. This is done many areas of the world such as Spain and India.
Trees are viewed as one natural repository of Lwa along with stones and other features. 2 are often planted as a doorway near the entrance of the temples. The potomitan or central pillar in the temple is just that an axis mundi like a tree to also the upper realms in which the spirits travel the trunk to our world or as the ghede come from the ground. Each Lwa also has their favorite trees or are associated with them for where they are located, and Dhambalah a snake Lwa hangs on them.
Trees were natural meeting places and groves for spiritual work, along the Loases of the forest and maroon escaping slaves to the mountains for revolution and the Indios. Trees such as palms or Ceiba/Mapou/Iroko/Kapok silk cotton were viewed as access to ancestral realms. Often the forest was used as burial grounds. Old broom handles could be used to beat drums, again made from tree trunks. The trees were necessary for survival of medicine and foods, as well as the sticks and leaves of magic usage. Winds that rustle the tree leaves is one voice of the Mpungo Osayin. The Lwa Gran Bwa is our like spirit who is a tree that rules over all wild plants. Some brooms are made from long grasses in Africa.
Many other spirits use brooms such as the Lwa Filomez, and some spirit guides like gypsies and madamas for spiritual cleansing and as a spiritual tool.
The vueltas of St Lazarus are also associated with the purifying broom, the dead, earth and sweeping of dirt floors. He uses it to spread sesame seeds of diseases, to clean and remove conditions, but the ajon-joli are also used in prosperity work.
Much like Babaluaye (the king-father of earth)'s sacred costumes or Omulu's figure besides skeleton was covered completely with sweeping palm raffia to hide his disfiguring scars from disease and smallpox. Their dance in spinning sweeps and kicks up dirt and the dead. This spirit also known in different tribes as Sak/gpata is viewed as one of the oldest and ancestral Vodoun.
I once had a dream of him a skinny scarred old dark black man was watching me from a thatched hut In Africa, and I was cleaning the dirt temple yard with a bundle of scratching sticks tied into a makeshift broom. An apprentice then showed me a saint statue of St Lazarus that she was cleaning. There were women working in a small garden where I could make out cabbages.
Sancista 7 Crossroads
Jumping the broom was also incorporated in African American folklore which has African roots of stick bundles and can be found in many cultures. It represented the home, change, and new beginnings. The broom represented being scattered and the handle represent God's hand that brings them together.
As the broom represents new beginnings, some buy a new broom for the new year as part of their new year or end of year house cleansings, for a more positive start to the new year, and to leave behind the bad energy
The broom could be made of several trees and plants such as birch for rebirth or cinnamon for love, good luck and prosperity, like a wand, different sacred woods could be used for various intentions as an extension and conduit of the practitioner.
In neopagan aspects the broom could be used to open and close the threshold and portal of the magic circle depending on the direction and by raising or chasing away energy.
These aspects certainly did collide with other indigenous ideas in the new world. Sweeping and repetitive tasks do lend to a meditative state where the mind wanders or daydreams into a psychic or receptive state to receive messages. When cleaning the house spiritually some tie a white or red cloth around the waist with cascarilla and wear a head wrap as not to be carried away from the spiritual energies being kicked up using song and prayer. The energy or ashe deposited during ceremony in ritual area is also deposited around and blessings are picked up when the spirits see you tending to the area in service.
Floor sweeps of powders and dried herbs are used along with this action to increase intent and cleanse the house of negativity or maintain sacred space in preparation for ritual. Herbs like eucalyptus remove unwanted energy and people from visiting swept from the back door or farthest point out the front door. Some sweep from east to west as the sun sets to chase energy away. A sweep to draw things in for prosperity is done the front door to the back of the house after mundane cleaning so that all the luck isn't swept out. Although there is variations depending on purpose and if one has a backdoor. Special care is taken to the front step and where tricks and powders might be laid against the house occupants.
A broom can be placed upside down behind the front door on the inside of the house to discourage visitors and unwanted people to the house. Some say this encourages poverty and uncleanliness. A broom was hung over the door for protection to sweep away bad energy upon entering, and still to this day by neopagans.
There are many superstitions or folklore about the usage of brooms such as not to sweep against someones feet, under someone or place on a bed, or carry someone else's broom into your home. When you move you need to leave your old broom behind or throw it out because it carries the negative energies such as poverty from the past you do not want to bring to your new residence. If you move to a new place and see a old broom dispose of it right away. You must upright a fallen broom and watch the way it falls. Superstition from different cultures about brooms can contradict each other, such as not burning a broom.
A broom gathers energy such as deposited at the crossroads to take bits of trash or dirt, to control an area, or gather spirits at the graveyard. Typically then the handle or staff would be tied with a red cloth as it indicated it is now empowered by the dead or "hot". You may see this in Rara band processions in Haiti or against certain altars. The items gathered are then used or the spirit employed. These marching and dancing military-like musical bands are known for activism, popular protest, celebration, warfare as seen with congo aspects. Kalfou is associated with the broom, whip and whistle. As Legba opens the way for Rada and are in divisions of Lwa families, so does the Baron open the way for Ghede, or Kalfou to the Petro nations of Loases, as well as djabs or evil spirits.
Saint image for Kalfu, some use the crucified Jesus
Rara
The broom can be used to sweep away the bad much like energy healing movements and the use of herb bundles or brooms on the energy body. After a bunch of herbs is used to say, cleanse the house, the stalks are broken to break the bad energy, sometimes as an asperger to sprinkle solutions. Sometimes also florida water is poured over them on cement and lit on fire. The broom can be sprayed with different spiritual waters before use.
Our palo or baston de muerto is used for calling the dead from the earth by tapping the ground 9 times. This egun stick can be tied with 9 different color cloths for the clothes of the dead ancestors such as egungun dancing masquerade outfits. Many in Sanse also keep a ritual broom to clear the space before misa tied with 9 colored ribbons to indicate the dead. This also indicates the winds of the dead or air. Much like some of the fly whisks of some of the Orisha such as Oya, or whips to keep away unhealthy influences or gather energies. This is also much like the royal fans I wrote about that remove "bad airs" or sheild and protect against spirits. Such as the use of birds or feathers to also sweep away bad energy.
Egungun
Legba has the cane for opening to the other Lwa which is tapped 3 times at specific areas which is tied with 7 different color ribbon for the families of Lwa of the higher spirits.
Legba Avrada is pictured with a broom and one is sometimes kept behind the front door for ritual purposes only. He is linked to the Gran Chemin or big road that the Lwa come down on. For this purpose he can be seen as clearing the way. I keep a palm frond bundled one. Legba Avrada who some use the saint Lazarus to depict is said to be a wanderer (which Lebga isnt?) but likely said so because the broom touches many or all places on earth. Some use the image of St Martin de Porres.
We gather dirts from different power areas to make a world/tree or use its powers in folk magic or Palo said to be 21 for the roads and also herbs or sticks/branches as roads or branches that make all possibilities. In Palo the Mpungo would be Lucero the road opener, whose number is 21.
The palm is sacred to Lwa Mambo Ayizan among other Lwa as one of the possible world trees as brooms had/have wooden handles and palms are used to sweep the streets. The palms for her are shredded and are used to filter energies and protect in the temple. The sweeping end of the broom thus is corresponded to earth/dirt and roots/the dead. Palm fronds can be hung over the door like a sweeping car wash and are often used to cover and protect the new initiates face and with the straw hat in Haitian Vodou. A broom likewise can be hung over the front door for protection. Ayizan is associate with the house temple or Hounfort, the priesthood and initiations. She is Loko's wife who has an aspect also dealing with priests and healing leaves of the tree some see as an path of Legba, and an aspect of Ayizan as Legba's wife.
When I visited Cuba, I saw men sweeping the street with long palm fronds. This is done many areas of the world such as Spain and India.
Trees are viewed as one natural repository of Lwa along with stones and other features. 2 are often planted as a doorway near the entrance of the temples. The potomitan or central pillar in the temple is just that an axis mundi like a tree to also the upper realms in which the spirits travel the trunk to our world or as the ghede come from the ground. Each Lwa also has their favorite trees or are associated with them for where they are located, and Dhambalah a snake Lwa hangs on them.
Trees were natural meeting places and groves for spiritual work, along the Loases of the forest and maroon escaping slaves to the mountains for revolution and the Indios. Trees such as palms or Ceiba/Mapou/Iroko/Kapok silk cotton were viewed as access to ancestral realms. Often the forest was used as burial grounds. Old broom handles could be used to beat drums, again made from tree trunks. The trees were necessary for survival of medicine and foods, as well as the sticks and leaves of magic usage. Winds that rustle the tree leaves is one voice of the Mpungo Osayin. The Lwa Gran Bwa is our like spirit who is a tree that rules over all wild plants. Some brooms are made from long grasses in Africa.
The vueltas of St Lazarus are also associated with the purifying broom, the dead, earth and sweeping of dirt floors. He uses it to spread sesame seeds of diseases, to clean and remove conditions, but the ajon-joli are also used in prosperity work.
Much like Babaluaye (the king-father of earth)'s sacred costumes or Omulu's figure besides skeleton was covered completely with sweeping palm raffia to hide his disfiguring scars from disease and smallpox. Their dance in spinning sweeps and kicks up dirt and the dead. This spirit also known in different tribes as Sak/gpata is viewed as one of the oldest and ancestral Vodoun.
I once had a dream of him a skinny scarred old dark black man was watching me from a thatched hut In Africa, and I was cleaning the dirt temple yard with a bundle of scratching sticks tied into a makeshift broom. An apprentice then showed me a saint statue of St Lazarus that she was cleaning. There were women working in a small garden where I could make out cabbages.
Sancista 7 Crossroads
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Spiritual Development: Desarrollo
These are some things put together but if you can thing of other ways to develop please comment.
Prayer at Boveda
Prayer and songs to your ancestors and guides to their presence.
Prayer is the most important offering because it elevates our spirits so they can better help us spiritually progress.
Giving and using cigars smoke also helps our communication as a messanger spirit.
We use prayers and bibliomancy of psalms and Allan Kardec's book of selected prayers.
Spontaneous words that are felt from the heart are also more effective than bland reading.
By following good suggestions and what the spirit require this reinforces our relationship and communication.
You might want to read my other entry on why your spirits are silent.
Some of them could take a couple years to even show themselves in some way, and the most important is faith, over thinking materially.
Keeping the boveda clean and giving your spirits candles, gives spiritual light and clarity, as the faculties or psychic sense all begin with the word "Clair" or clear. ex Clairaudience is clear hearing.
For that reason certain saint orations like to Saint Clare or Lucy (lucid/light) can be used. St Clare is associated with the Monstrance (of spiritual alchemy and enlightenment) and the ability to lead spirits to us through light.
With Santa Clara just the white of a white egg can be put into a water glass to clear up the frame, and messages can be seen inside. This can be placed in the middle of 3 white novena candles with the point facing up. This mimics the eye of God and the form of the spiritual frame. Tata Oriate advises a similar way of placing a whole white egg in the middle of the candles in his book.
The white egg adds clarity, but a whole brown one can be used to remove negativity in the frame, or the lighting of sulphur novenas and elevation work and prayers for 9 days. Putting the white egg is different as it adds clarity but similar to a cleansing egg limpa con huevo. Messages can be seen in the glass.
Developing is a slow and consistent process, it needs to be a routine well practiced. Just because we know how to do it mentally, does not mean anything until we make it a practice.
Cleansings:
Eyewashes with prepared herbal water and scrying helps clairvoyance.
When people ask how to open the third eye I also recommend detox of clean diet, water and personal care products. Certain herbs can also assist.
White bath rogacion to cleanse your head actually adds spiritual connection, usually done after bitter herb removing bath neck down for an odd number of days each.
Routine spiritual cleanings help a clear connection and with fresh flower petals to add back energy to your spiritual field and sensitivity. There are many ways to spiritually cleanse besides spiritual baths.
Dirty house, self and altar can attract unwanted dark spirits, who can cause spiritual and life blocks to our evolution. These will then have to be dealt with in misa or ceremony with persistent cases in person. Dark spirits can be sent by witchcraft, given access by our own bad actions or faults, or by unconsciously picking them up. The environmental factors can impact the internal.
Work on Divination
Everyones gifts are different or suited to different tools, and some abilities are slower to unfold
For example some at the boveda have inspired writing sessions or automatic writing.
Meditation
Imagination
Dream work
waterglass at bedside, etc
Hypnotism
Solar work:
for cleansing and higher spirits and light, of spiritualism. Linked to ashe, life force.
System of energy work and manipulation whether qigong, reiki or yoga
Lunar work and natures rhythms, subconscious and shadow work.
These two areas must be balanced and harmonious together. They are the gateway beyond self control and knowing of personal thought and emotion to higher celestial or planetary energy and polarity.
The cross and monstrance on the boveda indicate this union and light as some also displayed eucharist communion wafer as a church icon.
Going to Misa Espirituale
In the presence of strong spiritual fluids, and can practice mediumship and add light to yourself and your spiritual court.
More experienced mediums can help investigate and confirm your guides, as well as work on ancestral and spiritual issues.
Here you can develop your gifts by practice with others.
Misa can be held to your spirits,or if Catholic can pay them to do mass for the dead.
It is good to attend many misa in your spiritual house, and as well if you cannot afford private misa.
Safely at misa you can work on mounting spirits or physical mediumship.
Moral Progress
Prayer at Boveda
Prayer and songs to your ancestors and guides to their presence.
Prayer is the most important offering because it elevates our spirits so they can better help us spiritually progress.
Giving and using cigars smoke also helps our communication as a messanger spirit.
We use prayers and bibliomancy of psalms and Allan Kardec's book of selected prayers.
Spontaneous words that are felt from the heart are also more effective than bland reading.
By following good suggestions and what the spirit require this reinforces our relationship and communication.
You might want to read my other entry on why your spirits are silent.
Some of them could take a couple years to even show themselves in some way, and the most important is faith, over thinking materially.
Keeping the boveda clean and giving your spirits candles, gives spiritual light and clarity, as the faculties or psychic sense all begin with the word "Clair" or clear. ex Clairaudience is clear hearing.
For that reason certain saint orations like to Saint Clare or Lucy (lucid/light) can be used. St Clare is associated with the Monstrance (of spiritual alchemy and enlightenment) and the ability to lead spirits to us through light.
With Santa Clara just the white of a white egg can be put into a water glass to clear up the frame, and messages can be seen inside. This can be placed in the middle of 3 white novena candles with the point facing up. This mimics the eye of God and the form of the spiritual frame. Tata Oriate advises a similar way of placing a whole white egg in the middle of the candles in his book.
The white egg adds clarity, but a whole brown one can be used to remove negativity in the frame, or the lighting of sulphur novenas and elevation work and prayers for 9 days. Putting the white egg is different as it adds clarity but similar to a cleansing egg limpa con huevo. Messages can be seen in the glass.
Developing is a slow and consistent process, it needs to be a routine well practiced. Just because we know how to do it mentally, does not mean anything until we make it a practice.
Cleansings:
Eyewashes with prepared herbal water and scrying helps clairvoyance.
When people ask how to open the third eye I also recommend detox of clean diet, water and personal care products. Certain herbs can also assist.
White bath rogacion to cleanse your head actually adds spiritual connection, usually done after bitter herb removing bath neck down for an odd number of days each.
Routine spiritual cleanings help a clear connection and with fresh flower petals to add back energy to your spiritual field and sensitivity. There are many ways to spiritually cleanse besides spiritual baths.
Dirty house, self and altar can attract unwanted dark spirits, who can cause spiritual and life blocks to our evolution. These will then have to be dealt with in misa or ceremony with persistent cases in person. Dark spirits can be sent by witchcraft, given access by our own bad actions or faults, or by unconsciously picking them up. The environmental factors can impact the internal.
Work on Divination
Everyones gifts are different or suited to different tools, and some abilities are slower to unfold
For example some at the boveda have inspired writing sessions or automatic writing.
Meditation
Imagination
Dream work
waterglass at bedside, etc
Hypnotism
Solar work:
for cleansing and higher spirits and light, of spiritualism. Linked to ashe, life force.
System of energy work and manipulation whether qigong, reiki or yoga
Lunar work and natures rhythms, subconscious and shadow work.
These two areas must be balanced and harmonious together. They are the gateway beyond self control and knowing of personal thought and emotion to higher celestial or planetary energy and polarity.
The cross and monstrance on the boveda indicate this union and light as some also displayed eucharist communion wafer as a church icon.
Going to Misa Espirituale
In the presence of strong spiritual fluids, and can practice mediumship and add light to yourself and your spiritual court.
More experienced mediums can help investigate and confirm your guides, as well as work on ancestral and spiritual issues.
Here you can develop your gifts by practice with others.
Misa can be held to your spirits,or if Catholic can pay them to do mass for the dead.
It is good to attend many misa in your spiritual house, and as well if you cannot afford private misa.
Safely at misa you can work on mounting spirits or physical mediumship.
This development and connection is given firm foundation on baptism and crowning the dead:
Misa Coronation.
This crowning also protects the medium from unwanted spirit mounting.
During misa the godchild will demonstrate development,
and have misa investigation into the spiritual frame.
For those that have no misa near them, a priest with alot of ashe or development can come pray at your white table with a small suggested payment or derecho of $21 to add light.
Moral Progress
Key to Spiritual development is dependant on personal progress.
Our guides and ancestors see our efforts to improve our personality and right action.
We then: Merit power and cooperation by beings who see this.
But these powers that are given by certain spirits that have the power to do this,do not give this to anyone, but they prove the integrity and moral and spiritual integrity of the person, and if they see that person can handle a power. Because they will freeze it, they do not give more, or in other cases they withdraw the gift or power that they gave to that person, that for a misuse of that power. Power unfolds and goes to those more responsible with its usage. God gave our gifts and can take them away.
But these powers that are given by certain spirits that have the power to do this,do not give this to anyone, but they prove the integrity and moral and spiritual integrity of the person, and if they see that person can handle a power. Because they will freeze it, they do not give more, or in other cases they withdraw the gift or power that they gave to that person, that for a misuse of that power. Power unfolds and goes to those more responsible with its usage. God gave our gifts and can take them away.
The Principal Guide, the important thing is to be aware of our connection with them. To invoke, but always asking for the blessing of (God), so that every work we do is for good and successful, with the guidance and assistance of our spiritual guide, to ask him to reveal his name, either through a dream, a vision, or that he comes down and directly, or message through another spirit.
We must have humility and give gratitude and acknowledgment of the good spirits and God and not take personal credit for mediumship abilities.
Spiritual Reward or Suffering
Osogbos (diseases, accidents, calamities, untimely death, misfortunes etc.) happen to those who abuse their power and faculties.
Some suffering is expected as a human condition, as a result of reincarnation.
Our ancestors may allow suffering to happen or create these problems because they are displeased. We are their representatives on earth, and are linked to them spiritually. When we are living in accordance with our good ancestors, we are in spiritual flow and receive their blessings. They are permissive gateway spirits. Ask for their forgiveness and for not listening to their good advices with an offering.
Even if someone deserves ill doing and you to serve justice, ask yourself if you would rather receive a higher reward. I found this true, we are tested due to our medium ability as a duty of service and for our moral betterment according to Kardec. As I continually resist bad or commit to the correct path, the more I am shown curses, and therefore the way to remove or protect the self.
Egun helps us to deal with the contradictions, injustices and imperfections that exist within life itself. When we are weak, they help us to tap into our strength and through them we ask that God hears and grants our requests so that we can walk the correct path of our earthly lives towards our destiny. We need our messengers and allies to help us, as the way of progress is to decrease our suffering and ignorance.
Throw mud get muddy I say. There is great protection in living the right life and in spiritual purity and cleansing all the time to keep any negative energy off, is easier to keep negative energy off as the number one way to prevent spiritual problems. The Yorubans believe in thought projection as a magical action, but that it cannot affect a good person. Or at least not as easily.
Sancista 7 crossroads
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
The baston de muerto: staff of the dead and ancestors
The original indigenous ways that people honored their ancestors and worked with their dead was not through the white table boveda, tableau espirituale. The white cloth table is from the seance traditions of European mediums in spiritualism, which crossed with folk traditions in the 1900's in Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Originally libations were poured upon the dirt ground. But since in many apartments and temples not being on ground level, people began to modify. Libations were then poured into a bucket, where they could pour outside after, or a few drops of water poured onto a clay tile (teja) in Yoruba faiths in the new world if it is prescribed by your reading. This was kept with an egun shrine near pipes leading to the ground such as in the bathroom or kitchen, usually with marigolds, flor de muerto: flower of the dead. Or was also kept outside by the back door and yard area.
This is also where a Baston de muerto can be placed, and can be indicated that you need to work with the dead this way through your readings, and which type of stick needed for example one or two faces, a skull, or snake can be featured. If the Orisha Oya is suspected to be close to a person, it may be recommended to get a stick or set up a boveda in a certain way. Oya or Yansa is a warrioress of the cemetary gate related to the dead in the new world and the river in Africa, and not death the reaper herself, but she is related to how death, Iku got brought to earth out of compassion, because of suffering, starvation and disease. The stick again is indicated in a reading, and may be relate to the mysteries of earth.
Other names in different traditions for this stick of the dead is Bakulu stick in Palo or Kumangongo. The stick must be taken from nature in a certain way. Sometimes a main staff that is prescribed from a special tree is needed, but the rama of Palo does not have a baston de muerto in their lineage otherwise.
The palo or baton de muerto: Opa or igi egun, pagugu, aumba, although Yoruban faith will add things to this altar like 9 bundles sticks of flor mar pacifico (hibiscus) with a red ribbon and approach their dead a different way than the Palero, Vodouisant or Espirista. The egun stick for eggungun, was the ancestral altar axis mundi, tree, between our world and the worlds of the spirits.
From auctions609 store
It is used for ancestral dead or other dead in the frame mostly and not spirit guides approached through spiritualism who are more elevated. In Yoruban spirituality, egun are the collective dead who are from different sources or types, such as some serve as guardians of a place, or initiatory dead. The egungun are technically also a subset of bloodline ancestors as far as I understand.
The dead are very important for many reasons, and without them there is no Orisha, the saying Iku Loba Ocha, the dead gave birth to the Orisha explains cosmology and from the Odu stories.
artwork by Marietjie Henning
The staff represents the creative generative power of the dead, and as a phallic wand you will see the Ghede Lwa Baron dance with of life and death. It is like a family tree. The wand is like the body of Dhamballa, as Moses turned his staff into a snake. It is generative and spiritual fire of the Ace of wands. Thus some say the baston helps to strengthen the connection with the dead, and male line of ancestors.
tvtropes.org
In Puertorican Vudu, the staff of the dead is linked to base of the poteau or poto mitan or palo majeur (pillar, Ceiba world tree of the peristyle, caye, badji or hounfor), Papa Loko, and Papa Legba's cane (from us to the Lwa). I keep mine against my boveda, or by Legba's cane at the front door. Likewise we may use a sacred tree for our repository and tie 7 ribbons on it for the 7 Jefe Lwa Misterios of Sanse.
In espiritismo or Sanse: The stick can be placed as an "outside" shrine, or boveda "astral", such as against a strong tree which can serve as your spirit repository. Astral doesn't mean in spanish what we think of in ceremonial magick as a lunar realm. It means outside in nature, or without a physical body. This area is usually marked and consecrated with a border of cascarilla chalk with 9 dashes or arrows. There can be kept ovoid river stones which are special repositories, otanes. To here you can place the items you normally would as a boveda such as white flowers and candles, multicolor bouquet, a sunflower, food offerings such as sweets, coffee, pork, fish, rice, stew, cigars, water, rum overnight.
from ibuocantomi@blogspot.com
The staff is tapped 9 times upon the ground to evoke and give notice, of vibrations to the ground where the dead of the world are connected, while giving orations and prayers and traditional songs to Egungun.
Some in Ocha have taboo on what a woman can do around Egun, such as they did not wear the costume according to pataki stories, they can have the stick but some do not strike the ground with it. The stick also banishes negativity, and some place bells apon the lengthy (almost to the ground) 9 colored ribbons or cloth strips tied at the top to ward off misfortune (osogbo). Some do not place the bells stating it scares off Egun, as there are different types of baston, some are built to remove the dead tapping from one area of the house leading to the outside of the dwelling. Some also just place one red ribbon to mark the staff is empowered by the dead. Can be multicolor beaded. The colored ribbons represent the egun dance dress costume, and as the number of the dead. The stick is straight, true as possible, and can be made of different or a specific type of woods.
Not everyone should have this stick, which needs to be taken seriously. It will also be revealed to you if you are a medium, or have a spiritual court which deals more with the dead. You should have already begun a regular practice to attending to your ancestors.
army of darkness
However, you do not need to be initiated to get this stick, if you have guidance from a priest. The top can be drilled into, to pack the secrets into it and then sealed by a priest in Ifa with certain types. The stick is washed with different herbs and preperations, dedicated, consecrated, fed (animal blood in Ocha and Palo) and prayed over.
Originally libations were poured upon the dirt ground. But since in many apartments and temples not being on ground level, people began to modify. Libations were then poured into a bucket, where they could pour outside after, or a few drops of water poured onto a clay tile (teja) in Yoruba faiths in the new world if it is prescribed by your reading. This was kept with an egun shrine near pipes leading to the ground such as in the bathroom or kitchen, usually with marigolds, flor de muerto: flower of the dead. Or was also kept outside by the back door and yard area.
This is also where a Baston de muerto can be placed, and can be indicated that you need to work with the dead this way through your readings, and which type of stick needed for example one or two faces, a skull, or snake can be featured. If the Orisha Oya is suspected to be close to a person, it may be recommended to get a stick or set up a boveda in a certain way. Oya or Yansa is a warrioress of the cemetary gate related to the dead in the new world and the river in Africa, and not death the reaper herself, but she is related to how death, Iku got brought to earth out of compassion, because of suffering, starvation and disease. The stick again is indicated in a reading, and may be relate to the mysteries of earth.
Other names in different traditions for this stick of the dead is Bakulu stick in Palo or Kumangongo. The stick must be taken from nature in a certain way. Sometimes a main staff that is prescribed from a special tree is needed, but the rama of Palo does not have a baston de muerto in their lineage otherwise.
The palo or baton de muerto: Opa or igi egun, pagugu, aumba, although Yoruban faith will add things to this altar like 9 bundles sticks of flor mar pacifico (hibiscus) with a red ribbon and approach their dead a different way than the Palero, Vodouisant or Espirista. The egun stick for eggungun, was the ancestral altar axis mundi, tree, between our world and the worlds of the spirits.
It is used for ancestral dead or other dead in the frame mostly and not spirit guides approached through spiritualism who are more elevated. In Yoruban spirituality, egun are the collective dead who are from different sources or types, such as some serve as guardians of a place, or initiatory dead. The egungun are technically also a subset of bloodline ancestors as far as I understand.
The dead are very important for many reasons, and without them there is no Orisha, the saying Iku Loba Ocha, the dead gave birth to the Orisha explains cosmology and from the Odu stories.
The staff represents the creative generative power of the dead, and as a phallic wand you will see the Ghede Lwa Baron dance with of life and death. It is like a family tree. The wand is like the body of Dhamballa, as Moses turned his staff into a snake. It is generative and spiritual fire of the Ace of wands. Thus some say the baston helps to strengthen the connection with the dead, and male line of ancestors.
In Puertorican Vudu, the staff of the dead is linked to base of the poteau or poto mitan or palo majeur (pillar, Ceiba world tree of the peristyle, caye, badji or hounfor), Papa Loko, and Papa Legba's cane (from us to the Lwa). I keep mine against my boveda, or by Legba's cane at the front door. Likewise we may use a sacred tree for our repository and tie 7 ribbons on it for the 7 Jefe Lwa Misterios of Sanse.
In espiritismo or Sanse: The stick can be placed as an "outside" shrine, or boveda "astral", such as against a strong tree which can serve as your spirit repository. Astral doesn't mean in spanish what we think of in ceremonial magick as a lunar realm. It means outside in nature, or without a physical body. This area is usually marked and consecrated with a border of cascarilla chalk with 9 dashes or arrows. There can be kept ovoid river stones which are special repositories, otanes. To here you can place the items you normally would as a boveda such as white flowers and candles, multicolor bouquet, a sunflower, food offerings such as sweets, coffee, pork, fish, rice, stew, cigars, water, rum overnight.
The staff is tapped 9 times upon the ground to evoke and give notice, of vibrations to the ground where the dead of the world are connected, while giving orations and prayers and traditional songs to Egungun.
Some in Ocha have taboo on what a woman can do around Egun, such as they did not wear the costume according to pataki stories, they can have the stick but some do not strike the ground with it. The stick also banishes negativity, and some place bells apon the lengthy (almost to the ground) 9 colored ribbons or cloth strips tied at the top to ward off misfortune (osogbo). Some do not place the bells stating it scares off Egun, as there are different types of baston, some are built to remove the dead tapping from one area of the house leading to the outside of the dwelling. Some also just place one red ribbon to mark the staff is empowered by the dead. Can be multicolor beaded. The colored ribbons represent the egun dance dress costume, and as the number of the dead. The stick is straight, true as possible, and can be made of different or a specific type of woods.
Iku is the spirit of death itself
Not everyone should have this stick, which needs to be taken seriously. It will also be revealed to you if you are a medium, or have a spiritual court which deals more with the dead. You should have already begun a regular practice to attending to your ancestors.
However, you do not need to be initiated to get this stick, if you have guidance from a priest. The top can be drilled into, to pack the secrets into it and then sealed by a priest in Ifa with certain types. The stick is washed with different herbs and preperations, dedicated, consecrated, fed (animal blood in Ocha and Palo) and prayed over.
In Sanse, I do this with various herbs, washing, colognes, and epo (red palm oil) with a service to the dead. But if you are seriously entertaining entry to another tradition than Sanse, I recommend you get one in that tradition, as we are a syncretisation.
I have also received my Bakulu ancestor necklace from my godfather, a Palero. In Sanse we also use a multi-color glass or crystal seed bead necklace consecrated to the dead of your court.
If you would like either of these items, then you can contact our temple and start a consultation and rapport.
The staff can be used in misa, or in working the boveda in Espiritismo,
and marks the officiant in rites to the dead.
Sancista 7
crossroads
I have also received my Bakulu ancestor necklace from my godfather, a Palero. In Sanse we also use a multi-color glass or crystal seed bead necklace consecrated to the dead of your court.
Sanse:
We do not use the 7/7 pattern unless you have the 7 african powers as guides or are an initiate of Sanse for Los 7 Jefe Lwa in our house.
These items are sacred and must be cared for. The necklaces are not worn during sleep, in the water, nor during sexual activity, or out at the club, and should be kept in a special place, preferably wrapped in a white satin or silk panel of cloth and put away.
If you would like either of these items, then you can contact our temple and start a consultation and rapport.
A qualified Santero, Palero or Espiritsta can make you a Baston de muerto.
We currently offer these items to the Bakulu or your spiritual court: ancestors and dead.
Whatever your tradition you receive the stick in, influences where and how you will serve your dead, because these religions have a different group of ancestors spiritually. So a Bakulu stick is not placed at the Boveda.
We currently offer these items to the Bakulu or your spiritual court: ancestors and dead.
Whatever your tradition you receive the stick in, influences where and how you will serve your dead, because these religions have a different group of ancestors spiritually. So a Bakulu stick is not placed at the Boveda.
The staff can be used in misa, or in working the boveda in Espiritismo,
and marks the officiant in rites to the dead.
Sancista 7
Thursday, January 12, 2017
The Caldero Espiritual in Espiritismo: congo spiritual pot
The Lucumi and Congo cauldrons, not Espiritismo or our caldero espiritual
There has been much misunderstanding of the caldero espiritual in espiritismo, which IS NOT an nganga nor an Ogun pot. They may look very similar, but they are made differently and serve completely different functions. People may laugh and say its an invention, but it has become part of Espiritismo occasionally in more recent times, even if it can be described as quasi "bootleg". Please I mean no offence to anybody.
Ogun is the Orisha spirit responsible for war, technology and smithcraft
taken from the seven worlds
photo Ogun fundamento above from Santeria Church of the Orishas
This is received with the warriors if I am not mistaken, before entering as a priest in kariocha ceremony for the beginners own usuage under a godparent. You cannot just make your own as I saw one well known wicca, hoodoo "Mama" do. Receiving the Ogun Orisha proper I think would be in the soup tureens as with other Orisha in Lucumi, Ocha, improperly called Santeria. Please speak to a Santero, Oriate or Santera to clarify. I can only properly speak to my traditions of Sanse and Espiritismo, but do so to compare the best I can.
Below basic as sold from botanica
Nganga: Belonging to Cuban Palo sects:
taken from annetrent.com
First I would like to say I am not in the beautiful, fierce religion of Palo. You should seek a priest out to verify anything I say about it. I do have Palo brothers and sisters, even my godparents are in Palo so I have much respect for the tradition.
Originally the Palero or the Tata was the nganga, the pacted spirit of the dead or nfumbe is placed within the priest during initiation or rayarse, rayamento, this is still done within certain Mayombe sects of nganguleros. The priest was the pot. We do not have an nfumbe, and we do not work with their higher misterios (like Orisha or Lwa) called Mpungo. The nganga is also called a prenda "jewel" or kindembo. They will keep this usually in a shed or outbulding under lock, not a great idea in your house. Whereas we tend to keep our caldero next to the white table in front or on the left with the Congos.
Their pot is fed blood, tobacco, and rum infused chamba, and within is nfumbe also called kongome (human bone), who are somewhat chained, some is through agreement, education, elevation, for good and mutual benefit, some are soley as their dogs kept ignorant and earthbound.
Nkisi nfuiri are a fetish made between the dead and an mpungo. Usually seen as nail driven to inform the will, or mark feats, not to torture a spirit or individual.
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Our spirits are free and are of light for the most part, and there is nothing to stop them from leaving, except if they are guides they have been contracted by God for the most part before birth. They would leave by our bad behavior and by not attending them. Spirits may stick around because they like their goodies, they like us, or do not have any other option for elevation, or like the work. Other dead we do not force them to work, we have no guardian Mpungo for it, so you must be strong in your spiritual frame or court, and as a spiritualist to control the portal. This is a point of ridicule, but if you send a nfumbe out its not in the pot any longer...well there are things there I do not understand. I am guessing because they are heavier more material yet immaterial capable of great and precise effects apon the world, and cannot leave the earth plane either, anchored by the blood. Elevated spirits are not chained to the earth realm like nfumbe. According to my reference at the end of this blog post the nfumbes who are most chosen" but instead can perceive, feel and meddle in the affairs of the living. They are spirits who are not yet ready to accept that their lives have ended, belonging to people who perished in dramatic, violent, unexpected, premature or unconscious. Often victims of accidents, crimes, fights and wars, sudden or early, suicidal diseases (although it seems contradictory, most suicides take their own lives to avoid suffering and humiliation, but do not really want to die), children and mentally disturbed. Sorcerers seek out this type of nfuiris to agree with them and support their nkisis, not because they like so, but because they are the easiest to convince and manipulate and stronger and more effective to work.."
Because our pot is not an nganga, we do not scratch over it/ initiate others into Palo because we have no license, and do not have the pact with the ancient Congo ancestors or Bakulu from which their religion and tools function. Repeat: we have no license to operate the same.
The function of the spiritual Caldero or Cardero
Through pots of the dead both espiritistas and Palero/as can mount the dead, so it is imperative that you have control of your boveda and can independantly hold misa first, as well as mounting spirits and exorcisms. You must be strong in your spiritual faculties and spiritual frame and relationships. Mounting the dead can cause gradual wear and tear on your energy body resulting in poor physical health if mismanaged. You should in my opinion, be a baptised and crowned Espiritista for some protection, and the knowledge of how to create this, unless it is out of thin air. We don't just put whatever in pots and dolls in our house.
Taken from pintrest, author unknown
We may have another smaller empty 3 leg cauldren kept to Candelo Lwa in Sanse on the divsional table, but this is not prepared, usually for candles, placing objects temporarily for him to watch over, and offerings like candles. Sanse is heavily congo influenced, as all our beats in music are conga drum "palos". The drums were made from a trunk or tree hollow section with skin stretched over. Palo means stick, from a tree.
You may have a congo, or several verified congo spirit guides, some may be Myomberos from Lisa in Africa, or from Cuban Palo. They may ask you for their cauldron and suggest items to place within it. In this case it is no different than creating a spirit guide doll as a bench for the spirit. The spirit is free and of a high elevation of the commissions of guides. Because they practiced this religion in life, they still continue to do so. Some people who have madamas, they happen to be congo, or their Francisco or Francisca guides are congo. This is Espiritismo and not of Palo. I have a congo spear for my congo, and a guava stick garabato, but he has been extremely picky about the black ebony and ironwood busts I have been looking at to represent him, and they need to be culturally relevant.
They are able to use their pots in some capacity. It is also in my tradition a portal or house to the dead, but this is controversial and not in every lineage. This would be closer to Palo Monte, in which some use no bone nor are to harm (supposedly), but do animal sacrifice?. "Both are natives educated, very "muerteros" or spiritual, but working without nfumbe or kongome (human bones), and therefore without nkisi, only with nfuiris, elementary mpungus (pure forces of nature, like fire, sea, the moon and stars) and saints, who are nfuiris very advanced spirits bright. That's why spiritual garments not serve to harm, such as palo monte, and are characterized by work with flowers, herbs, offal and rogaciones, to cleanse, heal, save, protect and provide prosperity to their owners and their godchildren, enriched with elements of Santeria, the Afro-Cuban Xianmalongo rule arises, also called Shamalongo or simply Malongo (nature)." For which the coconut discs used in divination in these systems are also called after chamalongos, originally from kola nuts in Yoruba religion.
It is not really the connection to ancestors, but it could be, or to those who reject the boveda, but you must be very careful. We are not really muerteros or necromancers, unless it is a side venture, but we do have "necessary" spirits, or can go get some dead. Hopefully you have good spirit discernment and are not foolish enough to do this without knowing how to work safely, be protected and respectful, and to get them in the cemetery, and in many natural places. Taught by godparents, not by reading, watching videos, and internet searches. It is of benefit to be in Sanse and have a good relationship with the Baron chief of the Ghede, or whoever holds the gate for you in the cemetery. For us it is Ghede Limbo. Remember, Sanse and Espiritismo is a tradition of light, spiritual progress, elevation and truth for the incarnated and disincarnated human spirits. This influences very much how we treat people, our morals or ethics, and work with our dead. Call it weak because its not a tool of destruction for us, but not even every Palo priest works their nganga that way for bad, unless it is for protection. It is just a different tool and focus of our tradition.
The pot also is connected to nature, of the elements, animal spirits, and the stars as well as this world and the realm of the dead.
The offerings given to our caldero are rum (usually white), perfumes, tobacco, candles (red, black, white & depending on intention), plants and incense, to help them come forwards. We pray and sing our songs to it.
To "to give body to the spirits who come to your call and avoid physical wear that will produce the constant possessions, as happens to the classic pure spiritualists or only avail themselves of trance and do not mix their spiritual abilities with witchcraft. Their work will not be as violent and precise as those of a Nkisi Tata, but much more varied and effective than a classic spiritualist practically limited to contact the spirits to query and transmit messages to their loved ones."
According again to the reference, "The nfuiris can help alerting them alive dangers, telling them the good way, cleaning and harmonizing the spiritual energy of his aura to heal physical and mental illnesses of spiritual origin and protecting them against spiritual attacks of dark entities, such as nfumbes and ndokis, but they can do little against a disease of physical origin or against attacks that occur by accident, violence and social circumstances, as to influence the earthly plane for both attack and defense, a lot of energy source material is required, the nfuiris which lack.This is the reason why the nfuiris not serve to hurt and nfumbes yes; not because some are good and some bad, but because nfuiris are high and free spirits...based on family, affinity or kinship"
You need to know your spiritual frame will influence the components and the container:
wood/earth, water/clay, or fire/iron cauldron,
some use a birds nest or hang them from the ceiling with feathers for air in Palo, they also used coconuts and gourds as vessels.
Originally they were made in cloth or burlap sacks, and in animal heads until Cuba, although some may still be done that way they are more biodegradable. They would sometimes bury this at the base of holy trees, as they were a nomadic and warrior hunter tribe, they could not always bring it on expeditions or if it was heavy or large. They used to be small, some still are smaller than the priests head, but have gotten huge in modern era. They would instead bring their mpaka which is linked to the nganaga, a horn filled with secrets, sealed with a mirror, which is also a scrying device of sight that can be linked to a certain Mpungo. They at times place this on top of their nganga. We do not have this either.
This is more witchcraft, such as the European and Greek necromantic cauldrons. One meaning of the froth coming out of the sterotypical halloween image of the encanting crone witches cauldron is the witches brew rising seething, the seizure of shaking spirit possesion, and as well the mist of the dead and spiritual fluids or gasses, like the bubbles in the water glass on the boveda white table.
But this is Congo witchcraft sorcery.
The closest thing our cauldron is, I have discovered to Palo is the free "nfuiri" dead of the branch of Palo Monte.
referenced below Nkisio Nfuiri
What else goes in the Caldero espirituale:
Before you make this pot: You should already know how to make guide dolls, and be able to have practiced preparing different spiritual objects such as amulets or guards. We create things partly via spiritualism, what the spirits say to add, but also have a basic recipe and understanding of what goes in there, as well as with specially procured sticks, stones, plants and dirts. You should also already have a super solid regular spiritual hygiene and cleansing schedule of yourself and entire home.
This is also the same type of pot used to house or guardian angel Lwa or met tet, as well as if we have recieved or Indio cazuela in this same type. It would make more sense to receive this first unless your court is mainly Congo. Mine is in a painted clay vessel, because it cracked in postage from Florida to my home state, and is all placed within. I only took my head pot back on the plane with me. We only have possibly these three pots, all others are in dolls, or beside a doll if the statue cannot be hollowed for guides. Again, we do not make a pot for every Lwa like they do in Lucumi in the casserole pots for each Orisha.
Indio cazuelas, called a Tindjo in 21 divisions Dominican Vodou
There are secret ways to cleanse the container and prep it before you add in the order of ingredients. You then add in the foundation of dead. It is also buried a special place, then shown to the sun after a certain number of days. The priest must also prepare themself spiritually, observe taboos and make certain ritual observances.
Besides the things mentioned, various weapons can be placed within at the end after the sticks. You can even place a plastic or fake skull on top.
The pot is not usually marked, and we do not use firmas or, the petipembas of Palo spirit signatures. You can mess yourself up directionally, and have lineage behind them if you do. You can draw something else with cascarilla chalk if you wish on it, such as a cross. You can tie it with certain relevant color ribbon as your spirit directs in the flavor of the pot, it is usually not painted.
Things which are more controversial and not done in every espiritismo or Sanse lineage
With the pot you can make use of a line of directional low grade gunpowder (fula) beside on a cement floor, or on a tablet of cement, if you have the knowledge and guidance. You can do work over the pot after you have awoken it. You can add and take things out for specific purposes. Your congo spirit will direct you.
If you have Palo in your temple or spiritual house they can help with the construction but it is not necessary. This is very controversial but you can add human bone if you know what you are doing and is legally procured IF I was to do this. A Palero can also sacrifice a rooster into it when it is first awoken, and not usually ever again after. Animal sacrifice is not commonly required or trained to be done in Sanse and Espiritismo. However you must understand full the implications if it, and spirits can get very scary and hungry expecting more if they are not properly instructed and come after you and drain everyone around you including your pets.
I have not decided what I will do exactly for mine as I come into my maturity in my tradition,
but I have been cleared and am confident to do so.
I expect this to be one of my more controversial posts which is not often a subject talked about from those who are Espiritistas. Please feel free to correct me constructively.
Please ask any questions if I can answer, and ask your godparents for guidance. If you want to know more about Palo, I encourage to ask a Palero or Palera.
Reference: Myself, my spirits, my godfather and brother. Any errors can only be my own.
The italic purple references above were taken and translated from:
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