The Butterflies

These butterflies appeared on our walk to the River.  Five of them were clustered right by edge very close together.  When we arrived there one flew up and around us coming very close.  You can see this one on the tree. 

Later on this one came in front of us and landed on a leaf as if to pose for the photo.  As soon as the photo was taken it flew off.  This particular type of butterfly is always at this particular River, when in the River we will always have these butterflies flying around us, surprisingly close!

Of course the butterfly is about TRANSFORMATION! To say the Least.

Working With Chola Wengue (Click on the photos)

We went to the River during a very hot day to work with Chola to move some energy forward and to cleanse.  At the River we discovered a very rare phenomenon which was a cool mist moving over the surface of the River in waves.  By focusing the energy one is able to detect the subtle movements of the Spirit of the River and the other multiple Spirits who are present.  One is able to detect and feel the energy of the various different "currents" within the River.  

Much that is often missed can be appreciated when one takes the time to focus and to open ones Spiritual Senses to what is in front of one.  This particular Mist was easily defined from the air around it.  Its Spirit moved, approached and retreated, responded to the energies of the person working with it, and came in waves down the River.  

My same Granddaughter who I had shown how to feel the energy of the River weeks before,  was watching and observing me sitting on the stone and working with the Energy.  Once I had gotten, about 25 minutes later I noticed that she had quietly gone to the stone, sat down and was working with the Energy and feeling the Spirit in a very Sensitive Way, her movements were very receptive and her focus very strong.  It touched me deeply to see how her Spirit was embracing the moment of being with the River and was embracing the Teachings!

Note the magical light and textures of the water, how the Spirit responded to her presence and movements.  

A beautiful and magical moment!

Cholita at Work! (Click on photos)

As Taino and Paleros we are always mixing up elements, plants, bones, soils and more for many different purposes.  Last year Anani got this Pilon for her Birthday, she is very adept at using it, so when we needed some black walnuts ground up to make a brown stain we asked Anani to do it.  She gathered the green walnuts that had fallen from the trees herself and smashed them up removing the nut from the center.  She continued to grind up the walnuts.  

These green walnuts will turn brown overnight and make a very strong stain which does not easily "washout", the drops that she got on her will take at least a week or so to wash off.  

What is exciting about this is that she has been raised to be involved and competent with these things from the earliest age, and now we can ask her to do something and she does not need any help to do it.

Several years ago when Anani was still a toddler I was holding her and speaking to a Taino who was trying to tell me that women could not be "Medicine People" within the Taino Tradition, that the women could only make Casava and tend the Fire.  I confronted his ignorance with the account of the "myth" of Guabonita, the original Medicine Woman who taught the Caskike Guahayona how to work with the Medicines.  I also told him that I was not going to exclude my daughter who I was holding from working with the Medicines.    This was especially true because her whole birth process was Spiritual.  Before she was born there was a Ceremony I did for her while she was still in her Mother's womb using multiple soils from different Caminos of Boriken (the Land where I was born) and Sacred Symbols.  3 days later she was born with Drumming, Rattling and Sacred Chants.  Her placenta was buried in a Sacred location on the Land.  It would be a crime to tell her she cannot work with the Medicine or be a active Taino Bohitu and Palera!

"Capturing a Current" (Click on the photos)

During our magical time at the River with the Rare Phenomenon of a clearly defined Cool Mist on top of the River we were blessed in our searching for the Energy we were looking for to move specific elements of our life forward.  We knew we were in a situation that we may never find again with this Mist.  The Mist truly had a unique Spirit.  As we first approached this spot in the water three tubers came by, the first a middle aged Indigenous Man, the second an Elderly European Man and the third a Woman.  The Older Man as he passed kept saying how rare the Mist was!  We associate the Mist with the Mysterio of Tiembla Tierra so the fact that it was an older Man with white hair remarking repeatedly on the rareness of the Mist was very significant.  

Within the Mist the temperature variations allowed us to sense in a profound way the approach and withdrawal of the Spirit of the Mist.  We made invocations and prayers within the mist and cleansed our crowns.   At points when we stood up our heads were in the heat of the "ordinary air" and our bodies in the layer of cool mist.  It was an awesome experience but we had come to the River looking for a very specific energy.

We were looking for a strong energy to propel something very specific forward.  As the Yayi walked downstream she detected the powerful pull of the River forward and realized that with every step, with the Misterio moving with her, she covered more distance than if she was walking outside the current.  As she walked the Current became stronger and stronger.

At a certain point the Yayi found the exact current we were looking for and took the opportunity to cleans her crown, making a strong invocation concerning what we were looking to move forward.  Chola Wengue has many energies or Caminos that she embodies, some places she is warm and slow moving, almost swirling around without going anywhere, in others she is very cool and rapid, some places have a strong current but it is still calm, this current was powerful and shaking, this was the exact current needed for this situation.  

When we go to the River for a Camino we always consider what is needed for the individual or the situation that we are bringing to the River.  This way we search for the specific Camino of Chola that we are looking for, some situations need very calm slow waters, others needed rapid currents, still others could need muddy turbulent waters, others need the waterfall or even the water coming out of the ground in a Spring!  Even within the River on a specific day there are so many different Energies of Chola present that she presents us so much opportunity to find that exact "Current" that we are looking to "capture" to give us the energy and its blessing for our situation.

The sunlight on the River also creates very specific energies that can be absorbed for various needs or situations.  When we gather water from the River we do not just fill up a bottle from wherever there is water, we look for the specific current we are needing or we look for unusual currents that we may not easily find again.  It is a well known fact that water absorbs the energy around it and the structure actually changes.  This is more easily seen in snowflakes because of their solid nature, however it is equally as true for liquid water.  Not all water is the same even though a chemical "test" of it would say it is.  Water embodies the energy of whatever Spirits and Energies are surrounding it, including Sun, Wind, Air, Moon, Mountain, Plants and Human made structures.  Even the Beaver Dams which are very prolific in this particular part of this River bring a specific energy to the water herself!  As Paleros we are always seeking to understand these different subtleties better and to be more detailed in our selection of the Raw materials that we use for our work and in our selection of what Camino we take ourselves or others on!

Oil Hemorrhage in the Gulf: Part II

The Kongo who arrived in the Caribbean adapted to the situation which was in front of them.  They utilized knowledge and wisdom from Taino to survive in a very difficult time, they also adopted divination systems from other African Traditions.  Palo has, as I have stated before, come from the two roots of Bakongo and of Taino, but Palo has also adopted practices and traditions from multiple African Traditions who also found themselves in the Caribbean.  In our Munanso we utilize Shell Divination in addition to other forms of Divination to explore not only the energies an individual finds themselves in, but also to explore larger issues.  We trust that it is important as BOTH TAINO and PALERO to apply our skills and knowledge to these larger issues and not to limit our practices to just situations of survival, profit, or personal interest.  We understand clearly that the well being of our Munanso is dependent on the well being of the whole of our Mother Earth and all her Peoples, we also trust in the power of our Tradition and the Misterios, Mpungos and Cemis of our Cosmic and Earthly Experience.  In the Spirit of Invoking Divine Justice to address the Injustices that are occurring globally, we continue to bring forth our humble assessment of the devastation and tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico, not excluding for one minute the devastation and tragedy that is occurring world wide on a continual basis.


This Oil Hemorrhage embodies a curse.  We know that the physical mechanism by which this happened occurred through the curse of greed, gluttony, recklessness, arrogance, ignorance, and a profound mental illness.  We know that without this evil behavior this hemorrhage never would have occurred.  We also know that this maniacal and reckless drilling has been occurring all over our Lands and Oceans and this Raping of our Mother Earth is not exclusive to the Oil Industry but is pandemic.  In fact we know that so called "modern civilization" has its foundation in this Raping of our Mother Earth.  The Divination tells us a story of how the Son raped his Mother due to a warped mind, a mind in the grips of madness.  The raping of the Mother brought about a curse from the Mystery of the Elders, the Mystery of Wisdom, and the Mystery of Justice, this curse created an eruption in the Mother, and the Mysterio who stands up to protect the Feminine from the evils of men was born.   The Divination tells us a story of Deception and Sickness, Loss of Life, Infertility and Financial Devastation, but also a story of how ultimately the Deceiver falls and the Truth rises victoriously.  We also see here some serious statements concerning the need to take our Indigenous Traditions Seriously and to return to the practices of Ancestral Reverence.  I trust that these point to the need to utilize our Traditions to do more than just address an individual's issues and needs, or a family or even community's issues and needs, but also to make a contribution from a humble place to address the needs of our Mother Earth and all her Relations!


The troubles and complications and difficulties created by this oil hemorrhage is not going to be stopped anytime soon.  There will continue to be unexpected problems, failed attempts, deceitful practices, and lies told and exposed.  Make no mistake that a cover up is ongoing, and that the feared rupturing of the Ocean bed is already underway.  One pattern that became evident this year has been the repeated pattern of industries associated with "energy" (coal, gas, oil etc) having fatal disasters in this country, which should be a wake up call to us all to reassess our energy use, and to realize that the days of dirty energy are numbered, not by political regulation, but by Mother Earth's response to the outrageous exploitation that has occurred and because these resources are not limitless.  This pattern of disasters will continue, and very likely we will see another one before the year is out.  This oil hemorrhage IS creating a Dead Zone in the Gulf.  That Dead Zone is infertile, sick, and is devastating economies in ways that are not going to be compensated.  This oil will also affect Our Oceans Globally.  While the Oil Leak MAY be stopped sometime this year, its devastation will continue.


Exploring the Story told by the Divination we see that is it is the Mystery of the Elders who stands up to
(through a curse) put an end to the madness.  This curse gives rise to a powerful Misterio who protects the Divine Female Energies which are simultaneously Cosmic and Earthly and which are embodied in Both our Mother Earth and the Women and Girls upon her.  The Outrage of this Entity brings about true transformation but this transformation does not occur in a gentle way or in a way that is without tears.  The tears flow, the tears of Humanity and the tears of the multiple Spirits of our Mother Earth.  While the Earth may appear to be the Victim, and the Leak appear to be created by the evil of greed, we see that the Oil Leaking embodies the Outrage of Our Mother Earth and the Misterio of the Earth who is the Elder of the Elders.    This Mystery is beyond all time and embodies both Creation and Destruction, origin of all of the Multiple Spirits of Life, this is also the Mystery of Initiation into Indigenous Traditions, and is propelling us to move deeper and deeper into our Ancestral Practices, to align more and more strongly with the Mystery of Life, to recover and reclaim the mental and spiritual freedom to express our destinies as caretakers of Our Mother Earth and contributors to the Sacred Hoop of Life.  Ultimately, this Divination tells us, Our Mother Earth and all the Mysteries of Life will continue to Renew Themselves, we need to connect more and more deeply to our Indigenous Initiations in this time of great crisis.


The global crisis is created by rampant greed and recklessness and power tripping attempts at every point to diminish Indigenous Tradition and Indigenous Principles.  It mocks and demeans them, saying they have no power, however the Divination promises that those who mock today will beg tomorrow.  Those who power trip in greed and insanity today will find themselves in a spiritual void of no return today and tomorrow.  Spiritual Justice will be dealt and ultimately this insane empire will fall and our Earth Renewed.  Those who are perpetrating these Crimes against our Mother and our Relations will have to meet the Spirit of Death sooner or later, as we all do, and they will face Accountability and Justice.


Those of us who are involved in a Spiritual Tradition/ Spiritual Practice or are simply working to live in a good way upon our Mother Earth, must look deeply into the effectiveness of our actions to ensure that our actions and practices are not leaving us with no solutions at the end of the day. It is also vital to give honor and respect to our Elders, those who are still in a material body and those who are in the Ancestral Worlds.    This respect must extend to the "Elder Traditions" those Indigenous Traditions which are truly Ancient.  We must protect our Traditions, and this does not only mean physically, it also means that at this time of Crisis we must protect our Traditions from new age corruption, dilution and abuse, or for those of us who have Traditions which have already been abused from every angle we must work hard to elevate those Practices and bring them back to the Healthy Root and Intention that our Ancestors held for those Traditions.  This Divination also warns us against lack of commitment, to truly evolve within a Tradition we cannot "Spirituality Surf" floating from one Tradition or Practice to another, never fully developing in any of them.  This is a form of spiritual promiscuity and can lead to confusion and much distress.  In our Prayers and Invocations we must continue to expose the injustices and call out for Spiritual and Physical Justice.  We live inside a tempest where unity between like Minds and Spirits as well as unity between the Living and the Ancestors is essential.  The Family of Life must Stand Strong and United and deeply rooted in our Traditions to withstand this Tempest, trusting deeply in the Spiritual and Physical Renewal of Our Mother and her Peoples.


To be continued....

Solar Eclipse

A solar eclipse is a very intense time Spiritually, Physically, Mentally and Emotionally.  During this time we focus our energies more carefully and with additional efforts at awareness, and make sure we check in with wisdom concerning any decisions or responses made during this time.  We keep the energy as clear as possible and strive to align with all our Sisters and Brothers who are also focusing strongly for progression during these times!  We know that many are focusing on 2012, but we need to focus on what is in front of us ALREADY!  May the Great Mother Bless us All, and May we find Solutions to Bring the Progression and Evolution to the Center of our Experience!  We must realize that there are maniacs who claim to be civilized governors of this Earth, and because of it, we are all facing some critical and challenging times.

Teaching to Feel the Spirit and Vibration of Mama Chola!

My 5 year old Granddaughter is at the River and I am teaching her to feel the Spirit and Vibration of Mama Chola so that she can understand who we are talking about when we are talking about "Mama Chola" not just from an intellectual perspective, but from an inter-relational perspective.

The first exercise is for her to focus in front of her looking downstream, but to realize that the current is flowing from behind her and moving downwards in front of her.  We are also working with the placement of her hands so that she can begin to learn how to feel energy through her hands from right in front of her to the distance.

Here we slowly bring the hands down to the surface of the water WITHOUT touching the water.  Here again is a process for her to begin to be sensitive and focused and receptive to the Spirit so that when the Spirit talks to her or wants to approach her, she can be sensitive to feel and hear the Spirit, and so when she can learn when to stay away and when to get near!

We are feeling the Vibration of the River, still without breaking the water tension, right on the top of the surface of the River.  I am asking her what she is sensing/ feeling. During this whole time the four year old is observing with intensity.

Here I am teaching her how to extend her arms to pull energy to herself and push energy away from herself, and in the other photo we are still not breaking the water surface tension but feeling the surface tension's strength and power.  

Walk To The River!

It was late afternoon, early evening and we took a walk to the River.  My twin Grandchildren were very excited to be away from concrete, and eagerly anticipating the River!

Our walk took us past many Spirits and many interesting physical phenomena!

Here saplings grow from cracks in a huge stone cliff face.  How they are able to pull the nutrients and water they need from this barren terrain is extraordinary.  They are embodying a very important power of survival amid very difficult circumstances and a power of adaptability (we as Paleros can understand those powers as they are vital within our Tradition- those Paleros who cannot understand them must work hard to gain that understanding!)  The power of the tree is within its experience.  These trees are young yet have a very unusual experience which can be utilize when one is building a Medicine.  

The River is very mystical and the trees surrounding the water reveal Spirits looking at us, which ordinarily we may not notice.  By the River tree roots become exposed by the River pulling soil away from them.  This tree root is not only very beautiful but it also is the home of "someone"!  You can feel the power of this particular root and its unique experience.  You know that this is a root that you can gently chip some pieces from the underside to utilize in a Bilongo.

Water who Runs!

The Stones within the River are visible at this time because the River's waters are so low from drought.  Often these stones are not visible and cannot be sat on to contemplate as we did while we were there.  As a Taino and Palero, this is the reality that we live because we go to be right in the elements of the Misterio, without a narrow agenda or a mindset that is looking to just get "results".  We go to be with the Spirit because the best "results" come from the interrelationship and understanding of the Spirit which builds stronger character and long term results.

When you look for a result, you want to look for WHO is giving you that result so that you do not fall into the trap of taking things for granted and become egotistical and grandiose as a Medicine Person.

The More we Know, the more we Realize that 

WE DO NOT KNOW IT ALL!  AND WILL NOT KNOW IT ALL, ESPECIALLY IN ONE LIFETIME!

Knowing it all is rooted in the Traditional Practice of the Children Continuing the Tradition, and exploring and expanding on the Wisdom and Knowledge of the Elders!

Bear (October 14, 1993)

"Bear"

Grandfather Bear, Spirit Keeper Of

The West, I Call From The 

Depth Of My Inner Self

That "You" May Teach Me Of The

Seeds Of Introspection.

Grandfather Bear, Transmit The Power

Of "Your" Strength Within Me That

I May Continue To Locate The

Vision To Travel The Deepness,

That Holds The Darkness Of The

Mysteries Of My Soul!

Divine Grandfather Bear, Take Me

Through The "Long Snows" Where

"Elk", "Black Spruce", "Obsidian"

"The Blackness" And "Deer" 

Await To Teach Me Many

Lessons Of Growth!

Grandfather Bear, I Remain In 

Readiness To Be Led By "You"

Into Black Ancient Clouds, Which

Would Allow Me To Look Within

The Formlessness From Which

All Things Can Come.

Spirit Keeper!

"Bear..."

Grandfather Bear, You Represent

The Strength And The Power Within

Earth In Autumn, The Looking

Within Time.  I Seek To Be 

With "You" To Truly Evaluate

The Lessons Of My Travels

Through Space and Time.

Grandfather Bear, Run Deep

Within My "Running Waters To

Strengthen My Medicine Bundle!"

Grandfather Bear... O' Bear

Enter the Introspection Of

"Your Child!"

O' Yes Grandfather Bear!

Prayers, Affirmation and Concentration: 24 Generations!

All Indigenous People, and Many so called "nonindigenous" people are aware of the escalating Earth Crisis that we find ourselves in, and all of us are aware of the devastating Oil Hemorrhage (our Bleeding Mother Earth) in the Gulf of Mexico.  For my People, Taino, this crisis was precipitated about 500 years ago when my homelands were invaded with a cruelty and heartlessness which over the years has continued to spew its evil and injustice globally.  For others it may be longer or shorter, but many of us utilize "500 years" as a marking point.  Five hundred years is approximately 24 generations, and it has been a an accumulation over these 500 years or 24 generations that has lead us to this point of potentially fatal Earth Crisis.  

Several weeks ago we went through an "Earth Ceremony" which is unique to the Koki Medicine Clan. Although I will not share much about the Ceremony itself, its principles are the Caretaking of Mother Earth, it is about People stepping forward as CARETAKERS of our Mother, not as exploiters of our Mother or as those who simply consume from her.  It is also about a process of Reconciliation going back into the Ancestral Tree and the Ancestral Tree's relationship to our Mother Earth.  

From this Ceremony and from our Deep Concern over the Oil Hemorrhage, this 24 Generation Prayer Circle evolved.  24 Saplings were placed around a Sacred Stone which is within a "Mundo Sobre Mundo" (World within World), and Several Cemis/ Medicines are within this.  Each sapling holds prayers, and those who feel moved are welcome to request a prayer to be placed on these saplings or to make prayer ties themselves to place into this Circle.

The Prayers Circle holds prayers, affirmations and concentration on the 24 Generations who are Ancestral, the Multiple Living Ancestors in the Present, and the 24 Generations of the Future who we are holding a strong Affirmation that this will be.  We place strong attention on those Indigenous Ancestors around the world whose voices spoke with wisdom, clarity, and spirit of the need to caretake and respect Mother Earth and her many People.  Many of those Ancestors predicted the times we face today.

We also unite our prayers, affirmation and concentration with all those Sisters and Brothers/ Relatives within Turtle Island, and Globally who also hold a vision of Renewal and the Healing of our Experience!

This is a fully inclusive Prayer Circle for the Healing of Mother Earth and Humanity's Relationship to our Mother Earth.  

An offering to the Sun and to the Moon were placed within this Circle acknowledging the June and August eclipses and their power, and invoking positive changes for these moments, because we know how difficult these moments can be.

As we were preparing this Circle a Vulture appeared above.

The Crows also made their presence known!

Also a King Fisher who we did not get a photo of appeared on a tree.  This was the first time we had seen a King Fisher on the Land as the King Fisher is usually by the River.  Our usual experience is to see the King Fisher (who is a very important bird for us) by the River.  This was a unusual and striking occurrence.