Inriri (Woodpecker)

  

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Our largest woodpecker is this Pileated Woodpecker or commonly also called the King Woodpecker, who has a striking black and white body with a bright red crown.  We watched as he wound his way up the tree pecking for bugs in the tree by the river.  

His powerful beak drills into the tree, taping out various rhythms which echo around the forest.  He is a large bird, much bigger than the more common flickers, and his flight style is the typical flying-coasting wave style common to woodpeckers and very different from most birds.   

Inriri (woodpecker) shows up in many Indigenous Stories and is also in Taino Myths, coming with the energy, spirit and ability to transform one thing into another.  Inriri pecks deep into the tree, piercing through different layers to find what is hidden beneath them.  Simultaneously he is also marking his territory, as he is a territorial bird.  

Inriri is not seen in flocks unlike other birds, and has an energy of independence and self-sufficiency.  Inriri holds the ability for us to be able to not go down the "easiest or typical" path but to approach problems or situations from a creative or unusual perspective.  Inriri also holds the energy of being able to dig below the surface to uncover what is really underneath, be it something nourishing or something rotten.

Iniri is a very important Ceremonial bird and we always pay attention when we see him or her, especially this particular species. Called the Earth's drummer, his drumming resembles in particular Taino Mayowakan which is a totally wooden drum (no skin).  

Inriri spends most of the time in trees and climbs the tree, at times being upside down.  He winds around the tree in a upward spiral, and then flies off to another tree.

Two Falcon Hawks with Starlings

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Winter Views of the Bateys

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Above the central Batey is visible with distant views of the Moon Batey and other Bateys.  The fenced in garden is also visible on the left.

The entrance into the Bateys and Bohio that are in the forest.  The stones within the pathway are blanketed under the snow.

Inside the Batey of the Night some Ancestral Staffs stand.

Another side of the Batey of the Night show three petroglyphs whose colors look especially bright against the whiteness of the snow.  In the background the Ancestral Point of the Snake Batey is visible with the multiple color flags that are on it.

A view looking out from the Batey of the Night shows a bundle on a tree and the line of cedars that will one day be large trees.

Looking out from the Bohio out towards the Ceremonial Grounds, from this angle the stones within the pathway are visible.

Winter Storm lack of Self Sufficiency

Yesterday after an early morning snow of a few inches we had some rain which then turned to into a snow storm towards the late afternoon.  Whether due to lack of money, a social experiment or perhaps to the official "explanation" of not being able to salt the roads due to the "rain", the roads soon became snow covered even though the temperature was above freezing.  A comment by one official referring to hoping people use "good sense" out there on the roads, raises the question of "were the events of last night a "social experiment?"" and who exactly was observing the chaotic events that transpired.  

As the roads became snow covered we had a hour long drive to make, and proceeded at about 35-40 miles per hour along quiet roads with the four wheel drive engaged, as it became more snowy and visibility dropped we slowed to 30 miles per hour then to 25 miles per hour.  About 12 minutes from our destination  we suddenly encountered a huge traffic jam on a double lane road, although it appeared that traffic was moving at a crawl, this was an illusion as what was actually occurring was that the whole road was blocked by cars spun out in the snow blocking the whole hill.  The slow movement of traffic was caused by people turning through the grass medium and heading the opposite direction.  It was a strange scene of non-cooperation as most people just spun tires and even abandoned cars right on the road.  Two women tried to get out of the snow drift that one had tried to drive through to turn through the median by shoveling snow with hubcaps.  People were walking to the nearest pizza shop in T-shirts, totally inadequately dressed for the weather. We did see one driver jump out of his car to give a push to another car in front of him, however this was the exception.

Realizing that nothing was moving, and knowing we would be able to drive through the median, we headed back the other direction and took winding back roads to our destination after several other detours to avoid roads filled with spun out cars and no cooperative effort.  Our 1 hour drive took close to 4 hours, not due to the conditions of the road but due to the chaos that was being created by traffic.  It turned out that some people had spent 9 hours stuck on the road as one of the primary highways into and out of the city was a parking lot and of course, being a highway, had very limited options for exits.  Many people had abandoned their cars on the highway, walking downtown to the hotels, filling them totally within hours.  The strange thing was that during our drive back we saw only a handful of plows...

One would think that this was some super snowstorm, but it was relatively minor compared to ones that we had last year of two storms of 20 inches within a few days of each other.  This one was 6-9 inches in warm conditions and was quickly cleared up once plows did come out and address the situation.  Whether it was a conscious social experiment or not, it was disturbing to see the chaos that ensued and the lack of cooperation among those stranded.  All it would have taken was a cooperation between drivers to go from one car to another giving a helping push and the cars would have been able to get out of the drifts and up the hills, but this was absolutely not occurring in 90% of the cases.  We even found cars still abandoned today blocking whole lanes of back roads where a simple snow shovel would get them moving immediately.  The lack of common sense was stunning and it drove home the point that people are not only physically unprepared for anything but the "norm" but also totally mentally unprepared for anything but the "norm".  

As Tainos, as Paleros, we understand clearly that the Misterios and the Ancestors require that we be mentally strong and clear to work in a good way with them.  We cannot ask for all kinds of progression and accomplishments from them, but then approach our lives and decisions with mental weakness.  We cannot ask that they protect us, but then fail to utilize common sense in dealing with situations that can be potentially dangerous, if not for us then for those around us who are more vulnerable.  

There is an energy of utter recklessness that is being expressed more and more in the society in general which is perhaps most visible through the way that people drive and behave on the road, which is a potentially deadly activity.  Care and concern is rare, and there is an aggressiveness and individualism that creates the illusion of power in a situation where the individual is in actuality powerless.  A snowstorm is a prime example of a moment when individual illusion of power collides with Mother Earth's Powers and the individual realizes for a brief moment that "you can't wrestle with Mother Earth".  However this moment passes with the arrival of tow trucks, snow plows and salt (and unacknowledged with the reprieve offered by Mother Earth's snowstorm moving on) and the individual goes right back to a reckless and insensitive way of living upon Mother Earth.  

Whatever position we may take regarding the climate (global warming/ global cooling) or regarding society, if we do not realize that the energy of the Earth and her People is reaching a point of intense energy that can only transmute into something different, then we are intentionally blind and deft.  Denial is deadly, and denial comes in many garments, however there is always a component of denial that is a conscious decision to willfully put one's head in the sand.  How that transmutation occurs and how we adapt to that transmutation is the true question, because clearly the "norm" is not an adequate response to the situation that All Life and our Mother Earth is vibrating within at this time.  

A Taino Palero's Aspiration

Both Misterio and Ancestors have their favorite animals.  Some are very specific as to the color and temperament of the animal as well.  We have many animals on the Land that are there first and foremost to satisfy the Misterio and Ancestors, and secondly to make their contribution to the fertility of the Land and to contribute to our well being and enjoyment of them.  The animals bring an important spirit to the Land and contribute to our continued manifestation of the Munanso and Bohio/ Batey!  

The two horse above are a gelding (Kaguaso) and mare (Kalichi-who is pregnant) who are best friends.  It is important for herd animals to have companionship, and these horses have a very strong bond.  Kalichi turns from the calm horse in the photo into a bundle of nerves if we take Kaguaso away from her.  Kaguaso is a quater horse who we saved from the auction at the 11th hour where he was in danger of turning into dog food.  He is the calmest horse most of the time, and very independent (which is unusual in horses), it does not matter to him if he is alone or with horses, and he behaves the same way towards dominant horses as he does to passive ones, and never is aggressive.  

These two female donkeys (Josefa and Julia) are also good friends, one (Julia) is the mother of the stallion donkey who hangs out with the stallion.  From observing the unique characteristics and behaviors of the various animals, you gain further insight into the Misterio and Ancestor who favors these animals.  Both are stubborn and exceptionally greedy, neither wants to do any work.

Above Emma and her baby Brujita are playing.  Brujita is the baby of Emma and the Stallion (below).  Emma is our largest horse (a "work" horse, the type utilized to pull plows, rakes, etc).  She is very strong and very calm.  Brujita will become a large horse and is already very big at 8 months old.  

The stallion (Kasike) and his friend the donkey stallion (Pepe) keep each other entertained with an ongoing stallion game involving a lot of chasing and stallion posturing, but never to the point that they hurt each other.  

Tobacco our male llama is the dominant animal of the field, until it is time to eat, at which point one of the female donkeys, Julia, becomes dominant.  Both Tobacco and the female donkeys wait with eager anticipation for their opportunity to attack the dogs, but the dogs are too aware and quick to be caught by the llamas and donkeys.  Llamas and donkeys are often used to be companions with sheep because they will attack and kill any foxes coming for the lambs.  Tobacco uses his chest and neck to attack.  He also enjoys herding the donkeys down to the shed and keeping them there by blocking the door.  

Cohoba is a gentle Alpaca, she is very mellow and stays out of the llama-donkey disputes.  Tobacco does not allow anyone to come near her, and she spends most of her day laying down sunbathing.  Alpacas are very sacred animals in South America and are well known for their exceptionally soft and beautiful hair which is harvested each year in the Spring.  Llama hair is also very soft but not quite as soft as the Alpaca.  Llamas are larger animals in general and more aggressive. Both animals are very soft on the earth, unlike the horses who tear up the ground, especially when it is muddy.  They have a very light way of moving around, and have a very fast way of moving when they want to.

Booty is our wonderful Ram who is about 8 years old.  He is very gentle and friendly towards people and very aggressive towards other animals, although in a playful way, but when horns are involved playful becomes dangerous.  He sometimes entertains himself by ramming trees with his head which is very strong.  

Wind is our pit bull who guards the chickens so that they can free range the way they should!  He is much more relaxed than the other dog (Pancho- below) who barks at anything unusual.  Wind only barks when something is really happening.  Pancho (AKA Psycho) is a high energy cattle dog who is a very good guard dog, and he takes his job to an extreme when given the opportunity.  He is convinced he can outrun the llama and entertains himself by running into the field to bark at Tobacco, knowing he can run out and Tobacco can't get at him once he is through the fence.  

We also have chickens, pigeons and doves (as well as a tortoise, frog and snake) which all "belong" to different Misterios and Ancestors, and there are also "requests" in for additional animals.  There are also the wild animals that are showing up more and more frequently, including, significantly turkeys and deer.  The turkey in particular have made a huge comeback in the years that we have been on the Land.  

Falcon, Vulture and Crow

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Today, driving down the road we passed (several times) the carcass of a cat that was the center of attention of several species of birds.  The first time we drove by turkey vultures and one crow were there.  The crow was standing in the background, waiting for the Vultures to grow tired of the carcass so he could eat.  The wary vultures saw us and immediately flew off into nearby trees to keep a watchful eye on us, however the crow immediately took advantage of the Vulture's wariness and moved in on the carcass, eating while we watched, not oblivious to us, but not considering us a real threat.

Later we passed by again and found a Vulture and the Falcon vying over the carcass.  The Vulture was deferring to the Falcon who was trying to drag the cat carcass away without much success.  The Falcon was clearly higher in the pecking order than Vulture who was looking for Falcon to eat and leave.  

While Turkey Vulture is a scavenger who is not capable of carrying off carcasses, Falcon is a predator who also scavenges when the opportunity arises.  In winter it is more typical to find Falcon scavenging as its prey are fewer in wintertime. 

This house cat was run over on the nearby road and a variety of scavenging birds eat it by day, and nocturnal scavengers eat it by night.    The face of the cat is clearly  visible in the above photo.

In this photo Falcon flies off as we get closer and this time it is Vulture who is so fixated on the meal he saw Falcon eating that he does not pay much attention to us.  For us it is fascinating to see the various hierarchies among these scavengers and how they ensure that any carcass is quickly cleaned and transformed to allow them the energy to continue their lives.  The Vultures in particular fulfill an important service in terms of the cleaning of carcasses, and once they eat they utilize the rays of the Sun to disinfect their legs and feathers, which is why you often see them, wings outstretched. These are all powerful birds with ancient symbolism.  

Bohio

View from the Bohio looking out Entrance to Batey towards Ceremonial Field

Before the New Year we also cleaned out the Bohio, raked all the leaves, dusted spiderwebs, swept the floor, clearing out the old energy and debris so that the energy can be in a positive flow for the New Year.  As we approach the Spirit in a holistic way, it is important to periodically or seasonally "clean house" especially the Munanso and Bohios as those are the houses of the Spirit.  Cemis and Nkisi should always be kept in a clean orderly space, even if they live in a very small space.  To keep the Cemis and Nkisi in chaos is to invite chaos into our lives.  In a holistic approach to the Mystery the vital energy is in the every day approach and it is not a matter of getting "dressed up" for public appearances.  The juice for the Brujo or Bohitu is in what is private, not what is public.

Opiel and Guatauba Maquetaurie look out from the patio of the Bohio

Within the Bohio the space is heavily smudged with Sage, Tobacco and Tabanuco (copal) incense.  The earth floor is swept and shelves cleaned and ordered.    We are fortunate to be able to place our Cemis, Medicines, Nkisi directly on the Earth as they can then absorb the Earth's energy, and this grounds the Medicines more powerfully as well as energizes the Medicines.  Opiel and Guatauba are outside, but protected from the ice and snow by the patio roof, this way they also benefit from the Energies of direct Sunlight, Moonlight and Starlight as well as the energies of the Winds.    

For us it is very important that our Cemis are as close to the Earth as possible as they are emanations of Mother Earth and her Universal Energies and belong in a 'natural setting'.  Many Paleros and Bohitus are restricted in their access to natural settings and are unable or restricted in their opportunity to place their Medicines (Cemis, Nkisi) on Mother Earth to absorb Sunlight, Moonlight, Rain and Wind.  This is a sad result of the urbanization of the Taino and Palero.

The Bohio is made from many Palos (sticks), many of which came from the Land itself, even the roof is wood (cedar shingles).  It is built in a very precise location and oriented in a precise direction.  Underneath the Bohio is a Natural Spring that comes into the daylight slightly down hill from the Bohio.  Regardless of the time of year (summer drought, spring floods) this Spring is at the very least slowly seeping water out of the Earth.  In the heat of Summer, the Bohio is the coolest place on the Land.  While it has shutters for the windows, various animals do find their way inside when the windows are open, such as Bats, Snakes and of course the inevitable mice.  When we need to bury a certain Cemis we are able to do so right inside the Bohio. 

Below is a very Sacred Bundle with a Long Story and immense Significance.  This is a bundle that has witnessed and been in the Energy of many, many Ceremonies, it is a bundle that has traveled hundreds of miles for various Ceremonies, and has brought great healing to many. It is a bundle that responds to the thirst of the Spirit!

New Year

On New Years Day we lit a Ceremonial Fire in the middle of the Central Batey to make invocations with the Misterios for positive energies for the New Year.  The heat and brightness of the fire was in sharp contrast to the muted colors of winter, and the fire burned with quickness, eagerly lighting immediately.  The Four Mounds of the Central Batey all had fruits and roots that had been with the Misterios of the Munanso for over 3 weeks.  

We made invocations, burned sage, tobacco, sweetgrass, meditated, and watched the many Misterios who showed up in the Sacred Fire. It was a simple Ceremonial Moment and we chose to keep it simple due to the complex energies that we face everyday in the world.  We also kept it simple because of the magnitude of energies that were released during the recent Full Moon/ Solstice/ Full Lunar Eclipse.  

Conucos

Right after the Winter Solstice with its Full Moon and Eclipse and before the New Year we brought Fruits and Root Vegetables, that had been with the Misterios for a significant time, to the Conucos (Taino Mound Gardens or Raised Gardens) where we unearthed the River Stones that sit on each one.  These Spirits go into the Earth during the growing season and come out during the Winter.  Mother Earth's topsoil was frozen solid and with great effort we unearthed the Stones.  We then placed all the fruits and root vegetables, including Sugar Cane with each one.  

We make a great emphasis in our Munanso/ Bohio- Batey of feeding the Earth because we understand that the Spirit of our Earth Mother has been attacked with so much IGNORANCE, Toxicity and careless living.  The Spirit of much of the Land upon the Earth is very, very depleted and needs our love and sustenance and not just in words! These offerings will be allowed to decay right into the Conucos where they will be 'turned into ' the Earth to allow their further decay.  They will bring their diverse nutrients to our Conucos, including Spiritual Nutrients.  

It is never far from our minds that we live in a time upon the Earth that the burden (curse) of so called "civilization" has brought us all to a critical point where we can no longer take our Mother Earth for granted.  Even the weather patterns are "rebelling" against the ignorant way of being upon the Earth, and wreaking chaos upon our vulnerable brothers and sisters (fish and birds) who are falling out of the sky and dying in massive fish kills.  Our Mother Earth continues to cry out to us in numerous ways for our Love and Intelligence to return to care taking of our Mother rather than just taking from her.