Ntoto (Earth) No Life Without Her!

Moon Ceremonies (Part 2)

2011-08-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

As we continue with our sharing of the Moon Ceremonies, and in particular of the Full Moon Ceremony that we engaged, we want to emphasize that timing is very important. If we are to do a Full Moon Ceremony, it is of vital importance that the Ceremony be done when the Moon is actually Full; we need to sacrifice our daily schedules to prepare for the Ceremony to take place at the time appropriate in the rhythm and cycle of Mother Earth. This is an expression of our humility towards HER and an acknowledgement that our LIVES depend on her BLESSINGS!

Another important point to share is that we always make sure that the offerings that we give to the Misterios are in the spirit and energy of ABUNDANCE because that is what we are invoking from the Spirit (Thriving and Abundance) and those are energies desperately needed upon our Earth at this time. There is a tremendous amount of waste upon this earth, as well as malnourishment, we do not want to bring these energies into our spiritual offerings. We offer the best that we can with offerings that are both Traditional Taino offerings (Yucca) as well as what we grow in our gardens (much of which is also Indigenous to this continent), such as potatoes, squash, amaranth, peppers, tomatoes, and fruits.

On July 14th we continued with our Divinations, going to each Direction and allowing the Misterios to speak and emphasize different energies.

The WEST spoke of the Ancestors and the Sun, bringing to our attention THRESHOLDS which include doorways including the doorway of DEATH which leads to the world of the Ancestors. We do know that at this time the Sun is going through some intense and unexplainable changes, and it is the Sun that drives the Cycles of the Seasons. We are utterly reliant on the Sun to be gentle with us and maintain our climates at temperature ranges that can sustain life. The Misterio is speaking strongly of not taking these Seasonal Cycles for granted, and the Ancestors are bringing their voices to this concern as well. We are experiencing extremes in our climate that are only going to escalate. The Ancestors are also reminding us to live our lives taking into consideration that one day we will pass through that transition to Death, because very often people today live in a deep denial of this inevitability.

In the direction of the North, the Misterio speaks of the Oldness of the Mountains, of the Ancestral Elders, and of Elders, and also of "Hot Winds". The Ancestors and the Old Grandfather of the Mountain are cautioning us concerning these "Hot Winds" and how these hot winds can affect our Mental Bodies. Hot Winds can be seen as diseased winds in a literal sense, infectious disease, viruses, (natural or man made). Hot Winds can also be seen as the mental diseases of denial, of obsession with materialism, of mis-information or dis-information, and of confusion, doubt and indecision. We are at a time when the toxicity directed at our mental bodies is very intense, especially as much of it is "dressed up" as something positive. Take for example "new age spirituality" which on the surface appears to be positive (if not a little passive). When we dig to the root of this new age spirituality we find deeply poisonous and deranged theories on white racial supremacy and yet again the stealing of Indigenous symbols and concepts and the total corruptions of them. To understand the true ugliness and evil of new age spirituality we have to look at its founders and practitioners (check out Blavatsky and her followers, Thule Society, and the Nazis). These are the kind of toxic "hot winds" which we are being bombarded with, in addition to the shear amount of nonsense being discussed by layers upon layers of highly educated "experts" and the people who listen to them, not to mention the obnoxious advertising that assaults us from 360 degrees, dawn to dusk.

Finally the East and South spoke with one voice, emphasizing the Indigenous Traditions of the Earth which have sustained Human Communities for hundreds of thousands of years, but which today are either isolated, fragmented or outlawed. The Misterio emphasized the need to return to these Traditions which are Rooted in Mother Earth, her Cycles, her Plants, her Animals and the Mysteries of Birth and Death. The Root of a Healthy Experience is Indigenous Tradition, because the facts are that the Ancestors did understand Life, and understood the need for restraint in our behavior, the need to consider the needs of ALL in order to ensure the continued long term fulfillment of our individual needs.

Looking at these Divinations as a whole we see that the Ancestors are calling strongly for a regaining of our "senses", especially of our "minds" and the redirecting of our energies back towards the Roots that truly feed life, rather than the wasting of our energies within a global system built upon the exploitation of Earth and all her Peoples. As People who have the opportunity to be able to obtain resources, who are able to grow food upon the Earth, we are very much responsible for consciously directing that opportunity and focusing on what is truly important which is Mother Earth, the Spirit, the Ancestors, the Misterios, and our interrelation and reconciliation with them all.

As night came and the Moon rose, we noticed that the sky which had been mostly clear, became filled with chemtrails (chemical "clouds"), reminding us of another aspect of the "hot winds" that we face, the toxicity which is being layered between us and the Sky, which has not only a physical effect but also a psychological effect.

Continuing with our Divinations we did readings in every direction in order to understand more profoundly the Changes taking place on Mother Earth.

The West spoke about the Diversity of Animal Life upon the planet and the psychological breakdown that western society has when it comes to relating to the Web of Life. We can track the root of western society's Fear of the Natural World and attempts to dominate, control and exploit "Her" to european christianity, which explicitly taught the people that "Nature" was malevolent and filled with demons to be feared. This created a deep mental disease among the european christians which they brought through imperialism and colonialism and now fascism to the rest of us. There is a mental allocation of all animals, birds, insects, even bacteria to "good or bad" status in the western mind. "Good" gets tolerated under certain controlled conditions, "wars" are declared against the "bad". Most of science and technology has been developed to war against the "bad", be the "bad" certain animals, bugs, bacteria, environments, climates, or even people. The Natural world is considered only in terms of what it can be exploited for, examples are animal feed lots, chemical agriculture, and western medicine. The result continues to be a Massive Extinction of Species which in these Earth Changes we are facing means very real, very dangerous threats to human sustainability on our Mother Earth. Sadly one can enter any zoo and see Bird Species there that are extinct in the Wild. Clearly the Misterios are saying that the only way forward is to transform the "fear of the other" into an embracing of the Web of Life, with an approach of acknowledging the rights Animals, Plants and Even Insects and Bacteria have to Life and Coexistence upon this planet. When we step away from seeing things as "pests" or things to eradicate, we come to realize that something acting as a pest (for example an insect eating our crops) is actually giving us critical information concerning the lack of Health of our Plants and/or the lack of Diversity within our Gardens, just as "Disease" is giving us critical information about lack of harmony and balance in our physical-emotional-mental-spiritual bodies.

The North spoke, continuing and deepening on this understanding, turning to the developments in agriculture made by the Indigenous Nations of this Continent. These Indigenous Nations utilized intensive gardening techniques and a Spiritual Approach to Cultivation that enabled our Ancestors to develop all kinds of foods, materials and medicines that allowed the development of modern "agriculture". The Misterio spoke of potatoes, corn, cotton, tobacco, rubber, beans, squash, pumpkin, tonka beans, tomatoes, chocolate, peanuts, strawberries, pineapples, avocadoes, sunchokes, yucca, quinine, maple syrup, chicle, vanilla, cashews, peppers, and coca- all of which were developed by Indigenous People. Western civilization utilized these developments to enrich the elite of europe and satisfy the appetites of europeans, refusing to give credit to the the Indigenous People who developed the knowledge of these plants. Even today with a renewed interest in plant medicines (which is positive) there is a refusal to acknowledge the Indigenous People behind the knowledge, much less reimburse them for their thousands of YEARS of research put into this knowledge. By focusing in on just a few of these products we can see how western society took positive developments and turned them into systems of exploitation of Earth and People...

Cotton: A wonderful crop that produces soft fiber, easily made into clothing that does not itch (unlike wool), this was eagerly embraced by european society when it became easily available. However, this cotton was produced on plantations utilizing slave labor... In 1850, cotton had become the number one cash crop of the US south,
a full 75% of slaves (1.8 million) were exploited in order to make this cotton the cheap fiber it became. The way the plantations grew the cotton meant that it depleted the topsoil of the South and created a desire for more land on which to cultivate cotton, which fueled the continued stealing of Indigenous Lands. Cotton today continues to be an industry exploiting virtual or actual slave labor from the field to the mill to the clothing sweat shops. Cotton also is a crop which although it is only grown on 3-5% of the worlds cultivated land, uses 10% of the pesticides and 25% of the insecticides, making it a very toxic fiber. This wonderful development (cotton) was turned into a product produced through violence, intimidation, and misery.

Corn: Corn (Maize) is an amazing agricultural feat by Ancient Indigenous People of the South. It is still unclear how exactly the breeding of modern day corn occurred. Corn became a major product of this continent and secured great wealth into the hands of a small minority of europeans. Corn was a staple of Indigenous diets, and was bred in many colors and adapted to many different regions. We are still blessed to be able to grow various Indigenous strains of corn in our gardens. However corn is yet another Sacred Crop that has been perverted and abused. Today we see various abuses of corn, from its use in feedlots for animals (who should be grazing on pasture), to its use to make high fructose corn syrup- destroyer of health. Indigenous People chewed corn, which when combined with saliva became a sweetener, but this was very different from the synthetically processed corn syrup plaguing our health today. It has even become apparent that the colony collapse disorder devastating the bee population today is partially associated with the high fructose corn syrup that commercial (and many private) bee producers feed their bees during the winter. Corn syrup has been shown to stimulate, or suppress different genes in the bees than honey, and has been shown to reduce their immunity, and to make them more susceptible to pesticides. This combined with the use of commercial bees to pollenate single crops, rather than diverse crops, is thought to lead to colony collapse disorder. Finally corn is one of the most genetically modified crops in the world, adding to its negative effects on our health and food supply.

Chocolate: Tree of the Gods to the Ancient Civilizations of Central and South, cultivated by Olmec, then Maya, then Aztec, revered, utilized as "money" and for Spiritual Ceremonies. This bean was unheard of in Europe until Hernandez Cortes established the first evil plantation to cultivate Cacao (after murdering the emperor Montezuma who first introduced him to Cacao), and imported cacao beans to Spain. The Spanish King put the Cacao in the hands of Monks who created additional recipes with which to prepare it. It became a guarded secret of Spanish royalty and the spanish church, until other regimes (Dutch and French) also created plantations in the Caribbean and Brazil and Indonesia. Still chocolate was expensive and therefore was food only for european aristocracy. It is said that Charles II sipped chocolate while watching the Inquisition murder its victims. Early 1800s chocolate as a drink became cheaper and available to the european and american masses. At this time slave ships would come across the Ocean bringing African Slaves to work on these plantations and returning to europe with cargos filled with Cacao beans and other crops. Time has passed, however the vast majority of chocolate consumed in the western world (whose appetite for chocolate ranges from US-12 lbs/ year to Swiss 22 lbs/ year (2004 figures)) continues to come from slave labor, especially from child slave labor and torture of children, most significantly in West Africa (especially Cote d'Ivoire). Even those children being "paid" are exposed to pesticides and given machetes to work with (very dangerous for children). The average cacao farmer earns LESS per year than the average Westerner spends per year on chocolate, and cannot afford to purchase chocolate, being very unlikely to ever have tasted it. This is what happens when a Sacred Food is perverted. 500 years have passed and effectively nothing has changed in this industry. It is significant to recall that Montezuma greeted Cortes with open arms and warm hospitality, presenting him with chocolate drink in a golden cup, thinking that Cortes was an individual with honor, however Cortes only saw both chocolate and gold through the demented eyes of ultra gluttony, and Montezuma was betrayed and his son kidnapped and taken to Spain. Chocolate is very popular today, and is associated with all kinds of positive and lustful associations. While chocolate was considered an aphrodisiac by Montezuma, it was perverted by europeans (to this day) to be associated more with prostitution energies.

These are just three examples of Sacred Food Developments of Ancient Indigenous Culture that have become tools of empire, exploitation and oppression. What the Misterio is calling forth is a returning to a healthy, loving and respectful cultivation of these and the many other wonderful developments that have come out of Ancient Cultures of this Continent. The Misterio is also making the point that Blessings (such as Corn, Chocolate, Cotton, Tobacco etc) can turn into global Curses in the hands of maniacs and gluttons.

The East spoke clearly of the WEB OF LIFE and called for a return to Indigenous understanding and approach to Life and Earth, which is a radically different way of thinking, knowing and living. Western science has long looked down its long nose at Indigenous Mythology, thinking of Myths as humorous stories for "naive" populations. This arrogant view is perpetrated unfortunately among some of our own (Taino) with obscene renditions of our Creation Myths. However it has come to the attention of various westerners that Indigenous Mythologies are actually Scientific Archives, holding all kinds of information pertaining to Evolution, Geology, Biology, Genetics, and the Story of Peoples movements and developments upon the Earth. Western science tries to portray itself as "rational and objective" however, it, like any philosophy or science, is subjective due to its development from a particular perspective. It attempts to put down and undermine all other perspectives on the Earth, however the facts have become clear that western science lags far behind Indigenous Science. The Misterio made it clear that there is a direct dependence that Humanity has on the health of Mother Earth, humanity is not the exception in the Web of Life, is not the weaver of the Web of Life, but is an expression and contributor to (or we have seen destroyer of) the Web of Life. We need to regain our senses and return to the central focus and purpose of our lives which is Spiritual Growth, Creative Expression, Harmonious Evolution, the respectful use of resources, and the pursuit of wisdom rather than obsession and appetite for consumption of material goods at the cost to all Life.

South: Continuing on these understandings the Misterios in the South spoke further of Indigenous ways of Thinking, Indigenous Philosophy if you will. Indigenous Stories (termed Myths, Legends etc) are descriptive narratives concerning Natural Phenomenon, Sources of Life, People, Language, Migrations, Cultures (Traditions), the movement and evolution of People through time and space. Indigenous Understanding does not separate and draw convenient lines through stages of development, as Indigenous Understanding grows like a Root of a Tree, deep to its Source. Indigenous Traditions recognizes the organic growth of Life, not the separation and sterilization of Life. There is no intrinsic hierarchy among Traditions, and there is no "rational or logical" basis to the widely held assumption that western science is more accurate and advanced than Indigenous science.

The Earth Changes that we are facing REQUIRE us to return to our Traditions and Roots, and if we lack a Tradition or Root, it requires us to humbly seek a Tradition and Root that is grounded in love, respect and understanding of Mother Earth. It requires a return to Indigenous Agricultural Methods (modern day "permaculture" utilizes many of these methods, but unfortunately does not alway give credit to the Indigenous Root of the method). The Earth Changes require us to come to a more holistic view of the Universe that we find ourselves in, and give acknowledgement that the animals, plants, and even insects and bacteria also have a right to life upon this planet. We need to re-examine what is "beneficial" and what is "bad", we need to re-examine what we consider "sweet and bitter", and we need to find a way to overcome the corruption and perversion of the amazing Indigenous Knowledge that has been stolen and utilized to make a minority wealthy beyond imagination. Mother Earth is telling us clearly that the ABUSE CANNOT CONTINUE.... and is giving us very clear Directions on how to find our way "Home"!

To be Continued....

MOON CEREMONIES (PART 1)

2011-08-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Very intense energies have been moving over the summer. The new Moon at 5am on July 1st was also a Solar Eclipse. Our Ancient Ones understood the power of Eclipses very well, and utilized Ceremonies to ensure that Eclipses brought about positive change and not negative change. More recently it has become increasingly spoken of that Eclipses "cause" an increase in Earthquakes, Volcanos, and Tsunamis. They create an increase in the volatility of our Mother Earth. Common Sense also leads us to understand that when alignments occur between Sun, Moon and Earth (eclipse), Cosmic Influences are amplified upon our Mother, and just as these cosmic forces have a greater influence on Mother Earth, they also have a greater influence on Our Spirits, Our Minds, and Our Bodies. Although we may spend a lot of time looking at the "ground", we are spiritually very open to and influenced by the movements of the Cosmic Bodies (planets, Sun, Stars), which is why every Ancient Culture has been able to gather Wisdom from the "Stars" and the movements of Moon and Sun.

We spent the day of the Eclipse (and preceding days preparing) deeply in Ceremony, specifically Purification Ceremony. We worked with the elements of Fire, Water, Light, Dark, External, Internal, we worked with the Plant Medicines, with Invocation, and with Divination. After the Ceremony we Divined utilizing the Ashes from the Fire and focused on several key energies. It also became clear that the Spirit wanted to bring attention to two specific energies that were counter-progression. The illumination of these "two energies" continued to occur over the next couple weeks, becoming very clear by the time of the FULL MOON at which time we did another Ceremony.

The Divination spoke of the importance of cleansing with the Sacred Waters (River and Ocean), the importance of keeping an eye on the economic situation globally and one's "work" within that economy, keeping an eye as to what is going on in the "south" and "globally" over the next 28 days and utilizing WISDOM and RESPECT, especially RESPECT for Indigenous Traditions.

Without going into details or revealing names we will briefly describe these two energies that the Misterio (Spirit) was shedding LIGHT on.

The first is an energy carried by the descendants of the oppressors of our Ancestors. This is an energy seen in any aggressive, invading, stealing, raping, killing, group of people who come uninvited into another People's homeland bringing terror, sickness, and barbarism. This is an energy seen in the "vikings", in the "romans" in the arab invasions into Africa, and specific to this continent in the "conquistadors" and the colonizers of this continent who brought their barbaric ways to our civilized societies. (NOTE: These barbaric ways- now a global plague- are fast bringing this global society to famine, disease and insanity and utter destruction of our natural resources which were once clean air, clean water, healthy soils, intact mountains, healthy foods, and health giving medicines.)

In this specific case the Misterio was bringing up an important behavior of these "descendants" that on the surface looks harmless, yet is anything but harmless in fact. The particular descendants that the Spirit utilized as "examples" or "case studies" were frequenters of "spiritual circles". One case study in particular had traveled to sacred lands of the South, taken the sacred Ayahuasca ritual, was in possession of all manner of jewelry, arts, and rattles etc, from Indigenous People (including items taken from Indigenous graves) and had been in "relationship" with a jungle "shaman" with desires to be the "medicine partner" of said "shaman". While it may seem strange that the descendant of a brutal legacy can be found on a so called "spiritual path" speaking about "progression", the reasons for this become clear when one looks more deeply at this phenomenon. When looking underneath the surface of this individual's psyche, one finds a tremendous amount of guilt and a tremendous amount of awareness concerning this ugly legacy. There is a desire to escape the consequences of this legacy, however when a genuine pathway of Reconciliation and Healing is offered, it is quickly rejected, because the individual is actually seeking to HIDE inside of Indigenous Medicine Circles, and when the individual and individual's tree realize that the light of Justice is shining on them and revealing the truth, and that the Medicine People they are interacting with are actually openly speaking about their spiritual trail and not engaging in flattery and validation of weaknesses, a paranoia arises inside of the individual and they run, run, run to attempt to hide once again. There is an aggression, anger and hatred that quickly takes the place of the words of "love light and peace" and flattery that they had been uttering, and very often the finger is pointed at the Indigenous Elder in anger. We have a term that we have used for this behavior and it is "Circles of Utopia". This behavior is actually a behavior of "hatred of Indigenous Cultures" at the same time it is an attempting to avoid the consequences of an ugly and evil legacy by "dressing up" in the garments of "progression". It is the behavior of what we term a "renegade soul", a Soul who has been dodging and avoiding the Spirit of Justice and who is determined not to go through the transformations required to experience Healing and Reconciliation with the Essence of Life. It is what we term "Maboya" or "Ndoki".

The other energy is an energy of ultra-selfishness. It is a selfishness that is applied towards other people but also a selfishness that is applied to the Spirit. There is an over-riding agenda of "me, myself and I" at the cost of everything else. Again this energy is often hidden behind a friendly appearance, but makes is true face known very quickly when in the presence of Indigenous Medicine.

Both energies are in direct opposition to the Spirit of Gentleness that we invoked during this New Moon Ceremony, and both energies were operating under the behavior of passive-aggression.

Our preparation for the Full Moon Ceremony began immediately after the New Moon Ceremony. We planted 4 Ceremonial Trees (White Oak, Willow Oak, Maple, and Hornbeam) in the four Directions or four Moments of the Sun of the Central Batey. There were many Medicines that came also into this Sacred Space in the Various directions. We utilized both white cornmeal and yellow cornmeal within the space.

During the preparations we Divined numerous times concerning the meaning and significance of the Ceremony, the Earth Changes that are occurring and the significance within the Taino "Community" at home and in the Diaspora.

To begin with the Misterios spoke from the direction of the West, of the christian mindset that infiltrated our Continent, making points regarding the christian agenda to separate "Nature" from the Divine (Misterio, Great Mystery...). This separation (mental) served the church to increase the "devils" power over people and therefore empowered the church. Another point is the "seven deadly sins" which again served to give the church more power over the people.

The Misterio spoke in the direction of the North concerning the views and behaviors that Indigenous People had towards women versus the behaviors that european men had towards women. The Misterio reminded us of the massacre at "La Navidad" (one of Columbus' first "forts" where he left a number of spanish men while he returned to Spain). These men insisted on raping Taino women, and the Taino found this intolerable and to make a long story short ended up killing every last one of the spanish men at the fort. The evil behavior of european men towards Indigenous women is well documented, as is the evil behavior of european men towards european women. European women were kept under the control of "their men" through the fear that any rebelliousness would get them labeled "a witch" which would mean torture, and death by hanging, drowning or burning alive. European men and specifically the european christian church demonized women as "evil". This is in sharp contrast to the Taino view of Women as the Mothers of Life, as the Goddesses of Fertility, Protector of the Seeds, and as Central and Revered figures within the Taino world.

In the direction of the East, the Misterio brought up a profound point that the existence of the Indigenous People of this continent posed a theological problem for the christians, because it contradicted their "Noah story" putting the legitimacy of the bible and christianity at question. Various writers grappled with the issue, coming up with a theory that the "Indians" were the lost tribes of israel, which was believed by such evil persons as Bartolome de Las Casas (predator among the Taino and destroyer of Taino Spirituality). James Usher is the fool that decided to "calculate" how old the world was and came up with a date that "god" created the world 4004 bc, which meant that the "Indians" must have arrived in this continent around 500 bc. This was a widely accepted theory for years and only was destroyed when OLD BONES were discovered pre-dating this beginning date. This story illuminates the confused and psychopathic state of mind of these europeans that invaded our Ancient Cultures. It is also significant that this foolery continues to this day in the fields of pharmaceuticals, agrochemical food, GMOs, and economic "solutions". There is a fundamental lack of understanding of what is HEALTHY and SUSTAINABLE, and it happens that our Ancient Cultures were geniuses in the understanding of both of these principles.

In South, the Misterio took us to the underlying weaknesses that allowed the "european" behavior of violence, rape, witch hunting, theft, genocide and massacre of our Indigenous Ancestors. The Misterio pointed out that the european society (which is global today in its infection) was/ is actually controlled by minorities (small number of elites) and that the power over the "masses" was effected through "fear of the christian "god"", this same christian god who is a case study "himself" in psychopathic mentalities. A god who created all his "children" to be "bad" and to have to struggle against "sins", who created his children unhappy, miserable, who invented "hell" to cap off a life already plagued with struggle, who created an earth for his children to live in which was filled with evil temptations, who preaches all kinds of ethics yet is vengeful and destructive (do as I say not as I do), then who demands adoration and worship. To fall for these LIES indicates a profound mental illness and a profound Self-Deception. And for those who just "went along with the crowd or the times" it indicates a powerful lack of self-respect and principles and a profound "self betrayal".

The Misterio lead us to some essential points concerning the historical trail and the mentalities that have lead us globally to this crisis that we are facing on EVERY LEVEL of our LIVES. It is not just one aspect of life that is in danger, it is every aspect. As we continue with the next "part" of these writings, we explore more deeply what we are facing in the here and now, and how we can approach the Earth Changes that are occurring from a grounded and holistic Spiritual Root. In the photo above the fruits and roots are all vegetables that we grow upon the Sacred Land, and this is vital within this Ceremony. Below a TOAD appeared, living in the Conch shell upon the Mound. All this is significant within the trail and we will explore these things further.

As we continued in our Divinations over a number of days leading up to the Full Moon, we witnessed the Moon put on many faces or expressions within the night. Some nights she was bright casting shadows like the Sun does during the day, other nights clouds passed in front of her revealing many Misterios. Ceremony is not something that can be "scheduled" or confined to a convenient time slot. Ceremony is constantly shifting and changing, and no two Ceremonies are the same, ever, because no two days are the same, even no two moments are the same. To mindlessly repeat the same ceremony over and over again (think church or some misguided new age ceremonies masquerading as Indigenous) is to be totally insensitive to the movement of the Spirit.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

Achieving the Goal of "Saying NO to nuclear power and mountain top coal mining"

2011-04-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

In the midst of the intense energy crisis - Earth Changes -that is exploding worldwide, we are achieving a humble goal of saying NO to nuclear power and mountain top coal mining, which are the two primary sources of electricity in this area. Our lights have come on through the power of the Sun!!! The photo above shows the lit up ceiling fan, and through no intentional planning, the Taino petroglyph of the Sun is in the background on a canvas over the window, which incidentally faces South, the same directions as our solar panels.

It need become no more clear to anyone upon this planet that the conventional methods of generating electricity are destroying life, not matter how much the top execs, governments and media try to downplay the problems. From the oil leaking for 3 months last year in only one of the many oil leaks that have gone on and continue to go on, to the devastation of mountains through aggressive and dirty coal mining practices, to this latest explosion of dirty energy with the nuclear plant meltdowns and the poisoning of the Oceans with radioactive water, the placing of material gain above spiritual principles has driven this situation to a point of posing a real deadly threat to life itself upon our Mother Earth within a period of only hundreds of years, endangering a development of life that has taken billions of years. This in and of itself is a crime against all of life.

And even while this evil enters its death spasms seeking to take all life with it, voices of not only protest but also action have been arising from all around the globe. We are not so grandious to think that our unplugging from the grid will be but a drop in the gourd, but we do know that it will not be a drop in the basket, for the basket leaks water, and the gourd does not. It is in spite of the energy of ridicule that has been thrown in our direction more than once, that we have persisted in our battle to make different choices and to lighten our footsteps upon our Mother Earth. For us it is more than a material choice, it is a spiritual choice and it is a way for us to project our voice into the spiritual world, letting the Misterios know that not only do we disagree through words with the devilish way Mother Earth is being attacked but that we also disagree through actions and through the many sacrifices and headaches that it has taken to make this a reality, because it was not easy to pull this together, the battle was not only material but also spiritual. Ironically (or not) our lights have turned on at the same time as rolling blackouts are hitting Japan and at the same time as radiation from Fukushima is flooding the entire planet, making clear the point that our off grid PV system is not a "cool gadget, novelty, or luxury" but an absolute necessity and that we made the right choice in going the harder road to a sustainable form of energy rather than just hooking into the - cheaper in dollar but far more expensive in cost of life- grid.

With the powering up of our PV system, we become far more conscious and considerate of our energy usage. We are embracing this change of consciousness and change of lifestyle because it is the way to make our humble contribution to the future of Life, whether it is in the material world or spiritual world. There was a point upon Mother Earth when the sheer amount of radiation did not permit life, and that time may come about again through the devilish actions of a small number of evil people upon this earth and the ignorance and powerlessness of many. As people of tradition, we know that the material world is a manifestation of a much greater world, the spiritual world, and that our choices in the material world also are inscribed within the spiritual world. We all have to face that spiritual world upon our Death, there are no exclusions, and at that point we will truly see the depth and relevance of our actions.

Meanwhile, we have been working for a long time to make this a reality and we are greatly appreciating the transformation of Sun Power to House Power!

Purification Ceremony for Here and Japan!

2011-04-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

Ndoki Malo

2011-03-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

http://caribbeanspiritualityandunderstanding.blogspot.com/

For those who look at the many serious calamities that are now occurring upon our Mother Earth, with eyes unblinded by denial, agendas, or confusion, there is no other word to utilize to describe what is occurring: Ndoki Malo. As we continue to watch with horror, anger, and profound concern the losing struggle to contain the Fukushima nuclear disaster, we witness an Ndoki who has gotten completely out of the control of its "handlers". Something has been 'created' that cannot be contained. Not even the most powerful 121,000 brujos (witchdoctors) could bring this under control. It is a horrific case of an Ndoki running wild and ultimately ingesting those that created it.

Radioactive materials have, since beyond Ancient Times, been contained by our Mother Earth, and at a certain point Mother Earth's climates, weather patterns and the delicate balance of many Spirits (elements) allowed plants, animals and humans to thrive. This delicate balance of Spirits allowed a continual renewal to occur upon Mother Earth's surface as generation followed generation. Although humans did come to mine out iron, copper and other valuable metals and minerals, which in turn came to be abused, misused and became environmental hazards to all plants, animals and people, this went to a totally different level when a small number of extremely psychopathic and arrogant individuals removed deadly radioactive substances from the internal organs of Mother Earth, had the short sighted greed to refine them and utilize them to destroy other human beings and ecosystems, as well as to generate vast amounts of energy that just contributed to speeding up the ability of people to develop more pollution and toxicity. This was termed "progression", however at a cost to all the Earth and her many people (plants, animals and humans). The removal of these extremely powerful Spirits (Uranium, Plutonium, etc) from Mother Earth, by people who were and continue to be ignorant of higher Spiritual Principles, led to the releasing of an Ndoki Malo upon the Earth, as never seen before by any of us.

As Brujos understand, Ndoki Malo is not easily controlled and will, eventually consume the one who released it, but sometimes not before consuming innocent family members first. With this understanding and principle in mind, we must look honestly at this nuclear catastrophy and the Spiritual implications as well as the accumulating health implications. The desire for power over superseded common sense and natural senses of self-preservation, and this desire, greed and arrogance continues unchecked in spite of all evidence that this obsession with power over will lead to total annihilation, not only of those culpable for the many abuses of power over but for all those innocent people who are powerless at the whim of these maniacs. There is nothing "natural" about this disaster, and nothing "natural" about consciously removing these highly destructive elements from the depths of Mother Earth and thinking that they will ultimately be controlled.

Although this arrogance believes that it "creates and destroys" in fact it is only Misterio that creates and destroys, and this is a case where a Spirit has been released that is not stoppable, not controllable and its self-designated "handlers" cannot even tell themselves the horrible truth about what has occurred. They continue to attempt to contain water in a basket, the water now being the ocean water, the basket being a broken nuclear power plant, whose ultimate meltdown is occurring and was obviously going to occur from the first viewing of the exploded power plant. Broken walls cannot possibly contain water.

Odu speaks of the chirp of the death beetle who sounds its chirp when death is near. When we think back to just last year we saw the rupturing of one of Mother Earth's blood vessels, and unimaginable gallons spilling into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico day after day, week after week and even month after month. Chemicals were sprayed into the Gulf which effectively made the oil invisible, and unfortunately it seems these days, what is out of sight, is out of mind. The effective chirping of the death beetle was silenced, ignored and business continued as usual. Less than a year later, another disaster associated with the ABUSE OF POWER, or POWER OVER and with the OCEAN, has occurred and this time the death beetle chirped again, loudly, and for those of us who live at a distance from this death zone, this death beetle's chirping has alerted us to prepare for what may well escalate to a worse case scenario of nuclear fallout in our wind, rains, soils, plants, animals, children, elders, and ourselves for decades, centuries even, to come. For those who live in close proximity there was no warning as Kalunga came ashore, powered by the shaking of Tiembla Tierra within her depths. She came ashore with an evident rage, destroying, with her face of fury, with her energy of destruction, reminding us all that she is more powerful than us, and she broke the man made structure that was containing this Ndoki, and out that Ndoki is spewing, pooling and puddling, leaking and gassing out, already spreading globally.

In our divination about this disaster, several important points have come forth.

Those that perpetrated this crime against humanity (past and present) are operating under a false sense of superiority, entitlement, and authority which, Spiritually they completely lack. They are operating "without licensia" and attempting to "play god and king", wrapped up in an ultra-hatred for Nsambi (Great Mystery).

In a sense it is an entrapment created by those who appointed themselves writers of laws (rules and regulations). The regulators of this industry in particular have created a trap that now entraps us all, including them. It is irrelevant what weapons they possess, because in this situation those weapons are useless. These people made themselves the "authority (king)" without the spiritual recognition of Nsambia and the Mpungos. These are the same people with the same consciousness who massacred the true authorities upon the Earth (Indigenous Traditions and Indigenous Ancestors). These self-appointed rulers, authorities, regulators, (psychopaths) have, without a doubt, a massive spiritual void within themselves which is slowly consuming them like a cancer and has been for thousands of years.

The Misterio who lives at the very depths of the Ocean is who has awakened at this time and has triggered this disaster, this is a Misterio known only to the Misterios of Life itself, but we know that it does not tolerate arrogance, especially the arrogance that pretends to be more powerful than Earth and her Cosmic Womb and the Mpungos of Creation themselves!

The spiritual void of these "few" and an obsessive greed to fill this void with power over, is robbing the Earth of clean, healthy food, clean water, and most importantly of the natural blessings that are upon her. It is important to remember that the nuclear disaster is a culmination of many abusive behaviors from the creation of GMOs in the food supply, factory farming, industrial waste thrown into soil, rivers, air, and ocean, weapons of mass pollution, mining, and so much more. We cannot see it in isolation from everything else, and we must see its spewing as the ramification of this behavior, as this disaster was inevitable, it was going to happen somewhere sooner or later.

We all come from the Oceans, our bodies still reflect the balance of the salts and minerals of the Oceans. The Oceans have given us life, and are the sources of great richness and nutrition upon the Earth. It is an interesting point that plants, such as seaweed from the ocean can actually help us to overcome radiation exposure. Nonetheless we cannot lose sight of the fact that the Ocean came upon the Land, and lanced open this "boil, infection, abscess" which is now erupting. And we know that the Ocean comes to destroy within the process of renewal but we do not know if we will be present for the renewal process that follows the destruction. This Earth took billions of years in her evolution to be able to support life, and then millions more to be able to support this human experience which is so full of natural ache (blessings) which have been so abused, misused, and exploited. In only the last 500 years so much destruction of our Mother has taken place that she is virtually unrecognizable. The Earth herself cannot be destroyed but our human experience can. We need to understand that this is an unforgivable crime that is taking place. As spiritual beings having a human experience, there is a line that cannot be crossed, when you are activating and awakening an Ndoki that you have no knowledge and control of how to stop it. That line has been crossed, irreversibly. There is no return.

This disaster is also pointing to generations of neglect of the Ancestors and Indigenous traditions. We need to remember that these self-appointed authorities have been caught red handed in terms of stealing Spiritual Traditions (Stolen Legacy). However they failed to understand the legacy they stole, and so it has lead to this. Rather than honestly admitting that they have lost control, the hypocrisy and double-talk continues, as they seem suicidal in their obsession to continue the abusive behavior right up to the very end. The blood that they drink is the blood that will consume them. The Medicine that they stole from our Indigenous Traditions will consume them. They are masters of hiding but have run out of hiding places. No one can hide from nuclear fall out.

They have built their underground cities to hide in, forgetting that people cannot hide from the Sun. People get sick, diseased and die when removed from the Sun. We remember that the Taino in the Myth had to leave out of the Cave to continue evolution. There is no going back underground. This is an extreme form of denial, and a tremendous waste of resources.

One foot stands in the house, the other in the grave. This is a very serious situation that is at the threshold of life and death. Choices are critical for us all, collectively and individually. This is not a situation to be complacent and feel that one is okay because one is at a distance, for this is and will affect us globally. Illness will, without a doubt, come from this, especially to those who are unprepared and already in a weakened state of mind, body and Spirit. The weakened immune system is especially vulnerable. Take precautionary measures to optimize ones health and immune system. Do the research beyond the idiot box as to what are the best foods, minerals, and supplements to take for protection against radiation. Above all else turn to Ancestors for strength, wisdom and protection, and for those of us who have Nkisi, it is time to strengthen our practices.

Simbi Sambi

Uphold that which Holds You Up!

RAVEN

2011-03-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Raven has made himself known very strongly at the Land, first attracting our attention on a day when we were working within the Munanso, as a group of crows were trying to get Raven to move away. His call was distinctive. Again he returned several days later when we were putting up our solar array (which in itself was very significant). Raven is a deeply and powerfully spiritual bird.

Ravens are highly intelligent birds with larger than average brains, the ability to invent techniques to allow them to thrive, such as dropping stones on predators who are trying to steal their young. Raven brings to attention several important points. They store away nourishment and will go to great extents to hide their store carefully from other Ravens. They generally mate for life and the mates will fiercely defend their territory. The adults have no predators.

The Raven appeared here at at time when the Ravens are laying their eggs, initiating the process bringing forth the next generation. And since Raven is very rare for this area we were very grateful to have this beautiful bird appear, especially with its connections to the Brujo/ Bohitu. Raven is bringing several messages forth, here. One is to be prepared in terms of nourishment. The Raven will eat almost anything which allows him to adapt to many different situations. Similarly we must also think ahead and strengthen our movements to be self-sustainable in terms of food and water. Coming at a time when we are witnessing a nuclear crisis which continues day to day, Ravens message also carries messages of being prepared to eat those foods that are not necessarily usual for us in order to strengthen our bodies to be able to detoxify from the higher toxicity and radiation levels that ultimately will be spread world wide on the winds.

Raven is also Creative and is associated with many creative energies, and the power of Creation itself. Raven finds solutions and does not waste time with the often celebrated "trial and error". Raven Observes, Raven Divines, and Raven finds the Solution. Raven is bringing the message to us that we need to fully embrace our Creative Resources and put them into action without using the excuse of "trial and error" to waste countless hours on dead ends. Raven is telling us to use our Energies (Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual) more wisely and more productively.

Raven looks into the world of the Dead and the world of the Living. Raven is found all over the World. When we look at Raven's migrations to this continent we find some very interesting points. The Chihuahuan Raven came over here 2 million years ago and developed in isolation from what is called the Common Raven who perhaps arrived here with the supposed human migration over the Berring Strait Land Bridge. The issue of human migrations to this continent are very controversial, and until all the evidence is put on the table without the agendas, it will continue to be controversial and manipulated. What is interesting is that Raven migrated here, perhaps alongside People, but that there were 2 "waves" of Ravens arrival, the earlier wave migrated South, the later wave migrated North. Raven not only looks into the world of the Dead, but Raven has been a witness to the lives of the Dead, and holds the secrets of the Dead.

With Raven's connections to Creation, Raven is connected to the Sun. The second time we saw Raven at the Land was the day we were putting our solar panels up. We had been discussing the nuclear meltdown that is going on and the insanity of the ongoing behavior of denial and recklessness that continues, despite disaster after disaster (oil spill and nuclear crisis being only two) that is clearly saying STOP. We were putting up our little solar panels that really are very small but will give us virtually all the electrical power that we need, and noting that a profound transformation is necessary globally, and also admiring the small amount of space necessary to be able to collect the Rays from the Sun to power our home. Our panels signify to us the need for us to adapt our behaviors (which we will need to do as we come to have to treat energy with more respect and eliminate any energy "leaks"), and Raven came reflecting that message.

The Energies of this Year

2011-03-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, I remember many conversations that we had in Maisiti Yukayeke Taino regarding the "EARTH CHANGES" that we knew were coming and the NEED for preparation- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Years have passed and we find ourselves within the midst of these EARTH CHANGES.

Many people are emphasizing the significance of 2012, and what is coming during this year of prophetic importance, and I always say, you cannot get to 2012, before moving through 2011 as it is the energies of 2011 which lead us into 2012.

In our Munanso through our Divination of the Year back in the beginning of the Yearly Cycle, we know that this is a year that marks a very significant CHOICE or series of choices that will guides us towards progression or towards disaster. The Divination tells us the ENERGIES that we will be moving within as a Munanso, but also within the world that we can touch, see and hear. As the year progresses we realize the physical manifestations of these Energies, which give us greater insight into the messages of the Divination.

It is with great alarm and heart-ache that we witness the particular manifestation of the story of Divination within what is going on in Japan and the global threat that is developing with alarming speed with a nuclear plant near total meltdown, sending its poison into the world wide winds. Our Munanso's Divination spoke in general terms of a highly heated energy that becomes so volatile that it overflows its boundaries, spills and pools. This dangerous image reflects in what we now see in front of us.

Looking in more deeply to the Energies, we know that this year and the events that are occurring worldwide, are fast propelling us into a crossroads where we individually and more importantly collectively must make critical choices, especially the most critical choice- to return to a loving and holistic relationship with our Mother Earth. As horrifying as current evens are, we are being given a clear warning, and although that warning may be only moments away from the oncoming calamity, it does allow us a chance to prepare. As unexpected as Tsunamis are, there is a subtle shift in the Ocean moments before, allowing those who are sensitive and know what to look for, precious moments to escape calamity.

As we stand right within these energies of changes and choices, volatility, danger, and transitions, we know that a world is dying and a world is being born. Our Mother Earth herself is responding to the extraordinary level of toxicity generated by human beings, and every cause has an effect. The non-sustainable burns itself out or sets itself on a crash course to disaster and disintegration. Our time to Reconcile with Our Mother Earth is now, and our moments of preparation are just that much shorter. For those who choose to bury their heads in the sand and live in the denial of these Earth Changes, time does not alter its movement, no more than a Tsunami flows around someone in denial because they are not mentally prepared to deal with its reality.

This a year of "now or never", and not a time to say, "oh I will get to that later", it is a time to look honestly and deeply at every aspect of one's life and surroundings with courage. At this time upon the Earth, a majority of crises are related closely to ENERGY- OIL, NUCLEAR, COAL, closely related to POWER. In this world in which societies have become obsessed with power-over, a power crisis has developed. Since this whole global society is built upon the dependency on these toxic power sources, the whole global society is in a POWER CRISIS or ENERGY CRISIS, that promises only to get worse. Our Indigenous Traditions knew and continue to know that the only True Power is Power Within. This is at the Heart of the Choice in front of us all- GLOBALLY.

Let us not forget those courageous people who at this very moment are sacrificing their life to approach the deadly nuclear plant and desperately trying to contain this poison to protect us globally, much like during the meltdown at Chernobyl and those who literally committed sacrificial suicide to try to contain the radiation, and who died from radiation sickness because of it. Today others are making that deadly choice and their sacrifice must not be in vain, and we cannot close our hearts to the violence that these abuses of power over have brought to our Sacred Mother Earth.

SERIOUS CHANGES, ALERT!

2011-03-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

There are serious changes underway in our World, we are beyond if or when the Earth Changes come upon us, we are in the midst of these Earth Changes. Do not think that what is going on in Japan affects only the Japanese, this is the 11th hour wake up call to us all, or the death beetle that chirps when when Death is near. Pay attention to the smallest noises. Common Sense is of the essence, because we cannot depend on global authorities/ maniacs to give us the truth about what is going on.

Building the Solar Barn- A Reality Manifesting....

2011-02-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

Energy and Power is essential within this experience and we are finding that there is a global explosion going on over the resources of energy and power. Mountains are being ripped up in the Appalacian Mountains to mine coal that supplies approximately half the electricity in this area, huge resources are being diverted for nuclear power which still has no plan of action for dealing with its toxic waste and byproducts, fracking is destroying water systems in upstate NY to supply gas, and it seems that most people have forgotten already of the ongoing devastation caused by the oil spill in the Gulf, not to mention wars devastating lives over the resource of oil.

At this time the best resource available to those who need electricity but who want to have the lowest negative impact on Mother Earth, is the photovoltaic system or wind turbines. They do use components made from metals, plastics and other resources, however once made they harness the energy from the Sun or Wind- TWO POWERFUL MISTERIOS- to generate electricity! We have chosen to use the Photovoltaic system to collect energy from the Misterio of the Sun to generate electricity for our home and workshop.

It all begins with design, and we have designed the home itself to use very little electricity, with many carefully selected choices that involve much research and consideration. Once the home is designed to be as efficient as possible, the PV system is selected and we have selected a system that is a 2205 Watt system complete with a 16 battery bank made of deep cycle 6 V batteries for energy storage for nights and cloudy/ stormy days.

Here we are building the "solar barn" which will have the solar panels on the roof and batteries and inverter and other components inside. It also has room for a generator and also a garden workshop.

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Since we had a large amount of grading and tree stumps to take out we rented a backhoe to handle this part. Since we needed to create an open space so that the panels would get direct sunlight all day, we had to cut down a number of trees, which all are being used and which have also been replaced with hundreds of native trees which we have planted all around the land, and will continue to plant.

Here careful measuring is needed to get the barn foundation square. We used concrete piers sunken in the ground to secure the barn. We designed the solar barn ourselves as it required a very precise orientation towards the Sun and required a precise and unusual roof angle. The snow delayed us a little as we needed to shovel it out of our way.

Anani is involved with every aspect, even if just observing at times, as she learns first hand the amount of work it takes to set up a system that can generate electricity. This way she will always respect the energy for the house and learn to be as conscious as possible in terms of not wasting energy. This is a hands on aspect of her "Earth Schooling" which will continue to give her many lessons as over the years we dig deeper and deeper into the system, understanding the mechanical, electrical and chemical laws and reactions taking place. As Nganguleros (Bohitus) we also look deeply at the system in terms of Misterios and what Mysteries are present right within the system.

Here the foundation is laid out, again Anani is involved and learning in a natural unforced way about physical laws, mechanics, design, and also how to overcome adversities and unexpected events.

Looking down from the house loft window the floor of the barn can be seen. Its dimensions are 28 feet long by 7 feet wide.

Since we are siding the barn with a board and batten siding we are building it in a timber frame style. On side is 5 feet tall, the other is 10.5 feet tall this gives us a roof angle of 38 degrees perfect of the average angle needed to keep the panels roughly perpendicular to the Sun's rays year round.

Rafters (2"x6") are set from the high roof down to the low roof giving a generous overhang on the lower side. The upper side will have a second roof extending downward over a porch that runs the length of the barn.

We are using metal roofing that comes in 2 foot wide sheets. We chose metal roofing because metal roofing lasts many, many years, much longer than asphalt shingles and since our solar panels are good for at least 25 years we do not want a roofing that would require us to change it after 20 years or so. This metal roofing will last years and can also be re-purposed/ reused if we every choose to redesign the solar barn.

We begin to frame up the walls, framing where windows and doors will go. Since the board and batten siding adds structural strength we do not need to use the typical house framing technique and can use less studs.

From the south side (true south which is significantly different from magnetic south), the roof is almost complete and the boards are starting to go up.

From the north side, you can see Kao putting up the boards, she has been working for a couple days on all the boards after carefully designing the windows for the garden workshop side of the barn. Vents will go up high on the battery room to vent out any dangerous gasses.

The battery room gets insulation because batteries don't like to get too cold (it shortens their life). We are not very happy with this type of insulation but the natural insulation we used in our house is much more expensive and our budget simply could not stretch for that. No one is going to be sleeping in this barn so we came to an agreement to use the foam board. The far left side is going to be a very well vented area for our generator that is back up for the PV system if we have too many grey days or if we have a need for additional power. It is our goal to minimize the use of this generator!

Kao is up on the roof putting up the solar mounting racks which are lag screwed through the metal roof into wood bracing below. The solar panels will be bolted onto the mounts. The mounting racks must be set at precise measurements and there is no room for error.

The windows in the garden workshop part of the barn are windows we salvaged from the hay auction. They are nice double glazed windows that allow a lot of light into the garden workshop.

Using multiple ladders makes it a little easier to move around on the roof. You can see the solar mounts lined up in parallel to each other.

We have 9 solar panels of 245 Watts each. They are big but relatively light. The little thin cells are the parts that capture the Sun's energy and turn it into DC electricity. Later we will show the various components that will turn the DC electricity into AC electricity that can be used by lights and appliances in the home.

With the ongoing depletion of our Mother Earth's resources, it is essential to find alternate ways to provide the electricity and power that has become "normal" for us. Early on in the process we were given a very good piece of advice which was to first reduce our electrical needs to about 10% of their current use. This is possible through choices of appliances and design choices, as well as being more respectful and mindful of turning off lights when not needed. Having a PV system requires a great deal of initial effort to set it up and an ongoing monitoring of the system, especially the batteries. It requires one become acutely aware of ones electrical consumption and the source of one's energy (Sun).

Bateys in the Late Winter

2011-02-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

After the snow has finally melted, we can see a slow green returning to the Bateys as grass begins to sprout after its winter dormancy. Although the weather continues to be cold, the grass and the trees are responding to the increase in daylight and a haze is seen around the trees which is the buds that are growing that will become flowers and leaves. As we move into Spring the buds will create a muted reflection of the colors of the Fall leaves, before they become the bright green leaves of the summer. In this transformation we realize that the beginning of a cycle often foreshadows or reflects the eventual culmination of that cycle, although the cycle moves through a phase that looks completely different from its beginning or end. We can also say that the Fall leaf colors predict or reflect the bud colors of Spring.

At this time on the Land we are busy organizing and preparing for Spring, for when Spring does arrive there is an acceleration of energy that requires great activity in order to stay centered and productive within it.

Inriri (Woodpecker)

2011-01-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

(Click on photo to enlarge)

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

2011-01-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

(Click on images to enlarge)

Winter Views of the Bateys

2011-01-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

(Click on photos to enlarge)

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

2011-01-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

Click on photo to enlarge for better view

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

2011-01-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

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.

Much Love!!!

2010-12-31T16:03:00.000-08:00

Much Peace Love!
May this New Cycle have Solutions to the Obstacles of the Passing Year so that they do not affect what is awaiting to be Confronted, Transmuted and Uplifted for the Benefit of Good Relations!
May this New Cycle bring the Healing of Mother Earth to the Priority of ALL Peoples,
There is only one Resolution, which is to Thrive and to overcome all Obstacles and Enslavement that face Our Mother Earth and her People!
May the Ancestors Resonate Deep in the Bone Marrow of Our Skeletal Structure!
Taino Ti
Nsala Malongo
And all those Good Things!

The Koki Medicine Clan

2010-12-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

The Koki Medicine Clan is a Medicine Clan dedicated to the Ancestors and Misterios, rooted in the understanding that our lives today emanate from the lives of the Ancestors and are a continuation of the lives of the Ancestors, who understood and understand the thriving and abundance that comes from a profound relationship with the powerful Misterios of Life. We love and honor all the Misterios, from the powerful phenomenon of the Hurakan, the Misterios of Sun, Moon, Floods, Death, Agriculture, to the many Spirits of all the trees, herbs, plants, soils, minerals, and animals.

Our Taino Ancestors understood the profound spiritual "juice" that allowed them to see beyond the material reality and to be able to "pull" profound Misterios into Cemis that create a spiritual-material meeting point where life and death stand on the cross roads and we are able to speak inside both worlds! Our Ancestors were able to bring into the material world the intelligence of Misterio into a form that would communicate wisdom to them. In the Koki Medicine Clan we follow this camino of profound spiritual understanding and expression, and in the here and now we, to our capacity in this world, also pull these Misterios who bless us with their manifestation. This spiritual juice cannot be bought and to sell it is to prostitute it, it comes from the depth of the Ancestral Trail of this Koki Medicine. Koki Medicine is about Truth, in full understanding of the many agendas and distortions that are all too common among our people and traditions (globally) today.

Koki is the tree frog, who calls to its mother Atabey for the nourishing rains to allow the trees, plants, crops and ALL life to flourish. Koki is also the calling of the children of our Ancestors who long for the Spiritual Vibrancy of the Ancestral Past, who call out to those Misterios who had retreated due to the corruption of this world, who call forth the abundance of Indigenous Traditions, and the Reconciliation with Mother Earth in all her manifestations, who call forth for a re-emergence of the Sacred Medicine!

The Koki Medicine Clan follows the direction of the Ancestors and Misterios and follows the Internal Calling for Reconciliation with Mother Earth so that we all (globally) may once again have abundance and thriving in our lives, which comes naturally from a holistic and loving relationship with our Mother Earth. Our Cemis are born from many elements and through many processes which allows us to understand their Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Vibrancy which is much greater than individualism or materialism. We have our ways of communicating with our Cemis, and they speak profoundly always.

Koki Medicine is rooted firmly in Ancestors and Misterios, and Ancestors and Misterios have lead us clearly to grow Gardens, to plant Trees, to plant Medicinal Herbs, to create Bateys and Spiritual Points upon the Land of the Sacred Heart of Life that has been trusted unto us to caretake and whose healing process is also ours! Ancestors and Misterios have led us to be where we are, not in our Island Homelands but on a vast continent whose profound Indigenous Traditions of Agriculture and Gardening continue to vibrate today where this beautiful land is honored and respected. It is an expansion of a Cemis, (or Fundamento) which creates a space which vibrates and surges with Spirit, in contrast with the largely depleted and suffocated areas which reside on all sides, poisoned by decades of chemical poisoning.

Koki Medicine has been on a long trail, and not an easy trail, to come to the point of its present manifestation. Many obstacles have arrived and have been overcome in this journey of manifestation, and sadly there have been many voices of animosity and derision. The Ancestors have always provided a way to overcome obstacles and to protect from the arrows of animosity and envy. We are very blessed and grateful to be on this Koki Medicine Trail of Abundance and Reconciliation!

The Ancestors have lead us to bring a strong emphasis on growing our food and medicine, and bringing a diversity of plants and trees to the Land. We grow many things, some of which sustain us during the winter as well as the summer. Our heat and much cooking fuel comes primarily from fallen trees from the Land, and every year we plant hundreds more trees to more than compensate for what we use. We make many herbal medicines from our plants that build up the immune system and help to bring harmony to imbalances in the body. We make spiritual baths from our plants for spiritual healing and balance and we make herbal teas from our plants to bring nutrition and balance to that aspect of the spirit that is physical. We grow our food with our hands, using no fossil fuel to cultivate, but respecting our Mother Earth by getting our hands "dirty" with that most precious resource- good organic garden soil! As we evolve spiritually we evolve in this material world bringing the spiritual intelligence to resonate in holistic choices within life, which includes the choice to Earth School.

The Ancestors understood clearly that the education of the Children must be with the Families, Communities to allow the children to develop a healthy relationship with the Misterios of Life. They understood and we understand that education is not to ram disconnected information formulated by people and groups who have ulterior motives and conflicts of interests down the throats of the chidren. Education is to allow the intelligence and Spirits of the Children to interrelate with a healthy environment and to be guided by the Elders to understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy. Earth Schooling is our term for the schooling that our daughter is engaging directly with our Mother Earth, and with the manifestations of the Misterios (the Medicines, Cemis, Nkisis) and with our wisdom and experience gained through our lives. Earth Schooling is a holistic approach to education that is absolutely INDIGENOUS in ESSENCE!

Koki Medicine is rooted in the Ancestors and Misterios and extends its vibration and love and concern into all dimensions of our lives and those who come into its realms. Koki Medicine is transformative, and continues to transform our lives and the manifestation of the Land of the Sacred Heart of Life, including all the Bateys, Bohio, Munansos, and Sacred Gardens and Forests! Koki Medicine Calls forth Justice and Truth, and the respect for Indigenous Traditions and Indigenous Spirituality. Koki Medicine is not fooled by pretenders, and those with negative agendas, or those who seek to manipulate and distort, Koki Medicine is not fooled by "power over" or the superficiality of appearance. Koki Medicine is about the beauty of living with love and humility close to Atabey our Earth Mother, is about the abundance of healthy food, natural medicines, holistic education, and natural resources to thrive. Koki Medicine is about bringing a voice and action of healing and living in a respectful way upon Atabey. Koki Medicine is about the Profound Love of the Ancestors who continue to stand rooted in the Profound Love of the Misterios of Life and the Great Mystery of Life, which is the Root of this whole manifestation that we call Universe.

Achieving One of Our Goals in Sustainability- Winter Harvest!

2010-12-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

Every night now the frost sweeps through the hills and forests around us. All the tender plants have collapsed, discolored to the Earth, returning quickly to her to become soil as the freezing temperatures destroy their delicate leaves and stems. The trees stand naked, stretching upwards with their expressive trunks ranging from deep brown to grey and silver and even purplish hues. We watch carefully the depth of the frost every night to determine when to pull out our potatoes whose delicate stems and leaves have long since disappeared to the chill of winter. We consider whether to mulch over them with straw and leaves and leave them within the natural winter refrigerator of Mother Earth or to pull them out before the frost penetrates to their depth and store them in a cool room or basement.

Meanwhile behind a crate of potatoes the garlic begins its cycle of growth, just pushing up above the compost, impervious to the chill of winter. Little by little we pull the potatoes from the Earth, looking to see what condition they are in. They are crisp, with perfect skins, red, purple, yellow, delicate fingerlings, russets. They are the legacy of Indigenous Wisdom and generations of careful plant selection from our Relatives of the South- Genius Gardeners, Genius Plant Breeders, Genius Botanists, who continue to gift us the Potato which embodies not only incredible nutrition but also the wisdom of these generations, the Ancestors!

For us Sustainability is not only an ideal, but it is also deeply ingrained within the choices and actions that we take everyday. These purple Potatoes skins glisten with a deep purple color and when cut open an intense purple with fascinating designs within it is visible. The energy of them is striking. Although purple potatoes, red potatoes, yellow and fingerlings can be purchased at a health food store or in the gourmet section of the not so local supermarket at times, the texture, the crispness and the earthy smell of these freshly dug potatoes is in a world of its own in comparison. The difference is in the Spirit, the Vitality of the potato itself. While research has shown that organically grown food and specifically homegrown food is in general more nutritious than the ordinary supermarket equivalent, this does not acknowledge the Spirit. What we eat becomes incorporated into our physical, mental and spiritual bodies, and food that is produced by machinery, by chemical onslaught and then shipped thousands of miles has a depleted Spirit, and then we eat that depleted spirit. Our vegetables are complete hand raised! Our garden beds do not see a plow or chemical and we incorporate spiritual practices directly into the growing of them.

It is common knowledge (to many) that our Taino Ancestors buried medicine right with the plants in the form of stone Cemis, directly linking Spiritual-Ancestral Power and Wisdom with the Agricultural process. This was in addition to other natural additives that they enhanced the soil with (bat feces, etc). This was (and continues for us to be) all about bringing the Ancestral Spirit, Mpungo and the Spirit of Mother Earth together along with our own Spirit and Energy within the planting and harvesting process. Additionally attention is given to the Moon and other Celestial movements to bring further vitality to the food which will nourish the body, mind and Spirit!

Rather than fighting to grow tomatoes in a green house with all kinds of burning of fuels to heat it and bring light to it to force a tomato to grow in winter or to burn fuels bringing a hard, flavorless tomato thousands of miles, we "GROW WITH THE FLOW"! Here we harvest arugula and mustard greens which will survive many nights of frost before succumbing to the cold much later in the winter. While these plants struggle to survive the onslaught of bugs in the spring and turn bitter and stringy in the heat of summer, they stay tender and crisp at this time of year, totally free from pests.

Meanwhile in the cold frames our lettuce is growing in abundance interspersed with cold loving greens like mache, endive, cress, strawberry spinach, spinach, swiss chard and cilantro. These will continue to thrive throughout winter and as soon as the light starts to return in the new year they will resume their rapid rate of growth. The cold frames allow us to eat fresh greens all through winter with no fuel input other than the radiant heat of the Sun! (Below: dark green spinach in the center, lettuce to the left and mache to the right).

While as adults our sensitivities may have become numbed due to years of consuming spirit-less highly processed foods or limp tasteless vegetables, canned veggies or frozen veggies, we can see in our children a sharper mirror image of the vitality or lack of vitality of the foods that are eaten. In an infant who is first eating vegetables after months of only Momma's Milk we see a Spiritual-Mental Leap that takes place in the child's development when they begin to taste the various vegetables! And it is a well known fact to those who follow the research that children who eat wholesome organic and homegrown or garden grown vegetables, meats, eggs and fruits are healthier and more mentally alert, more able to learn and develop. The children are a sensitive mirror of the facts of healthy living, and healthy living IS Natural Living, IS Sustainable Living, IS Living with Sensitivity to Spirit within the continued movement of the Spirit of Our Ancestors!!!

There is an prevalent arrogance especially in so called "developed" countries where some people look down at those who "Live from/ with the Earth", derogatory phrases such as "subsistence farming" are utilized by ignorant and arrogant people. These people forget that their sustenance also comes from the Earth although they may be desensitized to this fact through distance from the source of their food and an array of plastic and metal barriers between themselves and the Fertile Earth! Working as Tainos and as Paleros with Our Mother Earth directly is a great blessing in multiple dimensions, from an abundance of vital nutrients, rich and vibrant textures and colors year around, the beneficial exercise and mental stimulation (positive vibration!) that comes from working with Our Mother, and an Ancestral Connection to all those Ancestors stretching back generations who also worked with the Earth directly. From the most miniscule of soil bacteria that is invisible to our eye (Mycobacterium vaccae) we learn what we already know: working with the Earth stimulates Serotonin (hormone linked with feelings of well being, decreased stress and anxiety and increased ability to learn) (Note to Paleros: Think FUNDAMENTO)! Our Camino within this Physical Experience of Atabey (Mother Earth) is inextricably linked to growing that which Nourishes us directly from her rich, fertile soils! The ignorant term "subsistence living" gives us images of depressed people struggling to grow a straggly bunch of crops from poor, abused and compacted soil. Nothing could be further from the Truth as Our Taino Ancestors and all Our Ancestors from this whole Continent understood very well, Growing "crops" in the permaculture style of the Past and utilizing the Indigenous Practices of Agriculture contains within it a whole University of Wisdom, Knowledge and Positive Spiritual- Mental Development; a healthy body, mind and Spirit!!!

Perro

2010-11-22T07:14:00.000-08:00

This is the short eared dog found in the Amazon, Orinoco and Parana Basins, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia. It lives in the tropical rainforests and moves very lightly on its feet. It is a very elusive, shy dog that avoids people. It has half webbed feet and eats fish, and berries and is carnivorous. The males are smaller than the females and the males are loners who are quickly excluded from the all female pack once they have mated. This dog is only about a foot high!

Gulf Syndrome

2010-11-18T07:04:00.000-08:00

Gary Null's documentary "Gulf War Syndrome: Killing our own" is a very important and deeply disturbing and awakening documentary on the cover up of the true nature of the "Gulf War Syndrome". It comes highly recommended and regardless of what perspective one is coming from, one cannot help but be deeply shaken by Gary's information. We suggest that everyone seek out this documentary because it contains vital information concerning the true cost of the gulf wars, and the true death toll, which will extend into the future generations through the use of uranium and depleted uranium. These practices are poisoning our GLOBAL environment far beyond the imaginable future and wreaking heart rending disease and sickness in the populations of that area, in the troops, in their future children and in a exponential escalation in childhood cancers and congenital disease in the children of Iraq.

This documentary will disturb you. And as Indigenous People we must not shy away from this information, we must not close our eyes and ears to the images and words, because what we see is history repeating, over and over again. From the small pox blankets to modern biologic weapons, the violence and hatred for life continues, the willingness to devastate the environment not just for today but for thousands of years into the future continues. This also reminds us of the serial breaking of treaties that has been the standard operation in this continent for 500 years. Men and women risk their lives in a very dangerous situation thinking that they will be taken care of in the event that the dangerous situation sickens or injures them or their families, and that treaty gets broken again and again.

The point here being that if one is faced with a rodent that eats trash (a rat) and you have seen that rat eat trash year after year, generation after generation, and then that rat comes to you saying it is now a dove, only a fool would believe it. For Indigenous People we need to see beyond the propaganda that eludes us that the rat became a dove and see the rat for what it is. And remember prior to the debris of europe washing up on our shores, there were no rats in our continent.

Manifestation of a Vision!

2010-11-13T06:12:00.000-08:00

The two photos below show unlabeled and labeled ariel photos of the Ceremonial Grounds! The photos will enlarge when you click on them for a better view. The view shows about a 4 acre space and the field used to be a hayfield that suffered from years of compaction and previous to that years of fruit farming, it was a field that was all peaches at one point, approximately 15-20 years ago. When we arrived it was all forest entangled with vines and prickly shrubs that one could not walk through. The vines were entrapping and damaging the trees. The field was poor soil and the hay produced poor in quality. Over a period of about 5-6 years it has transformed, step by step to the Ceremonial Grounds that you see below.

In the photos you see the various Bateys, Gardens and Conucos. The Ceremonial Grounds produce all kinds of fruits and vegetables and flowers for our sustenance. The long raspberry patch produces many raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes, and also pollen for the near by Bees who live in the fruit orchard. We have found that the peaches here flourish. The Bees pollenate the fruit trees allowing a greater fruit harvest, and simultaneously produce wax and honey. We have apples, pears, peaches, cherries, walnuts, plums. The gardens also produce an array of medicinal herbs that we also use for spiritual baths and for the purification lodge. The purification lodge itself and fire pit (which together looks like a key) are surrounded by a circular garden of medicinal herbs, many of which are native to this area.

The Conucos are Taino style mounds of soil for planting crops. We tend to plant the squash plants in them. Right next to them is a fenced in garden that this year have produced many potatoes. We apply the practices of crop diversity and crop rotation to eliminate the need for applying chemical pesticides. The diversity of crops attracts beneficial insects and ensures that even if the insects eat one species, many more are available.

The Moon Batey or Moon Circle has a large Circular Garden around the actual Circle and Circular Pathway, and supports a wide diversity of flowers and herbs, as well as many flowering shrubs, including an array of butterfly bushes which attract the butterflies. Many birds find places to make their nests in the Moon Garden. The Moon Batey is surrounded by many trees, including flowering cherries, ginko, birch, magnolia, flowering pear. We have planted many trees which are slowly bringing diversity and shade to the Ceremonial Grounds. We released the vine-entrapped trees from the vines and this allowed them to undergo a strong growth over the last 5 years.

This has been a constantly shifting and changing process. And the Story of this process is vital to remember. We recall how the first thing we did in this "field" was put the horses enclosed in a one strand electric fence in the center. Their manure was the first fertility this field had seen in years. The area where they gathered to eat their hay and leave their manure became the center Garden, which began as a corn garden and transformed over the years many times in terms of design, to the form it is in now.

The central batey started as a roughly outlined circle with some River Stones. It was then filled in and then three gardens developed on its circumference, and finally last year trees planted all around it. The locust trees that have been planted directly in the garden beds help to "fix" nitrogen in the soil, increasing soil fertility. We have continued to use the animal manures and leaves to increase soil fertility.

The space where the purification Lodge is now, has gone through many changes. It began as a spiral garden planted with corn, then became a series of concentric circles planted with quinoa and amaranth (the amaranth self seeded and is still in that space today, coming back each year), finally it became the space for the Purification Lodge which had previously been higher on the hill where some herb beds now are.

The Moon Batey also began as a rough outline with River Stones. We then brought our work horse with his plow in to plow up the soil for the moon garden that surrounds the batey. As the years went by the Moon Batey took shape and now is a sanctuary for many birds and insects. In the forest to the left is the Women's Batey which cannot be seen because of the leaves on the trees. Further up from the Central Batey is the Bohio and two more Bateys in the Forest.

Down by where the Tobacco and Sage Garden now is there used to be a house many years ago. It was one of the homes of the African Nazarite Community. There is nothing left of the house, other than the stones that the neighbor took many years ago (before we arrived) to put on their home. That is another story.

Up in the top right corner are some of the animal fields and if you look closely in the nearest field, top right corner you can see the white alpaca and the dark brown llama hanging out.

This Ceremonial Grounds began taking shape at the same time as Anani was conceived and she has carried an active role in this whole manifestation. The Ceremony prior to her birth took place right within these Ceremonial Grounds, near by where the purification lodge used to be, and close to where her chickens now live. She has been hands on in all the gardens from time she was an infant who would always want to be right in the middle of the action. The only tradition and culture that she knows is this, which is a Living Spiritual Entity inside of her. She knows all about the various plants, what can be eaten, what can't. It is her "classroom" and it is her "library", her science "lab" and her gymnasium!

A Pair of Guaraguao (Hawks)

2010-11-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Red Tail Hawk is a majestic predator who also will scavenge when convenient. We often find him hanging out around a carcass with the Vultures who defer to him and only swoop in once he is finished eating. We also find him flying with the Eagles from time to time. His red tail is easily seen and his size singles him out from the smaller falcons and the very small sparrow hawks. We see him frequently flying in to chase away the falcons who attack our pigeons. It is only very rarely when Red Tail will eat a pigeon, only if he has no other options, whereas the falcons seem to become obsessed with pigeon!

Red Tail transforms in color from summer to winter, he darkens in the winter. Driving down the road we came upon a road killed deer carcass and two hawks who were scavenging. Red Tail Hawk pairs will mate for life and raise their young together every year, they also tend to stay in the same territory and will guard it fiercely!

We noticed that one of the hawks has a tag (a leg band) indicating that this hawk was either released after injured or was part of some kind of research project. They are a protected species and they can be seen all over this area in abundance.

The Red Tails are able to ride the currents and flows within the air and their flight is spectacular to watch. Of course as a predator their eyesight is supreme. When we stopped to watch them they left the carcass and flew up to this tree, however they stare down at us intensely, not giving up their territory or withdrawing their energy from the carcass. Clearly embodying the spirit of leadership!

At this time of year the deer are on the move. Earlier in the summer they are in small groupings of mother and fawns and sometimes in slightly larger groups grazing. They tend to stay in the forests and fields. From time to time we see their beautiful white flecked fawns. By this time the fawns have lost their spots. They habitually follow trails (deer trails) and will often cross the road at the same location day after day. At this time of year the bucks are also very very active and also are often killed on the road. At this time of year the deers are either running away from the hunters or chasing the scent of mating. This causes a lot of carcasses to show up near the road.

Although from time to time someone will pick up one of the carcasses, generally it stays and the various animals take advantage of the death of the deer. We recently saw a buck on the side of the road and decided to pick it up, the local police stopped by and we asked if it was okay to take the buck, the policeman said sure and gave us a "permit" to transport the deer. It was a surprise to us to discover that one needs a "permit" to transport a dead deer, even a deer that was killed on the road, and for sure most deers do not get permits to move them from one place to another. In this area there are those who we know who are in the practice of eating road kill, especially in the winter when the carcass does not decompose quickly, some folks have survived difficult times in this way. Probably the least honorable and least sensible way is for the county to pick up the carcass and throw it in a dump. When either people, or the animals eat the deer then the death of the deer is utilized to sustain life.

The most common scavengers that we see during the day here are the hawks, the turkey vulture, the buzzards and of course the most adept scavengers of all, the crows! The Red Tail Hawk has its preference for food: rabbits, rodents and snakes, but ever adaptable the hawk adapts to other conditions and to the winter season when snakes are underground, rabbits and rodents less visible, and will quickly take advantage of a road kill! We pass by each day and observe the different birds eating the carcass. From the perspective of Palo and Taino this is a fascinating story of death and life and a opportunity to observe first hand the behaviors of the various birds that are also significant within Palo and Taino traditions!

Garlic Planting

2010-11-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

This fall we created a new garden for the garlic, a raised bed garden made from stones and filled with the rich forest soil that had been further enhanced by contributions from a series of goats, horses, donkeys and a bull! In this particular place on the Land the bedrock of Mother Earth literally is right at the surface and it would be very challenging to attempt to grow plants directly upon the rocky soil here. By creating a raised bed we give the plants a foot of rich fluffy soil that creates ideal growing conditions. The soil will be able to retain more water because of its high humus content and will be able to drain off any excess water because it is raised which will help the garlic from getting mold conditions while growing if we happen to have a year of an abundance of rain. There are many places upon the Earth where either due to natural conditions (such as our bedrock area of the Land) or due to the abuse of the land through conventional agricultural practices which compact the soil, the soil is very hard and depleted. Raised beds can transform these conditions immediately and allow us to grow a greater abundance of vegetables in a smaller space, which saves water and is easier to keep tended!

We have an assortment of garlic (hardneck, softneck and elephant) and some shallots ready to plant.

Above one clove of elephant garlic is as big as Anani's palm! These are huge cloves, and there are only four cloves per garlic plant and they tend to have a milder flavor than regular garlic. Garlic is planted in the fall, it begins its growth and then overwinters through ice, snow, frozen ground, to then emerge in the spring, grow throughout the Spring and is ready for harvest in the summer. Garlic is a powerful medicinal plant, excellent for boosting the immune system. The mere fact that it not only survives but flourishes through the cold conditions of winter is reflected in its medicinal power! We utilize it crushed with honey or olive oil and taken by the teaspoon, or made into a garlic tea for colds and flus during the winter. It is a natural antibiotic. It is of course also a awesome addition to every meal! We love to roast it directly on the grill in the summer!

We plant the garlic deep enough for about 2 inches of soil to cover its growing tip, then as the weather gets cooler we add a thick layer of mulch (leaves or straw) on top of the soil to further protect and feed the garlic. The sticks are to label the different varieties for the purposes of discovering which garlics prefer our soil and weather conditions. As we continue to select the best of our garlic crop for future plantings we naturally guide the garlic to flourish in our unique conditions. This is the benefit of saving your own seed or in this case saving your own clove. It is the very best of the garlic harvest that gets planted for the next year because we want to continue to improve the crop and if we would only plant the mediocre garlic we would be guiding the garlic in a mediocre direction. There is a spiritual tool or truth to this simple process of choosing the garlic for the next year's harvest!

Anani loves to be involved in planting all things, but the garlic is especially easy for children because the cloves are big and are easy to handle. She also discovers that when planting garlic you do not take off the husk like you do when you cook, and that garlic requires patience, in fact almost a whole year of patience! Whereas arugula and other greens will emerge within days and be harvestable within weeks! This is a way for her to learn the natural rhythm of the foods she eats, and the rhythm of life and death and the seemingly contradictory elements of being able to plant garlic at at time when everything else is being harvested. She is seeing that even within a cycle of "death" meaning winter, some things thrive and begin their process of life during this very season of "death".

Anani is seeing that the Garlic that is harvested is "reincarnating" as we place its clove within the Earth, and that it then sends up a shoot, fills out its root bulb and becomes a full garlic plant once again. She also sees this with the seeds from the tobacco, the vegetable seeds, and she sees this occurring naturally and through our action to collect and plant seeds. She sees how every year tomatoes, borage flowers, calendula flowers, holy basil, and other unexpected plants come up because of the seeds they threw down the year before which have re-incarnated once again in the most unexpected of places as the wind or a bird or bee or even an animal that ingests the seed such as a fox takes a seed and drops it in a more distant place. She sees that tobacco grows by the Sacred Fire from the seeds of the Tobacco that was offered ceremonially to the fire the year before. This occurs more and more frequently as we enhance the fertility of the soil and bring in a diversity of crops and herbs to the Land. We have naturalized plants upon the land that simply were not there when we first arrived. Sweet Annie grows all over the field now, Amaranth grows everywhere, cilantro throws its seeds everywhere and tomatoes come up in every place where we have ever planted them. This year in our tree nursery tomatoes came up from two years ago! Holy basil (Tulsi) also came up and it turns out that holy basil is very very medicinal and makes a tea that is slightly spicy and delicious! All the medicinal herbs can and are utilized for bilongos, cargas, and other Medicinal purposes.

Plants are vital to us as spiritual-physical warriors! At a time when the diversity of plants upon the earth are being attacked, at a time when the use of plants medicinally is also being attacked, at a time when the health of the people of the planet is also under severe attack, the plants are our life line! We love and honor the plants upon the land, we are always bringing more plants to the land and reaching out to our Mother Earth in the spirit of Reconciliation through placing our hands, our sweat and our love upon her to grow an abundance of vegetables, herbs, fruits, nuts, flowers! We don't bother to roll up our sleeves anymore, we cut the sleeves right off! Not only is this process healing for our Spirits, our Souls and our Relationship with out Mother Earth, with the Ancestors, with the Spirits of the Earth, but it is also deeply satisfying!

Sage Harvest

2010-11-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

Our Sage and Tobacco Garden have reached a fullness that only occurs just before the Frosts arrive. We harvest both before the arrival of the first "killing" frost that comes and in one night kills all the delicate foliage of all the plants that cannot endure the freezing of the water within them. Overnight the tomatoes, annual flowers, pepper plants and our tobacco become limp and discolored as they collapse and return to Mother Earth. We harvest the tobacco and sage before this happens, and timing is of the essence!

Sage is a Sacred Plant, a healing plant that is widely used across many traditions. Its leaves leave a sticky and aromatic resin on the hand when touched. Sage comes in multiple varieties from the decorative purples, reds, blues and blacks, to the culinary garden sages, and to the sages used for smudging and smoking- the Desert Sage and White Sage. We use sage in abundance in our Spiritual Practices, and we offer it to the Ancestors and Misterios on a regular basis.

Sage is also a Medicinal Plant and we make teas from it to drink during Ceremony and as a healing tea. The Sage grows in abundance here, loving the bright sun it receives in the Ceremonial Field and loving the soil, handling droughts with seeming ease. These plants are a mixture of ones that we grew from seed and ones that we bought from an organic grower at a local herb festival.

In the process of burning the sage, we are involved in a process of life and death, as physical form of the dried sage burns we see a transformation of that physical form to other forms which are also physical yet are also spiritual. The aroma that comes from the Smoke feeds the Spirit, both the internal Spirit within us that receives that aroma but also the Ancestral Spirits within us and within our surroundings who also are receiving that aroma, which is a manifestation of the Spirit of the Sage itself. Water is also released in this process of burning sage, and ashes are the residue that can then also be used for Spiritual Purposes. Burning sage is a transformation of it but also a transferring of it from the physical to the Spiritual. We enrich our Ancestors and Misterios every time we make an offering to them, whether it be a sage and tobacco offering, or offerings of Roots, Fruits and other Materials. These offerings strengthen the Spirit and increase the Spirit's abundance and thriving.

There is a prevalent behavior of always asking the Spirit for abundance, thriving, prosperity, opportunities and so on, however if there is a stinginess in one's approach to the Spirit in terms of the offerings that one brings to the Spirit, then there is an energy of lack or stinginess that gets created and then perpetuated. (Note the energy of stinginess has nothing to do with quantity, it is an approach and an energy that gets attached to an offering). When we grow the sage and tobacco ourselves or if we would have the opportunity to gather those sacred plants from the wild, we bring even more abundance and vitality to the Ancestors because we are exerting our love and effort in the growing and gathering of those plants. We increase the "volume" of the offering (for those that understand the concept of "volume"). Our energy and our sweat become an aspect of the offering itself. This is very different from purchasing a bundle of sage or tobacco from a shop where one does not know how it was grown, if it was grown from a spiritual perspective or whether it was grown purely for purpose of chasing the dollar bill.

Not only does the homegrown sage itself embody an energy that our Ancestors will appreciate more but we also are able to harvest the roots of the sage which will then be used spiritually. There are many aspects of the plant that are simply unavailable commercially. We use the whole plant and the plant itself carries the vibration of the Land that we live upon!

We are very appreciative and grateful to the Ancestors and Spirits that have enabled us to progress to this point inside our experience, we are blessed to have the Land upon which to grow the plants, to have the fertility from the animals to enhance the soil, and blessed to have the Sacred Rays of the Sun and Sacred Waters of the Rain. (Note the first photo and the Rays of the Sun within it). All these Sacred Mysteries enable us to grow the sage and it is truly a working together for us with the Mysteries to bring about this abundant harvest which will give us abundant sage to offer to the Spirits in gratitude and love.

For Anani this is especially important. When we make an offering of sage, she knows the whole process from the planting of the seed, the ongoing water of the seedling, the transplanting of the seedling to the garden, the weeding of the garden, the observations of the growing plants, the smelling of their leaves all through the summer, the concerns about the lack of rain, the invocations to the Mysteries for Rain to come, the preparations and discussion about the harvest, the harvesting, the bundling, the drying, the observations of the various bees, and bugs that show up on the growing plant, and finally the offering of the sage to the Sacred Fire, the smudging, and the use within Ceremony! She is blessed to see how the sage plant looks as a seed, a seedling and fully grown plant and then see how it transforms as we transfer the energy and spirit of the plant to the World of the Ancestors!

On our last count we had 87 bundles as you can see in the photos plus we also keep the woody aspects of the plant that are too rough to bundle easily that we use to put directly on the Sacred Fire or to smudge the space, and we save the roots.

For Tobacco Harvest: "Nsunga,Tabaco"

http://caribbeanspiritualityandunderstanding.blogspot.com/2010/11/nsunga-tabaco.html

The Eagle Appears!

2010-11-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

On the Day of the Dead we were harvesting our Sage from the Tobacco and Sage Garden, when the Crows got our attention as a whole clan of them flew high over our heads. At that point Vultures appeared and then the Eagle.

The Eagle came from the North, eventually disappearing into the Rays of the Sun in the South. At first the Eagle was flying high, and only distinguishable by his size and the way he flies. As he circled lower, we were able to clearly see his bald head!

We took special note of our conversation when he appeared, and watched him until he disappeared.

We were able to take these photos of him, although it was challenging and eventually the brightness of the Sun blinded our ability to take more photos.

(If you click on photo you will be able to see the eagle a little better)

In this photo below the Eagle is looking down. The Eagle is a great blessing, and since we have moved to the Land we have seen Eagles more and more, earlier in the year one even landed on the Ceremonial Grounds. This Eagle looks like a young adult (the "Eaglets" don't develop their bald heads until about 3 years old). Since it was the Day of the Dead, seeing the Eagle over the Ceremonial Grounds was especially significant for us and uplifting!

Medicinal and Spiritual Plantas!

2010-10-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Tobacco and Sage Garden is a very beautiful and aromatic garden. Its shape is the Taino symbol for Fire, to represent the transformation from Physical to Spirit that occurs when tobacco and sage are burnt. The tobacco is in the outer circle, the sage in the middle circle and various plants which change year to year are in the center. We also allow a patch of "sweet annie" (artemisia) to grow in the outer circle.

We began growing tobacco and white sage with excellent results several years ago out of a need from the Spirit of the Land to have tobacco and sage growing, and out of need to have these herbs readily available to use in Ceremony. We grow sufficient tobacco and sage to not need to purchase these pricey items. We also know that our tobacco and sage are grown organically and in a good energy!

In this post we also show several of the Medicinal Plants that are in a garden that incircles the Purification Lodge.

Tobacco is an amazing plant with many varieties, some small growing, some tall growing. It is very heavily scented as is the sage. Merely touching the plants transfers oils to one's hand and delivers a powerful smell. The leaves are slightly sticky.

Tobacco is fairly easy to grow, its tiny seeds grow on the top of the soil that must be kept moist. White sage is more difficult due to a low germination rate.

Both the Tobacco and sage grow well on the Land. They seem to like the soil, which has a lot of limestone.

Before the frost we will harvest the sage and tobacco into bundles, and they will dry hanging from a ceiling.

Very beautiful Tobacco flowers, they become seed pods filled with seeds later.

The following photos show various medicinal and culinary herbs that are planted around the Purification Lodge.

Cuban Oregano (tropical) on the left, Basil on the right.

Basil

Pineapple Basil

Lavender

Rosemary

Feverfew (Headache Medicine)

Pineapple Mint

Oregano

Rue

Kiako Kiako

2010-10-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

Learning is a process that occurs in all situations, especially with Children whose minds are constantly absorbing everything around them. They learn naturally in a holistic way that the "educated" adult may find difficult to understand. In this vibration today the Children are constantly bombarded with information, images, and endless sales pitches which they absorb readily. Their attraction to color, texture, and music is exploited to raise them as consumers. As Tainos and Paleros it is vital to bring holistic experiences to the Children so that "Mother Earth" can speak to them and they can explore the natural world. We include Anani in virtually everything that goes on, with some exceptions. She accompanies us on the various Caminos, and when we go into the forest to find soils or go to the River to talk to Chola Wengue. In the following photos you can see her exploring the forest and picking up her own soils, looking at the different types of soil, plants, trees, and absorbing learning and wisdom as she moves.

Movement In The Sky! (Click on photos to enlarge!)

2010-10-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

Taino Myths and Legends (A note on interpretations)

2010-09-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

This coming Winter we are looking forward to continuing to bring forth the Koki Medicine Clan's interpretations of the Taino Myths and Legends. For us this is a vital contribution, no less because of the multiple interpretations rampant on the internet which do not give justice to the true understandings of Ancient Taino. As readers can easily surmise, we embrace the understandings that Indigenous Tradition is rooted in Agricultural Practices, Seasonal Changes (Calendar), Cosmic Events, Life Cycles and Patterns, and Spiritual Understanding of the Spiritual-Physical Entity that is Earth and "her" Universe! We do not condone corrupting Indigenous Spiritual Understanding to fit poorly disguised Christian Dogma and Christian Myths. Unfortunately there has been a widespread corruption of Indigenous Tradition by both Caucasians and (more devastating and heartbreaking) by certain Indigenous People themselves. Most likely this is due to an inferiority complex where by certain Indigenous People still suffer under the illusion that Christianity is somehow superior to Indigenous Tradition and consciously or subconsciously seek to distort Indigenous Teachings into Christian formats.

The note below has been published by us with the Interpretations that we have brought forth over the last several years.

"These interpretations are the current interpretations of the Koki Medicine Clan. Any other interpretations that may be published on other sites on the internet under the name "Ni Bon Te Ban" are no longer held to be valid in whole because they were written under a false assumption that the version of the Myths and Legends that they were interpreting was accurate. In time it came to light that the version of Myths and Legends that I had interpreted was largely a fantasy created by an individual and was not historically or culturally accurate in terms of the genuine Taino Myths and Legends. This current interpretation uses the various translations of ramon pane's transcription of the Taino Myths and Legends as told to him by the Ancestors."

This unfortunate circumstance came about through a history that is little spoken of in the Taino Resurgence Community, and sadly there was a lack of integrity on the part of key members of the Community who chose to go along with what they realized was a fantasy brought about by a certain individual rather than seek to uncover true Taino Spirituality. These members of the Community fed these false understandings to the larger community as "authentic ancient Taino tradition", and at the time, who were we (searching for our Taino Root and engrossed in romanticism to a great extent) to know any better, having come newly to the Taino Resurgence? Never in our wildest imaginings did we think that our "leaders" would consciously feed us misinformation and down right fantasies.

It has been a hard fought battle to uncover the truth because of the years of deception and the number of trusted leaders who endorsed that deception. Wisdom cannot always be counted in years, but must also be found within the Integrity of those years. Sadly and to the detriment of the movement as a whole, those leaders lacked both wisdom and integrity and instead made selfish choices. They invested so much time 'living the lie' in order to hold onto "power" within an totally disempowered non-foundation, that when the moments of truth and challenge arrived they preferred silence, covert attacks, character assassinations and wild accusations of ignorance and agendas, rather than choosing to let the Truth Come Out! As one kasike (who will remain unnamed) told me in a one on one conversation when we were discussing the false practices, "but what else do I have? Isn't it better than nothing?" A sad statement of how empty handed the original 'leaders' of the resurgence left those who they "handed the staff to". This individual sadly had nothing to fall back on and did not seek the power internally to uncover a vibrant Taino Tradition!

Ironically this power struggle which has continued unabated with little regard for truth and integrity is for a perceived power only. It is a battle for public perception, not for a Spiritual Foundation! When a community as a whole lacks a Sustainable Economic Foundation, lacks a Sustainable, Creative and Spiritual Process of Education, and lacks true Community, then the power that is being grasped at is not real. Thus, while the power struggle rages, very little true Action or Contribution is taking place. As we all know, public perception and popularity ebbs and flows like the Ocean and lacks the True Self-Identity that builds foundations and continues on the Foundations built by the Ancestors!

We are looking forward to the continuation of bringing forth the interpretations of the Taino Legends from the Perspective of the Koki Medicine Clan.

There is a drawing below which speaks of the process of moving out of romanticizing spiritual traditions, moving out of mental incarceration and into Empowerment! There is no "plateau" of knowledge and wisdom that we reach in life, after which we never develop our understanding further. Those that refuse to adapt to evidence, facts and new understandings and new discoveries (or uncoveries!) are truly stagnated and incarcerated. Life itself is a Spiritual Process of Learning, Discovery, Connection and the Transformation of One's Mental Body!

ANCESTRAL HONORING CEREMONY

2010-08-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

(Click on photos to enlarge!)

Our Ancestors are the foundation that allows our human experience and allows the continuation of the human experience through our Future Generations. In terms of our Spiritual Practices within our Spiritual Traditions of Taino and Palo, the Ancestors are the Heart Beat of our Practices! It is important to understand what we mean when we say "Ancestors" so as to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. Our Ancestors are multiple. They are first and foremost the "ghosts" known and unknown within our blood, our Family Tree or Family Root. They are those Ancestors who we may have known, may have heard about or whose names may be forgotten, they are those Ancestors whose lives may have been difficult and their behavior may have been even more difficult, they are those Ancestors who upheld wonderful principles, and those who failed in their lifetimes to uphold any principles. They are those who we may have been named after, or whose talents and skills we may knowingly or unknowingly be carrying. They are those Ancestors whose Living Legacy is Us!

Our Ancestors also extend to those Ancestors of our Spiritual Tradition, those Ancestors who passed Spiritual Wisdom, Knowledge and Medicine to us, who ensured that today we are able to continue our Spiritual Traditions in the here and now. They are the Ancestors who preserved a Spiritual Legacy and again we are their Living Legacy, and again perhaps they upheld their principles but perhaps it is up to us to uplift the Spiritual Tradition that became distorted, corrupted or misused through a devastating process of colonialism, slavery, deprivation and allure of consumerism. They are those glorious Ancestors of the past who lived inside a rooted Community and Society and they are also those glorious Ancestors who found themselves in unbearable conditions or seductive conditions inside a spiritual insanity, but who regardless of the difficulty continued with the Spiritual Tradition, handing us the legacy to continue.

Here on the Land, Our Ancestors also include those Ancestors who are buried within the greater "farm" of which the Land is one aspect. Those Ancestors who had created a Spiritual Community more than 100 years ago, those Ancestors who undoubtedly encountered racism, oppression and hatred due to their complexion and their traditions, yet who also contributed to building the foundation and planting seeds for what is manifesting here today. Within the same understanding Our Ancestors also include those Indigenous Ancestors of this area who also upheld principles of Spirituality, Thriving, Love for Mother Earth, and honoring of the Ancestral Legacies. Again we recognize their contribution and their planting of seeds which have, like a perennial plant allowed, generations later seeds to sprout today which in essence and quality resonate with the Spiritual Traditions of generations ago. We also recognize and honor any Ancestor who finds their way to our space who is "Nchila", in their heart, for the benefit of Spiritual Progression and who resonates with the principles of thriving, reconciliation and love for our Earth!

Note: It is very important that we overcome our personal "prejudice" against our Ancestors (for those of us who struggle with this issue) without erasing the knowledge and understanding of their behavior during their lifetimes and the ongoing consequences of that behavior. We cannot speak about "Ancestors" and not include the faces and names of our direct Ancestors who, through our Mother and Father, have given birth to us within this experience.

The preparations for the Ceremony began weeks before the actual dates of the Ceremony. The Ceremony was centered in one of the Bateys, the "Batey of the Clarity of Night" which is within a forest area by the Taino Bohio. The element of fire is always important within the Ceremony as is the element of water. In this Ceremony the element and Spirit of Fire was embodied by a Sacred Fire within the Batey facing the Ancestral Shrine, the element and Spirit of Water was embodied both within a jicara of water within the Ancestral Shrine as wells as by the underground spring which runs beneath the Batey itself. We also recognize the Sun as a Spirit of Fire and one of the Primary Mpungos of our Experience!

Other vital elements include the natural plant elements surrounding the Batey, the multiple trees and other plants which grow around the Batey. Trees are especially Sacred within our Traditional Lives, they represent our Ancestral Trees, they also allow us to breath as the trees give us breath and recycle our breath. Additionally the trees represent the transformation of Sun Energy to vegetative energy which we then depend on for nourishment, warmth and shelter. Trees and other plants also are themselves medicinal, stimulating the healing wisdom of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. In our Tradition we utilize trees to make Sacred Cemis, Medicines, Nkisis, Fundamentos and much more. The trees that were used to form the Ancestral Shrine all have a story and all have unique qualities which are vital within the creation of the Shrine. Many of the trees have been used within the Bohio or Munanso for years and have a great deal of Spiritual Energy. The choices made are never random or thoughtless. To truly understand what one is looking at, when one stands in front of the shrine, one must know the stories of each of the trees, both when it was "alive" and now that it is "dead".

The Soil itself is another vital element. We are blessed to be able to create an Ancestral Shrine directly upon the Earth, as there are many Sisters and Brothers who only have access to concrete or floors to do this Ancestral Practice. The soil itself is full of life and full of stories. It is the embodiment of the process of Life and Death as both growth and decay are constantly taking place within it. For us the Soil of the Ceremonial Grounds is never "dirt", it is Sacred. It is a Living Entity!

Forming the Batey and marking points outside the Batey itself and all around the Ceremonial Grounds are many Stones. Some have petroglyphs which are Ancestral Sacred Pictographs of deep and mysterious significance and origin. Many times "Misterios" are clearly seen on these Sacred Stones. Again the stones all carry stories, Ancient Stories and contemporary stories as they imprint the energy of whatever is occurring around them and to them. They are silent and not so silent witnesses!

The Sacred Fire reveals much when we begin to look at the photos taken during this process. Different Spirits make their presence known through the Fire, as the Fire itself is transforming the wood (and whatever is within the wood) to ashes. Once the Ceremony was over we collected the ash to be utilized for Ceremonial processes and Medicines in the Future! Of course sage, tobacco, tabonuco and other resins and herbs are put on the fire to cleanse and energize the Ceremonial Space and as an offering to the Fire and to all the Ancestors Present.

As preparations continue we bring special attention to whatever weather patterns and conditions are present.

In the photos below the combination of the smoke from the Fire and the Rays from the Sun coming through the tree canopy creates a mystical phenomenon which enables us to see the rays as the smoke reveals them! The fire's smoke (enhanced by herbs and resins) allows us to "see" Spirit in a way that we ordinarily are not able to see Spirit! While the Fire is an Offering to the Ancestors, it is also becomes an offering from the Dead to the Living in terms of Vittiti (Sight).

What we are able to understand from some of the photos is that what might appear to be a "one way" offering, is always an exchange. Spiritual Practices arise out of a mutual need of the Living and the Dead! This principle of "exchange" is vital within both material and spiritual practices, it is the true "reality" of our human experience. It is important for us to expand our understanding of what "exchange" truly is, especially within traditional practices.

As we worked with the Space and the Creation of the Shrine we divined on a day to day basis concerning the purpose and message that was being brought forth. We never assume that we know what the Ancestors are bringing forth, we of course are sensitive to what they are telling us through the multiple messages we receive everyday, however it is also vital to have a process of divination that can illuminate those things that we are not seeing or sensing.

Many fruits, roots and flowers are offered along with Ceremonial Drinks and other items, this is only part of the whole offering that was put down. There was an important point brought up by the Ancestors during this process concerning the actual offering that was made. We know that the offering could feed many people especially at a time when there is much suffering and deprivation due to lack of food in places near and far, from the Reservations here, to Haiti, to globally. People, Children are starving. The Ancestors are reminding us of this and of the luxury we have to be able to make these elaborate offerings, so that when we are making the offerings, we also want the energy and abundance of the offerings to reach those who are starving physically and spiritually to be able to grasp hold of long term solutions! An offering that is done without consciousness and direction might as well be thrown in the trash. In a time of great need upon the Earth it is vital that we do not waste, through our unconsciousness or limited thinking, the offering.

One of the vital dynamics which was brought to our attention repeatedly before, during and after the Ceremony was the balance between feminine and masculine energies and entities. Leading up to the Ceremony the moon was in her waxing cycle and actually reached full moon two days after the Ceremony (which was interesting as at the same time a Medicine was coming out of the ground). The Ancestors were also speaking about the shifting (often through violence and oppression) of "matriarchal" traditions to "patriarchal" traditions and was calling for a re-evaluation of spiritual traditions which had been subjected to the brutality and corruption of colonization to look carefully at what elements were introduced out of a patriarchal mindset or prejudice/hatred. Additionally they were bringing attention to the "Corruption" of the representation of Deities through "gender change" which is done to serve a selfish or diseased agenda. The Ancestors are bringing forth the balance between feminine and masculine energies for the benefit of life, thriving and spiritual development.

During the Ceremony we engaged a "Snake Dance" which brought us to multiple points within the Ceremonial Grounds, these were points which have much Spiritual Energy, although some may have appeared "ordinary". Snakes represent powerful Mystery in virtually all traditions. They are the symbol of our DNA our genetic string, twine, braid which vibrates within us the story not only of what we perceive as our Ancestral Tree but the story of the Spiritual- Evolutionary process of this Mysterious and Spiritual Intelligence which has diversified and given rise to the multiple forms of life within our experience, past and present. The Snake Dance takes us into different worlds whether we realize it or not, depending on our ability to embrace the Dance beyond the physical aspect or difficulty of it. One's thoughts and focus during the Dance are very important as it is an extended "prayer or invocation" that we are engaging.

There is a point within the Snake Dance where we entered a Batey which is the "Snake Batey" which directly represents the double helix (double headed snake) of our DNA and represents the connection between the DNA and its COSMIC ORIGIN! It is also symbolic of the Sacred Egg and Sperm which gives rise to us (again Sacred balance between Feminine and Masculine)!

Three vital principles were brought up by the Ancestors during the Ceremony, these being "Birth, Death and Agriculture (Earth Culture)". These are the foundation principles of healthy community and solutions for the global dis-ease of present times. Many of us have been "derailed, distracted or confused" by what is not essential, our wants, our perceived needs and ambitions. Wallowing in over consumption and waste in one area has lead to deprivation in another. It has created a system that is by its very nature unsustainable and doomed to failure (as we are witnessing on a day to day basis. We also must recognize that there is an Ancestral behavior of exploitation which continues with the living which cannot be ignored and erased, especially if we claim to be pursuing Spirituality! We must recognize the need to reconcile with our Mother Earth as well as with our Ancestors!

We always say "The Ceremony Begins when we leave the Ceremonial Grounds"! Which is an acknowledgement that there is an energy that is transferred to us during the Ceremony, and it is our responsibility to take that energy and apply it in our lives! For us that involves cleaning up the space and bringing the offerings to those places where they can return to the Earth, as well as continuing the process of divination to understand the messages the Ancestors are bringing forth. However, for those who "leave" the space there is a continuing energy and continuing effect from the Ceremony and it is up to the individual to caretake the energy and work with that Ancestral Energy to bring about fruits and roots of understanding as well as positive changes and solutions!

The Bones of the Ancestors Remind Us!

2010-08-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

As Tainos and as Paleros we are Muerteros!

Our Ancestors and our Living Tradition is one which reveres, honors and values the Ancestors. Our understanding is that our lives are built upon the "shoulders", the "foundation" of those who came before us. We have an understanding of the Sacred Spiral of wisdom and understanding which is passed generation to generation through traditional practices and understandings. It is this Sacred Spiral which is Spiritual and Mental that intertwines with the DNA that we receive from our Ancestors! We revere, honor and adore the Ancestors because we understand the importance of the relationship between the Living and the Dead, we understand that Death is not an "ending" of the relationships of life but rather a transformation of that relationship. As Tainos and as Paleros we keep our "Dead" close to us, and we keep their Sacred Physical Remains equally close, be it the bones of the Dead themselves or the soil that their bodies created through the process of decay. As Tainos and Paleros we utterly disagree with the typical process of burial and the treatment of Ancestral Remains that is rampant within our urban (suburban and even rural) communities.

Within the Taino Bohio of ancient times we see a Sacred Gourd filled with Ancestral Bones, revered, caretaken, loved, appreciated and interrelated to. Our Ancestors had such a strong ability to see the Dead that the Dead would appear so lifelike that they would have to check for the navels to be able to distinguish which world the Spirit was standing in. Our Sacred Cemis also held bone or where even carved directly from the bones of the Ancestors. As Tainos we understand the power, the progression, the spiritual evolution and growth that having this close relationship with the Ancestors through their remains allows us to live inside of! As Paleros again we know there is a clear understanding of the Power, Progression, and Spiritual Upliftment which is innate within the relationship with the Ancestors through their Earthly Remains!

Yet in the so called "dominant society", we encounter a struggle, a vast misconception, a fear, a horror, a prejudice and even an outright hatred against our Traditional Practices and Concepts. Unfortunately at times we even experience this from within our own family, or larger community. We may have to undergo the painful experience of watching a beloved relative be placed into the ground, embalmed with poisons, encased in vinyl and then cement, with relatives weeping, expressing such pain and loss, clinging onto either spiritual muteness or onto a hollow and misleading religious saying. We may have to undergo this because we may not be the one who is making the decisions for the deceased. Our powerlessness in this situation is due to miseducation of our extended families and larger communities, it is due to the indoctrination and the fear and horror of death which has been entangled within our communities for far too long. We need to remember that the only cross that is relevant to us is the point where the World of the Living intersects with the World of the Dead!

Reflect on the difference between the Spiritual Process that an Ancestor, such as the one above who was buried at Tibes, goes through compared to the process an Ancestor who is encased in cement and slotted into the cemetery three to a grave goes through. In the natural burial which was the norm in our Ancestral Times, our Mother Earth embraced the Ancestors body and the natural process of decay in our Caribbean homelands would happen very quickly, allowing the Spirit of the Ancestor to quickly transition into the World of the Ancestors (which is not a distant land or a la la land) without confusion and without the rampant grief and disorientation of the Living adding to the confusion and difficulty.

Thousands upon thousands of bodies are encased within these modern cemeteries, graves opened with a back hoe, coffins lowered, rules and regulations which have to be followed, and families left feeling loss, feeling disoriented, and often worried about the financial burden of the whole process. In many circumstances we do not have the voice to intervene, however in our own lives and in our direct Families we do. We are able to be the directors of what happens when the time for our own transformations arrives or for those transformations for which we are left to make the decisions. We are able to retrieve our Ancestral Empowerment within this process and within that embracing of our Ancestral Empowerment we can also educate those around us.

Many of our beloved ones are in these Cemeteries but that does not make it a requirement that we continue this barbaric practice. It is easy to put on the clothes and headdresses of a Taino or Palero but what happens in that most Ceremonial Moment within that most Spiritual Process? Taino, Palo, is not about rhetoric and it is definitely not about appearance, it is about Spirit, it is about Ancestors and it is about Earth, it is about the relationship between the Living and the Dead. It is this active relationship with the Ancestors and our Mother Earth which defines our Taino-ness or our true empowerment as Paleros. When we are able to, as communities, transform our approach to our own inevitable processes of Death and the processes of Death of all those within the Community, then we will be able to heal from the ravages that Conquest, murder, genocide and colonialism have done to our Traditions. And at this point a more profound dimension will enter into our "earthly" Reality!

Tobacco and Sage Garden

2010-08-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

This particular Ceremonial Garden is in the shape of the Taino Fire Petroglyph and the Garden is dedicated to growing primarily Tobacco and Sage which is used to burn Ceremonially or to put into Ceremonial baths, oils, drinks, medicines and more. Many of the Tobacco in the garden come up from the naturally self seeding Tobacco of the previous year! We also save tobacco seed and grow seedlings in the Spring and we also introduce more Indigenous varieties each year. In this Garden there is the conventional very large leafed "smoking tobacco" variety which gets very tall, then there is a Huichol variety with Yellow flowers which is small, along with a Hopi tobacco which is also small and very strong, and a variety we added this year which is a large plant with unusual curling leaves which is an Aztec variety. We also throughout the summer find tobacco plants coming up in various different places around the ceremonial spaces which have self seeded!

On the left is the Aztec tobacco which is very strong, on the right is the milder smoking tobacco. Touching the leaves one experiences the stickiness of the plant. At night in particular the flowers release their aroma and the smell is awesome! The multi flower heads become seed pods which hold thousands upon thousands of tiny tobacco seeds. The tobacco is a plant that is extremely prolific much like its use globally has been.

Again the smoking tobacco is pictured on the left, and on the right is a white sage which we grew from seed. White sage is a challenging seedling to grow because only a small percentage of its seeds germinate and sometimes they germinate very slowly. We were able to germinate five white sages this year which in appearance and smell are different than the white sage seedlings we get every year at a local herb festival. In all we grow about 20 sage plants. "Our" seedlings have a lighter and sweeter scent. One of the beautiful aspects of growing ones own Tobacco and Sage is that one becomes aware of the differences between the varieties and comes to appreciate the range and subtle differences of smells and tastes which grow!

As Tainos and Paleros it is very important to us that we are able to grow our own tobacco and sage because we know that it is organic, and we know that it has been grown with Spirit and with positive energy and it has been grown without any mechanization. Additionally because we grow it and it grows so rapidly and is so abundant with its gifts, we are able to be equally abundant with what we offer the Spirit in terms of the Tobacco and Sage. This relatively small garden gives us all the Tobacco and Sage that we need for the whole year (and more). As Tainos we gain understanding and appreciate the growing of this Tobacco because it is not being offered to the Spirit through a "store bought" mentality, but rather we have put our sweat and sacrifice and our appreciation and love into the growing of it!

The Butterflies

2010-07-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-07-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-07-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-07-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-07-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

"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!