Bohio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Traditionally the Ancestor in the Fundamento is a direct Ancestor

Traditionally the Ancestor in the Fundamento is a direct Ancestor. In Taino tradition the people put their Ancestor's bones directly in the homes (Bohios) in a guord hung from the roof or made cemis from the skulls and bones of the Ancestors.

Taino Human Skull made into amulet to wear!

Taino Cotton Cemi with Ancestor Skull! Today there are many laws and restrictions in place preventing people from having the access to their Ancestral remains that is their birthright. However there are ways around these problems, such as utilizing the cremation remains (really bone dust) or preserving the skull (or other bones?) intact from the cremation, I know for a fact this is possible in some states. Do the research! It is vital for us to retrieve everything possible that we can in these times. The fact is that most Paleros use Ancestral remains that are not direct ancestors. Some know the names and other details about the Ancestor, others know nothing. The tradition of creating Medicine from Ancestral remains continues today! In this case we can see the adaptation to recognize the land upon which this Cemi was created, nonetheless the principle ingredients remain the same.

To the Bakongo Ancestral remains were so sacred that in fact just the soil from the grave was powerful enough to bring that Ancestor into the medicine (bilongo). Concerning Palo we have a correspondence between the Taino and Bakongo concerning the reverance for Ancestral remains and the active use of Ancestral remains within the Medicines (Nkisi and Cemis) that they used for multiple purposes. Because of the situation today we may be dealing with muertos in our Nkisis that are not within our direct Ancestral line and may not even be from the same country or land mass that we are from. Effectively we are dealing with "strangers". There is a huge difference here that we cannot simply ignore (did I say that out loud- oohps). This requires that we spend more time exploring who is in our Nkisi (or Cemi) and developing a relationship with them. Without putting in this time to develop the relationship we remain in ignorance as to who is in front of us when we are standing in front of the Nkisis. At the same time it is a statement concerning the situation in this world where this chaos has erupted among the Ancestors and the treatment of the Ancestors by the Living. To truly establish a positive relationship with the Nkisi where the Ancestor in it is a stranger, and so that stranger becomes a "friend" is a movement within the earth to heal some of the brokeness of the relationships between the Living and Dead! We also need to recognize that a direct Ancestor can be behind the bringing forth of that Nkisi into one's life. We have witness situations where the Ancestor's remains were not present but the Ancestor's Spirit aligned with the Nkisi and the Mpungo to influence and bring positive things into the relationship. It is important, again, if we are to truly overcome the situation that causes "strangers" to be in our monasu or home that we carefully identify the direct Ancestor and acknowledge that Ancestor when dealing with the Nkisi. It is also important that we do not take for granted that many of the remains that are readily available are torn out of their homelands, shipped around, stored in warehouses and so on and so many of those Ancestors were traumatized in life and in death, so we also must always check where that Ancestor is standing to see if there is an agreement to put those remains in the Nkisi.

These two Cemis clearly show the harmonious interrelation and exchange that occured between the Taino and Kongo in the Caribbean. The essence of the two Spiritualities resonated at that time and continues to resonate today!