Response of the Spirit

Corn shoots spring forth from our harvest of Corn that we offered to one of the Cemis that we work with.  This Cemis we brought to our newly built greenhouse to continue to bring the blessings and the horticultural wisdom of the Taino Ancestors  to our work with our greenhouse.  All the fruits, vegetables, and herbs in the bowl we collected from our Conucos.  A couple weeks later we notice these fresh green shoots emerging from the corn.  What a beautiful response from the Cemis!  We are always excited to see these types of manifestation because this illustrates the difference between fantasy and real spiritual work!

You can see the original offering before anything grew on this post:
Walking on Conuco Hill

The seeds we planted are already emerging, and we will be following up with photos once the greenhouse is vibrantly green!

Listening to the Voices of the Ancestors!

 

As we prepare for some intense ceremony that we will be doing in a prolonged process throughout the Summer and into the Fall, many Ancestral voices are speaking loudly and clearly.  We are fortunate and blessed to have a diversity of spaces to use for our ceremonies, we have spaces within the forest and spaces that are in full sun, spaces that are in the process of re-foresting, spaces that are by springs, spaces that are on the tops of hills, spaces that have clay, spaces that have bedrock cropping up, spaces that are mossy, and spaces that are lush with vegetation.  In these photos we show the Bateys we have that are in the forest, on either side of a gentle valley that funnels all the water from the hillside down to the spring below.  One side of the forest is almost bare soil, just covered with leaves under tulip poplar trees (a popular bee food) the other side is green under walnut trees (a popular human food).  As we prepare for ceremony we communicate through every drop of sweat, through every thought, through every footstep and breath with the Ancestors and Misterios who are gathering for the Ceremonies.  We also recall the many memories of past ceremonies and those who were present.  We look at how the forest has transformed, which trees have grown suddenly taller, how the vegetation has increased or receded from certain areas, how the bamboo we have planted within the forest has grown, and we think of the Nkuyu in the bamboo and trees.  Of course at this time of year the lightning bugs are everywhere!  Essential within this process is our uses of Divination to deepen our communication with the Ancestors.

There are basic principles regarding Ceremony, that have strong roots within the divine power of common sense!  The Ancestors of the Past were naturally and whole heartedly rooted within these principles within their entire life, they did not have a huge disconnected gulf between their Ceremonial life and so called "regular" life, the two intertwined seamlessly as One!  However, today, the vast majority, who are crippled and blinded by the rat race, suffer a profound uprootedness which creates a massive separation between Ceremonial and "regular" life, and which undermines and depletes the vitality from both!  

There are many criticisms on the internet and in talking circles (or gossiping circles) everywhere regarding how this one or that one conducts their spiritual and ceremonial lives, and how they also conduct their personal lives.  These criticisms and judgements are evidently tremendously entertaining, however completely empty and non-productive.  Like many gossiping circles, these also rarely go to the source to actually look closely at what and who they are so eager to condemn.  These circles arise out of ignorance, insecurities, new age fantasies, envy, jealousy and romanticizing spirituality.  They are parasitic and rooted in malediction, and many times what arises from these circles is the ultimate in mediocrity or downright hypocrisy.

There are those who are searching for the holy virgin of spirituality, searching for a spirituality and ceremony that has not been changed, transformed or aged by the ravages of slavery, colonialism, industrialization and consumerism.  It brings to mind Ponce de Leon searching for the fountain of youth as a material structure, it is a fantasy that does not take into consideration thousands of years of historical and cultural Facts!  

Here we are on the east coast of Turtle Island where summers are hot and humid, winters are cold.  We live in lush greenery all summer and brown decay all winter.   Our rain fall is mostly consistent year round. The energy of transformation in the spring time and fall is intense and fast, and our physical bodies and minds also have to adjust quickly and in healthy ways.  This is totally different to our Caribbean homeland which undergoes dry and wet seasons but maintains comfortable temperatures year round.  The rapid rate of decay in our homeland is very different than the widely different rates of decay here from summer to winter.  These are basic facts that make a huge difference to our Spiritual and Ceremonial practices.  To be in denial of them is to put a wedge between ourselves and the Spirit of Mother Earth in the place where we find ourselves.  We have to face the reality of our migration, whatever the reason for our migration, whether it was our generation or past generations who made the decisions to migrate.  Knowing that we come from a long story of migrations within the Caribbean should allow us to more easily embrace the facts of our migration, even if that migration was forced by necessity.  It is important to note that if our Taino/ Carib Ancestors had refused to adapt to the realities and Spirits that they found in the Caribbean, then they would not have survived, and we would not be here.  Furthermore, if our African Ancestors, who came in chains to the Caribbean had not embraced the local Indigenous lore regarding Plants, Animals and Spirits, then their Spiritual Traditions would not have survived and we would NOT have any Afro-Caribbean traditions as we know them today.  Again, these are basic historical Facts and resonate easily with common sense.  This is the reason that we have little patience with those seeking virginal spiritual traditions within the sofrito that is the Caribbean!  Let's remember that the Caribbean was already a Sofrito BEFORE the gangster Kolumbus and before the despicable and unforgivable trans-atlantic slave trade.

Huracan is a Spirit/ Misterio who is obviously greatly respected and feared in the Caribbean and all along the gulf coast, and even from time to time along the east coast.  The Huracan (Taino word) is created when the hot air of Africa collides with the warm moist air of the Ocean and gains energy as it comes across the Atlantic Ocean.  Whereas Tornado(spanish derived word) (in Turtle Island) is created from a combination of Cold canadian air, Warm/Moist Gulf of Mexico air and dry Rocky Mountain air.  Very different geographical and climatic conditions create each phenomenon.  By blindly following rote rituals, without regard to where we happen to be standing, is to assume that the Huracan and Tornado are interchangeable, is to assume that Ellegba and Lucero Mundo are interchangeable, is to equate Yoka Hu with jesus and Atabey with the virgin mary.  These blind correlations are completely lacking the basic understanding that the Cemis or Mpungos that one is working with have a profound relationship to the environment (geological, climactic, historical and so on) one finds oneself standing within.  They do not float above the earth as if they are a concept or idea but arise from the Earth herself, unique to each point upon Mother Earth.  It is up to us to discover that uniqueness.

Of course, as Taino we are going to put our Sacred Ancestral petroglyphs on the stones around our Bateys, and we are going to build our Bateys, but we are not going to take tropical plants which will die in our climate and plant them around the Batey because "that is what our Ancestors did" and we are not going to focus our Ceremonial meals exclusively on seafood, negating the fact that we live miles away from the sea and what is abundant here is Deer, Rabbit, Turkey, Snappers not Carey (sea turtle).  Here we can grow blackberries, strawberries, walnuts, but not plantains, tamarindos, or coconuts.  So we seek to find the balance between our Ancestral Practices and the place we find ourselves living in.  Here we know that we can plant our crops at certain times, and they will grow, for us to blindly continue to plant our crops according to the tropical planting calendars is to face massive crop failure.    The same equally applies to blindly carrying out a ceremonial calendar that is appropriate to the tropics not to the temperate regions.  You cannot change the seasons here to apply to Boriken or Cuba, and you cannot change the season in Boriken or Cuba to apply here.

There are principles that are universal, that apply worldwide, and there are many, many principles that are location specific and apply just to the area you live in.  As Tainos, as Paleros and as Human Beings we need to uncover through in depth study and practice the difference between the universal principles of our Traditions and the location specific principles of our Traditions.   Here we see all the tulip poplar trees, this is a native tree here.  For us to ignore this tree because it is not tropical, or not Caribbean or not African is to be offensive to the Indigenous Misterios who are here, is to weaken our relationship with Mother Earth, and is to miss out on an amazing and beneficial tree that can help us tremendously spiritually!  

During our Ceremonies there are many points when we make offerings of prepared Food (meals), and also raw fruits and roots and vegetables for the Ancestors and Nkisis, Cemis, Mpungos and so on.  These are vital moments of expressing appreciation for the movement and wisdom of these entities within our lives.  These are also moments of offering vitality to the "Dead" to strengthen and refreshen the so called "Dead"!  Traditionally these offerings are Yucca, Batata, Papaya, Guayaba, Maize, Potato, Calabaza, and so on.  While we can grow Batata, Maize, Potato, Beans and Pumpkin here, we cannot grow all the tropical fruits and Yucca.  Many people simply go to the store and buy the various tropical offerings, and this is at times important to do because we are working with our Caribbean Ancestors who are accustomed to these foods.  However we are also working with the Indigenous Spirits of wherever we are standing and we should also strive to sometimes cook Buffalo, Venison, Snapping turtle, Turkey and these traditional foods, and many times if we offer whatever we have grown ourselves, the Misterios and Ancestors will be very happy.

The vital energy of these foods is essential.  When we grow the offerings ourselves we know the food is vital, is fresh and comes from the soil that we are standing on, and we know that our love, our invocations, our creativity, our hands have all been present in the growing process.  When we buy food from the market, we do not know who grew it and more importantly under what oppressive and toxic conditions.  Yet in that case we are at least still buying unprocessed raw foods.  However, there are some sad cases where folks are going out buying processed food (such as canned corn, pre-made casava bread etc) and offering these ultra-depleted foods to the Ancestors and Spirits.  This is sad because it speaks to how far away some of us have travelled from our Roots.  One has to wonder how badly an individual treats their own body/ self if what they offer to the Spirits is a can of corn, especially since most of us live in places that have food choice available, unlike the many "food deserts" that are all to common worldwide.  If we are offering the food to strengthen the Spirit, but we are offering canned depleted food, we have failed in our action.  This is a hypocrisy that the Ancestors do not fail to notice as we call on them with all kinds of Taino vocabulary and imagery, yet offer them something they do not even recognize as edible!

During our Ceremonies we have a principle that we cook all our food here, most frequently on a wood fire in our cast iron pots.  We focus on whole, nutrient dense foods which will sustain our bodies during the profound Ceremonial Processes.  Most of the time we do not allow anybody to eat out at all during the process.  We also do not allow junk foods as this runs counter to the Ceremonial purpose.  Our ceremonies are about purifying on many levels, and there is always a physical level involved.  This purification continues after the Ceremony, much like the healing that is triggered through an acupuncture treatment continues afterwards, and may require us to rest or drink a lot of water to help in that cleansing and healing.  Imagine a scenario where one engages a profound ceremony (triggering purification at spiritual, mental and physical levels) then one walks into a fast food restaurant to get lunch, you have just totally derailed the healing momentum and sent a message of hypocrisy to the Ancestors; we undercut our own healing process. 

Another principle that we hold strongly is that anyone calling themselves a "shaman" should naturally be utilizing plant medicine for their own ailments, and to create conditions of health and vitality in their own bodies.  There is something wrong when one finds a "beike" aka "shaman" who relies first and exclusively on conventional pharmaceuticals without undergoing the various lifestyle and natural living transformations that will bring balance to their conditions.  Their shamanic healing in this case is based on a part time play or charade rather than a rooted process.  There are even those depicted as leaders within the Taino Community who are junk food and pharmacy junkies, and have yet to establish any kind of true relationship to the many plants and foods that sustained our people for thousands of years.  How are these leaders going to lead anyone, when they seem unable to even lead themselves?  Similarly what is wrong with the people when the people turn to leaders and healers who are in personal decay and chaos?  Leaders and healers should be examples of healthy and sustainable relationships with Mother Earth and all her Spirits!  Unfortunately there is a very low standard today with regard "Casikes", "Beikes" and other "leaders" within the Taino Community; a standard that our Ancestors never dreamed we would fall to.    This is a result of the history of a destruction of our Culture, but that is no reason to continue to allow the destruction, perversion, prostitution and dilution of our Spiritual Legacies.  We survived so much, to chose to be mediocre now, and to chose to weaken our future generations with a diet of soda, GMO foods, pharmaceuticals and miseducation.  Some of us may have various witchcrafts that have been thrown and spiritual enemies, however, "we" may find that the Spirit that is the most angry with us is our own Ancestral Spirit who look at us as a parasite and asks us "why  are you wasting the Spiritual Inheritance that we worked so hard to give you; that spiritual inheritance that was for you to caretake and expand upon and deliver intact to the Future Generations?"  

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!

The Koki Medicine Clan

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.   

ANCESTRAL HONORING CEREMONY

(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!

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!