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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!
