a healer is worth many men in his ability
to cut out arrows and smear soothing medicaments on wounds (Iliad XI.514-515)
Sala Malongo everyone, In early mid month of January we had a major influx of ritual work and celebration and so i found myself doing a lot of catchup with religious and family duties. One of the things most appreciated that as people of religious practice and understanding we are heavily involved or should be with the well-being of everyone around us. Client and family and friends as well we have an obligation to bring forth a better form for our religious practices. I see many of times these people online looking for potentiality of being this bad ass brujo(brujo like a witch doctor) and they have no true understanding of our practices. People err all the time the universe is not controlled by perfection. A true spiritual person learns through trial and error. Yes I am saying that supposed religious men out there go on blabbing how they have killed many a people, Or one of the baddest most scariest person boogie man character does not have one inclination of what is to be a palero. To be a palero is to be a man with morals and have a fine line that can be drawn of what is moral and what is not. Generally speaking a palero should be generally a good person. A father, brother, for women mother, daughter. All these people putting out rules and generalities about palo mayombe in my opinion are the first ones who fall on their own swords and stab themselves in their own tongues. People who go and speak of psychological warfare are the first ones to go on this trolling event putting pictures of internet ninjas, Batmans, pig people etc. I think it is hilarious because as soon as they read this they will think that I am truly giving them some type of validation. Well sorry to bust your bubble but we are looking for the preservation of Palo Mayombe as an Afro Caribbean religion not trying to make a name for ourselves.
The one thing people forget that in this religion you can not make up ceremonies or change names of who you are and where you come from. Who initiated you and if you are you really part of this religion or you are just a mouth full of garble. When your children look back 100 years from now who can vouch for you if not only for your deeds in this religion. Good or Bad you will be measured by your deeds. If you are a gossiper and a troublemaker that is only you are worth. In palo mayombe there is no word for or expression of good character you as a palero should already have that imbedded in you. If you are a person who uses this type of medium as a way to promote teachings that are in contrast of what a palero should be then you are false. Paleros are not gangster rappers, paleros are not thieves, Paleros are not into anything illegal or illicit. Paleros are about family and community and being about uplifting our religion and adapting this understanding that paleros were poor, honest working people who unfortunately through unscrupulous people and bad teaching has promoted the degradation of our beliefs.
Many of times we look to elders and our community to guide us but when a person has no elders no one to give them validity to who or whom they are they are not even a Buey Suelto(a loose bull) They truly are nothing and the people around them eventually will notice that. Hopefully sooner than later where the spiritual damage is almost non fixable. When a palero dies he is identified by his firma(sigil or drawing of rank) that firma who represented you in life now will be erased in death of your physical bodies. For those who do not believe in using firmas for anything are sadly mistaken as actors to a greek tragedy. They seem to profess this ideal of morality and ethics yet they walk crippled from their own character flaws and hypocrisy. These people who walk around with a Oedipus complex tend to lean for an acceptance of peers, colleagues and the women in their life to have a male role and are fixated as mother figures than actual partnership figures. When you need for your wife to defend you in your own practice and understanding of Palo Mayombe that’s when you know that you have no religious ground to debate the crisis that is happening to palo mayombe.
The crisis we find today is that no one looks to their elders for affirmation, counsel and a teacher. Nowadays you have the student wanting or saying they schooled the teacher. One hundred years from now the students will live in a virtual muna nso and wanting to proclaim they are the new Tatandi’s of this religion. Wake up people it is time to see this slippery slope leading down an abyss of ignorant practitioners who will claim Sovereignty and be the word of the new virtual paleros of the future. If we do not show that paleros are healers and people of peace we will leave the door opened for all this riff raff its time to take out the trash. Tata Musitu…