Since the beginning of time and space our existence has always been that of knowledge and understanding and wisdom. Sometimes we are supposedly challenged by people who tend to say that they are the authority in sessions within their own psychosis. But as I always have been dedicated to the preservation of Palo Mayombe and our teachings. I believe we need to clear for the readers of the blog and its secret followers misconceptions that only lead to ignorance and misinformation that are spewed from the mouths of those with egos much higher then there educational understandings.
WHAT IS A RASTRO?(TRAIL)
In spanish we say rastro(trail). the trail of bread crumbs that is evidence of the path Hansel took through the woods. The word evidence is derived from the Latin ēvidēnt-, meaning “obvious.” taken from the oxford dictionary. To be a good Palero you have to study someone’s habits and surroundings and know when to pick up a persons trail. A lot of times the best way of picking up a trail from a person’s home is literally brushing the dirt from said persons shoes and getting that trail of dust if you want to harm them. But that same dirt can be used to heal a person as well if you are a competent healer and practitioner of Palo Mayombe. A lot of times though not impossible a person who is knowledgeable can get a persons trail if they know what to look for. Also you underestimate the persons knowledge and what we say in palo(HABITS). Spiritual habits in general with cleanliness and having to do spiritual maintenance in your home. Especially when you have eyes in your home Godchildren who are attentive and always watching and cleaning before and after uses in the bathroom and on the floors…. I know I have OCD. Most of my initiates too and my wife as well. Any good practitioner of our practice knows this saying Confianza mata Confianza. Also a great Pambo Nsila go find it! Teremene soy yo! Best case scenario to take someones trail steal a persons property that you know belongs to them. Guest bathrooms are not the place to get the persons Rastro(Trail).
What is the Sombra(Shadow)
Interesting enough I will cite my own writings….
When we think how life was formed from nothing came something out of the darkness and the shadows into the light. The shadow in birth has always walked with us in essence it is a sentient being that makes up one half of our soul which is made of 2 parts. Physical and the Spiritual. Many people understand many views and how the soul and the spirit work in many aspects of a persons transition between different spiritual practices and beliefs. The focus of this article is to open the idea that your shadow though born with you can pick up from other people and be shaped and reshaped good and bad. When in a munanso you are brought to the foot of the nganga or nkisi and are your journey begins to take shape from the moment you walk in to the time you leave the reading. The process of the shadow casts down into the firma and or firmas that are drawn on the floor to vibrate that energy into a state of being. The shadow picks up this vibration and in turn walks with you throughout your life and follows you wherever you go. The practitioner and priest or priestess then should be able to determine in the reading how your shadow has walked with you Past,Present and how you should push it forward into the future.
“Every shadow that has cast on to you from the moment of birth effects your spiritual growth.“
Ancestors that have long past are part of this cycle in the shadow who live in this world cast their shadow on to you (Buen sombra buen ensenansa) Good shadow good teachings and so the shadow of a Patimpemba lives with us as well. The shadow that casts from the sun and the moon walk with us. As many houses of palo mayombe know that Casa Nsambi(house of nsambi) is the Sun(Ntangu). The shadow that casts from it flourishes us with good and strong spiritual binds to the realm of the ancestors. Ngonda(moon) also casts a shadow as you can see on the featured pictured from a solar eclipse on 2006. The Moon casts its own shadow which live in the realm of kalunga also another aspect of the ancestral link or bind to all living things.(picture is not available but you get my point.)
With this being said to capture a persons Rastro(trail) from there shadow you need to have something on you to do that. Again a practitioner all he needs is the know how a person with years and knowledge and experience. Not an Appropriator of traditional understanding and thought.
What is this saying ( Wansa Sa baku dilango sala dimanga ntoto)
I will give you the more interpretative saying….. The river erases what is written on the earth…. So rivers that destroys towns and knock over bridges erase all traces and trails of things that were set onto the earth. Again like I say all works can be erased and forgotten with water. I hope this was informative to those who are looking for knowledge and wisdom and I hope each and everyone of you come with a bit of understanding how our traditions and culture works.
Nsambia O loqutare…… Tata Musitu ……