In writing this article we all as observers of faith have to look within ourselves and create an analysis based on how others view us. It’s time to start truly debunking this image of killers and unsavory characters in our religion. When we look for a cross comparison I am forced to abate towards the 3 main religions of our time. Judaism, Christianity and Islam as the precursor for Bantu teachings. Why? Because there is a point to prove at the reading audience. I will give examples from the bible….
Genesis 41:42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
Daniel 2:48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.
Daniel 5:7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
Daniel 5:29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
Taken from the about.com
What does the Qur’an say about the prophets?:
“The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one of them believes in God, His angels, His books, and His Messengers. They say: ‘We make no distinction between one and another of His Messengers.’ And they say: ‘We hear, and we obey. We seek Thy forgiveness, Our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.’” (Al-Baqarah, 2:285)
There are 25 prophets mentioned by name in the Qur’an, although Muslims believe that there were many more in different times and places. Among the prophets that Muslims honor are:
- Adam
- Idris (Enoch)
- Nuh (Noah)
- Hud
- Saleh
- Ibrahim (Abraham)
- Isma’il (Ishmael)
- Ishaq (Isaac)
- Lut (Lot)
- Ya’qub (Jacob)
- Yousef (Joseph)
- Shu’aib
- Ayyub (Job)
- Musa (Moses)
- Harun (Aaron)
- Dhu’l-kifl (Ezekiel)
- Dawud (David)
- Sulaiman (Solomon)
- Ilias (Elias)
- Al-Yasa (Elisha)
- Yunus (Jonah)
- Zakariyya (Zechariah)
- Yahya (John)
- ‘Isa (Jesus)
- Muhammad
Taken from Wikipedia
Some hold that the stars generally do control the fate of people and nations, but Abraham and his descendants were elevated by their covenant with God, and thus achieve an elevated level of free will. (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 44:12, Yal., Jer. 285). A statement in the Tosefta (Kiddushin 5:17) holds that the blessing bestowed on Abraham is the gift of astrology. Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah states that the rulers of some non-Jewish nations were experts in astrology, and that King Solomon too had expertise in this realm
My reasoning for putting the interpretative teachings of all 3 faiths is so that we can access that Palo Mayombe is a ritualized practice from the Bantu ethnic groups who miraculously have made it into the 21st century. Through slave oppression be it from kings and magistrates to colonialism and now with the subversive groups out there who would advocate against paleros and santeros as mere charlatans and seekers of financial gain. Well last I heard in a free and open market we can be honest with the general public and look to better our standings. Why is it when a Santero or a Palero who is honest and simplistic in his practice can not make or earn an honest living from what he practices? Now being a palero or a santero will not make you a millionaire faith does not work like that. Many who practice that philosophy in any religious market will fall flat on their face. Unless they are skimming from the top of people’s pockets and eventually that catches up to you. Once we look into what moves Palo Mayombe, healing, prophecy, well-being, understanding that cause and effect is the ritual order of the day and you will either benefit from honesty or you “will reap what you sow”.
The Preservation Society that I realized that I would like to create is based on Media Advocacy, Social resources, Law and group counseling we are not looking to be the only group but we want to bring an understanding. If we do not start this type of thinking and advocacy just like many other groups we will fall at the waist side with the idea that other media groups, religious organizations and or any type of media communication out there can speak on behalf of us and we have no voice. I am talking about the professional people out there, Lawyers, Doctors, Nurses, people in law enforcement, also people within media and agencies who do not know that the co-worker next to you maybe a practitioner of Palo Mayombe and or Orisha.
Palo Mayombe has had its prophets we call them elders, in Spanish “Mayores” people in our religious settings and or backgrounds who can bring forth an understanding to our ritual practice our ethical/moral value and structure and our diviners, astrologers, men of medicine and science. Yet why is it the younger generation has no respect to them. Is it because we lack structure, I doubt it. I believe because that have had no formal training or initiation process with any true validity that this has gotten out of hand. We are fathers and Mothers of secrets yet if we do not look to our elders this will be lost and in time Palo will go to the way of small churches with no denominations just Preacher wolves in sheep’s clothing.
“On a personal note I have a lot of detractors out there who wish they could be as upfront as I am. Unfortunately they lack the understanding of a simple concept. Be you… If you have a faith stick to it. If you have no faith and jump around looking for powers, Like I know a few who could not hold their own in one faith and jumped backwards looking for another. Get a clue. You are in the wrong religion you should be a bible thumper and not a wanna be Ifa/palero/osain/wiccan/santero/whatever you call yourself it has not worked for you. Join the salvation army and ring a bell at Macy’s. God bless you and all that.” Say hi to the 16 entities…
In the up and coming months we will be working on this blog to create it as an Advocacy group we will have the details up soon since I realized this is a good median for people to be informed as well as another group called (The Wild Hunt) Jason Pitzl Waters is doing an excellent job hopefully we can come to the same type of media blog as his fore Palo Mayombe and other african and afro cuban and afro Caribbean practices….
Tata Musitu