I am late writing - I've been ill, and off my game a bit. But things have settled more or less, so I can begin my writing again. I still did my meditation and prayers, even while sick. Funny, it brought me great comfort each morning. It is such a good routine, that I feel compelled to continue this daily prayer cycle.
But there's been an even more interesting turn of events. For those who don't know, the leadi\er of a sosyete in Vodou is called the house Poto Mitan. That's because all the spirits served in a sosyete often dance in the head of the leader. As I am the defacto leader (along with a big heaping help from Papa Don), the spirits that dance in my head are the ones most often fetted here. And there's been an uptick shall we say, in the quality of service and spiritual zeitgeist at Sosyete du Marche.
The last fet for Loko was a good example. We had a small, tight crew. We sang lustily into the night, and we stayed focused, on point and on time. No need to drag the night along, we hit each spirit's with all the songs we had and moved on the to the next one. The few possession states that took place were given food, drink and allowed to stay - until the next spirit was sung for. No one was chased out, but we decided to keep the Lwa train on schedule. It was a tight, compact five hours of prayer, songs and dance. And when we finished, we realized something amazing had happened.
The group felt incredibly close. It was as if we fell in love with one another for the first time. There was no drama (there really never is, but this night felt especially clean and straight). There was support, love, devotion - in short, everyone present received a numinous experience out of the working. Later, as we sat with coffee and cake, everyone spoke about the connection they felt to spirit, to the house as a whole and to me as the mambo. I said, I think its due to my speaking with Spirit each day.
There are lots of places on the Internet that will talk about the power of prayer. But you do not often see it related to Vodou. Vodou is often (always) talked about as either a system of practice, thus reducing it to it's basic framework and making it sound like folk practices. Or as a beleaguered and outdated mode of animism, which is worse. But no one really know the the truth about Vodou.
Vodou's beauty and power lie within the ability of its adherents to speak directly to the Higher Self. Define that anyway you please - Met Tet, Guardian Angel, Contact, Spiritual Mentor. However you call it, it is the Egregore of Vodou that allows one to commune directly with the "Powers That Be." And in the communion, find sustenance, peace, love and deep connection. When those elements are then presented to the group as a unified whole, through the egress of the Mambo leading the worship, then the connection thrums like a tight cord, bringing Divine revelation and messages directly to the congregation present. Ayibobo - now that's magic in my book!
I have 6 more days to say my twa Pater, twa Ave Marias each morning. I may just keep doing them, once we get past Lent and Easter. I will be setting a big feast for the Lwas next Sunday morning. I invite you all to join me by placing food and drink before your Ancestors, and thanking them for their love, their lives and their on-going life lessons. And I thank my husband, my godkids and my family for their support, their love and their devotion. Without them, I couldn't do what I do either. Ayibobo. Ashe. Amen.
mi di twa Pater, twa Ave Maria....
No comments:
Post a Comment