The first quarter is always the toughest

We have officially arrived in April. And although the weather isn't behaving (it snowed this morning), it is spring and my thoughts turn toward - gardens, plants and herbal concoctions.

I am currently wading through the Viridarium Umbris by Daniel Schulke. A hefty tome of around 1000 pages, it has been a challenge and a boon to read with my book club. We are trying our hand at the various recipes, looking for the suggested plants and making progress. It comes at a good time too, as I am making plans for my own little patch of earth this spring.

So what does a mambo plant in her herbal yard, when most of what is used isn't commercially available here in Pennsylvania? Well, let me tell you that with a bit of searching, you can find quite a few Haitian herbs. At my old house, I had a small forest of banana trees, palms and assorted tropical trees just for decor.  Mixed in were aloes, pelagoriums, citrus geraniums, Dutchman pipes and all the regulars like lovage, basil and mint (over 30 varieties at one point!)

Mints are very traditional in Vodou. We make Danbala's basin with spearmint, we bath our blades in peppermint and we create various bath mixtures with them.  Everything in Vodou is about balance, so I always choose to have both mints and basil in my garden.

Basil is the favorite of Erzulie, and it's spicy notes are a welcome balance to her pink roses. Think not? I know my scents, having worked in the floral industry through high school and college.  Fresh roses should smell Peppery - not "flowery". If they smell like roses, the blooms are dying, and will not last more than a day or two. But if you sniff a rose and get pepper, buy it. That bloom has hardly off the plant more than a few hours. Basil is also a favorite of Ogoun, and our altars for the Nago warrior are awash in vases of fresh basil from the garden. Purple basil, also known as African blue is the plant to seek.  I have found it most really good garden centers that specialize in odd or rare herbs.

I also pick up a bitter melon at the Asian market and plant the seeds. This is the herb called Awowsi, and its Azaka's favorite plant. The leaves are often made into a tea, and I know diabetics in Haiti who use it to help control their blood sugar. Like most bitter herbs, its expelling nature helps the pancreas and gall bladder shed sugar from the system.

I have roses for Erzulie - pink of course, though one year only the white one bloomed, but she didn't seem to mind.

I also plant a host of lemon scented herbs - verbena, lemon balm, melissa and lemon scented pelagorium.  Citrus is a poison breaker in Haiti, and having a handful of these wonderful herbs ready  to go should be the top choice for all mambos who do any client work.

Our front garden is graced by a huge Dutchman's Pipe, also known as Aristolochia. It's a climbing vine with a huge and very ugly purple flower. This is the go-to plant for spirit attachments. A bath made of this plus some additional constituents will cleanse even the toughest case. (No, I am not giving out recipes, just covering plants!)

Two additional herbs round out my regular garden plants. The first is the anise plant. Legba loves this scent, and so I have three huge bushes out front for him. I make tea from the flowers, hydrosol from the leaves and essential oil from the stems. The second is a rosemary bush. I generally cannot get this to winter over, but I splurge every year and buy a big bush, that I keep in the sun all season. At the first sign of frost, I bring it in, and it usually manages to make it till Yule before dying. At the old house, we had a bush outside in a protect alcove. It weathered many snowy winters without issue. But here there is no protective niche, and so I must make do with a new one each year.

And finally, I have the usual kitchen herbs - chives, garlic, onions, marjoram, thyme and pepper.  These can all be found wherever you buy your herbs locally.

Although there are a few herbs that can only be had in Haiti, by and large most herbs can be found here in the USA. If your local garden center doesn't carry something, check online. Many nurseries now ship worldwide. It's no problem to find tropical plants that can help fill out your plant nursery.

As I get the plants in and things begin to grow, I'll post pictures from all the beds. I love this time of year, when I can get out into the dirt and feel the energy of the earth pushing and moving forward. I hope you get out there, too!

March is Bossou Twa Kon

In January of 2015, Legba pulled twelve cards as primary cards, and then 6 as Shadow cards. These shadows then become the 6 primary for this year. I have been busy with classes, so I have fallen a bit behind on my readings. My apologies dear readers, for the slacking off.  Heretofore is my catch up posting for this year:

January was Legba Atibon, the exalted shadow for the Action De Gras of last January. Although this year began in a Mercury Retrograde, the Gatekeeper did not fail to open the way.  For some, January was the opening slavo to a difficult year. There were losses, as well as gains; trying times for world at large, and for the sosyete personally.  However, nothing Legba does is without purpose, and although the year began in turmoil, this is all for a reason.  You cannot make your goals holding onto old ideas, old patterns and unresolved conflicts. When we won’t make change, the universe does it for us, and that’s exactly how Legba opened the year.  I would expect the unexpected from now on.

February was Gran Ibo’s month, a taming influence to Gede’s wild ride.  Whenever Gran Ibo appears, she lends her calming ashé to our own lives, helping to tame the wild in life.  It is much needed – February brought really serious sickness, trembling worries all over the globe and making it difficult for all of us to find our faith in the world. Gran Ibo is a water spirit who is often visualized  as a bird. In Vodou, birds are anthropomorphized as ancestors who are also messenger spirits.  Their appearance can hail news from beyond or indicate an offering is needed to help them on their own spiritual path.  I keep bird seed available at all times, but more so whenever it is Gran Ibo’s time.  When you feel the stress of life becoming unbearable, a handful birdseed tossed as an offering helps bring her subtle but powerful energy into focus, calming the events in our lives, so we can “tame” them to our purpose.

Bossou mask from Jacmel

This March is ruled by Bossou Twa Kon, the old king of Dahomey who ended slavery, thus healing his people and his lands.  Bossou is an unexpected pleasure in my life. He arrived through the auspices of of our very own Papa Edgar Jean-Louis, who had made the paket that now graces our Petro altar. Bossou is synchronized with St. Vincent de Paul or sometimes, the triple-ray Christ an allusion to his three horns.

I shouldn't be surprised at my attraction. Bossou is one of the Nephilum Lwa. Semi-divine, with one human parent and one divine, he is part of the mythology of Africa that places disfigured or misshapen people into a special category of folks who are touched by the spirit world. Bossou also carries all the myths of European Bull worship, as well as his status of being sacred in India, holy in Egypt and royal in Africa as well. A very special spirit, he crosses between Petro and Rada. He is Kadja Bossou in Rada; he is Djobolo Bossou in Petro.  He is sometimes envisioned as the Jolly Buddha, with the big belly and smile on his Rada side. But he can also be a huge danger (as any enraged bull can be), when envisioned as Petro.  (Incidentally, this is the first paket I ever owned!)

During carnival in Jacmel one year, I got a huge laugh out of a local craftsman, when I went gaga for a Bossou mask in his shop. "Do you know who that is," he asked politely. "Yes," I said, " it's my  lwa Bossou!" The craftsman roared with delight. "The blan knows her djabs!" he laughed. Wearing it on my head backwards, I got great looks in every airport we passed through on the way home.

If your life seems overly burdened this month, ask Bossou to help out. He can carry the load with ease, making your life a little smoother.  Built for burdens (emotional, physical or mental), he brings a steady rhythm to the world. In many places, Bossou is the main line between life and death. Bulls provide their bodies for food, their strength for projects and their presence for protection. Such a worthy friend should receive our notice when he arrives. Unsung, ignored and largely forgotten by all but the upcountry folks, Bossou is the gentle strong man of the Vodou Pantheon. Allow him to carry the load for you this month.

Set a table for Bossou with three candles in red, white and black (his colors). Because Sosyete du Marche is a Rada house, we use the image of the Laughing Buddha (you might know him as the  Hotei -- you're supposed to rub his fat belly when you come and go from home), St. Vincent de Paul or the triple ray Christo are his Catholic counterparts. Put water in a ceramic bowl, leave a good cigar and corn pudding for him. Ask him to carry your load this month, so that you may be free of your illness, your stress and your worry. Here's a song for him. You can say this as a prayer:

Kreyol:

Kadja Bosou e a mwen prale,

Djobolo Bosou ea mwen prale,

M ap rele lwa yo pou we si m'ap passe Kadja bosou e a , e a,

O m'ap remesi lwa yo.

English:

Kadja Bosou e a I am going,

Djobolo Bosou eh ah, I am going,

I am calling the Lwa, to see if I may pass,

Kadja Bosou eh ah,

Oh I will thank the Lwa.

Refresh the water and candles through the month.  Wear his colors if you can. Pat his belly or head; he loves that (what man doesn't?)  And watch for Bossou in the world. He'll be the big, easy going guy at the check-out counter, who wears a world-weary smile. The goofy grocery clerk who carries ten bags with ease.  The secretary who works endlessly and never complains.  The maintenance man who fixes the copier. The construction workers, ditch diggers and road crew members who lift, carry and tote the world on their shoulders, doing their work all day, every day and yet who remain in the background. While we applaud the architects and visionaries, it's the Bossous of the world who did the grunt work of bringing those dreams into reality.  Ask Bossou to do the same for you and see if your burdens get a little lighter this month.  This is very pertinent to our sosyete at this time.  With so many of us suffering through physical ailments, it is Bossou who will shoulder our burdens and help us gain back our health. Bossou always arrives to carry – it is his ability to handle the most difficult of cases, trials and tribulations that render him one of the most prolific and powerful spirits in our house coterie.

Death and LIfe: Ghede in the Gate

Honor tout moun -
I wrote this posting last week, just before the storm. Its been a painful week for me but I want to share. Even personal pain must be set aside when you are a working priest; others need your support and strength. I will cry in private later on.
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They are predicting snowmegaddon this weekend, just in time for our Legba fet. The Gatekeeper must have some big news if he is buttoning me into the house for two days. I have been acting as an uber mambo since December 31 - Petro bathes, Bon Chans (luck) baths, three day ancestor elevation.  Students are busy with the Four Circles class. Clients are coming out of the wood work. Woy - travay, travay-yo!

Life is a continuous spiral, a Fibonacci graphic meant to be lived and explored.  Each passing day my duties and spiritual connections increase. Most are wonderful experiences, the kind of affirmation that makes me glad for becoming a  priest all those years ago. Others? Well, those are the not so good kind; the type where you must step aside internally inorder to function externally. No one ever taught me how to do this - maybe its a survivor mechanism, I don't know. What I do know is, it still hurts even when I can't show my emotions.

I had devastating news arrive last week - a very close friend lost her husband in a freak accident in Jamaica the first week of the year. He was a Ghede child, born one day after me - November 3rd. I feel those of us born in the time of the Ghedes walk closer to death than most. But that doesn't mean it's any easier to do the work.  Two years ago, I officiated at the memorial service for her mother -- interestingly in a blizzard. When the call came late on Saturday night, I thought OMG, its her father. Never did I think it would be her husband "D".

I officiated at the marriage of D and my friend.  They lived here in Pennsylvania for many years, but island-born people have a pull to the waters of their homeland that cannot be denied. Three years ago D moved back, and my friend began plan a life there with him. They bought a house. They opened a bar with music. D rapped in a rich baritone colored with island flavors and cut a couple records that were well received. My friend set up a boutique that carried jewelry, doing hair for the tourist ladies. It was all going so well, until D stepped off the curb last Monday and was run down by a tour bus. Game over.

D's birth was heralded by a magical, mystical character known to me only as Brudda.  D later explained that Brudda was a real life Obeah healer from Kingston, Jamaica. When Brudda got a look at D's mom he predicted that the baby would be born "special." D arrived a week earlier with a caul on his face.  That set him up for many things - but mostly danger. On an island where magic and spirituality go hand in hand, a baby with a caul is of special note. Whether D rose to fulfill his potential we will never know. Even my friend didn't know much about that part of D's life.  When I left for Haiti to become mambo, D was over the moon.  Finally he had a friend here in the states he could talk to about things that were "other." But it wasn't enough. His life was really good here; busy with my friend, her family, myself and Papa Don.  But, somehow it wasn't enough and the call to come home was greater than all of us together. So he returned to the island and now, there is a hole where he once stood,

"Help the people," D would say. "Brudda always said the real work is to help the people." D said I helped to make his dream come true when I married him to my friend. They have been a part of my life for so long, they feel like family.  I don't know what happened last week in Jamaica, but I will help my friend mourn and together we will pick up the pieces, and begin again. We have good reason to do so because D left behind more than just my friend; he left a daughter. A little bit of himself for us to love and cherish. I will be traveling to Kingston soon to help my friend bring home her husband and her child. And together with her family, we will make magic for a tiny Italian-Jamaican girl who looks like her daddy and laughs like her mom. This Godmother is very happy that there is yet another ti-fey to add to our growing sosyete.  And I am going keep my word to D, to help, however I can. I have to -- he and Brudda are both watching me now. Ayibobo.

A Mercury Retrograde kinda Month

Respect tout moun! Bonne Anne! Happy New Year everyone!

It is a Mercury Retrograde kind of month.  The Trickster planet goes Retrograde today until the 25th. Lucky us.  Leave time for travel, look over contracts twice and be careful of what you say, how you say it and when you do. Whew, a lot of work. Retrograde time periods are its all about the "R" words - Review, Renew, Refresh and Release.  Here's how this month is shaping up for me.

We do Three Kings magic at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.  Don carries money, food and fuel over the threshold to bring prosperity, abundance and wealth into our lives for the entire year. I've written about this ritual here - and its still not too late to do this. You have until the Epiphany to bring the RICHES of the Three Kings into your life.

We also do a tradition Ancestor Elevation on December 31, January 1 and 2nd. Elevating your Ancestors helps move them forward in their spiritual amelioration which means you as well.  Its a sweet ritual that only takes a few minutes to do, but feels so lovely and REFRESHES the your entire  lineage with its uplifting prayers.

On January 1, I got a call from an old friend who I hadn't spoken to in a while. We got to RENEW our friendship while comparing notes on what had transpired in our lives to date.  We REMARKED on making more of an effort stay in touch with one another. Another long lost pal also appeared and gave me love, so I was feeling very elated by all the touchie-feelie stuff happening. I take all of this as a good sign for me that the year was stepping off on the RIGHT foot.

I also began 2016 by appearing on TV. The Travel Channel hosts a show called Dead Files Revisited. I filmed it last April and it finally aired this past weekend. As I REVIEWED my work my first thought "was not too shabby, but my Kreyol could use some attention." I also thought it interesting that they used the RITUAL part extensively - my final interview was kind of janky due to the Spirits playing with the camera and deleting the batteries repeatedly. Even the cameraman was thoroughly exasperated by the end, saying he wasn't sure any of it would be useful, since the camera kept shutting itself off throughout the interview - oops, sorry about that!

And finally, I RELEASED some things that I needed to, in order to make peace with the changes in my life that I have had going on. Yes, even this mambo is not protected from the wear and tear of life, though I am not one to speak about my personal issues. But you will see a change if you know me - less hair, less weight. My health had taken a hit last year - a serious bone bruise in October, a torn ligament, and a major IBS flare up that resulted in my hair beginning to fall out. I do listen when the universe speaks, so I made some tough choices.  I RELEASED (cut off) my beautiful dreadlocks to give my head a chance to heal. I've made a RADICAL change in my diet, so my belly would start to  heal. And we are selling (getting RID off) this big house with all its issues, and moving down into something more manageable. Its time for a change.

Spirit is showing me that I am on the RIGHT track. We have new students in our Four Circle class (RENEWED interest), the house is getting painted (REFRESHED) and the REALTOR is coming by next week to offer advice on any final touch ups we need to get done. It's all good.

And I am REMINDED by Spirit that balance is important. I cannot go hiving off like I used to and expect to get anything accomplished. I intended to approach this year in a more focused manner, with the desire to finish projects, renew relationships and settle into a stable groove. As I am REMINDED by Legba, I must keep my eyes on the prize. Whenever I waiver, is when I become lost. Not this year.

So bring on the retrograde. I was born during a Mercury Retrograde, which makes me very empowered during these times. I RELISH the R words and so should you.  They will make you ROBUST and give you the RESOLVE to go forward with your plans. My best REGARDS!

December is Makandal

Last January, Legba pulled twelve cards. This is the final one, a revolutionary start for the new year.  Makandal is seen as a natural man, standing out in the woods. With Danbala curling above his head, Makandal stands in a stream of moving water.  The water signifies the emotional burden that he carried.  Desire, loneliness, anger.  The emotional energies that helped him do the work of igniting the passions of his fellow Africans also left him very alone.  His spiritual companion is Danbala, the energy of creation.  All revolutions are about birthing a new creation.  And it is under Danbala’s steady gaze that the work of the revolution begins as an idea, a thought, and a desire to be free.

Makandal’s activities had a profound impact on the start of the revolution.  He influenced the next generation of revolutionaries to make the changes that would bring forth the nation of Haiti.  Let me share a little about Makandal:

There is very little in the historic record, and what we do know is speculative at best.  Some accounts say he was a Muslim, enslaved in Africa and brought over to the island of Saint- Domingue either from Senegal, Mali or Guinea.  Haitian historian Thomas Madiou states that “Makandal had instruction and possessed the Arabic language very well.” (1) Other accounts name him as a houngan who had knowledge of the leaves and plants of the island. (2)

From there, the stories interweave but details are cloudy.  He had only one hand – or maybe one arm.  The arm or hand was lost in Africa – or in a sugar mill incident.  Whichever is the truth, the loss kept him out of the fields, allowing him to travel as a sort of delivery man between plantations.  In his travels, he became familiar with the island and its floral, eventually gaining intimate knowledge of its many plants and their purposes for both healing and harming.  He also made a connection with the maroon Africans, eventually joining them.  Speculation says he either developed a large network of groups – or created the network allowing him to gain access to all the plantations. His fellow maroons distributed his work with equanimity, killing white masters, African slaves and livestock with impunity.  Makandal was deadly serious about wanting to escape the rigors of bondage, and he took no prisoners in the doing. Freedom or death was the same thing to him.

His reign of warfare ended when an ally was captured and tortured into revealing Makandal’s whereabouts. The historic record is clear on this one point.  He was captured in the north and publicly burned to death in Cap Hatien’s square.  However, either due to the heat of the fire or supernatural cause, no body was discovered in the smoking pyre the next day.  Makandal’s legend would only grow from there.  And (again possibly speculation or truth, who knows…) a young slave named Boukman was present at the burning.  The flames of Makandal’s pyre would ignite this man’s passion for freedom, and Boukamn would go on to become an important leader in Haiti’s revolution to free all the enslaved people on the island.  

For the month of December, Makandal’s energy and passion will encompass everyone in the sosyete.  We will all become revolutionaries in our own lives and in the life of the society as well.  Makandal’s power was not just his abilities to create poison, but to affect transformation of his life, the island and its people.  Makandal had the talent to detect changes that were happening across the island and in the plantation culture.  He was charismatic enough to lead large, diverse groups of people in coordinated efforts toward a common goal. And he was intimately familiar with the land he lived on. Through his experimentation and practice, Makandal came to understand how the plants supported his efforts and kept his compatriots alive during the worst of times.  His plant knowledge was not just about poison but about life as well.  He was as much a healer as he was a revolutionary.

With Makandal as the energy of this month, he will lend his revolutionary thinking, energy and purpose to the sosyete, giving us the energy to birth a new vision of where we are heading in 2016.  Gather up healing herbs (mint, basil, thyme, rosemary) and tie up a tiny paket of them. Place the paket behind your front door for blessings and protections.

Equally, lay a small bundle of baneful herbs (agrimony, thistle, rue, horehound) under your front mat for protection and to deflect away anything with ill intent.

As you tie your pakets, light a red or blue candle (the colors of Haiti) and invoke Makandal’s energy for protection, for healing and for change.  Now is the time to consider what you want to bring to you in the new year.  Do you want freedom from a job, a relationship, a position?  Are you looking to connect with others of a like mind?  Then kill off that old pattern of living and invoke a new one for yourself!

December’s Shadow is Papa Loko: with such a strong card ruling this month, it makes sense that the shadow would exalt the energies of Makandal.  Papa Loko will sit as judge on this new activity, ensuring we do it right from the start.  His unerring judgment will guide Makandal’s ashé as we go forward.  A volatile spirit such as Makandal needs a strong hand to guide those energies in a positive way. Papa Loko is also a spirit of the forest and herbs. He will temper Makandal’s provocative nature, and channel it in a positive direction for the entire sosyete.

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(1)   Madiou, Thomas.  Histoire d'Haïti, Impr. de J. Courtois.  1848.

(2)   Weaver, Karol K.  Medical Revolutionaries: The Enslaved Healers of Eighteenth-Century Saint-Domingue, Urbana, IL:University of Illinois Press.  2006.

I will always have Paris

Have you ever been to Paris? It's everything they write, sing and paint about -- and more. The light really is different there. The people are wonderful, the food amazing, the coffee tastes different, the entire city smells like a perfume bottle and there are romantic bridges, and secret alley ways and art and music pouring out of every corner, window  and doorway.  Which made the news over the weekend of the Paris bombings so painful to watch.

I love Paris - I was there years ago, and it remains one of my favorite trips ever. I did the boat ride down the Seine, walked all over Notre Dame, Montmartre and did the labyrinth inside the cathedral of Sacre Coeur. I toured the Louvre, the Tomb of Napoleon, and drank coffee at a street side table on the Champs Elyse. I felt so grown up -- and I was all of 17 when I did this. A friend and I did this trip to the City of Lights at 17 years of age - and we felt safe. We never saw a bogeyman, no one bothered us and we did everything we wanted to without supervision. Paris and I had a teenage love affair that I will never forget. I will always have Paris.

(And just for the record, it is every bit of wonder, beauty and fabulousness you think it is and more...)

So Paris being the target of another bombing this weekend went straight to my heart. I hate this. I hate that I hate watching the news. I hate that my memory of Paris now includes monsters lurking in the shadows. But I will still have Paris. I will not allow these animals to ruin my favorite memory and my beloved city of lights. And when I feel threatened as I did this weekend, I get radical. I think out the box. And I make change, like drastic change. I love change, I embrace change, my middle name should be "Change." I grew up with change - that's what happens when your mom wants to move every year and your dad works for the government and you have no say in the matter. So six grammar schools and two high schools later, I got change down. I own it, I embrace it and I make The Donald crazy with it. Its just how I roll.

I had a Jean Moreau moment this weekend and I am fully embracing my archetype. After 2 years in dreadlocs, my scalp was hurting all the time. The weight of the dreads was constant - I never realized just how heavy all that hair had become! While waiting out a painful joint healing, I was stuck in front of the TV, watching the news and crying. And then, I said enough. I need change and I need it now.  I got out my metal comb, lots (and lots) of oily conditioner and began the excruciating process of combing out the locs. 18 hours later, my newly freed head feels amazing. I keep running my fingers through my (very) short hair, and the feeling of it brings back a lovely memory from my Paris trip (I had very short hair then, too.)

My friend and I had just come out of a candy shop, and were meandering down the street when a couple of handsome young French boys dashed up to us, grabbed our hands and twirled us around. Then, they snatched a piece of candy from the bag, kissed my cheek and with a "merci madamoiselles!" dashed off down the street, leaving us a bit shocked but giggling like the school girls we were. Flattered by their forward moves, we spent the rest of day elated and happy. I want that feeling again.

So I've cut off all my hair, releasing my aching neck and painful scalp. Its short and trippy and very Jean Moreau. Or Jean Seberg, I can't decide.  It'll always grow back - that's the great part. Like Paris on the rebound, my hair will come back. It always does. In the meantime, I am embracing the look of both Jeans fully.  Gonna wear red lipstick and striped tee shirts. I will be a rebel Vodou angel, praying for Paris and for the people who were injured. It's November, the month of the Ghedes. I will give an  action de gras in honor of those who have died. And I will sing for the Ghedes, so they can do their work in Paris. My shorn hair is an offering to them, so that they can carry forth in this world.

Paris and I are burning but in a good way. With anger. With pride. And with patriotism. Je suis Paris. Ayibobo.

November means Mange Mo' - Feed the Dead

 Legba pulled a strong card for November: Mange Mo’, literally Feed the Dead.  Very apropos for this time of year!  November heralds the month long celebration in Haiti called Fet Ghede.  It is an opportunity to clean up the family grave site, serve the ancestor’s favorite food and drink, light candles for warmth and energy, while celebrating the life of the ancestors through service, prayers and songs they enjoyed when alive. Beginning on October 31 (which is a more American affectation than Haitian) and running through November 30, Fet Ghede is a national holiday in Haiti and is celebrated the length and breadth of the country. Offices shut down, people take a holiday from work, and everyone heads down to the cemetery to celebrate, to cry, and to remember. It is such a strong and powerful reminder of one’s past, I am surprised that it is just this one month.

Feeding the dead should not just be a once a year practice.  In a place like Haiti where food can be problematic at best, feeding the ancestors is a routinely engaged gesture, one that is so normal it is done automatically. At dinner tables all over the country, a tiny bite is set aside for the ancestors, so that they can also eat with the family.  A tip of a cup offers liquid refreshment and no one would dare begin a meal without making this inclusive and universal gesture of greeting.

Including the ancestors is so strong and prevalent, that during our Kanzo, one of the houngans was instructed to offer food and drink to his dead godmother from a Santeria tradition, so that she would look kindly on his making the passage into Haitian Vodou. The godmother was installed with all the pomp and circumstance she would have received, had she been alive.  A govi was produced and with blessings, songs, and offerings, her ti-Bon Ange was invited to sit within it. A tiny chair was set up on the pe (the circular altar at the foot of the poto mitan) where the govi was reverently seated, and a tiny kolye placed around the neck of her clay vessel.  With a ring side seat, she got to view up close and personal all the rituals being performed for her godchild..  It would have been unthinkable to kanzo her godchild without her direct consent. The presence of the Govi was significant in this circumstance as a stand-in for the deceased godmother. When we ate, the govi was fed bits of the meal. When we slept, the govi was covered to signal the spirit within that it was a time of rest.  And when we processed out of the djevo on our batem day, the govi was decked out in white satin and beads, just like her godson.  The inclusiveness of the govi during Kanzo was just one of many rites that Vodou provides to keep the ancestors close by.

Here in America, we put our ancestors away, locking their physical remains up in strange places with people they don’t know.  We buy land in tiny plots, symbolic of larger domains that are no longer the available to the ancestor.  We interr their remains in vaults of concrete or marble, lock iron gates to keep out strangers (and family) or lock in the dead.  Sometimes, they are not laid to rest at all.  More often than not, due to rising land cost or the lack of available land, Cremation has become the norm.  Cremains are placed in govi-like vessels that are then installed in large mausoleums, alongside strangers.  And again, when the iron gates closed, our beloved family members are left lying in strange ground. No wonder we love zombies so much these days – they are our own ancestors rising, looking for sustenance and family to keep them company. 

The forgotten dead trouble us all the time – we just don’t know how to interpret the signs.  I get calls about family troubles all the time. The story is almost universally the same.  The father / mother is upset or having trouble sleeping/working/having relations with the spouse. They’ve tried everything (they say) and to no avail.  Nothing they do seem to help or abate the signs and symptoms they are experiencing.  But when we talk further, it is revealed that the ancestors are hungry. I interpret this from the conversations which go something like this:

“I can’t sleep! My legs are heavy and restless.”

“I feel like someone is sitting on my chest.”

“My mind won’t stop running,” or “I can’t shut off my mind.”

“The house feels ‘hot,’ ‘cold,’ ‘weird,’ ‘unusual.”

All these statements are indications that the Ancestors are on the prowl.  Restless legs are indicative of walking spirits.  Feeling heavy pressure on the chest, legs or face is ancestrally based energies, vying for your attention.  A busy mind or unusual energy in a home is also a sign that the family is troubled, and like any family issue, when the elders are rumbling, we all feel it on the earth plane.

The simplest solution is to pay attention when these things occur.  Ancestors are the heart and soul of our work as Vodouisants. Keeping the family running smooth requires effort, but nothing that is difficult.  Repetition of the following gestures will make ensure you do it often and regularly, thus keep the spirits happy.

Most months, on Monday night, offer a small coffee saucer with a single bite from your meal and a shot glass of water or coffee is the simplest way to feed the spirits. They really don’t require much – just your continual devotion to their spiritual amelioration.  For the month of November, when the entire month is devoted to the Ancestors, you would do best to make a plate each night.  This card indicates that they are really hungry this year.  Have you been to the cemetery lately, to clean and clear their gravesites?  It is traditional to do so, and you can gain mucho respect from them for the gesture. Consider it a pilgrimage. Make a gravestone rubbing of their headstone.  Plant flowers like mums and winter cabbage to keep it looking great. At home, use the gravestone rubbing as a centerpiece for your altar.  Set out purple and black candles.  Place ancestral foods they liked on white china plates.  I usually buy Italian cookies for Dad’s side, maple candies for Mom and set out two cups of coffee – one black, one with cream and sugar..  I change the coffee daily and keep the altar fresh. I also use flowers, incense and perfume that my mother loved.  The dead are rising and want their time with you.  Spend it well with them, to ensure a solid year going forward for you and yours.

The shadow card for November is Holy Death.  This can mean both a metaphysical death such as the end of a job or a relationship, or the actual death of someone.  The Ghede may laugh loudly, and clown around, but they are deadly serious. In another tradition I once carried, this month heralded the beginning of many crossings. The Baron is coming and he does not fool around. Deadly serious, fiercely riding the raunchy clan of ghedes who accompany him, he is a takes no prisoner kind of guy.  He is the final harvest of souls, and he comes for anyone he chooses.  That  is the truth he carries from Bon Dieu.  You will feel his cold touch this month.  Be wary of odd places, strange people or late night forays to locations unfamiliar.  Stay small, feed your dead, but remember to honor the Baron this month.  Wear purple and black, even if it is just a scarf, a ring or a pin.  Pour water faithfully each night and light candles so that the Ghedes will come only for those who deserve their steely-eyed interest. May all your Dead feed well this cold month of November! Kwa senbo!