I totally missed April’s reading, and I apologize to you, dear
readers. If you follow any of my Facebook profiles, I am dealing with a very
painful back disc issue and can’t sit comfortably for more than an hour at a
time. I am awaiting treatment and so in
the meantime, I surf the Net, make notes and –sleep. But today is a better day than before, and so
I am trying to get back on track again. Let’s see what Legba pulled for May this year.
Although the astrologers have us in the throes of both a
Mercury and Mars retrograde (oh goodie…),
this month’s path to stability lies with the ancestors. Mange Mo is an annual feeding event in Haiti. Food is expensive and so a big feast is
generally held off for a year. Then, at the appropriate time, all the ancestral
dead of the family (mother’s lines, father’s lines, spiritual posse and so
forth) are fed in a grand fet. All the
favorites are gathered: foods, drink, smokes (cigarettes), even pictures of
clothing, cars and any other item that the dead loved. These are set up on the
offering tableau and a ritual
ceremony is given with lusty singing, drumming and dancing. Once the spirits are set and happy, then
everyone in attendance also partakes of the meal and drink. It’s a big deal for
the family and for the local neighbors as well.
Mercury may be retro and Mars is sulking but – Venus is
sitting in Taurus right now, her beloved home.
She is what’s known as exalted, meaning she offers her brooding lover
Mars heaping helpings of love and attention so he won’t spoil the party. And I have written oodles about Mercury
Retrograde (you can read it here), so don’t fret about my beloved Patron making
trouble.
Take a moment this month to offer your ancestors a plate of
their favorites. It doesn’t need to be high drama – a bite of your dinner and a
cup of joe works just fine. Put it on
their favorite color – either a napkin or a plate. Put their picture there, or just write out
their name as a place card. If you have an ancestor govi, use that as the focus
of the table. Make it as grand as you
wish, but do it this month. The energy of the ancestors is available right now,
through the largesse of Legba opening the gate. Use it wisely to help this
month run smoother for yourself.
And like all fets, there is a Lwa who is the pwen or power point of that
working. The pwen for this month is the
beautiful Freda (the Venus of Vodou),
and she is certain to pay attention if you offer her a cup of coffee with sugar
and cream to help smooth over any rough patches. Just don’t forget to pour out a shot of white
rum or gin for Mars (Ogoun), so he won’t become maudlin and rage unnecessarily.
