I looked at my godson and told him, “I haven’t been a Tata for very long and feel that I still have a lot to learn. Are you sure you want me to be your godfather? I would be happy […]
Articles
The Ancient Malongo Ceremony
The Ancient Malongo Ceremony by Ralph Alpizar www.elmundodelosbrujos.com Originally there was an initiation ceremony within the Mayombe and Biyumba branches known as the malongo ceremony. This was the first step for anyone interested in joining a “house” or Munanso. Oftentimes, this was the […]
The Winds of Lent
photo courtesy of irokofarms.com I took a walk and couldn’t help but notice the almasigo and ceiba trees have begun to sprout new leaves and ducks have their nests full of eggs. Over the years the more connected I become […]
This CANNOT be learned in a classroom!
Esto NO se aprende en una aula! This CANNOT be learned in a classroom! Recently I have received several inquiries from Palo initiates regarding my upcoming course Palo: Theoretical and Practical Approaches. Everyone wants to know if I am “teaching […]
Does the nfumbe live in the nganga? by Ralph Alpizar
Translation from Original by Oscar Guerrero 8/22/2013 One day, in one of the many long conversations with Tatica (a nickname that was given to one of the most well known mayomberos from Cuba) I asked him, “does the nfumbe live […]
The “Powers” of the Mayombero and Mayombera by Ralph Alpizar
This article is the third part of, “The Powers of the Tata Nganga and Yaya Nganga” Translation from Original by Oscar Guerrero 8/20/2013 Among the Bakongo of Africa the nganga (priest) has always recognized the existence of “spiritual entities” and […]
Swirl, Tailwind, Tornado and Bad Wind by Ralph Alpizar
This article is the second part of, “The Powers of the Tata Nganga and Yaya Nganga” Translation from Original by Oscar Guerrero 8/19/2013 We previously left off speaking about the “mazamba well.” This famous “magical well” which my informant spoke […]
The “Powers” of the Tata Nganga and Yaya-Nganga by Ralph Alpizar
Translation from Original by Oscar Guerrero 7/29/2013 At the request of several commenters on this blog I am publishing this revised and expanded article, originally posted on another website with the title: The Four Powers of the Mayombero. This article refers […]
Palo Mayombe Services
Who Am I and What services do I offer? My name is Oscar. I was originally initiated into Palo in 1995 and currently reside in Miami, Florida. My lineage is Kimbisa con Mayombe Guanofilo con Mulenda Santo Cristo Buen Viaje […]
Palo Mayombe Initiation
To be initiated means to become part of something, to be accepted as a member of a group or society. Like many initiations Palo initiation is likened to a simultaneous death and rebirth and occurs for various reasons but one […]