The Caldero Espiritual in Espiritismo: congo spiritual pot

The Lucumi and Congo cauldrons, not Espiritismo or our caldero espiritual

There has been much misunderstanding of the caldero espiritual in espiritismo, which IS NOT an nganga nor an Ogun pot. They may look very similar, but they are made differently and serve completely different functions. People may laugh and say its an invention, but it has become part of Espiritismo occasionally in more recent times, even if it can be described as quasi "bootleg". Please I mean no offence to anybody.

Ogun is the Orisha spirit responsible for war, technology and smithcraft

taken from the seven worlds

photo Ogun fundamento above from Santeria Church of the Orishas

This is received with the warriors if I am not mistaken, before entering as a priest in kariocha ceremony for the beginners own usuage under a godparent. You cannot just make your own as I saw one well known wicca, hoodoo "Mama" do. Receiving the Ogun Orisha proper I think would be in the soup tureens as with other Orisha in Lucumi, Ocha, improperly called Santeria. Please speak to a Santero, Oriate or Santera to clarify. I can only properly speak to my traditions of Sanse and Espiritismo, but do so to compare the best I can.

Below basic as sold from botanica

Nganga: Belonging to Cuban Palo sects:

taken from annetrent.com

First I would like to say I am not in the beautiful, fierce religion of Palo. You should seek a priest out to verify anything I say about it. I do have Palo brothers and sisters, even my godparents are in Palo so I have much respect for the tradition.

Originally the Palero or the Tata was the nganga, the pacted spirit of the dead or nfumbe is placed within the priest during initiation or rayarse, rayamento, this is still done within certain Mayombe sects of nganguleros.  The priest was the pot. We do not have an nfumbe, and we do not work with their higher misterios (like Orisha or Lwa) called Mpungo. The nganga is also called a prenda "jewel" or kindembo. They will keep this usually in a shed or outbulding under lock, not a great idea in your house. Whereas we tend to keep our caldero next to the white table in front or on the left with the Congos.

Their pot is fed blood, tobacco, and rum infused chamba, and within is nfumbe also called kongome (human bone), who are somewhat chained, some is through agreement, education, elevation, for good and mutual benefit, some are soley as their dogs kept ignorant and earthbound. 

Nkisi nfuiri are a fetish made between the dead and an mpungo. Usually seen as nail driven to inform the will, or mark feats, not to torture a spirit or individual.

                                                                              Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Our spirits are free and are of light for the most part, and there is nothing to stop them from leaving, except if they are guides they have been contracted by God for the most part before birth. They would leave by our bad behavior and by not attending them. Spirits may stick around because they like their goodies, they like us, or do not have any other option for elevation, or like the work. Other dead we do not force them to work, we have no guardian Mpungo for it, so you must be strong in your spiritual frame or court, and as a spiritualist to control the portal. This is a point of ridicule, but if you send a nfumbe out its not in the pot any longer...well there are things there I do not understand. I am guessing because they are heavier more material yet immaterial capable of great and precise effects apon the world, and cannot leave the earth plane either, anchored by the blood. Elevated spirits are not chained to the earth realm like nfumbe. According to my reference at the end of this blog post the nfumbes who are most chosen" but instead can perceive, feel and meddle in the affairs of the living. They are spirits who are not yet ready to accept that their lives have ended, belonging to people who perished in dramatic, violent, unexpected, premature or unconscious. Often victims of accidents, crimes, fights and wars, sudden or early, suicidal diseases (although it seems contradictory, most suicides take their own lives to avoid suffering and humiliation, but do not really want to die), children and mentally disturbed. Sorcerers seek out this type of nfuiris to agree with them and support their nkisis, not because they like so, but because they are the easiest to convince and manipulate and stronger and more effective to work.."

Because our pot is not an nganga, we do not scratch over it/ initiate others into Palo because we have no license, and do not have the pact with the ancient Congo ancestors or Bakulu from which their religion and tools function. Repeat: we have no license to operate the same.

The function of the spiritual Caldero or Cardero

Through pots of the dead both espiritistas and Palero/as can mount the dead, so it is imperative that you have control of your boveda and can independantly hold misa first, as well as mounting spirits and exorcisms.  You must be strong in your spiritual faculties and spiritual frame and relationships. Mounting the dead can cause gradual wear and tear on your energy body resulting in poor physical health if mismanaged. You should in my opinion, be a baptised and crowned Espiritista for some protection, and the knowledge of how to create this, unless it is out of thin air. We don't just put whatever in pots and dolls in our house.

Taken from pintrest, author unknown

We may have another smaller empty 3 leg cauldren kept to Candelo Lwa in Sanse on the divsional table, but this is not prepared, usually for candles, placing objects temporarily for him to watch over, and offerings like candles. Sanse is heavily congo influenced, as all our beats in music are conga drum "palos". The drums were made from a trunk or tree hollow section with skin stretched over. Palo means stick, from a tree.

You may have a congo, or several verified congo spirit guides, some may be Myomberos from Lisa in Africa, or from Cuban Palo. They may ask you for their cauldron and suggest items to place within it. In this case it is no different than creating a spirit guide doll as a bench for the spirit. The spirit is free and of a high elevation of the commissions of guides. Because they practiced this religion in life, they still continue to do so. Some people who have madamas, they happen to be congo, or their Francisco or Francisca guides are congo. This is Espiritismo and not of Palo. I have a congo spear for my congo, and a guava stick garabato, but he has been extremely picky about the black ebony and ironwood busts I have been looking at to represent him, and they need to be culturally relevant.

They are able to use their pots in some capacity. It is also in my tradition a portal or house to the dead, but this is controversial and not in every lineage. This would be closer to Palo Monte, in which some use no bone nor are to harm (supposedly), but do animal sacrifice?.  "Both are natives educated, very "muerteros" or spiritual, but working without nfumbe or kongome (human bones), and therefore without nkisi, only with nfuiris, elementary mpungus (pure forces of nature, like fire, sea, the moon and stars) and saints, who are nfuiris very advanced spirits bright. That's why spiritual garments not serve to harm, such as palo monte, and are characterized by work with flowers, herbs, offal and rogaciones, to cleanse, heal, save, protect and provide prosperity to their owners and their godchildren, enriched with elements of Santeria, the Afro-Cuban Xianmalongo rule arises, also called Shamalongo or simply Malongo (nature)." For which the coconut discs used in divination in these systems are also called after chamalongos, originally from kola nuts in Yoruba religion.

 It is not really the connection to ancestors, but it could be, or to those who reject the boveda, but you must be very careful. We are not really muerteros or necromancers, unless it is a side venture, but we do have "necessary" spirits, or can go get some dead. Hopefully you have good spirit discernment and are not foolish enough to do this without knowing how to work safely, be protected and respectful, and to get them in the cemetery, and in many natural places. Taught by godparents, not by reading, watching videos, and internet searches. It is of benefit to be in Sanse and have a good relationship with the Baron chief of the Ghede, or whoever holds the gate for you in the cemetery. For us it is Ghede Limbo. Remember, Sanse and Espiritismo is a tradition of light, spiritual progress, elevation and truth for the incarnated and disincarnated human spirits. This influences very much how we treat people, our morals or ethics, and work with our dead. Call it weak because its not a tool of destruction for us, but not even every Palo priest works their nganga that way for bad, unless it is for protection. It is just a different tool and focus of our tradition.

The pot also is connected to nature, of the elements, animal spirits, and the stars as well as this world and the realm of the dead.

The offerings given to our caldero are rum (usually white), perfumes, tobacco, candles (red, black, white & depending on intention), plants and incense, to help them come forwards. We pray and sing our songs to it.

To "to give body to the spirits who come to your call and avoid physical wear that will produce the constant possessions, as happens to the classic pure spiritualists or only avail themselves of trance and do not mix their spiritual abilities with witchcraft. Their work will not be as violent and precise as those of a Nkisi Tata, but much more varied and effective than a classic spiritualist practically limited to contact the spirits to query and transmit messages to their loved ones."

According again to the reference, "The nfuiris can help alerting them alive dangers, telling them the good way, cleaning and harmonizing the spiritual energy of his aura to heal physical and mental illnesses of spiritual origin and protecting them against spiritual attacks of dark entities, such as nfumbes and ndokis, but they can do little against a disease of physical origin or against attacks that occur by accident, violence and social circumstances, as to influence the earthly plane for both attack and defense, a lot of energy source material is required, the nfuiris which lack.This is the reason why the nfuiris not serve to hurt and nfumbes yes; not because some are good and some bad, but because nfuiris are high and free spirits...based on family, affinity or kinship"

You need to know your spiritual frame will influence the components and the container:

wood/earth, water/clay, or fire/iron cauldron, 

some use a birds nest or hang them from the ceiling with feathers for air in Palo, they also used coconuts and gourds as vessels.

Originally they were made in cloth or burlap sacks, and in animal heads until Cuba, although some may still be done that way they are more biodegradable. They would sometimes bury this at the base of holy trees, as they were a nomadic and warrior hunter tribe, they could not always bring it on expeditions or if it was heavy or large. They used to be small, some still are smaller than the priests head, but have gotten huge in modern era. They would instead bring their mpaka which is linked to the nganaga, a horn filled with secrets, sealed with a mirror, which is also a scrying device of sight that can be linked to a certain Mpungo. They at times place this on top of their nganga. We do not have this either.

This is more witchcraft, such as the European and Greek necromantic cauldrons. One meaning of the froth coming out of the sterotypical halloween image of the encanting crone witches cauldron is the witches brew rising seething, the seizure of shaking spirit possesion, and as well the mist of the dead and spiritual fluids or gasses, like the bubbles in the water glass on the boveda white table.

But this is Congo witchcraft sorcery.

The closest thing our cauldron is, I have discovered to Palo is the free "nfuiri" dead of the branch of Palo Monte. 

referenced below Nkisio Nfuiri

What else goes in the Caldero espirituale:

Before you make this pot: You should already know how to make guide dolls, and be able to have practiced preparing different spiritual objects such as amulets or guards. We create things partly via spiritualism, what the spirits say to add, but also have a basic recipe and understanding of what goes in there, as well as with specially procured sticks, stones, plants and dirts. You should also already have a super solid regular spiritual hygiene and cleansing schedule of yourself and entire home.

The most common calderos in espiritsmo is a larger 3 legged iron cauldron for a cuadro of spirits that are mostly congo spirits. A clay pot for those who have a spiritual entourage that are mostly cooler spirits such as los indios, native americans. Even if you have a congo. Also depending on your major element, it will influence some of the material that goes within, such as relevant animal parts, a crucifix, tools, coins, things related to certain professions, charms, personal effects, mirrors, minerals and dirts (ntotos) of certain areas to give it identity.

This is also the same type of pot used to house or guardian angel Lwa or met tet, as well as if we have recieved or Indio cazuela in this same type. It would make more sense to receive this first unless your court is mainly Congo. Mine is in a painted clay vessel, because it cracked in postage from Florida to my home state, and is all placed within. I only took my head pot back on the plane with me. We only have possibly these three pots, all others are in dolls, or beside a doll if the statue cannot be hollowed for guides. Again, we do not make a pot for every Lwa like they do in Lucumi in the casserole pots for each Orisha.

Indio cazuelas, called a Tindjo in 21 divisions Dominican Vodou

There are secret ways to cleanse the container and prep it before you add in the order of ingredients. You then add in the foundation of dead. It is also buried a special place, then shown to the sun after a certain number of days. The priest must also prepare themself spiritually, observe taboos and make certain ritual observances.

Besides the things mentioned, various weapons can be placed within at the end after the sticks. You can even place a plastic or fake skull on top.

The pot is not usually marked, and we do not use firmas or, the petipembas of Palo spirit signatures. You can mess yourself up directionally, and have lineage behind them if you do. You can draw something else with cascarilla chalk if you wish on it, such as a cross. You can tie it with certain relevant color ribbon as your spirit directs in the flavor of the pot, it is usually not painted.

Things which are more controversial and not done in every espiritismo or Sanse lineage

With the pot you can make use of a line of directional low grade gunpowder (fula) beside on a cement floor, or on a tablet of cement, if you have the knowledge and guidance. You can do work over the pot after you have awoken it. You can add and take things out for specific purposes. Your congo spirit will direct you.

If you have Palo in your temple or spiritual house they can help with the construction but it is not necessary. This is very controversial but you can add human bone if you know what you are doing and is legally procured IF I was to do this. A Palero can also sacrifice a rooster into it when it is first awoken, and not usually ever again after. Animal sacrifice is not commonly required or trained to be done in Sanse and Espiritismo. However you must understand full the implications if it, and spirits can get very scary and hungry expecting more if they are not properly instructed and come after you and drain everyone around you including your pets.

I have not decided what I will do exactly for mine as I come into my maturity in my tradition, 

but I have been cleared and am confident to do so.

I expect this to be one of my more controversial posts which is not often a subject talked about from those who are Espiritistas. Please feel free to correct me constructively.

Please ask any questions if I can answer, and ask your godparents for guidance. If you want to know more about Palo, I encourage to ask a Palero or Palera.

Reference: Myself, my spirits, my godfather and brother. Any errors can only be my own.

The italic purple references above were taken and translated from:

 https://palomontenegro.blogspot.com/search/label/espiritismo

XOXO
1010
Sancista7crossroads

Hoodoo, folk magick and Voodoo differences

Hoodoo is a system of largely protestant based rootwork or plant work, combined with biblical passages such as the psalms. Some do work with the dead in terms of animal bones, and different dirts including grave dirt. There is believed to be spirits within the plants, and are the main spirits worked with outside of Christianity. There are allegorical teaching stories used such as briar rabbit and trickster spirits from the native american, african mix saw the similarities with their spider Anansi. Being protestant, there were no saints to preserve african spirits as well of the Orisha, Mpungo or Lwa, and the slave masters were less understanding of idolatry.

To facilitate this practice graveyard work including mediumship with the dead is employed, but it cannot be readily identified as necromancy. In modern times (the last 45 years) many who practice folk magic have joined the afro spiritualist or spiritualist churches which some are more Catholic based. Not all hoodoo or root workers are in the spiritualist church. This lead to the inclusion of spirit guides such as Blackhawk, 7 african powers and la madama from endless commissions of spirits incorrectly without reference, as practices and knowledge around these spirits were not passed on from the cubans and puertoricans from which they originated, known as espiritismo or the spiritualist church outside of the more european kardecian based.

 Many people want to use the items in a botanica, but they have no power sitting on a shelf. The 7 african powers are not Orisha, they are various dead warriors from different african tribes from puertorican espiritismo and not the Cuban religions. This was further confused with the image of the crucified jesus as the just judge, Ogun or Olofi. Many different images of the Jesus and Mary are used for various african spirits where there was Catholicism. The Cubans do not use saint images for their religious item for the spirits, it is just decoration. They receive the spirits in a pot in ritual. From what I have read about New Orleans, the catholic italians and irish kept to themself, although the pomp certainly was appreciated by the rest of the population, and welcome during open house feast dates of the saints.

There is some speculation at this time how someone from an American east coast european spiritualist church could found a southern afro church without having any public information about lineage, because they did not have our spiritual pots and teachings. It is possible that a congo based practictioner helped create this as Chicago is not far from New York where there is espiritismo. In which case Blackhawk no longer was a spirit guide and became more like a spirit of the dead in an nganga or nkisi which can be birthed from to another who already has it. Unless this pot was created because his spirit guide statue was unable to be prepared in the afro spiritualist way. We also have indian pots, if a person has several indian spirits or ancestry as do those in Dominican Voudou called a Tindjo as a portal, and this could have been appropriated or influenced this creation.

I have contacted a hoodoo author about this question politely with no response, who supposedly held the lineage of Blackhawk into introducing it into Hoodoo. Quickly glancing at one of her books online, she had a section on how to work with the spirit of la madama, which shows the lack of cultural connection, as she is thousands of different individual people who is a spirit guide to an individual, of which not everyone has one in this category, nor have the same indian guide. Hoodoo workers going out and buying a la madama statue is rediculous.

 In more European spiritualist churches good spirits have to acknowledge Jesus. These spirit guides are concerned with one person only. People may be attracted to the image of a specific historical indian perhaps because they have a spirit guide, no two will be alike however, and cannot be willingly passed to another person, or in life. Many people like the image of La Madama, but she is hundreds or tens of thousands of different dead people in that class, all with different real names. A person may have a Congo or an Africana, as black dolls are not all the same person, class or culture. Spirit guides come from seances, in which advanced mediums in community identify your spirit court or entourage, and no two people will have the same dead muerto or spirits. This is not something a person can do themself outside the traditions of spiritualism. People even have confused the Lwa statue of the african man Candelo as a folk saint, or these spirit guides as folk saints.

Hoodoo is folk magic that does not use african spirits, or pagan spirits, however in modern times the usage of Catholic saints has been added, again by going to botanicas and imitating african religions such as Santeria. Santeria is really magic with the saints, but came to also incorrectly be the term for the Orisha religions of Ocha, Lucumi and Ifa.

What most people think is New Orleans Voudou is in most cases actually folk magick, heavily congo based, incorrectly attributed by white ethnographers whose missionaries treked heavily into west africa and identified anything remotely african as Voodoo. Modern pracitioners in the area are mostly Haitian initiates, and the records do not identify Lwa as being ever mentioned or prevalent in this area. The slaves in the area were mostly Senegalese and Congo, and can be reflected in the usage of red and black for some Rada, the inclusion of european poppets with "nails" not understanding the congo nkisi, and they were not used of curses. Nails are used for differing reasons, but share the marking of intention. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A VOUDOU CURSE. It is outside the religion to do so.

Really voudou dolls do not exist. These things are not seen in any other branch of Vodou for the most part or have very different uses and meanings. Dolls are used throughout the Caribbean to represent an ancestor, a guide or spirit they love. In other african diasporic religions such as palo they may make a doll for a client to work in absentee, such as protection to keep in a temple, much like a pot de tete in voudou, items are made with personal hair clipping or nails etc is included as just one of the ingredients required.

 Also the emphasis on the color white is in voudou for rada Lwa, with red and black used only for petro. Black is rarely used otherwise, except for a few Ghede or Ayizan along with other colors or white throughout Voudou diaspora in the Caribbean. In Sanse we use purple and white for our chief Ghede Limbo, and black and white for the Ghede family. I do not think people understand the use of color, why they are used, its not just, those are their colors. Red and purple are considered hot, black and white are cool, with black being lower and darker. Black and purple is more so with riling up the dead to send them out, hot and dark, such as with bokor tradition outside of Voudou. Some Haitian hounfort are two handed. We try to make the influence of the dead more kindly yet active with the "choice" lineage of color. There is no preservation of Ifa with the Orisha either, or the inclusion of Ellegua. The Orisha mostly exist in a form of Ogun, and not many female Orisha survived in Vodou. If they do they are 1-3 from a family passed down. Red and black is also more congo with their crossroads Lucero spirit, or within congo based Quimbanda with their Exu and Pomba gira crossroad spirits. Unfortuenately people mess with what they do not understand and is beyond their egoic control, or knowledge level.

Unscrupulous uninitiated authors have tried to make an afro wicca out of new orleans "Voodoo", as there should be no pagan Greek or European spirits, they should not use spirit guides like espiritismo, and they should not have a whole pantheon of Orisha to choose from or Ellegua, and does not include western magick of hermetisicm. Most of any remaining west african practices have likely gone underground due to the tourists, or are practiced by Haitian lineage. Meaning they are Haitian immigrants who recently brought their religion, or Americans who went to Haiti as is required, not new orleans Voodoo. Any native new orleans Voodoo within the confines of one city that possibly existed largely left or went underground within Louisiana.

There was seldom any Caribbean to America transport of slaves by prohibition law. And there is no other indigenous Voudou or African religion diaspora origins in America. It has become a tourist collection of museums, gift shops, tours, and books to make $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Just because there are cultural mixes in tradition doesn't mean people can just grab anything, and say "well they did it, they mixed things". Who's "they": the slaves who were forced to, and hundred to thousands of year old traditions these tens to hundreds of thousands of people agreed upon. They died over t preserve their tradition the best they could and made informed choices to changes or substitutions based on cosmology or philosophy.

Madam Marie Laveau was a Catholic, relatively middle to upperclass free buisnesswoman, of mixed ancestry, possibly part Haitian, said to be American born in some accounts. Written suppositions are often more fiction than fact at an apprasial of the wikipedia page. She possibly married a 3/4 white Haitian man who shortly left, and then she studied under a Senegalese man Dr John, a hoodoo worker. Her chewing peppers for justice in one story, crying with red eyes reflects the congo as in petro. And then there is congo square, where she was seen dancing with her snake possibly named Zombi, performance art or no, Nsambi was the congo god. Yes we have the snake dhamballah, but the congo makaya tribe is where we get the Simbi Lwa. The mojo or gris gris bags came from a Senegalese or wolof word. The original bag was red flannel, and only used or had access to white or yellowish tallow candles for the most part.

There is a system in which any venerated dead of any religion or people can become Lwa however, but would be within a religious framework of Voudou. There is also a seperate ancestral veneration by their own family or cultural group or tribe. Did Marie Laveau practice voudou?, its very doubtful. But if the stories of her nursing epidemic victims is true, she definately deserves veneration, and as a folk magick practitioner and diviner.

 The disgraced author Tallant is generally regarded as grandiose fiction, who again called all african folk magick and cursing voodoo, even Zora Neale Hurston was doubtful about the existance of a public or widespread voudou lineage as an ethnographer. She stated on her visit (sic), "the african rites, with names that rivaled those in Haiti", but they were not similar, nor recorded. My guess is they used the congo name for god, Nsambi. In our spiritual house, we hold secrets, all I can say is that Marie Laveau is venerated, and a congo spiritual worker through Palo Mayombe. JFK was made into a voudou Lwa by some Haitians. A bishop? who harried the folk practitioners in New Orleans was supposedly made into a Lwa, who hated any spiritual expression other than than Christianity. Both were not practitioners of voudou in their life as far as is known. Can a spirit guide become a Lwa? Yes by a legitimate voudou practitioner with legitimate reason such as connection, as we do not work with a whole pantheon. Scholars are now beginning to write about the difference in african tribes and their influences in the new world, previously inaccurate reports from largely white missionaries is what shapes most and outsiders viewpoints on this subject to this day.

Obeah from Jamaica has practitioners also in a tradition of spiritualism, pocomania or revivialism. Obeah is heavily folk magick based, and ceremonial magic based using the 4th and 5th books of Moses. Folk magick, ceremonial magic and sorcery is evident within the Bokor, secret societies, black lodges of Haiti, and is not considered religion nor Voudou, even if used for healing. They do use Lwa more so the congo based Petro, Baron Samedi and Kalfu (carrefour, four square).

Some people identify Hoodoo, conjure and appalachian magic as the same, but they have regional differences. As explained to me by my apprentice, Appalachia has more scottish roots, Granny or Hexen has more dutch germanic roots with hex signs etc that mixed with natives to use pow wow healing methods, and hoodoo is more african based. Conjure can be xonidered more spirit based. Although each region included european, native american and african practices, they settled into slightly different traditions and had different local plants.

These were family traditions, mostly practiced in solitary, or passed down one on one orally. Thus it is very difficult to learn accurate practices from books or the internet.

The spiritualist churches as in the african based espiritismo has baptisms, and some hoodoo practitioners say they have baptisms outside the catholic church. Hoodoo is not a religion however, and many have no such practice. This lave tet is also done in Vodou which is an initiatory religion and uses the Lwa, of which only a few concern the practitioner and not a whole pantheon. The Orisha people only possibly had one or two out of hundreds in Voudou passed down by family lineage and not generally within the religion. In New Orleans some Voudou houses say they have no clergy nor initiations which mark religion.

 Many people want to work with african spirits uninitiated, but this does not exist outside of lineage, whether family or orthodox. These african diasporic religions do not contain a bunch of spells, as the magic is inseperable from the religion's services, practices, spiritual point of access passed to you in intiation or blood lineage and rites. Voudou is life, largely in the moment and experiential in congress with spirits. The spirits come in physical mediumship and interact with the community, that is Vodou.

Many seek to keep the people of the culture and these spirits at an arms length with over intellectual approach, such as through a books, but this is impossible as a way to practice. You can study the culture, but not the religious experience this way. A Haitian American said, "voudou pas des livres". I agree voudou is 98% without books, leaving room for creativity and cultural study once you know the spirits you are supposed to be working with through your initatory rites and services.

People from Louisiana, shameless profiteer authors or newagers can get as mad as they like about what I have said. The unitiated authors neglect to address these issues I have raised, nor have the lineages to back it up, nor allow disagreeing viewpoints on their pages. In Africa there were royal priest kings, and there is no guarentee of this connection now, outside of unbroken family lines and religion. There is nothing wrong with hoodoo, it is awesome folk magic, but its not Vodou religion either.