Difference of Perspective

It has been some time since I had much to say. I’ve been busy reading a couple of books, and I also started helping out a yahoo group transcribe some obscure reading materials. Then today I spotted some news on Military Pagans whose sacred space had been violated by people who oppose their path. It is a shame that we live in a country where this is still an issue. As progressive as America is, in contrast to many other countries, and as glad as I am that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, it saddens me to see that we can’t seem to move past these issues. I read another article today written by a pastor in Oregon who attempted to tie together anthrax-laced drums, and neoPagan websites. And then it hit me.

Despite the ignorance towards Pagan and Occult history across Europe and America, despite the tradition of science rising from the auspices of Renaissance magic, despite the many voices who walk their own path today – the defining argument is based on a world view according to the Christian perspective. The prevailing ideology that God rules over all things, and that Satan is equated with the earth.  Ergo those people who drum in the heart of darkness are associated with the earth, and thereby also associated with Satan. Yet somehow it never crossed the pastor’s mind and the minds of many others that we do not hold the same world view. If two guys are involved in a situation, and they allow themselves to be typified into good and evil stereotypes they acknowledge that they are each playing the game using the same set of rules. But where Christians and Pagans differ in their world view, it is as if we are playing the game using two very different sets of rules. In person A’s view, the earth is subject to one master, let’s call him Satan. In person B’s view, the earth is host to any number of spirits, and Satan may or may not be among them. While Person A views things in accordance with the earth in a predominantly derrogatory form, Person B regards these earthbound spirits in many shades of grey.

Its not all that different in the ways in which the two groups view death. While the desire to conquer and rise above death remains a predominantly Christian outlook, many if not most Pagans regard death as part of the cycle of life.

Music of the Spheres

Belated Reflections on Samhain

Looking at different burial and ancestor-honoring traditions around the time of Samhain, its remarkable to me that as I finished carving the pumpkin, and lit the candle inside of it and put it outside just in time for the neighborhood children to arrive, I am perplexed about how many adults really know the history behind the modern Halloween.  Do they recognize the spiritual and historical significance of carving symbols in gourds and dressing their children up as entities that would be perceived in a fearful or strange light during any other time of the year? Or is it just a night to fill the bags with candy – and a reason for cardshops and grocerystores to profit from candy sales?

Ever since my youth, I always felt that there was something special about that night. There was a chill in the air that to this day is unmistakable. Even in South Florida, there was a significant change in the weather.  Long before studying Paganism, Halloween was my favourite time of the year, not Christmas like it was with other kids. I never really knew the reason for carving gourds.  It was just something that my mother always did – and I don’t know if she really knew why either.  But I imagine it had something to do with casting symbols or glyphs in earthly objects as a means of preventing unwanted spirits from entering the household.  It may have worked this year, but not without a certain awareness, digging at me, that someone was standing in front of the pumpkin outside the kitchen window at 1am. Nothing an ankh couldn’t fix.

This year beheld an added twist. My regular ancestor shrine was blocked by a barage of stacked boxes, so I set up a second one, in the open space of the dining room, and this time, my other half brought images of his family to it as well. It afforded us an opportunity to converse and share our individual thoughts with one another about our own personal views of death and memories of our loved ones. The subject of death is not one that he has been known to openly discuss – not the way that I do. Maybe in some way he feels that loved ones who die are gone forever. I on the other hand consider the dead so much a part of my family that they have even played roles in my dreams; and I never thought it strange for my dreams to address issues surrounding relatives who are both living and dead. It was nice to be able to sit down in front of the shrine from time to time, in a space not so cluttered with boxes and papers (as our house usually is), and share a moment with people who have both long passed and recently passed.

Many people know the story of the veil already. A celtic belief that on Samhain, the translucent wall between our world and the other-worlds fades, which permits travel on both sides. In this way family members and ancestors were believed to visit and reunite with the living for the night, or for a couple of days – it varies from person to person. They might be honored with the presence of a dumb supper, liquid libations and offerings of foodstuffs ranging from meat, to fruits, vegetables, sometimes even breads or cakes. It would be set at the table for the ancestors, as though they themselves had a place at our table with us when we eat.

I  left a candle in the window, continuing the tradition of leaving a light on to help familial spirits find their way home, after crossing the veil. In my house, lights are always on, whether they are candles or electric. The signal is always on, and the door is always open to family spirits.

Though a signal of the coming winter, and a signal of death, darkness and the cold chill that whips through our bones, with it the hope for a better year. Gods know, last year for our family could have been much better.  It was a good time of the year. The chill moved in, and the leaves fell. There was even some time to honor a couple of deities in the process- by November 2nd. And on that night, the moon was high and full.

Belated Thoughts on the Autumn Equinox

The chilly weather came rolling through a bit early around the autumn equinox. Renovations in the living room have made it easier for me to keep a small altar replete with candles and momentos of the season. The equinox came and went, and since then I’ve been watching the weather rather closely. Now is a wonderful time for storms. It was  overcast for two weeks straight. Currently there is another thunderstorm overhead.

My husband and I tend a lovely backyard, filled with flowers, trees, and a garden plot in a space much smaller than I grew up with. I spent the equinox harvesting some fruits and herbs. Later, brought out offerings  of homemade bread and libations of cider.

I’ve spent the last several years exploring various ways of honoring the trees and harvested plots of land, and always come back to sharing food from my hearth, and liquid libations that hold a special place in my heart. Two of these, blackberry wine, and apple cider, are common offerings during the Sabbats. Its nice to be able to say that after looking at different ways of expressing that gratitude for what the earth provides as well as honoring the bond between myself and the elements, I always come back to food and drink.

Recently I picked up a book on Druidry. It wasn’t out of any sudden desire to jump from eclecticism to Druidry, but thought it would do me some good to read about relationships between individuals and the land, from the Druidic perspective.  I also began to think on Cernunnos again in a way that I had not done since I was working exclusively with the Celto-gaulish pantheon, 10 maybe 11 years ago.

BookList

Repost from Serpentine Spiral.

Last night a friend of mine was asking if there were any books that I could recommend on Paganism and goddess worship. So I decided to sort of take another inventory of the books I’ve read or have on my shelf, with notes on what I gleaned from them, if anything at all. Sometimes even a bad book has a grain or two of truth. Several of those I disposed of, once I got all I could from them. But many are also worth hanging onto. I welcome criticisms and recommendations.  So here is my booklist:

Fiction / Poetry/Classical Writings

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman (what if the gods came to America?)

Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman (the cunning and fury of gods who have yet to become; here even gods die)

Daphnis & Chloe, by Longus (Roman religion)

The Golden Ass, by Apuleius (Egyptian goddess worship)

The Pagan’s Muse, by Jane Raeburn (nice verses; inspirational)

The Book of Pagan Prayer, by Ceisiwr Serith (explores elements of devotionals and prayers)

The Way of Wyrd, by Brian Bates (Historical fiction based on Anglo-saxon Paganism)

Goddess Worship

The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk

Herbcraft

A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year, by Ellen Evert Hopman

The Healing Power of Herbs Healing Teas, Antol

Herbal Tea Gardens, Marcin

The Modern Witch’s Book of Herbs and Healing

A Witch’s Beverages and Brews, by Patricia Telesco

Anthropology/History

Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America, by Margot Adler

Ancient Religions, by Vergilius Ferm

A History of Pagan Europe, by Prudence Jones & Nigel Pennick (wide array of Pagan European history)

The Golden Bough, by Sir James Frazer

Magic, Witchcraft and Paganism in America: A Bibliography, by J. Melton

Paganism in the Roman Empire, by Ramsay Macmullen

The Sumerians: Their History, Culture and Character, by Samuel Noah Kramer (Sumero-akkadian myth and life)

The Witch Cult in Western Europe: A Study in Anthropology, by Margaret Murray (whatever the reader thinks of her is irrelevant. Reading this account, and then considering the torture methods of the time period is of utmost importance)

Magic Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart (good references)

Oriental Magic, by Sayed Idries Shah (from Ancient Near East to Far East)

Mathematics

The Geometry of Art & Life, Matila Ghyka

Miscellaneous

Generation Hex, edited by Jason Louv (explores varying magical approaches and perspectives)

Liber Null & Psychonaut: An Introduction to Chaos Magic, by Peter J Caroll

Mythology/Folklore

Medieval Folklore, by Lindell, McNamara, Lindow

Celtic Myth and Magic, DJ Conway

Celtic Mythology, by Geddes & Grossett

Celtic Myth and Mankind: Heroes of the Dawn, Time Life Books

World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics, by Donna Rosenberg

Myths & Legends of the Ancient Near East, by Fred Gladstone Skinner

Occult Amulets & Talismans, by E. A. Budge

Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, by Francis A Yates

The Black Arts, by Richard Cavendish (good history on occult practices)

The Necronomicon, by Simon (best if taken with a grain of salt, and read in between the lines)

The Necromantic Ritual Book, by Leilah Wendell (A strange taste of ‘amour du morte’, but touches on some relevant areas of Necromancy)

Secrets of Magical Seals: A Modern Grimoire of Amulets, Charms, Symbols and Talismans, by Anna Riva

Three Books of Occult Philosophy, written by Henry Cornelius Agrippa and annotated by Donald Tyson (good deal of symbolism and charts relative to magic and ritual)

Paganism

Out of the Shadows: An Exploration of Dark Paganism and Magic, by John J Coughlin (presents the dark side of living Paganism, dark goddesses, and dark subcultures)

Reference

Crystals & Healing Stones, by Judy Hall

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal Gem and Metal Magi, by Scott Cunningham

Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, by Judith K Illes

Encyclopedia of Magic and Witchcraft, by Susan Greenwood

Mythology: A visual encyclopedia, by Jo Forty

Rocks & Minerals

Runes

The Healing Runes, by Ralph A Blum

Runelore, by Edred Thorrson

Shamanism

The Way of the Shaman, by Michael Harner (Useful practices and insightful)

Wicca / Witchcraft

The Complete Book of Magic and Witchcraft, by Kathryn Paulsen

Earth, Air, Fire, Water: More techniques of Natural Magic, by Scott Cunningham

Earth Magic, by Scott Cunningham

Green Witchcraft, by Ann Moura

Hereditary Witchcraft, by Raven Grimassi (Stregheria, arcane scripts)

Practical Candleburning Rituals, by Raymond Buckland (gave a good basis for candle magic)

Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner, by Scott Cunningham

Searching for the Gods: A Perspective on Mythology

Partial repost from Serpentine Spiral.

Mythology is a cultural expression of widespread ideologies and experience. Today, many people in this world look down upon myth as tales completely rooted in fiction to keep society within moral boundaries. I don’t entirely agree. Many civilizations since the dawn of time had special lessons to impart through the power of myth that embodied the teachings of what we could now call our spiritual and cultural ancestors. Many people are often drawn towards the mythology of their blood ancestors. Some, however, find themselves attracted to the mythologies of places they have never been or which for the individual seems unconnected, on the surface. Is there some logical reason behind this phenomena, or should we immediately turn to reincarnation as an answer?

I have a regular discourse with a Canadian Druid about this very subject. I wanted to know why when I first began studying Paganism, I latched onto the Celtic pantheon. Was it because it was something that I was familiar with, both via interest and ancestry? Well I’ve spent at least 10 yrs researching my family lineage and have yet to find a link to Ireland. I have more of an ancestral link to anglo-saxon, scandinavian, croatian, and cuban heritage, and today find myself drawn moreso to individual divinities than to whole cultural pantheons from the mediterranean and the ancient near east (Greece, Rome, Sumer).

Just for G.P. I decided years ago that it was probably a good idea to go ahead and verse myself in world myth. And one of the very first cultural mythologies I familiarized myself with were those from the Sumerian world. Reconstructionists are primarily concerned with the constraints of religion within its pantheon. The pantheon is an expression of one’s world view. History channel has recently aired some wonderful material on the Greek Olympians, and how they reflect perhaps the way the early Greeks viewed their world.

Its probably easier for me to say that I am emphatic regarding study of Sumerian mythology because maybe I lived a past life in Ancient Sumer. I’d rather rule out a hereditary link before making that jump. Probably and past life in the same sentence, without an actual memory isn’t a clarification. Its just speculation. Although I remain curious as to why we pursue a particular line of study. Some are driven to study the entire pantheon or its main figures, or one deity in particular. And then others are motivated to pursue the study of deities from a variety of pantheons who represent multiple facets of human existence.

Perspectives on Natural Witchcraft

I had a chat with a solitary friend recently. She’s what a lot of people call a ‘natural’, meaning she was born with an innate ability. She isn’t necessarily bound by karmic rules, although she does believe that you get what you give. She has had a few instances where self-righteous Pagans have told her that she is using dark magic because she doesn’t adhere to guidelines against hexcraft. Personally, I have no qualms with hexes. She told me that some people that she has met have stopped spending time with her when they see what she can do. So a witch tells the truth and then puts her money where her mouth is, and scares away the kiddies-in-costume. If they were really her friends, they would stand by her side even if she had a demon for a pet (not that I think demons should be treated as pets, or that they’d even make good pets. Oi).  She isn’t the first that I’ve met, and she won’t be the last.

I’m emphatic on otherkin and witch discourse because of the concern that many exhibit about the natural versus the self made witch. Authors, community leaders and self ascribed bloggers of the craft (present company included) can debate which is better all day long, but the driving force behind this concern may be based on just another form of cliquish elitism. Some of us seek a place to belong, whereas others are motivated by learning and whose goals are to truly know thyself.

I’m less concerned with the debate, and more concerned with how it is we identify that certain “je ne sais quoi”. Is it an expression or style of dress? I’m a tshirt and jeans girl. Yet I’ve attended gatherings with nearby covens where I found myself being lectured on the clothing-optional preferences of Pagans as though they were very generalized assessments.

Is it an energy signature? I’ve been to places like malls and bookstores where I have attracted other witches who truly ‘look the part’ and who have offered to school me in the craft. I have also attracted the attentions of people from different subcultures whose parents apparently never taught them that it is impolite to stare let alone gawk at people in public. Although many would scoff sacrilege at my mention of otherkin and witches in the same sentence, I mention otherkin because there is a common thread present. At a workshop I attended two years ago right here in Saint Louis, I learned from other people who identify themselves as otherkin that there is an energy signature that certain people radiate that is different from the average Joe (although I didn’t need to attend a workshop to figure that out).

But how exactly do we identify a natural witch? Is it someone who is skilled with hexcraft? divination? weather manipulation? Is there a link between psychic powers and natural-born witchcraft? Maybe the reason we differentiate between them is because by calling them psychic gifts, the subject becomes slightly more acceptable and approachable for non-Pagan members of society, who are afraid if they call it witchcraft they might catch the wrath of their own God for even thinking about something their religions ’supposedly’ outlawed several millennia ago. That’s quite a guilt complex.

Scenario 1: Suppose for a moment there are people born into Christian, Jewish, or Muslim families, who know absolutely nothing about any kind of extraordinary or unexplained powers in their bloodline. Suppose also that they themselves experience it before ever becoming aware that there are people who practice witchcraft and who acknowledge those abilities as very real parts of an individual’s life.

Scenario 2: Then suppose that there are people who experience extraordinary or unexplained powers, and who have witnessed similar events in the lives of their parents and grandparents. But the elder generation never speaks of it and suggests through their silence that they have no knowledge of it whatsoever.

Scenario 3: If it were the other way round, and the elder generation experienced extraordinary or unexplained powers, and accepted them for what they were. Suppose then they saw similar actions manifest in their children. Suppose then they chose to explain to their children what was happening and that its nothing they should fear. The latter scenario most commonly occurs in the households of hereditary witches, as well as the families of pagans and native spiritualists.

If the latter scenario can be aptly identified as an example of hereditary witchcraft, then why can’t the previous two? In the second scenario the subject has no choice but to work backwards, studying their own experiences and comparing what they see going on with their ancestors with the only frame of reference that they possess; life experience.

What prompted me to think about ability in this way came from my own experiences. As early as age 5, before I ever knew anything about witchcraft, I was having episodes of empathy, astral projection, and clairvoyance. It wasn’t until the last year or so, after I lost my father, that I really began to think back on my life with my parents. The more I thought about it, the more I began to see connections with the things they believed. My father for instance was emphatic about weather folklore, esp. surrounding lightning storms. My mother was an empath, emphatic about the stars, and she had a habit of casting the evil eye. However both were practicing Roman Catholics who believed that witchcraft was evil, yet somehow failed to identify the folklore they brought from their respective backgrounds (my father – english and cuban; my mother – croatian) as folk practices.

I should add that I don’t feel that one’s religion detracts from their natural abilities, but do feel that practice can certainly enhance it. Say someone is Catholic but has a penchant for praying over candles. How does that really differ from candle magic? In another article, http://www.helium.com/items/719102-magic-as-compared-to-prayer , I drew parallels between prayer and spellwork in which the same means are utilized, but perceived in two completely different ways. Imagine a Catholic and Wiccan are both uttering a metered or rhyming composition over one or a series of candles. Both use their energy and will to fuel the message and utilize the candles to enhance the goal. The Catholic prays for an improvement in his or her life. Similarly the Wiccan casts a spell for the same purpose. Christian witchcraft is not unheard of in this day and age, and likely dates back to Roman occupation of Britain, in which the only way to preserve the folk practices was its amalgamation with early Christianity.

I don’t mean to suggest that a genetic predisposition for witchcraft negates the need for study. Not at all. Simply that a natural propensity exists, and what we might think are people who study without any skill whatsoever may be totally wrong. What I really want the reader to take from this is that there is so much we still do not understand about the universe, ourselves and our place in the world.

Summer’s Reprieve

The summer has been a time of recovery. We’ve spent much of our time working in the garden and developing that lot of suburban land we call a backyard into something truly unique – rife with a great abundance of plantlife. The central point of the backyard is the mint. I’m told we can pick it up via google’s satellite imagery. My husband and I have been having touble with the neighbors. The silver swingers are at it again, trespassing to trim our grass because they have no life of their own.

There are a lot of people around us who keep trim and tidy grassy lawns. The grass is a pain. It grows quickly and chokes out plants. So we’re on a mission to eradicate it, and beautify our yard with herbs, plants, shrubs, bushes, etc- also leaving the occasional section of wild growth. Its been very successful at bringing the bees and wasps, and the monarch butterflies.

The best part of it, on a personal level, has been the ability to utilize some of those herbs and fruits in dishes that I’ve prepared by hand, or herbal mixtures and oils. Those who know me best realize that I am very culinary-oriented. I view my kitchen as a kind of apothecary or lab. Experimenting with different dishes, to estimate how far I could push them and make them last.

The Equinox, Serpents and Saint Patrick

As we approach the cusp of the Vernal Equinox, I’m reminded of the promise that the sun brings to different facets of nature and the individual during this time. It may be difficult for some of us to relate to the agricultural aspects of the season, considering that many of us do not live on farms or agricultural communities. However it would behoove us to THINK GREEN during this time of the year. It tunes us into creative birth, fertility, warmth of body and soul, and sunlight on the mind (as opposed to the wintry effects of depression, fatigue, seasonal affective disorder, etc.).

Ancient civilizations like the Babylonians, and many others, viewed Spring as a time of renewal, and the re-establishment of order. Babylonian Springtime celebrations often commemorate the season by re-tellings of the Enuma Elish and make references to Marduk in ritual poetry, calling to him to cast darkness and chaos from civilized land. I have never been much of a fan of Marduk, myself. I am still convinced that Tiamat’s role was more in depth than what we know of ancient history lets on. Not only in the ancient near east, but all over the world we discover a plethora of serpentine folklore. In many cultures serpents were worshipped out of fears of pestilence, disease, disorder, and death. But serpents were also entreated as the bringers of fertility, growth, abundance. Even Hindu belief of the chakras stem from a coiled serpent in the seat of the soul – kundalini. Fires, passion, lust. Even if one were to peer into the modern day garden, snakes are attracted to tall grasses and slightly overgrown regions, but also remove smaller pests from doing damage to the plot, thus promoting the growth and abundance of the plot. Serpentine folklore is a multifaceted subject that can no longer be summized by empty assumptions of a simplified dualistic worldview.

I recently read excerpts from a book on Serpent Worship, which focused primarily on the snake-like processions of worship among Celtic druids. This time of year is also commonly famous for Saint Patrick and his donations to Irish Christianity. I remember hearing from some members of a meetup a year ago that they had plans to silently protest St. Patrick’s Day by donning green pins in the shape of snakes upon their garments. They believed that Saint Patrick’s driving of the snakes from Ireland was an allegory to the conversion of medieval Irish Paganism to Catholicism. I’ve never actually studied it, myself, but find the serpent references awfully intriguing. The shame surrounding modern day celebrations of Saint Patrick’s Day is that many people seem to be clueless as to what they’re celebrating if you take away the shamrocks, pro-Irish sentiments and the green beer. I look at these subjects with a critical eye because I want to get at the heart of why we are still honoring celebrations which began long before any of us were ever a seed of thought glimmering in our ancestors’ eyes.

Death Makes Frequent Stops in Sunny Florida

I have not had much time in the past couple months for a whole lot of reflection on much other than the subject of Death. My family has suffered a good deal of loss in these two months. I’ve written previous entries about the wintry months as seasons of loss. In the wintry months the animals scurry for warmth, trees grow into cold bare limbs. Where I live it tends to get cold. This winter however, was extraordinary in its waves of ice and snow storms stretching from Texas to Maine. It is one matter entirely to talk about the philosophical aspects of death and loss, and another entirely, to put into practice elements of one’s faith in order to deal with it. Loved ones with cancer may have more time to prepare for the end than those who suddenly fall ill, or collapse and wind up in the hospital. It can be their time all day long, but the moment we perceive it as a loss it becomes personal to us. It pains us as people to lose those we love so dearly. I used to say to myself that I knew that my parents wouldn’t live forever, but deep down inside I had hoped they would crack the code to immortality.

I spent two weeks in Florida, albeit a break from the winter, but not one from the inevitable. With my father in dire straits in the hospital, I visited everyday, not sure that there was anything that I could do but be there for him, and for my brothers. We took every step imaginable in the span of two weeks, in the hopes that he would show signs of recovery, but deep down inside I knew this would not be possible. When I went to Florida in January I had a very good feeling that my father’s condition would not change much. I made a promise to myself that if he was in this situation for too long, and nothing could be done to help him through these dark times, I would be willing to give him his final wish – a DNR order. They cleared up the infection, but he still wasn’t breathing on his own.  He spent too long on the ventilator, and the doctor’s suggested a tracheostomy. After that was done, his breathing improved, and within two days took a turn for the worst. Inevitability stung hard. We eventually agreed on the removal of the ventilator, but that did not last long.

Much of the pain I am dealing with, is surrounded by the idea that we can possess a level of foresight from days to months in advance of a scenario, and not be capable of doing anything to interfere with fate’s divine plan. Then the question arises, “what good is this ability if we cannot use it to change the world?” Maybe the point is that people gifted with these skills are, despite their own selfish desires to change dire situations, meant to steer clear of fate’s hallowed hand, and use these skills to try to understand what is happening and to learn from them. I’m no reverend, nor am I an expert in the supernatural. But the answer I propose is the only one I have at this juncture.  Other people cry for mercy way too late and make deals with God that cannot be met, because for whatever reason they are incapable of dealing with life and death on the terms dealt by fate. For whatever reason their answer is anguish and despair. I hope that gets them through the process of mourning, but highly doubt it.

In Search of Old Key West

Reconstructionists and historians are acutely aware of the importance of studying the past in an effort to understand the present and create a series of traditions for the future. No matter how much theory or research, it is often difficult to understand a people and an environment without visiting a site, for one’s self. Heritage and environment are two major factors which contribute to a spiritual or religious identity. Discovering the source from which these influences originate may assist in understanding more about ourselves. With that very thesis in mind, several years ago I embarked on an ancestral journey to Key West, the land of my father’s ancestors.

Cayo Hueso was originally translated as ‘bone key’, for the fact that it had been a giant Indian burial ground. English translators interpreted it as ‘weso’, and named it for its westernmost location among the islands within its vicinity. Beyond the long drive across the only road that connects the island to the mainland lies more than just a change in latitude, but also changes in everyday life. Highlighted outlines of reefs under the crystal sea-green waters were clearly visible from the stretch of highway.  Today Key West is prized for the famous authors and philanthropists who once lived on the island, and every corner is cluttered with tourist paraphernalia, but the island had, at one time been a very distinct entity. A once giant swamp, it was its own primeval ecosystem. Some of the banyan trees remain, gracing the yards of old stately homes-turned museums.

The purpose was the study of genealogical information pertaining to Caribbean and Cuban ancestry. Old records paint a picture of an island where yellow fever kills very easily. Pestilence and destruction abound, not unlike the studies of ancient civilizations from more than 4000 years ago. The sight and sounds of roosters on the streets was a familiar feeling that evoked memories of my childhood from Miami. An easy-going feeling permeated the atmosphere. As I proceeded towards the cemetery, more roosters scurried around, pecking at the bone white ground.

The entrance was not gated as many cemeteries are on the mainland. The entrance was a mix of sand, limestone and concrete. It was like walking into an archaeological excavation. The tombs were double-stacked above ground. There was a mix of religious customs on the island. Symbols of religious preference and religious orders marking the stones provided a glimpse of the profound variety found here.

The smell of the salt in the air electrified and energized the powerful feelings that the ocean had evoked within me. Offerings were left on the old gravestones. Many of which were silk floral arrangements. I brought my own. After deciphering the old etchings nearly rubbed clean by the flow of time and the erosion of the ocean, I made some notes about the headstones I had found, and provided offerings of incense and a beaded rosary of copper and gemstones. I had never known these people but felt that I should pay my respects just the same. These were the people from whom my love for the ocean had come.

My father had told me many stories about his lineage and of his childhood spent on the island. As I approached one of the banyan trees which stood in the outdoor perimeter of the Key West lighthouse museum, I felt a strange sense of home, tracing with my eyes the branches that grew both upward and threaded themselves back into the ground. An energy that had not yet finished transforming itself from one shape into another before being cast in stone. But there was nothing cold or lifeless about the banyan tree. The branches themselves evoked a strong sense of awe that had emerged from the spiritual significance of ‘the many that lead to one’.