Veneration Rites of Curanderismo, page 18
Currently, Gloria still loves her job, her new apartment, has two beautiful ancestral altars, and has been dating a very nice gentleman. Gloria radiates with joy.
*The Maya observed calendrical rites associated with both the Long Count calendar and the Calendar Round. The Long Count is a remarkably sophisticated and complex calendric system that incorporated massive periods of time from the starting point of this calendar, September 8, 3114 BCE. Typically, the largest unit was the bak’tun (approximately 400 years), the next was the k’atun (approximately twenty years), then the tun (360 days), then the winal (20 days), and finally the k’in (a single day). Long Count dates are typically presented with the bak’tun first and the k’in position at the end, followed by the Calendar Round.6
*Tlazolteotl, known as the Great Spinner and Weaver or the Filth Deity, was associated with sweeping limpia rites, fertility and childbirth, the Moon, menses, the steam bath, purification, sexuality, witchcraft, healing, and sexual misdeeds. She absolved sins, healed illnesses, and forgave.45
EPILOGUE
Healing Grief from the Death of a Loved One and Facilitating Their Graceful Transition
When I decided that the last book I would write would be on the veneration of ancestors, a wave of new clients came to me to help them heal from the loss of a loved one or as they were nearing their transition into death. While I have worked on these issues before, the number of new clients who requested my help for this was truly uncanny. Those who had lost a loved one carried different levels of sadness and pain, sometimes felt shame for “still” grieving their loved ones, felt they had “inherited” similar illnesses after their loved one’s passing, or asked for guidance as to ancient Mesoamerican rites to honor the transitioning of loved ones who were expected to pass or the transition of loved ones who had passed. Reflecting on how these rites have helped my clients to heal and grieve, I felt it was appropriate to make the connections with the rites I have shared in this book and share one additional rite for soul release in this epilogue.
Ritual is a beautiful and incredibly helpful way to process and heal from the grief and pain of the death of a loved one. Thinking about engaging in any ritual to process the pain and grief can be downright frightening and disheartening. This is often because we know we will likely be feeling these heavy emotions in all of their dimensions in these rituals. But trying to hold in the grief, ignoring it on some level, or refusing healthy ways to process the passing can create even more serious emotional, mental, spiritual, and even physical problems in the long run. The pain of losing a loved one may always be felt on some level. The pain is often a reflection of our love for them. With safe spaces of ritualized grieving the heaviness of the loss can become lighter.
When my clients refer to their disbelief in “still” feeling grief for losing a loved one, I ask them what rituals they engaged in to help them process the grief and honor their loved ones. Sometimes, they will have a small altar for them, but it is very rare that they engaged in any ritual aside from a contemporary burial or cremation memorial to honor them. Often this is a beautiful ceremony, but it is not necessarily a space to truly purge in a primal way the grief and pain.
I share with them the wailing and releasing rites of my Central Mesoamerican ancestors. The family publicly cried and wailed for hours and coupled this purging with movement—somber movement, but movement nonetheless—while their community held space for them as they were purging. After hours of purging through crying, wailing, and movement, their community gave them offerings to support them. I also stress that the grieving and veneration rituals continued months and years thereafter.
I typically then inquire if they have anyone they feel comfortable with who would help hold space for them to have a fire ceremony and grieve, cry, wail, scream, and drum, and share special memories of the deceased, how they felt about them, and anything else they want to share to purge the pain. If they do not have access to a fire pit, I recommend a white fire limpia (see pages 38–39). At this ritualized grieving memorial, I encourage them to engage in a primal type of grieving or purging and let the participants know that they will be holding space for this. If they do not have anyone in their lives who will help them hold space or they feel comfortable with, I still encourage them to engage in this ritual and really allow the grief, screaming, wailing to come out. Depending on where they are in their process, I may also recommend creating a pinecone bundle and offering it to the fire as they are purging their grief (see pages 89–91).
I may also recommend having a ritual on the day their loved one passed away, years after their passing, to honor their memory and strengthen their soul energies in the afterlife. If they have a garden and like gardening, I may also recommend to engage in the sacred gardening rites discussed in chapter four, and invite their loved ones to be expressed in their beloved gardens (see pages 114–18).
There are also instances when I feel that my client may have a soul piece of their deceased loved one. It is rather common for a deceased loved one to give us some of their tonalli when they pass, and we may take it, especially if we are having an incredibly difficult time with their passing. When I sense this is the case, I stress gentleness and am very mindful of how to approach this. When we are holding onto the soul piece of a deceased loved one, initially it may indeed help us get through the days, weeks, and months. But the deep heaviness of the loss will generally be very prevalent while we are holding onto their soul piece. After some time, we may also inherit the illnesses, unresolved issues, or unwanted patterns of our deceased loved ones through this soul piece.
I may approach the need for soul release by first discussing the understandings of my ancient Mesoamerican ancestors regarding strengthening the soul energies of our deceased loves ones, so we may strengthen our connection with them, and they can guide, aid, and intervene in our lives more readily. I also let them know that it is common that we may take a soul piece of our deceased loved ones when they may believe that we need it or we are unable to function and are completely devastated by their death. This is an incredibly sensitive area. I never suggest a soul release in instances where I feel they are going to fall apart in any way without this soul piece. Instead, I will begin teaching them alternative practical ways to garner tonalli, such as going outside and connecting with the Sun, especially in the morning and noon, and breathing in the Sun’s tonalli. The Sun is one of the most potent sources of tonalli.
When I feel like they are more at peace and in acceptance with the passing and I know they are engaging in energetic self-care limpia practices, especially obtaining tonalli from natural sources and strengthening their tonalli, then I will ask them if they are open to a pinecone barrida to release any soul pieces of their deceased loved ones to ultimately strengthen the soul pieces of the deceased. This allows for a stronger connection with their loved ones, wherein their loved ones can intervene, guide, and aid them, and most importantly the heaviness from the heart can be significantly lifted.
I perform the pinecone barrida exactly as I explained on pages 89–91. After I have facilitated the pinecone barrida on them, I place it in a bag for the client to take home. I ask them that on an evening they feel they are ready, to burn the pinecone in a fire pit or a white fire limpia (see pages 38–39). The white fire limpia will likely need to be done a few times to get the pinecone to burn and become ash as much as possible. While the pinecone is burning, I encourage them to speak to their loved ones, sing a song, play a drum for them, and let their loved ones know how much they are loved. The fire and pinecone both help to carry our ofrendas to our loved ones in the nonordinary realms. I ask them to bury the ashes or any unburned part of the pinecone. If they do not have a private space where then they can bury the ashes or any unburned part of the pinecone, I encourage them to bury it somewhere beautiful, like one of their favorite spaces in nature. Alternatively, they can lovingly disperse the ashes in a body of moving water.
When a loved one has a terminal illness and they are in the near processes of transition, and my client wants to hold space for their loved one and facilitate a more graceful transition, I share the rites that are highlighted in this book. I generally start with encouraging them to facilitate a plática for their loved ones. Similar to what was discussed in chapter five, I ask them to light a sahumerio with copal. If their loved one is too weak for the smoke or has asthma, I recommend that they use an oil diffuser and along with the essential oils, they replace half of the water with their homemade (see pages 119–22) or store-bought Florida water. Then, I recommend they hold space for their loved ones to release anything weighing heavy in their hearts. One of my clients gave her bedridden brother a water limpia with a sponge bath and a concentrated warm tea of herbs, after the plática. I recommended chamomile, lavender, rue, and lemongrass for this water limpia. I felt these herbs would be strong enough to cleanse her brother, but gentle at the same time.
I may also recommend that a jade stone or another green stone be place at the center of the person’s chest, who is about to transition, during the plática or platicas. I only recommend to do so if the person can ensure that the deceased will be buried with the green stone or it will be placed in or near the urn of their ashes. If possible, I also recommend that my client get a lock of hair of their loved ones and place it in a small box or bag that will be next to the green stone when they transition. The lock of hair attracts any soul pieces that are still not with the person, four days after their death. The green stone will carry the deceased’s heart soul energy, their teyolía, strengthening this soul energy in their afterlife. The plática helps the person to purge any resentment or anger that may be held, weakening their ihiyotl soul energies. Having someone who loves the person facilitate the strengthening of their soul energies before their transition can be incredibly healing for all parties involved. These rituals are also still believed to strengthen a beautiful, loving, and peaceful connection when our loved ones pass away.
I offer these rituals with deep love and compassion in my heart. I truly hope they help you and your loved ones, if you are guided to use them.
Plate 1. Shows the diverse offerings—food, jewels, clothing, mirrors, blankets, and ceramics—made specifically to a merchant ancestor. These items not only ensured their comfort and well-being but also enabled them to continue their trade as merchants in the afterlife.
Courtesy of Ancient Americas at LACMA. Codex Magliabechiano plate 68r.
Plate 2. Depicts the funeral of a ruler as a bundle going into a fiery pit of cremation, the offerings that were being included in the cremation, and the Mexica’s somber crying ceremonies. These wailing ceremonies enabled the release of the ancestor’s soul energies and also were fundamental in the healing and release of the families.
Courtesy of Ancient Americas at LACMA. Codex Magliabechiano, plate 67r.
Plate 3. Burning copal fills the air with smoke, the lilies with fragrance. I give them offerings of food and my deepest love and respect through my own permanent ancestral altar.
Photography by Erika Buenaflor.
Plate 4. Marigolds, calaveras, calacas, and traditional blankets offered to an ancestor atop this altar reminiscent of a stepped Mesoamerican temple on October 30, 2021, at Día de los Muertos, Altar Exhibition at Hollywood Forever.
Photography by Erika Buenaflor.
Plate 5. An ancestor honored with a bounty of fruit and flowers surrounding La Virgen de Guadalupe up to Jesus on the cross on October 30, 2021, at Día de los Muertos, Altar Exhibition at Hollywood Forever.
Photography by Erika Buenaflor.
Plate 6. Calacas paid their respects to the grave of a newly deceased ancestor. Honored with crosses and corn on October 30, 2021, at Día de los Muertos, Altar Exhibition at Hollywood Forever.
Photography by Erika Buenaflor.
Plate 7. Just beyond the portal of the feathered serpent sat Aztec royalty attended by his servant in a magnificent display on October 30, 2021, at Día de los Muertos, Altar Exhibition at Hollywood Forever.
Photography by Erika Buenaflor.
Plate 8. A jovial scene took place as calacas sang and played music together in a timber-framed building surrounded by many photos of friends and family on October 30, 2021, at Día de los Muertos, Altar Exhibition at Hollywood Forever.
Photography by Erika Buenaflor.
An artistic expression of the separation of animating energies at death—teyolía, tonalli, and ihiyotl. At the head, a serpent’s head appears, representing the tonalli. Another serpent head protrudes out from the stomach/liver, representing the ihiyotl. From the chest, the face of Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl comes out, which corresponds to the teyolía.
Codex Laud pg. 44. Drawing by Carolina Gutierrez.
Notes
INTRODUCTION. ANCIENT MESOAMERICAN AND CURANDERISMO ANCESTRAL VENERATION
1. McAnany, Living with the Ancestors, 113; O’Neil, “Maya Sculptures of Tikal,” 122; Novotny, “The Bones of the Ancestors,” 54; Lucero, Water and Ritual, 181; Scherer, Mortuary Landscapes, 181.
2. Smith, “Excavations at Altar de Sacrificios,” 212; Welsh, “An Analysis of Classic Lowland Maya Burials,” 15.
3. Houston et al., “Messages From Beyond,” 245.
4. Cortés, Letters from Mexico, 98.
5. Houston et al., Temple of the Night Sun, 14; Schele and Matthews, The Code of Kings, 84; Houston et al., “Messages From Beyond,” 245. Gillespie, “Body and Soul,” 71; Redfield and Rojas, Chan Kom, 199.
6. Furst, Natural History, 171; Álvarez Esteban, “La entidada animica,” 5; Aguilar-Moreno, Handbook to Life, 171; Houston and Cummins, “Body, Presence, and Space,” 365; Foster, Handbook to Life, 187.
7. Maffie, Aztec Philosophy, 424; León-Portilla, Aztec Thought, 114; Aguilar-Moreno, Handbook to Life, 172; Furst, Natural History, 180–83; Ortiz de Montellano, Aztec Medicine, 45, citing López Austin, Human Body, 1:348.
8. Heyden, “From Teotihuacán to Tenochtitlan,” 168–84.
9. Bell, Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice, 267.
10. Scherer, Mortuary Landscapes, 9.
11. López Austin, Myths of the Opossum, 15.
12. López Austin, Myths of the Opossum, 14.
13. Gillespie, “Inside and Outside,” 103–4; Parker Pearson, The Archaeology of Death, 141; Gell, Art and Agency, 256.
14. Manzanilla, “Houses and Ancestors,” 55.
15. Soustelle, Daily Life of the Aztecs, 211–13.
16. Kristan-Graham, “Building Memories at Tula,” 104.
17. Fash and Fash, “Teotihuacán and the Maya,” 447.
18. Schele and Matthews, The Code of Kings, 25.
19. Díaz Del Castillo, Historia verdadera de la conquista, 244; Levy, Conquistador, 153.
20. Houston, et al., Temple of the Night Sun, 12, 232; López Austin, Human Body, 328; Maffie, Aztec Philosophy, 22–23.
21. Durán, Historia de las indias, 2:268.
22. Anzaldúa, “Border arte,” 113.
23. Medina, “Nepantla Spirituality,” 284.
CHAPTER 1. LOCATING THE ANCESTORS YOU WISH TO VENERATE
1. McAnany, Living with the Ancestors, 60.
2. Fitzsimmons, “Perspectives on Death and Transformation,” 54–56; Freiwald and Billstrand, Actuncan Archaeological Project, 75.
3. Gillespie, “Body and Soul,” 69; Demarest, Ancient Maya, 116; McAnany, “Ancestors and the Classic Maya,” 279.
4. Coe and Houston, The Maya, 234; 19–20; Weiss-Krejci, “Classic Maya Tomb Re-Entry,” 76.
5. Geller, “Maya Mortuary Spaces,” 38; Burkhart, “Flowery Heaven,” 99; Taube, “Flower Mountain,” 88; Ashmore, “Site-Planning Principles,” 200.
6. Stuart and Stuart, Palenque, 119, 173.
7. Kristan-Graham and Amrhein, “Preface,” xx; Headrick, “The Street of the Dead,” 81.
8. Scherer, Mortuary Landscapes, 216.
9. Scherer, Mortuary Landscapes, 229; Geller, “Maya Mortuary Spaces,” 38; Burkhart, “Flowery Heaven,” 99; Taube, “Flower Mountain,” 88.
10. Sahagún, Florentine Codex, 6:162; De Landa, Yucatán before and after, 57–58; León-Portilla, Aztec Thought, 56, 117; Maffie, Aztec Philosophy, 203; Foster, Handbook to Life, 159; Hopkins and Josserand, “Directions and Partitions,” 9.
11. Chase and Chase, “Maya Multiples,” 62.
12. Pereira, “Ash, Dirt, and Rock,” 451.
13. Houston et al., Temple of the Night Sun, 23.
14. Gwyn, Analysis of Mortuary Patterns, 23–24.
15. León-Portilla, Aztec Thought, 54–55; Foster, Handbook to Life, 160; Ashmore, “Site-Planning Principles,” 216.
16. Ashmore, “Site-Planning Principles,” 216; Wren, Nygard, and Shaw, “Shifting Spatial Nexus,” 311–12.
17. McAnany, Living with the Ancestors, 52.
18. Olton, “Spaces of Transformation,” 274.
19. Olton, “Spaces of Transformation,” 272; Scherer, Mortuary Landscapes, 199.
20. Scherer, Mortuary Landscapes, 207; Stuart, Order of Days, 90; Foster, Handbook to Life, 161; Brady and Ashmore, “Mountains, Caves, Water,” 127.
21. Manzanilla, “The Construction of the Underworld,” 100.
