Mandala Workshop

Healthy food for body and soul: mandala-writing for peace and healing, and a sumptuous all-veggie dinner at a cozy restaurant with friends from the Gaia Circle. Just what I badly needed to tame the warrior spirit in me which is becoming a bit too unruly these days.

Mandalas big and small.

Ate Bet, Lei, and the boys doing their stuff.

My stuff: I am on Eastern-mystic mode

Some cool stuff inside the Peacemaker's Circle office where the workshop was held.

Yummy vegetarian lunch at Greens, somewhere along Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Basbasan Nawa!

Read more »

Mojuba Egungun

Today is egun day. Ebo of fresh water, white flowers, candles and adimu for my makeshift boveda on my Santeria altar.

The mask represents the collective spirits of the ancestors, the Egungun. 

The Santo Nino de Atocha represents Eleggua, opener of the doorways. Santa Teresa is Oya, guardian of the graveyards.

Flowers, fresh water, and offerings of food for my beloved.

Mojuba Egun!

Read more »

Navaratri

I just joined in the celebration of Navaratri with folks from the interfaith coop circle and some newly-met friends. It was the last of a series of nine Hindu feast days paying homage to the divine feminine. It actually felt very awkward for me since I had no idea at all what the priests were saying (everything was in an Indian language), and I was totally at a loss as to what to do during the rituals. So I just played "mimic the Hindus", prayed to the gods not to embarrass myself, and enjoyed the immersion in Indian culture, music, and food. Jai Shakti.

The girls look totally cool in their outfits.

On the other hand, the skullcap was too big for me. I look like a chef.

An offering to the siva lingam.

Photo ops outside the temple.

A conclave of dark goddesses: Oya, Eris-Discordia, and Kali. I purchased this beautiful Kali figurine from Ishilta during our visit to the Hindu temple and after bringing it home, I noticed how its colors and motif matches very closely those of the Oya painting I made months ago, and that her name can be found on the golden apple of Discord ("Kallisti").

Basbasan Nawa!

Read more »