A brief history of Palo
Palo Mayombe is an African tradition that has truly taken root in the diaspora. It originated in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Spanish term for it: The Congo Rules – or the Rules of the Congo, reflects its African roots. Today it is more widely practiced in various forms in the African diaspora, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic. However, it can also be found as widespread practice in Portuguese-speaking Brazil as well as French-speaking Haiti. Palo Mayombe is also known as Brillumba, Palo Monte, and Kimbisia, among other terms. But for this speech we will simply refer to him as Palo for simplicity.
Palo’s origin is, of course, the African region of the Congo Basin, today the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was transported to the New World as part of the slavery campaign and African traditions have become widespread. It is estimated that more than ten million people practice Palo in some form in the Western Hemisphere. Palo’s main liturgies, spells, and incantations are largely based on the Kikongo language. Similarly, Palo spells and rituals require many special herbs, elements, roots, and sticks found only in the Congo Basin. In fact the name Stick itself means “stick” in Spanish.
The stick is still widely practiced today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as other neighboring African countries such as Nigeria and Benin. It is generally practiced in conjunction with other traditional African beliefs. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is often more common to hear practices referred to as voodoo, as in the case of Benin, despite being very different from what is recognized as voodoo proper in Benin, or in the diaspora in Haiti. . Much of the Palo that is practiced today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is very different in many respects from that of the diaspora.
A key difference is that the African Palo is often referred to as “Palo Juda”, while the Palo practiced in the Spanish-speaking diaspora is more likely to take the form of “Palo Cristiano”. The first has nothing to do with the religion of Judaism and is not intended to be pejorative. Rather, this is indicative of the fact that the former rejected syncretism with Christian traditions, such as worship or the combination of Catholic saints with traditional African traditions. mpungu, or spirits. In the diaspora in the communities that practice the “Christian Palo”, one may find that the traditional Congolese deity Kobayende is represented as Saint Lazarus. In the diaspora and African communities that practice the “Jewish Stick”, Kobayende is still primarily Kobayende.
There are exceptions: Catholic missionaries in Africa began a process of syncretism long before the slave trade began. And each house in Palo practices differently. There are few concrete standards in practice. So Palo’s history and basics up to this point should be taken as guidelines rather than outright canon.
Spells on Stick
Palo mainly uses two spiritual forces: the power of the deceased and the power of the African spirits. Both are called in each and every one of the Palo rituals. The power of the deceased is especially highlighted. This departed soul, or the dead in Spansh, it is linked to a magical artifact, or Nganga, which serves as the focal point of Casa Palero or Palo. The more powerful the deceased soul, the more powerful the spells can be.
Palo has a reputation for being evil and aligned with the forces that bring disease, curses, hexes, and other diseases. This is not without merit. It is widely accepted that the curses on Palo are the strongest in all spiritual communities. Even the Yoruba priests, the voodoo houngans, and the Santeria babalawo will seek out the paleros if powerful curses are needed. Curses are fast acting, strong, and often deadly.
But it is overlooked that Palo has exactly the same power to heal. The same deceased spirits and mpungu can be used to cure any disease. The power and efficacy they bring in healing can be as great as the ones they used to curse. In many cases, even more.
It should be noted at this time that the spirit linked to the Nganga will largely define the power of the spells in place. For this reason, many Paleros have more than one Nganga to use in different rituals. An Nganga with an evil spirit, often a convicted criminal, can be used to curse. And a Nganga with the spirit of a deceased saint can be used to heal. Similar Nganga can also be designed to focus on bringing love or financial prosperity.
Each Nganga is also linked to a traditional African spirit that will define the nature of the spells it can be used on. A Kobayende-linked Nganga will be more adept at healing than a Chola Wengue-linked Nganga, a spirit of material wealth and wealth. Tea Aunt, or Father, of a Palo House will ultimately have under his control any Nganga number to use in various situations. Many Tatas focus on just one thing, like providing curses, while others may be “general practitioners” so to speak.
The bottom line is that Palo can be used for every type of magic and spell imaginable. It is not a dark practice and it is certainly more than an evil offshoot of Santeria. Palo is a traditional Congolese religion that predates Santeria. Embrace the values, goals and hopes of African communities since the beginning of time. And while it can be used for nefarious purposes, you can also use Palo for sheer good. Palo can heal the sick, correct mistakes, help you get out of debt, and fix relationships. In fact, compared to the limited use of curses, Palo has far more potential for good than harm in the lives of its practitioners and followers.
