Why an American Society? The tremendous growth in all ramas, or paths, of Palo in the United States has brought diversity to munansos everywhere.  No longer are Paleros and Paleras Cuban or even Spanish speaking.  Sometimes new initiates lack access to elders who speak enough English to convey the subtlety of Mayombe.  Worse, false practitioners take advantage of non-Spanish speaking seekers.  One purpose of the American Society for the...

“Where there is no shame, there is no honor.”  Congo proverb We must lead by example.  There may be times when we fall short and must learn from our mistakes in order to grow.  We all must remember that shame builds character.  How can we learn if we have no shame?  The wise Tata or Yayi guides their godchildren and corrects their mistakes while endeavoring to live an exemplary life themselves.  One of the greatest...

Palo Mayombe is one way of understanding the interaction of the life force of human beings with the energies of the physical world and the greater universe. An element of this deals with spirits, including the spirits of the dead. In Palo, we have dead who are close to us as well as dead who are part of the great sea that is Kalunga, the ever-living dead who manifest in the realm of the stars and watch over us, shining their light so we may...