Spirit Offerings
Local land spirits can be very very helpful in a retreat. Therefore it is highly recommended that you make a little offering to the land spirits. You should do this at the beginning of your "after breakfast session." Just a little thing like a beverage and some nice crackers, cheese, and fruit. You can put on it whatever you think your land spirits might like. If you are in the middle of nature you might want four plates and little saucers with little tiny beverages to offer in each of the four directions. Some may only have nature in one direction, so one plate is fine in that direction. So you can place one to four depending on your environment.
How to Make the Offering
First, you need a bumpa, but if you don't have a bumpa a teapot will do. You put pure water, not distilled water but good drinking water in it with saffron if you have any. And blessed medicine if you have any. If you're using a teapot in the top of it you place a non-poisonous flower. Take off the lid and stand a non-poisonous flower in it. When it's time to use the bumpa or the teapot, you pick up the flower or your peacock feather from the top, and you sprinkle the water offering over the food offerings. Then you recite the prayers below, using a bell if you have one. You can also use any prayers of local spirits, like the two Taíno prayers below for the local Taíno spirits.
Next, you would complete the offering by taking the offerings outside to the natural place identified earlier and toss the contents of the cup and the plate up in the air towards the nature spirits. Then you would return inside with your empty cup and plate and continue with your retreat practices.
Do always and everywhere
To the supreme guide, the precious Buddha,
To the supreme protection, the precious Dharma,
To the supreme spiritual companion, the precious Sangha,
To the objects of refuge, the Three Jewels, I make offerings.
[Three Times]
To all you spirits, owners of this land and place, together with your retinue,
This offering of excellent food and drink is made.
Please perform the activity to fulfill the wishes of the yogi, master and disciple, and so that
The Teachings of Lord Buddha may flourish and spread!
May you, by the power of this offering and prayer,
In whatever place and wherever we are
Always pacify sickness poverty and conflicts
And may the Buddha’s Teachings and prosperity increase!
Taíno Prayer to the Mother Goddess, Atabey
Bibi Atabey - Mother Atabey
Atte itabo era - Mother of Waters
Coaiba Mamona - Heavenly Mother of the Moon
Aturo aya Guakia Itiba Cahubaba - Sister of our Ancient Bleeding Mother
Acona Guakia Arawaka - Hear our Sacred People
Yemao Guakia Waili - Protect our Children
Waka Yari - Our Precious Jewels
Busica Guakia Ketauri - Give us Life
Inaru Matum - Generous Woman
Busica Guakia Ahia Hu De - Give us your Blessing
Tai Ku Buya Han Han - Good Spirit Yes
Nabori Daca - I am your servant
Han Han Katu - So Be It
Taíno Our Father Prayer
Guakia Baba - Our Father
turey toca - is in sky
Guami-ke-ni - Lord of land and water
Guami-caraya-guey - Lord of moon and sun
guarico (come to) guakia (us), taino-ti (good, tall)
bo-matum; (big, generous), busica (give to), guakia (us)
Yucubia-aje-cazabi; tubercles, bread
Huracan-wa - bad spirit no,
Maboya-wa - ghost no,
Yukiyu-han; - good spirit yes,
nabori daca - servant am I,
Han-Han Catu - So be it.
The Hurricane Zemis
The most powerful hurricanes are said to be controlled by four zemis. Zemis are the gods of the Taino people in the Caribbean.
These zemis are Guabancex (goddess of wind and chaos), Hu-Rakan (the lord of spinning winds), Coatrischie (the lord of rain), & Guatauva (the lord of thunder & lightning), who individually are pretty scary but when they come together are a whole new level of terrifying. Together they whip up the most powerful hurricanes and send them to the Taino people, destroying villages, wrecking harvests, killing people, and even alternating the very landscape itself.
Guabancex is the ruler of the land of Aumatex and she holds the title of “Tribal Chief (Cacique) of the Wind.” She is an emanation of the supreme goddess Atabey. She is said to have a volatile temper, and easily enraged unleashing hurricanes by gathering together the other three zemis. By rotating her arms in a spiral, Guabancex would pick the water of the ocean and land, placing it under the command of Coatrisquie, who violently forced it back over the Taíno settlements destroying their bohios and crops. She would threaten the other deities in an attempt to have them join the chaos. She was always preceded by Guataubá, who heralded her eventual arrival with clouds, lightning and thunder.