We celebrated Taino Full Moon Ceremony and Guanara Sweatlodge in western Pennsylvania June 2013

[Miguel Sague Jr]

 

Takaji My Relatives

It was my honor to officiate the June FULL MOON CEREMONY on the 23rd of the month 2013 at the Verona/PennHills, Pennsylvania Teaching Lodge of the CANEY INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL CIRCLE.

We gathered on the day after our Youngstown, Ohio Summer Solstice ceremony and therefore some of the participants of this gathering were the same as the ones who had joined us at the earlier event, especially several members of the family of our Ohio behike Rosa Xochitl AnaO Quinones. We were also joined by a number of our dear friends from the Peaceburgh  community right here in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Other participants in this ceremony came from further away, such as our dear brother Bruce (Akichitay) Urayoel from the Poconos region of Eastern Pennsylvania. Urayoel served as the main fire keeper and maintained a sacred cadence of Taino rhythms on his mayohuakan log drum while he tended the holy guatu flame.

 

We celebrated the traditional CANEY SPIRITUAL CIRCLE Taino  Full Moon Ceremony complete with the ritual lighting of the twin torches that represent the double light of the moon when it is full. We were honored by the service of one of the women participants of this ceremony who in her role as the human manifestation of the Earth Mother ATA BEY, was guided through the torch lighting and recitation of the holy words by women guides of the Caney Circle.

 

After the smoking of tabako and the sacred chants and dances we proceeded on to the guanara sweatlodge purification.

 

After the ceremony we enjoyed the nice outdoor summer weather as we shared food and friendship with those gathered here.

 

One of our Peaceburgh-area participants, the long-time COUNCIL OF THREE RIVERS AMERICAN INDIAN CENTER member, talented painter and old friend of mine, John Creed Coe surprised me with a gift of a beautiful Taino-themed painting by non other than our dear Taino artist Gina Rix Turey

I am incredibly honored to now own a painting by this talented woman of our people.

 I thank Yaya the Great Spirit for granting me the honor of sharing this sacred moment with these beautiful people.

Seneko Kakona (many blessings)

Taino Ti

Miguel