There was a girl that wrote us an application letter that she intend to learn the ways of Healing of the Ancestors and she wrote:
I am at the very beginning of my journey in traditional and alternative medicine. I have been chronically ill since 2010 due to a condition called Topical Steroid Withdrawal, which was caused by the overextended use of topical and oral steroids creams used to “cure” my eczema. In fact, I no longer had eczema, but rashes formed by the damage of the long term use of steroids and antibiotics. I have been a patient of traditional Chinese medicine for many years now and have learned a little in understanding how to read my skin or how effects manifest in my body.
I received a spirit clearing from a mumbaki in 2015 and he said that I am my paternal great great grandfather’s reincarnation, and something that did not finish in his lifetime is coming through me.
While being chronically ill, I have relied on plant medicine for pain and healing and developed a relationship to plants and their energies. It is my intention to learn more about plant medicine to help my family, friends, and community come back into their well being and health through natural ways.
This girl is from Washington DC, a Pinay American who was called by her ancestor to walk back on to the path of our race (Landas ng Lahi) and for 8 days we have helped her to remember what she already know for a long time. And now she speaks of what she have remembered through this words:
4 years ago, nati and mamerto did a spirit clearing on me and said that I am the reincarnation of my great great lolo; that something not finished is coming through me. my family does not have access to that generation, but this past Christmas, I found out that great lolo fermin was a manghihilot. reiki has been so helpful in my healing, but I felt it was necessary to honor and learn my own people’s energy and healing modalities, especially knowing healers were in my family.
for months I have been setting the intention to learn hilot, and today, I was initiated as hilot binabaylan. i laugh because universe has a way of synchronicity. I found out only recently that the training would be an 8-day live in study, and decided to change my plans so that I can squeeze in training before the busyness of HK and expo. today was my last day of study and of course it ends up being on the strawberry moon, a portal of expansion and initiation/full moon in sagittarius, my moon at that. lol, universe.
apu adman let me know that a diwata visited my room last night and told him my spirit name; that I will find out later during closing ritual. during my ceremony, apu and lakay called on the diwata that guides me to serve as witness. they wrote 14 names of the diwata and rolled them up for me to choose one. who else but the white bright moon, Diwata Bulan La Mogoaw, the moon goddess. apu and lakay just laughed and smiled because I kept taking pictures of the rising full moon the night prior and kept singing the small lyrics I know of “buwan.” I truly am a daughter of the moon. she calls me and I am listening. this diwata will continue to guide me on my path as a healer and she has blessed me with the name, “Dayang Alab ng Liwanag” – blaze of light, keeper of sacred fire of life. they already printed out the certificate before I chose my diwata guide….
most of my family think that hilot is only massage, but hilot is such deep connection to spirit 😭, and specifically how to heal with body with H (halaman, herbs), I (init, heat), L (linawag, light), O (horas, orasyon, time; prayer), T (tubig, water). my tawas (form of divination through paper, egg, or candle wax) sent a clear message that my ancestors were communicating with me and asking me to answer my call of healer, babaylan, manghihilot. there was no other way but to get so sick, face near death with tsw and pneumonia, for me to understand this path of shadow, light, and spirit. through this path, I have come to build a relationship to plants and prayer in forms of meditation, movement, intention. i am honored to be a hilot binabaylan, reviving the duties and responsibilities of the babaylan in my lineage.
I have no other words than my people are magic. I am only at the beginning of my journey. I have a lot to learn and unlearn, and am readying myself to walk the path of both spirit and earth. I asked ancestors where to even begin and I am reminded to just trust; I will continue to be present on this path to see where it leads me. today, I am happy to be hilot binabaylan. I feel blessed to have had this sacred opportunity to learn from and live with apu and lakay for the past 8 days. I am missing the busy sounds of San Jose del monte, bulacan. I am missing the constant exchange of learning between us. I am missing our shared meals together and laughter. thank you deeply, apu Rolando Gomez Comon and Lakay ALsent Magbaya Aghama, and for those who sent affirmations during my study.
Hilot Academy of Binabaylan 