#babaylan

[balkanparamo]

Death in Paradise: The Killings of Conquistadors by Babaylan Warriors

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

By Bayani

Capitalism and imperialism, stretching back to its days of old-style colonialism, have done more than any other force on earth to annihilate and suppress societies that see gender and sexuality outside a narrow binary. 

Before the Spanish arrived, societies across the Philippine archipelago, though not a monolith, viewed gender and sexuality in its many shades. In fact, people who we would now consider to be nonbinary, trans, or queer were considered spiritual and tribal leaders. One popular term for them, among many, is babaylan. 

[artbycourage]

Happy Filipino American History month!

[beyondthebinariesdotcom]

Reclaiming Our Roots: Rediscovering Pre-Colonial Gender Diversity in Filipino Culture

In pre-colonial Philippines, there were indigenous cultures that exhibited varying degrees of acceptance and recognition of gender and sexual diversity, although it's essential to approach this topic with sensitivity and acknowledgment of the limited historical records available. Among these cultures, the Babaylan, which were spiritual leaders in many indigenous communities, are often cited as examples of gender-fluid individuals who were respected for their wisdom and spiritual abilities.

The Babaylan played significant roles in their communities, serving as healers, advisers, and mediators. They often occupied a liminal space between genders, challenging traditional binary notions of male and female. Some Babaylan were biologically male or female but assumed roles typically associated with the opposite gender, while others identified as neither exclusively male nor female. Additionally, there were documented instances of male-bodied individuals assuming female roles in certain indigenous Philippine societies, particularly in ritualistic performances and ceremonies. These individuals were sometimes referred to as "asog" among the Visayans and were recognized for their unique gender identities and roles within their communities. While it's crucial to recognize and honor the diversity of gender and sexual identities in pre-colonial Philippine cultures, it's also essential to approach historical interpretations with caution due to the limited availability of primary sources and the influence of colonial perspectives on indigenous cultures. Nevertheless, the presence of gender-diverse individuals and acceptance of non-binary gender roles in pre-colonial Philippine societies highlights the complexity and richness of indigenous cultures in the archipelago. REFERENCES

✦ How the Queer History of the Philippines Inspires Our Struggle ✦ Filipino shamans ✦ The Babaylan - Badass Priestess of the Philippines! ✦ LGBTQIA+ History Month: Queer magic and pre-colonial Philippines ✦ Center for Babaylan Studies

[denimgrei]

In the dark canvas of the night, the stark beauty of the moon in its fullness was mesmerizing. Always generous to share its soft light among the folks of the mud. The fireflies danced in the air, courting the sparkling stars scattered up above. The serenity of it all was always deserving of peace and silence. And so, you kept silent. And everyone kept silent. Too quiet. Almost disturbing and sinister. The buzzing of the bugs, croaks of the frogs, and howling of the wind had stopped too suddenly. And everyone knew what was coming.  

Ripples from the sea have started to form, and waves pulled back and returned ruthlessly to the shore. The harsh wind shook the roofs of the tiny dwellings, and the trees were forced to bow. Large, iridescent fins like that of a fish and horns that of the devil peaked in and out of the waters. The sea swirled with the twisting of the long snake-like body of the hungry beast. The Sea-Serpent, Bakunawa, had come to take the moon again. How long has it been the last? Already forgotten, but the fear remained.  

The midwife wiped the sweat off her eyebrows, smearing a bit of blood on her forehead. The birthing had been for hours, and the poor lady had lost too much blood. She put her hands above the large bump and helped to push out the baby. A little more, just a little more and it will be done. The roar of the beast and the scream inside the little house has mixed in chaos. 

The wind slammed hard. The waves came relentlessly, and the beast stretched its jaws, flying swiftly for the moon. And in the last breath of the young mother, everything went black. The Sea-Serpent, Bakunawa, has swallowed another moon again. But something went wrong. It kept thrashing and roaring, instead of diving back into the depths of the sea with the moon in its belly.  

The midwife's eyes widened in terror as the realization hit her. Her shaking hands held a crying, healthy boy. The old story was true. In his closed eyes, the left one bled a soft light. One that resembled the light of the moon. And so, she knew, the beast would return. It will come for you. Because it has never been bested before, and you, poor boy, have dared to steal its moon. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakunawa – the moon-eating sea-serpent dragon, regarded as a great beast and an enemy of the ancient gods, in Philippine mythology. �� 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[wifeofbughuul]

♥️♥️♥️♥️ fuck Spain

[nickysfacts]

The Asog is one of many examples of how transphobia, sexism, and racism are the lasting legacy of colonization.

🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇭

[nationalbhs]

...well, you do?👏✨ . #NationalBHS #AllPathsAreWelcome #CaliforniaBHS #GeorgiaBHS #MichiganBHS #NorthCarolinaBHS #PennsylvaniaBHS #OhioBHS #CentralCaliforniaBHS  #VirginiaBHS #AllPathsMagickSchool #WhatsInYourMagick #PagansOfInstagram #Practitioner #Witch #Nûñyunuwï #Babaylan #Celtic #Indigenous #ArcaneArts #Ifa #Conjure #Chaos #LHP #FreeWitch #FreeWitchAmerica #BHS #BlackHatSociety #BlackHatters #BlackHatter National Black Hat Society © 2023 (at Earth, Orion Arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Virgo Supercluster) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cps5CNsO7ax/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[anitosoul]

Babaylan Women as Guide to a Life of Justice and Peace

Values for building a culture of justice, peace, and spirituality

First Value: KALOOBAN at PATOTOO Learning to be, being a human being as defined by our intrapersonal, interpersonal, and spiritual intelligences

Second Value: KABUHAYAN at KAALWANAN Learning to do, nurturing our life-sustaining intelligence

Third Value: KARUNUNGAN at KAALAMANG-BAYAN Learning to learn, nurturing our collective heritage and traditional knowledge

Fourth Value: KAPWA at KAPATIRAN Learning to live and work together as a compassionate people

Fifth Value: PAGKAKAISA at PAMATHALAAN Learning to realize a collective vision and strategy

Sixth Value: LAKAS AT TIBAY NG LOOB Learning about sustainable spirituality

Seventh Value: BATHALA NA Developing the gift of final perseverance

[kalakian]

Babaylan Sing Back: Philippine Shamans and Voice, Gender, and Place by Grace Nono is published by Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Category: Arts, Music, and Culture Language: English Price: P470.00 Get your copy: website | Lazada and Shopee stores

[balkanparamo]

Babaylan: A class of women warriors and healers in pre-colonial Philippines

[ozmarig]

Tamauro, elemental guide to Beliza, the main character of the Dark Allies Dark Adversaries (Book 1 - The Katalonan Chronicles).

He is very close to my heart as he reminds me of the same being I dream about now and again. My own gabay.

The concept of having elemental guide or guides is core to the culture and beliefs of Filipinos. They are sentient energies found in nature. As the name suggests, they can provide one guidance. Or in some cases, a lure to perdition.

However, Tamauro is not one of the common ones one mentioned by people. His kind is not known for choosing humans as an alaga, or a ward, because they are a warrior class in Hiwagaan, the ethereal realm.

Tamauro is a sarangay. These noble elementals are attached to the gems they wear. It is connected to their existence. The pair represents passion and reason. And if one is stolen, it results in lethal consequences for the thief, for a sarangay cannot be parted from their gems forever.

His personality was drawn from many of my mentors in life. Although none of them were this muscular, they were all, in essence, mighty warriors in their own field. Tamauro's wit and wisdom, in my opinion, was his best weapon.

He has a very mysterious backstory — one that demands a chapter or two, but that will not be until book 3. (Book 2 is under editing/revision process at the moment).

Our artist, Boyet Abrenica, drew him very well. He got the image, the facial expression of Tamauro very accurately. Impressive feat since his only basis was the books. He gets both Sol and I really well. We are now exploring collaborating on the graphic novels based on the series.

There are at least 9 elemental guides that appeared in this book, each unique and quirky.

And if you are interested in magical creatures, both mainstream and unique, the rich fantasy of the Philippine lore will provide you with so much variety, it is crazy. Read more of them in our book and the succeeding volumes in this series.

(We don't know yet how many books there will be, but we are leaning on 5).

[thealchemickalwitch]

So, I had a feeling when I moved in that there was an entity living here. I was unsure so I asked my pendulum about it and apparently I got the following:

- There is an entity, NOT a spirit/ghost.

- It is not friendly

- It exists in the whole space of the apartment (but I feel it most by the stairs)

- It won't make any attempts on me or my cats

- It hasn't shown itself yet

- It can't be banished

- I can protect myself and space with witchcraft

- It is not fae, a demon, or an elemental

Any ideas as to what this entity is?

[apuadman]

Changing our Signage of the Shrine

[unofficiallymikaela]

Babaylan was a pre-colonial spiritual leader and healer that helped the community.

[wifeofbughuul]

The other book I got on Filipino’s system for magic was just a bunch of colonizer bullshit. Let’s hope for better education from these