BABAYLAN – is a Filipino terminology for those users of mutya and other natural mystic objects. Babaylan performs rituals like the Paghahain or Pagsasagda to invoke and appease the engkantos or the common spirits to connect and establish a friendly relationship with them by serving them foods through hain or sagda. The Babaylan uses agimat (another name for mutya) to heal or protect himself against enemies or by making himself invincible to all kinds of weapons. Mostly he uses herbs or perform paghahain to heal patients. He strictly follows rules and taboos to avoid sinda or punishment inflicted by the spirits for not following rules or observing taboos. Sometimes these rules are considered superstitious beliefs by others.
EXAMPLES OF THESE SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS ARE:
1. Stop eating when someone comes-up and goes down and brought some food. The babaylan pretend he have finished eating then start again.
2. If you arrived late and the people are already eating, don’t join them on the table, let them finish the meal. After they finish eating, go straight to the kitchen and get your own separate food ( don't get food on the table ). Go back and join the group on the table.
3. Do not put over the cold rice above the new one. If your purpose is to warm the rice mix it from the start.
4. When are lying down, do not let any part of your body be walked – on/stepped through by anyone even your wife and kids. It is the spirit in you that is being stepped down.
5. Do not let your self be urinated/dirt by any animal. This is very bad omen to the babaylan because human is a supreme, respected being not a waste bowl.
The above mentioned are very sensitive for the babaylan for they are affected bit in spiritual and material life. If they violate these rules of natural phenomenon, the negative energy will hunt them any where they go to put their life in misery as mentioned in Isaiah 8:19-22.
HOW TO TAKE CARE/MAINTAIN THE AGIMAT
The mutya or agimat are different from the oraciones/divine words/power words. These things are of God while the agimats are considered to be the power of engkantos/fairies, or common spirits therefore do not mix it.
1. In some instances the white stones can be mix with the divine but never the colored one.
2. Avoid all the agimats to include the white one to be blessed/ consecrated thru divine words. It will lose its power and die. If you have them both, threat them separately.
3. To feed the Divine Words is through its designated processes of prayers, while the agimats is through material food and is scheduled every first quarter of the moon, in half moon and in full moon.
4. If the mutya no is not for use, put in a glass of water and if possible drink the water the following morning it addends your power and the mutyas generally likes to be in water.
5. Give name to every agimat, it distinguishes one from the other.
6. After and before the pagsagda, or before using it wipe the mystic stones with ginger and if possible “Suobin ng kamangyan” it make them strong, do not use the ensenso or do not combine it with kamangyan for suob in rituals, it will distract its spirit.
7. All the mutyas should be placed on cloth or kundiman red, and those that came from human should be placed in black cloth, this will distinguish the engkanto power to human souls.
8. Avoid bringing your mystic stones to lamay sa patay, or internment’s it will lose its power.
9. When you are in the church avoid the holy eucharis or pagtaas ng ostsa. Get out from the church immediately.
10. When someone is dying, put the mutya away from that place because when the person loses its breath the power of the agimat loses too.
Excerpted from Mutya at Agimat by Ka Genro Ymas
EXAMPLES OF THESE SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS ARE:
1. Stop eating when someone comes-up and goes down and brought some food. The babaylan pretend he have finished eating then start again.
2. If you arrived late and the people are already eating, don’t join them on the table, let them finish the meal. After they finish eating, go straight to the kitchen and get your own separate food ( don't get food on the table ). Go back and join the group on the table.
3. Do not put over the cold rice above the new one. If your purpose is to warm the rice mix it from the start.
4. When are lying down, do not let any part of your body be walked – on/stepped through by anyone even your wife and kids. It is the spirit in you that is being stepped down.
5. Do not let your self be urinated/dirt by any animal. This is very bad omen to the babaylan because human is a supreme, respected being not a waste bowl.
The above mentioned are very sensitive for the babaylan for they are affected bit in spiritual and material life. If they violate these rules of natural phenomenon, the negative energy will hunt them any where they go to put their life in misery as mentioned in Isaiah 8:19-22.
HOW TO TAKE CARE/MAINTAIN THE AGIMAT
The mutya or agimat are different from the oraciones/divine words/power words. These things are of God while the agimats are considered to be the power of engkantos/fairies, or common spirits therefore do not mix it.
1. In some instances the white stones can be mix with the divine but never the colored one.
2. Avoid all the agimats to include the white one to be blessed/ consecrated thru divine words. It will lose its power and die. If you have them both, threat them separately.
3. To feed the Divine Words is through its designated processes of prayers, while the agimats is through material food and is scheduled every first quarter of the moon, in half moon and in full moon.
4. If the mutya no is not for use, put in a glass of water and if possible drink the water the following morning it addends your power and the mutyas generally likes to be in water.
5. Give name to every agimat, it distinguishes one from the other.
6. After and before the pagsagda, or before using it wipe the mystic stones with ginger and if possible “Suobin ng kamangyan” it make them strong, do not use the ensenso or do not combine it with kamangyan for suob in rituals, it will distract its spirit.
7. All the mutyas should be placed on cloth or kundiman red, and those that came from human should be placed in black cloth, this will distinguish the engkanto power to human souls.
8. Avoid bringing your mystic stones to lamay sa patay, or internment’s it will lose its power.
9. When you are in the church avoid the holy eucharis or pagtaas ng ostsa. Get out from the church immediately.
10. When someone is dying, put the mutya away from that place because when the person loses its breath the power of the agimat loses too.
Excerpted from Mutya at Agimat by Ka Genro Ymas
