Meeting at the Sea: Met Agwe and LaSirene!
Come get the Riches in the Sea!
Today, five members of our house went to the beach, myself included, of course. It was a small impromptu occasion that we had. We all wanted to go to the beach and do some service.
The night before, one of them called me and asked "If I drive you to the beach with me and some others can we serve Met Agwe and LaSirene?" She had obviously caught on to the fact that I don't like to drive.
I said: "Sure."
"What would we need to bring, pa?" she asked.
It just so happened that I had some gifts for Lasirene and wanted to go to the beach to give them to her, but I told her inform everyone to bring a white candle and a small bottle of perfume, and honey, or something sweet.
So, early this morning, we set out for Atlantic City. Five of them met me at my door in the morning. Saturday is one of the days when I don't mind sleeping in, as I work evenings, and on the mornings from Monday to Friday, before work, I work for clients. Two Saturdays a month I try to sleep in (hey we all need a break, right :)) but, Saturdays and Sundays just tend to be the days when people show up at my door, all of a sudden, to have something done (this is why I haven't gotten to work on here much, sorry!).
So we all had a good breakfast and set off, everyone dressed in white or blue or both! All of their own accord! I am really honored to have these very bright people around me. They all brought mushoirs, or blue bandannas, and a gallon jug, to collect sea water!
We went to the beach, and there were, very surprisingly, a lot of people there on the beach, as well as some people riding on horses! I didn't think anything would be happening on the beach at this time of year.
We came to within a couple of yards from the edge of the sea. I started digging a hole, and instructed everyone else to do the same. We placed the candles in the holes and lit them. We lit them and prayed the Our Father and the Hail Mary. After God, we called Met Agwe and Mambo LaSirene! I sang a song for Met Agwe:
Agwe O! Siyen lod O!
Jou'm angaje, map rele Agwe
Agwe Oyo, mwen pa prese
Koki la mer a, m pa prese la
Gen you coup deye'm, Papa map paret tann yo!
English: Agwe, O! Sign the law, O!
The day I'm engaged*, I am calling Agwe
Agwe Oyo**, I am not pressed (for time, or in a rush)
Shell of the Sea, I am not pressed
If I have a coup (literally a trap), Papa, I will wait for them!
*engaged=It can signify a number of things like the day I am in a hard situation, engaged with the law or other pressing matter
**As in Agwe Tawoyo, Shell of the sea, a praise name for Agwe
Coup can signify a number of things actually. It is one of my favorite songs for Met Agwe.
We saluted the sea. Then everyone poured some of the honey, perfume, ojat, etc that they brought at the base of the candle. We returned to the sea once again, saluted again, and slowly poured the rest of our liquids out into the waters of the sea, talking to the Lwa, making our requests. I presented the sea with my offerings, which I had previously accumulated, too! Then we all washed our kerchiefs and collected sea water.
As we were collecting sea water, we turned around as we heard the six year old daughter of Mari, one of our group members, singing:
"LaSirene, LaBalene,
Chapo m tonbe nan la mer
hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm LaSirene
Chapo m tonbe nan la mer . . ."
She was singing for Mambo LaSirene in good Kreyol, with the tune, and everything! She didn't get some lines, but as you can see she got most of it. We were all astounded, as Mari doesn't even know that song! So you can imagine how we roared into laughter, with much glee. I said to the rest of my children: "If only you all could sing as good as she does!" And we roared out laughing again! Shortly after, we closed the ceremony, feeling much refreshed!
We went to the casinos. Since I and two others aren't too much into gambling, we went to have some drinks and a snack. We hadn't been there but 15 minutes, one of them came back. She won seven hundred dollars! A few minutes later, another won four hundred and fifty seven dollars. We drank and chilled, as Sheila decided to pay for the whole tab (hey, we family and that's how we roll! When one of us is blessed, we all blessed!). Ten minutes after she announced that, the last one came in with six hundred and some odd dollars. So we ate, chilled, and we were very happy - but of course!
We all then went to my house, where I gave out some herbs for them to add to their sea water baths. We are all planning to do our services to Baron, Brijit, and Papa Gede, whose feast recently fell on November second. Some have already done it, some are getting to it, so that is what we have been doing out here.
I encourage everyone to go out to the beach if you can, and do what we did! Serve Met Agwe and LaSirene, the owners of all the riches in the Sea, and get your blessings too!
Luck on everyone's path! |
