Reflections by Vedel Herbito on the Los Angeles Event

here are some reflections i said i'd e-mail that arose from our momentous gatherings last Sunday that can be shared that has been inspired by your insights.

i felt moved from reading what you wrote to share from my pov of growing up in LA in a Filipino community, living in close proximity to Historic Filipinotown as a child before, and now coming back again to LA.

i know that in Historic Filipinotown and throughout the pockets of Filipino enclaves scattered throughout the city, from personal experiences and stories from family friends that the "healers, cultural bearers, etc..." are still very alive and present as the strength of their gifts are carried over from the homeland.

i grew up with my parents sharing these stories of these "gifts" from our own family, of the "village healers" in their provinces where they were raised, those with the "gifts" of sight, of sound, of sense, of dreams...

and now in this modern day city, i remember when Ate Venus and i were ill as children, and even now, our parents hoped to find these similar "village healers" of their upbringing and they thankfully did.

by word of mouth, it's been kept "underground," as common news among the "believers," as we would have to ask around from friends, and friends of friends, to find the common network of the "healers" that can help regardless of the degree of the ailment. the stories shared a common theme: the spirit was ill or disturbed and doctors weren't helping, test results even proving everything is "ok" but the symptoms persisted. our ancestors needed prayers, a spirit was "visiting" or disturbed they would say, and they would recommend a ritual, or some herbs for healing...

and now to see a public gathering where such a "safe" and "open" space has been created for this kind of genuine sharing about healers and our indigenous ways of healing i believe is truly birthing something profound, long needed by our communities. it has its own life force, building towards something sustainable as it always has been. in essence, i feel our spirits have been longing for and calling for this reawaken.

as we all get deeper, the truth of what we are here for becomes brighter each time, with every new gathering, more energy, more light is emanated into the cosmos: that we are here to awaken the gifts within each one of us in whatever shape or form they are called to be expressed, and to support one another as a community, just as our ancestors have done, for the healing of ourselves, each other, and essentially all who are part of this wondrous creation...

let us all continue to create and share with love our gifts of love... :)