Anyone In PALO Religion?

Palo has its roots in the Congo River|Congo basin of central Africa, from where large numbers of African slaves were brought to Cuba. Accordingly, a great part of Palo Monte's liturgy|liturgical chants and invocations are in a mixture of the Spanish language and Kikongo languages, other influences being introduced through their presence in Spanish-speaking Latin America.

The Palo belief system rests on two main pillars: the belief in natural ("earth") powers, and the veneration of the spirits of the ancestors.

Natural objects, and particularly sticks, are thought to be infused with powers, often linked to the powers of spirits. These objects are known as "nganga" and are the ritual focus of Palo's magical rites and religious practice.

A certain number of spirits called Mpungu inhabit the Nkisi (sacred cult objects, also spelled Inquice, Inquise, and Enkisi). Mpungu are well-known in name and deed, and are venerated as gods. They are powerful entities, but they are ranked below the High God Zambi or Nzambi.

The main worship and practice of Palo focuses upon the religious receptacle or altar known as a ''Nganga'' or ''Prenda''. This is a consecrated vessel filled with sacred earth, sticks (''palos''), human remains, and other items. Each prenda is dedicated to a specific spiritual Nkisi. This religious vessel is also inhabited by a muerto or spirit of the dead (almost never the direct ancestor of the object's owner), who acts as a guide for all religious activities which are performed with the Nganga.

The divination methods used in Palo are various. One, called ''Chamalongo'' utilizes shells or disks of various materials, often coconut shells. A more traditional method, ''Vititi Mensu'', is a form of envisioning or scrying, using a sanctified animal horn capped with a mirror.

this religion has been in my family for years and i know a lot about this.