Sastun

1. Rosita Arvigo's journey from Chicago to Belize transforms her into a Maya healer's apprentice

"This late-night event, dramatic yet so common in the non-Western world, changed my destiny."

A chance encounter in Mexico sparked Rosita Arvigo's interest in traditional healing. After witnessing a village elder use rose petals to stop postpartum hemorrhaging, Rosita became fascinated with herbal remedies. This curiosity led her to Belize, where she and her husband Greg established Ix Chel Farm, a homestead dedicated to organic farming and natural healing.

The rainforest as teacher: Rosita's new life in Belize immersed her in a world of medicinal plants and traditional knowledge. She learned to identify and use various herbs, facing challenges such as:

• Adapting to jungle living
• Balancing farm work with her healing practice
• Navigating cultural differences

A fateful meeting: Rosita's path intersected with Don Elijio Panti, a renowned Maya healer. This encounter set her on a journey to become his apprentice, learning the ancient art of Maya medicine and spiritual healing.

2. Don Elijio Panti, a 92-year-old Maya shaman, becomes Rosita's mentor in traditional healing

"I am the one who walks in the mountains seeking the medicine to heal the people."

A living repository of Maya healing knowledge, Don Elijio Panti was a H'men (pronounced "heh-men"), meaning "one who knows." At 92 years old, he possessed a vast understanding of medicinal plants, spiritual healing, and Maya cosmology. His expertise included:

• Identifying and using hundreds of medicinal plants
• Performing complex healing rituals
• Communicating with Maya Spirits

Mentor and apprentice: Don Elijio initially hesitated to teach Rosita, fearing his knowledge would be lost if she returned to the United States. However, he eventually accepted her as his apprentice, recognizing her dedication and genuine interest in preserving Maya healing traditions.

Daily lessons: Rosita's apprenticeship involved accompanying Don Elijio on plant-gathering expeditions, learning to prepare remedies, and assisting with patient treatments. These experiences provided her with hands-on knowledge of Maya healing practices and deepened her understanding of the spiritual aspects of this ancient tradition.

3. The sastun: A sacred tool for communicating with Maya Spirits and diagnosing illnesses

"Sastun, sastun, with your great power I ask that you tell me all I want to know."

A divine gift: The sastun is a small, translucent stone believed to be a conduit for communicating with Maya Spirits. Don Elijio received his sastun through a dream vision, and it became an integral part of his healing practice. The sastun serves multiple purposes:

• Diagnosing illnesses
• Divining answers to questions
• Enhancing the healer's spiritual connection

Rosita's sastun: In a surprising turn of events, Rosita received her own sastun – a large crystal gifted by a film crew member. Don Elijio recognized it as a sign from the Spirits and began teaching Rosita how to use it in her healing work.

Learning to read: While Rosita struggled to interpret the sastun's messages as Don Elijio did, she learned to use it for other aspects of healing, such as enchanting protective amulets and strengthening her connection to the Spirits.

4. Healing practices blend Maya spirituality, herbal remedies, and faith-based treatments

"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food."

Holistic approach: Maya healing combines physical treatments with spiritual practices. Key elements include:

• Herbal remedies (e.g., Zorillo root for cleansing, Billy Webb bark for diabetes)
• Prayer and spiritual invocations
• Physical therapies (massage, manipulation)
• Dietary recommendations

The power of plants: Don Elijio taught Rosita to identify and use numerous medicinal plants, each with specific properties and applications. Some notable examples:

• Man Vine for digestive issues
• Contribo for menstrual complaints
• Eremuil (Wild Coffee) as a chief herb in many formulas

Spiritual dimension: Healing often involved addressing spiritual causes of illness, such as:

• Evil eye (mal de ojo)
• Fright (susto)
• Black magic (maldad)

These treatments combined herbal remedies with prayers, rituals, and the use of the sastun to diagnose and treat spiritual ailments.

5. Challenges of preserving rainforest medicinal plants amidst deforestation and modernization

"Soon, Rosita, there will be no place left for me to harvest God's medicines to heal his children."

Vanishing pharmacy: The rainforest, once teeming with medicinal plants, faced increasing threats from:

• Deforestation for agriculture and development
• Uncontrolled burning of fields
• Modernization and loss of traditional knowledge

Don Elijio's lament: As the forest receded, Don Elijio found it increasingly difficult to source the plants he needed for his remedies. This loss deeply affected him, as he felt he was outliving the very plants that gave his work meaning.

Preservation efforts: Rosita and her husband Greg took steps to preserve medicinal plants:

• Cultivating important species on their farm
• Coordinating with farmers to harvest plants before field burning
• Documenting traditional knowledge to pass on to future generations

These efforts aimed to ensure the survival of both the plants and the healing traditions that depended on them.

6. Spiritual illnesses and black magic: Treating ailments beyond the physical realm

"It is awful what people do to their neighbors."

Unseen forces: Maya healing recognizes spiritual causes of illness, including:

• Envy (envidia)
• Evil spirits
• Malevolent winds

Black magic cases: Don Elijio often treated patients suffering from the effects of black magic, using a combination of herbal remedies, prayers, and spiritual interventions. Key treatments included:

• Zorillo root tea
• Copal incense
• Rue herb
• Specific prayers and rituals

Rosita's initiation: As Rosita gained experience, she began treating spiritual illnesses herself. Her first case of envidia (envy) marked a significant milestone in her development as a healer, demonstrating her ability to work with spiritual forces.

7. The power of faith in healing and the importance of respecting ancient wisdom

"Faith is what moves them to work for us."

Belief as medicine: Don Elijio emphasized the crucial role of faith in the healing process. He taught that:

• The healer's faith strengthens the effectiveness of treatments
• Patients' belief in the cure contributes to their recovery
• Doubt can weaken the power of healing

Respecting traditions: The narrative underscores the importance of honoring ancient wisdom and practices. This respect is shown through:

• Preserving traditional knowledge
• Acknowledging the spiritual dimension of healing
• Recognizing the value of time-tested remedies

Bridging worlds: Rosita's journey demonstrates how ancient wisdom can be integrated with modern understanding, creating a powerful synthesis of healing traditions.

8. Rosita's growth from skeptical apprentice to confident healer carrying on Don Elijio's legacy

"There is nothing more I can teach you, daughter. You have learned everything I know and can do everything I can do."

Transformation: Over the course of her apprenticeship, Rosita evolved from a curious outsider to a skilled practitioner of Maya healing. Her growth is marked by:

• Increasing knowledge of medicinal plants
• Developing spiritual awareness and connection to Maya Spirits
• Gaining confidence in treating both physical and spiritual ailments

Passing the torch: As Don Elijio aged, he recognized Rosita as his successor. He entrusted her with:

• His original sastun
• The responsibility of carrying on his healing traditions
• The task of preserving and sharing Maya medical knowledge

A new chapter: Rosita's acceptance of Don Elijio's sastun symbolizes her readiness to continue his work. While she may not have mastered every aspect of his practice (such as reading the sastun), she had developed her own strengths and connection to the healing traditions.

Last updated: November 17, 2024