We are entering the month of May and the beginning of the rainy season in the Caribbean. Today I have a Cuento for you regarding this time of the year!
Our ancestors were very well versed in astronomy and would look up at the sky for their agricultural season, among other things. They believed that we are the sons and daughters of the Milky Way, the galaxy that includes our Solar System. The milky way is viewed as a heavenly water snake, and the spiral symbol is a representation of the snake and freshwater. Still, some countryside Tainos from Boriken believe we come from the snake of seven colors representing the rainbow. You see how everything gets complex when we listen to science, read the chronicles, and listen to the elders of Taino communities!
Below you can see a picture of the Milky Way and the written stone of Jayuya in Boriken containing the petroglyph of the spiral.
For our ancestors, one of the most influential groups of stars of the Milky way was the Pleiades because it announced the beginning of the rainy season.
It was a time of celebration and the moment when our ancestors would plant the yuca, squash, and beans that would feed the yucayekes for the whole year. There was the promise of abundant crops and happy yucayekes as the conucos would provide everybody.
In this rainy season, I want to celebrate by wishing you an abundance of all that feeds your spirit, body, and mind.
Sending love your way, my dear community,
Akutu Irka
