Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer

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By the time I had finished, Antonio and Helena looked remarkably relieved. “Thank you, thank you, praise God that you are here to help us,” they told me. “We were so weary of people telling us that there was nothing they could do for us. May God repay you and grant you a long life.” As they left, I wondered if my prayers would work. Then I remembered Panti’s warning to never harbor doubt or the power to heal is severely diluted. “Don’t say to yourself, ‘I hope this works’ or ‘Maybe this will work.’ No, you state clearly that you have faith with all your heart.” I reaffirmed my faith with a favorite prayer, “I believe, Lord, help Thou my unbelief,” and went on with my day. That night I had a dream vision. I saw myself lying on the grass in a field, facing the cloudless blue sky. I felt a sense of uneasiness and I was afraid, very afraid, without knowing why. Suddenly, a powerful male Angel towered above my head. He wore the black and silver garments of a medieval knight and held a warrior’s black shield and a menacing sword, which he seemed ready to brandish in my defense. Although his appearance was frightening, I knew he was there to protect me. I felt my fear drain away into the earth. He was the Spirit of Zorillo. On my right was a magnificent, tall, female Angel, bedecked in a gown of sparkling golden hues. She arched her wings over me, enveloping me in her warm, amber luminescence. She was the Spirit of Copal. To my left was a pure white female Angel, clothed in glowing crystalline garments that poured forth pearly white light. She stood serenely, emanating love and grace. She was the Spirit of Rue. At my feet, another Angel stood. He was somewhat out of focus but I could feel his presence. He too was a powerful guardian. He was the Spirit of the stone of Esquipulas. The Spirit of Zorillo was fiercely protective, reminding me of a samurai, ready to pounce. He was on guard, scanning the distance for any sign of evil or danger. The other Spirits—Copal, Rue, and the stone of Esquipulas —were equally powerful but not warriors. They emanated strength and warmth and a supreme confidence in their abilities to protect me. I was engulfed by their protective shields and knew no harm could penetrate.
I woke up feeling loved, sheltered, and fearless, knowing I had a team of Angels by my side forevermore. Two weeks later I saw Antonio and Helena in San Ignacio selling watermelons and okra off the back of their truck. They spotted me and rushed over to embrace me with exclamations of love and gratitude. “I am completely back to my old self,” said Helena joyously. “You have lifted us up,” added Antonio. “There is no one like you and God, Doña Rosita.”
Page 4 and 5:
DEDICATION Dedicated to Don Elijio
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CONTENTS DEDICATION EPIGRAPH ACKNOW
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to tha
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The Whole Earth Review for assignin
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tenderness reserved for a favorite
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sometimes combining nutritional or
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MAP
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unsolved mystery until years later
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CHAPTER ONE Linden Flowers, Basswoo
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As soon as I heard his name, I almo
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The old man’s friend had come for
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the soil was impoverished, hardpan
Page 28 and 29:
opposite bank. In Belizean fashion,
Page 30 and 31:
of the village farms, finding an un
Page 32 and 33:
“Are there no curanderos in your
Page 34 and 35:
Hours later, he reappeared—showin
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CHAPTER THREE Wormseed Epasote Chen
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“It is too damp and muddy for me
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“This is Man Vine. This plant is
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man’s hand back and forth, causin
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CHAPTER FOUR Amaranth Amaranto Cala
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One day he stopped to trade and tal
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uins of the Maya city of Tikal. The
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would become seriously ill. This he
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CHAPTER FIVE Jackass Bitters Tres P
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that cure. I was sad when he left m
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three places, using the sharp end o
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myself to sleep in the dust. I had
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CHAPTER SIX Corn Maize Im Che Zea m
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“I’m willing to wait three year
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nothing about them. Please, I want
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strapping on plastic flour sacks, m
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We’d been steadily trudging uphil
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acks and the emerging midday heat.
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Where were we now? How far was it y
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we had our share of arguments. The
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the northern strain—I bathed them
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CHAPTER NINE Anal Psychotria acumin
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“Claudia, at your service. Maybe
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CHAPTER TEN Wild Yam Cocolmeca Dios
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He also believed in the Nine Malevo
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I had to admire Don Elijio’s simp
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stone tools, spinning whorls, shard
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four-star hotel. Panti put down his
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Spirits. All of our crystals came o
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“I leave these jícaras with you
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Crystal was sleeping on her bed und
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The aroma of moist, rotting humus w
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There was no evidence and no case,
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We opened the door wide to let the
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make them tired and dizzy. We must
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When I returned with the three-part
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Doña Juana held the lantern overhe
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ailing women came from all over Cen
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He instructed her to boil a handful
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weakness in the legs, and constipat
Page 116 and 117: Not too confidently, I began to exa
Page 118 and 119: CHAPTER FIFTEEN Balsam Tree Balsamo
Page 120 and 121: Later in the day, one of the crew,
Page 122 and 123: Panti wanted to consult his sastun
Page 124 and 125: CHAPTER SIXTEEN Allspice Pimienta G
Page 126 and 127: He was both excited and bewildered,
Page 128 and 129: I also knew what he meant when he p
Page 130 and 131: able to treat the mind, body, and s
Page 132 and 133: that once belonged to a child’s e
Page 134 and 135: Viento de descuido means Wind of Ca
Page 136 and 137: worthy of her. She comes out of the
Page 138 and 139: loodcurdling cry, followed by the s
Page 140 and 141: Panti spoke quietly to her as she g
Page 142 and 143: had first seen the book in the 1950
Page 144 and 145: CHAPTER NINETEEN Duck Flower Contri
Page 146 and 147: “They don’t understand,” he s
Page 148 and 149: Doña Rosa spent the night and we h
Page 150 and 151: men who had asked him to give up hi
Page 152 and 153: to offer. As we left, one suggested
Page 154 and 155: Che Xiv, the chief herb formula tha
Page 156 and 157: CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Billy Webb Tree
Page 158 and 159: whispering, kissing and whispering
Page 160 and 161: “I lost my daughter. I lost my wi
Page 162 and 163: Antonio who shared his respect for
Page 164 and 165: I was unable to refuse his request.
Page 168 and 169: CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Cross Vine Cru
Page 170 and 171: I followed him in, and he sat down
Page 172 and 173: I saw that he was crying and bent o
Page 174 and 175: and met Saint Peter. He looked at m
Page 176 and 177: A few weeks later, on February 4, 1
Page 178 and 179: pamphlet. On the back, we printed a
Page 180 and 181: esembles a basement. There is a cla
Page 182 and 183: PICTURE SECTION
Page 184 and 185: Rosita with Don Elijio on the trail
Page 186 and 187: Don Elijio with patients
Page 188 and 189: Jackass Bitters
Page 190 and 191: Contribo (photos by Michael Balick)
Page 192 and 193: Polly Red Head
Page 194 and 195: Don Elijio gathering herbs on trail
Page 196 and 197: Rosita with Don Elijio chopping med
Page 198 and 199: GLOSSARY OF MAYAN WORDS c’ox ca
Page 200 and 201: Castor Bean Tree, Oil Nut Ricino, I
Page 202 and 203: Palo Verde Eupatorium (Critonia) mo
Page 204 and 205: ABOUT THE AUTHORS Rosita Arvigo Now
Page 206 and 207: COPYRIGHT HarperSanFrancisco and th
Page 208: ABOUT THE PUBLISHER Australia Harpe
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Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer

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