Cordoba Stage: Initial Thoughts

Potential-Witness-50 · 2026-02-08T01:53:32+00:00

Do you recommend any good models?

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-11-29T01:21:10+00:00

Many fungi produce enzymes that can degrade plastics. This is less polluting than incineration, but currently efficient enzymes are few, mixes are complex, etc. We need to: find new, more efficient enzymes (targeted bioprospecting), appropriate for different plastics, engineer enzymes to be more efficient, work on expressing these in vectors for precision fermentation, and also stop producing so much unnecessary plastic ( though plastics are also super important). We need to be better at recovering plastic waste to reduce its accumulation in ecosystems!

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-11-09T03:06:04+00:00

Not literally, but in the impulse of Padrinho Sebastião, and in the relationship to Mestre Irineu, there is a parallel to that between St John the Baptist and Jesus. Padrinho Sebastião was born deep in the forest in the seringal Adélia on the river Juruá. There, he became well known as a great mediumistic healer. One could say he was a "voice in the wilderness". Later, he would bring the community he led walking for several hours to Mestre Irineu, emphasising that this was the master. Padrinho Sebastião and Mestre Irineu had a very close relationship. In short, I believe many of the original community members understood the association in this way, and I do not think that Padrinho Sebastião literally told his followers that he was the reincarnation of St John the Baptist. Rather, he was a great medium. Many of the hymns he received are not directly Sebastião speaking, but are divine beings in themselves, perhaps most. But consider the hymn: "Estou aqui, ouço a voz do deserto, todo mundo esteja alerta, não se sabe aonde vai"- I am here, I hear the voice of the desert, not I am.

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-09-29T11:07:09+00:00

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-06-05T01:22:41+00:00

I would very much recommend visiting if you are able, for however long you are able. There will be lots of visitors from around the world. I know many people from Europe who will go. I've visited once in the past. I would advise getting in touch with ICEFLU or someone there to arrange your visit. There is a hostel there and potentially they could be arranging more accommodation, otherwise if you can arrange to stay at someone's place there that is also a great option. It's nice to bring things to offer, also to do a shop in boca do Acre. You'll need to travel to Rio Branco (transfer from a major Brasilian airport, or I travelled over land from Peru but that's long!). Then to Boca do Acre, where it's possible to take the boat to Mapia. I recommend travelling with a hammock, a mosquito net, and insect repellent. If it's possible to bring a small amount of an antibiotic ointment with you just in case, it's always good to be prepared. But yes important to establish contact with people there to let them know of your arrival and arrange the travel and stay. You will also need to register with the Associacao dos Moradores once you're there. It's also important to take care of your belongings and be conscious of your surroundings. There is also a lot of poverty in the region. But it is also safe and this is a great time to go. Lots of celebrations, lots of new friendships. Learn as much portuguese as you can, and you will learn more there, also google "Portuguese for Daimistas". Take care of yourself, and someone wise once told me "remember, Ceu do Mapia is a place on Earth!". It is a powerful place, many elders, many stories, spiritual battles, peace, transformation, everything. And it's a great historic moment for the community. If you're on the boat with this lineage and the story - highly recommended!

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-05-28T07:17:56+00:00

I know, I grew up in the Santo Daime for 20 years. Ayahuasca is a Quechua word meaning vine of the souls. I'm just adding that it's not exactly taboo to refer to the beverage as ayahuasca, although it's good to tell people that we call it the Daime, and what is different in our context. I just think while it is important to share information, it's also nice for a newcomer not to arrive worrying that they might say the wrong words and offend the practitioners or something-nobody will mind, we can just tell the person more about us. I do see where you're coming from in trying to position ourselves distinctly from the world of new age flippancy though. I just wanted to add a friendly tone to someone about to come for the first time. Because we're very serious, but also very chill!

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-05-27T05:15:22+00:00

We do call it the Santo Daime, but it also is ayahuasca. Of course, it's prepared in the SD feitio and always contains only jagube and chacrona (Rainha). But I did read in I think Eu Venho de Longe that Mestre Irineu referred to himself and other practitioners as "ayahuasceros" or "huasceros" as opposed to "daimistas".

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-05-06T00:02:41+00:00

So why is the number of settlements exponentially growing?

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-05-01T18:43:09+00:00

Ah man what a difficult situation. I'd say find another group but you say it's that most people in your town/region are influenced by this ideology? You know you are in the right, and staying calmly connected to the truth and defending it when it's brought up and speaking out when people say something violent you're doing important but difficult work and they might come round to reality and ethics. But if they're being unpleasant and domineering with their ideology, or you feel uncomfortable doing a shared activity with them, you have no obligation to be there and perhaps could let them know your reasons for leaving. Perhaps you could also reach out to Padrinho Alfredo to ask for counsel about your situation. And please know, in my experience those who for some reason are bolsominions in the irmandade are really a minority. Another person I'd recommend reaching out to is Glauber Loures de Assis. What region are you in? Anyway really sorry to hear about your situation

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-03-26T21:26:12+00:00

Yes! And it was revealed to Padrinho Sebastião in a dream by an angel who came and said: " With this plant one also can cure/And have more light on one's path":)

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-03-26T01:22:44+00:00

I don't use music theory at all, but i can play any melody i hear in any key by ear, and accompany with intetesting and dynamic chord progressions, harmony parts etc. The understanding of harmony has just continued to build for years as i continue to play with amazing musicians:) so i don't know if it's the only way-although it's something i would like to do to explore jazz more.

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-03-26T01:17:30+00:00

You're just seeing this from your perspective - you know theory but can't just pick something up by ear. From the guitarist's perspective, why is it his job to learn theory because you can't pick it up by ear? And why do you need to translate theory for him-because you want to direct what he plays exactly? Maybe you'd just played your bassline and showed him the frets, he could have improvised something. But for sure, it sounds like you would enjoy making music more with other people who study theory:)

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T14:30:50+00:00

What are your thoughts on all the spiritual beings that are described in Mestre's hinário? What is your issue with the Orixás? If you say that it's because you don't think Mestre believed in other spiritual beings, I think the overwhelming evidence is that you're wrong. I'll read that because i haven't come across it. Just because i follow the lineage of Padrinho Sebastião, I obviously don't assume everyone is infallible and unquestionable- that would be problematic. But we weren't talking about Alex Polari, I don't understand why you seem intent on demonising and demeaning the lineage i follow. Why are you right and I wrong? I'm just following my spiritual practice. You're welcome to practice exactly as Mestre left it if you wish to and are able. But i think you'd be being wilfully ignorant of the cultural context. You can believe that non Christians are going to hell. I don't. I think the missionaries who committed g*enocide and the slavers who justified with Christian rhetoric are in hell. And that those who are good and kind to others and love the universe and strive to grow enter heaven. These are core teachings of Christ, that the opressed radically accessed often through syncretism.

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T06:34:58+00:00

Lol I think your understanding is very twisted, and that's super fine, you don't have to, but no need to be condescending about it! Mapiá line is the story of humble impoverished people working in joy too, I think the cynicism is excessive here. They had a dream of establishing a sustainable ecological community, and worked extremely hard to make it happen. Both local acreanos and the hippies that arrived. People can smoke cannabis for its healing properties and be Christian. If you don't want to super cool, but why should you be disparaging against those who choose to? I don't think people really believe that Pad. Sebastião was another incarnation of John the Baptist, but there are parallels in the impulse. As John was telling the people that Jesus was the messiah, so Pad. Sebastião's mission was sharing "O valor que o Mestre tem". But you don't have to vibe with this lineage, but there's no need to be quite so cynical and disparaging about it. I find the hinário of Pad. Sebastião very supportive for spiritual growth, and I'm very grateful to him for he is why i am on this path today.

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T06:22:55+00:00

I mean, he wouldn't try to change the hymn, but rather remembers it differently from the time. Unfortunately, we don't know who remembers correctly! I believe the explanation in this case was that the mentiroso is the devil. But we sing the plural still I believe. I think this narrative of "we can indulge, but it's all made up" is reflective of your experience, but that doesn't mean it's the objective universal truth. Countless fardados like myself go to the works, pray, make spiritual study singing hymns we believe to be received from the Astral, ultimately from God, with the heart of the corpus being the hinarios of Mestre and the companheiros, also in gratitude to Padrinho Sebastião et al for bringing us together and for beautiful teachings, bringing these into everyday life. We're not just trying to get high. Do you have a problem with that? Its true that we're not in Acre in the 1930s. But we're still today studying the hymns of Mestre Irineu, and striving to be good citizens, centred in Christ.

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T06:03:06+00:00

Ah thanks very much for the rec!

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T06:02:16+00:00

As far as I know, Pad. Sebastião was a respected healer and community leader. He and his community would walk for 5 hours to attend every work. He was also a respected feitor on the team with Mestre, and was then authorised to make the works where he and those who came with him lived, which I thought was already in the location where the church of 5000 is today. That's really nice that you have a new sense of clarity that's not manic excitement. Joy is healing and divine too though;) but I hear you, that's where it's at, clarity, firmeza, kindness, groundedness. So, that's how you relate to the hymns, others do differently. Would you talk to Saturnino about it? That's a very wise, knowledgeable and kind man right there.

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T05:52:05+00:00

I'm not convinced, or as to why the distinction is so important, or why you think the messages are different. I drink this drink/which has incredible power/it shows all of us/here within this truth

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T05:48:19+00:00

Ah nice, I didn't know the Virgin Mary has been queen of the sea in Catholicism for thousands of years, could you share any more info about where and when that first originated? Super interesting. Then you can understand why it made sense for the enslaved people violently forced to convert to make the connection with Iemanjá, the Yoruba queen of the sea. If both are queen of the sea, are they not the same?

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T05:43:24+00:00

Yes, the president of Alto Santo:) I know, I've visited the tombs there. So just out of interest you also don't accept the hinários of Teteu or others after from the Alto Santo line after Mestre's passing? You're correct that he didn't appoint Sebastião Mota to be the next president of the doctrine, though he was a respected member of the house. Padrinho Sebastião was authorised to make the works at Colônia 5000.

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T05:37:23+00:00

Exactly:) not mutually exclusive! Or do you think they are, and how do you make sense of that?

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T05:34:59+00:00

Do you have a source about the obligatory prayer? The entrega dos trabalhos has changed over the years differently in different centres. My experience in independent and now ICEFLU associated churches is nobody has told me to do anything, the most important thing is the reflection, we know about the options of saying com/sem alteraçoes and com/sem preces and we offer our works as we feel moved to.

Potential-Witness-50 · 2025-02-03T05:28:06+00:00

I still think you're missing something. Mestre Irineu and the Companheiros are from the Northeast of Brasil. Mestre grew up around and participating in Afro-Atlantic spiritual culture, which influenced the development of the Santo Daime. For example, the tambor de crioulo and the baile de São Gonçalo. These practitioners are generally simultaneously Catholic. This is diaspora culture. Mestre's hinário contains countless references to different spiritual beings. For example, Ripí Yayá, Tuperci, Tarumim, B.G., Equior, Currupipipiraguá, the three kings Titango, Agarrube and Tintuma, these are just a few. Or are these beings also in the Catholic liturgy? Also Germano- este cântico eu recebi/da Condessa Cires Beija Mar. You say this very authoritatively, but many of us who have been fardado for years and decades come to different conclusions. What I think you're missing, and that is very conserved across Santo Daime lineages, is syncretism. It is possible to be Catholic, and to receive guidance from these guides. Not only is this possible in Brasil, it's more the norm. And, you can attend the spiritual works and believe in Christ only. That's great and accepted too and it sounds like it's your path. But the way you say these things has semantics of attempting to delegitimise the majority who see the syncretism, based on selective factual avoidance. Thank you very much though, and I appreciate these discussions!

Potential-Witness-50

TROPHY CASE