La Madama is one of the most loved and respected groups of Spirits of the various courts or commissions in Caribbean Hispanic Espiritismo. Many confuse La Madama, or "La Negra" as many Caribbean Hispanics call her as being one spirit but this is not the case, the Madama are many. The Madamas represent the Female Force, and wisdom within a family unit. Historically las Madamas or Las Negras where the Mammys, the Mamei, Mama Mei or Mai, the house slave servant who where responsible for the caring and well-being of a master’s family. They where the matriarch, the eldest and wisest of the Masters slaves, and where loved and respected by the family
The Madamas where the healers and the midwives and where well knowledge in midwifery. They had a vast knowledge of herbalism, and home remedies, and as one today enters into a pharmacy to seek a remedy for what ails one. The Madamas could enter any forest or wooded area and find the correct herb for what it was needed for.
Las Madamas where also termed as Brujas by the Spaniards as they had a vast knowledge in magic, it is a fact that the first quemaduras "witch burnings" in the Americas happened in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. The historic location is in front of el Castillo de San Cristobal, today the location is marked by the Lincoln School. In those days this area was called el Charco de las Brujas (the Puddle of the Witches). African slaves who practiced their African magic and sorcery and where accused of Witchcraft which in the Spanish point of view was connected to the Devil where paraded through the old city walls and then brought to el Charco de Brujas and tied to stakes and burned alive.
Present day statues of La Madama are usually considered a Spiritual Vessel and Espiritistas always cleanse, baptize and open the bottom of the statue and fill her with an orange or red cloth bag with her mysteries.
La Madama has many sacred emblems, of those, a straw wooden broom which is her tool for cleansing and purifying, a pack of La Baraja Española, Spanish playing cards which she uses to tell fortunes, a knife which she uses for protection and cutting herbs, and a bowl or basket which she uses to place healing herbs and make healing brews. Each of the items represents one of the four elements. Broom, air, cards earth, bowl water, knife, fire. A wooden rosary is always places around the statutes neck. Tradition says that the African slaves could not afford the expensive imported European beaded rosaries of their masters so they made their own out of wood and rope. African women where often fond of rosaries.
La Madama has been venerated in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba since the days when these wise women took care of the children and there wisdom has never been forgotten, so much so that they have been sanctified within Espiritismo tradition. There was even a law in Puerto Rico that declared that if a slave were left as guardian to his/her master's children he/she became free.
I once spoke to a practitioner of Hoodoo who mistakenly called the Madamas Sorceress and a conjure and root worker, or root doctors, this is far from the truth. A sorceress in Spanish is an Hechizera or an enchantress who works magic for personal gain, and power, something La Madamas are clearly not about since all their labor on earth was for the greater good of their oppressor and kinfolk, and it is known that in Africa root doctors where primarily men, this tradition came along to Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Venezuela. The women where the healer women who worked with herbs and the men worked the roots. The Congo Spirit is the typical root worker conjure man.
The Venezuelan Negra Francisca Maria Dolores lived in the 1800, her fame is as respected as that of New Orleans Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Legend says that La Negra Francisca Maria Dolores was an exotic mulatta beauty of caramel skin with hazel eyes, her father was a Spaniard and her mother was a freed slave. Her character has been described as sweet, loving, flirtatious, with superior intelligence as a business woman.
Little is known of the Francisca of the Dominican Republic with the exception that she was a powerful Vodou priestess and was married young to Fransicisco and they where inseparable until the day they died. Statues of the Dominican Francisca is always accompanied by el Negro Francisco because in embajadas (ceremonies where they are invoked to come down) she refuses to work without her life long partner.
The Congos are the spirits of the witch doctors, paleros, juju man, root workers. They are often of a strong character, demanding, and up front. They never hold their tongues and love to smoke tobacco and drink hard liquor. They are often invoked in lifting curses, and combating black magic. Many are suspicious of none black people. In Africa they where kings, and great shamans who where captured and became slaves. This is the reason of their suspicion to none blacks.
The commission of the Esclavos are the spirits of the slaves both male and female. They usually appear in embajadas and sèances as very wise, soft spoken and inquisitive. I have been working with a Esclavo by the name of Otelio since the mid 1990s. He often comes to embajadas and sesiones, to lift causas, and give words of wisdom. In life Otelio's face was branded, as was tradition for slaves to get branded on their foreheads by their masters. He tried to fight it and got the left side of his face branded. He became blind in his left eye and speaks through the right side, rarely moving if ever the left side of his face.
Music. Bomba and Plena
Oh holy spirit of La Madama. I Implore your sublime influences, for my protection. By the Virtues that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost have placed upon you, I ask you to help and Guide me. Oh Grand Spirit of La Madama, give me courage! use your divine wisdom, and your divine influences, so that no man or woman, under the eyes of God, may harm me. I ask this with pure respect, pure faith, pure hope, and pure charity.
Oh Madama, I humbly invoke your sublime holy spirit. Lady of waters, I invoke you by your name Negra Tomasa, Negra Francisca, Mama Juana, Mama Ella, Ma Elena Ma Amparo, and Mai
I invoke you as my fortress of protection and by the virtues bestowed upon you by God, intercede on my behalf.
Liberate me from all that is evil, and bring only righteousness and goodness on my path. May the light of God eliminate my home and all that I hold sacred.
Oh Madama, liberate me from tormented souls, and may those who wish me ill, repent and come asking for forgiveness from the offense they may have done against me.
May my pathway be clear and smooth. May your Ascended Spirit guide me and may all evil be banished from my life. Amen.
La Madama are known for being Yerbateras and Santiguadoras, and they used herbal infusions for baths. This is a bath and not meant for human intake. Pregnant Women should not handle Rue (Ruda)
With Rue Rosemarry, and Basil. (Ruda, Romero, Albahca) My body I shall perfume so I may be cleansed in invoking you.
Oh glorious black queen, your heart is as pure as all the Ascended Souls. I implore that you calm my anxieties and aid me in being victorious in all my undertakings. Show me the virtues of patience so that when times of turbulence arise, I may deal with them accordingly.
Oh Glorious Congo Spirit, for your virtues you have enteted the Kingdom of Heaven and have obtained the Holy Blessings of God. You are a leader of the heavenly commission of spirits and you are surrounded by Angels.
I an admirer of your strength and courage, knowledge and wisdom, ask in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost that you fill my body with your powers and help me in separating the evil thoughts my enemies send towards me.
Free me Oh Congo from the snare of the Devil, and the embrace of his demons. Vanish from me all evil spirits and bind their hands and feet, may they never reach me.
Oh Glorious Congo, With you at my side I shall defeat my enemies, and with your strength I shall overcome all my obstacles. With your sublime powers that have been given to you by God, I ask that you help me in my daily needs.
Guard my home against envy, jealousy, and bad faith, and free me of all negative influences. I light this candle in your honor, and ask that you illuminate my path. Amen.
Oh divine redeemer, spirit of the Congo. I call to you, may you come and work the spiritual labor. May you work both the material and the spiritual.
You Congo that in life suffered what we consider unimaginable. I implore that you protect me from suffering the same fate. Protect my beliefs and do not let others judge me, or make me feel like I have to hide what in my heart I know is wright.
Oh my beloved Congo, be my guiding light in this life, and keep all that is wicked away from me. Bring only that which is good to my life. I ask this in the name of God. Amen.
Negro Felipe and Negro Jose, you that where captured from your motherland of Africa and brought to the Americas against your will. By God sent and by the Virgin protected. In Africa you where a king, a prince, and of noble blood. Striped of your honorable titles and given the title of Slave. But still you endured, and became immortalized as ever wise and ever humble, and the very descended of those who persecuted you, today honor you as living saints of the celestial courts.
To you Brother Negro Juan, who was in the canoe when our Lady of Charity appeared before You, Juan Indio, and Juan Blanco. You who are the backbone to my spiritual frame, and to all the good spirits that take an interest in my well being.
Oh Negro Juan you that knows first hand my tribulations, I ask that you help me in making my life peaceful and still, as peaceful and still as Our Lady made the waters for you and the other Juans.
You know all my necessities, I ask you to intercede on my behalf in front of Our Lady and the Celestial Court. I ask this with much faith. Amen.
Our Lord and Heavenly Father, you that took into your Kingdom the Sage amd Teacher Rafael Cordero Molina, the Afro Puerto Rican Freeman, who had a burning desire within his soul to teach all children, black and white, rich and poor.
Born of a brilliant Wisdom, and a charitable heart for his fellow man, poor and homeless.
Let me be as he was and be like a good neighbor, and a good Samaritan. Let me be generous in serving all those who are in need.
Lord I ask, let the memory of his charitable works be remembered and may his name be Holy and elevated upon the altars.
Veneration of Virtue, respect for the good man who devotes himself, like the Divine Master Rafael Cordero Molina, to the teaching of those who do not know. To pouring into the hearts of the youth the principles of Faith, Hope, Charity, Love, Knowledge, and Glory. Bring me to shed a tear, not on an opulent tomb, but on a humble grave, brightened by the merits of the virtuous man who sleeps within.Such a man as was Rafael Cordero y Molina. AMEN.