Nabansagan in Filipino means a person who has received a name or mark of identity thus this ministry is for all individuals specially Filipino in Diaspora that have received their indigenous name through Luntiang Aghama’s Tala Tanda Naming Ceremony which will serve as Membership of an Individual to the Shrine.

Bansagan Tala Tanda is a Ritual that Luntiang Aghama offer to individual that seeks to reconnect them selves to the Philippine Ancestral Indigenous Spiritual Beliefs and Practices through Reclamation by the Diwata, Engkanto and Anito. It is a 7-30 days Ritual on which an upon request of an Individual for the said ritual, our Binabaylan will attune and connect with the Individual ancestral lineage and seek for the Diwata to reclaim the Individual who makes this request.

The process of Bansagan Tala Tanda consist of Name analysis or the process of Translation and Transliteration of their legal Birth Name into Filipino, Kilubansa Elemental Name Energetic Balance, Analysis, Soul Purification, Pagaatang, Reclamation of the Diwata and Declaration of the New Name. The Declaration of the new name usually happen on the New Moon of each month through a Public Ritual we will set for their Bansagan Tala Tanda Ceremony.

When we started Luntiang Aghama on December 13, 2000 in the Philippines, the concern of that time was the authenticity and legitimacy of the Spiritual practices of an individual; and the practice of Magick and other Spritu-Mystical Arts are only limited either to an individual who has direct lineage from a Family of Albularyo, Manghihilot, Spiritista, or Babaylan. But there are many who was raised and born in the City were already disconnected to their magickal lineage and already have embraced the new religion which is the Roman Catholic and other Christian Sect or Denomination.  This same issue also applies to an individual who was disconnected to their Filipino Indigenous Lineage because they might be an individual who was born as a 2nd or 3rd Generation of Filipino in the Foreign Land.

Luntiang Aghama made it happen on September 4, 2012 to make our Shrine a Legitimate Organization through Securities and Exchange Commission that it issue as our Certificate of Incorporation. Through this we obtain our own authority to conduct such peaceful activities and issue legal documents such as Certificates that an individual may use for whatever purpose may serve them.

Reclamation of the Diwata

In our Bansagan Tala Tanda Naming Ceremony, it is the Diwata who reclaims an Individual name by decolonizing it and replaced it with an Indigenous Filipino Name.  And the Basic Name or Title given to a person is the name “Gat” which is a basic rank title that is Given by the Shrine to an Individual either to a Regular Member or Honorary Membership Status.

July 30, 2022- Luntiang Aghama have started a Ritual Study series which aims to get to know the Ancient Filipino Diwata that our Ancestors used to worship before the Spanish Colonization of our country. As of this moment, the Shrine is keeping the 46 names of the Supreme Diwata that been used to worship by the Indigenous Tribes in the Philippines before most of them been Converted by Roman Catholic Church, Protestant and other Christian Denomination. So, from that time we invoke a Diwata every New Moon and enshrine them to become a Protector and Guide for the span of 30 days until a New Diwata will be invoked on the night of New Moon. By Full Moon, we conduct a Ritual Study that is open to the public online that will honor the Diwata whom we invoked by getting to know them.

In knowing the Diwata, unlike the new modern and dominant religion such as Christianity and Islam, they have their own book on which the teachings of their gods were written upon, but for us in Luntiang Aghama who is a Anituhan, we get to know our Diwata through the life experience of every individual that used to worship them.

Since the teachings of the Diwata comes from experience, so, the shrine is providing opportunity to every members to have an interaction with the Diwata through Rituals. The Shrine also encourage each members or all individuals who have received their names through Bansagan Tala Tanda Ritual to have an interaction with their Diwata through Devotion by making Daily Prayer and Atang Offering to their Diwata that have reclaimed them.  Aside from our personal Devotion to our Diwata, each Nabansagan are encourage also to know the Indigenous People or Tribe on which the Diwata have been worship before such as the Diwatang Mayari that is also known as Apung Malyari which is honored by the Sambal people which is a Filipino ethnolinguistic group living primarily in the province of Zambales and the Panggasinense municipalities of Anda and Bolinao. And also the Diwatang Mayari was also honored by the Tagalog People as Goddess of the Moon being the Daughter of Bathala to a Mortal Woman being a sister to Tala, and Hanan-Goddess of the Morning and New Beginning.

By knowing the Diwata and the Indigenous People whom use to worship them, we aim to support in preserving the Spiritual Beliefs and Practices of the Indigenous People that was not included to mention in Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous People Rights of 1997 on which Christian Missionaries ignore and continue to violates Indigenous People Spiritual Beliefs and practices by converting them to the new religion of Christianity.

New Age Practices

Luntiang Aghama is not a New Age nor a Reconstructionist Religion but instead we are a Revivalist Religion following the Maaram Path in accordance to our Shrine By- Laws and Constitution that state:

The Shrine advocates the FREEDOM OF RELIGION, thus the tenet of the Shrine with regards to the knowledge of God does not limit its members to only one system but adopt every system that is necessary in contributory benefit to the spiritual development and advancement of each members, and this system of belief we collectively call as MALAYANG MAARAM. 

Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Arts Shrine of Healing Inc. By-Laws and Constitution Article 1 Section 4: Name and Purpose

Though we find the new age religion practices to be beneficial into the Spiritual development and advancement of an individual such as the practice of tarot reading, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki and others; but instead we encourage our members to practice instead what our ancestors have used before these New Age Spiritual Practices have reached to influence us during 1960’s-1970’s.

The practices we encourage our members to perform are Pagtatawas, Panghihilot, Pagaanito, and many more which all are offered as a Training Program in our Seminary and Educational Ministry which is at Hilot Academy of Binabaylan.

And during our Full Moon SangHabi RitwAralan, we learn new ways as we immersed our self to the Culture, beliefs and practices of the Indigenous People who worship the Diwata that we are Honoring.

Indigenization

I understand the concern of some that our ways of Indigenizing our names may be culturally inappropriate to a certain Indigenous Community. If we subscribe to that mindset that it is inappropriate for us to have an indigenous Name because we are not member nor have a direct lineage to a certain indigenous tribe, then that is how a Colonized Mind would think.

But through Luntiang Aghama’s effort in Liberating an Individual from being Colonized, being Indigenous does not limit anymore on just becoming a member or having a direct lineage to a certain Indigenous Community, as everyone is Indigenous  to this one planet where we live right now which is the Planet Earth. Luntiang Aghama current effort is to uplift the identity of our kapwa katutubo which comes from different part of the country. By Highlighting only one Tribe, that makes them to be a Dominionistic which can be seen as a form of  Colonization. This is why our monthly RitwAralan is important so that we may highlight one each from the 110 ethnolinguistic groups of the Indigenous People of the Philippines. Through these effort, we are reviving the Old Glory of the Diwata and we could say that as Filipino: “We have our own Gods!”

Some Questions and Answer from Dayang Tala Pinagpalang Saksi which is our Chief Bansagan God Mother.

What is Indigenous?

Being Indigenous means that we are native to a certain place of origin such as on my case I was born in Manila  and but grew up in the Province of Bulacan which are both in the Katagalugan Region. However my Mother is a Manilenya which is a Tagalog, and my Father is a Surigaonon, which is a Bisaya of  Manobo-Mamanwa Tribe from Mindanao. In our home, the culture that been created in us is a mixed Tagalog and Bisayan tribe. Through these, the Indigenous Lineage of my Mother and Father allows cultural integration to make life possible within our home, and as we grow up it is incorporated with the culture from the society where we are exposed such as the values and culture of our kalaro in playing with friends, classmates and other kapwa we interact in our village or town where we grew up.

What is our sacred duty to the indigenous peoples of those which are descendants of the Diwatas?

All of Filipino even in Diaspora are all descendants of the Diwata. Being descendant of the Diwata are not limited only to the Indigenous People of the Philippines. We access our Divine Lineage to the Diwata through our Anito which is our Ancestral Spirits.

Our Ancestral Spirit which we call as Anito are composed of Familial Spirits as well as the Communal Spirits. These Spirits that we are referring to are the Spirits of the Dead which many Indigenous community and ancestors believed that these Spirts could affect the daily lives of the people of those who are still living.

The Familial Spirits are those spirit of dead relatives such as Parents, Grand Parents, Uncles and Aunties, Siblings or even closes friends that may have influence over us when they are still living.

While the Communal Spirits are those spirit of the dead that we do not know but once they are alive were had a special influence over a great number of people such as Religious leaders, Chieftains, Famous Personalities and so on. These belief have given rise to the Rizalista that worship Jose Rizal which is our National Hero as a Deity.

But as Luntiang Aghama and Nabansagan, our Direct Divine Lineage comes from our Familial Anito and their Indigenous lineage connect us to the Communal Anito that allow us to be strengthened by the Diwata.

Our Sacred Duty as members of Luntiang Aghama and Nabansagan is to preserve this Spiritual Beliefs and practices that once-upon-a-time have been observed by the Indigenous People before most of them converted into Christianity.

Honoring and working with the Diwata will encourage the Indigenous People to come back again to their own indigenous Spiritual practices without fear of discrimination from the Dominant and modern religion as provided by our Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Is having a Spiritual Lineage is important?

When I was in a Theological Class, i was thought about religion as “religare” which is a Latin word that means to bind; and the word “religio” which is another Latin word that means obligation. Thus having subscribed to a new religion such as the Roman Catholicism and other Christian Sect and Domination binds you to have an obligation towards their religion.

But remembering and acknowledging your own Spiritual Lineage will relieved you and liberates you from the bondage of obligation that any religion have preached that you must do. Your Spiritual Lineage will empower you to acknowledge all your Divine Rights to be the Co creator, Recreator and Creator in our Life.

How can we work with the Diwata’s from direct lineages to give names? Is that possible?

We recognize our own lineage first and we acknowledge that as our own Direct Lineage. As Individual we can also connect with another lineage of an individual that is through pakikipagkapwa or fellowship. In our Fellowship or pakikipagkapwa, we celebrate with other people as we share our values and culture together in love and respect.

In terms of having Indigenous Name, it is not the Direct lineage nor Indigenous Community or Spiritual Organization that give us a name, but It is the Diwata who give it to us. As Life Manifestation was given to us by the Great Supreme Divine Spirit (Diwata) so as our names were Given to us by the Diwata which is being channeled for us by the Binabaylan.

With regards to working or Worshiping (workmanship) with the Diwata, as Binabaylan we make interaction with them through Rituals which consist of Prayers, Divinations, and Offerings.

What are your thoughts about people who will reject their indigenous name through naming ceremony?

People have their own choice as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and even their Government Constitution. So it will be their own personal choice if they use their indigenous names or not.

It happens that there are people who are curious to know what their Indigenous Name would be and it so happen that Luntiang Aghama being duly registered church do provide Bansagan Tala Tanda as a Rite of Passage on which a persons or individual life purpose will be revealed through their names.

But as a Shrine that is duly registered church, we also have the right either to accept or deny request of an individual in having a Bansagan Tala Tanda Naming Ceremony and that is through the Sliding Scale Donation that been set to deliver the ceremony.

Is this naming ceremony more of a re-connection ceremony to build relationships to a Diwata?

The naming ceremony allows an Individual to have a personal relationship with the Diwata that reclaims an Individual. The indigenous name that a person receives through Bansagan also become a Key or Bridge of an individual to work with the countless names of the Diwata, Engkanto and Anito that is at work at the Philippine Indigenous Spiritual Realms. Though the Diwata do also respond to anyone even they are not nabansagan, but having do so will be much easier as the name of the nabansagan are much more recognizable in the Spiritual reals as it comes from the Diwata that reclaims an individual and it carries a special blessings from the Diwata.

Is it possible to build programming to be in relationship or hold devotion to a Diwata first before recieving name? Or is naming then devotion / relationship building okay too?

As policy of the Shrine, before a person receives the Bansagan Tala Tanda as membership procedure of the Shrine in Article 2 Section 4 of Luntiang Aghama’s By-Laws and Constitution under Probationary Type B stanza, states:

TYPE B- is a non-initiated member and/or a constant guest of the Shrine who was able to attend for three (3) consecutive gatherings/ events of the Shrine, or any person who subscribes to the teachings and philosophies of the Shrine (through online group, website, television, multimedia), and express his/her strong desire to become a regular member of the Shrine; A student of Aghamic Membership Class.  

But an exception was made to this as the Diwatang Mayari, Magbabaya, Dadanhayan Ha Sugay, Agtayabun, Kilubansa,Sibulan, Adlaw and Tala have revealed unto us that the Council of the Diwata are the one who are calling the people to come and walk back to the path of our race (Landas ng Lahi) that they have provided venue for individual that reconnect themselves to the path, and that is through the study of Hilot which is our Traditional Healing System, Vedavica Tarot Divinatory Certification which is a method of Tawas and through Sibulan Adlaw Tala Mystic Oracle which employs Baybayin our Filipino Traditional Writing Script in communicating with the Diwata, Engkanto and Anito. Through these venue, an individual could be granted Honorary Membership status in fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of the rank of Dayang and Lakay. And our monthly Public Full Moon Online Gathering, for individuals to have an opportunity to have fellowship with us that they may be admitted back to the Shrine through Remembering.

What does building a community look like for each person receiving their name? How can we hold space for them to be in continuity with their devotion to self, Diwata and community?

As a Nabansagan or person that have received an Indigenous Name that been reclaimed by a Diwata, it is your sole responsibility to make personal relationship with the Diwata that have called you through Personal Devotion which consist of Prayer, Divination and Offerings or Atang. Consistent devotion to the Diwata will bring you Knowledge, Understanding, Trust, Love and Faithfulness. As you grow your knowledge and understanding to the Diwata, you may want to share your knowledge to the Diwata that have reclaimed you and may invite them to make Devotion together to the Diwata that have reclaimed you. You may also hold spaces such as Healing, Divination or any Spiritual Support to your Friends in the name of the Diwata.

Each individual who are Nabansagan are expected to grow Spiritually. They are expected to fulfill their duties as Creator, Co Creator and Recreator. This means, as you reach your Spiritual Maturity, you are expected to build a Temple in honor of the Diwata that have reclaimed you. But your role a Co creator must also deepen by making strong connection to the Shrine and as a Recreator, you are also expected to perform all the Duties and Responsibilities entrusted initially to the Shrine, and through these we may be able reach out many people as possible as the Diwata are calling.