Dear Yo,

In the course of the last weeks I started remembering and reliving the visions of my initiation - finally, after a few months of complete abstraction! As if something burst open and Iboga visions are pouring into my perception out of their own accord. All this is utterly profound and irriversibly life-changing. I am receiving incredible insights, direct instructions and guidance from what feels to be the spirit of the Forest. I hear echoes of mongongo music at night which make me jump out of bed and start dancing, often till Sunrise! I could suppose I've gone completely bonkers, if it wasn't for the immense happiness, determination and inspiration radiating all over.

The effects of the mutation are so strong that my whole life is being restructured now. A profound healing is happening to me and to people who are somehow related to me. Long-term problems in my blood family have been miraculously resolved by the spirit of Iboga. I can speak of many things, but most importantly, I have been clearly shown my Path, my true Nature.



Glory to the Self-Effulgent Heart of all Being!

Namaste

Dibobé

On Aug 1, 2011, at 11:09 AM, I. wrote:



hi Bill,

i have been initiated into Bwiti at Ebando. i have to say the initiation is quite an extraordinary event in the time-space continuum and goes far beyond what the rational mind can figure.

Personally, if i am asked your question, i would recommend to spend a month in Gabon. it is a unique opportunity to come in touch with its spiritual heritage.

i found that the initiation is a deep and complex process which is not confined to the actual event of consuming the Plant and the duration of its strongest effect. to put it simply, there can be no rush in such a matter.

feel free to ask if you have more questions. ;)

I



On 1 August 2011 22:22, Bill wrote:



thank you, Ignat. I am grateful for your response and for your time. I do trust Tatayo and have no concerns really, other than a couple stories I heard of initiations being stopped because there was money or alcohol demanded, and people getting drunk. But most everything I have heard is very beautiful

. I understand there is time needed to quietly process the ceremony. Do you think if I stayed in Gabon 3 weeks it would be enough time? Also I was just curious what I'd be "doing" (or not doing) during my stay. I am just trying to imagine how it'd go after the ceremony. Would I just be by myself relaxing every day or ...?

I feel very privileged, honored and blessed to be facing this beautiful ceremony. Again, thank you for your insights. I'm very grateful.

Blessings,

Bill



Traditionally, the initiation ceremony involves the participation of the whole village. it is a family event, so, naturally, the to-be initiate should feel at home as he approaches that point. in case of us outsiders coming for initiation, a period of mutual 'tuning in' before the ceremony is essential. Ebando is a very friendly place - even so, at least around a week preceding the ceremony is commonly required to build a good level of resonance.

on the night of initiation we eat Iboga - the amount consumed and the length of consecutive extreme effects varies individually. in my case, i spent nearly a whole week in a profoundly deep lethargic trance. the process initiated by the Plant may be intense and unpredictable in some cases, so it's advisable to have as much time as possible for a gradual comedown and reintegration before finally setting off into the world. it is very liberal at Ebando, you will be free to stay quiet by yourself, to sing and dance, to interact with the people after the ceremony. it's really great if you have at hand the tools necessary to make your art. my experience taught me to take it very slow after the Iboga trance and not to leave the compound even if i feel inspired to do so. after the extreme effects of Iboga have worn off, at least a week is a decent amount of time to smoothly approach the exit, which is a beautiful ritual in itself. after that you'll be ready for some action. if you have extra time in Gabon, there are things to see - this you may discuss with Tatayo.

i was in Gabon for 3 weeks, which in my case was just enough for a well-rounded initiation. i wish i had more time to see the beautiful country - that's saved for the next visit.

Dibobe

Hello to every one who may read this I have read an e-mail that have been sent to Jan and it brought me back to the time i was searching for bwiti. My name is Gamal i reside in Canada and in 2000, i was looking through some photos that been taking by a french man, Laurent Sazy for a group initiation in Gabon. I was dreaming that one day i hoped that i could join the group in initiation .

I managed to get hold of Tatayo by phone and i trusted everything he told me and i decided to go to Gabon .

It was very important for me to trust Tatayoo and i felt safe, protected and previliged. I was treated with respect and i have been given choices that i felt they were too many .

Tatayoo took me to different fathers, but i chosed him. There were lots of steps or stages to go through until the ultimate one which is the initiation day, which no one knew. There were signs to tell that the day was a good day. One, was a restaurent sign reads "eat yourself" which was unusual to read. Two, the kids capture a green snake. Three, the coloured fased monkey spoted coming close to the village.
The preparation was big and detailed. Every one was busy including the children. A new harp was ready, the womens clothes and the facial expressions on every one's face all gave me a sense of how important the process to the people, and how important i was to them. My mother wrote sign that read "welcome our grand father".

I asked for the meaning and according to the Fangs legends, they originated from Egypt and here i'm an Egyptian coming to be part of their initiation. The impact on me was just beyond my expectations.

Actually ,
i did not have any expectations, just being initiated and experiencing it.
I was open minded and very focused and i knew that nothing will distract me from what i was going through. I have a lot more to talk about, but in point forms, I stoped smoking tobacco after 25 years, drinking coffee, taking headache pills and higher sense of self esteem. I encourage and support you to take the next step and join the party of your rebirth day!!

03 May 2006
Gamal
B.C,Canada
gamaleldin@hotmail.com

Daniel,

Hugues Obiang Poitevin is your man. He was the 1st white man to be initiated and now has Ghanga status. He was born french, went to Gabon 30 years ago for a couple of weeks and never came back. He now holds a Gabonese passport.

He is fully committed to Eboga and its importance to the world. There was a book published about him called something like the child of Bwiti which was only came out in French.

I love him dearly and he does fantastic initiations himself out on the point opposite Libreville... but is also perfectly placed to take people to the interior. He is totally trustworthy and does a proper job. I also think that his character and nature is inherently reassuring for people making the step...

His contact is :
Hugues - Tatayo - EBANDO : (241) 06 25 09 17 or (241) 06 07 06 30
web: http://www.ibogabon.org
email: ibogabon@yahoo.fr

Josh
12 April 2006
joshponte@mac.com

On 26/04/06 15:53, "Aerts Jan" wrote:

Bonjour,
I received your email address through Hugues Tatayo, and he suggested that I contact you with my questions regarding the bwiti initiation.

........................................questions..........

I'm looking forward to receiving your reply.
Best regards,




Moukoukou MaMisoba wrote :
Date: Tue, 02 May 2006 11:46:16 +0200
Objet: Re: Bwiti
De: Moukoukou MaMisoba

Hello Jan,

Yours questions are indeed difficult ones! For Iboga is a very personal and specific experience for every one who wishes to become initiated although it does extend to the group present. It is an experience you share with your Father and Mother in initiation as the nights unfold.

What I can say about my self is that it has been one of the highlights of my life and believe me I've been around.

I wouldn't put it on the same level as witnessing the birth of a child or getting married or laid for the first time. It is something of its own. Some aspects are not so pleasant, you puke, you see strange images people through new glasses. As you might have read or heard initiation involves a symbolic death in order to be reborn again. When you are reborn you are a new person. In my case I could see what part of me I had lived with which wasn't me but just a facade I used to to get by in life ; a facade for others but also for myself. I came in contact with Bwete through Iboga and Iboga through Kudzu which is a plant supposed to help you get out of addictions.
I have been a drug user since my first cigarette @ 7 or 8 and moved steadily through the harder stuff and the crime that goes with it if one intends to have a decent daily supply.

My last stunt as I was working in Spain ‘99 relocated by the Bay Area company I worked for was the culminating point of my drug consumption. It didn't last long (well, four or five months) and my wife got me on a plane back to Paris where we use to live so that I would get on a methadone program. It worked fine at the beginning but it soon became hell. I was using methadone as a drug and drinking buckets full of the stuff. So after five years I was a psychological and physiological wreck.
Surfing on the net I found the email address of the lady who wrote the book on Tatayo ; Paroles d'un enfant du Bwete. I got on my Mac to ask her for more info and she suggested I get in touch with Tatayo which I did. I arrived late October with another chap called Phari and stayed for five weeks.
Not only was I initiated but before taken through the rite of the "Cutting of the rope" which has nothing to do with initiation although frontiers don't exist in Africa expect in the white’s minds specifically when it came to sharing the pie. This rite breaks the bond with the evil which itself can come under different forms. In my case my parents and drugs. It was quite tough going but after that I was ready for initiation which I procrastinated until I had no methadone left. Hadn't I been such a coward I could have slid off methadone by taking little daily doses of Iboga which would have given me the opportunity to have a not so drug cleaning orientated initiation.

The Bwete initiation as such went quite hard for I suffered from the abstinence but nothing comparable to a cold turkey. I’m talking a 1 to 20 ratio. After that I was very very tired when I moved. When I came back to Paris (a different man from the one who had arrived five weeks earlier) I took a combination of minerals, sea stuff, oils and vitamins etc... Within four days I was jumping around in full shape but with my mind else where.
End January I had an Iboga night with the chap I had gone with (Phari) and two weeks later I had never been so on top of my life. Very positive full of energy. Methadone an old story.

Jan, if you have reached this stage of enquiring and asking for testimonials I think Iboga is waiting for you. It is not the case or the time for everyone. The first time I enquired with Tatayo the project went into a draw for four months. Iboga decides if and when. If one doesn’t respect things can turn very unpleasant.
Also very very important ; the confession. Start working on it as soon as you can because when the moment comes you’ll have maybe 30 minutes to spill out things (just prior to starting the ceremony). I wrote everything down (gee I though I had not been such a bad guy but in fact the list was quite consistent.

As for Tatayo he is the one and only you can trust on all accounts : his knowledge, the costs of the ceremony (it is as expensive as a wedding or a bar mitzvah, plenty of people to invite, fetch, feed, musicians etc.) The man takes his mission to heart where most of Ngangas don’t go far beyond their wallets. The stories I have heard make you wonder if it is sound to put you initiation in the hands of a local. They rightfully have all reasons to fundamentally despise the white. Time will come I’m sure, but this very matter touches the deeps of the unconscious and that is where all the suffering of Africa is stashed.

Vais con Dios hombre !

Moukoukou MaMisoba

Last month I finally made up my mind and went to Gabon to have myself initiated in the bwiti tradition at Tatayo's place in Sablière.

I am grateful to all of you who have gone before me, and - in sharing your experiences with me - have given me the confidence to do the same. I am still struggling to make sense of what has happened to me in Gabon, and I expect it will take several months until I will know the full effect it will have on my live.

To Alejandro: thank you for your message. It was more appropriate and to the point than I could have imagined at the time when I first read it.

The very best to all of you my brothers,

Jan
Revitsi

5 September 2006
Jan.Aerts@ua.ac.be

YO!

Woke up just before sunrise today, feeling super-fantastic after some "rewiring" dreams. my "personality", or whatever they call it, seems to be very different from what it had been before communing with dr. Iboga. i cannot say exactly how, though, but people notice and say i'm a different man... who knows! i still have not remembered anything from my 5-6-day astral Bwiti adventure except a few indefinite dreamlike episodes and some flashes of what i may describe as "experiencing" the Universal Spirit. actually, i'm quite contented with this. these days my perception of time-space is sooo distorted that i don't think i'll ever remember anything - or even if i do, it will happen as an experience in the current moment, so i won't be able to classify it as a "remembrance"... a crazy empty-headed pygmy floating in the Unknown.. feels great! :)
br> please convey this good feeling to the gang of Ebando - Pemba, Muruba, Mavyango, Etudia, Mbilu, Konzo, Ngando, and whoever doesn't cross my mind right now but is also involved.

when you speak to papa Andre, please tell him he's in my heart.

(do i have to mention there's an especially alloted space for you there, too?)

PEACE

~i~

YO!

missing you already, dear Papa! :)
i was recovering from malaria for a few days, now i'm fine.
want to thank you for the bwitiful experience in Gabon - i'm beginning to discover a mysterious influence of the initiation... mainly on habits - they are gone! i guess it's a new level of freedom that i have to explore and adjust to... will keep you updated and will write a kind of report when things get more clear.

warmest regards to all Ebando!

Keep in touch,

Dibobe

When I first became interested in Bwiti in 2010 :

it seemed that everything I came across led back to Ebando. I have no idea why i decided i would go to Africa and eat this obscure psychotropic wood. why i suddenly became obsessed with it i don't know. but i was, and most days i would be scrawling through the google, shirking work and listening to people playing the M'congo.
And all i came across kept spiralling back to this mysterious Frenchman named Tatayo. there he was in a documentary, there his name occurred in a random online blog. there his NGO's title appeared related to that video where three men vomit for ten minutes before the camera man becomes enthralled by a parrot for an unnecessarily long period of time.

About Iboga, of course, there is information a plenty. Through out the world there are treatment clinics geared towards curing addicts in a manner more permanent than cold turkey or born again christianity. But I had no desire to be cured. after all, there was nothing wrong with me, aside from the violent anxiety and utter terror I felt toward everything everywhere.

My interest lay towards the bwiti, the ritual and belief that comes tied in with the iboga. I wanted to see as far as I could into a religion that holds an intensely introspective psychedelic as its core sacrament. I've always had a lot of interests in religions that are not of the book, particularly those that come from central west Africa. And here was one that I could not only experience up close, but I could also get twisted out of my mind and, if lucky, dig around in all my buried trauma.

It also struck me that i'd be less safe going to a semi legal clinic in mexico to pay $7500, excluding flights, than going to Gabon. Plus, the clinics may have no idea. The clinics have been operating no more than thirty years, ever since Howard Lotsof found himself no longer interested in heroin after eating iboga. From what research I did it seemed that the clinics were run on a combination of medical testing protocol and new age quackery. It seemed also that more deaths had occurred in the clinics and western treatment than had in Bwiti rituals. Of course, that is in no way anything measurable, but it seemd that the clinics were both sterile and dangerous. Gabon was, ultimately, a far better destination. A twenty one day initiation cost me 2000 euro, excluding my debt to the minister for immigration. And it is money well received as well as well spent. You are clearly financing a large number of people to live which, up until the last few months, has been years of slim pickin's. you are financing musicians, dancers, n'gangas and fine young women who hit you on the legs when your shins catch fire and you're too full of iboga to put them out properly.

Not all the information I came across was positive. I came across the Isherwood slur during my searches, and wrote to him for advice. He suggested that I catch a bus into the jungle and find someone willing to guide me. This idea seemed reasonable to me for about five minutes before I thought, wait, that seems totally, hopelessly insane. Of all the good ways to get scammed, taken for a ride and shafted, that road seemed to be the finest. There is an abundance of stories of things going wrong during Bwiti initiation which has nothing to do with the iboga and far more to do with being white and foreign. Commonly people are fed only a little iboga, told they have to pay again half way through ceremony or have their bwiti Father get drunk. Often the environment, upon which a smooth journey is utterly reliant, can turn ugly and gluttonous. this is majorly to do with the fact that those who are initiation are not interested in their initiation, but in their money. And this aspect will fuck up many an initiation. Such a circumstance is not uncommon either, and nearly every story I heard about initiations done elsewhere where not positive ones. Ebando, however, in spite of the Isherwood slur on the Thorn Tree forum, had many recommendations from people in a smiliar situation to me, and each one was glowing. Of course, it was possible for my ever paranoid mind to assume that these were all fake, or that a few prize pigs had been treated well so as to give a glowing review of an otherwise shady scam. But my paranoia also often leads me to believe that my girlfriend is sleeping with all of my housemates and that the neighbours are stealing my thoughts. So I don't put a lot of stock in it.

I threw my paranoia aside and went to Gabon, and to Ebando.

In the end all was smooth and easy, the most surprisingly idyllic journey into one of the most marvellous religions and curative psychedelics in the world, without ever once seeming tacky, touristic or sterile. The world of Ebando is an honest one, a welcoming one, and one utterly tied into the Gabonese populace and culture. Tatayo's temple is an incredibly honest one, utterly desirous of opening as many minds and giving air to as many stifled souls as possible. Damn. Sounds like i'm promoting some kind of mormon garbage. Nothing of the kind. No, this is an actual road, without the shame and guilt-filled bonds of christianity and the restrictions of the other books and faiths which place rules above possibility. It was absolutely the road I had been seeking for a long, long time, driving myself insane by hating the pettiness of the life surrounding me and yet seeing no means to break free of it.

Early on during my stay in Ebando, Tatayo said to me that the Bwiti had a particular appeal to the west, as something some time ago was lost. And this I believe to be so. Whether that was that the christians ripped god out of the world and made him look more like a judge than the all of everything, or that God had since died or that all the witches had been burnt or that the new idols were made of plastic and built to be disposable is irrelevant. The kind of impotent frustration and rage I obsessed myself with since the age of twelve is well common across the western world, manifesting in a myriad of ways.

Ebando is the door, as much as the iboga, as much as the rituals to the Bwiti are. One of the great merits of going through Ebando is that the question is not economic. The priorities of Ebando is not to make as much money as easily as possible from those who come. Of course, money is a question, but it isn't the central question. The central question is of you and the bwiti.

I struggle for a word for God. God, while makes sense to those who speak English, seems to describe a distant and finite authority. God, as far as christianity seems to have told looks more like the Emperor Constantine than like the thing I speak to and now have a detailed relationship with. For a while I called it the everything, as that is what it looks like and what it is made up of. Since I met it face to face (though its face is infinite) in Gabon, I now call it the Bwiti, as it seems the name that compliments it most. It seems to be the part where my sub-conscious meets the world, the part of me which is of everything. This is what Ebando led me to meet, without a problem or an inch of difficulty. I saw my soul and a vast number of other things within myself without a single problem.

I did get stuck in the airport for eight hours thinking I was about to be deported, but that was one of those fuck ups that occur when you don't realise that a visa isn't enough to get into some countries.

I know of no other Bwiti practitioners that will accept foreigners and initiate them without distrust or cynicism or a desire to make a bit of money. Ebando is trustworthy in every respect. The guidance offered and the preparatory rituals make the build up towards initiation increasingly easy and by the time it came to eating the wood my mind was utterly at ease. The delicacy, consideration and respect given to Banzi (initiates) at Ebando make the whole experience one of comfort and security, while the rituals and performance conducted blow the mind. Being suddenly sat up to have someone play a harp on your head with an entire choir singing behind you mid ritual is one of the most strange and mind bending moments. All the activity conducted by the populace of Ebando is geared to guide your journey, and they do it incredibly well, with great energy and gusto.

The whole experience was life altering and I still dream of it often. I am now driven by the things I saw to return to Central west africa and to travel more, to see more and do more. I will definitely return again to Ebando, and I hope to guide as many others as I can towards the bwiti. It is like religion without the lies and manipulation, for it all happens within you. Ebando allows for you to experience the touch of the Bwiti on your soul. It is absolutely, positively mind-bendingly rewarding and an invaluable occurrence in my life.

I am grateful, utterly grateful to all at Ebando and hope that those who go there grow in number, that the understanding of Bwiti can spread across the world. In a time where God seems like the über-cop and the cheap synthetic sacraments of crack, methamphetamine and smack litter the world, something brutally honest is needed. And the only thing I know honest enough is the Bwiti.

Much love, Ebando Na Muma

To Everyone!

Thank you so much for everything. You have given me the greatest gift one anyone could ever wish for. I am so happy and very grateful.

Words cannot describe my gratitude for all your kindness and love. Everyone has put so much effort into the process and I am overwhelmed how amazing and perfect my initiation was.

From the moment I picked up the phone and spoke with Tatayo and during the whole of my time with you until the end I felt relaxed, confident and positive everything was going to be fine.

I am happy to tell you everything I have experienced and been through is more than fine. It was fantastic in every way. I am more than good and full of love. I feel awesome!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!!!

What more can I say?

45 DAYS AFTER initiation in GABON ....

Hey,

just quick note to say hi thanks and i hope all is well in ebando I have been good since my return,i am still a little unsure about how the initiation has effected me yet but so far things seem to be working out for me. I found it frustrating that being unable to speak more than a few words of french i couldnt communicate properly with most of the people whom i wanted to talk to.I want to send my deepest gratitude and thanks to you and all in bwiti/ebando brothers and sisters.
If i can do anything at all to help in any way pl just ask Im thinking of returning someday if thats ok with you?

Give Apindia a ....kiss from me pl

Much love and respect

The Birmingham cockney. I believe the Technical term is 'mockney' x.

If you are wondering whether Ebando is an authentic, safe place to get your Iboga initiation, then do not hesitate a moment longer. I whole-heartedly recommend Tatayo and Ebando. This is an awesome opportunity for anyone, but particularly those who are English-speaking (or French), who are called to their Iboga Initiation in Gabon, since Tatayo is fluent in English.

Tatayo is originally from France, but I believe he has lived in Gabon for over 40 years, and held ceremonies for over 15. What he creates at Ebando is unique, bringing together traditions and people from different tribes and parts of Gabon, as well as new initiates from all over the world. Whatever is going on, the anchor point is Tatayo - his experience, his integrity and the goodness in his heart. He also has a great sense of humour, and he's honest & open about himself. I trust Tatayo on all levels, and this is very important, so that you can really relax and surrender to the process in your initiation - knowing that you are in good hands, and that he'll do all he can to give you your best initiation possible - and that your money belt is safe. Tatayo is very relaxed during the ceremony, which puts you at ease - he plays the clown, but he is also totally on the case.

The initiation involves 4 days of preparations - focusing on your intentions whilst being cleansed, and performing a symbolic rebirth. During your initiation the live music is incredible - and they play to you all night, right beside your head! You journey in the Bwiti temple - which is a symbollic boat partly in the garden and partly undercover - carried by the music, singing, dancing and 'Sacred Wood' to receive your healing... The rest of the staff at Ebando will do their part in taking care of you, and keeping the integrity of the Bwiti ceremony due to their passion for Iboga.

Whilst you may experience some culture shock and have to get used to the humidity, the bathroom is large & clean, you're right on the beach, and the fruit is delicious! But you don't come here for a holiday, you come for some kind of healing transformation with an authentic Iboga initiation, and this you will get. Tatayo knows what it is to be a westerner, and can empathise with our fears or challenges, and will help you in any way he can. He is often very busy taking care of all the arrangements, as well as the people in the extended Ebando family, but he will find time to answer your questions.

Tatayo is very fair with money. They do not seem to make any profit - Libreville is an expensive place, and there is a big Ebando family to support. I pray some grateful, wealthy benefactor will make a donation so that they could build some huts for visitors and staff. At the moment everyone is in tents or a dormitory.

My initiation was so beautiful. Even if its hard at times, you will feel brand new some time afterwards. I feel its the biggest, most important healing of my life, and that Iboga is the most powerful tool for transformation available in the world. Ideally you should arrive with time to settle in and get to know people (at least 1 week) and leave some time after the initiation to integrate your experience (at least 1 week in Gabon), and take it easy for a few weeks afterwards.

Of course everyone is an individual and will have different experiences, this is just my opinion! If anyone has any specific questions I'd be happy to answer if I can (As an anti-malarial, I took Malarone with no problems by the way).

I would also like to give an 'honorable mention' to Pemba, Tatayo's assistant, who works with such dedication.

Thank you Tatayo & everyone at Ebando - sending you a huge hug and wishing you all the best.

I really hope I will come back for more, before too long!

With love & respect

Reliba dia Miresi X

Bazi!

How is everything? I hope that the holidays have been good and that the new year has started out well.

I posted a report of my experiences with you at some forums: https://www.dmt-nexus.com/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=18754 http://eboka.info/index.php?topic=674.0

I hope that I have inspired at least someone to visit you and that the information I've given there is accurate. Both of these forums are great and they could really need the knowledge from someone like you, maybe you could join them if you like.

Lots of love

My journey to Gabon to initiate with Ebando.org, Jan 2011.

I went to Gabon in Jan 2011, to initiate into the Bwiti religion. I felt very called to work with Iboga after having been introduced to it a few years ago. The ceremonies I attended back then changed my life profoundly. I have a rare chronic and terminal condition, by the name of Acromegaly. I had tried many different healing modalities, over many years, some that gave me relief and some that were not so effective. I did not find the 'cure' though - not until Iboga came into my life.... The plant worked with me in ways i just cannot describe - the synchronicities, the messages and the healings were so powerful, that words can do no justice to them. My life had changed forever and my illness started to loose its grip on me. It was a few years later that I was led to Ebando. Once this connection was made it was like everything flowed, the money came, the time came, everything just fell into place - so I knew I was on the right track.

For someone in my condition - weak, ill and unable to cope with extreme conditions - Ebando was perfect. It was reasonably near to the city and so travel to it from the airport quick and easy. And it is right on the beach - which was an absolute treasure of an amenity to have access to. To have travelled any further into the jungle would have been far too much on my system. Ebando was like a haven - and I think perfectly equipped to accomodate westerners. Accomodation is basic, but comfortable, and the bathroom is lovely!

Tatayo did everything to meet my needs, and more. I felt at ease with him immediately and I quickly saw that I could trust him completely. I now have a huge amount of respect for him, having been through this process with him. And I feel deeply grateful for his heart, his honesty and his humanity. His other great advantage is that being, white, - he implicitly understand the western mind and western needs. This reduces the cultural gap greatly. And so for westerners coming to such a culturally different place as Africa - Tatayo is a blessing that bridges that gap - so that westerners can just concentrate on their process, instead of being swamped with culture shock.

The initiation itself was incredibly powerful for me. The ceremony which lasted a few days, of itself, was amazing, and led by the very competent and sensitive Tatayo, and his group of musicians and ngangas. Iboga cleared mountains of junk out of my system - quite shocking in fact. I purged a huge amount. And while at some points it was challenging and painful - of course it is also AMAZING to be rid of this crap! I came out the other side, feeling like a new woman - pure and happy and very centered, in a way I have never been before in my life. My visions clearly showed me my path in life and the experience has made my focus is very strong. Since the initiation a month ago - I have seen profound changes in my life - for a start, the last of my addictions are simply gone. I feel peace in my body, my heart and in my head. And, I know that my illness, (a so-called incurable illness) is almost gone. I have experienced nothing short of a miracle.

I feel a huge amount of gratitude for Tatayo and all at Ebando. I have fond memories and I look forward to going back hopefully in the not too distant future.. And I am, of course, utterly humbled by Iboga as well as astounded and massively grateful for the gifts that this plant has given me. I know that I am truly blessed.

I'm very happy since initiation !

by the way and magik is happening all around me.

I am full of light and love!

Thank you sooooo much!

Much Bwitiful love xo xo

Hi man,

It's been 36 months since I left Gabon. I built a house, quit my job, quit my troubling relationship, and life was as happy as I've never been before. Started out new by becoming a mountain guide,spending my time wandering through the Alps and having time for myself.

....I guess Gabon gave my life a new flavor although I don't know what happened in those nights when I was eating the Bwitter plant with you fellows.

It still gives me cold shivers thinking of it and at the same time I get a warm feeling by the thought of coming back from my trip and feeling the warm, gentil hands of my brothers that are directly connected to their hearts....love peace and happiness,

One day i will return....

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1947961

My Bwitiful Crazy FatherBrother, Bwakaye! All is very good here in the English jungle. No, all is better than good, all is amazing! Can I ask that you send my love and thanks to everyone that I didn't say goodbye to, to pemba, mutoba, bongema, maviango, mugoba, menge, - the list goes on, please just send my love to all, and plenty for yourself as well. .................................................. I am doing, and will continue to hold the light that I received at Ebando with the best efforts of my heart. It seems that light must be shining as when I got home there were three new people writing to me to ask about Bwiti. I think there may be a few English pygmies coming to see you in the near future. The Bwiti fire that has been burning gently in my belly these last years is now a large beautiful fire that is burning bright and I am already thinking of how I may be able to return next year. I think it is a real possibility that I may be able to organise a trip and accompany a few banzi's out there, already I have a bwiti sister here who has said that if I can organise something she will come. Lets see, its a very nice idea! Also, the idea of planting the Wood seems to taking shape, I need to speak to a couple more people about it but there is a possibility of planting in a large tropical greenhouse here in a couple of years time and also a possibility of planting in Portugal and Spain - I will be in touch as soon as I have more news on this. I spoke to Kombe (C....) yesterday, she is in a very good place. She sent me a card, and I quote from it here "things are different and its all good. everything is working out perfectly and I no longer posses lots of silly/bad habits I had before my initiation. I cant describe how beautiful I feel and am overwhelmed with honor and gratitude for everything. Everything is bwitiful and now I am free like a bwitifly. I am such a lucky girl" - an Iboga success story I think. How is my little sister E…..? Please send her my love and tell her to get in touch when she returns to London, I will try and look out for her. Maybe also you could send me the email for s…- maybe I can ask him to bring a few little presents out for you all. And if you have contacts for any other pygmies in the UK it would be nice to try and strengthen and build the family here. I feel I have a lot of questions that I would like to ask you, but its late and I want to go and get into bed with my wife, so I will write again very soon. much p.-m love

http://www.ebando.org/video/medicineman.html

Tatayo,


I arrived home midday Saturday. My wife and children are well and everything is fine here.

Hello everyone.

Just being in Gabon for a short time was very refreshing. The work that we are doing requires favourable laws, like those that exist in your country, and in some Central and South American countries.

Australian law, I have recently learnt, states that all seeds, including vegetable seeds, brought into the country by a citizen will be, at the border, confiscated and destroyed. This policy was un-beknown to me when I was in Gabon and unfortunately the seeds of the wood, that we gathered in the village, underwent this process on arrival in Australia.

People are becoming more and more imprisoned and are deluded that they are free. There is only one thing that can destroy the delusion of ignorance and that is enlightenment. The seeking of enlightenment should be our prime concern.

Fortunately, we do not even need to seek, for we already are the enlightened nature. It is always part of us. It never fails us, it never dies. All we need to do is get rid of the false belief of birth and death. Once we do that, the eternal enlightened nature, common to all phenomena, shines through. It's all very simple.

Society teaches the opposite of this. That, beginingness, maturity, old age and end is the only reality. The truth is, the cause of all human sufferring arises from a belief in this concept of beginning and end. Life is eternal, we are immortal - nothing more need be said.

I want to thank you for translating my words whilst we were together. You purely translated without adding any of your own thoughts. What you are doing in the garden, in the grove within the temple grounds, is unique. You deserve to be called the sage of Gabon.

Respectfully,

Alan [Kombe]

Greetings All! Check some of the recent happenings/progress/love- media from the village Recently!!!

http://www.ibogalife.com

Photos O2/08
http://picasaweb.google.com/carolinepiers/InitiationAuGabon#

IBOGA/IN film doc "I''m dangerous with LOVE !" just made by :
http://www.michelnegroponte.com/idwl01.html

They Came from L . A to make a doc. they did a few photos too:
http://bazaboom.com/Gabon.html

amerwekan bwete :
http://gallery.me.com/robert.payne#100090

GABO/PYGMY/AMERLIKAN BWETE videos:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D3DF32BBC16D2172

This is just the first batch of videos posted on youtube. Great recordings!
Tatayo, I'm sure you'll want to share these. Make Mambwiti Famous! Basse!
Bovenga
http://www.youtube.com/user/8SacredRoot8#play/user/3EA6068BCAA562F1

BWEKAYE PHOTOS !
http://gallery.me.com/robert.payne#100074
http://www.xavier-bourgois.book.fr/gal-18-1.htm

Dear Tatayo; Here is a sincere letter of advocacy and testimonial to the Blessings and Services I experienced at the Ebando. Father NDongo; I need to express my gratitude to you and to all my fellows in the village. I now feel I am completely part of a new Family, and this is a kind of Blessing I've never dreamed of receiving. Only Iboga could show me how complete the Blessing is. You, Papa André Mama Lucie and Pemba gave everything to me, I felt you emptied your Selves into me so that I could reach so far. As you know, I had been with the Iboga Spirit before, but I needed my Bwiti. During my initiation I truly connected with my Composition. I now understand what I came from, what I have done so far, and what is expected of Me now. The best part is I now have a supportive and loving family in your Village Ebando--the is is Now and Future Context for my life. I am urgently living this life in the West so that I may come back to you sooner. My experience in the Bwenzi has fulfilled me. I saw the Way and I will follow it. Thank you for my Birth, my Deliverance. You continue to Bless me. Yours;

MUSIC & Film .... GABON TRADITIONS

CD: GABON PEOPLE

Side B Track (7): Minvoul; Track (2): Ikobe II; Track (18): Mongongo Publisher/record label: Flatworldmusic@mac.com

FILM ... Josh Ponte. The film recorded in Gabon is now being edited in ...”THE LAST DANCE” 47 minutes from 100 hours of Filming !!!
Gabon Magazine: Alive With The Sounds of Music