Kailukuan School of Indigenous Science: Cultural Heritage Short Lecture Series
Join us every first Sunday of the month for a short lecture led by Manusuro Virgil Apostol, who descends from a long maternal and paternal bloodline of healers, and who has dedicated himself for over four decades to the research, development, and promotion of his ancestral traditions.
In these monthly sessions, Manusuro Virgil will guide you through a diverse array of topics that explore aspects of Philippine cultural heritage, rooted in sacred teachings from ancestral traditions. Learn everything from fundamental histories, shamanic and spiritual healing practices and beliefs, mythology and folklore, to Filipino martial arts, combat weaponry, world influences and so much more.
When: First Sunday of every month
Time: 11am-12pm lecture, 12-12:30pm Q&A
Where: VIRTUAL and IN PERSON
Cost: $33
Our first two sessions are below. Session topics will be announced 3-4 weeks prior. Secure your spot today!
Sunday, May 4th: Origins
To kickstart this lecture series, we will start at the beginning. Gather for an introduction to ancestral history and healing, learn about origins of the people, shamanic and spiritual belief and practices, world influences, and more.
Sunday June 1st:Spiritual Self Protection Ritual and Techniques.
The Iluko term saláknib pertains to something that serves as a protection, shield, or armor. On a spiritual plane, it is a protection against negative energies or the effects of a psychic attack from one projecting ill thoughts. Learn fundamental elemental rituals and applied practices to use in your daily life, by way of: water, air, fire, earth and ether. Prior attendance at the Origins session is encouraged.
Sunday July 6th and August 3rd: Nurturing the Anitos: A Brief History of Practice (Two-Parts)
ANITO: From the Austronesian “ani” (soul or spirit) and Malay “to” or “toh” (resident of the head).
Shamanic practices around the world are based on the concept of animism, which is the attribution of a soul to animate and inanimate objects, and natural phenomena. It is the belief in a supernatural power that organizes and animates the material universe. This is evident in the Philippine and the rest of the Austronesian belief in the “anito” that, firstly, refers to the soul of an ancestral spirit. It is the basis of the old practice of headhunting. Its meaning eventually broadened to include various spirits or entities, as found in plants, rocks, trees, bodies of water, carvings, and amulets.
This short lecture led by Virgil Apostol, author of Way of the Ancient Healer: Sacred Teachings from the Philippine Ancestral Traditions (North Atlantic Books, 2010) will review the history and origins of anitos, their significance, touch on a few historic practice and rituals, and engage dialogue on how to live in harmony with the anitos in your daily life.