Reflections on Balinese ancestral traditions from a talk by Jean Couteau at Usada Editor’s Note Kuningan: Ancestors and a Sacred Cycle article is based on a talk by Jean Couteau presented at Usada, exploring the cultural and spiritual dimensions of Galungan and Kuningan in Bali. Couteau’s reflections draw attention to the importance of ancestral relationships, […]
Reflections on Balinese ancestral traditions from a talk by Jean Couteau at Usada Editor’s Note The following article is based on a talk by Jean Couteau presented at Usada, exploring the cultural and spiritual dimensions of Galungan and Kuningan in Bali. Couteau’s reflections draw attention to the importance of ancestral relationships, ritual cycles. As well […]
Love Potions, Sacred Charms and Guna Guna with Made Surya continues a series inspired by a talk presented by Made Suryasa at Usada Bali. Through stories, cultural context, and traditional teachings, Made explored the Balinese understanding of love charms, sacred symbols, spiritual protection, and the ethical dimensions of esoteric knowledge. Rather than presenting these subjects […]
When conversations turn to black magic in Bali, images of Rangda masks, mysterious rituals, haunted cemeteries, and whispered stories often come to mind. For many visitors, these stories sit somewhere between folklore and fascination, feeding a long-standing Western appetite for the exotic and unexplained. Yet as cultural educator Made Suryasa recently shared during a captivating […]
Nyepi: Stillness and the Renewal of Balance is part three of a three part series based on a talk by Anthropologist and cultural expert Jean Couteau ‘Nyepi Uncovered’ at Usada Bali. After movement, procession, and expulsion, Bali enters stillness. People often describe Nyepi simply as the Day of Silence. Within the wider ceremonial cycle, however, […]
