Mirroring the initiation process into the Afro-Cuban religion, Palo Mayombe, the body of a rooster is broken down and transformed through the rituals of the kitchen. During the traditional initiation, known as Rayamiento, literally "scoring or scratching", the initiate is stripped of his outer shell and his ego in order that he may become a purified vessel for his spiritual protectors. The body is then incised and packed with sacred materials that contain the powers of the spirits of nature and those of the dead. When the wounds are sealed with a drop of hot candle wax, or cooking oil in the case of the rooster, the initiate is reborn into the service of the spirits and the nourishment of the community.