by James Weeks | Feb 10, 2014 | Blog
Mom and the rest of us
That’s what Momma told me years ago when I asked what life was like growing up in the Virgin Islands during her childhood.
That conversation came up again recently when she visited me in California. “We didn’t have radio or t.v.” she explained. “We made our own music and told our own stories. We were there for each other.”
What a novel idea…
Making our own music, telling our stories, and being there for each other.
I’ll never forget what Momma told me…
And I’ve been thinking more and more about her comments since I heard about the recent death of acclaimed Hollywood actor, Phillip SeyMour Hoffman.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Hoffman’s death exposes the lie that American culture spins constantly: that fame has value and meaning; that money has value and meaning.
And we should strive for such things and if we fail to achieve them our lives will be nothing….
In subtle ways and not so subtle ways, America spins this lie over and over again. Yet it has never been true and will never be true.
For all of his fame and money, Phillip Seymour, died a horrible, miserable death. A heroin needle stuck in his arm. Fifty or more packets of heroin scattered throughout his apartment.
And this is the lifestyle of the rich and the famous that America says we should look up to?
I don’t think so..
Neither does Momma.
It’s time for us to get back to what’s really important!
James Weeks/ Producer Across The King’s River
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by James Weeks | Dec 29, 2013 | Blog
The message I delivered wasn’t the message she wanted to hear…
Vodun Ceremony in Benin
(Photographer Unknown)
She didn’t think it was “spiritual” enough, and she couldn’t understand why I was asking her questions in the divination session.
As for the ritual ebo for her health that Ifa prescribed?
Well, the client said she could tell right away that I was I was trying to “sell” her something that she “really didn’t need”, and furthermore, she could do rituals on her own by just following her intuition.
And so the reading ended. In all probability, I’ll never hear from this client again. Nor do I really want to.
My experience with her made me think of something, my mentor, the late Dr. Afolabi Epega, told me years ago when I was a student diviner.
Many people don’t come to a divination session/spiritual reading prepared to listen. “They want to hear, what they want to hear.” And if they don’t hear what they want to hear, they will discard whatever Spirit has to say.
Though the attitude of this client was pissed me off, it was a great lesson for me on letting go…
Our job as diviners is not to please the client, but to deliver the messages that Ifa says to deliver. Whether the client accepts it or not is their business.
Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re thinking of booking an Ifa divination session:
1. We Are Only Messengers: We have no control over the messages. We give what we get. Ifa often speaks of the past, the present, or the future. Some aspects of the reading might not make sense to you at the time of the consultation but it might make sense later.
2. It’s A Two-Way Street: A divination session/spiritual reading is a dialogue. That means it’s a two-way street. We expect you to ask questions, and we may ask questions of you to get further insight to guide you correctly. If you don’t want to talk about what’s going on in your life, you’re wasting our time and your time.
3. Ritual Ebo Is Important: In Ifa, a ritual (ebo) may be prescribed during or after divination for a number of reasons: health, protection, business success, relationships, etc. If a reading calls for an ebo to be done, we are obligated to tell you, and it’s in your best interest to do it, even if you have to struggle to come up with the funds.
4. Embrace The Truth: As my mentor, Baba Epega told me. “The truth is always the truth. It never changes and it never dies.” Be prepared to deal with the truth. It’s not easy, but in the end it will liberate you.”
As always, I welcome comments. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
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Blessings
James Weeks/Producer Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Nov 23, 2013 | Blog
A client wrote me yesterday and said he felt spiritually off-track!
artist unknown
He wanted advice for getting his life back on track…
Before I share my thoughts about how to get back on-track, how do you know if you’re on the right path to begin with?
YOU KNOW BECAUSE:
Divine Intervention: It was revealed to you through divination, a vision, a dream, your own Spirit, or by some other spiritual means.
It Resonates With You Strongly: For reasons you can’t explain, it just feels right. I’ll never forget the night I had a reading with a Nigerian Ifa priest, and he told me I was destined to be an Ifa priest and a diviner as well. He also revealed my spiritual name. I felt like a cloud lifted that night; like I heard this before in a different life time. Everything seemed to fit. Even my problems had a special meaning.
You Can’t Stop Thinking About It: If you’re thinking about it all the time, I can assure you that you are being called by Spirit to explore it, or pursue it. And it’s not only about you and your search for meaning. It’s also about you building a relationship with those who are trying to help you and guide you in Spirit. The longer you stay on the path, the stronger your relationship with your spirit guides will become and the clearer you’ll hear their voice and what’s being asked of you.
THE RIGHT PATH IS DIFFICULT:
Just because you feel stagnant or you’re having a rough time on your journey, doesn’t mean that you’re not on the right track.
Unfortunately, too often we’re lead to believe that if things go smoothly, that’s a good omen, and if things go badly, then it’s a sure sign that you’re doing something wrong or you’ve chosen the wrong path.
Hell No: Every path has difficulty! Every single path will bring you face-to-face with negativity at one point or another.
I’ve had so many negative experiences on the journey to creating my film: stressful times filming in Africa; delays with funding; unreliable business partners, and at times, unsupportive family members.
Yet, the journey of being a filmmaker is also fulfilling. It just comes with a high price. I’m willing to pay the price for pursuing my vision. Are you willing to pay the price for pursuing yours? If not, then you must be willing to pay the price of NOT following your dreams. Either way, there’s a price to pay.
GETTING BACK ON TRACK:
So how do you get back on track?
1. Be committed to your spiritual path or your calling. You can’t just pursue it when you feel like doing it, because you won’t feel like doing it 50% of the time. Make it a part of your daily routine.
2. Follow the inspiration you feel every day. When inspiration speaks, God and the ancestors are speaking to you. Tune into the energy of the inspiration and go wherever you feel led.
3. Pay attention to your feelings. My work as a diviner has taught me that many people are profoundly out of touch with their own feelings. If you’re not in touch with your feelings, you won’t have clarity, and without clarity, there’s no way to move forward.
4. Remember the big picture: the spiritual journey is not merely about you. It’s about being of service. Be clear about the best way for you to serve others, and go about the business of delivering it every day.
Despite the hardships you’ll encounter from time to time, your path will bring you to a place of fulfillment.
But only if you stay on it!
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Blessings
James Weeks
Producer/Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Oct 31, 2013 | Blog
Intuition isn’t about what you think. And it’s definitely not about what others think…
It’s about what you feel. It’s about the guidance that comes from within; it’s about the quiet conviction of knowing what’s right for you!
If you’re not in touch with what you feel, you’re lost…
And when you’re lost you’ll keep making the same mistakes over and over again. You’ll turn left, when you should turn right. You’ll stop when you should keep going. You’ll say no when you should say yes. You’ll be silent when you should speak up.
Intuition is your God-given guidance system. The ancestors and the orisas speak through your intuition. The million dollar question is: Are you even listening?
Here are some simple tips to enhance your intuitive abilities.
Slow Down: Although intuition is God-given, you must cultivate it if you want it to grow. Make it a priority, by taking time out of each day to sit in silence, prayer, or meditation. Keep it simple. In the beginning – five to ten minutes a day is plenty.
Spend More Time In Nature: African spiritual traditions revolve around nature for a reason. Nature is our home; nature does not pretend. The vibration of nature forces you to slow down and listen to things that you might have been repressing or things that you might be in denial about.
Nurture Yourself: Are you getting enough sleep? Are you exercising? Are you eating well? You can’t have a clear channel to your intuition if you’re not taking care of yourself? It has been said that your body is a temple. Take care of your outer temple if you’re serious about accessing your inner temple.
Be Open: Be open to how you receive intuitive messages. You are unique instrument of the divine. Some receive messages via dreams, others through visions, or feelings, or an inner sense of knowing. Some folks hear messages. Once you become clear about how you’re receiving messages, focus on that method while you work to develop all your senses. Develop your five senses and you’ll discover your sixth sense.”
By opening the door to your intuition, you open the door to infinite wisdom. You also open the door to more fulfillment – and, who knows. More prosperity! Keep that door open! Important messages are coming through.
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Blessings,
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Oct 8, 2013 | Blog
A balance of cosmic forces in your life…
Obatala priests in Nigeria: (Photographer Unknown)
That’s what the Ifa spiritual tradition is all about – balance. “If it’s too hot, cool it down. And if it’s too cool, heat things up,” my mentor, the late Dr. Afolabi Epega, once said to me during divination training.
Baba Epega, a 5th generation Ifa priest, also said: things should neither be too positive nor too negative.
What’s wrong if things are flowing too positively (or smoothly) for you? A lot of folks struggle with that spiritual concept. Where’s the harm in that?
From Ifa’s point of view, if everything is going smoothly (positively), how can you grow? How can you reach your full potential? How can you develop faith?
Too much positivity lulls you into a sense of complacency – it dulls spiritual awareness…
Though we dislike negativity, it can provide the impetus we need to move in the right direction. Sometimes you have to be forced to do what’s good for you. The negativity on your job, might force you to find a job that’s more fulfilling.
Same thing for the negativity in your relationship. It might inspire you to question why you’re in the relationship in the first place.
Don’t be too quick to curse the negativity that has appeared in your life. Negativity isn’t always your enemy, sometimes it can be your best friend, a blessing in disguise.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, sign up for my monthly inspirational newsletters below. It’s free!
James Weeks
Producer/Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Oct 4, 2013 | Blog
The request from the client was urgent….
He needed $15,000 to pay off some debts in a hurry and every request he made for a loan has been rejected so far.
So he was hoping that maybe I could use my skills as an Ifa diviner or as a numerologist to help him win the lotto.
I wish I could, and I would do it for him in a heartbeat (for free) if I was certain I could…
But the truth is that no diviner, no medium, no psychic, no seer that I know will make such a claim. And I would be highly suspicious of any spiritual worker who makes such a claim because if they could predict the lotto, I doubt they would be doing spiritual work.
So, here’s what I told my client:
I told him to be patient. And I reminded him that we’re all on a spiritual journey and while we may not always get what we want (even when we do spiritual work), we get what we need.
And many times what we need are challenges – difficulties that force us to change the way that we live and/or the way that we think.
Sometimes, the very things that we think we need are taken away from us so that we can learn that we didn’t need them in the first place.
That’s what happened to me…
I lost my job in Corporate America in 2011 and wondered how I would survive. I now realize that I didn’t have to worry.
These days I earn my living as an Ifa diviner while I work on my film. Granted, I don’t always know when or where my next dollar will come from. But I know that it will come.
My lesson was to learn that Ifa and the ancestors and my elders have my back. Yet it was a difficult lesson to learn and it came with a price – a very high price.
Without challenges there can be no faith. Without faith or trust, there can be no growth. Yes, winning the lotto might be nice.
But that’s not what you need and that’s not what I need.
What you need is the conviction to stay on your path, the courage to keep on fighting, and the wisdom to know that amidst your current challenges you’ll find spiritual gems that can truly empower you!
As always, I welcome comments on these blog posts and would love to hear what you have to say.
And if you’ve enjoyed this article, sign up for my monthly inspirational newsletter below. It’s free.
Blessings
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
