by James Weeks | Mar 25, 2013 | Blog
Light as a feather! This is how softly your ancestors might speak to you. And this is why you must listen intently – not just with your ears, but with every fiber in your being. They spoke to you yesterday, they spoke to you today, they will speak to you tomorrow and they are speaking to you right now. But you'll never hear them unless you are willing to sit in silence, to hear the powerful messages that are landing as gently as feathers.
I share this because of a recent experience that I had. I was doing a reading for a client and began receiving messages from her father who is in Spirit. When I asked the Spirit to tell me more about his life, I felt this sensation of him putting keys into my hands. But the keys felt cold. Then, I felt he was connected to a security guard and/or a prison when he was alive.
These feelings were subtle – light as a feather. But when I shared them with the client everything made sense to her; she became very emotional. Turns out, her father had been in prison for many years in the Middle East before he died. But this was the very first time he attempted to contact her in a spiritual reading. The family had been thinking about writing a book about this sad episode.
I was in awe as she confirmed the messages I received from her Dad. Speaking through me, her Dad said the book project was a great idea. It would bring about healing in the family, he explained.
This experience was one of my most profound moments as a diviner and as a medium.
You see, spirit communication is based on trust. But if you don't trust yourself and the messages you receive, you'll never be successful. You also have to understand how you receive messages. How Spirit works with you might be different from how Spirit works with me. You are a unique being, a sacred being and it's important to remember this. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
Messages might not always make sense to you. That's because some messages are meant to be delivered and understood by someone else. Messages from Spirit are being sent to you 24/7. Pay attention to subtle feelings and images that you receive…
Powerful messages often arrive softly as feathers.
Blessings
James Weeks
by James Weeks | Mar 25, 2013 | Blog
“Nobody starts out in life planning to give all their power away. But you give your power away when: you don't believe in yourself, or when you don't stand up for yourself, or when you doubt yourself, or when you believe that others are somehow more sacred or special than you, or when you believe that you've failed and won't get up to try again. Well, your ancestors have something to say about all of this. It's time to reclaim the power that you once had and still have.”
– James Weeks
I posted this message on the FB fan page for Across The King's River recently. It was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my godchildren who will be receiving her hand of Ifa soon. As a newbie to the Orisa tradition she had many questions. And so I set aside some time so we could go over the basics: the important of ancestor worship; the role of Esu in the hierarchy of orisas, and the role of Orunmila, etc.
But I also spoke to her about power, her own power and how she must never forget she is powerful . And if she ever forgets it, I'll step in to remind her.
I had to tell her this because I've seen so many people give their power away. Always looking outside themselves and rarely looking within where so much raw power and intuition resides – for free!
“The orisas and the ancestors will often speak to you from the core of your being,” I told her. “You have to learn to trust yourself. If you can't do that, you can't grow. It's a simple as that.”
Many folks who give their power away have no idea they are doing so. In fact, they have good intentions. They are sincere seekers who are hungry to learn and want to do things right.
And right for them means they want to do things exactly as it's done in Africa not realizing that how things are done might vary from one lineage to another and we all must decide what resonates with us.
I'm all for tradition and I know Africa has a lot to teach us. But I know we have a lot to offer Africa and the world too. And we can begin by remembering that we also have a wealth of wisdom available to us right here, right now, if we respect the intuition, and originality and creativity flowing on the inside.
We disrespect ourselves and our ancestors when we fail to acknowledge the leadership that comes from our own souls. What your soul has to say is relevant. How you feel is relevant. What you think is relevant. Never forget this.
Every one has a unique contribution to make: every soul, every star, every tree, every bird, every fish, every river, every stone and every blade of grass has something to unique to say about what it means to be Spirit and what this journey to earth is all about.
Never forget it
Blessings
James Weeks
by James Weeks | Feb 24, 2013 | Blog
A client recently asked what type of offering he should make to the orisas: Ifa and Ori. He wanted a clearer spiritual connection to the orisas, he explained. 
I told him something he probably wasn't expecting to hear. I told him he should offer trust because if he doesn't trust himself or his connection to the orisas he can make offerings all day and night and he'll never make any progress.
And I've seen many people go down that road, and they have nothing to show for it. No peace, no progress, no direction, no real conviction. The forces of life blow them around like a leaf in the wind.
Don't get me wrong. Rituals and offerings (ebo) are important. Perform them whenever divination indicates they are necessary.
But ebo is not a substitute for hard work, character development and trust. You are already connected to the divine. You are Spirit. It's part of your DNA. You are connected to the orisas and to your ancestors. I don't think many awos drive these points home. They should.
There's no way to grow if you don't trust your own connection to the divine, or if you think the answer is always outside of yourself, or that the only way to connect with the ancestors is by doing yet another ritual or by performing yet another ebo.
The orisas and the ancestors don't only speak through divination. They also speak through your intuition and your heart. They speak through nature. They speak through your loved ones and in your dreams. Your connection to the spiritual realm is already there – you just need to listen, feel, and act to access it.
Blessings
James
by James Weeks | Feb 20, 2013 | Blog
“I have to remember to trust myself. I felt it with every atom in my body.” That's what my friend, Tahira, said to me recently. She kept seeing a butterfly hovering about, and somehow she knew it was a sign from Spirit that someone she knew was going to pass.
And boom! That's exactly what happened.
Tahira got the news this morning. Turns out, it was the sister of one of her mentors. Tahira wasn't alarmed, though. The butterfly had already prepared her. Plus, the woman who died had an on-going battle with drugs for many years. Her time was up.
The story of the butterfly and the sudden passing made me reflect on the infinite power of Spirit. You see, the Spirit world sends us signs, symbols and messages all the time. Just about every day! And every night!
Most of us miss these messages because we're not paying attention. Or we're too busy regretting the past and/or stressing about the future. Does this mean that if you see a butterfly someone is about to die? No. Not at all. It could be a good omen. Could mean your luck is about to turn for the better, or new love is about to come into your life, or you're on the road to spiritual transformation. Who knows?
Theres no right way or wrong way to interpret messages from Spirit? Just go with the first feeling you get. It will often be correct. You just need to trust and get out of the way.”
Blessings,
James Weeks
by James Weeks | Feb 4, 2013 | Blog
“I'm doing The Lord's Work.” That's what my friend, Ifagbemi Fasaye, said recently. Then we both bust out laughing. And the more I thought about it, the more I laughed. I'll be laughing for a very long time. And who knows, maybe I'll start telling folks I'm doing The Lord's work too. Sounds like a noble thing to say.
It's funny to me because Ifagbemi Fasaye is a babalawo. We are both babalawos. Ifagbemi is a Seattle-based Ifa priest who is deeply committed to his calling. Each month, he performs Ifa divination for an average of 40 clients and loves sharing what he's learned about the Orisa tradition over the years. He's a humble brother.
Like most African-americans, Ifagbemi was raised as a Christian before destiny called him to Ifa. The comment about doing The Lord's work struck me as a bit revolutionary and ironic because it challenges centuries of religious bigotry and arrogance. It caught me off guard and made me reflect too.
We are all used to Christian saying they're doing The Lord's Work. But Orisa folks? No. But why not? Since when do Christians have a monopoly on the use of the word “Lord”? Does it belong to them?
And even if they think it does, don't you think someone ought to tap them on the shoulder and correct them once and for all? It's 2013 – isn't it time for other spiritual traditions to lay claim to “The Lord” too? Just saying!
The sacred verses of Ifa sometimes refers to Orunmila, the orisa of wisdom, as Lord. In the Holy Odu, Osa Otura, Ifa says: “What is truth? Orunmila says: Truth is the Lord of Heaven guiding the earth, the wisdom Olodumare is using, great wisdom. Many wisdoms.”
As priests and priestesses of Ifa, we too are in the business of shaping lives, helping souls to heal. Ours is a rapidly growing global philosophy. We are here to stay. If we feel like saying we're doing The Lord's Work, then so be it – because we are. The Lord Orunmila, that is.
I'm not sure what my Mom will have to say about this. But then, again. She doesn't have to know and I don't plan to ask her. She's Roman Catholic and I went to church with her every Sunday as a kid – against my will. Mom was upset when I sent her a letter saying I was going to Africa to be initiated into Ifa.
That was back in 2002 and she still hasn't accepted it. “When are you going to go to church in Oakland?” she sometimes asks. I ignore the question. It ain't gonna happen. I'm an Ifa priest and I'm working on a film. I'm busy doing the Lord's Work.
by James Weeks | Jan 23, 2013 | Blog
I recently read a great article by Omimelli. She's a blogger at the site, The Mystic Cup. The article is entitled: Is There A Future for Santeria? Ominelli writes eloquently about issues that many of us know or have experienced in some way.
Like the impact of the internet on our traditions: “The power of enhanced communications and the availability of all sort of information without a system of check and balances has created the perfect breeding grounds for merchants of the religion and con artists to flourish and prosper. Before finding shysters was limited to the communities they inhabited and perhaps to the occasional ad to be found on newspapers or word of mouth communications. Now, any so-called initiate can set up shop on the Internet, troll on sites like Facebook looking to insert themselves as experts in conversations and forums, establish a blog or a website and drum up a hefty Santeria business,” writes Ominelli.
She also writes about initiation mills – priests and priestess who are willing to initiate just about anybody for money. “When people set themselves up to initiate anyone who comes through their door, we end up with initiation mills. Initiation mills feed pockets, swell heads with godparents who compete to see how many heads they have managed to incorporate in their ranks; undoubtedly initiation mills feed egos. Overall, the results are detrimental because more often than not, such godparents leave a scattered trail of poorly raised godchildren and oloshas. These new initiates know no better because their so-called elders neglect to do what godparents must do: Teach selflessly,” says Ominelli.
I’ve been thinking about Ominelli’s article because almost every point she raises can be applied to those of us who practice traditional Ifa or other branches of African spirituality. There are awos in Nigeria and other parts of the world who will initiate just about anybody for money. Then, there are those who sell bogus spiritual products on-line or off-line. And let's not get started talking about the outrageous and depressing behavior of some priests and priestesses who lack basic manners (and common sense).
And while we ponder the abuses in Ifa and Santeria, we might as well talk about the abuses in Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and other spiritual paths. Because wherever you look, I promise you'll find it. You'll also find it in every single profession on earth too – from international finance to sports, and who knows, maybe even ballroom dancing. Alas, it's the human condition.
So why even bother starting your spiritual journey? And if you've started, why stay on it? Well, I firmly believe we can't live without Spirit. We are Spirits ourselves. Hoping to thrive without Spirit is like a fish hoping to swim without water. How far do you think you will get? Sure, I've had ups and down along the way, but I've also discovered that when approached with the right motives and when working with the right people, the spiritual journey can be magical, inspirational, a great source of inspiration and strength.
I've met sages and I've met fools along the way. I'm pleased to say that I've also grown an lot. Ifa has empowered me, and I've been given the tools to empower others.
Regardless of what spiritual path you're on, I believe your journey can empower you, too. Find what works for you. Align yourself with people who inspire you and empower you. Trust the intuition that comes from within you. Go where it takes you. Be open. Be brave. Be confident. And be yourself.
Blessings
James
