The ferocious strength of Hurricane Sandy was yet another reminder of the immense power of nature and the sobering fact we are not above her. We are part of nature and must understand our role in the cosmos. Our ancestors had deep reverence for these forces of nature that we call the orisas; our spiritual beliefs and practices revolve around them.
“We do not start from the premise that we are higher than the rest of creation,” says Yoruba scholar, Wande Abimbola. “We bow down to trees, rivers, hills and mountains.” Truly, birds, animals, trees, and the dwellers of the sea are not only siblings but our teachers and spiritual guides as well.”
And in the sacred odu, Osa meji, Ifa says: “Osa, the brightly shining one, Babalawo of the world, interpreted the teachings of Ifa for the earth. They said that the earth should stop making sacrifices for wealth, and instead make sacrifices that would protect earth from its enemies. In this way, we will live. And so we plead that as long as we live on earth, that the earth not be destroyed.”
The earth-centered, spiritual teachings of Africa have been ridiculed and dismissed by the West for centuries as being simplistic and out-of-step with the realities and demands of our technologically-driven world. Hurricane Sandy (like Hurricane Katrina) is a rebellion against such arrogance. She’s the latest messenger that has come to warn us that the price of global warming is high.
“Sandy Ends The Silence” says the title of a November 2012 Time Magazine article written by Michael Grunwald. “Hurricane Sandy – like this year’s historical heat waves, droughts and wildfires in the U.S., not to mention an uprecedented ice melt in the Artic – is the kind of thing that happens when you broil the planet with fossil fuels,” writes Grunwald.
“Sandy was a blunt reminder that the technical term for people affected by climate change is people. It’s an environmental issue, a security issue, an economic issue that has all kinds of disastrous implications for coastal communities and food supplies and wildlife and human life,” Grunwald adds.
The cost of Hurricane Sandy is at least 50 billion in New York alone. As the nation rallies to rebuild the communities that were affected by Sandy, I can’t help but think of a comment my Mom in the Virgin Islands often makes: “Son, we have to get back to the basics.”
Lately, I’ve been thinking about something my mentor told me years ago when I began Ifa divination training.
My mentor was the late Afolabi Epega, a 5th generation Ifa priest who also had a doctorate in organic chemistry. Although he died in 2006, I still hear his laughter and booming voice. As I invoke Ifa and interpret the odus, his spirit is there to guide me.
The old man saw the future ahead of me. “Clients will come to you looking for magic,” he warned. “But you’re not a magician, you’re a priest. If they want magic, tell them to go to Hollywood.”
As priests, we study the movement of spiritual forces that the ancients call and we invoke the power of the orisas and the ancestors. And once we do our job, we leave it in the hands of the orisas, knowing that the words of Ifa will eventually come to pass. That’s how Baba Epega trained me.
“But when will the words of Ifa come to pass?” I once asked.
I didn’t really like the answer then and I’m not sure I like it now, but here’s the truth: the words of Ifa will come to pass when the time is right. Even the most advanced priest might not be able to pinpoint when the prediction will manifest. Today? Tomorrow? Next month? Next year? Ten years from now?
And then Baba told me of one prediction that took 20 years to materialize.
He also warned me that some clients will not want to hear the truth. “Don’t believe that bullshit,” he said. “They want to hear what they want to hear. But your job is to tell them the truth. They can take it or leave it.”
I’ve been thinking about Baba a lot because I do readings for clients now, and I’ve come to realize that most people are in a rush. I always tell them to slow down.
One client called 30 days after her reading and said “you told me there will be a new lover?” I did, but I certainly did not tell her when. I’m no magician and I’m not trying to be one.
Ifa is a way of life. It is not about getting what you want, when you want it. We are dealing with universal energies. Yes, we invoke forces and appeal to forces but we are not in charge of these forces. We are all subject to forces that are beyond our control and understanding.
I’ve come to believe, however, that we get what we need in the right time. I also believe in the concept of a “sacred time” when things take root and flourish in ways that are more profound and often far better than we ever might have imagined.
Our elders remind us that patience is the father of character.
The search for magic is an illusion. Good luck finding it. Genuine spiritual growth is always available, however. But it’s a life-long journey!
If we know how to connect with our ancestors all of our problems will be solved, says Dr. Fui-Bunseki, a prominent African scholar. “The ancestors are not dead. They are not gone. Their energy is around you. We are constantly being bombarded by that energy. We can listen to it, and we can call upon it.”
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Fui-Bunseki is the author of numerous books and articles including: Kongo Cosmology, Kumina: A Kongo-based Tradition In The New World, Kindezi: The Kongo Art of Babysitting, and Self-Healing Power and Therapy, Old Teachings From Africa.
I first became aware of Dr. Fui-Bunseki through two great books by historian, Robert Farris Thompson: Flash of the Spirit, and Tango: the Art History of Love. Dr. Bunseki was one of many scholars cited by Thompson in these works.
The You-Tube clip of Bunseki was produced by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Insitute (The entire nine-part lecture can be viewed on line).
Bunseki’s comment about us being constantly bombarded by ancestral energy is consistent with what I’ve heard many mediums say…
That the realm of the ancestors is around us and our loved ones in Spirit attempt to reach us in many ways: dreams, inspiration, memories are common methods of ancestor communication but there really is no limitation.
A sparrow circling in the, a flickering lightbulb, a familiar fragrance could all be signs that your ancestors are near.
As I’ve grown spiritually over the years, I’ve learned that our ancestors can use anything or anyone to get a message through to us; the more you pay attention, the more you’ll start to recognize signs and symbols that your loved ones are around. There is no “right way” to connect with the ancestors. They are aware of your needs, thoughts and prayers.
The Egun (ancestors) will guide you once you take the time to listen. But listening is not enough you must trust. And trust is not enough you must act.
Most of all, know that you are eternal. “You are not of today,” says Bunseki. “You are not of yesterday. You are not of 100 years ago. You are the living, divine energy that has existed since the beginning of time.”
Searching for peace? Happiness? More fulfillment? Well, instead of stressing out about things (or people) beyond your control, ask yourself these questions: “How can I empower myself today? How can I empower or serve others?”
These questions are important because they shift your awareness by directing spiritual power, energy and responsibility back to YOU where they rightfully belong. Too often we give our power away by fuming about how we’ve been wronged by others or how unsupportive others have been.
I’ve had to learn these lessons too. My journey toward the film, Across The King’s River, has been one of peaks and valleys, ups and downs. If I created a list to keep track of the many people that have let me down along the way, the list would be long – and I would be a miserable man.
But I’ve learned to reclaim my power and you can too.
And the more you reclaim your power, well, the more powerful you become. Know that not everyone will see the value in who you are and what you have to offer. Give the best of yourself to those who value you the most. Find out who you can help or encourage today and reach out to them.
Rediscover your source of power; cultivate it; share it!
As a diviner, I answer questions about relationships all the time. It's the number one reason why folks request spiritual readings!
But sadly many clients are not in healthy relationships. Before I even divine it is often clear to me that deep down inside, their own intuition is trying telling them something they refuse to hear – the bitter truth that their current mate or potential mate is not right for them and may never be right for them.
Yet, they cling on, desperately trying to save a relationship that brings no peace and is destined to fail.
As I listen to clients, it is clear that their own Spirit knows the right answers. But what is not clear is why they keep making bad choices. The warning signs are often there: emotional and sometimes physical abuse, constant fighting, fear, insincerity and disrespect.
Why stay in a relationship that is not healthy for you?
And I also counsel clients who recently left one relationship and are anxious to start another one.
Well, until you heal yourself and/or deal with yourself there's really no sound reason to rush into another relationship. Without self-fulfillment, no relationship will ever fill the emptiness you feel inside. The most important relationship to cultivate is the one within, and this is where your focus should be. Learn to love you. Give yourself the respect that you crave from others. Don't settle for anything or anyone.
And make sure your life does not revolve around your relationship. Discover your passions and pursue them. Where you find passion, you will also find Spirit. I believe that passion is closely connected to vision, and if you follow your vision you will never go wrong. It's not always easy, but at least your vision will lead you on the road to self-fullfillment and the source of your own power.
Another key to happiness is to shift your focus. Instead of focusing on things you cannot control, focus on what you can control and how you can be of service to others. Sometimes we make ourselves miserable by focusing too much on ourselves and how others have let us down. Even as you go through your challenges, try to be there for others.
Know that healing is possible. Be committed to your own healing. Be a vessel for the healing of others.
The door suddenly blew open while conversing with Ade Kunle in my living room. Thinking it was merely the wind, I arose and shut it again.
But it wasn’t the wind, Ade Kunle explained.
It was a Spirit. A powerful, familiar one. It was Baba Aseda, a man we both revere as a father because he’s always been there for us. Through the power of orisa, he has guided us through many challenges over the years.
Aseda is one of the 16 major Ifa diviners in the world, and in the spring of 2003, he initiated both of us into the orisa tradition.
He is without doubt one of the driving force behind what I do – and what my ancestors insist I must become.
According to Ade Kunle, the front door swinging open was Aseda’s way of making sure his presence is felt, proof that he’s listening to our conversation and monitoring every word.
I don’t doubt this but why was the old man visiting now?
Because I had just inquired about a secret, a mysterious, spiritual power that both Aseda and Ade Kunle have knowledge of. I know nothing about this power and was hoping, once again, that Ade Kunle would tell me about it, or at the very least, give me a hint.
Opening the door and entering in Spirit was Aseda’s gentle way of saying certain secrets must remain secrets. However, I’ve been told that eventually I will understand this mysterious power on my own.
I love mysteries and the Yorubas safeguard many of them. In Yoruba culture, just because an elder knows your destiny, don’t think that he/she will reveal it to you all at once. You’ll be waiting for a long time.
A little information now and a bit more information later, perhaps. I’ve learned to be patient. If the seers reveal everything to you how can there be room for self-discovery and self-mastery? It’s similar to wanting to be buff without going to the gym.
I was grateful for Aseda’s surprise visit in Spirit and was happy to finally see Ade Kunle in person again. It’s been more than a year since the brutal U.S. recession forced him to leave Oakland, CA and move back to Nigeria.
I looked younger, he told me, better than I looked when we last saw each other. I was happy to hear that. Who knows? Perhaps leaving Corporate America to work on my film miraculously restored my youth.
Ade Kunle looked good, too. A lot more gray flecks in his beard, though. And a lot more pensive than I’ve ever seen him before.
“I’m not the same Ade Kunle as before,” he tells me. The elders have taken him to deeper places, he explained. And he’s been exposed to strong rituals. Rituals far beyond the understanding of many in the Diaspora.
And he hinted at other mysteries: powerful medicines and soaps that he brought from Nigeria, powerful people that I will meet during my next trip to Nigeria, spiritual things that the elders are doing to support the upcoming film.
How he managed to get strong medicine into the U.S. was fascinating. At the airport in Nigeria and at each layover on his way back to Oakland, he uttered powerful incantations in Yoruba each time security personnel reached into his carry-on bag to try to take the bottled-liauids per airline regulations.
My conversation with Ade has inspired me all over again. There are many things that I dislike about Nigeria: corruption, mismanagement at every level, grinding poverty and pollution, hostility in high and low places.
Yet the more I journey into his culture, the more I realize I am a Yoruba at heart and have the backing of powerful souls that have a lot to say to the world. My task is to humbly step aside and allow these souls to speak.
For the first time in a very long time, I look forward to returning home.
The ferocious strength of Hurricane Sandy was yet another reminder of the immense power of nature and the sobering fact we are not above her. We are part of nature and must understand our role in the cosmos. Our ancestors had deep reverence for these forces of nature that we call the orisas; our spiritual beliefs and practices revolve around them.
