by James Weeks | Sep 9, 2012 | Blog
One by one each Spirit came forward with a special message. By the way the medium described them, I recognized each soul right away: Junito, my 30-something-year-old cousin who drowned at sea; Vincent, my cousin who was shot and killed during his prime; Rose, my cousin who died after a long battle with cancer, grandma, the celebrated chef and mother of seven children, and Gene, my brother, the gifted musician who left earth for the Spirit World in 2008. 
To communicate with Spirits, mediums must speed up their vibration, whereas those in Spirit must slow down their vibration in order to link with the material world.
Although I’ve been a student of African spirituality for years and I have an ancestral shrine at home, some of my most memorable messages with ancestors have come from mediums who do not practice African spiritual traditions. I’ve always wondered why this this might so. While I don’t know for sure, here’s my humble theory.
Since Africans have always believed in the eternity of the soul and the presence of ancestors in our day-to-day lives, perhaps they feel no need to prove it. You either accept this “reality” or you don’t. Western mediums, on the other hand, feel that their mission is to prove that life continues after death; therefore, they strive to provide “evidence” – facts about the loved ones in Spirit that the client can verify during or after the reading.
In my most recent phone reading with Tim Braun, a medium based in L.A., the medium was spot-on about many things in my life: my height, the number of children my grandma had (7), the foreign language that I speak (French), the color of my hair (mostly gray), the number of children I have, etc.
Though I sense my ancestors in life and invoke them constantly, I seldom receive their messages with the same level of detailed communication that some mediums effortlessly provide. (But I’m working on it.)
My readings with the elders in Africa are based on Ifa/orisa communication – not ancestor communication.
Communication with the ancestors can be life-changing. It is important because it can shed more light on who we are and what we’ve come to earth to do. For example, over the course of many years, two different mediums insist I have healing energy in my hands and should do something to develop this gift. That’s what my ancestors told them.
Though I’m an Ifa diviner and have had many readings done in Africa, I was never told about the healing energy in my hands. Now that I am convinced that it’s true, I plan to study Reiki (energy healing) as well as Eastern and Western massage. Would I have considered doing this if I had not received messages from my ancestors on two different occasions? Well, it’s possible but I seriously doubt it.
Spirit communication is important because it can also change the way we think of the afterlife. During my last reading my brother said that he loves to go swimming in the Spirit world. That comment blew me away and made me think. What is it like to swim in the Spirit world? Many of us may assume that our ancestors have nothing to do in the Spirit world, but based on accounts that I’ve heard, I doubt this is true. Those in Spirit still lead active, full-lives. The journey of life continues forever; death is merely a transition from one world to the next.
Our ancestors have a profound influence on us whether we are aware of their presence or not. They inspire us from afar, hear our thoughts as well as our prayers, and they draw close to us when we need. They are aware of our challenges, fears and dreams.
Our task is to quiet our minds and listen! The ancestors have so much to say.
Blessings, James
by James Weeks | Aug 2, 2012 | Blog
The spirits of the dead may play a much bigger role in our health, wealth and happiness than we realize, says Dave Cumes M.D., an accomplished surgeon who is also known for his expertise in African healing traditions.
Cumes has taught at Stanford University and has a private urology practice in Santa Barbara, California. He is also a fully initiated “sangoma”, or medicine man who spent years studying the sacred healing traditions of his native South Africa. 
He is committed to bridging Western medicine and African healing wisdom.
“Western scientists believe that they are on the cutting edge of the new age of healing. However, we may have missed the boat entirely. We may be technical wizards but when it comes to the human spirit, we are really only beginners,” says Cumes.
“Many sangomas cannot read or write but they understand the principles of healing better than most Western-trained physicians,” adds Cumes, who lectures extensively and also provides spiritual readings, or divination sessions for clients.
Cumes believes Westerners can learn a lot from African sacred traditions. “Although some of the principles are difficult to understand, they work. They are the roots of healing, and they are still practiced to this day. We can only benefit from what we can learn from them,” Cumes says.
Perhaps Westerners can start by developing a relationship with their ancestors. “Indigenous African people believe in the ancestors and that they are there to help, protect and sustain us. If your ancestors turn aside, you are defenseless in life, like a paper blowing in the wind. If we are attentive and listen carefully for their messages, we will enjoy more health, wealth, and happiness,” he says.
In his book, Africa In My Bones, Cumes cites a study conducted by researchers at John Hopkins Medical Center which suggests a link between health and one’s relationship or lack of relationship with family.
“Researchers at the John Hopkins Medical Center studied the health of a group of more than one thousand medical students from the classes of 1948 to 1964. Researchers discovered that those physicians who developed cancer had much lower scores on closeness to parents, especially to their fathers,” says Cumes.
Cumes, who will share some of his insights in “Across The King’s River,” an upcoming documentary film by James Weeks that explores African healing traditions and modern science, says the research is still ongoing. “As Westerners, we might say that the parent’s love created lifelong balance, stability, and meaning and that it facilitated good health in the child. Indigenous African belief, however, may attribute the progeny’s good health to the dead parents’ and the grandparents’ protective spirits,” explains Cumes.
Weeks said it is gratifying to see that the Western medical establishment is finally starting to see value in what African healers have been saying and doing for centuries. “Maybe one day when you visit your doctor in the West or a psychologist, they’ll ask: ‘Do you have a relationship with your ancestors?” says Weeks with a laugh.
And how does one build a relationship with ancestors?
“One of the most effective ways to connect with ancestors is to set up an ancestor altar or shrine,” says popular African shaman Malidoma Some. “Doing so provides us with an invaluable tool to help focus our attention and awareness of their presence in our lives. It is also a tool to help deepen and nurture a relationship with them. There is no correct way to build a shrine to the Ancestors; use your intuition and imagination! It can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. Let the ancestors guide you!”
Malidoma, one the leading voices of African spirituality in the West, will also be featured in the film Across The King’s River. On his website, www.malidoma.com, Malidoma provides the following tips for building an ancestral shrine.
Choose a comfortable location in your home (or on your land) that can be designated as sacred space.
Choose a table or flat surface of any size or shape. Using a space on the floor or ground is fine.
You can choose to cover the surface or not. If you do, choose a cloth of any color or fabric. Items to put on the shrine can include:
Photographs of deceased family members or names written on paper
Cherished personal items passed down to you from relatives
A glass or bowl of water
Candles
Flowers or plants
Rocks or dirt from your Ancestors’ place of birth or homeland
Food and drink. This can be a small portion of your meals set aside for the Ancestors. Or you can place fresh fruit on the shrine
Spirits of alcohol, i.e. vodka, gin, rum, whiskey
Keep in mind that what is important is your sincere effort and good intention. Building an altar to the ancestors can be fun! There will come a time when the Ancestors will speak to you about what they want on their shrine. Pay attention and just listen!
How you honor and revere your ancestors is a personal thing. At your altar you can pray, talk, sing, chant, cry, meditate, recite poetry, etc. You can whisper or shout to them the most intimate details of your life. There is no right or wrong way to communicate with them and pay your respects. The important thing is that you do, and that you are sincere and genuine. It must come from your heart! In return, the ancestors will provide guidance, encouragement, and support. In time, your relationship with them will grow and you may find that you look forward to a daily commune with your ancestors.
For more information on Across The King’s River, visit www.acrossthekingsriver.com
by James Weeks | Jul 18, 2012 | Blog
After studying the divinations techniques of Chief Obafemi Fayemi and Christopher Sangodare Brown, I've finally branched out to begin offering spiritual readings to the public. I was initiated into Ifa in 2003 by Aseda Agbaye, one of the 16 major Ifa diviners and priests in the world.
Although Ifa predicted many years ago that I would actively divine for others, I often wondered when the prediction would come to pass. I've learned that the words of Ifa do indeed manifest but often not exactly when we think it will. It's important to stay open and leave everything in the able hands of the orisas and the ancestors.
Divination is a beautiful and mathematically precise way of getting spiritual guidance to help you through current challenges. Not sure what decisions to make? A reading will give you the clarity to lead a more successful and harmonious life. My offering of spiritual readings comes from a place of reverence and service. If you would like to schedule a reading, please call me at 510-388-5500 or email me at james@acrossthekingsriver.com
by James Weeks | Jun 25, 2012 | Blog
Ebb and Flow is a short dance clip that features Tulani, my daughter, dancing on a beach in Southern California. You’ll get a chance to meet her in my upcoming film, but for now you can view Ebb and Flow here…
This clip is part of a series called Dances Made to Order, an on-line dance festival produced by Kingsley Iron. The music in Ebb and Flow was edited by Derick Silva.
On a philosophical level, the title as well as the dance, Ebb and Flow, makes me reflect on life as well as Ifa divination and the 256 sacred odus in our tradition that indicate there is an order and pattern behind all things in the universe. Everything ebbs and flows.
What are the sacred odus? The odus are divine forces which are applicable to every event in the past, present and the future. Like the universe, each odu consists of a pair of opposites, the finite and infinite, the male and the female, active and inactive, odd and even, hot and cold, good and evil, positive and negative.
Ifa, the ancient wisdom, is all about balance. Many of our problems arise because we are off balance and because we fail to understand that everything ebbs and flows. And each moment has a different message and lesson for us.
Instead of trying to force things to go your way, the challenge before us is to try to adapt our lives to this great cosmic rhythm and dance. Slow down, allow the meditation of this video to flow with you and through you. Blessings!!
by James Weeks | Jun 12, 2012 | Blog
I still hear the voice, the laughter and the wisdom. I have no doubt that the spirit of Dr. Afolabi Epega is with me as I sit with clients to practice the ancient art of Ifa divination. 
What is he saying to me? “The answer is not in the book, the answer is on the divination table. Speak the truth and let the client deal with the truth. Divination is not about what you remember; it’s about what you see as you cast the opele (divination chain). You can’t know everything about Ifa – no one does. But as long as you divine correctly, you will have an insight,” he tells me.
I also sense Epega’s is with me as I work on the vision for this film. What is he telling me?: “Just listen to the voices of the ancestors and allow us to work through you. As long as you follow our voice you can’t go wrong. Submit completely to the vision and don’t look behind you. Failure is not an option. Maintain the faith at all times. Keep moving forward because Across The King’s River film will rekindle the spirit of the masses,” says Dr. Epega from the Spirit World.
Dr. Epega passed over in 2006. A few days after his passing, I felt moved to write a tribute to him. You can read A Tribute to Afolabi Epega at this link:
Baba Epega, as he was affectionately called, was an accomplished scientist with an honors degree in organic chemistry and a 5th generation Ifa priest, or babalawo, who penned Ifa: The Ancient Wisdom, Obi: The Mystical Oracle and co-authored The Sacred Ifa Oracle. His mission in life was to show the connection between science and spirituality. The idea of showing the link between African spirituality and science in my film is inspired by the mission of Baba Epega and one of his students, Christopher Brown, a brilliant mathematician and Ifa priest.
Although I loved Baba Epega, I didn’t have a full appreciation for his wisdom until recently. Being a scientist, he challenged us to be innovative. Respect the tradition – but don’t allow it to stifle your growth. True spirituality is not about stagnation – it’s about the constant quest for growth. Find what works for you, then have the courage to embrace it even if it flies in the face of convention.
As I point out in my article, A Tribute to Dr. Epega, I didn’t accept his views on gays relationships and I found him to be sexist at times. Still, I am grateful for his significant contributions to Ifa. As I move forward on my journey, I do so with the full confidence that the old master is standing right behind me, guiding each step, ensuring that the sacred traditions of our ancestors will guide and nourish the next generation.
