As my son and I drove home recently, I reflected on something that he told me…
The stark reality that many of the friends that he used to hang out with are either dead or in jail.
I immediately taught of my elders in Africa and all the ebos, or sacrifices we had done to help Malcolm over the years. And how I took him to seek spiritual help in Nigeria because we feared that the streets of Oakland could snuff his life out at any time for being at the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing, with the wrong people.
But my son, Malcolm, has escaped the statistics, and I havetheelders and the orisas to thank.
The young man that greets me every morning is a far cry from the thug he used to be. This young man is a dedicated father who helps his son with his homework. This young mans has two jobs and works seven days a week. This young man is very respectful to us.
What a welcome change from the angry, young man that I once worried about night and day. What a journey from a thug to a father who has successfully turned his life around.
Back in 2003, when my spiritual father in Africa told me that things would change and that I would see good things in my family, it was hard to believe. I wanted to believe the old man knew what he was talking about and that the prayers and ebos to the orisas would really work.
And the orishas delivered. It hasn’t been easy by any means, but I’m proud of my son and the wonderful transformation that I see. I’m also pleased to report that Malcolm’s six year-old son, Jakari, is on the honor roll and will turn out just fine.
In fact, Ifa predicts that Jakari will grow up to be a popular politician in the future. We’ll see.
Know that change is possible for you, too. That the storm you’re experiencing will not last forever. No storm ever does.
“Most people are born blind and few ever learn to see,” says Nigerian writer, Ben Okri, in his book, The Famished Road.
But what if you expanded your vision and learned to see with new eyes? Not only might you make better decisions, you might be able to live a more fulfilling life right now.
Ikin Ifa
The ancient art of divination is designed to do just that – help you avoid pitfalls while navigating through life with greater clarity and wisdom. Divination can also identify your life’s purpose and provide guidance in both your personal and business relationships.
But a word to the wise – divination isn’t about coming to a reading hoping to hear what you want to hear. It’s about personal growth and being able to deal with the truth even when it hurts.
At times divination might reveal that you need to change your behavior, your diet, or even a job or a relationship.
Among the Yorubas of Southwest Nigeria, the Ifa oracle is considered be the most accurate form of divination. Divination is both an art and a science and takes years of study to master. Before the advent of Christianity and colonialism, both men and women studied and practiced Ifa inYorubaland.
“This was like going to school for us in the past. From about the age of four or five, every child studied Ifa for about five to seven years before doing anything else,” says Yoruba scholar, Wande Abimbola, in the book, Ifa Will Mend Our Broken World.
Ifa is more than a divination system, however, it’s a fascinating oral tradition that incorporates herbal medicine, ethics, history, dance, poetry, spirituality, mathematics, science and literature.
“The literature of Ifa contains references to all the Orishas, as well as ideas and values which the Yoruba people cherish,” Abimbola says.
Unlike some Eastern spiritual traditions that emphasize being fully present in each moment, an Ifa divination reading might speak of events in your past, your present and your future.
And not only does Ifa provide insight into your future, it enables you to change it.
“When you know what your future holds in store for you, you will know what sacrifices to make in order to change any elements which may not be good. If there is an impending illness, or some negativity, Ifa will prescribe sacrifices that will alter that negativity into something positive,” says Wande Abimbola.
“In today’s rapidly changing world of uncertainty, we cannot ignore the need for knowledge that can be gained through divination,” says the late Dr. Afolabi Epega, in the book, Obi Divination. “Divination reveals the best course of action to be taken in every event in life, but it also gives you the the spiritual advantage.”
Tips for getting the most out of a divination session? Have an open mind. Ifa will often challenge the way you think and offer alternatives that you might not have considered.
And be patient. Since Ifa often speaks of the future, some things that are revealed in a reading might not make sense to you until days, weeks, months or even years later.
Finally, trust the process and the message. Ifa is the ancient wisdom that has guided our ancestors for thousands of years. The Ifa oracle can successfully guide you too.
For more information about Ifa, check out the upcoming documentary, Across The River at www.acrossthekingsriver.com
Across the King’s River is an upcoming documentary feature film that follows one man and his daughter on their quest for self-transformation among the great healers of West Africa.
Producer, James Weeks, says one of the goals of the film is to inspire others to follow their visions.
Weeks had no idea that he would one day embrace African healing traditions but eventually became a believer after a powerful shaman helped his family overcome a series of life and death challenges.
In Across the King’s River, Weeks takes Tulani, his daughter, to meet Aseda, the Yoruba shaman that he credits for saving his life and keeping his family together. The old man also initiates Tulani as a priestess of Osun, the orisa, or divine spirit of love and fertility.
Aseda, James’ spiritual father, is one of the 16 major diviners of Ifa, a rapidly growing religion with more than 100 million practitioners worldwide. The philosophy originated among the Yorubas of Southwest Nigeria and predates Christianity by more than 10,000 years.
African healers often diagnose and treat medical problems long before their Western peers can even detect them. In addition to helping Weeks ward off diabetes, Aseda’s spiritual skills also helped deter Weeks’ oldest son from a life of crime.
“The healers in the film are the keepers of a vast body of knowledge and have important messages to share with the world,” Weeks says. The journey takes Weeks and Tulani deep into three African civilizations: the Dagara of Burkina Faso, the Lebu of Senegal and the Yorubas of Southwest Nigeria.
James Weeks
Across the King’s River also features scholar, Christopher Brown, a disciple of the late Dr. Afolabi Epega, a world-renowned authority on Ifa. Like his mentor, Epega, Brown is on a mission to show the connection between science and spirituality.
Brown is an initiated Ifa priest and a mathematician. He also has a degree in computer science. Brown believes that science is nothing more than spirituality in disguise.
Across the King’s River will be directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson and goes into production in spring 2012. The title of the film is derived from a Yoruba proverb that is often used when one has something difficult to do or say.
“The proverb implies that a higher force has sent you on a mission that must be fulfilled at all costs – no excuses and no turning back. It’s more than a proverb. It’s a way of life,” Weeks explains.
“A test of endurance.” That’s how filmmakers Dalian and Verona Adafo describe the journey to their documentary, “Ancestral Voices: Esoteric African Knowledge.” Their goal was to clear up some of the popular misconceptions and “negative assumptions” that people have about African spiritual traditions.
“It is a topic that a lot of people hardly know anything about but are quick to tell you that its negative witchcraft and devil worship,” Dalian explains.
“For me it was important to learn the ways of my ancestors,” says Verona.
I salute their courage and tenacity. I know that their work is driven by the ancestors. As a filmmaker, I totally understand the hardships and trials that come with trying to get a film off the ground.
Every phase is difficult, and if your vision isn’t clear, or if your motivation isn’t strong enough, you will find reasons to stop instead of moving forward.
Africa has so many stories to tell, so many lessons to teach. Yet, the Western media only focuses on what’s wrong with Africa: unending civil wars, corruption, hunger, poverty, etc.
What about stories of change and transformation? Lives that have been saved because of the spiritual power of our sacred traditions? What about stories of empowerment and inspiration? The millions around the globe who organize their lives around guidance that comes from divination, the orisas, or other divine spirits of the Motherland?
These stories, we must tell ourselves! Hats off to Dalian and Verona for leading the way!!
Imagine getting a team of African healers to spend four years channeling spiritual energy to help you launch a documentary film!
That’s what’s happening to film producer, James Weeks. His long anticipated film, Across the King’s River, which explores how African healing traditions intersect with science, goes into production in March 2012.
Weeks will share the core messages of the film at a sacred healing symposium at Harvard University on Friday, April 13, 2012.
Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, Stanley Nelson, “Across The King’s River” follows Weeks and his daughter on a journey of self-transformation that gives viewers insight into three sacred African traditions: the Yoruba, of Southwest Nigeria, the Dagara of Burkina Faso, and the Lebu of Senegal.
“One of the goals of the film is to inspire others to follow their visions,” Weeks said.
“Aside from being a beautiful and touching film, ‘Across the King’s River’ will shed light on some of Africa’s traditions that have been maligned and misunderstood in the West,” says Funlayo Wood, a PhD student in African Studies and Religion at Harvard, who is organizing the healing symposium on campus.
“The world needs more healing than ever before,” Wood adds. “The environment is being destroyed; people are hurting and are dulling their pain in negative and destructive ways. We are becoming more and more estranged from our humanity.”
Robert Voeks, PhD, Professor of Geography at Cal-state University, Fullerton, says “Across The King’s River” is a critically important film project and should be completed sooner, rather than later.
“The world is witnessing a global crisis of cultural erosion. Indigenous understanding of the healing properties of nature is declining as rapidly as the languages that sustain it,” Voeks says.
I immediately taught of my elders in Africa and all the ebos, or sacrifices we had done to help Malcolm over the years. And how I took him to seek spiritual help in Nigeria because we feared that the streets of Oakland could snuff his life out at any time for being at the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing, with the wrong people.
