by James Weeks | Oct 18, 2011 | Blog
Madame Fatou Seck (center) at a healing ceremony in the U.S.
I’ve never met Madame Fatou Seck. Yet this great Senegalese healer calls out to me in Spirit.
It’s a feeling that has haunted me for years. I plan to visit Senegal in Across The King’s River to pay my respects to Fatou Seck and others who fight to keep the healing and spiritual traditions of this West African country alive.
I also long to walk barefoot on Senegalese soil. Though, I’ve never been there, I sense some of my ancestors were Senegalese (as well as Yoruba). Stephanie, my wife, has always insisted I look Senegalese. Perhaps this explains the connection I feel – the urge to visit a land that speaks to my past, present and future.
Madame Fatou Seck, crossed over in Spirit several years ago. Those who met her say being in her presence was a moving experience. Charles Finch, an African-american doctor and scholar who has conducted extensive research in Senegal, says meeting Fatou Seck was unforgettable.
“For the first time in my life, I could feel energetic power. When you have that experience, it makes quite an impression,” Finch says.
And Finch recalls how he witnessed “near miracles” while working with Fatou Seck – like the time she healed one Italian man who had suffered from Tourette’s Syndrome, a nervous system disorder, for most of his life.
Born into a family of fishermen in 1896, Madame Fato Seck was called into the healing traditions at age 17 and was “never known to fail” in her healing initiatives. At 26, she became a priestess of Ndeppkat, a spiritual science known for its efficacy in treating medical and mental disorders.
Practitioners of Ndeppkat are all women. Through Ndepp, God, the world of the ancestors and humankind are reunited once again, and “healing is carried out by invoking the intervention of cosmo-spiritual beings known as Rabs. Although there are many Rabs, only seven major Rabs guide human destiny and one communicates with them through drums, dances, songs, invocations, offerings and sacrifice.”
Maam Coumba Lamba: Ndoye is the ruler of the rabs. She is the “Great Mother of the Waters” whose special medium is the ocean.
Maam Massamba: Ndoye is the messenger of the rabs, maintaining the interconnection between the rabs and their human devotees. Trees and forests are sacred to him and when he is well satisfied with obeiances to him, he shows himself as a sudden, powerful gust of wind.”
Maam Nguessou: is the rab of griots and drummers.
Nak Dawur Mbay: is the rab of Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
Ndiare: is the daughter of Maam Coumba Lamba.
And Matuley Faye: is the rab of Muslims.
As we prepare to go into production of Across The King’s River, I can’t help but wonder what Madame Fatou Seck and the Rabs will reveal to me – and you.
by James Weeks | Aug 31, 2011 | Blog
Christopher Brown in Egypt
“Spirit-based technology” – that’s how Christopher Brown, a mathematician and scholar of comparative religion, describes Ifa and other sacred traditions of the Motherland. Christopher is one of several scholars that will appear in my upcoming film, Across The King’s River.
This native of Texas has degrees in both math and computer science and was once employed as a software engineer for the United Space Alliance, the leading contractor for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. But his life’s purpose, he insists, is to bridge the gap between science and spirituality.
Christopher firmly believes science and spirituality are not polar opposites – in essence they are really one. Religion, says Christopher, if properly understood, is really science in disguise. The ancients clearly understood this. The modern world, it seems, does not. In Across The King’s River, Christopher will share some of his insights on African spirituality, science, shamanism and the binary code, which is widely used in modern digital computing although it has its origin in African divination.
Although I knew for years that Ifa divination (and other African divination systems) is based on a binary code system, I didn’t realize that modern technology “adopted” this code from our ancestors. It all became clear when I saw a lecture on You Tube by Dr. Ron Eglash, a renowned mathematician and scientist who has done extensive work on African fractals. Eglash, who will also be featured in Across The King’s River, says audiences are always shocked when he reveals that the binary code can be traced back to African divination. “Every digital circuit in the world started in Africa,” says Eglash.
Scholars say the binary system has its roots in geomancy, a form of divination that was brought into Europe by African Muslims (Moors) who called their divination system “ilm al raml,” (the science of the sand). The modern binary code, however, was introduced by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a 17th century German mathematician and philosopher who is credited for inventing calculus.
It is an irony that baffles me to no end – the Western World widely demonizes and ridicules African spiritual practice, yet benefits from our genius (the binary code) every day. While the world is led to believe that African spirituality has nothing to offer, our indigenous science (and spirituality) is intimately interwoven with every day life.
This reality has been hidden from us for too long.
But it won’t be hidden for much longer. After “Across The King’s River,” the world will look at our spirit-based technologies and our “science of the sand” in a different light. That’s the hope, that’s the prayer and the mission. May it be so!! Ase!
by James Weeks | Aug 12, 2011 | Blog
The journey toward this film continues to teach me that the elders, the orisas and my spirit guides truly know what they are doing and do it well. And so I must tell you that I believe your spirit guides know what they are doing too. Don’t be discouraged if you feel you’re not making progress or if you think you’re at a dead-end. Be patient, the key is to listen, trust and follow-through.
See..the heart always knows but the head always doubts. Begin and end with the heart. The heart is a seat of high intelligence and travels far ahead of your logical mind. Every step you take with the heart is connected to a higher purpose – a higher will – that time will reveal to you. When the “appointed time” comes, many events and people that have entered your life will make sense to you. The purpose behind each step will be made clear (once you learn how to listen).
I didn’t always believe that each step we take with the heart is divinely guided. But each day my convictions grows. The more I awaken, the more I realize I’m not the “doer” – only a “vessel.” I feel both awe and gratitude for Spirit. I also feel inspired to share the lessons I’m learning along the way with others.
Know that there are no accidents. And there are no coincidences! Trust that you are being led where you need to go. Blessings!
by James Weeks | Aug 10, 2011 | Blog
“There’s nothing that a master Ifa diviner cannot see – there’s nothing that a master Ifa cannot know.” So says a sacred verse in the Ifa spiritual tradition. But lately I’ve also come to believe that there’s nothing that a highly skilled awo (diviner/priest) cannot do.
I say this because I have encountered “Giants in the South.” Who are the “Giants in the South?” An extraordinary duo of entertainment industry experts who believe so strongly in our film that they will ensure that it gets funded. They are also providing the necessary management and legal support to make sure that the full potential of “Across The King’s River” is realized.
In the book, “The Alchemist,” author Paul Coelho, one of the main character says: “When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it.” Why am I sharing this quote with you? Because I believe it’s true.
But here’s the key, you must want it badly enough. And you must be willing to support it yourself. You must also understand that kindred souls may have a vested interest in seeing your vision come to fruition – but you’ll never discover this if you surrender to the temptation to give up.
Kindred souls have their own reasons for coming to your assistance. In my case, the “Giants in the South” understand the impact that art has on the subconscious minds of the masses and they refuse to support “shit.” They are willing to support and fund “Across The King’s River” because they believe it will a significant impact in the lives of millions.
I’m grateful for the leadership and the commitment of the “giants” I’ve discovered. They have changed my life and the course of this film……..the journey to the vision of the ancestors continues.
Allow yourself to be guided – you’ll be surprised at how far you can get.
by James Weeks | Aug 2, 2011 | Blog
“Eniti ti ko tele eera, ko ni tele Ifa” means “one who cannot follow ants, cannot follow Ifa.” I’ve always loved this Yoruba proverb. On one hand it shows the reverence for nature that’s embedded in the sacred teachings of Ifa.
On the other hand the proverb illustrates the importance of patience – another core tenet of Ifa. “Suuru is the father (and mother) of character,” we say.
Unfortunately, for many, our fast-paced, crazed lifestyle allows no time to reflect on the powerful lessons nature has for us. Nor have most of us cultivated the stillness of mind that’s needed to hear our own voice, let alone the voice of the orisas and the ancestors.
Can you follow ants?
The journey to this film has taught me to slow down. For years we have worked diligently at what seems to be the pace of ants. And yes, many times I’ve wished that the process would move along faster.
But I have learned that things develop when the time is right. I’ve learned to savor the process; I’ve also learned to trust the elders and the guidance that comes from Ifa.
Slow down! Trust the wisdom and the leadership of ants!
