by James Weeks | Nov 2, 2012 | Blog
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!
May you travel well.
Blessings
James
by James Weeks | Oct 22, 2012 | Blog
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.
Blessings
James
by James Weeks | Oct 11, 2012 | Blog
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.
His presence calms us. His face graces my website and two of our King’s River T-shirts. (You can order our latest design here: Official King’s River Merchandise)
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.
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.
by James Weeks | Jun 3, 2012 | Blog
The Yoruba spiritual calendar year begins the first week of June at the Agbonnerigun, or Ifa festival which is held each year in the sacred city of Ile Ife. All the Orisas are invoked and prayers are said for the entire world. Offerings are also made to the Orisas. 
The blessing of wealth/money is the prediction for the year, which came down in the Odu, Ogbe Ogunda. Along with the blessing of wealth, the elders wish you the blessing of wisdom to move your life, relationships, your community and your dreams forward in a positive way. Ire O!
The Ifa temple is located on top of the Itase mountain. I’ve never been inside the sacred temple, nor have I ever had the opportunity to attend the yearly Ifa festival. But attending this yearly celebration is definitely on my growing “things to do” list.
When I reflect on the Ifa festival, I reflect on a comment made by Yoruba scholar Wande Abimbola, in his book, “Ifa Will Mend Our Broken World.” Abimbola says “There isn’t a single holiday to celebrate any traditional event in Africa. Not one! They have holidays to celebrate many Muslim and Christian events in Africa, but not one day is left for traditional people.”
As the sacred and philosophical teachings of Ifa continue to spread worldwide, we pray that our own people will make peace with our spiritual traditions and see the value of transmitting them on to the next generation. Ire o!
