by James Weeks | Apr 29, 2013 | Blog
The reading with Tahira West rocked! This gifted young medium brought through powerful messages from my Dad and from my grandmother in Spirit.
And the messages were not only on point but on time. Through Tahira, Grandma gave me not only encouragement but ideas for the funding of my film: potential partners, potential strategies, potential sources. Grandma also told me to give a “shout out” to other members of my family.
Dad, on the other hand, was bossy as ever. Dad said he wants me to talk to him aloud, not silently like I usually do. And he assured me that he’s working hard to open doors for my film and stands firmly behind me whenever I need a burst of inspiration.
Yes, the reading with Tahira was empowering, even though I feel my connection with my ancestors is rock solid since I make it a point to communicate with them every day.
After the reading I wanted to learn more about this rising medium and life-coach who is building a solid business around her passion for healing and transforming lives.
CEO of Pure Peace Life Coaching, Tahira West was born on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and moved to the U.S. when she was 12. “I have always done what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. I always chose to follow my heart. There is nothing that brings me more joy than to let people know that love can be found inside of them,” she says.
Tahira, 30, readily admits she’s had her share of life’s ups and down. In fact, she founded Pure Peace Life Coaching in 2010 after she heard her last employer say: “I have to let you go.” That’s when Tahira understood the message the universe was trying to send her. It was time to start working for herself, building her own “empire one brick at a time and by healing the planet one broken heart at a time.”
“Our mission is to serve you. The you who you’ve always dreamed of but never thought could be real. We illuminate your positivity by reminding you that you are perfect the way you are. We reinforce that all the answers you need come from within you,” says the mission statement on her website.
Most of Tahira’s clients are executive women who long to be “heard, acknowledged, treated fairly and respected and for all that they do,” she explains.
She was born with the gift for coaching, she says, as well as the gift for mediumship. But she only started offering her mediumship services recently. “I see my messages like a movie and I hear them too at times,” says Tahira.
Her advice to those who want to develop their mediumship? “Be calm. Be introspective. Be still. Don’t force it. It will come. Trust Spirit.”
Blessings, James
HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH TAHIRA? You can find her at any of the links below:
WWW.Purepeacelifecoaching.com
https://www.facebook.com/PurePeaceLifeCoaching
https://www.facebook.com/tahira.west.1
by James Weeks | Apr 20, 2013 | Blog
So you're thinking about booking a divination session or a spiritual reading and you're not sure how to begin or what to expect…
Here are five tips to consider…
TIP # 1.: Make sure the diviner is sane: I wish I could say I'm joking but I'm not. Sad to say, there are folks in my profession who are not emotionally balanced (or even sane) and should not be giving advice to anyone. They are in need of serious spiritual help themselves. On the other hand, some folks are control freaks and some might take advantage of you financially. And don't be fooled by titles. Titles without character mean absolutely nothing. Don't get me wrong, you'll also find wonderful priests and priestesses in our community. Just get some references before you book a reading. Or at the very least, talk to the diviner before you book a reading and try to get a sense of who they are and what they are really about.
TIP # 2: Be Open To What Spirit Has To Say: Although your questions and concerns will always be addressed, keep in mind that the orisas and your ancestors might have other messages that differ from your original reason for wanting a reading. They might make you aware of things you might not be aware of but should know for your own growth and development. Don't assume that you already know yourself 100%. Few folks do. The spiritual journey is all about gradual awakening. Know that there's a hidden side to you that Spirit will eventually bring to light.
TIP # 3: Do The Ebo Ritual: If the reading calls for ritual (ebo), do it. Do not think you are smarter than the orisas and do not need to follow through with ebo if it has been prescribed. You will learn the hard way (trust me on this). Ebo is a way of harnessing and releasing powerful energies to bring about necessary change. We use ebo for many things: improving health, enhancing the probability of success, improving relationships, etc. Not all situations call for ebo. But if Ifa calls for it, be sure to follow through.
TIP # 4: Take Action: Be the change that you want to see in your life. Spirit/ritual is not going to do all the work for you. Take one step in the direction of your dreams each day. Find what you're passionate about and organize your life around it. Flee from toxic people. Surround yourself with folks that inspire you to reach your full potential. Discipline yourself. There's no time to waste on the road to self-discovery and greatness.
TIP # 5: Be Patient: One well-known Yoruba proverb says patience is the father of character. It's true. Be patient as you work toward your goal. Be patient as you tackle your problems. And be patient with the messages/predictions of Ifa. Some messages might not make sense during your reading but might make sense months later, or even years later. Time has no meaning from a spiritual perspective. Just know that all things will unfold for you in the right time.
Final Thoughts: A reading should be a healthy, empowering experience. Enjoy the reading! Enjoy your journey!
James Weeks
by James Weeks | Apr 15, 2013 | Blog
“Christians look toward the sky. We look toward the ground.” That's what Baba Oluwale Ifakunle said as he poured an ancestral libation at the Divine Space and Sacred Territories conference that was recently held at Harvard University.
Organized by the African and Diasporic Religious Studies Association, the conference featured scholars from around the world and focused on beliefs that are central to our sacred traditions. (Read more about the Divine Space and Sacred Territories Conference here: )
I didn't get a chance to attend this conference, but I had the good fortune of meeting Baba Oluwale Ifakunle last year, and I'm reflecting on what he says about “looking to the ground.”
In the book, Ifa Will Mend Our Broken World, Yoruba scholar, Dr. Wande Abimbola, also talks about looking to the ground.
“With the exception of the Orisa Sango, all the other Orisas dwell on the surface of the earth or in the earth's crust,” says Abimbola. “The planet earth is a very sacred place.”
Grand Canyon
All of this talk about looking to the ground and the sacredness of the earth makes me think of my childhood in the Caribbean. I'm from the island of St. Croix and loved to run around barefoot as a kid.
I still do.
In fact, one of my favorite rituals when I go home is to take off my sandals and sink my bare feet in the rich, dark Caribbean soil. It soothes my soul as I look at the rolling hills, the trees and the plants.
And I think about the wisdom of my ancestors. Their struggles, their vision, their spirit, and how I vow never to sell the land that has been passed down to me.
I do my barefoot ritual each time I go home. Rituals can be as a complex as you need them to be or very simple.
I prefer simple.
It's a powerful way to stay grounded and connected in a crazy world that's trying it's best night and day to uproot you from who you are and what you came to earth to do.
Blessngs
James Weeks
by James Weeks | Feb 20, 2013 | Blog
“I have to remember to trust myself. I felt it with every atom in my body.” That's what my friend, Tahira, said to me recently. She kept seeing a butterfly hovering about, and somehow she knew it was a sign from Spirit that someone she knew was going to pass.
And boom! That's exactly what happened.
Tahira got the news this morning. Turns out, it was the sister of one of her mentors. Tahira wasn't alarmed, though. The butterfly had already prepared her. Plus, the woman who died had an on-going battle with drugs for many years. Her time was up.
The story of the butterfly and the sudden passing made me reflect on the infinite power of Spirit. You see, the Spirit world sends us signs, symbols and messages all the time. Just about every day! And every night!
Most of us miss these messages because we're not paying attention. Or we're too busy regretting the past and/or stressing about the future. Does this mean that if you see a butterfly someone is about to die? No. Not at all. It could be a good omen. Could mean your luck is about to turn for the better, or new love is about to come into your life, or you're on the road to spiritual transformation. Who knows?
Theres no right way or wrong way to interpret messages from Spirit? Just go with the first feeling you get. It will often be correct. You just need to trust and get out of the way.”
Blessings,
James Weeks
by James Weeks | Nov 12, 2012 | Blog
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.”
Blessings
