My Blog

Odu Ifa and Homosexuality?

olokun — Tue, 23 May 2006 16:23:34 GMT

WHAT DO THE ANCESTORS SAY? Many have asked before "what did our Ancestors think of homosexual relationships" Given the fact that the more savvy among us realize that our Ancestors didn't create important traditions or rules based purely on ego or intellectualism, but on Spiritual Science some of you have asked me find a scripture from an African Religion (Spirituality) that forbids or approves of such conduct. I had the info, but I needed to dig around for it. As the topic is a closed one for me, I don’t keep the "proof" readily handy. Below you will find two Ese Odu that address homosexual behavior among those that claim to follow Olodumare, Irunmole, Orisa, Egun and Ori. These scriptures or Odu are from Ifa the manifestation of God's wisdom and teachings as personified and recorded by the Yoruba of Nigeria, passed on to mankind through the Prophet/Priest Orunmila (who coincidently taught Buddha in his early years). This is what we believe and we don't ever stop believing it because it doesn't suit us on any given day. Orunmila is no deified and a part and parcel of Ifa and Olodumare. Odu are considered more accurate than say Bible or Koran verses (no offense) because they can not only be verified in daily living, but anyone can seek divination and regardless of the source or diviner - the scripture should hold its validity in the findings provided. I Ching and Joytish, as well as other forms of divination protect the sacred nature of other scriptures in a similar fashion. Because of this way a person doesn’t have to blindly trust the word of anyone's opinion or strong assertion or sermon, but rather can have the moral dictate checked for himself. (That is, you can simply ask a diviner to ask "is this Odu that I just discovered a true representation of Orunmila's word?) If the scripture that I provided is true, everyone that dare ask will get a "yes" answer from any Orisa's divination tools in which they inquire. This is the beauty in genuine Afrikan Spirituality, you don't have to take anyone person's word for it. You can get a second opinion. (Although if you always get a second opinion when anything doesn't jive with your lifestyle, you ought to consider getting a second opinion about you, not the Orisa guidelines.) Of course many avoid the risk of asking, so that they can be afforded the privilege to live in ignorance or because they mistakenly identify their habits with their identity. The only true identity we have is Spiritual in nature and we should be willing to give up any and everything physical that stands in the way of our Spiritual identity. This is why every person can have an Ori reading to determine their destiny so they are not attached to anything that is harmful or temporary in their lifetime. In any case, you are empowered now with a truly African source to base your opinions. Odu is considered the living word & unfailing wisdom of God. IRETE IWORI Isu ire lo se e je epo Epo ire lo se e je isu obinrin du-un ba sun ju bi o ba ba okunrin sun bii koko bii eewo bii IKU bii agbaarin bi o ba ba obinrin sun bii layunkun bii layagba bii ladun momo bii ladun mo ete dia fun Orunmila baba nlo gba Akala omo Orisa e ma ma te'mo Orisa e ma ma te'mo Orisa e tee jeje e ma ma te'mo Orisa We eat yam with right oil We use the right oil to eat yam It is very sweet and enjoyable to make love with a woman than a man if you make love with a man bumps, boils, mucus and other diseases develop if you make love to a woman it is pleasing, sweet and enjoyable This was Ifa divination for Orunmila When he was going to rescue Akala The child of Oosa IWORI OBARA o do ganganna o kan ganganna dia fun iwori tii ti ndo aya re looro iwori o o de bere a ti se ndo ni looro d'omo iwori o o de bere you make love while standing you make love while bending this was the Ifa divination for Iwori who always make love to his wife standing Iwori kindly make love while lying down It is wrong to make love while standing (subtle reference to men being with each other) Iwori kindly make love properly. SO…WHAT NEXT? Does this mean that we hate homosexual? No. Does this mean homosexuals are evil people. No. Does this mean homosexuals have no place in society? No. It does mean that those of us that claim to trust in Orunmila need to ask some solid questions: How is it that I never arrived at this information before? Now that I have this information will I investigate it through spiritual means or just keep believing whatever I already believe? If Ifa says it’s incorrect (and we know Ifa represents Olodumare's word) am I now more committed to my lifestyle or to my Creator? Why is it that westerners will use Orisa divination for everything except to ask specific and direct questions about their lifestyles? If there is a way in, is there a way out? Isn't it true that traditional Africans didn't consider anything entirely "your private business" and this is why societies like Gelede and Egungun exist? What does Ifa say is the most likely source(es) of homosexuality? (Everything on Earth has a source) IT'S ON NOW! (RIGHT?) This article should not be used to bash, attack, harass, ridicule or test homosexuals. (Besides you might get your butt beat, so don't rile anyone up trying to be funny.) But it does mean that once again we have accepted an act of imbalance as normal, because our European counterparts, the spiritual infants of the world, have convinced that to do otherwise would be cruel and insensitive. (They prefer to look at how they feel emotionally about their own behavior as opposed to whether it’s actually ethic and healthy and often create the false impression that "ethics are in the eye of the beholder".) For a complementary opinion on the spiritual and physical impact of homosexual intercourse I suggest Taoist Secrets of Love in which the author Mantak Chia discusses the difficulties of maintaining balanced chi in same-gender relationships and how this balance has to be restored by using artificial means. Chia takes a completely spiritual and physical science position on same-gender relationships and the section is concise and to the point. Well worth the read. For those that would be tempted to use this information to hurt others I would suggest that you make sure you have a good reason for smoking, drinking, having premarital and/or animalistic sex, doing drugs, using curse words all day, working for companies that you know create dangerous products, selling drugs, making or listening to sexist music, etc etc. My point is that we have an obligation to address it, but not in a way that ignores that we all have something that may create imbalance in our lives. So don't go acting all haughty. You got your own issues. The Ese Odu was found in a copy of Odidere Orunmila Gazette Newspaper, a quarterly periodical published by a Nigerian born Iyanifa, who is referred to as Chief FAMA. The full article that accompanies the Odu addresses 'next steps' for homosexuals involved in Orisa worship. UP TO INTERPETATION? There are some that will suggest that because women are not mentioned expressly in this Ese Odu that this means only men need worry about its contents. These same people would suggest that if you get a divination reading that says "don’t drink wine" that it conversely means you can drink vodka, malt liquor, wine coolers and hard lemonade. This is the westerner (read: European) in you acting out. The Odu are about identifying and isolating things, activities, behaviors and attitudes that can help or harm individuals, people, communities, nations and the other creatures with which we share this planet. Odu can't help us if we are looking for ways around it, under it, over it and behind it. RUN AND TELL DAT! I know some of you will go running back to your offline circle of friends, god siblings, godparents etc.. and rather than do what I suggested, which is seek an impartial diviner, do the reading yourself, or at least request a reading and keep the question to yourself while you ask, you will choose to stir up a verbal and emotional "mug of hot cocoa" for yourself. That is, you are going to share this blog entry, say how horrible and intolerant I am and then ask everyone to agree without knowing me or ever investigating. lol That is okay, but that is not what Orisa worship is about. The Ese Odu has guided us since the beginning of time and they have always been the unfailable word of Olodumare. If you come across one you don't know, and you always will, as there as many or more than 1,600 verses (Ese) per 256 Odu, you sit on the mat and ask the Orisa for clarity. You don't go find someone that loves you 'just like you are' and ask them to 'rub your boo-boo'. If you do anything less, including firing at me in anger, you've missed the point and the opportunity. Every person will eventually come across an Ese Odu that forces them to rethink some aspect of their own behaviors, values and beliefs. This is natural when the Odu cover every single aspect of Life from the beginning to the end. So while it is very comforting to rally all your loved ones in support of a common goal (to blindly decry these two Ese Odu) as a devotee or priest, you can garner much better results by spiritual examination. DISCLAIMER: IN THE SPIRIT OF SHARING Don't go ballistic on me. Just sit on the mat with an UNBIASED diviner and check for yourself. The Truth will set us all free, elder and child alike. I have posted this before and the worst that has happened is that everyone ignored it. This probably worst than folks getting mad and never speaking to me again. At best people actually contact Chief FAMA and ask her about the origin of the Odu verse or even better they just sit on the mat and do divination to determine its authenticity. I am not trying to get under anyone's skin. I know some of you that are on my friends' list are homosexual and I hope you continue to stay on my list. I like reading your blogs, passing on your bulletins and occasionally convincing you to support causes I am involved with as well. But if I found something that I know to be the truth, an African source that provides definition and context to a conversation that all too often clouded by opinion and western socialization, then it would be a disservice to my Priesthood to not share it. Even and especially if that means exposing you to that information. Be advised that if you try to "work me" spiritually, that is, send negative energy my way or worst because you are enraged or whatever, recognize that is an abuse of whatever spiritual gifts we obtain and you will suffer repercussions whether or not they come back from me (which is very possible) or from Olodumare directly. We cannot go around spiritually attacking people because we don't like what comes out of their mouth. or pen. Especially if those words are directly for Ifa. As Ab'Orisa, Ol'Orisa, Ato Egungun, Babalawo and Iyanifa, we have to elevate our conduct, subdue our western inclinations and emotions and learn to communicate effectively and productively. I am not prepared to discuss this blog entry until the end of time. But if everyone that posts promises to be civil and coral their replies within an African-centered and SPIRITUAL paradigm, let's get a short dialogue going.

11 Tips to Avoid Self-Publishing Traps

olokun — Mon, 15 May 2006 20:34:15 GMT

Self-publishing used to be the Rodney Dangerfield of book publishing. It didn’t get “no respect.” Today that’s all changed. With originally self-published books like The Celestine Prophecy, Butter Busters, The Christmas Box, and What Color is Your Parachute? monopolizing bestseller lists—do-it-yourself publishing is very much in vogue. To be successful, however, it’s mandatory that you adhere to certain guidelines. By following the tips below, you’ll avoid the pitfalls and enhance your chances of flourishing. 1. Educate yourself. Self-publishing is a business. Approach it as such. There are informative books on the subject, seminars offered, and associations where you can learn the ropes and network with the more experienced. This can be very lucrative if properly approached. Conversely, you can waste thousands of dollars by blundering along without knowledge or a plan. 2. Study the competition. Don’t add more to a subject that’s already glutted. Be sure the topic hasn’t been overdone. Just checking a local library or bookstore is not adequate research. Look in Books in Print Subject Guide and Forthcoming Books in Print Subject Guide. You’ll be amazed at how many books there are on the topic. Yours must be better than what’s already available. Make it shorter, longer, easier to use, more informative, funnier, richer in content, or better organized. For fiction, try to tie into a hot topic so you have a “hook” for publicity. 3. Write what other people want. Catering to your personal desires often makes for lackluster books nobody buys. The fact is, few care about your life history or your deep-felt opinions. Personal journals and impassioned tirades are best saved for family and friends, not foist upon the general public. 4. Think “marketing” from the very beginning. The time to generate marketing ideas is before you write the book, not after you have 3,000 copies in your garage. Identify and target your market. How can you reach them? Start folders of ideas: what catalogs might be interested, which associations reach your potential readers, what magazines and newsletters are relevant? Can you sell the book as a premium to companies that would give it away as a gift to entice new customers—or use it internally for training? Think about who else reaches your potential customer and how you can partner with them. Do you have contacts who have national name recognition and might write an advance endorsement? 5. Get professional editing. No, we repeat no, author should edit or proofread his or her own work. You’ll miss the forest for the trees, overlooking things that are obvious to you, but unclear to your reader. And it’s so easy to pass by the same typo time after time. 6. Create a snappy title. The right title can make a book, just like an uninspired one can be a death peal. Short is best. While clever is nice, don’t sacrifice clarity. For nonfiction, be sure to include a subtitle as it gives you extra mileage in helping readers know what the book is about. 7. Include all the vital components. Just as a cake falls flat if you don’t add the right ingredients, so do books. Yours needs an ISBN, LCCN, EAN Bookland Scanning Symbol, subject categories on the back cover, etc. (If you don’t know what these are, refer back to #1!) 8. Have a dynamite cover. The cover is your book’s salesperson in bookstores. Get it designed by a professional who understands cover design . . . not just somebody who does nice logos or pretty brochures. You have enormous competition—and a wonderful opportunity to stand out. 9. Make the interior inviting. Go to a bookstore and study the insides of books. Find one with clean, “user-friendly” pages. Use this as your model. It may not make sense to purchase and learn typesetting software if you’re only doing one book, however. In that case, consider hiring an outside vendor. 10. Use a book manufacturer for printing. Don’t expect your corner print shop to have the knowledge or technical capabilities to turn out a quality book. Book manufacturers specialize in this type of printing and can save you enormous grief and considerable money. 11. Publicize, promote, publicize, promote. Eat, sleep, and talk your book. Nobody cares about it as much as you do. Ongoing, enthusiastic marketing is the real key to success. Never quit. Keep your antenna out for new review opportunities, freelancers who write articles on your topic, etc. We have books that have been in print since 1979 because we’re tireless promoters. © copyright 2004 Marilyn Ross

Helping the Spirits of Deceased Friends

olokun — Wed, 03 May 2006 14:02:50 GMT

A person writes to me" a close friend of mine was killed recently. is there anything i can do to help their spirit heal??" We usually assume that death before eldership is a signal that something was askew and that as a result other energies took advantage of this young and possibly used them as an ebo/sacrifice. Sometimes storms and natural disasters as well as human disasters that have no obvious origin or karmic debt are the result of Nature balancing itself out and taking sacrifice to do so. As humans we want to choose when and if one of us becomes a sacrifice for natural forces and in most instances identify other animates and inanimate that carry that burden for us. For those involved in the culture we either perform divination on a cycle or ask a priest or family elder to do so and if death or other things are on the horizon that diviner will know and perform sacrifice to avert such situations. Our greatest concern is that you friend(1) realize that he is no longer alive (2) that either Olodumare, an Orisa or the Egun “sponsor” him and make sure he make it completely to the Other Side, where he can receive spiritual healing, process his life and prepare for future incarnations. Our greatest concern for ourselves is that you friend(1) not remain on Earth or in a “mid-state” where he could cause havoc (2) or fail to process his life and begin healing. (3) Lastly, we don’t want to invoke the ENERGY that caused his Death in the lives of any that are still alive. The safest way to address your friend’s death without inadvertently invoking his presence or causing any of the energy surrounding his death to resurface is to offer a simple prayer directly to Olodumare/Amen, in which you state the full name of your relative and the nature that caused their premature death. Ask that Olodumare/Amen pardon your friend for any act or lack of awareness that might caused his early demise. Ask that he allowed to transfer completely over in Orun/Heaven where he can learn how successful he was in fulfilling his Destiny and to be recuperating for the events of his death and well as processing all of it into useful Life Lessons. Pray that over he become stronger and healthier and at true peace in Orun. You may light one seven-day candle in his honor. If you write your prayer down, place it underneath the candle and then assert that if the friend sees you and the candle to walk towards the light, but not to stop to talk, converse or visit with the living. Keep your instructions to a minimum so he won’t begin to attempt regular conversations with you. IF he has a message he has to deliver to your family, the Orisa or the Egun will find a way of getting that message out. You can feel free to mourn his passing and use that energy to propel your prayer. (But we dont relish in sadness.) Because he is not your blood family it would be more difficult, but you may still want to go further and work directly with a priest that is trained to work the Spirits of the deceased. Through that specific sacrifice, ceremony or spiritual exercises might be prescribed his family, but there is no telling if you could be authorized to perform these on his behalf (unless he was a love interest or something to that effect). But you never know until you sit on the mat and inquire of the Orisa. I have a very close friend that I prayed for occasionally for about 8-9 months (maybe once a month or whenever I felt sad). I am quite confident that despite her violent and premature death that she is now in Orun and doing very well.

Parenting on the Frontlines

olokun — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 15:00:53 GMT

I have just survived two tough weeks of balancing work and parenthood. I literally capped the experience off by going to sleep for ten hours. As some of you already know, I am a self-employed consultant that does quite a bit of grant writing, among other things. While it always feels good to know that I played a role in developing, fine tuning and funding programs that support the perpetually underserved, it is nevertheless stressful, demanding and at times thankless work. I try to keep my work in perspective and continue to define myself as a spirit, unlike others that seem to believe they "are" artists or writers (or whatever) as opposed to understanding that they are people that happened to produce art or words on paper. I hope the distinction is clear. I work from home and because my son, who just turned five years old does half days of school, he is often with me, attending meetings, playing in the background while I write or think and running errands associated with the grand task of paying the bills. If you are single and hope to be a parent someday you are probably saying "Awww, how nice." If you are a parent you are probably saying "Wow. How do you do it?" It is no easy task. My wife and I have always taken our son to work with us because we wanted him to see us doing work that means something. We also didn't want our son to grow up spending more of his day with complete strangers than with his own family. We understand that once he starts kindergarten that will change, but in the meantime we are giving the best and most complete five years of Africentric home life and entrepreneurial experiences that we can. Well, this month was a test of fire. I was asked to consult for a coalition of small and large non-profits that wanted to compete for funding under the federal Community-based Abstinence Education Program initiative. If you are at all familiar you know it is a controversial abstinence-only education grant that encourages community and faith-based organizations to develop programs and curriculums that can effectively and realistically teach children to abstain from sex until marriage. The logic is sound - children that don't have sex also don't get pregnant, get infected with sexually transmitted diseases or become dependent on sex for social standing or acceptance. They also don't drop out of school prematurely to raise children or become babies that raise babies. The group that I was consulting for was asking for approximately $1.5 million over 5 years to deliver abstinence-only education to 3,600 youth and certify about 150 healthcare professionals, teachers, parents, clergy and residents as abstinence-only educators. Three days after starting the project my computer crashed. I had to buy a new one at a cost over $1,000. (At least I have a new 17" flatscreen monitor now.) Then my wife's own agency (she is Executive Director of a local non-profit agency) began it's annual fundraising drive, which meant I was making dinner, picking up our son from school, playing with him and putting him to sleep every night. Then last week Spring Break at my son's school kicked and my wife left town to attend a conference. So I now I had all the tasks of the following week + my son 24 hours a day. And I still had to meet a grant deadline. Did I mention that we are in the process of re-financing our house? So, I was on the phone with Wells Fargo every other day. AND I had to do a special 5-day cleansing for Olokun, which is my crowned Orisa. Things were piling up and fast. All the while, there was my my five year old son. If you know five year olds, then you know that when he is sleeping or napping, he is jumping, walking, singing, dancing, talking, running, pulling, eating, crying and laughing - non-stop. Well, it's hard to deal with that when you are working on a $1.5M project and trying to fulfill other work obligations, keep house, maintain your spiritual work as a priest in training and stay relatively peaceful. But five year olds don't understand any of that in a way that allows them to restrain themselves. They want to ask questions and play with you all day. It must have been about 7 days into the process that I realized that I had to find a way to meet my needs and his and then it hit me. Give him what he wants. Every morning I talked to him for 10-15 minutes. Then I worked while he played. If he interrupted me to ask a question, I answered it. Then I told him that I had to get back to work. Then when lunchtime came I made his lunch, turned off the *new* computer and sat and ate with him, instead of going back to the grind. Then I worked again and in the late afternoon stopped to play for an hour and start dinner. Then I ate with him. Then I worked until it was time to give him a bath, read him a bedtime story and tuck him in. Now I know what you're thinking. How did I get any work done? I was catering to him every moment of the day and actually stopping at least 3 times a day to do something with him.. and taking phone calls (the partners on the grant changed twice) ...and writing....and configuring huge budgets (and reconciling different accounting systems between five agencies) and simultaneously putting it all into one package as I went along because I lost my preparation days when my computer crashed two week ago. The answer is "Olodumare is Good." I kept a smile on my face, never took my frustration out on my son and gave him as much of the time that five years old seem to need as often as I could and most importantly simply stopped periodically to give him ALL my attention rather than fight his needs. I just went with the current of the water, and never worried that it changed for each task. In the end I learned a lot about being a father and how we cope with our stress and our children at one time. There is always a way to put our children first and still meet our obligations. We just have to trust Olodumare to get us there. I guess this is just parenting on the frontlines.

An Alternative to Valentine's Day

olokun — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:20:28 GMT

Cultural Genocide I have accepted that most people can not renounce most European Holidays like myself. They are uneasy at the idea of telling family, friends and peers that their spiritual, cultural or political affiliations and core beliefs are comprised by such days and celebrations. In essence, they voluntarily comprise their own values, so their loved ones can keep their own. I see this as flawed and dehabilitating to the Spirit and the Dignity of a person that has taken the time to find and live and the Truth.. but to each his own. To this end, I have often looked for compromises that validate my own beliefs and comfort those around me that are emotionally, socially and culturally hogtied to the celebration of Holidays that have nothing to do with being Afrikan, Native American or Asian. A solution that allows me to share joy, but without the fanfare, commercialism or cultural genocide that comes with European Holidays (which I usually call Hell-a-days). With Valentine's Day fast approaching I offer one such compromise. Now for the record, if you are not expressing your love through acts of kindness, selflessness and cooperation then you in FACT do not love whomever it is that you are celebrating Valentine's Day with, so be sure, while I offer a "compromise" - it can never replace the ACT of Love. (more on that later) Origin of Valentine's Day For those of you that know me more intimately you have heard me discuss quite often the War waged by Europeans against their own, prior to meeting the African, Asian or Native American. This was a war to kill off the Earth-centered spiritual systems that maintained balance and peace within the European nation. This war was unfortunately waged and successfully waged by the fathers of imperialism, sexism, racism and other not-so-great things like Christianity. One account of Valentine's Day falls in line with my account of history In Ancient Rome there used to be a Deity called Lupercus, who was protector of shepards. Lupercus, through its pagan priesthood protected the livelihood of the shepard by watching over his sheep. During an annual Festival held around Feb.. 15th young men and women would place their name in a pot and a lottery would be held. Names would be drawn and these young folks would be paired together and basically be kind and look after one another's needs for the course of the year. I believe some people characterize these pairings as "partnerships" make a strong inference that these young people were sexual partners, but I don't agree. When Rome decided that paganism and Earth-centered traditions were ruining the Empire (read: preventing them from controlling the actions, values and resources of common folk) they began to endorse Christianity and make war on pagan beliefs. Lupercus was a casualty of said actions. As the myth goes there was an imprisoned Christian saint named Valentine (and no, I have no idea how an infant religion already had named saints) who wrote a note to the jailer's daughter signed "From your Valentine". This individual was also said to have secretly married other prisoners to whomever they loved on the outside. That he was imprisoned by a past Roman emperor generated great interest among the people. As word got out other people began to send "valentine cards" and the Roman Empire decided to support this act over the Festival of Lupercus and used it as an opportunity to drive pagans into the underground and kill off as many indigenous priests as possible. Now, considering how Europeans turned out after they lost their Earth-centered traditions I would be hard pressed to find any good reason to support the birth of one of the holidays born out of this period. But again, to each his own. I assume once we have grown fond of anything it is easy to rationalize that any heinous act that birthed is of no importance, if we didn't take part in it directly. So is the way of the modern Westerner - one who can easily rationalize any act of empty values. The Compromise I can't remember the exact date, but I am sure it was in the early 90's that I found myself emotionally attached and "loony" over a woman that I had been seriously dating in college. I was decidedly Africentric and she was really on the fringes of cultural awareness, so when I overheard some other men making Valentine's plans for their girlfriends I knew I was in trouble. I could not, scratch that, could not bring myself to celebrate a holiday named after a Christian saint that only exalted so that Romans could rid them self of Earth-centered spirituality. I decided to look for the famous compromise. As an avid African history buff I began to search for some concept, proverb or symbol on which I could create an African alternative to Valentine's Day. I found the adinkra symbol "Eban" and knew I was home free. Eban is an Akan Adinkra symbol which means , "fence". It is the symbol of love, safety and security. The home to the Akan is a special place. A home which has a fence around it is considered to be an ideal residence. The fence symbolically separates and secures the family from the outside. Because of the security and the protection that a fence affords, the symbol is also associated with the security and safety one finds in love. - West African Wisdom: Adinkra Symbols & Meanings After doing a little research, I chose a new date, February 15, 2005 (having no idea that this was the original date of the Festival of Lupercus) and announced it to my girlfriend. We could exchange gifts, so long as they were not inscribed with the words "Valentine's" on them. We could do something fun or loving, but not romantic (I don't have enough space in this blog for a breakdown of romance, but I suggest that readers check out Metu Neter Vol 1 and The Spirit of Intimacy to understand why object to such things.) Better yet, we could use the time to recount occasions in the past when we had exhibited our love for one another. (Now check the language, we were to recount, not pretend or make up for lack of moments of love.) I was nervous as as I explained it all, but as I remember, it went over well. We celebrated Eban Day at least twice together and then later again as friends. This compromise allowed her to hold on to something that she was not ready to let go of entirely and it allowed me move on without backtracking to something that would have been entirely oppressive to my development. I offer to the conscious folks among us "Eban Day" and say enjoy it, pass it on and use it as a bridge between you and those you cherish. (Now I haven't created a compromise that gets you out of smelling chittlin's and cow tongue on Thanksgiving Day. You are on your own. Get some balls why don't you?) http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/htmls/adinkra/eban.htm http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1877662038/rootsandrooted/103-4496037-5636641?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link_code=xm2 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688175791/rootsandrooted/104-3698577-7174339?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link_code=xm2

Libation - A Poem

olokun — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 22:59:30 GMT

Libation Within a circle that stretches endless miles around the cleansing force of devotion cast in the mold of Egungun. In the older faces, flicker the mysteries of walking this ground quietly and humbly without losing step. Visions and dreams are their wings. Teaching, hinting admonishing "This is our way of Living." From many countries, Ancestors are gathering here in the circle, so close that the Asadua cloth of one brushes against the Aseesenti of another until the expression, intent, momentum are the same. The languages melt and form one message of past, present, and future. and the voices are a testament. This is a continuum of life and the kingdom of Axum and the city of New Orleans arethesame. and WE arethesame. and endless trek of life as human, as African heading towards God's end to begin all over again.

5,000 Warriors Strong

olokun — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 20:04:09 GMT

As some of you already know I am one of the staff members at www.assatashakur.org. (There are actually quite a few here on myspace) What you may not know is that www.assatashakur.org is the largest online repository of information, news, photos, articles, poetry and press releases about Assata Shakur in the world. What you may also be unaware of is that we operate a Monthly Action Alert Campaign which seeks to create a legitmate global network of activists in every country and on every continent in the world. We are building a network of 5,000 activists or warriors as we call them, to join us each month in suggesting, planning and implementing simple, yet power Action Alerts which impact people locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. The Monthly Action Alert Campaign and www.assatashakur.org is facilitated by the Talking Drum Collective and we are extending an invitation to all positive, Africentic, Pan-Afrikans that want to make history, not just read about it. We need your help. To date we have: 1. Established the only Pan-Afrikan Hurricane Katrina Fund 2. Supported Independent Africentric Schools 3. Contributed to the effort to free Veronza Bowers, framed Black Panther Party member. 4. Addressed the brutal police attack of one of SNCC's founders, Mukasa Dada. 5. Applied pressure to investigators working on racially motivated murder in Georgia. (Pre-Alert effort) 6. Assisted prisoners that were being mistreated in various prison systems. (Pre-Alert effort) We are interested in issues of hunger, homelessness, political exile, prison reform, police brutality, community development, education, institutional racism, gender bias, youth development, holistic health and more. This is unlike any other action alert system currently implemented online and we will host our 1st Annual Assata Shakur Retreat in Atlanta in the Summer of 2006 for active members of the Collective. Please join us in fighting the good fight. Assata Speaks! (Hands Off Assata) http://assatashakur.org Monthly Action Alert Campaign http://assatashakur.org/resist.htm Assata Speaks! Forums (The largest Pan-Afrikan Messageboard in the world) http://assatashakur.org/forum Talking Drum Collective http://assatashakur.org/resist.htm#drum

Ten Things Every Afrikan Spiritualist Should be Doing to Help Usher in Positive Earth Changes

olokun — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 18:14:33 GMT

1.Investigate and practice indigenous Afrikan spiritual practices everyday. (Meditation, ancestral reverence etc.) 2.Stop all non-ritual tobacco, alcohol and hallucinogen use. 3.Eat right and exercise regularly. 4.Build small and large community institutions (even if you already have other obligations). 5.Study and practice an Afrocentric/Pan-Afrikan value system with at least one other person or family, such as the Nguzo Saba, with the intent of adding new people each day, each month, each year and each decade until you have built a community that shares an ethics system. 6.Investigate and practice traditional (not modern) African (not euro or arab) models of gender equity. 7.Only engage in healthy, ethical and uplifting Pan-Afrikan relationships. Stop the eurocentric practice of casual sex and serial dating. 8.Learn how to defend and fight your enemies via spirituality. 9.Stay abreast of what is happening politically, socially and spiritually where ever Afrikan people are - not just in your own country. 10. Have a sense of humor.

Under Seige

olokun — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 02:50:50 GMT

From all sides, at every corner Afrikan culture and Afrikan people are under seige. We are taken hostage, intimidated, berated, spied upon, analyzed, studied, coerced and culturally preyed upon. The "new" thing is to suggest that race is imaginary. That ethnicity is unimportant. How convienant now that Europeans have successfully demonized and stigmatized every culture of color on the planet. Now that we have all been sufficiently colonized and socialized to act like, empathize with, think like and fight for white political imperatives and turn our backs on our own Ancestors, traditions and Gods - it seems natural that they would say "hey, let's forget race too." Afterall, we are all acting white now, so they might as well convince us to give our labels too. This is a war. A war that I intend to fight. A war that I intend on winning. I will push back the hoardes. I will ignite the flame of pride - and more importantly, IDENTITY in the children. I tell my son's teacher, "My son does not have a father. He has a Baba." I tell his classmates "Do not call me Mr. ---, Call me Baba." My son greets the Egun daily. (He is four years old.) He knows that a BLACK name for God is Olodumare. He is not dupped into believing that the Orisa do not have an interest in justice for Afrikans. He does not believe that Egun are "above" racial tension. He is at war. He will be ready to fight when I am too old to go any further. We are at seige. From all sides, at every corner...and I am not Afraid. I do not entertain accusations that I am a racist. This is subterfuge. This is like a bully calling you insensitive for not accepting his apology for beating you everyday after school for 3 years when he finally comes to his senses. They are trying to throw you off track, appeal to your humanity (while denying their own) they are pulling at your heart. Do not let them. I have love for humanity. But I have priorities. And it begins with wide noses, full lips and thick hips. I will see the Afrikan regain his rightful place - even if I have to watch the end results as an Ancestor from Heaven. I will see the sun rise again. For those with black skin that believe there race is artificial i say "go ask your Ancestors". They will set you straight. They are way too wise to fall back on cowardly stances like "there are good and bad people of all colors." They know that the greatest acts of violence and madness are the accomplishments of one people. They will also tell you that we are far to busy to be assuming each one is good or to go out of our way to find them. We assume they are not good, until proven wrong. This is intelligence. A wise man would chose no other stance during a time of war. Correct? To win this war, we must reclaim our spirituality, our customs, our ethics, our languages and be ourself again. We must stop parroting theories of trickology which would have white people bathing in their own identity and us scampering behind them. If they can the shamrock, we can have the adinkra. If they can have catholicism, we can have Akan. If they can wear plaid, we can wear kente. More later.

Winter Solstice, Drugs and Elders

olokun — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 18:42:08 GMT

Winter Solstice, Drugs and Elders I would like to remind everyone of the upcoming Winter Solstice which begins on Dec 21 2005 1:35 PM EST. This is a very important time of the year, as it indicates a shift in energy, from active to dormant. IT IS A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN CUSTOM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CHANGING OF SEASONS AND DO SPECIFIC RITUALS, CEREMONIES AND PERSONAL SPIRITUAL PRACTICES THAT HELP US ADJUST AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EACH OF THESE YEARLY CHANGES. Here is one suggestion: When Winter Solstice arrives, you should spend more time indoors with your Deity and Ancestral Spirits and in particular your Spiritual Intuition or True Self. During the winter months meditate and visualize (not verbalize) what you would like to accomplish in the spring, summer and fall months. See yourself DOING those things and visualize yourself EXPERIENCING success in those activities. If you know how to do divination be sure to make sure your goals are in harmony with your Destiny. The best time to begin your meditations is 7:00PM until the sunrise. You may have been taught an alternate time in the evening to begin your meditation session or specific hour blocks by an expert meditation instructor. These times that your instructor recommended are ideal for you, use them. I used to organize group Winter Solstice meditations. I can not say enough good things about this kind of group dynamic. Meditation, Alcohol and Hallucinogens You should never begin a meditation with a full stomach or if you are under the influence of alcohol or a natural hallucinogen. Only trained spiritualists should be using or recommending hallucinogens as a part of a spiritual practice. While we are on the subject of hallucinogens and drugs…'…'. Any spiritualist that uses unnatural substances or ANY narcotic for recreational or “pseudo-spiritual” purposes is not a reputable or trustworthy Elder. Drugs are manufactured by chemists and drug dealers under the spiritual energies of chaos, greed, murder, capitalism, racism and anger. Why would anyone suggest that you EVER partake of these items? They are NOT holy sacraments. Any Elder that is dependent on natural substances to “get through the day” or to cope with stress is also suspect. Any Elder that only knows how to contact Spirit with the use of a hallucinogen is questionable. Get to know the indigenous tradition that you are practicing. Are you sure that “plant” should be ingested, smoked or drank EVERY time you get together? (Smile) If you come across this type of “elder”, do not follow their spiritual advice or join ritual/ceremony that is led by them. IF you use natural hallucinogens, you should have your practice “Ok’ed” via a divination reading with an initiated Priest of an indigenous spiritual tradition. If you are doing the right thing you should have nothing to be worried about, Deity or Ancestral Spirits will confirm that this practice is it okay for you.

The Best of You on Your Worst Day

olokun — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 17:20:27 GMT

Read along: I challenge ME to be the BEST ME on MY WORST DAY. I will not make excuses. I will not use foul language. I will not be revengeful. I will not harbor resentement. I will not wish bad things. I will not regret. I will not be afraid. I will not lie. I will not run away. Not even on my worst day.

The Negative Impact Of Cursing

olokun — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 14:14:10 GMT

I can't say that I don't curse. Maybe a foul word or two every couple of days. They usually come while I am driving, and YOU have just cut me off, or "made me" miss a light. lol More often than not, it becomes a part of the arsenal I use in conveying social injustice or my frustration with social injustice. But I have always known the greater truth - curse words birth, cultivate and perpetuate negative energy. Even casual use. What's the golden rule? Nothing is destroyed, its simply changes forms. This is what guides our understanding of Ancestorship. No one goes away, they just change form. Well, the same goes for words, both verbal or mentally projected. Those words add to the existing climate of things for better or worse. As spiritualist, and more importantly as traditionalists, we should be cognizant and respectful of the power of word. We should not make excuses or pretend that the power of word begins or ends at some moment that convenient for us. All our words matter. Every last one. All our words affect change. Every last one. Some words are more obviously sacred than others. They contain key sounds and have been borne specifically to work above and beyond what other words do. They words find their ways into prayers, incantations, ritual space and secret conversations. Some of these words will never be heard by the masses. Yes. There are words that matter who you are, you will not gain access to them. They are that powerful, that their caretakers pass them on to a limited group of people in their cultural group each generation. No matter what grade of 'sacred word' you have access to, you benefit from the energy or vibrational content of not only uttering that word, but also all the energy cultivated by former users before you. Words literally collect and grow in power over time. But mundane social language has power too. Words like "wow" and "shit" have vibrational energy that is the result of all their prior uses by their prior users. When we say them, we INVOKE the energy of those prior occurrences into our life, and into our present. We invite them into our space. For those of you that study some form of "aura" based spiritual science you are aware that every emits energy and that energy can be cataloged by the color associated with it. We know as rational spiritualists that "wow" and "shit" do not, could not, would not and can not emit the same aura, cultivate the same energy, invoke the same spiritual vibration. Using common sense, we can assume that curse words can only bring negative energy into the world, as they are not true exclamations of joy, happiness or peace. They are sarcastic, antagonistic, depressing, enraging, offensive, ambivalent and cynical. They are at their core these words represent everything that we don't like about ourselves and life in general. They are anti-thesis to the spiritual philosophy of Iwa-Pele and any indigenous view of spiritual progress. A curse word is not uttered in spiritual communion, it is uttered as a sign of disconnect from Self, Community, Life and/or Spirit. While these words express our frustrations, they do not help us solve those frustrations. In fact, I am sure spiritual evidence would show that they make the spiritual climate worst. It is for these reasons, that we should do more than just be selective in when and how we use curse words, but we should be determined to wipe them from our mouths and psyche. After all, every curse word you ever uttered is out there in the world, seeking and strengthening itself with like energy. It will not dissipate, it will not be destroyed, it will only change form. It will exist until you retract it or transform it. In light of the sheer difficulty of such a task, perhaps the best we can ask it that we just won't invoke any more negative vibrations through cursing in the future. Perhaps the roots of cursing has already been uncovered. I am always reminded of the smug debutante that would relay to all the other kids what she learned in etiquette class, “People that curse are people with trouble expressing themselves.” (Oh, did I dislike that girl growing up!) But maybe she was on point with her observation. I have never finished an Orisa ritual and felt like cursing afterwards. I don't get up from a meditation session with a curse word on my tongue. When fully engaged and connected to Spirit, I choose not only less offensive words to express myself, I do so with great ease. So what's this mean? As spiritualists, and more importantly as traditionalists, each of us should be finding a way to bring our spiritual space into the other aspects of our lives. We should seeing every aspect of our life, whether it be our time behind the steering wheel, or at the job, or on the softball diamond at the family reunion as a spiritual experience, and routinely breathing, praying and invoking the right energy into our lives. Maybe when we do this, we naturally turn away from language that can only serve to contribute all of the counterproductive energy and reality created by people. It seems like a lot work, but it certainly sounds worth it. So today, let's make a commitment to use words that always cultivate positivity. Let's also cement those efforts by invoking the kind of spiritual attitude that it requires to keep that commitment. this article is reprinted from my site: www.rootsandrooted.org/cursing.htm

Pan-Afrikan Hurricane Relief - Taking care of our own

olokun — Sat, 01 Oct 2005 18:30:53 GMT

My son started a new preschool in September. I was happy to know his teacher was Afrikan. Before his first day of school I dropped by to talk to her about the important of people seeing their own and relying on their own and how critical is was for him to be able to seek her out when the black faces got thin. The Pan-Afrikan Hurricane Relief Project works along the same vein. Instead of waiting, wondering and hoping that others will empathize with the plight of Black people in the Gulf States, the Project intends to help them now, our own terms and with our resources. This Project is faciltated by Assata Speaks! (www.assatashakur.org) and the Talking Drum Collective (www.thetalkingdrum.com). It is revolutionary, africentric, human-centered intiative. It is not relying on federal government aid, red cross support or any other high overhead, wish-washy, racist organization or institution to aid our people. www.assatashakur.org/resist.htm www.assatashakur.org/1005.htm

Aborting William Bennett Will Lower Crime

olokun — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 17:06:52 GMT

Where is Kanye West when you need him? Hopefully, White Americans won't continue to spout on the fantasy that "most white people aren't bigoted." Afterall, if you can't trust the man that was formerly responsible for the proper education of every African-American child in America [to not be a racist], who can you trust? Time and time again, White Americans demonstrate a dedication to White supremacy that is only superceded by their loyalty to individualism, materialism and colonization of the world. William Bennett had this to say yesterday, "But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down," ...and followed up by calling it "an impossible, ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down. So these far-out, these far-reaching, extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky." Tricky? Does that mean White need to explore good ways to convince Black people that its really good idea for us, we just dont know it yet? Or does that mean White people just need to catch us while we are sleeping in the wee hours of the evening? And exactly how reprehensible could it be to Bennet if he still decided to say it on live radio? Quite literally every White American must stand up, protest and marginalize this man or Black people have every right to suspect every last one of you, from here on out. Prove today, once and for all, that White people in general believe in racial harmony. Attack Bennet so viciously that he left poor, panhandling for change wearing a velvet jumpsuit that he got from the Salvation Army. Anything less and as far as I am concerned, "all of you said it." Spite down your brother to save the "kingdom".

Loving Assata

olokun — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 22:00:55 GMT

It's not so often that one of your greatest heroes is even alive. So many of us are drawn to people that gone. We loved "that one song" or we appreciated that "great book" - reflections often made after we know we won't get anymore greatness from them. This is not the case with Assata. She is still very alive and despite the efforts of the Federal Pigs, she is very safe. Assata Shakur was a prominent Black Panther and Black Guerilla Army member that was charged with the murder of a New Jersey State Trooper although all the evidence indicates that she was critically wounded by the policeman's "pre-emptive gunfire" and was unable to hold, much less fire a weapon. After giving birth to a child in prison, and determining that her fate, and her justice would have to be taken, rather than given unbiasedly by the judicial system she worked to break out of prison. She now resides in Cuba despite numerous cash awards for her capture. Her autobiography will be a classic in African-American history forever. A few years ago I happened to make friends with a group of people that were operating www.assatashakur.org and decided to help. We rebuilt the site, eventually making it the largest repository of all things Assata. We eventually were allowed to run official statements issued directly from her legal team and advocates here in the States. Its been both and honor and a pleasure. What's even better is that unlike my love for Fannie Lou Hamer or Malcolm X, my love for Assata can mean something right now. By supporting the Hands Off Assata Campaign I can help keep her free. And she in return can continue to give more greatness to the world.