by James Weeks | Feb 8, 2015 | Blog
You must honor your Spirit…
This is where you must begin; this is where you must end.
That’s the advice I gave to a client who came for divination tonight
Not only must you honor your Spirit, you must remember that you ARE Spirit!
Forget what everyone else thinks or does.
Be still; attune yourself to what your own Spirit is saying.
Stop thinking you need outside validation for every single decision, for every single step you wish to make.
You don’t…
Listen from within! Be strong! Walk on!
James Weeks/Across The King’s River
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Blessings!
by James Weeks | Jul 21, 2014 | Blog
I lost my first client…
I did my first and last divination for her a few months ago. Last weekend, I got the blow. Her mom called to day that this brilliant, young woman who had so much to offer this world is no longer with us.
She collapsed suddenly and died.
I couldn’t believe it. Still can’t believe it. Her sudden death was yet another reminder that every moment is precious. Can’t take anything, anyone for granted.
How quickly we forget…
Her sudden passing also made me reflect deeply on the work that I do as an Ifa diviner.
You see, from my cultural and spiritual point of view as an Ifa diviner, things didn’t have to turn out this way.
She had been warned…
During the reading Ifa spoke of her health and the need to do ritual to protect it.
Sure, there were other reasons why spiritual work (ebo) was needed and I explained those as well.
But she DID NOT follow through with the rituals, nor did respond to my follow-up email.
Not sure why.
Who knows! Maybe she didn’t have the money! Maybe she didn’t think she was in danger. I clearly recall that health didn’t seem to be a concern when we spoke. She wanted guidance about her career, and her desire to have a baby.
But physically, she felt fine, she said. Sure, she had stress like we all do, but besides that, my client didn’t seem to have any health worries.
The fact that someone who seemed to be so healthy could suddenly die startled me. But it didn’t startle my elders in Africa one bit.
Experience has taught them over and over that when Ifa prescribes ritual medicine, it’s always for a good reason. Even if it doesn’t seem to make logical sense at the time.
Consulting Ifa but not following through with the rituals, is like going to a doctor but not listening to advice nor taking steps to improve your health.
Health issues come up often in my readings!
Given the statistics in our community it’s easy to see why. The report card on African-American health in the U.S. is horrific. Heart disease is the leading killer for ethnic minorities in the U.S. Fifty-percent of African-American women are expected to die from heart disease. One-third of African Americans suffer from high blood pressure. African-Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than whites. Cancer is the second leading cause of death for ethnic minorities. African-American women are 36% more likely to die from breast cancer. African-American men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than whites.
As I reflect on these statistics, I feel deep gratitude for my elders in Africa and their deep, ancient knowledge. They have helped my family through many health issues that could have been devastating.
I feel honored to be a part of this ancient healing and spiritual tradition. It’s not easy working with clients in the West. African healing systems are not well-respected in the minds of many. Clearly, we have a lot of educating to do.
Working as a team, I know we can help save lives. We are committed to our craft.
But you must be willing to listen the first time.
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Blessings
James Weeks/Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Apr 7, 2014 | Blog
Are you taking your medicine? 
No! Not Western medicine! African ritual medicine!
As a professional Ifa diviner based in Oakland, California, I sometimes struggle when it comes time to explain the importance of ritual (ebo) to both new and old clients.
Luckily, my Yoruba friend, Olushola, recently helped me out.
“Just tell them that it’s like going to the doctor and getting medicine,” he said.
I love that analogy because it’s simple…
But in reality it’s way more complex than that, as anyone in the orisa community will tell you.
For starters, in most cases you’re not actually ingesting ritual medicine. Secondly, in many African traditions, you don’t have to be physically present when ritual work is being done.
In the Yoruba tradition, you’ll know if you need “ebo” because it will be revealed during a divination session with a trained Ifa priest/diviner.
Besides health issues, here are other common reasons for why ritual might be needed:
1. Help with financial issues.
2. Help with relationship issues.
3. Ward off spiritual attacks from enemies.
4. For optimum emotional and physical health.
5. To fight witchcraft or sorcery.
Are you in need of some kind of ritual medicine now?
Based on what I know about life and the work that I do with my elders, I have to say yes.
Why?
Because 1. There are things that are going on in your life right now that you are not aware of but should be addressed spiritually. 2. Because it’s a mistake to assume that things are well just because all seems well now. 3. Because ritual can give you the spiritual and competitive advantage you need to move forward in life.
In some cases, ritual (ebo) is a matter of life vs death…
Don’t assume that tomorrow will be like today! It’s important to pay attention to things that you cannot see and address them spiritually, if necessary.
I shudder to think what my life would look like without the help of my elders and all the powerful rituals that have been done on behalf of my family over the years.
I know one thing! It wouldn’t look pretty!
In Nigeria, ritual work can go on for days or even weeks. The elders I work closely with in Ile Ife, Nigeria spend an average of 2 to 3 weeks working on a ritual. It’s a team effort. As many as 5-7 Ifa priests might work together just to complete one ritual for a client. And they might spend 4 to 5 hours a day working on the ritual.
“Ise t’o l’agbara,” (it’s hard work, they say)
How long does it take to see results or changes? It varies. Sometimes you’ll notice the effects right away, but in other cases it can take weeks, or even months, so it’s hella important to be patient.
Also, some situations might call for more than one ritual treatment, (just like a medical patient might need to have more than one surgery or might require ongoing physical or emotional therapy over a period of time.)
What experiences have you had with indigenous rituals or African rituals? I would love to hear about them so be sure to leave a comment.
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Blessings,
James Weeks/Producer, Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Mar 6, 2014 | Blog
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James Weeks
Producer/Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Dec 29, 2013 | Blog
The message I delivered wasn’t the message she wanted to hear…
Vodun Ceremony in Benin
(Photographer Unknown)
She didn’t think it was “spiritual” enough, and she couldn’t understand why I was asking her questions in the divination session.
As for the ritual ebo for her health that Ifa prescribed?
Well, the client said she could tell right away that I was I was trying to “sell” her something that she “really didn’t need”, and furthermore, she could do rituals on her own by just following her intuition.
And so the reading ended. In all probability, I’ll never hear from this client again. Nor do I really want to.
My experience with her made me think of something, my mentor, the late Dr. Afolabi Epega, told me years ago when I was a student diviner.
Many people don’t come to a divination session/spiritual reading prepared to listen. “They want to hear, what they want to hear.” And if they don’t hear what they want to hear, they will discard whatever Spirit has to say.
Though the attitude of this client was pissed me off, it was a great lesson for me on letting go…
Our job as diviners is not to please the client, but to deliver the messages that Ifa says to deliver. Whether the client accepts it or not is their business.
Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re thinking of booking an Ifa divination session:
1. We Are Only Messengers: We have no control over the messages. We give what we get. Ifa often speaks of the past, the present, or the future. Some aspects of the reading might not make sense to you at the time of the consultation but it might make sense later.
2. It’s A Two-Way Street: A divination session/spiritual reading is a dialogue. That means it’s a two-way street. We expect you to ask questions, and we may ask questions of you to get further insight to guide you correctly. If you don’t want to talk about what’s going on in your life, you’re wasting our time and your time.
3. Ritual Ebo Is Important: In Ifa, a ritual (ebo) may be prescribed during or after divination for a number of reasons: health, protection, business success, relationships, etc. If a reading calls for an ebo to be done, we are obligated to tell you, and it’s in your best interest to do it, even if you have to struggle to come up with the funds.
4. Embrace The Truth: As my mentor, Baba Epega told me. “The truth is always the truth. It never changes and it never dies.” Be prepared to deal with the truth. It’s not easy, but in the end it will liberate you.”
As always, I welcome comments. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
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Blessings
James Weeks/Producer Across The King’s River
