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Three Ways To Know When You’re On The Right Path

A client wrote me yesterday and said he felt spiritually off-track!

artist unknown

artist unknown

He wanted advice for getting his life back on track…

Before I share my thoughts about how to get back on-track, how do you know if you’re on the right path to begin with?

YOU KNOW BECAUSE:

Divine Intervention: It was revealed to you through divination, a vision, a dream, your own Spirit, or by some other spiritual means.

It Resonates With You Strongly: For reasons you can’t explain, it just feels right. I’ll never forget the night I had a reading with a Nigerian Ifa priest, and he told me I was destined to be an Ifa priest and a diviner as well. He also revealed my spiritual name. I felt like a cloud lifted that night; like I heard this before in a different life time. Everything seemed to fit. Even my problems had a special meaning.

You Can’t Stop Thinking About It: If you’re thinking about it all the time, I can assure you that you are being called by Spirit to explore it, or pursue it. And it’s not only about you and your search for meaning. It’s also about you building a relationship with those who are trying to help you and guide you in Spirit. The longer you stay on the path, the stronger your relationship with your spirit guides will become and the clearer you’ll hear their voice and what’s being asked of you.

THE RIGHT PATH IS DIFFICULT:

Just because you feel stagnant or you’re having a rough time on your journey, doesn’t mean that you’re not on the right track.

Unfortunately, too often we’re lead to believe that if things go smoothly, that’s a good omen, and if things go badly, then it’s a sure sign that you’re doing something wrong or you’ve chosen the wrong path.

Hell No: Every path has difficulty! Every single path will bring you face-to-face with negativity at one point or another.

I’ve had so many negative experiences on the journey to creating my film: stressful times filming in Africa; delays with funding; unreliable business partners, and at times, unsupportive family members.

Yet, the journey of being a filmmaker is also fulfilling. It just comes with a high price. I’m willing to pay the price for pursuing my vision. Are you willing to pay the price for pursuing yours? If not, then you must be willing to pay the price of NOT following your dreams. Either way, there’s a price to pay.

GETTING BACK ON TRACK:

So how do you get back on track?

1. Be committed to your spiritual path or your calling. You can’t just pursue it when you feel like doing it, because you won’t feel like doing it 50% of the time. Make it a part of your daily routine.

2. Follow the inspiration you feel every day. When inspiration speaks, God and the ancestors are speaking to you. Tune into the energy of the inspiration and go wherever you feel led.

3. Pay attention to your feelings. My work as a diviner has taught me that many people are profoundly out of touch with their own feelings. If you’re not in touch with your feelings, you won’t have clarity, and without clarity, there’s no way to move forward.

4. Remember the big picture: the spiritual journey is not merely about you. It’s about being of service. Be clear about the best way for you to serve others, and go about the business of delivering it every day.

Despite the hardships you’ll encounter from time to time, your path will bring you to a place of fulfillment.

But only if you stay on it!

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Blessings

James Weeks
Producer/Across The King’s River

The Promise of Ifa

We’ve just finished breakfast! And soon I’ll have the house to myself because Stephanie, my wife, and Malcolm, my son, will be taking all four grandchildren to the movies.

The little rascals (Malcolm’s kids) don’t live with us. They visit every other weekend. Jakari, 8, loves to eat; he also loves school and soccer. He almost scored in his last game, he tells me. And he’s still on the honor roll. Naya, 5, is an old soul: helpful, refined and sweet! Mai Mai, 4, is cute as hell. No doubt about that. She isn’t afraid of anybody, and she’ll give you a “beat down” if you mess with her. And Jadan, 4, is just coming out of his shell. He whines a bit too much (if you ask me), but who knows, maybe he’ll grow out of it soon.

Malcolm and Mai Mai

Malcolm and Mai Mai

All in all, I enjoy their visits! They’re affectionate and they make me happy! “Papi,” that’s what they call me. I love it – it’s a cool name. And when Stephanie asked what I wanted for my birthday, I didn’t have to think about it. What’s there to think about? The answer came right away. Cake and ice cream with my grandchildren, I blurted out. Shouldn’t every birthday be this way?

And while I ate with my little ones, I couldn’t help but reflect on the power and promise of Ifa.

We’ve come a long way!

You see, 10 years ago I couldn’t imagine that there would be peace in my family. That’s because Malcolm was giving us hell night and day. He was 16 at the time. And to say he was merely in a dark place would be more than an understatement – it would be misleading.

Back then he was an aspiring thug who ran with gangs in the streets of Oakland. He was arrested numerous times and spent months in Juvenile Hall for stealing a car.

And we didn’t know if he would live or die.

But Ifa turned things around for us.

I took Malcolm to Nigeria with me when I went to be initiated into Ifa. There, the elders performed ebo (ritual) to help him. They also assured me that I would see “good things in my family”.

The changes in Malcolm didn’t happen over night, but they happened. And the changes are still happening even though 10 years have passed since our trip to Africa. I’m grateful because some of his friends are in jail and others have long been buried in the cemetery.

These days, Malcolm, 28, works two jobs and stays out of trouble. He still has important life lessons to learn, but so do all of us.

As for me? These days I’m a busy filmmaker and Ifa priest. As an Ifa priest, I help clients facing a wide range of challenges.

And if you come for divination, I’m sure I can relate to you because I’ve had my share of problems too. But I’ve learned there are solutions. Maybe you can’t see them but the orisas can.

Amazing things have happened for some of my clients. Miracles. And when I witness them, I get on the phone to tell my mentors in Africa all about it.

Though we can’t always predict when the change you seek will come to your life, have faith that it can.

Then work hard and never give up. The power of Ifa is no joke. The orisas for me and can work for you!

And that’s a promise…

Blessings

James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River

Chanelling With Medium Tahira West

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.
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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

Can Your Ancestors Help You Be Healthy and Happy?

The spirits of the dead may play a much bigger role in our health, wealth and happiness than we realize, says Dave Cumes M.D., an accomplished surgeon who is also known for his expertise in African healing traditions.

Cumes has taught at Stanford University and has a private urology practice in Santa Barbara, California. He is also a fully initiated “sangoma”, or medicine man who spent years studying the sacred healing traditions of his native South Africa.

He is committed to bridging Western medicine and African healing wisdom.

“Western scientists believe that they are on the cutting edge of the new age of healing. However, we may have missed the boat entirely. We may be technical wizards but when it comes to the human spirit, we are really only beginners,” says Cumes.

“Many sangomas cannot read or write but they understand the principles of healing better than most Western-trained physicians,” adds Cumes, who lectures extensively and also provides spiritual readings, or divination sessions for clients.

Cumes believes Westerners can learn a lot from African sacred traditions. “Although some of the principles are difficult to understand, they work. They are the roots of healing, and they are still practiced to this day. We can only benefit from what we can learn from them,” Cumes says.

Perhaps Westerners can start by developing a relationship with their ancestors. “Indigenous African people believe in the ancestors and that they are there to help, protect and sustain us. If your ancestors turn aside, you are defenseless in life, like a paper blowing in the wind. If we are attentive and listen carefully for their messages, we will enjoy more health, wealth, and happiness,” he says.

In his book, Africa In My Bones, Cumes cites a study conducted by researchers at John Hopkins Medical Center which suggests a link between health and one’s relationship or lack of relationship with family.

“Researchers at the John Hopkins Medical Center studied the health of a group of more than one thousand medical students from the classes of 1948 to 1964. Researchers discovered that those physicians who developed cancer had much lower scores on closeness to parents, especially to their fathers,” says Cumes.

Cumes, who will share some of his insights in “Across The King’s River,” an upcoming documentary film by James Weeks that explores African healing traditions and modern science, says the research is still ongoing. “As Westerners, we might say that the parent’s love created lifelong balance, stability, and meaning and that it facilitated good health in the child. Indigenous African belief, however, may attribute the progeny’s good health to the dead parents’ and the grandparents’ protective spirits,” explains Cumes.

Weeks said it is gratifying to see that the Western medical establishment is finally starting to see value in what African healers have been saying and doing for centuries. “Maybe one day when you visit your doctor in the West or a psychologist, they’ll ask: ‘Do you have a relationship with your ancestors?” says Weeks with a laugh.

And how does one build a relationship with ancestors?

“One of the most effective ways to connect with ancestors is to set up an ancestor altar or shrine,” says popular African shaman Malidoma Some. “Doing so provides us with an invaluable tool to help focus our attention and awareness of their presence in our lives. It is also a tool to help deepen and nurture a relationship with them. There is no correct way to build a shrine to the Ancestors; use your intuition and imagination! It can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. Let the ancestors guide you!”

Malidoma, one the leading voices of African spirituality in the West, will also be featured in the film Across The King’s River. On his website, www.malidoma.com, Malidoma provides the following tips for building an ancestral shrine.

Choose a comfortable location in your home (or on your land) that can be designated as sacred space.

Choose a table or flat surface of any size or shape. Using a space on the floor or ground is fine.

You can choose to cover the surface or not. If you do, choose a cloth of any color or fabric. Items to put on the shrine can include:

Photographs of deceased family members or names written on paper

Cherished personal items passed down to you from relatives

A glass or bowl of water

Candles

Flowers or plants

Rocks or dirt from your Ancestors’ place of birth or homeland

Food and drink. This can be a small portion of your meals set aside for the Ancestors. Or you can place fresh fruit on the shrine

Spirits of alcohol, i.e. vodka, gin, rum, whiskey

Keep in mind that what is important is your sincere effort and good intention. Building an altar to the ancestors can be fun! There will come a time when the Ancestors will speak to you about what they want on their shrine. Pay attention and just listen!

How you honor and revere your ancestors is a personal thing. At your altar you can pray, talk, sing, chant, cry, meditate, recite poetry, etc. You can whisper or shout to them the most intimate details of your life. There is no right or wrong way to communicate with them and pay your respects. The important thing is that you do, and that you are sincere and genuine. It must come from your heart! In return, the ancestors will provide guidance, encouragement, and support. In time, your relationship with them will grow and you may find that you look forward to a daily commune with your ancestors.

For more information on Across The King’s River, visit www.acrossthekingsriver.com

Spiritual Readings

After studying the divinations techniques of Chief Obafemi Fayemi and Christopher Sangodare Brown, I've finally branched out to begin offering spiritual readings to the public. I was initiated into Ifa in 2003 by Aseda Agbaye, one of the 16 major Ifa diviners and priests in the world.

Although Ifa predicted many years ago that I would actively divine for others, I often wondered when the prediction would come to pass. I've learned that the words of Ifa do indeed manifest but often not exactly when we think it will. It's important to stay open and leave everything in the able hands of the orisas and the ancestors.

Divination is a beautiful and mathematically precise way of getting spiritual guidance to help you through current challenges. Not sure what decisions to make? A reading will give you the clarity to lead a more successful and harmonious life. My offering of spiritual readings comes from a place of reverence and service. If you would like to schedule a reading, please call me at 510-388-5500 or email me at james@acrossthekingsriver.com