So you’ve set up an altar (or shrine) for your ancestors, and you make regular offerings to them. Yet, you find yourself wondering if you’re truly connecting with Spirit or merely going through the motions.

Here are some tips that I’ve found helpful for building a stronger connection with your Egungun (ancestors).

MAKE IT A PRIORITY: Your relationship with your ancestors is just that – a relationship. And like any relationship, you need to be fully committed in order to make it work. You also need to make sure that you are available if you want them to communicate with you. This means spending time in silence, prayer, meditation or any activity that uplifts your spirit or slows down the rhythm of your life so that meaningful spiritual communication can take place.

BE GENEROUS: Yes, the ancestors can guide and help you in ways beyond your imagination. But never approach them with a list of demands. Your loved ones in Spirit work with you but not for you – it’s a partnership. Be prepared to give, not merely receive. Remember, your ancestors are not “dead”; they are alive in another dimension and are still learning and growing. The Egungun are fully aware of your thoughts and feelings, so be sure to send them positive energy and love to support them on their spiritual journey too.

BE OPEN: Despite what some people might have you believe, the ancestors have no limitations when they want to communicate with you. They can use anyone or anything to deliver a message: they can communicate through dreams, feelings, inspiration, nature, literature and music. And they are not stuck in the past. They are fully aware of modern technology and can manipulate lights, television sets and even cell phones to get your attention. Be open and alert. They know you well and will use the best method to get through to you.

BE TRUSTING: Don’t expect a lightening bolt from the sky. Messages from Spirit are often subtle, soft. So subtle that you might miss them. Pay attention to your feelings because ancestors often communicate through feelings – not words. Pause for a moment. How do you feel right now? Where is it that feeling coming from? Is it coming from you or from Spirit? What inspired you to read this article? Was it your idea or did your ancestors inspire you to read this? Spirit is all around you and guide you more than you realize. Trust what you feel inspired to do.

TAKE ACTION: Don’t waste Spirit’s time. One of my mentors said this to me one day. It takes a lot of energy for your ancestors to communicate with you. And you’re wasting their time if you never listen or do anything to move your life forward. Are you living in fear or faith? Are you taking steps to empower yourself? Are you empowering others? Are you leaving a legacy that others might aspire to follow? Take at least one step each day to move your life forward. Your ancestors are alive and well. Make them proud by living your life to the fullest.

Blessings

James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River

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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

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“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

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The client couldn’t believe it. The shift in her sister’s behavior was so profound, my client had a good laugh and called to tell me about it.

For months, the relationship between Tamara, my client, and her sister had been tense, ugly. “Evil” – that’s how Tamara described her sister to me. They both live together with their Mom, and when Tamara consulted me for Ifa divination, the reading indicated that sacrifice was necessary.

And so I dutifully offered one rooster to Esu, the orisa of the crossroads and opportunity, and one rooster to Ifa, since that’s what the reading called for.

A few weeks later, when Tamara called to tell me that things at home had magically turned around for the better, I smiled. I not only felt proud, I felt honored. It also inspired me to go deeper in my studies as an Ifa diviner and priest.

Sacrifice is as old as the hills! It remains an integral part of African healing traditions. It worked in ancient times and it still works today. It’s also controversial because the Western world misunderstands it – or pretends not to understand it.

The truth is that every society and culture on earth practices sacrifice in one way or another. Life feeds on life. Some form of life must die so that you can live. Every meal (whether you’re a vegetarian or not) is a form of sacrifice. Period!

Sacrifice is an ancient way of redirecting energy to bring about desired change: progress, improved relationships, improved health, better business results, etc. To the ancient African mind, only a fool will ignore the call for sacrifice.

In the book: “The Healing Power of Sacrifice,” Chief Priest Yemi Elebuibon, says: sacrifice is important because (a). It is a means of expressing gratitude to spiritual beings. (b). It is a means of fulfilling a vow. (c). It is used for establishing communication and communion between humankind and spiritual beings. (d). It is used for averting the danger of the divinities and spirits. (e). It is a means of warding off the attack and evil machinations of the enemy. (f). It is a means of purifying a person or a community when a certain taboo has been broken. (g). It prevents or expels epidemics. (h). It strengthens the worshippers against malign influences).”

And in the book, “Of Water and The Spirit,” Malidoma Some says: “The purpose of ritual is to create harmony between the human world and the world of the gods, ancestors , and nature.”

Malidoma also explains how disaster struck home when his father, who had been lured away from his spiritual roots by Christianity, refused to perform an ancient ritual for his twin daughters. “One morning Elizabeth caught a mysterious illness that no one could diagnose. She died at noon. During her funeral Marguerite died while running wild with grief. The funeral intensified. People knew what was going on. Twins don’t die on the same day. Pascal, the eldest son, expired two weeks after the funeral of Elizabeth and Marguerite. Nobody knew what killed him. He had been playing with friends and suddenly cried out that he was dying. Julia, the unfortunate mother, died of sorrow during the funeral of her son.”

I’ve always loved this passage in “Of Water and The Spirit” and used to read it over and over again. It boggled my mind how a series of tragedies could be set in motion by failure to perform a ritual. Luckily, Malidoma’s father eventually performed the ritual, but by then so much damage had already been done.

How or why ritual or sacrifice works seems counter-logical to most Westerners. But when the call for sacrifice or ritual shows up in divination readings, I will always advise my clients to comply with it. Just like my ancestors did before me.

Life sometimes has a nasty way of punishing those who refuse to listen!

Now over to you: what are your thoughts on sacrifice (ebo) ritual? What has been your experience? Feel free to comment!

Blessings

James

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“Nobody starts out in life planning to give all their power away. But you give your power away when: you don’t believe in yourself, or when you don’t stand up for yourself, or when you doubt yourself, or when you believe that others are somehow more sacred or special than you, or when you believe that you’ve failed and won’t get up to try again. Well, your ancestors have something to say about all of this. It’s time to reclaim the power that you once had and still have.”

- James Weeks

I posted this message on the FB fan page for Across The King’s River recently. It was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my godchildren who will be receiving her hand of Ifa soon. As a newbie to the Orisa tradition she had many questions. And so I set aside some time so we could go over the basics: the important of ancestor worship; the role of Esu in the hierarchy of orisas, and the role of Orunmila, etc.

But I also spoke to her about power, her own power and how she must never forget she is powerful . And if she ever forgets it, I’ll step in to remind her.

I had to tell her this because I’ve seen so many people give their power away. Always looking outside themselves and rarely looking within where so much raw power and intuition resides – for free!

“The orisas and the ancestors will often speak to you from the core of your being,” I told her. “You have to learn to trust yourself. If you can’t do that, you can’t grow. It’s a simple as that.”

Many folks who give their power away have no idea they are doing so. In fact, they have good intentions. They are sincere seekers who are hungry to learn and want to do things right.

And right for them means they want to do things exactly as it’s done in Africa not realizing that how things are done might vary from one lineage to another and we all must decide what resonates with us.

I’m all for tradition and I know Africa has a lot to teach us. But I know we have a lot to offer Africa and the world too. And we can begin by remembering that we also have a wealth of wisdom available to us right here, right now, if we respect the intuition, and originality and creativity flowing on the inside.

We disrespect ourselves and our ancestors when we fail to acknowledge the leadership that comes from our own souls. What your soul has to say is relevant. How you feel is relevant. What you think is relevant. Never forget this.

Every one has a unique contribution to make: every soul, every star, every tree, every bird, every fish, every river, every stone and every blade of grass has something to unique to say about what it means to be Spirit and what this journey to earth is all about.

Never forget it

Blessings

James Weeks

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A client recently asked what type of offering he should make to the orisas: Ifa and Ori. He wanted a clearer spiritual connection to the orisas, he explained.

I told him something he probably wasn’t expecting to hear. I told him he should offer trust because if he doesn’t trust himself or his connection to the orisas he can make offerings all day and night and he’ll never make any progress.

And I’ve seen many people go down that road, and they have nothing to show for it. No peace, no progress, no direction, no real conviction. The forces of life blow them around like a leaf in the wind.

Don’t get me wrong. Rituals and offerings (ebo) are important. Perform them whenever divination indicates they are necessary.

But ebo is not a substitute for hard work, character development and trust. You are already connected to the divine. You are Spirit. It’s part of your DNA. You are connected to the orisas and to your ancestors. I don’t think many awos drive these points home. They should.

There’s no way to grow if you don’t trust your own connection to the divine, or if you think the answer is always outside of yourself, or that the only way to connect with the ancestors is by doing yet another ritual or by performing yet another ebo.

The orisas and the ancestors don’t only speak through divination. They also speak through your intuition and your heart. They speak through nature. They speak through your loved ones and in your dreams. Your connection to the spiritual realm is already there – you just need to listen, feel, and act to access it.

Blessings

James

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“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

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“I'm doing The Lord's Work.” That's what my friend, Ifagbemi Fasaye, said recently. Then we both bust out laughing. And the more I thought about it, the more I laughed. I'll be laughing for a very long time. And who knows, maybe I'll start telling folks I'm doing The Lord's work too. Sounds like a noble thing to say.

It's funny to me because Ifagbemi Fasaye is a babalawo. We are both babalawos. Ifagbemi is a Seattle-based Ifa priest who is deeply committed to his calling. Each month, he performs Ifa divination for an average of 40 clients and loves sharing what he's learned about the Orisa tradition over the years. He's a humble brother.

Like most African-americans, Ifagbemi was raised as a Christian before destiny called him to Ifa. The comment about doing The Lord's work struck me as a bit revolutionary and ironic because it challenges centuries of religious bigotry and arrogance. It caught me off guard and made me reflect too.

We are all used to Christian saying they're doing The Lord's Work. But Orisa folks? No. But why not? Since when do Christians have a monopoly on the use of the word “Lord”? Does it belong to them?

And even if

they think it does, don't you think someone ought to tap them on the shoulder and correct them once and for all? It's 2013 – isn't it time for other spiritual traditions to lay claim to “The Lord” too? Just saying!

The sacred verses of Ifa sometimes refers to Orunmila, the orisa of wisdom, as Lord. In the Holy Odu, Osa Otura, Ifa says: “What is truth? Orunmila says: Truth is the Lord of Heaven guiding the earth, the wisdom Olodumare is using, great wisdom. Many wisdoms.”

As priests and priestesses of Ifa, we too are in the business of shaping lives, helping souls to heal. Ours is a rapidly growing global philosophy. We are here to stay. If we feel like saying we're doing The Lord's Work, then so be it – because we are. The Lord Orunmila, that is.

I'm not sure what my Mom will have to say about this. But then, again. She doesn't have to know and I don't plan to ask her. She's Roman Catholic and I went to church with her every Sunday as a kid – against my will. Mom was upset when I sent her a letter saying I was going to Africa to be initiated into Ifa.

That was back in 2002 and she still hasn't accepted it. “When are you going to go to church in Oakland?” she sometimes asks. I ignore the question. It ain't gonna happen. I'm an Ifa priest and I'm working on a film. I'm busy doing the Lord's Work.

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I recently read a great article by Omimelli. She's a blogger at the site, The Mystic Cup. The article is entitled: Is There A Future for Santeria? Ominelli writes eloquently about issues that many of us know or have experienced in some way.

Like the impact of the internet on our traditions: “The power of enhanced communications and the availability of all sort of information without a system of check and balances has created the perfect breeding grounds for merchants of the religion and con artists to flourish and prosper. Before finding shysters was limited to the communities they inhabited and perhaps to the occasional ad to be found on newspapers or word of mouth communications. Now, any so-called initiate can set up shop on the Internet, troll on sites like Facebook looking to insert themselves as experts in conversations and forums, establish a blog or a website and drum up a hefty Santeria business,” writes Ominelli.

She also writes about initiation mills – priests and priestess who are willing to initiate just about anybody for money. “When people set themselves up to initiate anyone who comes through their door, we end up with initiation mills. Initiation mills feed pockets, swell heads with godparents who compete to see how many heads they have managed to incorporate in their ranks; undoubtedly initiation mills feed egos. Overall, the results are detrimental because more often than not, such godparents leave a scattered trail of poorly raised godchildren and oloshas. These new initiates know no better because their so-called elders neglect to do what godparents must do: Teach selflessly,” says Ominelli.

I’ve been thinking about Ominelli’s article because almost every point she raises can be applied to those of us who practice traditional Ifa or other branches of African spirituality. There are awos in Nigeria and other parts of the world who will initiate just about anybody for money. Then, there are those who sell bogus spiritual products on-line or off-line. And let's not get started talking about the outrageous and depressing behavior of some priests and priestesses who lack basic manners (and common sense).

And while we ponder the abuses in Ifa and Santeria, we might as well talk about the abuses in Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and other spiritual paths. Because wherever you look, I promise you'll find it. You'll also find it in every single profession on earth too – from international finance to sports, and who knows, maybe even ballroom dancing. Alas, it's the human condition.

So why even bother starting your spiritual journey? And if you've started, why stay on it? Well, I firmly believe we can't live without Spirit. We are Spirits ourselves. Hoping to thrive without Spirit is like a fish hoping to swim without water. How far do you think you will get? Sure, I've had ups and down along the way, but I've also discovered that when approached with the right motives and when working with the right people, the spiritual journey can be magical, inspirational, a great source of inspiration and strength.

I've met sages and I've met fools along the way. I'm pleased to say that I've also grown an lot. Ifa has empowered me, and I've been given the tools to empower others.

Regardless of what spiritual path you're on, I believe your journey can empower you, too. Find what works for you. Align yourself with people who inspire you and empower you. Trust the intuition that comes from within you. Go where it takes you. Be open. Be brave. Be confident. And be yourself.

Blessings
James

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