by James Weeks | Feb 28, 2018 | Blog
Last October I got an email from Ade Anifowose…
The email said: “I’m a Nigerian who is learning more about my country, traditions and roots in America. I feel a resonance with your energy and your perspective on African spirituality. I would love to connect with you and talk about your experiences and to look into the possibility of doing a radio interview.”
I was happy Ade reached out to me. I called him and we spoke at length about my experiences in Yoruba culture and my trips to Nigeria, West Africa. We will be doing a FB Live Event soon to share our respective journeys. (In fact, we were supposed to a a FB Live event today but had to reschedule because of technical difficulties.)
…Ade is a life coach, a healer and a sacred drummer. You can learn more about him at: https://www.lifecoachade.com/
His website says: he has a “passion for helping people connect with their unique sense of self. He does this by shining light on hidden fears in the dark recesses of the mind. He is on a mission to bring true love, deep peace and respect to all of humanity.”
Like many Nigerians, Ade did not grow up immersed in his own spiritual traditions and was shocked when he discovered there’s a huge interest in Yoruba culture throughout the diaspora.
I’m looking forward to my FB LIVE session with Ade…
In the meantime, I received a phone call from another Nigerian today. His name is Ola and he wants me to do a spiritual reading for him. He’s never had an Ifa divination reading before and has been doing a lot of soul searching. Like many Nigerians, Ola was raised Christian and was taught to despise his own spiritual traditions. He has so many questions and wanted to know how the divination process works.
It amazes me that Africans are looking to us in the Diaspora to acquaint them with their own spiritual traditions. I feel honored, confident about what we have to say. We are a bridge to the Motherland.
I haven’t done the reading for Ola yet but I told him so many people are benefitting from his culture, one way or the other. Shouldn’t he be benefitting from his own culture too?
The ancestors have returned. The ancestors have never left. The ancestors are speaking…
I made it clear to Ola that it’s clear his ancestors are guiding him to return to traditional ways. It would be wise for him to listen.
I would love to hear your thoughts so please feel free to comment. And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter at the link below.
Blessings
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Oct 12, 2014 | Blog
My granddaughter Mai- Mai!
And my grandson says my feet are ugly…
My little ones make me laugh! They crack me up because they’re just being sincere. They’re not trying to hurt my feelings in any way. (At least I hope not). LOL
They’re just keeping it real! My nose IS big. What can I say, it runs in the family. And my feet? Let’s just say my feet needs more lotion and some prayers.
I’m sure your little ones have lots to say too!
So, if you’re looking for a great spiritual guide then pay closer attention to your children.
The little ones can teach you what you’ve forgotten. They’re still connected to the Other World and hear voices you can no longer hear. They see things you no longer see. They feel things you no longer feel.
Little ones are great because they don’t over-think things…
They don’t sugar-coat things either. They say what they see and they say what they feel.
If you want to grow spiritually and move forward in life, then you need to get clear about what you see and what you feel too. Even if it hurts.
The truth can be bitter! Ouch!
But truth gives you something to work with, and that’s what makes our little ones such awesome teachers until they discover the cold reality that this world rarely appreciates the truth.
So…
What’s your truth? Right here? Right now? What are you struggling with the most? What do you wish you could say but won’t say? Or, what do you wish you could do, but won’t do?
Even if you can’t work up the nerve to reveal your truth to others, at least admit it to yourself. Stop living in denial.
Whatever you’re going through let me assure you that you’re not alone. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help if you need to.
Your little ones might have some surprisingly, insightful things to say!
And on that note I have to run…
My grandchildren are coming by soon. Can’t do anything about my nose, but I think I’ll grab some more lotion for my feet. (Keep my feet in your prayers). LOL
Talk soon!
Blessings,
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James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Sep 29, 2014 | Blog
One Yoruba proverb says it all…
“Patience is the father of character.” Yet of all spiritual challenges patience ranks high as one of the toughest to master.
What do you say?
Does it feel like the universe is working your very last nerves? Have you been feeling this way for years?
Well, welcome to the club…
For me, the frustration has been around my film. Delays with funding via investors and delays with other fundraising goals that are often beyond my control.
But here’s the thing…
I’m going through what I’m going through for a reason – and it’s a good one. And like it or not, I can assure you that you’re going through what you’re going through for a reason – and it’s a good one.
The soul loves a good challenge, a good fight, a worthy opponent…
Here’s the deal. Frustration is part of the spiritual journey. Granted, I know we don’t like to hear that.
But it’s true.
If things go the way you want them to go without a fight you would be easily bored. There would be no opportunity for spiritual growth. No real sense of achievement. No real way to develop faith or character.
At least, that’s the way we see it in Ifa. Challenges/adversity – are what makes life interesting. There MUST be some hurdle to overcome for the evolution of your soul and for the development for character.
O.K. Maybe your current life lesson isn’t patience. Maybe at the moment you’re meant to learn other lessons: self-love, for example, or forgiveness, or unconditional love, or how to stand up for yourself.
No one gets through life without a lesson…
Keep this in mind as you go through your challenges. Remember that this is a test and that you’re on a worthy spiritual mission. So, instead of dwelling on your frustrations, reflect on the spiritual lessons that your challenges seem to be teaching you.
There is no magic bullet…
There’s no magic escape route…
You are meant to experience what you’re going through, so you might as well adopt a more spiritual approach.
The Yorubas are right. Patience is the key! There can be no wisdom without it.
Blessings,
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
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by James Weeks | May 21, 2014 | Blog
Here’s the deal…
The very thing that will take you to your next level of spiritual growth, or business growth or intellectual growth is not going to feel comfortable.
But you have to push on anyway.
Do the thing that you’ve been resisting. And once you do it, do it again and again until it becomes a way of life.
But that’s only if you want to move your life forward and I’m assuming you do.
Sign up for my free, inspirational, monthly newsletter and I’ll share the secrets that I’m learning along the way.
PERSEVERANCE…
The journey of this film teaches me this lesson over and over again. I’ll never forget the day my elders told me that it was time to leave my corporate job and dedicate myself 100% to this film project.
Had I known all the difficulties I would face I might have said NO! The reality is that:
1. I no longer have the big 401K retirement account I once had.
2. I don’t have health insurance.
3. I can’t predict how money I will earn each month from my Ifa consultation business.
4. And no one can predict how well my film will do once it’s complete and out on the market.
But here’s what I CAN tell you…
1. I’m happier!
2. I’m wiser!
3. I feel more empowered.
4. I have more control over my destiny.
5. Every day someone writes to tell me what a difference I’m making in their life and that sure as hell didn’t happen in my corporate job.
My advice to you? Take the risk. Follow that dream. In the end you’ll be happy you did!
The Elders from james Weeks on Vimeo.
Blessings
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Oct 4, 2013 | Blog
The request from the client was urgent….
He needed $15,000 to pay off some debts in a hurry and every request he made for a loan has been rejected so far.
So he was hoping that maybe I could use my skills as an Ifa diviner or as a numerologist to help him win the lotto.
I wish I could, and I would do it for him in a heartbeat (for free) if I was certain I could…
But the truth is that no diviner, no medium, no psychic, no seer that I know will make such a claim. And I would be highly suspicious of any spiritual worker who makes such a claim because if they could predict the lotto, I doubt they would be doing spiritual work.
So, here’s what I told my client:
I told him to be patient. And I reminded him that we’re all on a spiritual journey and while we may not always get what we want (even when we do spiritual work), we get what we need.
And many times what we need are challenges – difficulties that force us to change the way that we live and/or the way that we think.
Sometimes, the very things that we think we need are taken away from us so that we can learn that we didn’t need them in the first place.
That’s what happened to me…
I lost my job in Corporate America in 2011 and wondered how I would survive. I now realize that I didn’t have to worry.
These days I earn my living as an Ifa diviner while I work on my film. Granted, I don’t always know when or where my next dollar will come from. But I know that it will come.
My lesson was to learn that Ifa and the ancestors and my elders have my back. Yet it was a difficult lesson to learn and it came with a price – a very high price.
Without challenges there can be no faith. Without faith or trust, there can be no growth. Yes, winning the lotto might be nice.
But that’s not what you need and that’s not what I need.
What you need is the conviction to stay on your path, the courage to keep on fighting, and the wisdom to know that amidst your current challenges you’ll find spiritual gems that can truly empower you!
As always, I welcome comments on these blog posts and would love to hear what you have to say.
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Blessings
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
