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:
“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.
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.
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!
Light as a feather! This is how softly your ancestors might speak to you. And this is why you must listen intently – not just with your ears, but with every fiber in your being. They spoke to you yesterday, they spoke to you today, they will speak to you tomorrow and they are speaking to you right now. But you’ll never hear them unless you are willing to sit in silence, to hear the powerful messages that are landing as gently as feathers.
I share this because of a recent experience that I had. I was doing a reading for a client and began receiving messages from her father who is in Spirit. When I asked the Spirit to tell me more about his life, I felt this sensation of him putting keys into my hands. But the keys felt cold. Then, I felt he was connected to a security guard and/or a prison when he was alive.
These feelings were subtle – light as a feather. But when I shared them with the client everything made sense to her; she became very emotional. Turns out, her father had been in prison for many years in the Middle East before he died. But this was the very first time he attempted to contact her in a spiritual reading. The family had been thinking about writing a book about this sad episode.
I was in awe as she confirmed the messages I received from her Dad. Speaking through me, her Dad said the book project was a great idea. It would bring about healing in the family, he explained.
This experience was one of my most profound moments as a diviner and as a medium.
You see, spirit communication is based on trust. But if you don’t trust yourself and the messages you receive, you’ll never be successful. You also have to understand how you receive messages. How Spirit works with you might be different from how Spirit works with me. You are a unique being, a sacred being and it’s important to remember this. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
Messages might not always make sense to you. That’s because some messages are meant to be delivered and understood by someone else. Messages from Spirit are being sent to you 24/7. Pay attention to subtle feelings and images that you receive…
Powerful messages often arrive softly as feathers.
“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?
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.
I was disgusted when I got the email. “Pissed off” is a more accurate way of describing it.
And the feeling of disgust went on for days that stretched into weeks, and for weeks that stretched into months.
Yet, this morning as I sit in meditation reflecting on the chain of events that made me so upset, I’m pleased to say I no longer feel the same way. Instead, a sense of overwhelming peace and bliss has come over me, and I realize that what happened was cause for celebration, not a curse.
How could one event provoke such different reactions?
Well, let’s just chalk it up to time. Time is the great teacher, the great healer, and time has given me a different perspective, a wiser one.
The email that irritated me came from one of the funders of the film. She wrote to say I had to postpone a trip to Africa that I had been planning for weeks because she was having a hard time raising funds. It was an unexpected blow. The purpose of the trip was to work on the storyline for the upcoming film, Across The King’s River; I was supposed to be traveling with a writer and my Director of Photography.
“Things are beyond my control,” the funder explained. Although she apologized and expressed disappointment, it was hard for me to accept it.
Looking back, I have no doubt that circumstances might have very well been beyond her control.
But they certainly were not beyond the control of my ancestors. My ancestors had my back, and I’ve come to believe that the trip was just not supposed to happen. It wasn’t supposed to happen because one member of my crew wasn’t right for this project. I couldn’t see it then, but I clearly see it now. I know that my ancestors must have seen it all along.
Yes, your ancestors have your back. But that doesn’t mean that they’ll passively go along with anything you want. Your ancestors are part of your team but they have a different job to do. They will delay your plans until the right conditions are met and/or the right people come along. They won’t stand for any foolishness and neither should you.
Knowing what I know now, that trip would have been a waste of time and money. Every member of my production team has to be right and that wouldn’t have been the case in this instance. Fortunately, the right person has finally come along to help me bring the vision of this film to life – a seasoned writer who will bring the level of insight and professionalism that I need. This is the person that my ancestors wanted me to work with. I anticipate that we’ll be traveling as soon as the time is right.
If things are not flowing well for you right now, be patient and know that the right conditions and the right people will eventually manifest for you. In the meantime, keep the faith and remain dedicated to whatever your dream happens to be. Your ancestors always have the last word, and they always have your back.
“Don’t think – FEEL. Don’t think- SENSE. Don’t think – become aware.” I’ve just returned from a week-long workshop with mediums and mystics, and they all say that they strive not to think when they communicate with the Spirit World. They say thinking interferes with the flow of messages from the Spirit World. It’s like “dropping a call” on your cell phone.
“A good medium has no brain,” they say. Although most of us have been raised since childhood to “think before we speak,” mediums say their goal when linking with Spirit is: “speak before you think.” Just start a sentence, I was told, trust the words, images and impressions that come to you. Then, have the courage to “give what you get” to the client.
Mediums attune themselves to the Spirit world in order to relay messages of comfort and inspiration from our ancestors. When done correctly, mediumship is healing and can be life-changing. Although some mediums are born with the gift, others develop it through years of dedicated training and practice. “There’s no such thing as a developed medium,” I was told. Rather, it’s a life-long journey of continuous learning and refinement.
Granted, most people have no desire to be mediums. But how can we use some of their techniques to improve every-day life? For starters, try not to rely on your brain for everything. Sense what your life’s purpose is. Feel whether someone loves you or not. Become aware of the presence of your ancestors around you. Let your intuition tell you whether you are on the right path or not. Sense what your next step should be – and then take it.
For those of us who are diviners, how can these techniques help improve our readings? Don’t over-analyze or rely only on memory. Go with the feeling of the odus. Sense what Ifa is guiding you to say. Think of your entire body as an opele. If it feels right, it’s right; if it doesn’t feel right it’s not right. Allow yourself to flow with the unlimited energy of the orisas. Always remember that the reading is not about you; it’s about the message. Trust it and deliver it.
The elders consulted Ifa and warned him not travel to California. He came anyway, all the way from Nigeria, leaving a wife and two young children behind, hoping to find a job here when millions of other Americans cannot.
I also told him he shouldn’t come. The recession is ugly, I told him repeatedly. Even well-educated folks are struggling, I argued. Then I sent him news articles about the U.S. economy to prove my point. It was a waste of my time.
These days my friend is in a deep depression. Not surprisingly, he hasn’t found any work since he arrived two months ago and he misses his family tremendously. “I’m lonely and miserable,” he confessed.
He’s going back to Nigeria in January. “I learned my lesson,” he said.
I bet he has. When the Ifa oracle gives you advice it’s best to listen the first time. One of the very first Yoruba proverbs I learned says: “it’s better to listen than to offer sacrifices.” The accuracy of Ifa is amazing, but our challenge is to apply the wisdom of the orisas to our lives.
To be sure, listening to Ifa comes with unique challenges that are designed to help you grow while developing your character.
In February of 2011, I left my 19-year career at Corporate America to dedicate myself full time to this film project. I’m still awaiting funding from investors. It hasn’t been easy, and I’ve had to rely on savings just to survive. Yet, I have no doubt that leaving my job was the right thing to do, just as Ifa said. The experience has forced me to grow in many ways.
Ifa demands that we listen, but the spiritual journey also requires us to step boldly into the unknown at times knowing that the universe and the ancestors have our backs. Even if you can’t afford Ifa consultation, spiritual guidance is always available via your intuition or Ori. Trust it, develop it – it’s free.
What is your intuition telling you right now? Where is it leading you? Who is it taking you to? Who is it leading you away from? What is it saying your next step should be? Are you awake? Are you listening?
Lately, I’ve been thinking about something my mentor told me years ago when I began Ifa divination training.
My mentor was the late Afolabi Epega, a 5th generation Ifa priest who also had a doctorate in organic chemistry. Although he died in 2006, I still hear his laughter and booming voice. As I invoke Ifa and interpret the odus, his spirit is there to guide me.
The old man saw the future ahead of me. “Clients will come to you looking for magic,” he warned. “But you’re not a magician, you’re a priest. If they want magic, tell them to go to Hollywood.”
As priests, we study the movement of spiritual forces that the ancients call and we invoke the power of the orisas and the ancestors. And once we do our job, we leave it in the hands of the orisas, knowing that the words of Ifa will eventually come to pass. That’s how Baba Epega trained me.
“But when will the words of Ifa come to pass?” I once asked.
I didn’t really like the answer then and I’m not sure I like it now, but here’s the truth: the words of Ifa will come to pass when the time is right. Even the most advanced priest might not be able to pinpoint when the prediction will manifest. Today? Tomorrow? Next month? Next year? Ten years from now?
And then Baba told me of one prediction that took 20 years to materialize.
He also warned me that some clients will not want to hear the truth. “Don’t believe that bullshit,” he said. “They want to hear what they want to hear. But your job is to tell them the truth. They can take it or leave it.”
I’ve been thinking about Baba a lot because I do readings for clients now, and I’ve come to realize that most people are in a rush. I always tell them to slow down.
One client called 30 days after her reading and said “you told me there will be a new lover?” I did, but I certainly did not tell her when. I’m no magician and I’m not trying to be one.
Ifa is a way of life. It is not about getting what you want, when you want it. We are dealing with universal energies. Yes, we invoke forces and appeal to forces but we are not in charge of these forces. We are all subject to forces that are beyond our control and understanding.
I’ve come to believe, however, that we get what we need in the right time. I also believe in the concept of a “sacred time” when things take root and flourish in ways that are more profound and often far better than we ever might have imagined.
Our elders remind us that patience is the father of character.
The search for magic is an illusion. Good luck finding it. Genuine spiritual growth is always available, however. But it’s a life-long journey!
If we know how to connect with our ancestors all of our problems will be solved, says Dr. Fui-Bunseki, a prominent African scholar. “The ancestors are not dead. They are not gone. Their energy is around you. We are constantly being bombarded by that energy. We can listen to it, and we can call upon it.”
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Fui-Bunseki is the author of numerous books and articles including: Kongo Cosmology, Kumina: A Kongo-based Tradition In The New World, Kindezi: The Kongo Art of Babysitting, and Self-Healing Power and Therapy, Old Teachings From Africa.
I first became aware of Dr. Fui-Bunseki through two great books by historian, Robert Farris Thompson: Flash of the Spirit, and Tango: the Art History of Love. Dr. Bunseki was one of many scholars cited by Thompson in these works.
The You-Tube clip of Bunseki was produced by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Insitute (The entire nine-part lecture can be viewed on line).
Bunseki’s comment about us being constantly bombarded by ancestral energy is consistent with what I’ve heard many mediums say…
That the realm of the ancestors is around us and our loved ones in Spirit attempt to reach us in many ways: dreams, inspiration, memories are common methods of ancestor communication but there really is no limitation.
A sparrow circling in the, a flickering lightbulb, a familiar fragrance could all be signs that your ancestors are near.
As I’ve grown spiritually over the years, I’ve learned that our ancestors can use anything or anyone to get a message through to us; the more you pay attention, the more you’ll start to recognize signs and symbols that your loved ones are around. There is no “right way” to connect with the ancestors. They are aware of your needs, thoughts and prayers.
The Egun (ancestors) will guide you once you take the time to listen. But listening is not enough you must trust. And trust is not enough you must act.
Most of all, know that you are eternal. “You are not of today,” says Bunseki. “You are not of yesterday. You are not of 100 years ago. You are the living, divine energy that has existed since the beginning of time.”
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Light as a feather! This is how softly your ancestors might speak to you. And this is why you must listen intently – not just with your ears, but with every fiber in your being. They spoke to you yesterday, they spoke to you today, they will speak to you tomorrow and they are speaking to you right now. But you’ll never hear them unless you are willing to sit in silence, to hear the powerful messages that are landing as gently as feathers.
“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.
Yes, your ancestors have your back. But that doesn’t mean that they’ll passively go along with anything you want. Your ancestors are part of your team but they have a different job to do. They will delay your plans until the right conditions are met and/or the right people come along. They won’t stand for any foolishness and neither should you.
