by James Weeks | Mar 2, 2016 | Blog
I fell in love with Tobe Correal’s book immediately.
Tobe, an initiated priestess, is the author of “Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa: A West African Spiritual Tradition.”
She’s a talented writer: “Yoruba religion is a way of life. It is seeking to know the sacred nature of life – the breath of God flowing through all things. It is the holistic integration of all aspects of our being – bodies, feeling, thoughts and energies – in order to restore wholeness where there is fragmentation and balance where there is disarray.”
Tobe is also very brave and very honest, and this is why I think her book is such a gem.
“I saw how some people misused the tradition to live on the surface of their lives. Some used ritual as a way of avoiding responsibility. I became aware of great pain in myself and others. I lived with a gray cloud of depression hovering over me. Behind closed doors I was a mess,” she writes.
“While paying homage to the ancestors, we must also face our personal demons. While honoring deities, we must also learn to love ourselves and treat each other with greater kindness.”
Tobe tells it like it is…
I had the good fortune of meeting her recently. She spoke of many things: her battle with chronic illness, her commitment to the ongoing process of spiritual re-initiation, the challenge of dealing with loss. Her 40’s were all about loss, she confesses.
But her losses came with blessings too: “I was able to find hidden jewels because I kept on digging. I learned that I don’t need to get rid of the negative side of life, I need to learn how to work it because there’s something of great importance, something beautiful that’s going to make you richer. Light and darkness come together.”
She tries to look for something good and beautiful every day, she says…
I like that approach. If you look for something good each day, you’ll probably find it. And if you look for something negative you’ll probably find it too. Be careful what you look for.
I asked Tobe what she wishes for you and here’s what she said: 1. A deeper encounter with the truth of what lies in you and the willingness and the courage to face it. 2. To take the necessary steps toward healing and transformation, which requires a warrior spirit and a willingness to work.”
If you haven’t read Tobe’s book, order it today at Amazon: Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa.
In the meantime I would like to know how you deal with loss or what jewels you’ve been finding in your struggles. Send me your answer and I’ll be sure to send you a personal response.
Until then, may the ancestors continue to guide and bless each step you take.
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Blessings
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Oct 31, 2013 | Blog
Intuition isn’t about what you think. And it’s definitely not about what others think…
It’s about what you feel. It’s about the guidance that comes from within; it’s about the quiet conviction of knowing what’s right for you!
If you’re not in touch with what you feel, you’re lost…
And when you’re lost you’ll keep making the same mistakes over and over again. You’ll turn left, when you should turn right. You’ll stop when you should keep going. You’ll say no when you should say yes. You’ll be silent when you should speak up.
Intuition is your God-given guidance system. The ancestors and the orisas speak through your intuition. The million dollar question is: Are you even listening?
Here are some simple tips to enhance your intuitive abilities.
Slow Down: Although intuition is God-given, you must cultivate it if you want it to grow. Make it a priority, by taking time out of each day to sit in silence, prayer, or meditation. Keep it simple. In the beginning – five to ten minutes a day is plenty.
Spend More Time In Nature: African spiritual traditions revolve around nature for a reason. Nature is our home; nature does not pretend. The vibration of nature forces you to slow down and listen to things that you might have been repressing or things that you might be in denial about.
Nurture Yourself: Are you getting enough sleep? Are you exercising? Are you eating well? You can’t have a clear channel to your intuition if you’re not taking care of yourself? It has been said that your body is a temple. Take care of your outer temple if you’re serious about accessing your inner temple.
Be Open: Be open to how you receive intuitive messages. You are unique instrument of the divine. Some receive messages via dreams, others through visions, or feelings, or an inner sense of knowing. Some folks hear messages. Once you become clear about how you’re receiving messages, focus on that method while you work to develop all your senses. Develop your five senses and you’ll discover your sixth sense.”
By opening the door to your intuition, you open the door to infinite wisdom. You also open the door to more fulfillment – and, who knows. More prosperity! Keep that door open! Important messages are coming through.
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Blessings,
James Weeks
Producer, Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Oct 8, 2013 | Blog
A balance of cosmic forces in your life…
Obatala priests in Nigeria: (Photographer Unknown)
That’s what the Ifa spiritual tradition is all about – balance. “If it’s too hot, cool it down. And if it’s too cool, heat things up,” my mentor, the late Dr. Afolabi Epega, once said to me during divination training.
Baba Epega, a 5th generation Ifa priest, also said: things should neither be too positive nor too negative.
What’s wrong if things are flowing too positively (or smoothly) for you? A lot of folks struggle with that spiritual concept. Where’s the harm in that?
From Ifa’s point of view, if everything is going smoothly (positively), how can you grow? How can you reach your full potential? How can you develop faith?
Too much positivity lulls you into a sense of complacency – it dulls spiritual awareness…
Though we dislike negativity, it can provide the impetus we need to move in the right direction. Sometimes you have to be forced to do what’s good for you. The negativity on your job, might force you to find a job that’s more fulfilling.
Same thing for the negativity in your relationship. It might inspire you to question why you’re in the relationship in the first place.
Don’t be too quick to curse the negativity that has appeared in your life. Negativity isn’t always your enemy, sometimes it can be your best friend, a blessing in disguise.
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James Weeks
Producer/Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Aug 31, 2013 | Blog
His passion for mathematics began early in life…
Sangodare Brown
Sangodare Brown was six years-old, in the first grade, and his father had just introduced him to multiplication tables.
But he was hungry to learn more.
So when Sangodare found out his older sister, Philippa, was studying high school algebra he wanted to learn it too.
Then, in the second grade, when his brother was given the high school assignment of memorizing the names of all 38 U.S. presidents, little Sangodare took on that challenge as well.
Even now, at 43, Sangodare’s quest for knowledge has no end…
Not only does he have B.A. degrees in both mathematics and computer science, he’s a scholar of comparative religion, a numerologist, an astrologist and an initiated Ifa priest.
And he’s modest too…
I was impressed when I learned that this brother once worked as a software engineer for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. That’s right — his team was responsible for making sure that the mechanical arm and the display panels on the space shuttle worked properly.
But Sangodare tends to downplay that achievement…
NASA was a stepping stone, he says, but it wasn’t his life’s purpose. His life’s purpose, he insists, is to show the link between science, math and spirituality.
And he goes to great lengths to try to pull this off…
Though Sangodare lives and works as a math teacher in Egypt, his research has also taken him to China, Italy, Senegal, France, Great Britain, Sudan, Turkey, India, Greece, Belgium, Spain, Thailand, Singapore, Cape Verde, Vatican City and Nigeria.
Where some might only be able to see architecture or where some might only be able to see religion, Sangodare sees flashes of numbers and patterns and weaves everything together in thought provoking ways.
Here’s what he had to say in our recent interview:
How Math Is Related to Spirituality
“When you’re dealing with spirituality you’re dealing with unseen forces. The principles that govern mathematics are the same principles that govern the unknown. Math is one of the keys that will enable you to go beneath the surface. It’s always there but it enables you to see what’s there. Most people have no clue about what’s there. Mathematics is the key to everything we know of in existence. It’s the language of how everything in the universe communicates with each other. When we are solving math problems, we must learn how to balance equations, positive and negative numbers. In spirituality, we must learn how to balance positive and negative forces inside ourselves.”
Why Passion Is The Key
“If you don’t have a passion for something, you’re not going to love doing it. That’s why people start to hate their jobs. That’s why they get fired – it’s because they are not on the road to fulfilling their destiny. They have not stepped into their purpose. I know individuals who go to school and get a degree in something, not because they love it, but because they think they will make more money. Don’t worry about the money. Do what you want to do. Do what makes you happy.”
The Biggest Misconception About African Spirituality
“The biggest misconception is that it’s demonic or that they don’t believe in one God, But If you study the oldest versions of Christianity, you can see the connection between African spirituality and the traditional Western religions. Even people who study ancient Egyptian culture and history are not comfortable around indigenous African spirituality. It’s a tragedy that we’ve been conditioned not to love our own.”
What Drives Sangodare Brown
“I’m driven by the esoteric, by cosmology. I’m driven by religion and philosophy, but at the same time I see numbers and patterns and I connect the dots.”
What To Expect In A Reading
“A reading should confirm what you already know. Then, we can expand that reading and we can look into the future to see what type of energy is governing your future and offset any pitfalls that we see might be coming your way. At the same time, there are things that we can do to enhance that which is positive.”
How To Contact Sangodare For A Reading
Sangodare Brown can be contacted at: 281-973-6666 or by email at cbrown@ganphilosophy.com
By James Weeks/Producer, Across The King’s River
by James Weeks | Aug 17, 2013 | Blog
She was happy…
Photographer Unknown
My client had finally decided to leave her husband.
And after she made that difficult decision, a peaceful energy surrounded her and the logic of why it made sense to leave that unhealthy relationship became clear.
“The revelation that it’s time to end this marriage was beautiful. I’m super, super excited,” she said. “I rejoiced. I was actually singing. It was awesome.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing…
Previously, this client had been struggling with fear, grief, desperation and despair. But now she was coming from a place of strength. A place of joy and optimism.
“I’m creating what I want for my life and for my children,” she told me.
Listening to my client talk made my day. It was like witnessing the birth of a new human being. An enlightened being who was finally awakening to her own power, her own voice, her own mind, her own potential.
Such a being can never be held prisoner again…
I believe in empowering people. That’s what my Ifa divination practice is about. That’s what my upcoming film is about – an attempt to empower others.
Yet, even though my client said my Ifa spiritual readings helped to equip her with the clarity and insight she needed to move forward, I can’t take credit for the dramatic change.
She had to see the need for change herself. I’m glad the light finally came on, and I pray the light of self-love and self-respect and self determination will continue to burn brightly.
What about you?
Are you in an oppressive relationship like my client was? Are you free to think for yourself, be yourself, and express yourself?
Do your spiritual beliefs and practices uplift you or do they imprison you?
And what about your spiritual teachers? Are they empowering you or are they just empowering themselves while holding you back?
Relationships should uplift you, support you, inspire you…
But if your relationship revolves around despair, depression and oppression, maybe you should consider doing what my client has courageously done.
Know when you’ve had enough and move on with your life.
Blessings
James Weeks
Producer/Across The King’s River
