Greetings,
An insight into Ghanaian traditional spirituality looking at spiritual possession.

http://www.rootsandrooted.org/?p=211

African spirituality is so rich. It is attacks such as this that make it hard for me to see Christianity as just an innocent personal belief system.

African spirituality is so rich. It is attacks such as this that make it hard for me to see Christianity as just an innocent personal belief system.

Indeed sis River. Personally, my siblings and I were never really taught or encouraged to study our Afrikan ancestry let alone our spiritual heritage due to the so many colonised minds of today. Even now when I speak to some Ghanaians and Nigerians they say that traditional Afrikan spirituality is evil. And guess what religion they are? Yep, Christians or Catholics.

My siblings and I were made to believe that Afrikan spirituality was nothing but witchcraft and evil worship etc. Even though my parents are from the island of Jamaica we have heard them speak of Obeah many times but we were taught it was evil. After sooooo many years of my life its only been quite recent that I am discovering the truth and rediscovering part of my heritage and I am so blessed and so grateful to come across this knowledge. My whole perspective on life and God has changed tremendously.

I did have a few questions though...
When a woman is married to a God and becomes a Priestess, I guess then she can no longer ever be married to a mortal man? Also, even though the spirits manifest primarily through women, these spririts must be of male gender? What about the female gender spirits/gods, do they not marry the men of the communities? Very interesting. I have intentions to visit Ghana one day.

Peace, Love, Light...

Indeed sis River. Personally, my siblings and I were never really taught or encouraged to study our Afrikan ancestry let alone our spiritual heritage due to the so many colonised minds of today. Even now when I speak to some Ghanaians and Nigerians they say that traditional Afrikan spirituality is evil. And guess what religion they are? Yep, Christians or Catholics.

My siblings and I were made to believe that Afrikan spirituality was nothing but witchcraft and evil worship etc. Even though my parents are from the island of Jamaica we have heard them speak of Obeah many times but we were taught it was evil. After sooooo many years of my life its only been quite recent that I am discovering the truth and rediscovering part of my heritage and I am so blessed and so grateful to come across this knowledge. My whole perspective on life and God has changed tremendously.

I did have a few questions though...
When a woman is married to a God and becomes a Priestess, I guess then she can no longer ever be married to a mortal man? Also, even though the spirits manifest primarily through women, these spririts must be of male gender? What about the female gender spirits/gods, do they not marry the men of the communities? Very interesting. I have intentions to visit Ghana one day.

Peace, Love, Light...


Thank you for this post. I am sorry though because I can't answer your questions. But I will suggest looking into Mami Wata.

The reason I thank you is because I have had some drastic changes in my life over the past three years and find myself "drifting" and virtually homeless. I have gotten support from a few family members but that is also part of the problem. The distance that exists between them. The alienation. Of which I have become part.

On my last trip to Texas I went to retireve some items from storage before I lose them not being able to pay any longer for the space. One book in particular I got was The African Heritage of the Akan. I was posting on this site one night, and the next day the book mysteriously disappeared. Vanished. I have been somewhat depressed ever since.

I have also been dealing with close family connected to a church in Atlanta. Its a Black Christian Nationalist Church. Shrine of the Black madonna. But do you see my avatar?

Last night I went through some of my things and found some notes from when I first moved from California to Texas. It was eye opening. At the time I was moving towards study of kemetic, Akan and Yoruba spirituality. I combine some if this with the study of astrology/astronomy, etc.

What I found in my notes, just last night, had to do with information I found in the Akan book related to the day of my birth. But I had interpreted it from an Ife perspective. Basically, it involves a relationship to Esu-Elegba.

Whether its Esu, Eshu or (y)Eshu(a)...this is the energy I have been guided by the last three years, and their is also a feminine "counterpart" to this.

So when you ask "do they not marry the men of the communities?" I can only guess and say, I think so!

Peace.

Nsala malecum,

Indeed, men marry the spirits. In Haitian Vodou, it is common to find a man married to, primarily, Freda and Dantor.

My wife is Ghanaian and once we went to her parent's church and the pastor there made me throw away my elekes, saying he was destroying my pact I made with the blood of the lamb. I went along because the elekes I was was wearing at the time were not consecrated or fed.

Blackbird

Thanks for your response Brother omowalejabali and Brother Blackbird,

What is the difference between spirits and deities? Or are they one and the same? Seeing as the English language does not convey the true definitions or meanings of the rich Afrikan language, how does one take when such terms are used as "marrying gods"? Can anyone give more clarifications or meanings on how such terms are related to marriage in terms of masculine and feminine energy or forces that operate in the self and the universe?

Peace...

Thanks for your response Brother omowalejabali and Brother Blackbird,

What is the difference between spirits and deities? Or are they one and the same? Seeing as the English language does not convey the true definitions or meanings of the rich Afrikan language, how does one take when such terms are used as "marrying gods"? Can anyone give more clarifications or meanings on how such terms are related to marriage in terms of masculine and feminine energy or forces that operate in the self and the universe?

Peace...

Personally, I don't like the word "deities", simply because it - in my mind - conveys a position of subservience. Your Ori (your Head) is the deity. The expression of marrying the spirits evolves from the African concept of contraction and expansion and has makes perfect sense in the permeability of gender roles in African society. If you need more, I can provide it for you.

Blackbird

Personally, I don't like the word "deities", simply because it - in my mind - conveys a position of subservience. Your Ori (your Head) is the deity. The expression of marrying the spirits evolves from the African concept of contraction and expansion and has makes perfect sense in the permeability of gender roles in African society. If you need more, I can provide it for you.

Blackbird

I would appreciate if you would provide more info on this please my Brother...

Thanking you in advance :)

Peace...!

CHAOS

I AGREE ALSO BRO. BLACKBIRD ON THE WORD "DIETIES", LATELY I JUST SAY ENTITIES SO WHEN I MAKE PACT WITH SOME OF THEM THEY KNOW WHAT UP. I'M MARRIED TO ERZULIE DANTOR, BUT SHE MAY FILE FOR DIVORCE SINCE I DONT FOLLOW ORDERS REAL WELL LOL LOL

CHAOS

I AGREE ALSO BRO. BLACKBIRD ON THE WORD "DIETIES", LATELY I JUST SAY ENTITIES SO WHEN I MAKE PACT WITH SOME OF THEM THEY KNOW WHAT UP. I'M MARRIED TO ERZULIE DANTOR, BUT SHE MAY FILE FOR DIVORCE SINCE I DONT FOLLOW ORDERS REAL WELL LOL LOL

Bruh,

Not Dantor? She is something else. You know Freda is waiting on the wings since she gets jealousy if you're married to Dantor. They have not signaled their desire to marry me. The commitment is too high. I'm treading lightly because although I love both of them, especially Freda with her high maintenance self, I don't want to even hint at a proposal.

Also I prefer to call them entities as well.

Blackbird

I would appreciate if you would provide more info on this please my Brother...

Thanking you in advance :)

Peace...!

Peace!

In traditional African society, the concept of marriage is very fluid. It is seen as an instrument of alliance, kinship, cooperation and solidarity, as much as, an outlet of sexual impulses and financial obligations. Thus, it is not uncommon for two women to be married under certain circumstances - not in a sexual content, but in a societal one. The gender roles can be reversed. The same can be said for spiritual traditions. Remember African societal life is much sacralized so there are many correspondences between spiritual and mundane in the African context. An initiate in the Yoruba traditions, regardless if the person is a heterosexual male or female or not, is iyawo, which is translated as "bride". Whenever a spirit "mounts" (possesses) an initiate, the act is seen as the expansion of the spirit into the receptive person. So in this situation, an orisa such as Oshun, often anthropomorphized as a woman is viewed in the masculine sense. When the ancients used the term, wife of God - it meant someone with the entity within their physical being as a medium to give voice and physical animation to the entity. The Kenensu priestess called the wife of Amun would be a woman possessed by the energies of Amun, where Amun is able to articulate its message and commune with its guild.

Blackbird

Peace!

When someone marries a lwa, it is seen and recognized just like any other marriage. The two joined in marriage, the lwa and the human partner, have certain obligations to each other, including sexual obligations. On a select night, the human partner vows not to sleep with anyone, even their human spouse, so they can have astral coital relations with their lwa spouse. The act is said to be beyond what can be attained in physical coitus. I can attest since I have engaged in this act before although I am not married to any spirit as of yet. Oh my god, it was mind-blowing (I'm still seeking another experience like that again) and I was able to manifest certain desires in the physical world by focusing on the objective during intercourse in relatively short offer. Let's just say we gave "birth" to something I desired.

Also, the lwa pledge their intimate and undying protection and devotion as well as grant certain favors for the human spouse. The relationship is reciprocal and bound by as stated obligations. This marriage I'm speaking of is different for "mounting" of the spirit or the act of initiation; this marriage is the actual commitment to one another just like a human marriage.

Blackbird

CHAOS

I AGREE ALSO BRO. BLACKBIRD ON THE WORD "DIETIES", LATELY I JUST SAY ENTITIES SO WHEN I MAKE PACT WITH SOME OF THEM THEY KNOW WHAT UP. I'M MARRIED TO ERZULIE DANTOR, BUT SHE MAY FILE FOR DIVORCE SINCE I DONT FOLLOW ORDERS REAL WELL LOL LOL

LOL!

That's my only response to this since ERZULIE has been calling me lately but I can't figure out which one! LOL!

LOL!

That's my only response to this since ERZULIE has been calling me lately but I can't figure out which one! LOL!

Peace, kotomaa!

Be careful, bruh. Tread carefully, you might just need to marry both. If you claim their calling in that manner, you become obligated.

Blackbird

Peace, kotomaa!

Be careful, bruh. Tread carefully, you might just need to marry both. If you claim their calling in that manner, you become obligated.

Blackbird

LOL!

Thanks for the warning/advice.

:bowdown:

I am treading very carfully these days.

Om.

LOL!

That's my only response to this since ERZULIE has been calling me lately but I can't figure out which one! LOL!

Ok..kinda off topic but perhaps a brief explanation is needed.

"Dantor is served with the Image of Mater Salvatoris, sometimes also known as Santa Barbara Africana, which is the image you see on the top left hand corner of this page."
http://elizidantor.tripod.com/

From the wiki, "Saint Barbara is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Her association with the lghtning that killed her father caused her to be invoked against lightning and fire..."

"Her feast on 4 December was included in the Tridentine Calendar"

December 4 is my Earth Day.

Thats why I LOL!

I know her power.

Om.

Ok..kinda off topic but perhaps a brief explanation is needed.

"Dantor is served with the Image of Mater Salvatoris, sometimes also known as Santa Barbara Africana, which is the image you see on the top left hand corner of this page."
http://elizidantor.tripod.com/

From the wiki, "Saint Barbara is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Her association with the lghtning that killed her father caused her to be invoked against lightning and fire..."

"Her feast on 4 December was included in the Tridentine Calendar"

December 4 is my Earth Day.

Thats why I LOL!

I know her power.

Om.

Peace!

Dantor is something else. I like her because she is blunt and straightforward eventhough she doesn't talk. She speaks with sounds like "ek, ek, ek". Once she cleansed on the men when she came down for a marriage. I remember her gathering some herbs and pouring florida water on them in a porcelain basin. She lit the mixture on fire and with flames blazing up, proceeded to stir the fiery substance with her bare hands. She extinguished the fire and had us stretch out our arms while she went in a circle cleansing us with the mixture. Eventhough the herbs were blazed, they did not appear burnt whatsoever and where as fresh and untouched as if they were just picked. She is a protectress and always works well to stop someone for talking. One of my friends say, "Dantor is from the hood. She is the type that will fight you in the streets with her shoes off and a knife in her hands." You don't mess with Dantor. Her and Freda have a perennial rivalry. They don't get along. They can not be in the same place together or there will be a fight. If you marry Dantor, you must marry Freda and vice versa.

Blackbird

Indeed sis River. Personally, my siblings and I were never really taught or encouraged to study our Afrikan ancestry let alone our spiritual heritage due to the so many colonised minds of today. Even now when I speak to some Ghanaians and Nigerians they say that traditional Afrikan spirituality is evil. And guess what religion they are? Yep, Christians or Catholics.

My siblings and I were made to believe that Afrikan spirituality was nothing but witchcraft and evil worship etc. Even though my parents are from the island of Jamaica we have heard them speak of Obeah many times but we were taught it was evil. After sooooo many years of my life its only been quite recent that I am discovering the truth and rediscovering part of my heritage and I am so blessed and so grateful to come across this knowledge. My whole perspective on life and God has changed tremendously.

I did have a few questions though...
When a woman is married to a God and becomes a Priestess, I guess then she can no longer ever be married to a mortal man? Also, even though the spirits manifest primarily through women, these spririts must be of male gender? What about the female gender spirits/gods, do they not marry the men of the communities? Very interesting. I have intentions to visit Ghana one day.

Peace, Love, Light...

This goes very deep.

Consider the following.

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//meditations/olczest.html

It concerns the deceased Pope John Paul and his veneration of the "Black Madonna".

Who actually is 'Our Lady of Czestochwa'?

http://www.goddessaday.com/african/erzulie-dantor

Pass this along to those Catholics and Christians.

LOL!

I got more but will do as suggested and tread lightly.

I'm watching out for those knives!

Peace!

In traditional African society, the concept of marriage is very fluid. It is seen as an instrument of alliance, kinship, cooperation and solidarity, as much as, an outlet of sexual impulses and financial obligations. Thus, it is not uncommon for two women to be married under certain circumstances - not in a sexual content, but in a societal one. The gender roles can be reversed. The same can be said for spiritual traditions. Remember African societal life is much sacralized so there are many correspondences between spiritual and mundane in the African context. An initiate in the Yoruba traditions, regardless if the person is a heterosexual male or female or not, is iyawo, which is translated as "bride". Whenever a spirit "mounts" (possesses) an initiate, the act is seen as the expansion of the spirit into the receptive person. So in this situation, an orisa such as Oshun, often anthropomorphized as a woman is viewed in the masculine sense. When the ancients used the term, wife of God - it meant someone with the entity within their physical being as a medium to give voice and physical animation to the entity. The Kenensu priestess called the wife of Amun would be a woman possessed by the energies of Amun, where Amun is able to articulate its message and commune with its guild.

Blackbird

Thank you Bro Blackbird. I ask that you please bear with me on this.

As I had mentioned before, coming into the knowledge of Afrikan spirituality is fairly new for me as I am coming out of 19 years of being in Islam, so I'm still attempting to get my head around certain teachings in regards to Afrikan spirituality. I am very much a Kinesthetic learner therefore I understand the energies much quicker through using them which is why I am currently reading “The Vodoun Gnostic Workbook” unless you can recommend another book.

When you speak of people being mounted by spirits, are these spirits energy forces within each of us that we have the ability to tap into? When I was a Sufi Muslim we would chant certain attributes or the names of the Divine to invoke/awaken those divine attributes/forces within the self. I wouldn't say that one was being mounted or possessed by spirits but how does this differ to the Afrikan way of being an initiate and being mounted by spirits?

I know that when I did the chanting and meditation in Islam I would get a buzz or a high like I'd just smoked something…lol. I would feel a great sense of oneness and an intense peace but the only thing was that this feeling wore off pretty quickly. And it was like a case of wanting another hit so I would always attend the gatherings or circles where the meditations or ‘Dhikrs’ (circles of remembrance of the One) were being held.

Peace...!

Peace!

When someone marries a lwa, it is seen and recognized just like any other marriage. The two joined in marriage, the lwa and the human partner, have certain obligations to each other, including sexual obligations. On a select night, the human partner vows not to sleep with anyone, even their human spouse, so they can have astral coital relations with their lwa spouse. The act is said to be beyond what can be attained in physical coitus. I can attest since I have engaged in this act before although I am not married to any spirit as of yet. Oh my god, it was mind-blowing (I'm still seeking another experience like that again) and I was able to manifest certain desires in the physical world by focusing on the objective during intercourse in relatively short offer. Let's just say we gave "birth" to something I desired.

Also, the lwa pledge their intimate and undying protection and devotion as well as grant certain favors for the human spouse. The relationship is reciprocal and bound by as stated obligations. This marriage I'm speaking of is different for "mounting" of the spirit or the act of initiation; this marriage is the actual commitment to one another just like a human marriage.

Blackbird

1) Is it safe for me to say that a Lwa can be likened to an ‘Angel’?

2) It came to me that each person is born with a Lwa? Can one know who his/her Lwa is without going to see a diviner?

3) I’m still trying to understand the language of ‘marriage’ that you use. I understand that there are forces within us we can invoke that contain specific qualities to guide our consciousness but when you say ‘joined in marriage’, or ‘sexual obligations’ etc can you explain this in a more clearer way please?

4) Can one choose to be married to a Lwa? Or does one always have to be chosen by the Lwa?

5) How is one chosen for marriage? Each entity has its own characteristic, what characteristics would a person have to contain to be chosen for marriage?

Peace...!

This goes very deep.

Consider the following.

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//meditations/olczest.html

It concerns the deceased Pope John Paul and his veneration of the "Black Madonna".

Who actually is 'Our Lady of Czestochwa'?

http://www.goddessaday.com/african/erzulie-dantor

Pass this along to those Catholics and Christians.

LOL!

I got more but will do as suggested and tread lightly.

I'm watching out for those knives!

Thank you Brother Omowalejabali for providing those links.

After checking out the links it was worthy of note to see that the Vodoun Goddess Erzulie Dantor is pictorially represented as the Black Madonna. When I was in the religion of Islam I learnt about ‘Fatima’ the prophet Muhammad’s daughter. The reason I mention this is Fatimas’s name from Islam also appears within the Catholic church.

According to certain researchers, both Fatima’s did not exist and were merely metaphors as they were both given the same characteristics. The Fatima’s were devised from the Goddess ‘Nut’ of ancient Kemetic traditions in which it is said that Nut is vast, expansive, dark, infinite, and is the energy force from which all things living and non-living originate.

I’d never heard of the Vodoun Goddess Erzulie Dantor so it was interesting learning about this female archetypes and her Lwa’s particularly that of Petro who holds her child in her arms and is said to be the spiritual mother of everyone among other charateristics (Some say she holds her son while some say she holds her daughter...).

I am looking into other Afrikan traditions to learn the other names of these energy forces and will also look into 'Mamiwata' as you had suggested in a previous post to this thread.

Peace!

Thank you Bro Blackbird. I ask that you please bear with me on this.

As I had mentioned before, coming into the knowledge of Afrikan spirituality is fairly new for me as I am coming out of 19 years of being in Islam, so I'm still attempting to get my head around certain teachings in regards to Afrikan spirituality. I am very much a Kinesthetic learner therefore I understand the energies much quicker through using them which is why I am currently reading “The Vodoun Gnostic Workbook” unless you can recommend another book.

When you speak of people being mounted by spirits, are these spirits energy forces within each of us that we have the ability to tap into? When I was a Sufi Muslim we would chant certain attributes or the names of the Divine to invoke/awaken those divine attributes/forces within the self. I wouldn't say that one was being mounted or possessed by spirits but how does this differ to the Afrikan way of being an initiate and being mounted by spirits?

I know that when I did the chanting and meditation in Islam I would get a buzz or a high like I'd just smoked something…lol. I would feel a great sense of oneness and an intense peace but the only thing was that this feeling wore off pretty quickly. And it was like a case of wanting another hit so I would always attend the gatherings or circles where the meditations or ‘Dhikrs’ (circles of remembrance of the One) were being held.

Peace...!

Ayibobo,

I've heard about this Vodoun Gnostic Workbook, but I've never read it so I can not offer any critique on it. As a Vodouisant, I prefer to keep it strictly traditional - which is from the mouth of an elder Houngan or Mambo. In that vein, I would recommend Kenaz Filan's book "The Haitian Vodou Handbook: Protocols for Riding with the Lwa." I was at one time affiliated with the house he belongs to and can attest to the fact that his papa and mama kanzo are both competent, knowledgeable and experienced Vodouisants. Kenaz is a white boy and can't dance worth jack. It was funny watching him salute the poteau-mitan at fetes, but I must admit he provides good information about the Lwa and how to work with them.

The spirits are powerful entities that exist outside of us rather than being residue of psychological archetypes. Many people with an understanding of the spirits from an purely academic or philosophical viewpoint like to see them this way because it fits nicely with their fluffy-bunny sanitized "spirituality", but the spirits of African traditions are far more than mere archetypes of human persona. If I sound gruff, I apologize. I just hate to hear people advancing cute theories that sound nice, but are grounded in the non-participation of the stuff they insist on expounding on.

I used to chant "allah allahu akbar" in repetitive succession followed by a harmonized "amun amun ra" and receive that buzz. It would vibrate my head and sometimes cause a brief detachment followed by a focused centering of self. When the spirits mount, you feel like someone has hit you in the back of the head or your knees feel really weak. Sometimes when I'm just briefly passing a spirit, I feel shakes and occasionally convulsions. At fetes, you will see people fighting the possession. My wife was possessed at a time when she didn't believe in the Lwa. When the spirit successfully mounts, the individual's personality leaves the building and is can everybody say gone bye bye for the time being. The person becomes the lwa in the flesh. Sometimes to test and verify a possession, especially with the Ghede, Kleren rum is given to the person and they are to rub the substance in their mucous membranes. If possessed, it doesn't effect them. If not, it burns like hell.





1) Is it safe for me to say that a Lwa can be likened to an ‘Angel’?

If it helps you to understand their nature, you could, but I wouldn't go that far.

2) It came to me that each person is born with a Lwa? Can one know who his/her Lwa is without going to see a diviner?

Each person has a met tet which is a Lwa that's in their head; however, there can be a few Lwa that walk with a person. Regardless of what many might say, you're best bet is to have a reading to confirm your met tet. Knowing your met tet is not really important in Vodou unless you plan on becoming a houngan asogwe or mambo asogwe.

3) I’m still trying to understand the language of ‘marriage’ that you use. I understand that there are forces within us we can invoke that contain specific qualities to guide our consciousness but when you say ‘joined in marriage’, or ‘sexual obligations’ etc can you explain this in a more clearer way please?

The Lwa are distinct and separate entities.

4) Can one choose to be married to a Lwa? Or does one always have to be chosen by the Lwa?

The Lwa primarily choose. It is joked that one would be stupid to choose marriage. Typically, one proposes marriage to a Lwa for the Lwa to grant them favors - meaning one would promise marriage to Freda if she would help them get that job promotion (just an example for clarification)

5) How is one chosen for marriage? Each entity has its own characteristic, what characteristics would a person have to contain to be chosen for marriage?

The Lwa sometimes communicate their desire during a fet. At a party, Ogou may say if you marry me I will always protect you. What characteristics? You will have to ask the Lwa about that.

Peace...!

Peace,
Blackbird

I’d never heard of the Vodoun Goddess Erzulie Dantor so it was interesting learning about this female archetypes and her Lwa’s particularly that of Petro who holds her child in her arms and is said to be the spiritual mother of everyone among other charateristics (Some say she holds her son while some say she holds her daughter...).

Peace!

Dantor spiritual mother of everyone? Wow. Dantor is your "bXtch I'll beat yo a@@ in the streets" type of person. Dantor is real maternal, but I wouldn't go as far as to say spiritual mother to all, at least not in Vodou. Dantor doesn't speak because her tongue was cut out in a fight. I love Dantor as that ride or die chick.

Blackbird