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Abibifahodie!
I have a question..is Ifa in its original form a closed practice? I’d be interested taking initiation but I see many babalawo are oyinbo and many non black practitioners. Also using foreign European materials for veneration. Why did this come about or has it always been?
Honestly, I’d have a problem with sharing our sacred spiritual sciences with non black people and it’s a little discouraging(we can’t have nothin! lol)
Would appreciate any insight. @obadelekambon
ìfọkànbalẹ̀
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Are there babalawo that don’t accept this?
How can I be initiated and given the tools to practice connection with my ancestors, by people that shouldn’t have any?
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Abibisika (Black Gold) Points
Great question..
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Abibifahodie @Zay You need to find an Afrikan nationalist spiritual group to do this because non-nationalist Afrikan spiritualists will have non-Kmtyu in their groups. Also, regarding non-Afrikan materials/products used for veneration and libations, Ɔbenfo has a good discussion on that. https://www.abibitumi.com/product/31-sss-video-recording-slides-the-political-economy-of-afrikan-spiritualitys-material-culture-tools-of-liberation-or-traps-of-enslavement/
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@AFRON8V ìfọkànbalẹ̀(I place my heart on the ground) that makes sense! I appreciate you taking time to enlighten me brother! I would definitely want initiation done in the purest form. In my mind, I feel that if our own people are taking wing of foreigners unlike us and sharing our indigenous truths then there must be psychological corruption in there own practice. I can’t help but call out the flaws. Again, how can we be expected to receive spiritual tools by people that are giving those same tools to our enemies. Logically I find the sources of those spiritual leads to be tainted or misused at that point; which would make me reluctant in receiving wisdom from them. I hope that makes sense. Also I’m not limiting myself just to ifa but because most of my roots come from Yoruba I thought I might have a closer connection. Overall I feel it’s my duty to return to our own connections with the divine. So any form of that will suffice. Thank you again
Abibitumi!!
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@Zay most definitely. What Ɔbenfo has pointed out in the talk about the usage of talcum/baby powder and eurasian liquor for libations I’ve seen used even among Afrikan nationalist spiritual groups that do not have non-Kmtyu present. This was in the Diaspora. Now Ɔbenfo has seen it on the continent too. We have to keep in mind we were all colonized so even in all Kmtyu spaces there’s eurasian materials seeping in. So, practices even on the motherland have to be reKemetized. Ɔbenfo has had to bring palm wine or ask for its usage instead of schnapps liquor. You might have to do some digging around to find the purest forms closest to what our ancestors practiced prior to the invasions or deal with the eurasian materials in the all-Kmtyu groups for now. We’ve had to deal with the latter because that’s where our people are at. Hope that helps a bit.
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@AFRON8V That helps tremendously, I’ve heard Ɔbenfo speak about that briefly in a video. I’ll definitely have to do some deep diving. Even with knowing our people are deeply colonized psychologically on the the continent as well, I think sometimes it’s hard for me to mentally overcome the fact that not all of our people are of the same understanding. I can’t just go back to the continent and expect the circles I’m seeking to be easily accessible. For many of us seeking/returning to our indigenous ways, we have to accept that a lot of our people are lost throughout the diaspora(including our ancient knowledge) just as we were, & have not yet sought after the path to liberate their minds; and that’s a hard pill. It’s easy for me to expect that of them because I’m doing it, but I have to learn to be patient with others.
Like Morpheus said to Neo..” we never free a mind after it’s reached a certain age..the mind has trouble letting go. A lot of this journey in becoming Afrikan again is very deep and brews conflict even within myself trying to let go of western psychology. I think it’d be a good discussion to really dive into that topic and the internal struggle that comes with it.
Definitely planning on making the sankofa journey & having more personalized discussions about this! Àṣẹ
ìfọkànbalẹ̀
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@Zay brotha you’ve expressed some real talk, and you’ve articulated the challenges. That Morpheus quote makes a whole lot of sense, especially when we see elders (or some may say olders but I grant them the respect when they’re for our people) still stuck with white jesus or white virgin mary, we know it’s most likely they ain’t never letting that go at their age unless some type of miraculous event happens. This is something I’ve seen in traveling fully Black communities abroad and seeing people that grew up in all Kmtyu communities with zero eurasian physical presence still face psychological, cultural and spiritual eurasian invasion so the eurasian is present through the imagery and materials. It is challenging for us because of where we’re at psychologically, trying to maintain patience over frustration. Nana Kimbwandende Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau speaks of more intact culture/spiritual systems being present in deep inner Afrika/Abibiman however as the Motherland undergoes “development” we see that comes along with westernization/eurasianization. The Sankofa Movement book by the Akoto family does a good job of capturing the reality of irreconcilable differences.
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