Iwakeri

The Quest for Afrikan Spirituality

By
Fawesagu Awotunde Yao Faseyin
Cover Design: By Awotunde Faseyin (a.k.a. Imhotep Ranefer
!wner and founder" for Bit By Bit Technologies, Inc.
http://www.bitbybit.ve.to Cover design is #a$$ed %Face of the
Ancestors&.
'ditor: Awotunde Yao Faseyin (Imhotep Ranefer"
a!ballah Ancestral "r#er $ublishing %&&', ()))*%&&+
All rights reserve#.
(o part of this )ook may )e reprodu#ed or uti$i*ed in any form or
)y any means+ e$e#troni# or me#hani#a$+ in#$uding photo#opying
and re#ording+ or )y any information storage or retrieva$ system+
without permission in written form from the author or pu)$isher.
Dam)a$$ah An#estra$ !rder ,u)$ishing
,rinted in the -nited .tates of Ameri#a )y ,ulu.
/. Afri#an .piritua$ity
0. Afri#an Re$igion
1. Afri#anAmeri#an Re$igion
2. 3or$d and Comparative Re$igion
4. Afri#an and Afri#anAmeri#an .tudies
5. 6odun
7. Yoru)a
8. 3est Afri#an Re$igions
Dedi#ation and A#know$edgements
9his )ook is for my son -o#.o+ and my )rand new $itt$e )a)y
gir$+ /awusi Ifa!a 0ola!i Agbosi. You are going to )ring so
mu#h $ight and power upon Afrikans in this wor$d )a)y gir$. I
$ove you dear$y.
9his )ook is dedi#ated to my grandmother+ 1ora Tho!as+ who
transitioned into the rea$m of the An#estors (ovem)er 5+ /::8.
I now know why that you #ou$d not e;p$ain a$$ of those <ongo
things you used to do when you were here with us. 9hank you
for my <ongo heritage.
9o those that initiated me into the sa#red rites of Ifa+
=evioso>?ongo+ and 'gungun I say mu#h modupe to you@ 9hey
are my "luwo Baba Ifakola#e "bafe!i+ my AAu)ona
Bokonon 0awole Sun#iata -eiti+ Iyanifa Ifafun!ike+ and
"loye 21hief3 Ifabukola. 9hanks for a$$ your patien#e and
time.
.pe#ia$ a#know$edgements go to my spiritua$ father /e#ahochi
-o4 "!owale 5annu and his ear$y support for me in my *ea$
to )ring out the (ew Afrikan 6odun. I thank that great an#estor that was
a high priest in the an#ient traditions hundreds of years ago who #hose
me to #ome )a#k in this $ifetime as. You hum)$e me ea#h day. BoAu)ar
9ovodun>'gungun@
Fina$$y+ )ut not $east this )ook in many ways wou$d not )e if it
were not for the )eautifu$ mother of my $itt$e gir$ 6ashi#a
Taylor. <now that your insight and sinpiration has not )een
wasted in vain dear one. <now that the tought times are on$y
here to he$p us appre#iate the prosperous and )ountifu$ future
ahead of us.
Table of 1ontents
$reface i7
Intro#uction (
$art I: The $sychological 8!phasis 9
:ncovering the ;eil of /isorientation
of the Afrikan Spirit 9
$art II: "ur <est Afrikan Spiritual
=eritage in =istorical "verview %&
>epete The Transatlantic Survival
of Afrikan Spirituality %&
Transposition of <est Afrikan Spiritual
1ulture to the A!ericas %+
;o#un 1ulture an# the =aitian 6evolution %9
Ifa <here <e 1a!e to Be ?&
$art III: An "verview of Afrikan
Theological Theory ?'
8le!ents of /yth @ Its $urpose
within Aew Afrikan Spirituality ?'
The $urpose of /ythology ?B
/yth within the 6eal! of
Aew Afrikan Aationalis! +(
Afrikan 1os!ogonic $rinciples ++
The Afrikan 1oncept of eity 99
A Theological "verview of /anCs
6elationship to the 1reator D'
The 1reator in Its 1reation D'
Transcontinental Afrikan
Theological 1oncepts D)
$art I;: The 8ssence of the Teachings
of ;o#un*Ifa B%
The Quintessential yna!ics of ;o#un B'
The Search for 6ighteousness <ithin
the Quintessence of Afrikan Being B9
Transcen#ing the ,i!iting I#eas
of "neCs Self Through Ifa B)
A. Battling "ur =u!an 0initeness
"ri: /anCs True $ersonal 6elationship
<ith the 1reator )9
/awu*,isa: The "nly True 6eality (&+
A. Sources of elusion an# iscontent (&'
The 6elevance of "run!ilaCs Incarnation (&D
Ti!e, Space, @ Spiritual Attain!ent (&)
ivine /athe!atics of "#u Ifa (('
A. The Science of the "#u ((B
Asuwa#a an# Isese (%%
The ivine Ancestors (?+
"sayin an# the Sacre#ness of $lants (?B
"#u ;erse an# 1o!!entary (+(
1onclu#ing Thoughts (+)
Select Bibliography (9%
$reparation for the Eourney
9his )ook is a#tua$$y an outgrowth or sorts of my Aourney into the rea$m
of my 3est Afrikan An#estra$>spiritua$ heritage. In fa#t+ that is what we
mean when we say in the (ago>Yoru)a $anguage iwakeri a spiritua$
Cuest. For me and many others it is a resu$t of a $ong and often arduous
sear#h into what it means to )e New Afrikan here in Ameri#a and how we
#an )est operate within that #onte;t a##ording to the traditions of our own
An#estors. But this Aourney did not start with me, per se+ )ut it )egan $ong
ago when the Drst ship of Afrikan #aptives $anded upon the shores of .outh
and (orth Ameri#a. It was at this tragi# point in our history that a great
drama )egan to p$ay itse$f out that wou$d eventua$$y make me and others
$ike me what we are today.
9here seems to )e a great spiritua$ revo$ution foaming here in Ameri#a
with Ameri#an )orn Afrikans )eing at the forefront of this phenomenon.
Bany Afrikans are attempting a reinterpretation of )i)$i#a$ tradition. .ti$$
others are tampering with 'astern re$igious ideo$ogy. Yet+ there sti$$ seems
to )e a great degree of menta$ unrest and spiritua$ disp$a#ement among
Afrikans.
During the ens$avement era+ many of our An#estors he$d on to remnants
of their Afrikan )eing as re$ates to #u$ture and spiritua$ity. !f #ourse+
there was re$igious perse#ution from whites #onsisting of whippings+ Dnes+
and )anishment if one was #aught worshipping the deities of their
home$and: the deities of their Afrikan An#estors. 9his was parti#u$ar$y
true in (orth Ameri#a. In time+ those that %he$d on& were wiped out and
there often remained on$y ritua$isti# (hoodoo
/
+ et#." e$ements of Afrikan
spiritua$ity. 9he spiritua$ $eaders of the origina$ ways were pinpointed and
iso$ated+ espe#ia$$y here in (orth Ameri#a. 9his set up a sort of pie#e
mea$$ike Afrikan re$igious retention mi;ed with the new Christian re$igion
that had )een for#ed upon them. In fa#t+ the )ringing of Christianity to
Afrikans )y 'uropeans was a dire#t vio$ation of our humanity+ integrity+
and used as a means to #ontro$ our $ives and minds. 9hus+ )egan the
spiritua$ unrest preva$ent among Afrikans to date.
But many are seeking a so$ution to this di$emma. Bany Afrikans are
now returning to their an#ient )ut $iving traditions. It is in the spirit of
re#overing that whi#h was vio$ent$y ripped away from us during the Ntam
Kese
2
(Akan for %ho$o#aust&" that this )ook+ Iwakeri+ is written. (ow the
traditions of our An#estors have resurfa#ed as hea$ing vehi#$es to our
trou)$ed sou$s.
It is my strong opinion that there wi$$ )e no $eadership among Afrikans
here in Ameri#a that is respe#ted )y others (other ra#es here" unti$ we
return to our origina$ stru#tures of thought+ #u$ture+ and spiritua$ity. -nti$
1
3hen I use the word %hoodoo& here it is not in the usua$ 3estern negative
#onnotation in #ommon usage. I am re$ating %hoodoo& here to #ertain
ritua$isti# and medi#ina$ pra#ti#es that Ameri#an )orn Afrikans (hen#e+ the
term New Afrikan" have retained. 9hough they have retained many of the
ritua$isti# (her)s+ ways of worship+ et#." things of Afrikan tradition they have
not genera$$y maintained the origina$ Afrikan re$igious ways of $ife in form.
2
9his term and the term %Yepete& I have )orrowed from the psy#ho$ogist ,rofessor
<wa)ena Ashanti of (orth Caro$ina .tate -niversityE Akan Okomfo (Figh ,riest" and
dedi#ated #u$tura$ psy#ho$ogist.
then we wi$$ remain divided and unorgani*ed. 3e wi$$ #ontinue to pra#ti#e
faiths+ no matter how we attempt to make them Afrikan>B$a#k+ whi#h wi$$
further take us away from our strength. You see+ Afrikan faith traditions
automati#a$$y organi*e Afrikans )e#ause they speak to our very essen#e.
;o#un+ -ongo+ Akan+ et#. are right here in the -... for us to re#eive their
divine )$essings. And we must keep these traditions sa#red and interpret
their time honored s#riptures in re$ation to our #onditions right here today.
9his is what is meant throughout this )ook when I say Aew Afrikan
Spirituality or New Afrikan Vodun. It simp$y refers to a system )ased
upon the collective #u$tura$ genius of our 3est Afrikan An#estors. It is the
seeing of the sa#red within our own spa#e and time G within our own
e;perien#es. -nti$ we take su#h revo$utionary steps within our spiritua$ity
then the unrest and new tribalism that e;ists among Afrikans wi$$ remain
seeming$y una$tera)$e.
3hy the term (ew AfrikanH
.imp$y put when Afrikans were )rought over from the home$and to the
Ameri#as they were )rought here and divided away from their genera$
tri)a$ and fami$ia$ asso#iations. I)o were mi;ed with Bandika+ (ago were
mi;ed with Ba <ongo+ and the $ist goes on. 9his oftentimes harsh rea$ity
#reated what we now #a$$ a New Afrikan. But the name is mu#h deeper
than it )eing )ased on the mi;ing of )$ood$ines. 9he name is used to
e;press a #on#ept of an Afrikan rea$ity that was #reated in this new wor$d.
3hat is (ew Afrikan 6odunH
In a nutshe$$+ (ew Afrikan 6odun is a)out freedom G real freedom.
Afrikans in Ameri#a+ and a)road are returning to Afrikan traditions for
various reasons and at various $eve$s of understanding. But we sti$$ are
)ringing #ertain attitudes and )aggage into these sa#red orders that were
origina$$y imp$anted in our psy#he through the horri)$e advent of s$avery.
But even )efore that+ in Afrika the attitudes of tri)a$ism set up a
destru#tive disunity that a$$owed 'uropeans to get the prover)ia$ foot in
the door+ whi#h set the stage for the $argest and $ongest mass murder of
any peop$e in the history of the wor$d. .ad$y+ that tri)a$ism has taken on a
new form among those that pra#ti#e an#ient Afrikan traditions right here
in (orth Ameri#a.
9he (ew Afrikan+ the Afrikan )orn in (orth Ameri#a+ shou$d stand as
the epitome of Afrikan unity through Afrikan traditions+ )ut that has not
)een the #ase. !)a !seiAiman !funto$a Adefunmi I )rought the rights of
Ifa>6odun to the Afrikans of Ameri#a in /:4:. 3ithin a time span of on$y 24
years there has deve$oped a new form of separation that wou$d make the
various denominations amongst Christians )$ush. ,art of this separation is
)ased upon notions that e;press that if you are not doing things exactly as
is done in Afrika then that whi#h is )eing done is in some way wrong.
.ome wi$$ go to the point of narrowing it down to a parti#u$ar $o#a$e in a
parti#u$ar #ountry@ 3ho is the authority on thisH 9he fa#t of the matter is
that+ during the Baafa+ Afrikans were taken from a$$ of the various
ethni#ities that popu$ated the 3est+ 3est Centra$+ and .outhwest Centra$
parts of Afrika (:4I". .ome were even taken from the interior. 9herefore+
our blood is multifaceted-Afrikan, hen#e the term (ew Afrikan. 9hus+ how
#an one retain a tri)a$ attitude whi$e )eing #omposed of so many Jtri)esJH
9o #arry out su#h a thing is an a#t of an interna$ )att$e against .e$f+ whi#h
#an on$y resu$t in se$fdestru#tion.
Being #omposed of su#h a variegated Afrikan #u$tura$ heritage why is it
so wrong to honor themH 3hy do we Dght against that and entrap
ourse$ves further in the 'uropeanKs game of divide and #onCuerH 9hese
are the deities of our )$ood. 9hese are not Aust etherea$ concepts. 9hese
are a#tua$ entities that #omprise the very essence of our being without
whi#h we #ou$d not e;ist@ 9he overwhe$ming maAority of Ameri#an )orn
Afrikans+ des#ending from s$aves that worked the #otton De$ds of the .outh
and other p$a#es+ do not have direct Yoru)a+ Ba<ongo+ Fu$ani+ et#.
$ineage. But what we #an )e sure of is that we have one p$us at $east one
other of these ethni#ities Lowing through our veins. And if Afrikan
traditions are An#estra$ then it wou$d fo$$ow that the deities of those
An#estors are within our very )eing the very #ons#iousness that is our
!rM.
9he s$ave master attempted to #onfuse the Afrikans and #reate the
atmosphere for disunity )y separating peop$e from their tri)a$ identity and
putting them within someone e$seKs tri)a$ atmosphere. You and I must see
this attempt at #reating a permanent $eve$ of #onfusion as an unintending
vehi#$e of unity. 9he Faitians produ#ed a system+ during the time of
s$avery+ whi#h #om)ined the most dominant aspe#ts of Afrikan #u$ture
from various ethni#ities. But why and how did they do thisH 9he why $ies
within four rea$ities. Rea$ity num)er one is that they a$$ rea$i*ed that they
had a #ommon enemy. (um)er two was that they knew they had to unify
against that #ommon enemy. (um)er three is that they were smart enough
to see the #u$tura$ unity that runs through a$$ 3est Afrikan #u$ture. And
four was the )ig one. 9hey rea$i*ed that freedom was gained through
nationa$ism and that nationa$ism either produ#ed or was an outgrowth of a
peop$eKs re$igious ideo$ogy. .o they #om)ined the #u$ture without $eaving
out the re$igion. 9he same was done in varying degrees in Cu)a and Bra*i$.
In fa#t+ this seems to )e a phenomenon put into a#tion a$$ around the
wor$dE )oth histori#a$$y and in the now. NetKs take a Cui#k $ook.
Christianity originated in Rome. It is from there you get Roman
Catho$i#ism. 3hen Catho$i#ism spread form its Roman home+ it took on
the Lavor of the new #u$ture it had #ome into #onta#t with. In Fran#e+ it
)e#ame French Catho$i#ism. In .pain+ it )e#ame panish Catho$i#ism. In
Oermany+ it )e#ame !utheran+ whi#h is the father of ,rotestantism" A$$ of
these peop$e have in #ommon the fa#t that they a$$ stem from the same
#ommon+ Indo'uropean sto#k. Yet+ even though they knew this they a$so
knew that they had to interpret their heritage from their own #urrent
#u$tura$ #ir#umstan#es. 9he same #an )e said of Is$amKs various
manifestations and Buddhism. In fa#t+ the 9i)etan version of Buddhism
en#ouraged the 9i)etans to )reak the sha#k$es of the #u$tura$ )ondage and
physi#a$ atro#ities they suPered at the hands of their Chinese kinspeop$e@
3hen you $ook at (ew Afrikan 6odun from that perspe#tive #anKt you see
what I mean )y real freedomH

A 1ontinental Afrikan 87a!ple in Support of Aew Afrikan ;o#un
9here is a $itt$e known 6odun phenomenon in 3est Afrika #a$$ed
Oorovodu. Oorovodu is main$y pra#ti#ed )y the 'we in .outhern Ohana. It
has inLuen#es from 6odun (Fon"+ Akan+ 'we+ and Yoru)a+ and is said to
have #ome a)out as a )att$e and defense against the oppressive #o$onia$
powers that #ame to smother Afrikan #u$ture within these 3est Afrikan
$o#a$es. In the 'we $anguage+ the word goro trans$ates as %ko$a& or %ko$a
nut&. 9hus+ the term Oorovodu $itera$$y trans$ates as %<o$a 6odu&. 9he
name is )ased on histori#a$ #ir#umstan#es whereas Afrikans from northern
Ohana wou$d )e )ought with ko$a nuts and other items. At that time+ ko$a
was a high$y pri*ed item. It was known for its medi#ina$ properties in
taking #are of )oi$s+ shing$es+ stoma#h pro)$ems+ and impoten#y Aust to
name a few.
Be#ause of the An#estra$ memories of these peop$e that formed
Oorovodu they #reated+ as a #entra$ point of the tradition+ spe#ia$ rights
that honored the spirits of enslaved Afrikans #o$$e#tive$y referred to as
9#ham)a (A Fausa word that means %s$ave&"" It is reported that when the
spirits %mount& a Oorovodu devotee the $anguage that is #ommuni#ated
#ou$d )e one of a num)er of $anguages that were e;#hanged due to the
tragedies of s$avery+ and the #u$tura$ ama$gamations that fo$$owed
afterwards.
9owards the (ew Afrikan ,aradigm
9he 6odun of 3est Afrika is itse$f #omposed of over 1Q diPerent
indigenous Afrikan ethni# groups. 3e Dnd the same phenomenon in the
Ameri#as when a study of the Ou$$ah of the .ea Is$ands oP the #oasts of
Oeorgia and .outh Caro$ina was made. It was dis#overed that their
spee#h #onsisted of 0/ ethni#ities. (ew Afrikan 6odunKs approa#h is in
that spirit. It is a reeva$uation and adAustment of the Afrikan traditions our
An#estors )rought from 3est Afrika. 9he e;perien#es and #onta#ts that
our ens$aved An#estors e;perien#ed produ#ed new understandings and
new approa#hes to things sa#red and an#ient. 3hat gets me e;#ited a)out
(ew Afrikan .piritua$ity is that it is a potentia$ me#hanism to move us away from
our modern tri)a$ism. Yes+ many of us do not want to hear that )ut it is Cuite true.
3e have retri)a$i*ed ourse$ves )ased on the version of Afrikan traditions that we
pra#ti#e. 3e have #reated a new p$antation system whi$e yet #$aiming to )e
Afrikans. 9his must #ease@
!ur adAustment and reinterpretation of the an#ient traditions of our An#estors
is proof that our traditions are not stati#. 9hey are dynami#+ and it i$$ustrates that
the #onDden#e that our An#estors put in us was not wasted. It is the on$y way
that we wi$$ advan#e as a #u$tura$$y respe#ted peop$e. It is what Ba)a Bedaho#hi
<oD !. Rannu says wi$$ distinguish )etween a dead spiritua$ity and one that is
a$ive.
Iwakeri represents part of the Aourney )a#k to our true se$ves. It is a (ew
Afrikan e;pression of the most an#ient of truths made pa$ata)$e to our #urrent
e;perien#es in the Ameri#as. #wakeri is a Aourney. It is a #ontri)ution to the
ongoing hea$ing pro#ess )eing #arried out )y Afrikans around the g$o)e
throughout the Yepete
?
(Akan for %diaspora&". A$though its fo#us is on the Ifa
6odun tradition that springs from the Yoru)a ((ago of (igeria" and Fon of Benin
(former$y Dahomey"+ I strong$y advo#ate the va$idity of other Afrikan faith
traditions in this hea$ing pro#ess as we$$. It is my hope that Iwakeri wi$$ show you
the )eautifu$ truth of our Afrikan spiritua$ity.
Bokonon Awotunde Yao Faseyin 0QQ2
3
Dr.>!komfo Ashanti.
*Intro#uction*
9he writing of this )ook origina$$y #ame from the authorSs deep
awareness of an urgent #u$tura$ ne#essity. It is a ne#essity that
#a$$s into p$ay the guidan#e of our Divine An#estors who strugg$ed
not on$y to keep our physi#a$ $ineages going+ )ut a$so to keep our
spiritual traditions a$ive and we$$ that they may spring forth $ike
the evergreen trees that they are. 3e #a$$ upon and give praise to
these An#estors to he$p us set the re#ord straight a)out true
Afrikan re$igious #on#epts and worship through the eyes and spirit
of Afrika herse$f. !f #ourse+ this wi$$ great$y diPer from the usua$
anthropo$ogi#a$ (the study of #u$ture through a )iased and
3estern viewpoint" approa#h in that this work is intended to )e
mu#h more than a inte$$e#tua$ treatise on Afrikan spiritua$ thought
and pra#ti#e that is simp$y gathered for the sake of Cuoting or Aust
knowing. If this is what the seeker #omes away from this )ook
with then I have u$timate$y fai$ed as a #onveyor of our truth. 9his
work is a #a$$ to a#tion: the a#tion )eing for Afrikans here and
a)road to put an end to )eing di#tated to on su#h important
matters as the %truth& #on#erning re$igious #on#epts+ their origins+
and the va$idity of those #on#epts when they are of indigenous
Afrikan origin.
Fistori#a$$y speaking+ the dominating fa#tor in #ontro$$ing a
su)dued and su)seCuent$y #u$tura$$y defun#t peop$e is to
rearrange and #ontro$ that peop$eSs own images and #on#ept s of
the Creator. 9his means that at $east two things must deDnite$y )e
Drm$y put in p$a#e and perpetuated. 9he Drst thing to do is
desacrali$e that su)dued peop$eSs #on#ept of the Creator and the
whole system of worship and culture that accompanies that
concept" 9his means that anything that remote$y resem)$es their
#u$ture and re$igious ideo$ogy (aestheti#s+ ways of eating+ et#."
must )e made to )e viewed as negative. 9his not on$y in#$udes the
peop$eSs re$igious imagery+ )ut it e;tends into that peop$eSs own
view of themse$ves. For instan#e+ if the peop$e are made to fee$
inferior then deDnite$y their Creator #on#ept is inferior+ and hen#e+
inadeCuate for their very spiritua$ sa$vation (sa$vation in various
forms )eing the aim of a$$ re$igions of the wor$d". After this has
)een we$$ esta)$ished+ the se#ond thing done )y the dominant
oppressive #u$ture is to rep$a#e the su)dued #u$tureSs origina$
imagery+ sym)o$s+ and se$fout$ook with those supp$ied )y them. In
#onseCuen#e+ in the #ase of the ens$avement era the white s$ave
owners wanted to make a$$ things divine asso#iated with the
whiteness of their skin. 9hese fa#tors are very important to
understand if we are to grasp the importan#e that psy#ho$ogi#a$
and spiritua$ s$avery has p$ayed in our re$igious deve$opment sin#e
our #onta#t with the Ara) Bus$ims+ and 'uropean Christians
respe#tive$y.
A$$ an#ient #u$turesS truths were #entered on their view of the
Creator+ and the esta)$ishment of their view through the
su)seCuent re$igious ideo$ogy that fo$$owed (s#riptures Twhether
ora$ or writtenU+ re$igious rites+ ar#hite#ture and art+ images and
i#ons+ et#.". In fa#t+ the #u$ture of the peop$e itse$f shapes the very
stru#ture of the organi*ed aspe#ts of the re$igion of the peop$e.
Re$igion and #u$ture #annot )e separated no matter how many
have attempted to do otherwise. 9his )e#omes more evident when
studying deeper into why #ertain re$igions e;press the same
#on#epts in tota$$y diPerent ways from one another. In $ight of
su#h a fa#t+ it is my #ontention that no re$igion is greater than the
other is. ,ro)$ems on$y arise when you have a )e$ief system that
says that you (and others that )e$ieve simi$ar to you" have the
do#trine that wi$$ save the who$e wor$d and that a$$ other peop$eSs
do#trines are inva$id"
!ther pro)$ems arise when many of the peop$e of the defun#t
#u$ture fee$ they #annot Dnd sa$vation un$ess they seek in p$a#es
nonindigenous to their origina$ An#estra$ way of $ife (Vust $ook at
some of the writings of the poet ,hy$$is 3heate$y". 9his is $ikened
unto someone seeking a heart transp$ant to $ive when they have a
perfe#t$y good pumping heart of their own. In fa#t+ their heart may
)e in mu#h )etter shape@ But sin#e their mind and heart are not
in a$ignment the signa$s )e#ome mi;ed up whi#h is )asi#a$$y a
form of insanity. For this #o$$e#tive spiritua$ insanity that marks us
as a peop$e+ there has to )e a spiritua$ #ure.
A$$ re$igions are designed to take its seekers )a#k to their
sour#e. 9o e;pound on this+ a simp$e $ook at the word re$igion
further e$u#idates this point. 'tymo$ogi#a$$y+ the one word re$igion
is #omposed of two Natin derivatives %re& meaning %again, back&,
and %ligion& or %ligio&, meaning %to tie, bind, or fasten to a
source&. 9hus+ from a spiritua$ perspe#tive+ true re$igion is
supposed to )ind one )a#k to the origina$ .our#e of a$$ $ife. 'ven
though the word %re$igionS is a Natin word+ the Afrikans of o$d had
#ome to this #on#$usion ages )efore Natin #ou$d take on its
rudimentary form as a $anguage. For instan#e+ Sankofa is an
Akan word whi#h means %to retrieve&+ and )y e;tension %to
retrieve and return 'that which is behind you(&. In the re$igio
#u$tura$ art of the Akan+ .ankofa is sym)o$i*ed )y a )ird $ooking
/8Q degrees )a#k over itse$f whi$e the feet are sti$$ pointing
forward. 9hus+ the .ankofa )ird is a most potent sym)o$ that
speaks of the ne#essity of our Aourney. 'a#h turn of these pages is
meant to )e a part of the seekerSs .ankofa.
9o further e$u#idate this point the 6odunIfa tradition of 3est
Afrika says that BanSs spirit and !$odumare (the Creator of the
wor$ds" are one+ and that Ban #hooses a destiny that is Dt for
him>her for that parti#u$ar $ife in#arnation. 9hrough the )irthing
pro#ess Ban %forgets& or simp$y #omes out of a$ignment with her
origina$ divine p$an of destiny+ whi#h is !$odumareSs divine p$an
for that individua$. 3ithin Ifa+ )eing out of a$ignment with
!$odumareSs p$an #reates disorder for the human+ so we must
have a vehi#$eE a system to transform ourse$ves so that we may
)ind )a#k to that origina$ .our#e or retrieve the .pirit of that
.our#e that we have %$eft )ehind&. .o if we $ook at re$igion from
Afrika as our #enter+ using Ifa and Akan as mode$s+ we see that
true re$igion imp$ies )inding us )a#k to the origina$ An#estra$
ways of $ife e;emp$iDed )y indigenous Afrikan spiritua$ traditions.
Binding to the #reative .our#e is oneness that we share )y a
natura$ #onne#tivity. Afri#entri#a$$y speaking+ an#ient indigenous
Afrika+ the Creator #on#ept of our An#estors ((eter+ !$odumare+
(yame+ BawuNisa+ et#."+ and the spiritua$ systems that em)ra#e
our Creator #on#ept is the .our#e that we have %forgotten& and
#ome out of a$ignment with+ and it is to this that we must make
our .ankofa.
As Afrikan peop$e operating in an unnatura$ state+ the spiritua$
misa$ignment that Ifa speak of is Cuite evident+ and it is a$ive in
our so#ia$$y e;pressed psy#he. !n page 08 of his )ook 6itual, the
profound Dagarian (3est Afrikan" shaman and high priest
Ba$idoma .ome speaks of the resu$ts of this misa$ignment and its
#onseCuen#es from the perspe#tive of ritua$:
%"""Where ritual is absent, the young ones are restless or
violent, there are no real elders, and the grown ups are
bewildered !he future is dim&"

And again on page 1Q:
%!he fading and disappearance in modern cultureis
e"pressed in several ways# the weakening of links with the
spirit world and general alienation of people from
themselves and others!hose who seek to remember have
an attraction towards violence !hey live their lives
constantly upset or angry"&
A$$ we need to do is $ook at the mora$ de#ay and seeming$y
hope$ess attitudes that many of the B$a#k youth e;press in this day
and age. 9hese are the ones that '$der Ba$idoma is saying are
%seeking to remem)er&. 9hey often e;press themse$ves in various
forms not readi$y a##epta)$e to the main stream of so#iety (Fip
Fop #u$ture )eing a )eautifu$ e;amp$e"E even within the B$a#k
%su)#u$ture& that they are )orn into in the )owe$s of Ameri#a.
Bost of these peop$e are grass roots oriented+ and of #ourse the
grass represents where seeds are )rst p$anted. Bany of these
otherwise we$$intending )rothers and sisters $ash out
dangerous$y+ )e#ause they may not know the root #auses of their
frustrations. I am not saying that %a#ting>$ashing& out shou$d )e
an a##epta)$e form of anyoneSs #u$ture. In fa#t+ it is Cuite anti
human whi#h makes it antiAfrikan. I am simp$y e#hoing the
wisdom of '$der Ba$idoma. 9hey simp$y want to know. 9hey want
to e;press a part of them that has )een #aged up )y an a$ien and
often inhumane so#iety that does not want that part of them
e;pressed. 3ithout true '$ders (and the systems of deep thought
im)ued in su#h e$ders" these $iving disem)odied sou$s wi$$ remain
in a state of #haoti# $im)o. 9his )ook+ in the spirit of Afrikan
re$igion itse$f+ is a)out solutions to take us away from this state of
#haos to a spiritua$ and remem)ering with our An#estra$ sou$.
In our sear#h+ it must )e understood that our origina$ .e$f
out$ook em)odied nothing short of Dada .eg)o
2
$ike nature to )e
a#hieved right here on earth. In Afrikan spiritua$ity+ we $earn that
this is the main purpose of the human in#arnation to o)tain the
highest state of Dada .eg)o$ikeness possi)$e in this $ifetime. In
our start to this+ we wi$$ e;p$ore severa$ mi$$ennia of written and
ora$ history+ re)irthing what some )e$ieve to )e %$ost know$edge&+
and reintrodu#ing it in its e;istent form for the hea$ing of the
masses. 9his is very key in our Cuest as a peop$e e;perien#ing a
disaster never known to mankind )efore. -n$ike others who have
suPered horrendous tragedies+ we are the on$y ones that were
a$most totally stripped of a$most everything essentia$ to form
adeCuate #u$tura$ e;pressionsE name$y $anguage and re$igion.
In the pro#ess of redis#overing ourse$ves+ we have em)ra#ed
traditions that are in tota$ opposition to our own origina$ spiritua$
nature. For instan#e+ through Bi)$i#a$ indo#trination+ we have
)een misguided )y the notion of a far away Bawu that we #an
hope for very $itt$e favor from )e#ause of a mytho$ogi#a$ %sin& that
supposed$y o##urred 475Q years ago or so. !n top of that we have
)egun to take other peop$esS truths regarding the Creator 'ssen#e
and demand our in#$usion in them sometimes to the point of trying
to e;#$ude those very same peop$e to whom the truths )e$ong to in
the Drst p$a#e. 9hus+ in doing so we further take ourse$ves away
from our own #enters.
.o our sear#h )e#omes stunted when taking this approa#h.
Bany times we end up reAe#ting our own origina$ do#trines+ )ut it
is the authorSs most ardent wish to he$p show the way )a#k to
authenti# Afrikan )e$ief and pra#ti#e.
4
Dahdahseg)owE the 6odun (Fon>'vhe" #on#ept of the .our#e of a$$ )eing.
%"""the key to Black civili$ation and development was African
philosophy and religion&"
Count C.F. 6o$ney in his monumenta$ work 6uins of 8!pires
(/784".