metaclektik

[metaclektik]

#knowthyself #ourmigration

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[metaclektik]

Hey I’m watching Theft of The Black Gods: The Superheroes. Check it out now on Prime Video!

https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.2b7fac61-57cd-4f60-8bc7-594ee1f5dd75&ref_=atv_dp_share_mv&r=web

[metaclektik]

DIVERSITY DOES NOT AND SHOULD NOT EXIST EVERYWHERE

The African Diaspora Understands This - Everyone else doesn't

There has been much debate within the Vodou circles, which I am a member. The question still remains as of yesterday, “Can whites and people not of the African Diaspora practice Vodou, Ifá, Santeria, Candomblé, Palo, Umbanda, or even American Voodoo?” All which are African based spiritual systems? Of course people feel entitled to indulge in anything they are mildly interested in but there are times where certain people should be shut out of certain things and traditional African religion is certainly one of those things. When Jenn and I were in New Orleans in the French Quarters, I was really taken back at the number of Voodoo shops, Voodoo museums and Voodoo tours being spearheaded by whites. Not a single Voodoo entity was owned or operated by a black face. I was equally cynical of the amount of revenue that was being generated from factory manufactured, “Voodoo Dolls,” key chains, trinkets, gimmicky magic candles, and palm readings. All of which is NOT African in origin but marketed and sold as African culture. These Voodoo tourist shops were managed by young white Goths with black painted nails, gaged earlobes and multiple piercings and they were asking, ‘ME’ if I needed help finding something! Of course what I asked for (Ṣàngó Oṣè - the double axe of Shango), they didn’t carry because THAT was too authentically African and too authentically Vodou. Perhaps we should have ventured further away from the tourists traps of the Quarters.

This is why people who are not of the African Diaspora should respectfully be locked-out of our sacred traditions. Our traditions become exploited, commercialized and monetized. Our traditions are converted into storefronts for wide-eyed, clueless looking non-Africans to wonder in, fascinated by our strange and scary, “Ooga Booga” traditions, purchasing our culture as “gag gifts” and curious and unexplained pieces of art. But in Yorubaland Nigeria, in Benin, in Ghana, in Burkino Faso, in Cameroon, in Brasil, in Cuba, in Puerto Rico, in Haiti, in Jamaica and in the Dominican Republic, this sort of disrespect of African and Afro-Cubano spiritual practices does not exist. One individual of the Voodoo circle I spoke with believed that the religion should be open to anyone who is sincere about the culture and willing to honor the spirits. He also believed that its okay for white people to practice traditional African religions as long as they come with a sincere heart. Vodou is NOT like Christianity or Buddhism where anyone can just walk in and join. It’s not about your heart, it’s about your blood. It’s not the lack of sincerity to the Gods that is the issue, it’s the legacy of that group of people that is the problem. It’s the history of waging war on African people, in the past and in the present, whether you personally took part in it or not. Everyone in the world benefitted from the exploitation of African people. Therefore, any traditional spiritual system or religion that doesn't have set protocols of security and exclusion isn't worth joining. And the more ancient it is, the more exclusive it has to be.

This is why Vodou is a CLOSED spiritual system. Even for Africans, there are certain rites, initiations and rituals to open the spirits up to even us. Many of us aren’t even granted access to these powerful energies because many of us have turned our backs on our gods for white saviors and little porcelain skinned Cherubs with curly blonde hair. And for decades of forced conversation at the threat of being flogged and castrated, we accepted our enslaver's God and never looked back. Vodou is an ancient traditional African cosmological system that finds a lot of its essence in honoring the ancestors and serving the Loas. We call this “sevi lwa.” And since the Loas (African Vodou spirits) are not the ancestors of Europeans, white colonizers and the white oppressors of African people, there is no reason to believe that the African spirits would respond favorably to the petitions of the very people who conquered Africa and slaughtered the African people. The idea itself is not only absurd but extremely arrogant of people to treat African people with so much disdain and disrespect and then turn around and have the audacity to perform Vodou rituals (poorly) and ask African spirits to grant them love and wealth.

The skeleton key is a sacred symbol of Lwa Esu Elegbara (Elegguá) and for a good reason. A key locks and unlocks doors. “Legba’s Key” unlocks the spiritual realm and opens the road for African people to communicate with the 400+1 lwas or Orishas (if he allows it). He doesn’t always grant permission (it depends on your approach). But one thing is for sure, there can be no communication with any spirit without first consulting with this very ancient energy which we call, Elegbara. and this ancient energy DOES NOT grant access to non-African people who are not of the African bloodline. True Vodouisants understand this and therefore they refuse to teach non-African people our deep secrets and initiation rites.

Vodou is strictly an African religion and African identity and it belongs to the African Diaspora! Some things we will happily share; Music, food, dance and even some aspects of culture. However, traditional and sacred African spirituality we cannot. Diversity does not exist here. Respect that and try not to guilt your way in or bully your way in. You are not entitled to everyone's culture and knowledge. It's not for you.

[metaclektik]

[metaclektik]

🇧🇯 Benin has celebrated its annual Voodoo festival.

Tourists and followers of the once-banned religion gathered in the small town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade.

The festival commemorates Voodoo culture and has drawn people of African descent from America, Brazil and the Caribbean, who are seeking to discover the religion and land of their ancestors uprooted during the slave trade.

The traditional African religion, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine.

The central belief of Voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. 

#benin #bbcafrica #voodoo #voodoofestival #ouidah #religion #🇧🇯 #ConnectingtheDotsAcrosstheDiaspora https://www.instagram.com/p/CnYQaK3upex/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[metaclektik]

STOP SHARING CLOSED KNOWLEDGE

I saw on Instagram a Babalawo explaining the West African Odu Ifa rituals. The title of "BABALAWO" literally means, "Father of Secrets." Can't be much of a secret if it's being shared with the world. Some things can shared, ancient rituals is closed information.

Black people share too much. If you are one of those fortunate enough to understand ancient traditions and cosmological African rituals and I mean REALLY understand them, keep them sacred. 'Secret' and 'Sacred' are phonetically similar for a reason. 'Secret' deals with US, 'Sacred: deals with our ancestors. Honor both. When you give the keys to your home to other people who are not part of your family, don't be surprised when they come into your house uninvited and steal your precious items. Some doors should remain locked and the key with you at all times!

Abassi Okoro

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Kingkesia/Moon Child

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Elegua one of the main Orishas of the Yoruba pantheon, this saint is known for being the owner or lord of the roads, that is why the believers of santeria or rule of Osha and Ifa, use their prayers and prayers to earn their please, in the company of your blessings. Its invocation is essential to officiate at any ceremony, therefore, having full knowledge of its prayers is practically mandatory for all followers of this religious culture.

[metaclektik]

The three faces of Abassi Okoro Eziokwu. L-2-R. The Face of Seeing, The Face of Speaking, The Face of Understanding

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