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IwakeriThe Quest for Afrikan Spirituality

By

Fawesagu Awotunde Yao Faseyin

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Cover Design: By Awotunde Faseyin (a.k.a. Imhotep Ranefer!wner and founder" for Bit By Bit Technologies, Inc.http://www.bitbybit.ve.toCover design is #a$$ed %Face of theAncestors&.

'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#opyingand 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$ity0. Afri#an Re$igion1. Afri#anAmeri#an Re$igion2. 3or$d and Comparative Re$igion4. Afri#an and Afri#anAmeri#an tudies5. 6odun

7. Yoru)a8. 3est Afri#an Re$igions

http://www.bitbybit.ve.to/http://www.bitbybit.ve.to/

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Dedi#ation and A#know$edgements

9his )ook is for my son -o#o+ and my )rand new $itt$e )a)ygir$+ awusi Ifa!a 0ola!i Agbosi. You are going to )ring somu#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+ whotransitioned 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

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Table of 1ontents

$reface i7

Intro#uction (

$art I: The $sychological 8!phasis 9

ncovering the ;eil of isorientationof the Afrikan Spirit 9

$art II: "ur

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Transcen#ing the i!iting I#easof "neCs Self Through Ifa )

A. Battling "ur =u!an 0initeness"ri: anCs True $ersonal 6elationship

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$reparation for the Eourney

9his )ook is a#tua$$y an outgrowth or sorts of my ourney into the rea$mof my 3est Afrikan An#estra$>spiritua$ heritage. In fa#t+ that is what wemean when we say in the ago>Yoru)a $anguage iwakeri a spiritua$uest. For me and many others it is a resu$t of a $ong and often arduous

sear#h into what it means to )eNew Afrikanhere in Ameri#a and how we#an )est operate within that #onte;t a##ording to the traditions of our ownAn#estors. But this ourney did not start with me, per se+ )ut it )egan $ongago when the rst ship of Afrikan #aptives $anded upon the shores of outhand orth Ameri#a. It was at this tragi# point in our history that a greatdrama )egan to p$ay itse$f out that wou$d eventua$$y make me and others$ike me what we are today. 9here seems to )e a great spiritua$ revo$ution foaming here in Ameri#awith Ameri#an )orn Afrikans )eing at the forefront of this phenomenon.any Afrikans are attempting a reinterpretation of )i)$i#a$ tradition. ti$$

others are tampering with 'astern re$igious ideo$ogy. Yet+ there sti$$ seemsto )e a great degree of menta$ unrest and spiritua$ disp$a#ement amongAfrikans. During the ens$avement era+ many of our An#estors he$d on to remnantsof their Afrikan )eing as re$ates to #u$ture and spiritua$ity. !f #ourse+there was re$igious perse#ution from whites #onsisting of whippings+ nes+and )anishment if one was #aught worshipping the deities of theirhome$and: the deities of their Afrikan An#estors. 9his was parti#u$ar$ytrue in orth Ameri#a. In time+ those that %he$d on& were wiped out andthere often remained on$y ritua$isti# (hoodoo/+ et#." e$ements of Afrikanspiritua$ity. 9he spiritua$ $eaders of the origina$ ways were pinpointed andiso$ated+ espe#ia$$y here in orth Ameri#a. 9his set up a sort of pie#emea$$ike Afrikan re$igious retention mi;ed with the new Christian re$igionthat had )een for#ed upon them. In fa#t+ the )ringing of Christianity toAfrikans )y 'uropeans was a dire#t vio$ation of our humanity+ integrity+and used as a means to #ontro$ our $ives and minds. 9hus+ )egan thespiritua$ unrest preva$ent among Afrikans to date. But many are seeking a so$ution to this di$emma. any Afrikans arenow returning to their an#ient )ut $iving traditions. It is in the spirit ofre#overing that whi#h was vio$ent$y ripped away from us during theNtam

Kese2(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 ourtrou)$ed sou$s. It is my strong opinion that there wi$$ )e no $eadership among Afrikanshere in Ameri#a that is respe#ted )y others (other ra#es here" unti$ wereturn to our origina$ stru#tures of thought+ #u$ture+ and spiritua$ity. -nti$

13hen I use the word %hoodoo& here it is not in the usua$ 3estern negative#onnotation in #ommon usage. I am re$ating %hoodoo& here to #ertainritua$isti# and medi#ina$ pra#ti#es that Ameri#an )orn Afrikans (hen#e+ theterm New Afrikan" have retained. 9hough they have retained many of theritua$isti# (her)s+ ways of worship+ et#." things of Afrikan tradition they have

not genera$$y maintained the origina$ Afrikan re$igious ways of $ife in form.29his term and the term %Yepete& I have )orrowed from the psy#ho$ogist ,rofessor

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then we wi$$ remain divided and unorgani*ed. 3e wi$$ #ontinue to pra#ti#efaiths+ no matter how we attempt to make them Afrikan>B$a#k+ whi#h wi$$further take us away from our strength. You see+ Afrikan faith traditionsautomati#a$$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 theirdivine )$essings. And we must keep these traditions sa#red and interprettheir time honored s#riptures in re$ation to our #onditions right here today.

9his is what is meant throughout this )ook when I say ew AfrikanSpirituality or New Afrikan Vodun. It simp$y refers to a system )asedupon the collective #u$tura$ genius of our 3est Afrikan An#estors. It is theseeing of the sa#red within our own spa#e and time G within our owne;perien#es. -nti$ we take su#h revo$utionary steps within our spiritua$itythen the unrest and new tribalismthat e;ists among Afrikans wi$$ remainseeming$y una$tera)$e.

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3hy the term ew AfrikanH

imp$y put when Afrikans were )rought over from the home$and to theAmeri#as they were )rought here and divided away from their genera$tri)a$ and fami$ia$ asso#iations. I)o were mi;ed with andika+ ago weremi;ed with Ba

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An#estors are within our very )eing the very #ons#iousness that is our!rM.

9he s$ave master attempted to #onfuse the Afrikans and #reate theatmosphere for disunity )y separating peop$e from their tri)a$ identity andputting them within someone e$seKs tri)a$ atmosphere. You and I must seethis attempt at #reating a permanent $eve$ of #onfusion as an unintendingvehi#$e of unity. 9he aitians produ#ed a system+ during the time of

s$avery+ whi#h #om)ined the most dominant aspe#ts of Afrikan #u$turefrom various ethni#ities. But why and how did they do thisH 9he why $ieswithin four rea$ities. Rea$ity num)er one is that they a$$ rea$i*ed that theyhad a #ommon enemy. um)er two was that they knew they had to unifyagainst that #ommon enemy. um)er three is that they were smart enoughto see the #u$tura$ unity that runs through a$$ 3est Afrikan #u$ture. Andfour was the )ig one. 9hey rea$i*ed that freedom was gained throughnationa$ism and that nationa$ism either produ#ed or was an outgrowth of apeop$eKs re$igious ideo$ogy. o they #om)ined the #u$ture without $eavingout the re$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$$ around thewor$dE )oth histori#a$$y and in the now. NetKs take a ui#k $ook.Christianity originated in Rome. It is from there you get RomanCatho$i#ism. 3hen Catho$i#ism spread form its Roman home+ it took onthe Lavor of the new #u$ture it had #ome into #onta#t with. In Fran#e+ it)e#ameFrenchCatho$i#ism. In pain+ it )e#ame panishCatho$i#ism. InOermany+ it )e#ame!utheran+ whi#h is the father of ,rotestantism" A$$ ofthese peop$e have in #ommon the fa#t that they a$$ stem from the same#ommon+ Indo'uropean sto#k. Yet+ even though they knew this they a$soknew that they had to interpret their heritage from their own #urrent#u$tura$ #ir#umstan#es. 9he same #an )e said of Is$amKs variousmanifestations and Buddhism. In fa#t+ the 9i)etan version of Buddhismen#ouraged the 9i)etans to )reak the sha#k$es of the #u$tura$ )ondage andphysi#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 seewhat I mean )yrealfreedomH

A 1ontinental Afrikan 87a!ple in Support of ew Afrikan ;o#un

9here is a $itt$e known 6odun phenomenon in 3est Afrika #a$$edOorovodu. 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 tohave #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$a& or %ko$anut&. 9hus+ the term Oorovodu $itera$$y trans$ates as %

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9#ham)a (A ausa word that means %s$ave&"" It is reported that when thespirits %mount& a Oorovodu devotee the $anguage that is #ommuni#ated#ou$d )e one of a num)er of $anguages that were e;#hanged due to thetragedies of s$avery+ and the #u$tura$ ama$gamations that fo$$owedafterwards.

9owards the ew Afrikan ,aradigm

9he 6odun of 3est Afrika is itse$f #omposed of over 1Q diPerentindigenous Afrikan ethni# groups. 3e nd the same phenomenon in theAmeri#as when a study of the Ou$$ah of the ea Is$ands oP the #oasts ofOeorgia and outh Caro$ina was made. It was dis#overed that theirspee#h #onsisted of 0/ ethni#ities. ew Afrikan 6odunKs approa#h is inthat spirit. It is a reeva$uation and adustment of the Afrikan traditions ourAn#estors )rought from 3est Afrika. 9he e;perien#es and #onta#ts thatour ens$aved An#estors e;perien#ed produ#ed new understandings andnew 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 fromour modern tri)a$ism. Yes+ many of us do not want to hear that )ut it is uite true.3e have retri)a$i*ed ourse$ves )ased on the version of Afrikan traditions that wepra#ti#e. 3e have #reated a new p$antation system whi$e yet #$aiming to )e

Afrikans. 9his must #ease@!ur adustment 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$$ustrates thatthe #onden#e that our An#estors put in us was not wasted. It is the on$y waythat we wi$$ advan#e as a #u$tura$$y respe#ted peop$e. It is what Ba)a edaho#hi

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*Intro#uction*

9he writing of this )ook origina$$y #ame from the authorSs deepawareness of an urgent #u$tura$ ne#essity. It is a ne#essity that#a$$s into p$ay the guidan#e of our Divine An#estors who strugg$ednot on$y to keep our physi#a$ $ineages going+ )ut a$so to keep ourspiritual traditions a$ive and we$$ that they may spring forth $ikethe evergreen trees that they are. 3e #a$$ upon and give praise tothese An#estors to he$p us set the re#ord straight a)out trueAfrikan re$igious #on#epts and worship through the eyes and spiritof Afrika herse$f. !f #ourse+ this wi$$ great$y diPer from the usua$anthropo$ogi#a$ (the study of #u$ture through a )iased and3estern viewpoint" approa#h in that this work is intended to )emu#h more than a inte$$e#tua$ treatise on Afrikan spiritua$ thoughtand pra#ti#e that is simp$y gathered for the sake of uoting or ust

knowing. If this is what the seeker #omes away from this )ookwith then I have u$timate$y fai$ed as a #onveyor of our truth. 9hiswork is a #a$$ to a#tion: the a#tion )eing for Afrikans here anda)road to put an end to )eing di#tated to on su#h importantmatters as the %truth& #on#erning re$igious #on#epts+ their origins+and the va$idity of those #on#epts when they are of indigenousAfrikan origin.

istori#a$$y speaking+ the dominating fa#tor in #ontro$$ing asu)dued and su)seuent$y #u$tura$$y defun#t peop$e is torearrange and #ontro$ that peop$eSs own images and #on#ept s of

the Creator. 9his means that at $east two things must denite$y )erm$y put in p$a#e and perpetuated. 9he rst thing to do isdesacrali$ethat su)dued peop$eSs #on#ept of the Creator and thewhole system of worship and culture that accompanies thatconcept" 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#$udes thepeop$eSs re$igious imagery+ )ut it e;tends into that peop$eSs ownview of themse$ves. For instan#e+ if the peop$e are made to fee$inferior then denite$y their Creator #on#ept is inferior+ and hen#e+

inadeuate for their very spiritua$ sa$vation (sa$vation in variousforms )eing the aim of a$$ re$igions of the wor$d". After this has)een we$$ esta)$ished+ the se#ond thing done )y the dominantoppressive #u$ture is to rep$a#e the su)dued #u$tureSs origina$imagery+ sym)o$s+ and se$fout$ook with those supp$ied )y them. In#onseuen#e+ in the #ase of the ens$avement era the white s$aveowners wanted to make a$$ things divine asso#iated with thewhiteness of their skin. 9hese fa#tors are very important tounderstand 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

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our #onta#t with the Ara) us$ims+ and 'uropean Christiansrespe#tive$y. A$$ an#ient #u$turesS truths were #entered on their view of theCreator+ and the esta)$ishment of their view through thesu)seuent re$igious ideo$ogy that fo$$owed (s#riptures Twhetherora$ or writtenU+ re$igious rites+ ar#hite#ture and art+ images andi#ons+ et#.". In fa#t+ the #u$ture of the peop$e itse$f shapes the verystru#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 manyhave attempted to do otherwise. 9his )e#omes more evident whenstudying deeper into why #ertain re$igions e;press the same#on#epts in tota$$y diPerent ways from one another. In $ight ofsu#h a fa#t+ it is my #ontention that no re$igion is greater than theother is. ,ro)$ems on$y arise when you have a )e$ief system thatsays that you (and others that )e$ieve simi$ar to you" have the

do#trine that wi$$ save the who$e wor$d and that a$$ other peop$eSsdo#trines are inva$id"

!ther pro)$ems arise when many of the peop$e of the defun#t#u$ture fee$ they #annot nd sa$vation un$ess they seek in p$a#esnonindigenous to their origina$ An#estra$ way of $ife (Vust $ook atsome of the writings of the poet ,hy$$is 3heate$y". 9his is $ikenedunto someone seeking a heart transp$ant to $ive when they have aperfe#t$y good pumping heart of their own. In fa#t+ their heart may)e in mu#h )etter shape@ But sin#e their mind and heart are notin a$ignment the signa$s )e#ome mi;ed up whi#h is )asi#a$$y a

form of insanity. For this #o$$e#tive spiritua$ insanity that marks usas a peop$e+ there has to )e a spiritua$ #ure. A$$ re$igions are designed to take its seekers )a#k to theirsour#e. 9o e;pound on this+ a simp$e $ook at the word re$igionfurther e$u#idates this point. 'tymo$ogi#a$$y+ the one word re$igionis #omposed of two Natin derivatives %re& meaning%again, back&,and %ligion& or %ligio&, meaning %to tie, bind, or fasten to asource&. 9hus+ from a spiritua$ perspe#tive+ true re$igion issupposed to )ind one )a#k to the origina$ our#e of a$$ $ife. 'venthough the word %re$igionS is a Natin word+ the Afrikans of o$d had

#ome to this #on#$usion ages )efore Natin #ou$d take on itsrudimentary form as a $anguage. For instan#e+ Sankofa is anAkan word whi#h means %to retrieve&+ and )y e;tension %toretrieve and return 'that which is behind you(&. In the re$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$$ pointingforward. 9hus+ the ankofa )ird is a most potent sym)o$ thatspeaks of the ne#essity of our ourney. 'a#h turn of these pages ismeant to )e a part of the seekerSs ankofa. 9o further e$u#idate this point the 6odunIfa tradition of 3est

Afrika says that anSs spirit and !$odumare (the Creator of the

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wor$ds" are one+ and that an #hooses a destiny that is t forhim>her for that parti#u$ar $ife in#arnation. 9hrough the )irthingpro#ess an %forgets& or simp$y #omes out of a$ignment with herorigina$ divine p$an of destiny+ whi#h is !$odumareSs divine p$anfor that individua$. 3ithin Ifa+ )eing out of a$ignment with!$odumareSs p$an #reates disorder for the human+ so we musthave a vehi#$eE a system to transform ourse$ves so that we may)ind )a#k to that origina$ our#e or retrieve the pirit of thatour#e that we have %$eft )ehind&. o if we $ook at re$igion fromAfrika as our #enter+ using Ifa and Akan as mode$s+ we see thattrue re$igion imp$ies )inding us )a#k to the origina$ An#estra$ways of $ife e;emp$ied )y indigenous Afrikan spiritua$ traditions.Binding to the #reative our#e is oneness that we share )y anatura$ #onne#tivity. Afri#entri#a$$y speaking+ an#ient indigenousAfrika+ the Creator #on#ept of our An#estors (eter+ !$odumare+

yame+ awuNisa+ et#."+ and the spiritua$ systems that em)ra#eour Creator #on#ept is the our#e that we have %forgotten& and#ome out of a$ignment with+ and it is to this that we must makeour ankofa. As Afrikan peop$e operating in an unnatura$ state+ the spiritua$misa$ignment that Ifa speak of is uite evident+ and it is a$ive inour so#ia$$y e;pressed psy#he. !n page 08 of his )ook 6itual,theprofound Dagarian (3est Afrikan" shaman and high priesta$idoma ome speaks of the resu$ts of this misa$ignment and its#onseuen#es from the perspe#tive of ritua$:

%"""Where ritual is absent, the young ones are restless orviolent, there are no real elders, and the grown ups arebewildered !he future is dim&"And again on page 1Q:

%!he fading and disappearance in modern cultureise"pressed in several ways# the weakening of links with thespirit world and general alienation of people from

themselves and others!hose who seek to remember havean attraction towards violence !hey live their livesconstantly upset or angry"&

A$$ we need to do is $ook at the mora$ de#ay and seeming$yhope$ess attitudes that many of the B$a#k youth e;press in this dayand age. 9hese are the ones that '$der a$idoma is saying are%seeking to remem)er&. 9hey often e;press themse$ves in variousforms not readi$y a##epta)$e to the main stream of so#iety (ipop #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.

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ost of these peop$e are grass roots oriented+ and of #ourse thegrass represents where seeds are )rst p$anted. any of theseotherwise we$$intending )rothers and sisters $ash outdangerous$y+ )e#ause they may not know the root #auses of theirfrustrations. I am not saying that %a#ting>$ashing& out shou$d )ean a##epta)$e form of anyoneSs #u$ture. In fa#t+ it is uite antihuman whi#h makes it antiAfrikan. I am simp$y e#hoing thewisdom of '$der a$idoma. 9hey simp$y want to know. 9hey wantto e;press a part of them that has )een #aged up )y an a$ien andoften inhumane so#iety that does not want that part of theme;pressed. 3ithout true '$ders (and the systems of deep thoughtim)ued in su#h e$ders" these $iving disem)odied sou$s wi$$ remainin a state of #haoti# $im)o. 9his )ook+ in the spirit of Afrikanre$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$fout$ook em)odied nothing short of Dada eg)o2$ike nature to )ea#hieved right here on earth. In Afrikan spiritua$ity+ we $earn thatthis is the main purpose of the human in#arnation to o)tain thehighest state of Dada eg)o$ikeness possi)$e in this $ifetime. Inour start to this+ we wi$$ e;p$ore severa$ mi$$ennia of written andora$ 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 themasses. 9his is very key in our uest as a peop$e e;perien#ing adisaster never known to mankind )efore. -n$ike others who have

suPered horrendous tragedies+ we are the on$y ones that werea$most totally stripped of a$most everything essentia$ to formadeuate #u$tura$ e;pressionsE name$y $anguage and re$igion.

In the pro#ess of redis#overing ourse$ves+ we have em)ra#edtraditions that are in tota$ 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 awu that we #anhope for very $itt$e favor from )e#ause of a mytho$ogi#a$ %sin& thatsupposed$y o##urred 475Q years ago or so. !n top of that we have)egun to take other peop$esS truths regarding the Creator 'ssen#e

and demand our in#$usion in them sometimes to the point of tryingto e;#$ude those very same peop$e to whom the truths )e$ong to inthe rst p$a#e. 9hus+ in doing so we further take ourse$ves awayfrom our own #enters.

o our sear#h )e#omes stunted when taking this approa#h.any times we end up ree#ting our own origina$ do#trines+ )ut itis the authorSs most ardent wish to he$p show the way )a#k toauthenti# Afrikan )e$ief and pra#ti#e.

4

Dahdahseg)owE the 6odun (Fon>'vhe" #on#ept of the our#e of a$$ )eing.

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%"""the key to Black civili$ation and development was Africanphilosophy and religion&"Count C.F. 6o$ney in his monumenta$ work 6uins of 8!pires(/784".