OYA'S MARKETPLACE - · PDF fileoya's marketplace page 2 publisher/editor-in-chief: soyini gonzalez assistant editor: omope carter dab oiku consultant editors: awo fa'lokun fatunmbi

IS KWANZAA REALLY ENOUGH?By OMOPE DABOIKU

VOLUME 1 EDITION 4WINTER, 1993

OYA'SMARKETPLACE

THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION FOR ORISA WORSHIPPERS

Trained as a sociologist andcultural geographer, I am acutelyaware of the need for socialtradition as an aspect of a viablesociety. Tradition is defined as aset of values and mores thattranscends external influencesand sets the standard for thesocialization of children tobecome responsible adultscapable of transmitting thosesame values and mores to thenext generation. In ancientsocieties those values and moresprovided a wholistic worldviewwhere music healed and plantswere acknowledged as beingswith personalities; peopleclassified themselves by totemacknowledging a psychicconnection with those animalsbelow us that flow within DivineWill. Even with Free Will ourpredecessors chose to submit toa higher purpose than self-actualization for self’s sake. Theychose development of one’shighest potential for the sake ofthe family of humankind.

Traditions do include ceremony-- a set of actions based intradition that provide (orsymbolize) alignment with the

experiences of others who havepreceded within the sameceremony, often sealing somerecognition of increasedresponsibility. Birth and naming,passage into puberty, marriage,and death are several events thatmay be perceived as ceremonialthroughout the world. However,each society expresses eachdifferently; and, the cohesive-ness of the society depends onthe pervasiveness and uniformitywith which the ceremony isperformed. The Africanworldview says that continuity ofsameness elicits power reinforc-ing the present with the past.This phenomena is exhibitedwith the observance of Passover.Adherents to Judaism are movedby centuries of celebrating; evenapostates become misty duringPassover for “it’s in the blood.”

There are few examples of suchconsistency in tradition amongAfrican Americans even thoughthere are regional tendenciescentered on food, music andidiom. However, until Dr. MulanaKarenga established Kwanzaa,there had been no “national”tradition since the devaluation of

celebrating the signing of theEmancipation Proclamation. (I

cont. on page 22

FEATURES:

Is Kwanzaa Enough? - Omope Daboiku - 1

1993 Parliament of the Worlds' ReligionMedahoci K. O. Zannu - 3

The New Days - Baba John Mason - 4

Tikara Eni - Awo Fa'Lokun Fatunmbi - 5

ORISA Consciousness - Iyanla Vanzant - 6

Unity - Chief FAMA - 9

The Bridge - Awo Fabukola - 10

On Unity and Diversity - Oba Funfun(Raul Canizares) - 11

Perspectives with Baba Tenu Leri - 12

COLUMNS:

SANGO'S Platform - What ReallyHappened in Hialeah - Sowande Akintunde- 7

Sharing the Journey - Cynthia Dagnal-Myron - 14

Warm Santeria Night - Nisi Shawl - 15

IFA - Chief Fela Sowande -16

OYA'S MARKETPLACE PAGE 2

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:

SOYINI GONZALEZ

ASSISTANT EDITOR:

OMOPE CARTER DABOIKU

CONSULTANT EDITORS:

AWO FA'LOKUN FATUNMBI

IYALOSA ADETUTU ADEYEMON

FEATURE EDITOR:

SOWANDE AKINTUNDE

BOOK CRITIC:

NISI SHAWL

COLUMNIST:

CYNTHIA DAGNAL-MYRON

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I finally gave in to strong urgings over the lastfew months and picked up what is, for me,

the most prophetic “novel” of all times and apersonal favorite, Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,”written in 1957. It speaks of a time when societyfails to be productive, choosing instead toparasitically drain the energy of the Earth’s lastfew producers. Society states that the Age ofTechnology has been replaced by the Age ofLove. They argue that they are deserving of allthere is simply by need, not by energy expendedto earn that which they seek. The producers,upon realizing that their efforts only serve tofuel the death of a society turned primitive,decide to withdraw their know-how until saidtime that the world is again ready for suchknowledge in its desire to be productive. Theirresponse -

“If you saw Atlas, the giant who holds the worldon his shoulders, if you saw that he stood, bloodrunning down his chest, his knees buckling, hisarms trembling but still trying to hold the worldaloft with the last of his strength, and thegreater his effort the heavier the world boredown upon his shoulders--what would you tellhim to do? ...[You would tell him] to shrug.”

I was first introduced to the concept of anesoteric circle twenty years ago. I was workingat an outdoor theater and Tom Jones’ roadmanager at the time, Roger Wall, gave me a copyof a book entitled “A New Model of the Universe”by a Russian philosopher named P. D. Ouspensky.He wrote of society’s cyclical tendency to advancetowards civilization and then regress tobarbarism. [How amazing to read a manuscriptof Chief Fela Sowande twenty years later thatis almost identical in content - to be shared inlater issues.] Ouspensky states that there is agroup - an esoteric circle - comprised of thoseholding the wisdom retained and obtainedthrough the upward swings of civilization. Theirdestiny is to save the wisdom so that the nexttime the human race emerges from its primitivestate, the knowledge will exist to prevent themfrom having to re-invent the wheel.

How naively I stepped into the world of ORISAworship. I was secure in knowing that I hadfound the esoteric circle of my dreams. I lookedforward to securing the knowledge necessary tomake my world once again a masterpiece of

resourcefulness and creativity. I was ecstatic inknowing there would be others who shared myvisions and would assist in achieving like goals.I knew the knowledge just beyond my fingertipswould change the world forever.

I have never been so achingly alone or lost in mylife.

I have stepped, instead, into the pages of Rand’snovel and have gotten caught within its reality.The elders of my community offer, as an excusefor their non-productivity, that they are

cont. on page 25


1993 PARLIAMENT OF THEWORLD'S RELIGIONS

Interview With MEDAHOCI K. O. ZANNUSoyini: Would you share a little of yourbackground with us?

Medahoci: I am seventy years old -today is my birthday (September 21,1993). One half of my life - thirty-fiveyears - I have been involved in indigenousAfrican religion. I got involved in it in1959. I continued to evolve as a religiousperson and I still am (evolving). For thelast three years I have actuallyunderstood... after thirty some years ofstudying, I think I finally understandAfrican spirituality, at least the aspectof YORUBA spirituality -IFA’steachings. It wasn’t easy, because theway I saw it and the way I see it now...to come into YORUBA religion is likewalking into a movie at the last halfhour of the movie. Not knowing theroles the antagonist and protagonist areplaying, just why they are doing whatthey are doing. That was the way mostof us African-Americans entered;particularly (the way) I did. I got intothe religion through BABALOSHA. Theydidn’t mention a world view - they justtalked about certain rituals when wetalked about things of that nature. Butlater on, I began to realize that what Ihad were religious rites - rituals - thatwere taken out of context. I waspracticing religious rituals within anotherculture. Then when I got into IFA, Irealized that there is a complete view ofthe universe - an image of the world thatI hadn’t had. So ORUNMILA is thebeginning - the start of it. That is thereason I am saying that within the lastfew years have I reached a summit.

Before that, I only conceived - and onlyon an unconscious level; I was not evenaware of it - that ORISA was like

medicine. You had no reason to behavein a certain way, there was no moralresponsibility on your part, as long asthings complied with ELEGBA. Youcould do what you pleased. You couldlive the lifestyle of any other AfricanAmerican and never have anycomeuppance upon you to change. Butthen I realized that the keynote of IFAis proper behavior. The statement thatwas made was “to speak the truth andto tell the facts; to act properly anddon’t do evil.”

That was IFA’s teaching. So I realizedthat one, by the very nature ofworshipping, would transform theircharacter. I found out that there werethree imperatives in the YORUBAcosmology; coolness of character,command of your world, andcharacter. Character is the prerequisitefor success in life. I also learned thatwhen ORUNMILA came to the world,the keynote he asked about was whathe could do in order to be successful inlife and he was told to marry character.He needed to do the right thing. Thatis why I said that a few years ago Ientered that level of transformation inthe indigenous religion.

Soyini: How did this lead to yourparticipation at the conference inChicago?

Medahoci: One of our new initiates toIFA is a year old and is also an initiateof the deity SANGO - SANGODINA.Being on the staff of Chicago StateUniversity, he (SANGODINA) wascontacted by the committee. He knewthe person who was active on theAfrican-American host committee for

this conference. He contacted me andgave my number to Dr. Daniels, andthat’s what happened.

Their whole focus and emphasis wasthat 100 years ago, when the concept ofa Council for the Parliament of World

Religions began, in 1893 in Chicago, noAfrican persons were invited. The onlyAfrican people who spoke at thisconference were extemporaneousspeakers -- one of them was FrederickDouglass -- and two other eminentpersons whose names I’ve forgotten.But they spoke extemporaneously anddidn’t represent any African spirituality.They spoke on behalf of, and appealed,to the conscience of the “ChristianChurch” and justice towards Africanpeople. However, the African AmericanHost Committee was certain that theywanted to see the official presence of adelegate representing indigenous faithof Africa. We were contacted, as wasBaba Oseijeman of Oyatunji. The twoof us were representatives in the memberassembly.

cont. on page 18

...there [are]three imperativesin the YORUBA cos-mology; coolness ofcharacter, commandof your world and

character .


On hearing of my return, a friend whohad been to Cuba in the fifties re-marked, after a minute of two of search-ing for the right words; “They say thatCuba is no longer a gay place. It istransformed it seems by a meanness, asad determinedness, a loss of that care-free joy which so marked the Cuba ofthe forties and fifties.”

Due to my date of birth, I know noth-ing firsthand of Cuba, and vague littleof any place else for that matter, in theforties and fifties. Yet, his commentstruck me as odd. I seem to rememberthis same sentiment being mouthedwhenever a certain nostalgic note issounded. “Those were the days my boy.Nobody locked their doors at night.You could walk the streets in safety.There were no drugs. Mothers weresafe and children were respectful.”

What is left out of this reverie are thelynchings, the cross-burnings, red-lineunemployment, soup-lines, calculateddisenfranchisement, Mississippi, UncleSam-don’t-want-you-boy, marry lightimprove the race, niggers know yourplace. I wonder what our place was inCuba?

Those darkies tooSure love to sing and danceAnd play their tomtomsAnd primp and pranceAnd pray to godsOf wood and clayAnd go to BembeOn San Juan’s Day.

It is in the ageless, seemingly unchang-ing, protective folds of religious fabricthat we find our place. This magical

cloth is preserved by the old, entrustedto the young, and handed down frommother to son. Draped in this ancientshawl you are made to experience whathas been kept of the gaiety and joy ofold Afri-Kuba. God’s people have beenfighting this fight some four hundredfifty years. From each tragedy andmisfortune we steal a little hope, andhave distilled from pain and sufferingevery bit of joy and pride and kept ithidden away only to be brought out inthe presence of our God and true fam-ily.

The old are wise,They just sit, teach, and wait.Gay has gone out of the worldGray has inherited the earth.

Gay was a youth destined tochange

Gray is an adult who mustdecide

For all time, if there will be aWise Old White the Sublime

Dethroned are Ole King Cottonand King Sugar Cane

Only to be replaced by Sir JimCrow and Queen Heroin

And when we thought them onthe run and finally on their

way, Kings Dollar and Krackattempt an end run play.

They have tried to give us many rulers,each a tyrant cruel and inhuman. Eachbent on our extermination and eager todeliver us into the lands of our enemies.Death, Disease, Loss, and Envy. Butone by one we have thrown off theiroppressive yokes and snapped theirconfining chains, each time getting a

little stronger and a lot wiser.

So, if you wonder why I/we arenot smiling

And don’t seem care-free andgay,It’s because there is much work

to doIf we expect to wash all the dirt

and filth away.

But if my friend could see me/them sing and dance

Talk of God and primp andprance

He would surely know I/theystill love romance.We are just fully awake after a

long dreamless trance.

© John Mason - composed August 10,1986

THE NEW DAYSBy BABALOSA JOHN MASON

WEWEWEWEWE

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME

YOURYOURYOURYOURYOUR

COMMENTS,COMMENTS,COMMENTS,COMMENTS,COMMENTS,

CRITICISMS,CRITICISMS,CRITICISMS,CRITICISMS,CRITICISMS,

ANDANDANDANDAND

CONTRIBUTIONS.CONTRIBUTIONS.CONTRIBUTIONS.CONTRIBUTIONS.CONTRIBUTIONS.

Adupe.Adupe.Adupe.Adupe.Adupe.


TIKARA - ENITHE ELEMENTS OF SELF

By AWO FA'LOKUN FATUNMBI

The following is a continuationofthe last issue’s glimpse intoAwo Fa’Lokun Fatunmbi’s up-

coming book - IBA SE ORISA.

To fully understand the dynamics ofspiritual transformation requires anexplanation of these elements that makeup the TIKARA-ENI. According to IFA,every self is an integration of theinfluences of ARA, E‘GBE‘, ORI, ORI-INU‘,IPONRI AND OJIJI.

1. ARA - THE PHYSICAL SELF

The ARA is the physical body and all theinternal organs. According to IFAscripture, shaping the physical body is ajoint effort among the Spiritual Forcesknown as OBATALA, AJALA-MOPINand OGUN.

OBATALA means “King of WhiteCloth.” The symbol of white clothrepresents the power of light to trans-form itself into matter. Because light isthe primal Force in the Universe, every-thing that exists is described by bothIFA and Western science as an expressionof the manifestation of light.

IFA cosmology is based on belief in ateleological universe. Teleology is themetaphysical theory that evolution isguided by conscious design. The scrip-ture of IFA teaches that everything inexistence has its own unique form ofconsciousness. Consciousness in itsprimal form is described by IFA as theseed or ASE (power) of OBATALA.This suggests that light itself is theprimal manifestation of consciousnessin the universe.

In the personal realm, IFA teaches thatOBATALA guides the transference ofgenetic information from one genera-tion to the next. This is done bothbiologically and psychically through thelight that is seated at the core of humanconsciousness. It is the spark of light atthe center-point of the consciousnessthat creates the possibility of self-aware-ness. Because light contains the blueprint

for all of Creation, human consciousnesshas the potential to access thatblueprint and to retrieve whateverinformation is necessary to sustain life.

OBATALA is assisted in the task ofcreating consciousness by AJALA-MOPIN which implies “The power oflight to create us.” According to IFAscripture, AJALA-MOPIN molds eachhead while it is forming in the womb.This does not mean the shaping of thephysical structure of the skull. The taskof AJALA-MOPIN suggests that eachhead is shaped in such a way as toprovide for the possibilities of what iscalled “IRE” and “IBI.” IRE is theYORUBA word for “good fortune”and IBI is the YORUBA word for“misfortune.” This translation is some-what misleading in the context of IFAtheology. To say that a head was shapedfor good fortune suggests that a personhas the potential to make full use ofthose diverse elements that sustain lifeon Earth. To say that a head was shapedfor misfortune suggests that the persondoes not have the potential to makefull use of their inner resources.

In psychological terms, a head that wasshaped for IBI would be similar to apsychopath, which is defined as a per-son who is devoid of any form ofconscience. Western science has noexplanation for psychopathic behavior.IFA sources it as one of the compo-nents of individual choice that occursduring the creation of individual con-sciousness between stages of reincarna-tion.

The role of OGUN is in shaping thephysical body, particularly the limbs.

There is no direct translation of theword OGUN which is usually trans-lated to mean “Spirit of Iron.” It mayseem odd to associate iron with physicalevolution. However, both IFA mythand Western science agree that life onEarth began at the bottom of the Ocean.The first life forms were single cellbacteria that fed on rust. When the hotrock from the core of the Earth brokethrough the Ocean floor, it cooled andsolidified. It was the rust from thesedeposits that provided nourishment forthe first life forms that appeared on theplanet. Western science calls this bio-logical evolution. IFA calls this thevirility of OGUN mingling with thefertility of OLOKUN who is the Spiritof the Ocean. According to IFA thesame Spiritual Force that transformedminerals into animals have an activerole in the shaping of the physical body.

The process of shaping the human formgains additional assistance from theSpiritual Forces called ALAAANU,OLOORE, SUNGBEMI, MAGBE-MITI, SAARAGAA and EJUFIRI.“ALAAANU” means “The MercifulOne.” “OLOORE” means “The Ownerof Kindness.” “SUNGBEMI” means“Be Closer to Me.” “Saaragaa” means“The Storage Place of Uniqueness.”EJUFIRI has no literal translation, butsuggests that it is the foundation ofinner strength. Each of these ORISA isa source of genetic characteristics thatare preserved within a particular familylineage. As a group, these Forces inNature preserve both internal and ex-ternal forms of potential that appear to

cont. on page 23


ORIORIORIORIORISSSSSAAAAACONSCIOUSNESSCONSCIOUSNESSCONSCIOUSNESSCONSCIOUSNESSCONSCIOUSNESS

By IYANLA VANZANT

I often wonder if I am the only personwho readily admits, when I got initiated,I had absolutely no idea what I wasgetting myself into. My experience withYORUBA culture had been throughthe dance and music. It seemed onlynatural that I would embrace thespiritual and religious philosophy. So Idid, not because I understood it, butbecause it was “the thing to do.” I alsoadmit, that my lack of understanding,information and reverence for theintangible energy of ORISA, cost medearly.

As I think back, what I knew about thepriesthood was that once I was initiated,people would bow down to me (salute);when the white sheet went up, I wouldbe on the inside rather than the outside;I would be able to eat at the table withthe priests before everyone else ate; Iwould have my own godchildren; andthat ORISA would speak to me. As Iwas initiated in the Santeria tradition, Iwas also primed and ready to bepossessed, since that seemed to be aprerequisite to being a good priest.Further retarding my understanding ofinitiation was the fact that I was one ofthose people who “had to be made.” Iwas told if I was not initiated, “somethinghorrible” would happen to me. No oneever told me what it was, but they, andI were convinced that it would happen.Frantically, I borrowed, begged andgathered up the thousands of dollarsrequired. I went into the roomfrightened, confused, desperate, totallyunprepared and economically devastate.

My year as IYAWO was equally franticto my initiation. By the end of my year,I was no longer affiliated with mygodparents. (That’s another article for

another time). Suffice it to say that Iwas left lost and unprepared. I rememberthe first time I ventured to peer into myORISA pots. I had been forbidden bymy Godmother to ever touch, muchless open the beautiful ceramic dishes.On my first birthday, with her gone,somebody had to do the propers.Cautiously, with my eyes squeezed shut,I took off the lids. When I finallymustered up the courage to look, I washorrified! I couldn’t believe what I waslooking at. Call the police! I’ve beenripped off! There’s nothing in this potthat can speak to me! There’s nothing inthese pots but... If you’ve got pots, youknow what I saw. I did what any ill-prepared, confused person would do; Icried.

There’s an old saying, “If you want toknow the end, look at the beginning.”My first three years as a priest broughtinto manifestation all of the confusion,misunderstanding and hysteria whichhad surrounded my initiation. I had noidea of what I was doing. I watched andmimicked other priests with no idea orunderstanding of the metaphysicalprinciples they obviously knew. As anORISA orphan, bouncing around fromplace to place, picking up a little hereand a little there, my methods werescattered. My understanding eclectic atbest. Then I made the ultimate mistakefor a confused priest, I initiated someoneelse. I thought I had finally made it intothe big time. I was on my way, Ithought, up. I found out, I was on myway down and out of the darkness.

There’s a basic principle aboutmotherhood, even in ORISA. Motherswant to give their children the best.They do not want their children to

suffer or experience the trials and hardtimes in life. I wanted the best for myIYAWO. I wanted to be the best motherI could be. I wanted to give her the best,do the best by her. Unfortunately, I didnot know how to give it to her. I wasunprepared. I was confused. I was lost.But because ORISA is merciful, justand in control, they have a way ofcoming in and making sure your prayersare answered. My prayer was:

Dear OBATALA:

Please help me do the right thing.Please show me how to be a priest.Please make me worthy to wear yourcrown and raise your daughter. Pleaseput the right thoughts in my mind andpoint my feet in the right direction.

Because I had so little understanding, Idid not know that OBATALA reallyheard me and would really answer.

My answer came in the form of mygoddaughter leaving my house and takingnearly all my godchildren with her. Itcame in the form of scandal anddisgrace. It came in the form ofeverything I thought I knew aboutORISA being proved to be wrong. Itcame in the form of isolation. It was thebest thing to ever happened to me. Itbrought me to a place I call “ORISAConsciousness,” the place I live today.

“ORISA do not come to make lifebetter for you. They exist to make youbetter for life.” Life is a gift fromOLODUMARE. At any point in time,there are 14 million souls waiting for abody. They want to come to earth tomanifest the glory of life. Those of uswho are fortunate enough to receive abody, have a responsibility to life. Wemust live it to the fullest, in alignmentwith the Divine Will, sharing and givingthe gifts we have been given, for thebetterment of humankind. Few of ushave that understanding. That includesthose of us who are priests. Somewhere

cont. on page 21


It is, I suppose, only human nature tocelebrate what, on the surface, anyway,certainly looks to be a victory for therights of ORISA-worshippers over thosethat would put the tradition asunder. Irefer to the (relatively) recent U. S.Supreme Court decision in favor of theChurch of the LUKUMI BABALU-AYE over the City of Hialeah, Florida,whereby the Court ruled that the citycould not ban animal sacrifice for itsown sake; thus rescinding a five-year-old city ordinance that effectivelyprohibited the Church from operating.Popular sentiment in and around theSan Francisco Bay Area of California,for one, seems to be that this decisionmeans ORISA-followers have thesanction of the United StatesGovernment to practice the ritualslaughter of animals withoutinterference from city or countyofficials.

Unfortunately, such is not the case. Infact, hidden beneath the emotionaltrappings of this “victory” are at least acouple of lessons that it would do uswell to heed and remember.

To illustrate these lessons effectively,let’s take a look at the case at issue. In1987, the city of Hialeah, Florida,enacted a ban on what they called“animal sacrifice” aimed ostensibly atthe Santeria practice of the Church ofthe LUKUMI BABALU-AYE, whichHialeah claimed mistreated the animalsdestined for “sacrifice” (cramped,unsanitary pens; cruelty in tethering)and failed to dispose of their carcassesin a sanitary manner (leaving the remainsin public places, uncovered, to rot)once the rituals were complete. That

SSSSSANGO'S PLATFORMANGO'S PLATFORMANGO'S PLATFORMANGO'S PLATFORMANGO'S PLATFORM

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN HIALEAHBy SOWANDE AKINTUNDE

the ban was aimed specifically at theChurch is further evidenced by itsinaction soon after the Church hadannounced plans to try to comply withHialeah’s sanitation codes via theerection of a building on a downtownlot for the expressed purpose of ritualslaughter of animals.

There is little doubt here that thisordinance was enacted in large partbecause of bigotry and hatred spawnedby general fear and ignorance of ORISAtraditions and its disciples. There isequally little doubt that Hialeah hasnot cornered the market in this respect,as evidenced by the fact that two lowerFederal courts upheld the ordinance aspresented, without challenge. Whatmay not be clear, however, is just whatcaused the ordinance to fail in theSupreme Court. As presented to theCourt, the ordinance is phrased asfollows: forbidding the ritual andceremonial killing of animals.” This is asweeping ban against all ritual slaughterof animals -- while any other means ofending animals: commercial slaughter,hunting, pest control, and eveneuthanasia for sick pets -- would bepermitted. This is certainlydiscriminatory against religious practice-- including not just ORISA worship,but such generally-accepted practicesas Kosher treatment by Jewish people,a fact not lost upon the Justices of theSupreme Court as they deliberatedfrom November, 1992 to their finaldecision in June, 1993.

The bottom line may well have beenpresented by Chief Justice WilliamRehnquist in November, 1992: hewondered about the manner in which

the City of Hialeah had framed itsordinance. “You might have an ordinancethat was easier to defend,” he said, “ifit was directed at the results of theseproceedings (sacrifices) rather than atthe proceedings themselves.”

The points here are as follows: If theCity of Hialeah had framed theirordinance around the original issue inquestion, the sanitation of the“sacrifices” conducted by the Churchof the LUKUMI BABALU-AYE -- andhad thereby formulated an ordinancethat was applicable to all animalslaughter situations and the sanitationof same -- it is very likely the outcomeof this case would have been entirelydifferent; if, indeed, there had evenbeen a case to consider. For proof ofthis, one need only look at a similarsituation that has occurred since thisdecision, in San Francisco, CA. Here,several Santeria congregations have beencited in violation of a city ordinance thateffectively prohibits the slaughter anddisposal of any animal for any reasonwithin the city limits, save by dulyauthorized municipal agencies or privateagencies with municipal contracts forthat specific purpose.

This tells us two things. First, althoughthe decision in the case called “LUKUMIvs. City of Hialeah” was rendered by aFederal court, it is a decision concerninga municipal (local) ordinance, and, assuch, has little bearing upon ordinancesin other municipalities. Second, andmore importantly, the overriding issuehere is not so much one of persecutionof religious freedom to practice itstraditions as it is an

cont. on page 24


ELAWERE ABÉ ÒWÚ

A D’ÍFÁ F’ÓWÙÚ [FÚN ÒWÚ]

Divine for cotton

N BE L’ÁRÓBÙJE EYE OKO

[Cotton] was at the mercy of the farmbirds (witches)

WÓN NI K’Ó KÁALÈ

He [cotton] was asked to be prepared

EBO NI Ó SE

To make EBO

AKÍTÍPÁ L’AWOO ‘LÈ

AKÍTÍPÁ is the house diviner

BÒBÓ-YÀKÀTÀ L’AWO ÒDE

BÒBÓ-YÀKÀTÀ is the diviner for ÒDE(outside or an open place)

D’ÍFÁ [DÁ IFÁ] F’ÓÒSÀÁLÁ [FÚNÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ] ÒSÈRÈGBÒ

Divine for ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ (OBÀTÁLÁ)

YÓÒ S’ÒFIN ÒRÀN KÁN, ÒRÀNKÀN

He was to make a special law

YÓÒ PE K’ÉYEKÉYE Ó MÁ TÚNJ’ÒWÚ MÓ LÁYÉ LÁYÉ

He made a law that no bird should eatcotton anymore

LÁYÉLAYÉ

For ever and ever

DÁNPÁRÁ Ò MÁGBÒNRÍN

DÁNPÁRÁ (an affliction to the foot)never afflicts a deer

ÀYÚN Ò YÚN’SÈ MÀÀLÚÙ

ÀYÚN (deadly itch affliction) neverafflicts cows

A D’ÍFÁ [DÁ IFÁ] F’ÒRÚNMÌLÀ[FÚN ÒRÚNMÌLÀ]

Divine for ÒRÚNMÌLÀ

WÓN L’ÒGÚN ELEYE DÉ

He was told of an imminent war fromthe birds (witches)

ÀDÁ SÉKÉTÉ OWÓÒ MI

The machete in my hand

ÀDÁ ÒRÌSÀ NI È

Is ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s machete

ÒWÚ WÉ

Cotton blooms

ÒWÚ LÀ

Cotton bears fruits

SOJÚ GBOGBO EYE OKO L’ÒWÚSE É LÀ

Cotton seeds open in the full knowledgeof all farm birds (witches)

From OJÚLÓWÓ ORIKI IFÁ (APÁKÌÍNÍ) authored by the late ARABA ofLAGOS, YORÙBÁLAND, NIGERIA- Chief ‘Fasina Agboola

The mythological story of this ODÙIFÁ and the messages from it is verylong. However, in brief, the story isabout an impasse between ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ(OBÀTÁLÁ) and the witches duringthe IRUNMOLE’s earthly existence.

According to IFÁ, cotton seed was thefavorite food of the witches then. Thisbeing so, that meant that cotton usedto lose most of its children (a YORÙBÁreference to fruits here). Cotton wasvery concerned about this and heconsulted IFÁ. IFÁ recommended EBOand cotton made the EBO after whichhe went to ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ. ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁconsulted IFÁ on what to do. ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ was given necessary instructionsthat included EBO. ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁfollowed the injunction. Thereafter, hecalled all the witches and told them tostop feeding on cotton seeds and thatwhoever disregarded the order will meetwith her waterloo. For a long timeafter this injunction, the witches adheredto it. Then one day, ARO, a witch, atethe seed and developed a protuberanceon the neck called KÓKÓ ORÙN inYORÙBÁ. All the witches that fed oncotton seed after ARO suffered thesame affliction and some even died.The witches were enraged by this.Meanwhile, OMITOKI, from whereÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ used to fetch OMI (water)that he used for his children was dug bythe witches. As a retaliation, the witchestold ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ not to fetch waterfrom there anymore. ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ didnot think much of the witches’ threat.He sent one of his children to fetchwater regardless. ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s childgot to the ODO and dipped hisAKÈRÈGBÈ (calabash) to fetch water;when he lifted the AKÈRÈGBÈ up, hediscovered that his hand had turnedwhite. He ran home to tell ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ.

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ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ was enraged by the witches’audacity and decided to go to the witches’domain to fight them. While ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ was in this rage, the witches gatheredthemselves together, having anticipatedÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s reaction, and in unisonthey started a flight to ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’shouse. However, before they got toÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s house, ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ sawthem. As soon as ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ saw thewitches, he hurriedly gathered his childrenand the only thing he was able to grab, his

ADA (machete), then started running,with the witches in hot pursuit singing:

B’O O BÁ RÍ BÁMGBÁLÀ

If you see BÁMGBÁLÀ (name of oneof ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s children that means“help-lift-white-cloth”, in short,meaning “companionship”)

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

B’O O BÁ RÍ TÀLÀBÍ

If you see TÀLÀBÍ (name of one ofÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s children that means“born-inside-white-cloth”)

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

B’O O BÁ RÍ ÒRISASONÀ

If you see ÒRÌSÀSONA (name ofone of ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s children thatmeans “ÒRÌSÀ-crafts-beautifully” -in actuality saying “ÒRÌSÀ-blesses-beautifully”)

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

B’O O BÁ RÍ ÒRISABIYÌÍ

If you see ÒRISABIYÌÍ (name of oneof ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s children that means“ÒRÌSÀ-borns-this”)

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

The first place that ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ ranto, with his children, was SÀNGÓ’shouse. As soon as the witches realizedthat ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ was running toSÀNGÓ’s house, they startedintimidating by singing:

B’O BÁ RÍ SÀNGÓBIYÌÍ

If you see SÀNGÓBIYÌÍ (name of oneof SÀNGÓ’s children that means“SÀNGÓ-borns-this”)

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

B’O O BÁ RÍ SÀNGÓTÁDÉ

If you see SÀNGÓTÁDÉ (name of oneof SÀNGÓ’s children that means“SÀNGÓ-is-royal”)

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

B’O O BÁ RÍ BÁMGBÓSÉ

If you see BÁMGBÓSÉ (name of oneof SÀNGÓ’s children that means “help-hold” or “raise OSE [thunderstone]which actually means “companionship”)

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

When SÀNGÓ realized what was goingon, he and his children took to theirheels. They ran, with OBÀTÁLÁ’schildren, to ÒGÚN’s house. ÒGÚNwas equally intimidated by the witcheswith the same song that says:

B’O O BÁ RÍ ÒGÚNBÍYÌÍ

If you see ÒGÚNBÍYÌÍ (name of oneof ÒGÚN’s children that means“ÒGÚN-borns-this)

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

B’O O BÁ RÍ ÒGÚNLÀNÀ

If you see ÒGÚNLÀNÀ (name of oneof ÒGÚN’s children that means“ÒGÚN-opens-the-road-[of success, ofgeneral IRE])

cont. on page 24


THE BRIDGE(from private conversations)

© AFS 1983

DIALOGUES

Chapter Three: Meditation

Find a place that is relatively quiet andfree of distractions. Find a posture inwhich you can be as relaxed as possibleand which will avoid the muscular achesthat can result from too much of a bentback. Sitting up straight in a chair or onthe floor, or lying flat on your back ona bed or mat is fine. Don’t worry toomuch about posture or what you haveheard about positions. Just find aposition for your body that will not initself become a distraction. There areenough internal distractions withoutneedlessly creating more!

Take the phone off the hook.

Once you are comfortable, close youreyes and focus your attention on

yourself, just yourself as you findyourself to be in the present. The objectis for you to be able to keep yourattention contained within yourself, inthe present. Your wish is to knowyourself, simply and directly. Well,here you are. This is you, now.

What you experience in yourself will besubjective and not like what anyone elseexperiences. There is no right or wrongexperience. There is no state to beachieved, there is only you, payingattention to yourself in the present,now, right now.

You may have to struggle to keep yourattention in yourself, in the present.Many distractions exist. There areoutside noises which will take yourattention. Bring it back when thathappens. There is no failure. For everydistraction, your wish to return intoyourself will bring your attention backto inside you.

You are doing this in order to knowyourself, all over again, new, fresh,with no preconceptions, right here, rightnow.

You do not know what it means to “bein yourself.” That doesn’t matter. Justpay attention to what is here, within,with your eyes closed.

There is much to know. There are yourphysical sensations. The sensation ofyou in your body, of tension, of an itch,see it all, but keep going. Get past everydistraction. Don’t anticipate what youmay be going toward. Just keep going,keep looking.

Your head may be full of thoughts, ofan internal monologue, or even dialogue,that won’t stop. Don’t worry aboutthat, just keep going, keep looking.Look into the darkness, into the spaceinside you. Sense into the space that isyou, is your body.

You may be in a particular emotionalstate, perhaps upset over something,perhaps it is a very big, important issuefor you, perhaps it is consuming you,perhaps it is the most important issueyour life right now. Don’t be stoppedby it just now. For now, temporarily,just keep going. Your attention willgravitate to that issue again and again.But again and again you can rememberyour aim, your wish, which is to knowthe truth of yourself now. You want to godeeper, deeper than any distraction,deeper than any current issue of yourlife.

Do not fight yourself. Do not allowimpatience or frustration to distractyou. Do not let fear or confusion distractyou. This is only you, only yourattention, only your wish.

Keep going. Do not stop too long onany thought, any image, any sensation,just keep going, keep looking. Rejectconclusions, reject theory, rejectknowledge, reject emotion, seek onlythe total experience of all that you are,of the essence of you, of the core ofyou.

If there is only blackness in front ofyou, then go into that with yourattention, pushed by your aim. Yourobject, your target, is yourself. You arein it now, but you need and want to gofurther.

Forget everything as you go. You arenot creating a method or routine, youare simply paying attention to yourself,now. And more deeply than before.Keep going, gently, easily into theexperience of you, of your being.

cont. on page 20

In April of 1984 I, along with a fellowseeker of truth, began a series of dia-logues that led to the appearance of"Dialogues," the second of five essaysentitled "The Bridge" to be published in"OYA'S MARKETPLACE." In Novem-ber of 1984, I had my first reading by anIFA priest. In April of 1991, I wasinitiated as a priest of OBATALA. Thissummer I was initiated to IFA and amnow a BABALAWO. My name is FA-BUKOLA. To me all of this is related tothe material we call "The Bridge." It isa statement of the agreement betweenORI and IPONRI; that is to say ourconsciousness and our higher self orspiritual double.


Cuban santeros have no problem withcalling the tradition IFA, for BA-BALAWO are thought to be the highpriests of the religion, but what aboutpractitioners of CANDOMBLE? OfSHANGO Baptist religion? A moreuniversal term is ORISA-WORSHIP-PING TRADITIONS. Those of us in-side the ORISA-worshipping Traditionsneed to keep a constant dialogue goingamong ourselves.

In a recent, beautifully-written andkind review of my Walking with theNight, which appears in this issue of"OYA'S MARKETPLACE," Nisi Shawlaccuses me of practicing "seeminglyinevitable chauvinism." She cites mycontention that "Santeria songs areYoruba songs that have been preservedin Cuba over hundreds of years ..." and"...reflect an earlier development..." asexamples of my supposed chauvinism.

If Nisi felt offended by what I said, Iapologize, but I must make a clarifica-tion. What I was suggesting might havehappened in Cuba is similar to what didhappen to Sephardic Jews after beingforced out of Spain in 1492. Isolated inmany of the communities where theysettled, they have retained an earlierform of Spanish to this day. Ladino, thelanguage these Jews speak, is said byexperts to resemble 15th centurySpanish. Is it too far-fetched to suggestsomething like this might have happenedto the group of speakers of what is nowcalled "Yoruba" who were forced tomigrate to Cuba? Also, Nisi left outfrom the quotation the words "a casecan be made that" these songs representan earlier development. I did not assert

it as a given fact, neither did I suggestsuch retentions would constitute a"purer" or "truer" form of the religion.Purity, in this context, has no place in afaith which is by definition vibrant,living and growing.

So where does this all lead? In myunderstanding of the ORISA, I feeltheir power to be great enough to coverall of us with their love and ASE. Let usnot criticize the santero for his/hergarbled YORUBA, but let us praiseOLODUMARE for the fact that he --or she -- can speak any YORUBA at all!The songs that, indeed, have been pre-served in Cuba for hundreds of yearsmay very well be badly garbled, and Ipraise brothers like John Mason whohave done such remarkable work inreconstructing these relics of our ances-tors. At the same time, however, let uscelebrate these garbled songs lovinglypreserved under the most heinouspersecution.

Believe me, brothers and sisters, thereare more things that unite us than thingsthat divide us. The ORISA manifestthemselves to different people indifferent ways. Whatever works foreach of us is an individual matter be-tween the devotee and the ORISA. Letus not spend valuable energy judgingone another, but together let us praisethe ORISA with songs and dances usingour whole bodies in all kinds of ways,singing in all kinds of accents. Let ourlove flow out to each other and let uslearn from each other's traditions. Inour diversity, there is strength. Unitedin this knowledge, our ASE will grow.

ON UNITY ANDDIVERSITYBy OBA FUNFUN

(Note:During my ITA I was told not touse my initiation name publicly. I writemy more serious scholarly works un-der my secular name, Raul Canizares.For devotional works, I use the namemy Afro-Cuban grandmother lovinglygave me, Oba Funfun).

Residing as I do, in Tampa, Florida,where the ORISA-worshipping com-munity is very diverse, yet integrated;where most feasts at Cuban ILES fea-ture drummers from the Oyotunji Vil-lage traditions; where each ORISA-worshipping tradition views itself andthe others as fingers of the same hand,I was alarmed to find during a recentstay in New York an ORISA-worship-ping community divided along philo-sophical lines where each faction holdsits interpretation to be the correct formof ORISA worship, looking down atthe others almost as if they were infi-dels.

At each stop in my tour of the Big AppleI was asked to state my positionregarding which group I believed was"purer." At one extreme are those whohold that the only valid initiations arethose performed in Africa or by Afri-can-born priests. At the other extremeare Cuban ILES proclaiming themselvesthe true keepers of the ancient faith. Ihave heard YORUBA brothers deridetheir Cuban brethren because theCubans call themselves "santeros," aname of Catholic origin. What theseYORUBA brothers may not know isthat the term "YORUBA" is itself aCatholic invention, a name coined bythe Jesuits in the 19th century to facili-tate their translation of Christian pro-paganda into a newly-standardized lan-guage developed from closely-alliedtongues spoken by peoples who tracedtheir origins to the city of Ile Ife.

There are also numerous fights aboutwhat blanket-term, if any, should beused to describe these different fingersof the same hand -- IFA? YORUBA?


Welcome to our new column "Perspectives"where we spend time with various membersof our community to discuss theirviewpoints. This issue introduces BabaTenu Leri, an OBATALA priest currentlyresiding in Cleveland, Ohio.

Soyini: How long have you been involvedin the YORUBA culture?

Tenu Leri: When you say YORUBAculture, that is one of the things thatneeds to be clarified, because theYORUBA culture has not fully beenclarified in America yet. People whocall themselves YORUBA are actuallypracticing what we call “LUKUMI.”“LUKUMI” is a term that is establishedby the worshippers of OLODUMAREin the different provinces in what theycall Nigeria. It is a term that refers toworshippers of nature - the profunditiesof nature. We have been under amisconception of YORUBA culture inAmerica because most of us who are inthis way of life including Oba Oseijemanin the YORUBA village were broughtinto it by people from Cuba. Africanswho have gone through their transitionin Cuba do not speak YORUBA the wayit is spoken in Nigeria. That culture doesnot practice the worship of ORISA theway they do in Nigeria either. Thedrums are not the same, the presentationof the ORISA are not the same. So, Ihave a real problem in wondering whatis YORUBA in America, anyway.

YORUBA has many different meanings.Some say it is “an unexpected arrival ofa people that will not conform toslavery.” This is us in one sense, but themental slavery we have fallen in cancelsus from being YORUBA. For us inAmerica it is very interesting. We practiceORISA worship. The main purpose of

that is to understand and work withthe elements. The essence of creation,we believe, comes fromOLODUMARE - Owner of theODU - Owner of all there is. If weclaim we worship in that manner,then the idea of being one of thosetype of people is to speed yourselfalong your way to spiritualdevelopment so that you can becomemore of a human being which will letyou rise above so many personalimperfections which are spiritualdeficits. To call yourself YORUBAmeans that you really need to be onewho can rise above these things andallow yourself to be guided by theORISA...not your personalemotions. It is a real difficult thingbecause a lot of us have chosen areligion that we have to rely on otherpeople to understand. We don’tunderstand these people becausemost of them don’t speak englishthat well. It is very difficult being anAmerican YORUBA trying to live areligion where you don’t know thelanguage. A Puerto Rican was myfirst godmother in 1966. She spokeEnglish but mostly spoke and thoughtlike a Puerto Rican. We didn’t reallyunderstand all that she was saying tous. We were learningOLODUMARE worship from her.Blind faith has become our biggestpower in America. Doubt erasesone’s ASE. We didn’t know what wewere doing or who we were doing itwith but we did it anyway. It was apower that just drew us in. Now,understanding what we are supposedto be thinking about is finallybecoming clear. To some, who reallycherish the old ways and the oldcustoms, it is always called LUKUMI.It means “friend” or “brother that is

with me.” “Friend that I keep beside me.”“I always keep the ways of my people withme.” It translates as “friend,” “trustedone.” So that is more or less what we callourselves. In the beginning I was veryconfused, because I heard a lot of Cubanssay LUKUMI and I heard a lot of Cubanssay YORUBA. I heard them say ORISAand I heard them say Santeria. I wasconfused for such a long time, trying tofigure out which was which.

I believe that our people have such adilemma coming out of slavery that I thinkthat we should develop a way of speakingup when we are in doubt. We should findresources that we can actually talk towithout being afraid that we must be agreat scholar in order to stand up and askdirection or that we should be some greatwizard or part of some special clan beforewe are entitled to the understanding ofwhat this is we are devoting our lives to.We should begin to work on suchunderstanding. It will free us up so muchwith knowledge that we can then get onour way with our own personal directionthat we need to go in for our own individualselves. If you take care of your ownbusiness and leave my business alone,when I do meet you at the marketplace, itwill be a pleasant experience. But if youmind my business and don’t tend to yourown, when I see you at the marketplace,there is certainly sure to be a feud. Weshould learn to manage our own selvesfirst before we can manage anyone else.

That is some of the wisdom that comes toa person who allows themselves not to beenvious of what we call the script thatGod has written for each of us. We saythat such people are envious of God. A lotof times they don’t even realize it. But a lotof times when you are angry, have a questfor power that is not being fulfilled and

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVESWith BABALOSA TENU LERI


you see that God has such much power,you have absolutely none and you cannotunderstand why this should be, thenyou have lost sight with who you are asa human being. You should allowyourself to be healed by something orsomeone instead of going on an endlesssearch to prove to yourself that you alsohave power. It is an endless search totry to beat God at the power game. Wehave fallen into that because of thecurse that has come with slavery.

This brings me to the discussion of beingwhite and YORUBA in America andhow blacks feel about that. Being thatOLODUMARE has taught us allthrough his children not to see anycolors when we talk about humanity,then as long as a priest is a good priest,it doesn’t matter what color he is. ButI think that as Africans in America, weare entitled to somewhat of a reaction.That reaction, though, must not lingerbecause if it does, it only means that thecurse is still in effect. There again,minding someone else’s business andnot taking care of your own.

The great drummers are content. Theydo not worry about who’s learningdrumming. The priests and worshipperswho are content with themselves arenot worrying about who is learning theworship of OLODUMARE. Once yourthinking rises to this level, then yourthinking becomes balanced when itcomes to male/female relationships;adult/child relationships. It is veryunfair to have a strong opinion aboutsomething that does not belong to us.

Being judgmental is having a large stonein the middle of your road of yourdevelopment. We as African Americanshave to be aware of the different curses.Like the little kids that say “don’t go forthe hype.” It’s about the same thing. Ifwe have beliefs in such a powerfulreligion, we can’t go for the hype, withone sickness or another. Like whitepeople in the religion. Or women in thereligion taking different roads. My

sister always challenged a lot of thosefemale situations, like women drummingfor ORISA. You know how humanbeings are, if you’ve never seen it thenyou really don’t buy into it most of thetime, until something comes into yourconsciousness and says “why not.” Thatwould be countered with the feeling ofcurse or taboo, saying that no one hasnever done that. My sister always askedwhy couldn’t she be a BABALAWO butbecause of the people who worshipwhat they call YORUBA with us inNew York, we were always made tobelieve that it could never happen.

Soyini: Once again we talk about theinfluences, how we as a people - all ofus who are involved in the culture - arelearning and have learned theinformation and the patterns and theregalia that we follow through ourdifferent “houses.” This brings me tomy next question. At one point, we haddiscussed the early days and how AfricanAmericans in particular had gotteninvolved, at least in New York.

Tenu Leri: I was eight years when Ibecame a drummer. What happenedfor a lot of us was that we found outabout drumming on a spiritual levelthrough most African entertainers. Thedrum and dance performance worldwas divided between people who werepart of the Haitian movement, peoplewho were part of the BrazilianCandomble, Umbanda and Macumbaand Congo movement, and people whowere part of the African CubanLUCUMI movement. Also, peoplewho were just strictly West Africandrum and dance. There was anothercombination and element that was veryimportant, which caused it to have oneof its greatest flavors and that was theAfrican American interpretive dances.This is where you did the best you coulddo to be an African. Where that spiritcame from is very interesting becausethe only things I saw of Africans wereTarzan movies, Jungle Jim, etc. Thosewere the only interpretations of Africa

that we saw but yet we still, by somestrange means, wanted to play thatrole as the African. In between RoyRogers and Tonto and Sitting Bull,Geronimo was a big character. Someof us even went off on a European tripand tried to play king or queen; lordand lady. But the imaginative, spiritualtime of a child - we were being hitduring that time with the portrayal ofAfricanism. It was very interesting tosee a group of people who were intouch with African Cubans like ChanoPovo, Mario Bowso, Matido, veryCuban, very African; these peoplewere very much in touch with Congo. These people made a profoundeffect on our OLODUMAREexperience because you had our peoplein the middle with this African spiritthat was trying to be born in ourpeople, where something was going tocatch that people could just enjoytime and time again. As soon asOlotunji came here in 1948, his centerbecame a place where a lot of differentYORUBA people could begin to go tofind shakeres, something they knewthey had when they were in Cuba,when they worshipped ORISA. Thenwhen we got a little bit of song aboutYEMOJA. There was Celia Cruz; themarriage of Olotunji and MangoSantamaria and Celia Cruz, ArthurPrysock, and Joe Williams. That wasa marriage that left us AfricanAmericans touched just a little bit byall those things.

TO BE CONTINUED


Welcome to this, the first in what will bea regular column to exchange ideas. Aquestion will be posed and you, thereaders, will be asked to respond. Thenext issue will present answers to the thisissue’s questions, plus pose new questionsto be replied to within the following issue.Many of you have wondered how you canbe a part of this endeavor - this may bethe vehicle you were looking for. Now...onto this issue’s question posed by yourstruly.

I have a novice’s confession to make: Iam still uncomfortable, skittish aboutmy new responsibilities. For instance,this five day cycle and prayer matbusiness...Working in isolation, I some-times get completely caught up in theprocedures of prayer or consultation. Ifind myself running in circles to gatherthings, set them just so, look for otherthings, all the while talking to myself,wondering, for instance, what IF myofferings are not enough and I don’thave anything else--does the prayer still“count” when the “stuff” isn’t quiteright? I mean, this ain’t no restaurant--rum may not be available today!

And then comes: must I use the shellsevery time? And may I use tap water ifthe “good” water is gone? And if my six-year-old comes in with a problem, andI stop...must I begin again? Oh, darn--I forgot my OGUN...

Perhaps it is our American individual-ism which makes such things very diffi-cult. And I am also a child of the 60s,when you did your own thing ornobody’s. The mind wanders; I feelsheepish and slightly enslaved. I readthe words but think something else,and must begin again. It seems so unlike

me, so unlike my “other” life. Thisspiritual business, the business of ritualseems inappropriate and irrelevant tomy “post-modern” world.

Until, of course, even after the clumsi-est of sessions, the gentle answers come,on the mat or in my dreams. And then,to see them coming, I begin the workagain, no more gracefully than before,but certain that someone listens, sees,and sends instructions regularly.

However, those answers come to me,not to my neighbors or my daughter.And I have seen the startled looks onsome folks’ faces as they enter ourhouse to find our altar and other para-phernalia. The first glimpse visitors getof our house is an array of African andNative American altar items, and, hav-ing “encountered” them, at least two ofthe neighbor children have gone hometo tell of our incensers and smudgesticks and “funny looking dolls,” andreturned later to say their mothers havesuddenly decided they cannot play atour house anymore.

This impacts my most precious com-panion on this journey, my six-year-oldhalf-Hopi daughter, whose healthyinterest in all this has been most mov-ing. Raised in part on the reservationwhere religious ritual is commonplace,she “feeds” the KACHINA/EGUN-GUN and the SANGO wands andIBEJI--an ESU carving receives a pieceof her candy without fail, sitting as hedoes at the entrance to the house, as ifwaiting for it. In fact, it is she whoreminds Mommy to put that rock, thatfeather, that flower, that sweet in thebasket by this one or that, and that theSun must be fed first, before Sunday

dinner goes on the table. Does sheknow why? It does not matter, I tellmyself. She is learning the business ofritual, one step at a time, just as she didon the res, raising corn stalks like chil-dren, in preparation for parenthoodand other matters, as the Hopis alwayshave. Everything there is spiritual. Andshe understands that, somehow, evenbetter than I do.

But, when I feel it is time for more...howshould the introduction be accom-plished? That is the question I pose toour readers: how have you introducedyour children to your spiritual journey,if at all? What is your philosophy on thesubject?

We look forward to seeing your answersand other questions you may have. Pleaseaddress your responses to OYA’SMARKETPLACE, Attn. Cynthia Dag-nal-Myron. Thank you.

SHARING THE JOURNEYAn Idea Exchange

By CYNTHIA DAGNAL-MYRON


Walking With The Night: The Afro-Cuban World of Santeria by RaulCanizares. Destiny Books, 1 Park St.,Rochester, VT 05767, 1993; 148 pp.,$12.95.

“What a lovely book!” “Now that’s theone I should have read first.” Withcomments like these, my friends andco-religionists fed my desire to exploreCanizares’ third and latest publication.But for months it languished on my“incoming” shelf, the glowing, full-color depiction of ELEGBA on its coverhidden from sight. Finally, I was giventhe opportunity to read and review it.

Santeria is indeed, as the author says, “.. .a religion of beauty and resilience.”He concentrates on these aspects, fo-cusing only briefly, in the introduction,on the negative perceptions of society,and in Chapter 13 on Santeria’s “darkside.”

The opening account of his first bembe,as a child of 7, movingly illustrates thewonder of transformation inherent inthis practice. Again and again, despitehis scholarly training, Canizares refersto his experience, to tales of kin andancestors. In the chapter entitled“Legacy,” he tells of his mother’sencounter at an airport where she wasabout to embark on a trip to launch herinternational film career:

“But when she was about to board theplane, a serious-looking black youth ofabout 12, neatly dressed in black slacksand a red shirt, approached her and toldher `Senora, don’t go.’”

Interpreting this youth as a materializa-tion of ELEGBA, Canizares’ mother

refused to board. She lost her job, butkept her life by avoiding a fatal planecrash.

Moving, warm, and colorful, theseanecdotes embellish sections on Palo[an ancestral culture originating in theCongo, prevalent in many of the samecommunities as Santeria], on shape-shifters, herbal lore and spiritism.

Approaching some topics, though, theauthor adopts a more intellectual tone.His discussion of Afro-diasporicreligion’s “deliberate syncretism” makesclear the important distinction betweennaive absorption of a dominant culture’sbeliefs and the conscious employmentof them as camouflage. In “Oro: DivineMusic,” he gives a detailed descriptionof the consecration of the bata drums,the “fundamental” drums of Santeria.An appendix on race relations in Cubaand their effect on the religion quotesanthropologists and sociologists as wellas poets. Footnotes, a helpful presencethroughout the book, swell from anaverage of four per chapter to a totalhere of twenty-two.

Overall, the two styles blend ratherthan clash, and their confluence shouldprove untroubling to the reader. Whatmay trouble those of us accustomed toa more Africanized version of the phi-losophy and practices on which Sante-ria is based, is the seemingly inevitablechauvinism which occasionally springsup. Canizares’ claim on p. 69 that “. ..Santeria songs are Yoruba songs thathave been preserved in Cuba over hun-dreds of years. . .” and “. . .reflect anearlier development. . .” brings up thewhole purer-than-thou controversy.And his statement on p. 12 that Afri-

cans find the traditional salute to BA-BALWO untranslatable, while true, failsto point out that this is because theYoruba words have become garbledthrough centuries of phonetics-onlytransmission, not because those in the“old country” have lost valuable knowl-edge.

That the wisdom of our ancestors sur-vived the Middle Passage at all is awonder. That it adapted and flourishedis a miracle that surpasses merely men-tal comprehension. Canizares’ notes onunfamiliar and “lost” ORISA, such asARONI, spirit of dogs, and BOROMU,ruler of deserts, are welcome. Hisspeculation on the future of thecomplicated legal issues involved inanimal sacrifice are thought-provoking.But his brilliant paintings of Santeria’sceremonies and deities, and the voicesand tales of his people are what makethis book both precious and accessible,a faithful representation of his beloved“embodied religion.”

WARM SANTERIA NIGHTBy NISI SHAWL

WALKING WITH THE NIGHT:THE AFRO-CUBAN WORLD OFSANTERIA by Raul Canizaresis available through Sea-Shelves.

Check our catalog in the backof the newsletter for this andother fine literature. Allproceeds from Sea-Shelves goto help maintain the cost ofrunning "OYA'S MARKET-PLACE."


The late Chief Fela Sowande was aprofessor of Pan African Studies for KentState University/ Born in OYO, Nige-ria, in 1905, he received a good deal ofhis higher education from British schools.He discovered that for all his learninghis roots held the true knowledge. Hereturned home to research his cultureand wrote a number of papers ontraditional YORUBA. The unpublishedpapers were left to the Department of PanAfrican Studies at Kent. Permission hasbeen given to share some of his work withour readers. Discussion is certainlywelcomed as well as critique. Thefollowing is an continuation of anunedited excerpt from Chief Sowande’spaper entitled “IFA.” - SG

Acknowledgements are due to the An-cient Religious Society of African De-scendants Association for permission toquote freely from their collection, andto those who readily granted access toprivate libraries of rare books. Theyremain anonymous as a protectionagainst the curious-minded, whosecuriosity is only equaled by their forget-fulness to return borrowed books. -Fela Sowande.

IFAIFAIFAIFAIFABY CHIEF FELA SOWANDEBY CHIEF FELA SOWANDEBY CHIEF FELA SOWANDEBY CHIEF FELA SOWANDEBY CHIEF FELA SOWANDE

We should now consider, as briefly aspossible: ELA, ORISA, and ILE-IFE.For the story of ELA, we turn exclusivelyto Chief Fagbemi Ajanaku, the ARABAof Eko, who, several years back -- asMr. Ajanaku -- prepared and presenteda Script on ELA for YORUBA LIFE, inYORUBA. Hereinunder is a detailedsummary in English, of the YORUBAtext.

When OLODUMARE orderedAJALAMO to mould man, He alsoordered ELA to supervise AJALAMO’swork. This infuriated ESU to whomELA was junior, as ESU thought he had

been by-passed in favour of a junior.ESU and his followers then levied waragainst ELA, on a day known as OJOETI, i.e., the day of (attempting) theimpossible; ESU lost, and he and hisfollowers were chucked out of Heaven.OJO ETI corresponds to our Friday.With ESU removed, ELA became thesenior of all the Heavenly Powers, andnext only to OLODUMARE. ThenOLODUMARE instructed ELA to godown t Earth to put things in order; atthat time, the whole Earth was one vastmass of water and sky, with chaoseverywhere. ESU got to know of thisplan, and he and his followers tookthree alternative decisions: (a) either toprevent ELA from gaining a footholdon Earth, or failing that; (b) to preventELA from carrying outOLODUMARE’s instructions, or failingthat; (c) to ensure that ELA was unableto return to Heaven to report back toOLODUMARE; this is known as theday of the Three Tries; OJO ABAMETA,corresponding to our Saturday. ELAand his followers descended to Earthon OJO AIKU - the Day of not-dying,or of survival, corresponding to ourSunday (presumably implying the ESUwas unable to prevent ELA’s descent;anything in parenthesis like this are thewriter’s comments, for which he aloneis responsible). On the day of ELA’sdescent, the whole Earth was convulsedby terrible upheavals. Arriving on Earth,ELA first had to break ESU’s power;terrible battles followed, and thegoddess AJE was sent down byOLODUMARE from heaven to assistELA against ESU; hence the day isknown as OJO AJE, or AJE’s day; itcorresponds to our Monday. ELA gaineda decisive victory over ESU byestablishing order; thus the day is knownos OJOBO -- the Day of the return (ofthings to normal), or the Day of

Restoration, corresponding to ourThursday. ELA then stayed on Earthfor two more days, Friday -- OJO ETIand Saturday -- OJO ABAMETA, andreturned to Heaven on the same day hedescended from Heaven, i.e. on OJOAIKU -- Sunday. Hence, the YORUBAbelieve that every person dies on the dayof the week he was born; and thatwhere this is not so, either the persondied on somebody else’s day (as anunconscious substitute) or that he hadactually died on that day of his birth,but had enough energy left in him tolast out a little longer before collapsingaltogether. For some time, things wenton fine, mankind was fruitful andmultiplied, and the Earth was populated;order was everywhere. When ESU sawthis, he called his followers together,and was able to attract some of mankindto his band of followers. Trouble beganagain; women became barren, thosewith child had miscarriages or difficultbirths, the sick remained sick, and similarwicked things were done by ESU andhis followers. Again OLODUMAREinstructed ELA to go down to Earth torestore order, but this time to take onhuman flesh. (In the original Script,two Stanzas of IFA -- one fromEJIOGBE, the other from IROSUN-ATERE -- were quoted in connectionwith this event. There seems no need toquote them here, due to spaceconsideration). This was the first of sixtimes that ELA came to the Earth as ahuman being, making seven times in all,if we include his very first visit as TheGreat Spirit ELA, as recounted above.OLODUMARE always sent him asORUNMILA to the particular placewhere there is greatest need. He haddifferent parents each time. On one ofthese incarnations, his father wasOPERTI, his mother was OGIDI, andhis place of birth was Oke Itase. ELA/


ORUNMILA was not the only one withmultiple incarnations. The same patternholds for ORUN and several of theIRUNMOLES who took on humanflesh and lived among men. Amongthem are the 16 IRUNMOLES, whomwe know today as the 16 ODU of IFA:i.e., OFUN, OGBE, OYEKU, IWORI,ODI, IROSUN, OWONRIN, OBARA,OKANRAN, OGUNDA, OSA, IKA,OTURUPON, OTURA, IRETE, ANDOSE. This order is not universallyfollowed throughout Yorubaland;nevertheless, when these IRUNMOLESbecame human-beings on Earth, thenEach carried twice its original name,thusOGBE became EJIOGBE -- or twiceOGBE; OYEKU became OYEKUMEJI -- or twice OYEKU; and so on;OFUN (HEPA!) became ORANGUN-MEJI, and occupied the 16th position,having yielded the first position to EJI-OGBE. The cause of this is related inanother Stanza of IFA from EJI-OGBE,(source - ARSADA), ... and here wetake our leave of the YORUBA Scriptby Chief Ajanaku, as we quote the EJI-OGBE Stanza relating the first timethe 16 IRUNMOLES came to Earth ashumans. . . roughly summed up asfollows in English:

“The oracle was consulted on behalf ofthe 16 IRUNMOLES (or by the 16IRUNMOLES) when they were due tocome down to Earth. They inquiredwhether they would be able to stay onEarth. They were told to offer sacrifice.EJI-OGBE was the only one who did asinstructed. OFUN-MEJI was the firstIRUNMOLE (he was senior) to be sentdown to Earth. He returned to Heavento report that it was impossible to stayon Earth, for it was all Dark, and onevast mass of Water. ThenOLODUMARE gave EJI-OGBEauthority to set things right on Earth.When EJI-OGBE and his followersarrived on Earth, the very first thingEJI-OGBE did was to command thatthere be Light, and there was Light; hecommanded the Water to divide intotwo, for one part to go upwards, andthe other half to go downwards, and

the sky become visible; he alsocommanded the water on the groundto let dry land appear; when dry landappeared, grass began to grow, and allkinds of animals began to make theirappearances according to the commandsof EJI-OGBE. OFUN-MEJI had fullyexpected EJI-OGBE to return toHeaven with the missionunaccomplished; but as time went on,and he did not hear nor see anything ofEJI-OGBE, he (OFUN-MEJI) thoughthe would go down and see what washappening. When he arrive on Earth, hefound EJI-OGBE and his followerscomfortably seated; he ordered EJI-OGBE to get up so that he (OFUN-MEJI -- the senior) could sit down; butEJI-OGBE answered him not a word.Thus, EJI-OGBE became the mostsenior of the 16 IRUNMOLE andORANGUN-MEJI (the new name forOFUN-MEJI) became the last in orderof seniority.”

A point that might perhaps bementioned here is that, whenOLODUMARE sent ELA to Earth asSpirit, in the story of ELA above, therewas no consulting of the oracle;authority and power was given directlyto ELA by OLODUMARE. Whenhowever ELA first incarnated asORUNMILA, in the EJI-OGBE stanzareferred to in the story of ELA above,

but not quoted, the oracle wasconsulted. Tradition has it that it wasELA, on his first and only mission onEarth as Spirit, Who taught mankindhow to divine, using 16 ivory counters.As we see from the above story of thefirst incarnation of the 16 IRUNMOLE,the oracle was again consulted. Thus wemay rightly conclude that “divination,”as part of the system is of great antiquity,initially taught by ELA. Oral traditionalso has it -- as the writer understands it-- that these 16 IRUNMOLE were partof ELA’s followers when he came tobattle with ESU and replace chaos withorder; furthermore, that they also formpart of ORUNMILA’s followers at eachincarnation. In the above story aboutEJI-OGBE and OFUN, we see them inaction, independently of ELA/ORUNMILA. Oral traditions aver thatthere are two ELAs - ELA AWOYE,whom we have been considering, andELA IWORI, Who is not of the samestature as ELA AWOYE, and that thetwo are not to be confused. Similarlythere are two ESUs -- ESU EBITA, TheGreat Spirit whom we have beenconsidering in the Story of ELA, andESU LALU, the son of a Chief, TheOLOJA, and that these two ESUsshould not be confused one with theother. We are concerned here, however,with ELA.

TO BE CONTINUED

AfriCaribbean BBSAfriCaribbean BBSAfriCaribbean BBSAfriCaribbean BBSAfriCaribbean BBSWe are proud to announce the creation of an electronic Bulletin Board Systemthat will focus on those issues near and dear to those appreciative of ancientAfrican tradition and its progeny in the New World.The service will providemany of the general BBS features such as message centers, chat modes andE-mail along with a few features unique to our particular needs. It is rescheduledto "boot up" on February 2nd of 1994 and will be available to all usersof IBM compatible computers with modems. For more information, contactOYA'S MARKETPLACE, P. O. Box 21521, Canton, OH 44701-1521,(216) 588-9549.

P. S. All those who would be interested in serving as Sysops (systemoperators) in their particular areas are invited to discuss their desires with us.


you acted, you acted out of Islamicmorality, Christian morality, Judaicmorality, etc. This coming together ofall the various ethnic religions is to forma consensus for a global morality.

Soyini: What was the representation atthe conference?

Medahoci: There were at least 225different denominal religions. In greatevidence, I would say (people of) thesub-continent of India and NativeAmericans were the majority becausethe Christian block was lumped underthe National Council of Churches,Roman Catholic, etc. And then therewas some fundamentalist Protestantgroup - I do not remember the name.Then there were a few other fragmentedrepresentatives. On the other hand,there were at least 20 different Muslimpresentors representing various sects.

Soyini: On a global level, it does myheart good to hear that this is thedirection that we might be going. On aselfish level, it appears as if we of theYORUBA persuasion might findourselves being more readily acceptedand it being felt that we might havesomething to say to add to theunderstanding of Global Ethic. Am Iunderstanding correctly?

Medahoci: Yes. I would also like topoint this out to you also: of all theAfrican peoples on the globe, and of allthe indigenous religious expression inAfrica, we were the only personsrepresentative of African spirituality --and that was Yoruba Americans, notfrom the Continent. There were otherAfricans from the Continent there, but(for example) one man from Ugandarepresented Hindu religion. There wasa woman from Ghana who representednot a religion, but a type of women’smovement. There was another womanfrom Nigeria whose nameplate was atthe table I sat at on the day of themember assembly, but she did notappear. The only persons who addressedAfrican theology were the two of us -

Baba Oseijeman and I.

Soyini: How did the conferenceconclude? Did you feel that there is apositive direction that is going to havesome impact upon the world or do youfeel, after all was said and done, that itwas more of a lip-service situation?

Medahoci: It was very positive - but thepositivity I discerned was of a personalnature. Many people didn’t know whatwas being said. Many knowledgeabledid not, and probably will not, read thehandouts. The member delegates got apackage, a large portfolio of informationthat I only found out as I read it later,at home. There were questions askedthat each religious group was to answerindividually. Let me give you an exampleof that.

There was a twenty-page booklet thatoffered questions to our spiritual leadersfrom all over the globe. There werequestions that we must answer: “Whatdoes your traditional faith say about theworld’s poor?” “What does its answerto the billions of starving people?”“What does your traditional faith sayabout race...gender?” There were anumber of questions that those whoread the brochure would either answeror refuse to answer. You had to addressit or say “I’m not even going to deal withit.” So that is why I said many groupsthere won’t be of issue because they arenot even thinking about it.

Soyini: What conclusions were made atthe conference? Will there besubcommittees that will get together,finalize things - another meeting nextyear? What direction did people seemto be going after the conclusion of theconference?

Medahoci: Unfortunately, I haven’tbeen able to receive any feedback fromother groups. I’ve had very littlefeedback from my own group. So Idon’t think everybody had the greatspiritual feeling that I had from that.But I do know this...many of us, should

The member assembly is the 225permanent delegates who were to latercome together in conclave and recordsome type of resolution. Out of thisassembly grew what is called the GlobalEthic. Heretofore, all morality in theworld had grown out of religions thatwere specifically geared for some cultureor some ethnic group. But since theworld has become a small place - thereis no point on this planet that you can’treach in twelve hours - local moralitywas not sufficient for a globalcommunity. So this conclave of worldreligions created a global ethic, one thatwould be binding to anyone, anywhereon this planet.

And not necessarily because you leavethe church could you raise hellsomewhere else. We tried to create aglobal ethic. I think its perusing is veryimportant because things were discussedin there; for example, one of particularinterest to me was the fact that weagreed -- those who signed this ethic --that we should be tolerant towardreligions, particularly indigenousreligions of the world’s people, respectthem as a religion, and not call themheathenism, etc. That all religions shouldbe respected whether you agree withthem or not. If they had followers, ifthey had belief in spirit entities, andthey had some form of and encouragedmorality. One should be respectful ofanother. That was one of the entrieswithin the Global Ethic. Also, to respectnature; not to wantonly destroy thenatural resources of the earth.

Soyini: A poor analogy, but a sort of“Ten Commandments” that would be amodus operandi for us to morally checkourselves as a global unit?

Medahoci: I think so. I think that’s agood analogy. You might add this: Allmorality we are aware of is local. Therehas just been no global morality. When

MEDAHOCIcont. from page 3


we ever have that opportunity again,will have more input in it. We went 100years after the first time we were notinvited, and I think we did a good job,but most of it was off the top of ourheads.

For example, there was young manfrom India - I don’t recall the particularsect he was from - but when he came tothe conference, he already had thespeech prepared that he wanted tomake at his workshop. It had his pictureon the cover with his address, and howto contact him, and other things theywere doing outside of the conferenceand the dates. He came prepared. TheNative Americans who came hadhandouts and resolutions prepared forevery table and every member delegate.They also had information about thepapal bull of 1493, when the Churchsanctioned the destruction of NativeAmerican culture and theChristianization of them. On the otherhand, we were conspicuous in that wedid not have a copy of the papal bull of1510 when the Church indicted us andtold us we could be enslaved as long aswe were christianized.

I want to point out how unprepared wewere, but this does not mean that wewere guilty because we were ill informed-- most of the delegates there camewith a knowledge much earlier than wehad. Our being invited was like a last-moment thing. We did very good withwhat we had but if it ever happens againwe will have much more to offer.

Soyini: Did they say that there wouldbe another conference next year?

Medahoci: I didn’t hear that mentioned.There is another meeting going on nextyear in India, but it will not be thewhole Parliament, just some aspects ofit. But it will be groups like that aroundthe world that will continue to meet -not necessarily a world meeting butlocal groups would be meeting. I thinkthe point was to call together groups inour local area and discuss some of these

resolutions and points and questions ofbehavior. They also had a number ofpeople there talking about positions onatomic warfare and other things thatwe are doing to the Earth as beingobscene to continue to pollute theworld as though it were your ownbackyard.

Soyini: Was the list of global ethicsagreed upon?

Medahoci: I don’t think every memberdelegate signed it. A number of peopledid.

Soyini: A question that comes to mindis that seeing that the world at large isbeginning to see the necessity of comingtogether globally, we ourselves seem tostill find it necessary to find separatismamong our own way of viewing lifewithin our different “systems” such asLucumi, Santeria, Yoruba, etc. etc. -we all seem to be going our differentways. What words of wisdom can yougive to us in particular to help usrefocus our own backyard, per se, inorder for us to contribute in a wholisticand healing way globally? Am I makingsense?

Medahoci: You are and you are veryclear. The question is appropriate and itmust be answered. I would daresaythat the fragmentation that we areexperiencing now actually began sometime ago; in fact, I have an article thatI wrote some time ago, on thedestruction of African spiritualcivilization and its subsequentreconstruction. In that, we maintainthat the destruction, the break down,the falling apart did not start withslavery, but the fact that it was breakingdown, being fragmented, was the reasonor cause for our enslavement. TheAfrican priesthoods are the ones, withtheir bigotry, their intentional lying andfabrications, created a system that weare still suffering from today.

One thing that we might point out isthat each rite of one of these groupings

seems to be THE one, no one else iscorrect...othodoxy. This, I think, canbe settled (by) going to and recognizinga common source. The common sourceis IFA. If many of the things that we do-- if many of the practices that we arefamiliar with -- cannot be found inODU, then what is the basis for thepractice? That is what many groupsaround the world use to stabilize theirconsistency. They had some commonsource of authority. So, I think themost readily available source would bethe ODU of IFA.

Heretofore, during our enslavement,we may not have had access to IFA,complete access the way we have now.But with modern technology, the literacyof our people, the availability of printing,and the number of books being printedabout IFA, there is no reason we can’tcome to a consensus about what to do.As we have a world parliament ofreligions, there should be a world ofAfrican relgious practitioners in theWestern Hemisphere. But we shouldstart here in the USA. There is no needfor us to go to Brazil and we’re nottogether.

First of all, we should have a parliamentwithin our own city because within myown group, that I know personally,there is no common consensus. “Mygodmother or my godfather said...” andall that other stuff. When we get ourown immediate locality together, thenwe can have a national because whyshould we talk to Ohio when we can’ttalk to each other half the time? But weare working on it.

Soyini: The final question I want to askgoes back to where you began. It tookyou thirty-three years to get to whereyou are today. There are many peoplewho seem to be drawn by our culture -our way of life - there is somethingabout life through the ODU thatattracts them. Many horror stories havemade them a little skeptical aboutjumping out there and finding out what’sgoing on. And unfortunately, we are


not all privileged to have as wise ateacher as you to help us along our pathso many of us have to go down ourroads the best way we can. What kindof advice can you give us to perhapsmake our road - I don’t want to say forus to get where you are faster becauseI can appreciate the things you had to gothrough to get to where you are today- but are there some things a father canshare with his children - experiences orperhaps a few words of wisdom thatcan perhaps help us understand thesethree main issues of coolness, commandand character? How to get there a littlemore judiciously and a little moreunderstandingly. What is the focus weneed to maintain in trying to become apart of the culture and trying to developourselves spiritually?

Medahoci: I’m going to tell you. Noneof the people of your generation willhave the same difficulties we had alongthe way. There is too much informationout there, printed material both goodand bad. Something can also be obtainedfrom the bad. I would have givenanything just to have had bad materialto read. Newsletters like OYA’SMARKETPLACE are vital. Study groupsare essential. Bimbes are nice but I haveknown people who have gone to bimbesfor five years and know no more thanthey did at the first one they attended.People have to get together and study.

Soyini: Any final comments?

Medahoci: Whether we were preparedor not, attending the conference was ahistorical event. One hundred yearsago, we were not invited and this timewe were there, sitting at the table rightnext to the Dalai Lama.

BRIDGEcont. from page 10

Rest when you want, stop when you want, return to it when you want. Bringyour attention into yourself. Pay attention to that which is not words orpictures, but to that which is sensed, perceived within you. It is you, it isyour being.

It may take several, or many, ‘tries’ before this kind of meditation becomesvaluable or useful to you. Or, it may never have any value or use for you-- only you can know that. If you fall asleep trying it, don’t worry aboutthat. It’s not a bad way to fall asleep. It if upsets or disturbs you to the pointwhere you can’t continue, then don’t continue. If you come to a place inyourself that feels still, that has relative stillness in it, then stay there,naturally, comfortably, for as long as you want.

TO BE CONTINUED


along the path, we get the idea that lifeowes us; that we are in control and thatthe world and everybody in it should bethe way we want it to be. Our early lifeis so wrought with power struggles,self-denial, debasement and fear, werarely consider life beyond what weneed and/or want to survive in ourlimited environment.

We are not taught universal law andprinciples. We are not taught that weare divine manifestations of the MostHigh Creator and that we have thedivine right to love, peace, happinessand abundance. We are taught that wemust struggle, fight and keep othersfrom getting what we think we want.We are taught to think of life andourselves as limited. We are not taughtmetaphysical principles such as thepower of thought and word. We are nottaught that we create our ownexperiences as learning tools inaccordance with the lesson we havecome to life to learn. We grow upbelieving that someone is out to get us;that God is too busy to hear us and thatif we don’t follow a prescribe way ofthinking, we are doomed. Then webecome priests, bringing the samemisguided notions into the sacred order.

My prayer to Obatala led me to theunderstanding, in order to build up youmust tear down. I had brought so muchgarbage into my priesthood, it had to bediscarded. It was necessary for thatprocess to begin in my ownconsciousness. I had to take a long hardlook at me, not my parents orgodparents; not the ORISA community.Not even what I had been told was rightor wrong. I had to tell the truth tomyself about myself. That was a long,hard, ugly process but I knew it was theonly way to get rid of the garbage andcreate an evolution of consciousness.

Next, I had to come to theunderstanding of who or whatOBATALA was not what was in thepot; but the nature, the energy, thedivinity. I had to understand how thatforce manifested throughout nature.What was the duty and responsibility ofthe OBATALA nature with regards tothe rest of the universe. EverythingOLODUMARE makes is purposeful.What was OBATALA’s purpose? And,how could I bring myself into alignmentwith that purpose? This took a greatdeal of observation; surrender ofjudgment or criticism and a great dealof faith. I had not been taught to trustmyself or my thoughts. What I did notunderstand was that my thoughts couldno longer be my own; I was a limitedhuman. OBATALA was a divine force.I had to move out of the way and let thenature, force and purpose of OBATALAmanifest through me. That was mypurpose in the priesthood; to bring forthe divine energy of ORISA to the earthplane.

ORISA consciousness meant that everymove I made, I made by asking thequestion, “What would OBATALA doin this situation?” Each time I openedmy mouth to speak, I had to considerthe same. OBATALA had to becomethe foundation of every aspect of mylife; not just on weekends at bembes orinitiations. I had no idea at the onsetthat the priesthood would totallyencompass my life. I had not beentaught that. It all seemed so easy. Icame to realize that the only waythrough was to surrender everything Ihad ever been taught as a human. And,the only way to surrender was to commitevery aspect of my life to the nature ofOBATALA -- order, discipline, humility,silence, patience and service. As I beganto do that, as my consciousness beganto expand, my entire life changed, asdid I.

Eventually, I came to the understandingthat coming to the priesthoodunprepared was the way I chose(spiritually) to get to where I needed to

be. There was not fault or blame. Bygiving power (ASE) to my humangarbage, my godparents blessed me.They placed me in a position where Iwas forced to choose between thepotential destruction of myself or theelimination of garbage. I do not howevertake the credit for my evolution. I knowit is only through the nature, grace andconsciousness of OBATALA that Isurvive.

Today, I am not one of the “guys.” I nolonger have the desire to do the thingswhich were at one time so very importantto me. There are times when that ishard. I no longer have opinions or fearsor the need to struggle to survive. Aslong as ORISA is, I am. Very often I askmyself, “Is it worth it?” I am not at theend yet so I really don’t know. I havemoved away from family, friends andthe “normal” people I know, to livealmost in seclusion. That can be lonely.I choose to see it as purposeful. Thegreatest benefit I receive is that eachmorning when I wake up and go to mytemple and pour libation and say,“OBATALA, how can I serve youtoday?” something happens in my mind.I know that everything I do and say willbe an ordered sequence of events whichwill have an effect on the universe. “Iam because ORISA is! All that ORISAis, I am!” Can you imagine? That blowsmy mind and gives purpose to my life.It’s a matter of choice. It’s a matter ofconsciousness. ADUPE! ADUPE!ADUPE! BABA MI.

CONSCIOUSNESScont. from page 6


can remember being the only dark faceat school as other mothers kept theirchildren home. For “Negroes” of the’50s, it was revered much like a religiousholiday. Regrettably, most students,and I dare say parents, have lost trackof the date and, although they mayknow of the event, may not be aware ofthe silently celebrated “freedom day”from school or work.)

Then came the Seven Principles ofBlackness (the Nguza Saba) andKwanzaa, a celebration of First Fruits -- the Harvest -- designed to beimplemented at year’s end with thefinal day falling on the first day of thenew year. Dr. Karenga’s efforts areadmirable for he has galvanized AfricanAmericans toward developing anAfrocentric holiday capable of balancingthe need for a White Christmas completewith Kris Kringle and thecommercialization to which Santa’sgenerosity has fallen. Despite its valueas an alternative, I present the challengethat Kwanzaa is not enough.

Perhaps it is a twentieth centuryphenomena that things sacred seem tobe relegated to mundaneness as soon asthey become popularized. In myMidwestern city, Kwanzaa has becomea politically correct, BlackenedChristmas alternative. Crowds gatherto recite poetry, rap about anAfrocentric attitude, drum a little andeat a lot. It does not seem as if theNguza Saba have been internalized as afoundation for an Afrocentriccommunity. Instead, the celebrationseems to have increased confusion forI have seen African Americans actuallyconfront the African-born arguing abouta “commitment to The People,” falselybelieving Kwanzaa to be a traditionoriginating in Africa and that nativeborn Africans are somehow remiss innot celebrating it.

What then is the solution, if any,particularly since we here in the Americasare as ethnically diverse as those on theAfrican continent? Racially mixed,socially integrated on some levels andsegregated on others, separatedeconomically, and centered withinvarious religious/spiritual expressions,what can be held as a common bondwithout alienating anyone? Thequestions had been troubling me forsome time and then resurfaced as Iwatched a television program about theestablishment of a museum whichopened recently that not onlyacknowledges the Jewish Holocaust,but is curated in a way that impacts thepsyche of the visitor by confronting alltheir senses with evidence of the horrorof the death of millions. Suddenly, Iwas clear -- the Middle Passage; thatwas the answer.

As if confirmation, I saw an interviewwith Toni Morrison, the acclaimed 1993Nobel Prize recipient novelist, on thePBS sponsored Charlie Rose show. Theprophetess, she said it succinctly, “It isas if those lost in the Middle Passagehave not been properly mourned.” Therewas the solution; there was the commondenominator! Immediately, I reflectedon the December 31st seaside ceremonyin Bahia, Brazil -- the last bastion ofNew World slavery -- boats withofferings to YEMOJA/OLOKUN. Ifonly that focus could be institutionalizedand spread worldwide.

It’s obviously about Ancestor Reverence-- respect and appreciation for whatthose who preceded us sacrificed andsuffered for so that we can be what weare. Remnants of respect for the deaddo exist (i.e. Mexico’s Day of the Dead);however, puritanical protestantism hasdenounced all spirits and relegated themto the domain of demons without regardfor the level of moral consciousness ofthe deceased. Halloween, followed byAll Soul’s Day, could serve to remindus of the need to develop spiritually so

KWANZAAcont. from page 1

that we may be good guides who flowwithin Divine Will rather than reprobatesouls condemned to confusion. Here’shoping that this year when Kwanzaa iscelebrated across America, a smalllibation is poured in memory of thoseunder the sea.

“MO FERE FUN OLOKUN.”

ORIKI OLOKUN(Praising the Spirit of the Ocean)

IBA OLOKUN FE MI LO'RE.

I praise the Spirit of the vast

Ocean.

IBA OLOKUN OMO RE WA SE

FUN OYI O.

I praise the Spirit of the Ocean

who is beyond understanding.

OLOKUN NU MI O SI O KI E LU

RE YE TORAY.

Spirit of the Ocean, I will wor-

ship you as long as there is water

in the Sea.

B'OMI TA'AFI.

If there is peace in the ocean.

B'EMI TA'AFI.

There is peace in my soul.

OLOKUN NI'KA LE,

The Spirit of the Ocean, the

ageless one,

MO JUBA.

I give respect.

ASE.

May it be so.


view, ASE is the dynamic principle thatbrings Creation into Being.

IFA esoteric teachings describe ASE asentering the body through the head,mouth, throat, shoulders, hands, chest,the sides of the rib cage, the genitals,the lower thighs and the feet. The typeof ASE that is drawn to each locationis affected by the ODU that controlsa particular part of the body. “ODU”is the word used to describe the sacredverses of IFA scripture, but each ODUalso represents a primal form of energywith its own unique characteristics.For those familiar with ODU, thecorrelations are as follows:

1. Head - OBARA MEJI

2. Mouth - OTURA MEJI

3. Throat - IKA MEJI

4. Right shoulder - IRETE MEJI

5. Left shoulder - OTURA MEJI

6. Chest - ODI MEJI

7. Right rib cage - IWORI MEJI

8. Left rib cage - OYEKU MEJI

9. Stomach - OGBE MEJI

10. Right hand - OSE MEJI

11. Left hand - OGUNDA MEJI

12. Genitals (male) - OGUNDA MEJI

13. Genitals (female) - OSA MEJI

14. Right thigh - IROSUN MEJI

15. Left thigh - OWORIN MEJI

16. Right foot - OSA MEJI

17. Left foot - OGUNDA MEJI

3. ORI - THE CONSCIOUS SELF

There are numerous translations of“ORI,” some of which are more appro-priate than others depending on thecontext. In common usage, ORI means“head.” However, the literal translationis closer to the spiritual meaning of theword. ORI is made up of the prefix “O,”which is the personal pronoun “he” or“she”; and the suffix “RI,” which means“to perceive.” So, rather than meaningjust the physical head, it would be moreaccurate to understand the word ORI tomean “the seat of perception.” InWestern terminology, that could alsomean the seat of consciousness. Theconcept of the seat of perception isknown in Taoism as the unknowable “I”that exists at the center point of selfawareness. IFA spiritual disciplinesuggests that the unknowable “I” de-scribed in Taoism can be approachedthrough altered states associated withtrance possession.

In IFA, the ORI is also considered thepersonal sacred shrine that accommo-dates communication with SpiritualForces that exist in the world. This linkoccurs through three ASE centers lo-cated in the head. These centers arecalled IWAJU-ORI, ATARI and IPAKO.

TO BE CONTINUED

References:

The definitions of the three elements ofDestiny are from: ORUNMILA, June1987, issue no. 3, “Life its Purpose andHereafter” by S. Solagbade Popoola.

The material on the elements of ORIwas based on oral instruction fromBABALAWO Fagbemi Fasina.

Corrections on the translations for thevarious aspects of ORI was provided byOlalekan Babaloa and Adekoye Wil-liams.

TIKARA-ENIcont. from page 5

be carried through generations of de-scendants.

2. EGBE - THE EMOTIONAL SELF

“EGBE” is a word that is frequentlytranslated to mean “heart.” However,many IFA concepts are based on theidea that what appears in the physicalrealm is supported by its counterpart inthe invisible realm. A key to under-standing the language of IFA is the useof two different words to describewhat in the West might be considered asingle phenomenon. For example, thephysical organ that pumps blood throughthe body is called “OKAN.” Within theOKAN is a power center that regulatesthe flow of emotion that is called“EGBE.” Because the English languagehas no words that make this distinction,both words are generally translated tomean “heart.”

The word EGBE is also used to describea religious collective. When it is used inthis context, the meaning is similar tothe English expression “the heart of thegroup.” The dual use of the word EGBEreflects the IFA belief that Forces inNature reappear in different realms ofBeing. In other words, the invisibleSpiritual Force that supports the heartof an individual also supports the heartsof a given community.

The concept of EGBE is also based onthe belief that spiritual power is drawninto the body through various powercenters that regulate the flow of vitalforces between self and world. Thesepower centers are collectively referredto as “AWUJE.” They are similar to theYoga concept of chakras. In Yoga, thepower centers draw on a form of energycalled “prana.” In IFA, the power centersdraw on a form of energy called “ASE.”The word ASE has no literal translation,but suggests an order, a command or asanction. From a cosmological point of


ODÙ IFÁ relate to our day-to-dayrelationship in the spirit of ÒRÌSÀworship?

First of all, we need to learn from thevery ÒRÌSÀ that we all believe in. Weneed to emulate them in their love andrespect for each other. We need toimbibe the spirit of their team work.The IRUNMOLE were united whenthey lived on earth. Why can’t we, thefollowers, be united? Sure, we willalways have our differences, and therewill always be reasons for discord, asseen from ODÙ IFÁ ÒSÁ MÉJI here,but we must always look for ways tobring ourselves together as a unit. Weneed that “internal” unity for strength.We need to work together as a team.We need unity to control our commonexternal threat. We need unity in orderto put into practice all or some of thegolden rules of IFÁ. We need unity toredeem our religion from negativeportrayal. We need a common voicethat can only come from unity. I am forunity, how about you? Call me at (909)996-6023 and let us talk.

IFÁ YO SE EGBE IRE O (may IFÁbless us abundantly), ASE.

ÀBORÚ ÀBOYÈ.

Note:

The discord between the witches andthe IRUNMOLE in this verse of ÒSÁMÉJI is an IFÁ parable that should notbe interpreted literally. IFÁ messagestherefrom are deeper than the literalmeaning of the YORÙBÁ language inthe story. If you are interested in thisIFÁ connotation, please call or writeme through OYA’S MARKETPLACE.

UNITYcont. from page 8

HIALEAHcont. from page 7

issue of spiritual ethics brought to asocio-political plane.

Whether or not people -- city officials,laypeople or others -- approve of ourtradition of ritual animal slaughter isalmost immaterial. . . to parrot thewell-known Hebrew National hotdogadvertisement’s tagline, “We mustanswer to a higher authority.” Thatauthority, which we call IFA, dictatesthe way that we live on this Earth. Oneof those laws specifically involves“returning to the land what one takesfrom it.” To put it simply, if we take alife, we are responsible for the disposalof its Earthly vessel. Which means thatwe need to bury it, cremate it, eat it,treat it for clothing, or in some othermanner see to its dissolution. To dootherwise is to invite disease andsickness, and, on a purely practicallevel, to infringe upon the propertyrights of others. Which, in turn, affectsthe spirituality of the work that we doto enhance our lives. In other words, itis simply ethical to do so -- and theseethics, as put forth by IFA, are uniformacross our society, regardless of style ofworship, or seniority of tradition, orage, race, color or class of its disciples.

If we learn these lessons, it is likely thatwe avoid cases such as those mentionedabove -- and that will go a long waytoward allowing us to practice ourtradition in peace.

ÀHEMÌ

To be swallowed

ÒGÚN, his children; SÀNGÓ, hischildren; plus, OBÀTÁLÁ and hischildren all ran to ÒSUN’s house.ÒSUN was unable to save the situation.In fact, ÒSUN was also intimidated bythe witches. So also was YEMOJA. Atlast, they -- OBÀTÁLÁ, SÀNGÓ,ÒGÚN, ÒSUN, YEMOJA, and theothers not mentioned here, with theirchildren, all ran to ÒRÚNMÌLÀ’shouse. Meanwhile, ÒRÚNMÌLÀ hadheard about the commotion going on.ÒRÚNMÌLÀ consulted hisBABALAWO for a reading and theytold him (ÒRÚNMÌLÀ) what EBO tomake. ÒRÚNMÌLÀ made the EBO.When OBÀTÁLÁ, SÀNGÓ, ÒGÚN,ÒSUN, YEMOJA, etc. and theirchildren got to ÒRÚNMÌLÀ’s house,ÒRÚNMÌLÀ told them to go inside thehouse and to make themselvescomfortable. When the witches got toÒRÚNMÌLÀ’s house, they got trappedby the IFÁ work ÒRÚNMÌLÀ did. Inorder to be free, the witches startedbegging ÒRÚNMÌLÀ and evenpromised to do ÒRÚNMÌLÀ’s bidding.Anyway, ÒRÚNMÌLÀ saved thesituation. He ordered the witches backand emphasized the fact that ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ’s law stays, that is, that the witchesshould never eat cotton in their lives.Also, that the ODÒ that the witchesclaimed ownership of must be used byOBÀTÁLÁ with no disturbancewhatsoever from any or all of thewitches. The witches agreed andÒRÚNMÌLÀ let them loose thereafter.With his wisdom, ÒRÚNMÌLÀ broughtthe hitherto chaotic situation undercontrol. ÒRÌSÀ-NLÁ, the witches,SÀNGÓ, ÒGÚN, ÒSUN, YEMOJA,and all the other IRUNMOLE lived inharmony ever since.

The question now is, how does this


EDITORIALcont. from page 2

only human. My brothers and sisters,who tend to agree, whisper in cornersand plot for ways to “take control.”We live in our own little circles, withour own little views, criticizing thepieces, and castrating the whole. Welook for power, a sort of ego-masturba-tion, to reinforce the reality of who wethink we are, passing up the main coursefor a side dish made from anotherrecipe.

The primary power found within thisway of life of ours is the force of self-transformation. Focusing upon theguidelines of IFA gives us a foundationfrom which we can begin the process ofdiscovering and fulfilling our destinies.None of us are born into our fullpotentiality. It is life's process thataffords us the opportunity to reach

towards perfection. IFA gives us thetools to facilitate our journey. It isthrough our achieving self-transforma-tion that we do our greatest service tothe reality we live in -- we provide amodel for those who are affected byour presence and create a rippling ef-fect by bringing a higher level of con-sciousness to the universe within whichwe live. In other words, it is not somuch what we do unto others, in eithera positive or negative sense, it is morewhat we do unto ourselves that countsin the master scheme of things.

How many ORISA worshippers does ittake to turn on a light? Only one. Thenthink what could happen if more get tothe point of being one for all as opposedto all for one? (Sorry, our illustriousDumas -- there is a difference!) Whata rippling effect that would produce!All of us working together to turn onthe light! That would free us up to

create worlds we never dreamed werepossible to exist. But it entails giving upour own mundane, mediocre agendasand admit that there is a higher wisdom,if we only allow ourselves to tune in toit.

The bottom line reads, "Why are youreally here?" Are you truly serious aboutself-transformation or are you only flirt-ing with the EGUN and wasting theORISA's time? We have valuable toolsin our midst. Let us not abuse them.

- Soyini Gonzalez


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OYA'S MARKETPLACE - · PDF fileoya's marketplace page 2 publisher/editor-in-chief: soyini gonzalez assistant editor: omope carter dab oiku consultant editors: awo fa'lokun fatunmbi