Hotep family!,
I was initiated canzo/hounsi in the Vodun (Haitian-derived) tradition in 2003 here in Montreal. however, i incorporate Orisa'Ifa practices in my daily spiritual life as i am completely open 2 learning the best ALL systems of African spirituality has 2 offer,
i pray/pour libation/do my orikis in Yoruba/Twi as well as in creole, patois and english. in 2002, while i was in benin city,nigeria i visited a SHANGO shrine
for the 1st time, i also spoke 2 the priest about my interest in re-learning Afreekan spirituality. i also visited Ghana and this was the 1st time i took part in a ceremony and also the 1st time i saw some1 possessed by an orisha. i found it shocking that it was not something unusual for me to see, almost as if i had seen it b4. my primary reason for my visit 2 Afreeka was 2 learn about the still existing Afreekan spiritual systems in the continent,
at the time i was involved with a society based in Ghana called AFRIKANIA, unfortunately i was unaware of their discriminatory policies towards Afreekan people of the diaspora. so upon my return i was "called" to be initiated and i did so in november 2003.
My strong desire to know, learn and study continually the many aspects of Afreekan spirituality (continental and diasporan) i strongly believe is something passed down to me by my ancestors, embedded in my genes as a daughta' of jamaican maroons. i still find it strange sometimes that as some1 who was raised/baptized as a catholic, in the catholic church w/ my mother almost every sunday with the yurugu jesus and all the blond sickly-looking saints (and was even sent to summer camp and sleepaway camp with the yurugu nuns!) how did i develop such an unsatiable desire to learn about the Afreekan spiritual tradition, without having ever been exposed to it in my upbringing?? i can honestly say that i am at the most peaceful place in my life right now
and this is undoubtedly due to my spiritual life and my unison with the tradition of my Afreekan ancestors...i also deeply believe that this is THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE PATH 4 ALL AFREEKANS TO FOLLOW IF WE ARE TO EVER ACHIEVE TRUE LIBERATION FROM GLOBAL YURUGU SUPREMACY, DOMINATION AND PERSECUTION. AFREEKAN SPIRITUALITY
IS THE ONLY FAITH THAT ALLOWS US TO MAINTAIN TIES WITH OUR ANCESTORS/EGUN AND THE ENERGETIC FORCES OF LIGHT/ORISHAS
THAT HAVE "WALKED WITH US" SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME!! I KNOW NO OTHER TRADITION FOR AFREEKAN PPL THAT WILL RE-ESTABLISH OUR CONNECTION TO OUR GLORIOUS BEGINNING. this is why it shocks me to the core when i hear of caucasians
and any1 else other than Afreekan ppl being initiated in2 our spiritual systems-to me this is SLOW SUICIDE.
I celebrate in ceremony
exclusively with my spiritual mother and the society to which i belong, due 2 the fact that i was initiated with them. also in Montreal it is mostly ONLY haitians here who practice our tradition. the majority of other caribbean/afreekan-canadian born
& also continental africans etc. population here is inherently terrified
of anything that faintly resembles Afreekan spirituality. my family members still don't know that i am deeply involved in Afreekan spirituality, even though my mom and my sister are "suspicious" and question my beliefs. they have also heard from other fam. members that "i have gone to see an obeah woman". i consider myself fortunate 2 know the traditional haitian community and 2 be a part of our Afreekan tradition, for if it was not 4 the haitian pop. in montreal i would not have the opportunity to be involved in our tradition, as this city is truly a "cesspool of white death" as AK would say! thank Olodumare, there are no caucasians
in the society to which i belong. i am still re-searching, studying, learning as much as i can about the Vodun/Ifa/Santeria/Candomble/Akan
etc. tradition(s) and everyday i realize more that there is so much to learn about who we are as an Afreekan ppl, so much 2 learn about the sacred traditions we have inherited from our ancestors....which so many of us are completely ignorant of or have willingly neglected and cast aside for christianity and islam-those so-called "civilized" religions
that enslaved our ancestors and have us where we are as a people 2day.....
UHURU!,
Sistah Kentake.