Can a person initiate his or herself as a priest/ess?

[Queen_Samiya]

I am sure that we have other Priests and Priestesses on this forum. I would like to hear from those who knows about initiation. Would it be fair if someone could initiate themselves as Priest or Priestess for or any of the beliefs if they believe that they anionted by a true spirit of themselves?

[Jahness]

Originally Posted by Queen_Samiya

I am sure that we have other Priests and Priestesses on this forum. I would like to hear from those who knows about initiation. Would it be fair if someone could initiate themselves as Priest or Priestess for or any of the beliefs if they believe that they anionted by a true spirit of themselves?

Greetings Queen_Samiya!

Please explain initiation on what level. Just the term initiation is very vague and can include very basic rituals which some people can do for themselves. In my opinion a person cannot initiate him/her self if we are talking about being a priest/priestess etc. Initiations are very intense and detailed rituals. Preparation alone involves strict procedures and steps. The Afrikan way is to have elders and other spiritual people from the community so guide, instruct and investigate (devine) to make sure what initiation is needed is done in strict accordance with the sacred spiritual sciences of Traditional Yoruba, Winti system from suriname, Vodun or Akan System to name a few. It would be impossible for a person to initiate themselves. Now given a natural blessing or gift then that is natural for that person to perform lets say like a singer, writer, painter, diviner etc. Now as far as having the title of a priest/priestess or whatever spiritual title, it usually needs others from the family, or community to help consecrate the divine gift so to speak.


Peace & Blessings!

[Queen_Samiya]

Thank you Jahness for your reply!!

Yes, there are possibilities that a person can or can not initiates themselves, because sometimes it could be a risk for those that does not know what they are doing.

Originally Posted by Jahness

Greetings Queen_Samiya!

Please explain initiation on what level. Just the term initiation is very vague and can include very basic rituals which some people can do for themselves. In my opinion a person cannot initiate him/her self if we are talking about being a priest/priestess etc. Initiations are very intense and detailed rituals. Preparation alone involves strict procedures and steps. The Afrikan way is to have elders and other spiritual people from the community so guide, instruct and investigate (devine) to make sure what initiation is needed is done in strict accordance with the sacred spiritual sciences of Traditional Yoruba, Winti system from suriname, Vodun or Akan System to name a few. It would be impossible for a person to initiate themselves. Now given a natural blessing or gift then that is natural for that person to perform lets say like a singer, writer, painter, diviner etc. Now as far as having the title of a priest/priestess or whatever spiritual title, it usually needs others from the family, or community to help consecrate the divine gift so to speak.


Peace & Blessings!

[Kumanti]

Overall, I know that a person needs other guides to initiate him/her in becoming a priest/priestess. But ive seen a case where the spirit itself initiated a young person in becoming a priest. She didnt want to become a priest. So she kept on working at her old job. Till one morning she fainted, next day she fainted again. This kept going for a whole week. Doctors couldt find nothing. One morning she was home with the whole familly and fainted again. As they laid her on the bed, all of sudden a spirit spoke true the woman. And said for the familly not to be worried, cause they are now working on her in becoming a priest. You have to consider that these spirits were already working in previous lives. They knew what they were doing. And every person that inherit these spirits is destined to become a priest/priestress whether you like it or not.

[Queen_Samiya]

Now that is the reply that I am looking for!! Thank you for your answers!

Originally Posted by Kumanti

Overall, I know that a person needs other guides to initiate him/her in becoming a priest/priestess. But ive seen a case where the spirit initiated a young person in becoming a priest. She didnt want to become a priest. So she kept on working at her old job. Till one morning she fainted, next day she fainted again. This kept going for a whole week. Doctors couldt find nothing. One morning she was home with the whole familly and fainted again. As they laid her on the bed, all of sudden a spirit spoke true the woman. And said for the familly not to be worried, cause they are now working on her in becoming a priest. You have to consider that these spirits were already working in previous lives. They knew what they were doing. And every person that inherit these spirits is destined to become a priest/priestress whether you like it or not.

[Im The Truth]

Bridging together what Jahness and Kumanti said. No you can't initiate yourself. Sometimes it is your destiny to become a priest, such as in the case in Kumanti's story, but even with this being the case you still have to be initiated by a (elder) priest who is qualified to do initiations. As Jahness said, "Initiations are very intense and detailed rituals. Preparation alone involves strict procedures and steps. The Afrikan way is to have elders and other spiritual people from the community so guide, instruct and investigate (devine) to make sure what initiation is needed is done in strict accordance with the sacred spiritual sciences of Traditional Yoruba, Winti system from suriname, Vodun or Akan System to name a few. It would be impossible for a person to initiate themselves."

[Typozfem]

I thought the readers of this thread might want to see this article about what happened to someone who lives in my neighborhood.

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/143/story_14394_1.html

I don't know the outcome, I haven't seen Iya in a long while, and I do not know if the allegations are true. But I think it is worth taking into consideration what might happen if a person tries to anoint themselves as priest or priestess.

Typoz