For sometime now I have not been blogging, and it pleased me very much to see how many emails I received with people pleading with me to return to my blog. In truth, I have been travelling a lot and while I do travel with my laptop and can very much get access to the internet almost wherever I go, I just never found the time to sit down and blog. This is not an excuse it is actually the truth, although I must confess that I am one of those persons who will start many things and not finish them, but I enjoyed blogging, as you can see if you read some of the comments on each post with me and my bloggers.
I am as you all may know an initiate in the Ifa/Orisha tradition, a tradition practiced by the Yoruba’s of South Western Nigeria. I practice this tradition the Yoruba way, (There are different variations of the tradition throughout the diaspora such as Lucumi and Condomble among others, which made its way from Africa during the middle passage). I was initiated to Osun in the town of Ojo, Lagos Nigeria, and I entered Igbodo (Itefa) my Ifa initiation in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria.
Prior to my initiations into tradition, I was and still am a spiritualist. Having been forcibly awake by my elders from another realm, I had no idea who I was or what I was to become from an early age, all mi know was dat me was fraidy fraidy, (I was a scared child). I was born in Kingston Jamaica, which is a very spiritual place and as a child I remember how afraid of the night I was. It was not only the night I was afraid of, I was afraid whenever I was alone. I remember once when I was about five years old in Jamaica, we had a cherry tree in our back yard, my mother and her friends were in the front of the house on the veranda and she asked me to go to the back and fetch her something. It was around five in the evening so the sun was out, my father was next door in the gambling yard smoking ganja with his friends, (lol) oonuh doe laugh is Jamaica afta all and that was de norm…I went to get what my mom sent me for (I cannot remember what it was), and as I reached the back door facing the back yard, I became afraid, aware that someone was watching me and I was not alone. I paused in the door frame, afraid to step out into the yard and my focus was the cherry tree which stared (oonuh nuh laugh, mi quite sane) back at me, yes the cherry tree stared back at me..ah de ongle way fi mi fi describe wha mi did ah feel at de time.
I stood there for about thirty seconds before a small black stone was thrown at me form behind the cherry tree, it did not hit me and as the stone landed with a “thud’ against the wood door, I jumped but didn’t run, (mi nuh know why), another stone, came, and another all with me jumping but not running, I guess come to think of it I was frozen with fear??!!…in total about seven stones where flung at me, with whomever having a bad aim , because not one of them hit me, and there I was, afraid but still standing there looking at the cherry tree from where the stones came and nobody behind it. The day was hot, the sun blazed and if there were a person behind the tree their shadow would be cast.
I share this story from one of my earliest memories to show that we human beings are not alone and often times misunderstand what is around us. We know not the power we came into this world with, each and every one of us, unique within ourselves and what we have brought to this world for the service of humanity. As we grow up, some of us grow away from our true selves and often times religion plays a great part in us being lost….I will write a post on this last statement very soon, and explain exactly what I mean.
My guides, my guardian angels wanted me to know that they were there, they threw those stones from behind the cherry tree, being careful not to harm me, but gently letting me know, that I was not to be afraid. They held me in that door frame amid my fear, and protected me, knowing that this experience was something that I would never forget.
As I grew, I became more curious about us, human beings, and our mortality, our lives here and our purpose, I became curious of God, who was he/she/it, what was he/she/it. I was christian and I loved Jesus, but I wondered as I grew up how come he did not look like me, Black like me, the fear of blaspheme made me worry to look beyond what I had been taught in Christianity, but curiosity is a hell of a thing and so other people religions began to fascinate me. I read about Buddha and I liked him, he reminded me of my Jesus, peaceful, loving and kind, and then I read the book Sixteen Crucified Saviors, by Kersey Graves.
As my fascination with religions grew, so did my fascination with the occult. My mother was a very mysterious woman, she knew things and would often tell say some things and I wondered about her knowledge, but she was a secretive woman. One morning my mother woke us up (this story is in my post called My Grandfather’s Warning), and told us that her father who had died when she was fifteen years old, but somehow he always live with us, (my mother spoke about him often, and he would dream her a lot) told her that someone had sent a spirit to attack her in the night to come, and he pleaded with her that should she hear someone call her name she should not answer. Sure enough that night as we slept, (I was in the middle of my parents, having heard that, me neva did aguh sleep in my room, remember I was a coward) all that he had warned happened.
Because of the numerous request that I have been receiving to return to blogging, I have decided to focus and begin blogging again, I believe I have so much to share and to learn also. In this life we have to learn how to let go and allow life to flow, while we pray for ourselves and each other. In my blogs to come however I would like to introduce some of my tradition practices into the post. Ifa/Orisha tradition is over ten thousand years old, and it is a tradition which focuses on nature and teaches about nature. Our deities are not God the creator of All, but God’s emissaries, here on this earth realm to guide us human beings to our higher selves. We will explore Orunmila the Owner and guardian of the Ifa oracle, and pay close attention to Esu/elegba the world police, Closest to God and often times mistakenly referred to as the devil. Osun, Yemoja, Sango, Ogun, Oya and other Orishas will also have their own story to tell and we will learn about Ori Eleda (our head, inner consciousness) and of the very important Masquerade and many others which makes up the Yoruba pantheon…… Peace and Love To All!!!
Blessings OBARA MEJI
I recently came across your blog and discussion on the Orishas today. I am blessed to come across your writings. I am still working on being more open to sharing my story online. I really appreciate your transparency and truth. Your light shined through me. The energy I resonate with is OYA, I would like to converse with you more. Ase o
Blessings to you also my dear, you can email me whenever you want. Love and Light
I happened upon this post from three years ago, and I am grateful that you made the decision to continue blogging. It is amazing to see that technology has become a reliable tool for disseminating spirituality. Obara Meji you were chosen for a great work which will continue to impact people all over the world. As the world shifts, embrace the expansion of your work – millions await the impact.
Àṣẹ oooo
Than you Sa-Fo.I owe it all to you
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back. I’m so excited! Class is now in session.
thank you Donna
Wow…Interesting as always..love it.
Than you Venessa
Loved this! Thanks. I have heard.