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Spiritual Calling

Ignoring Your Spiritual Calling – Here’s What Happened to Me

This past Saturday we had a lovely time in the Obeah class. My students and I connected. While I will not go into what we discussed there, there were a few revelations that I had given to the class which gave them some “Ah hah!” moments. There is so much to know in this life, so much to understand. I am now at a place where nothing surprises me anymore.

One of the things we discussed during class was what happens when a person does not take up the mantle? What happens when a person gets a spiritual calling and does not heed to the call?

I explained things expressed upon the stubborn and unwilling person who chooses not to follow their path. Often this can manifest into a physical illness upon the person, specifically one major illness which science to date cannot understand.

I believe it is important for all who are present in their lives to know and understand that we are all here for something. We have a purpose and there is no such thing as it being too trivial. There is the person here to spread lies and bare false witness against whomever (yes, this is an actual purpose). Those who are here to rob and kill, you may not understand it but this too is a purpose, and nuh badda with “no man, my God do not support those things”, but do you know God? Does anyone of us? Nobody knows who or what God is, there is more than us (humans) that God is capable of. What if I told you God is neither good or bad, could you accept this?

If good exists it is from the mind of God, and if bad exists, this too is a creation of same God. Though this may be hard to accept, we all exist to serve each other in one way or the other.

When I was a child I knew there was something special about my mother. I was fascinated with her because she knew things out of the ordinary. I can say many of the spiritual things I apply to my life today is what I saw her do or learned from her somehow. She never said it but I think she knew she was supposed to be a practicing spiritualist, but because of the stigma it carried in Jamaica, all people as such are grouped as “Obeah workers”. The fear brought on by the Christian belief and judgement and the ever fearful Christian sword. Nobody nuh waan get a beaten from de dreaded Bible.

Looking back, I realized that her father was a worker, though she never spoke of it. It was he who came and told me in a dream experience one night when he threatened me. He came to me because I had slammed the phone down on my mother. This was never my usual practice, but she had gotten me very angry that night. In that dream, my grandfather showed me who he was when he lived among us and I had told her… after my apology.

She was a hypochondriac and worried about every and all illness. Children live what they learn, so I became one also. The difference between her and I was that I embraced my spirituality, after trying my damnedest to run from it. Yeah I tried to run. I begged God no. I didn’t want to be a “spiritualist”. I was young and too hot fi tun madda. What would my friends say? (Not to mention all the guys!) I worried and feared what was happening to me (during my initiation into spirituality).

But the thing is when I finally gave in (like I had a choice, my mother had rejected it, I could not) I slowly became fearless. Hypochondriac I was no more. I became learned and realized how the Universe worked. I saw life through a different lens and although I had human flesh, my mind did not operate like mere humans (this is where I do a mad scientist laughter after the previous declaration).

It was the first time in my life that I felt free, true freedom, and then I wondered was it this I was running from? Liberation? Yes it is true that waking up to your calling and putting in the practical application of it can be scary at first, especially if you, too, were born to be someone like me. I came in as a teacher, so I had to get every and all the spiritual gifts of all whom received gifts. One of such gift was becoming a medium. This was frightening as first, because spirits would jump in and out of my body at will. Possess me anytime and I (at that time) had no control over them (see this story).

Here I was walking in Manhattan, my bag clutched within the crease of my elbow as I strut my stuff on the busy sidewalk, all dressed up. A spirit (perhaps handicapped when it was alive) decided to possess me at that moment. It happened so fast and from nowhere. I pray only my daughters who were with me saw it that day, but as I walked, I suddenly developed a walk like someone with stooped legs, (mi nuh waan sey handicap, so physically challenged?).

I had no control over what I did. It did not linger long, (probably a spirit thought I thought I was too hot and tek bad mind and twist mi enemy up). It was as if I walked into a non-physical who at one time while it was alive had this type of deformity. I recovered quickly and looked around anxiously to see if anyone saw that. It was only my daughters with shocked looks on their faces, and we were only able to laugh at it later.

There are consequences to not adhering to ones calling. If you know that you have been selected to do a certain work as you journey here on this earth plane, know that if you run, there will be consequences, or it will catch up with you. I told you all that I had accepted my work, built my altar and broke it down because a stupid man was offended by who I was. It was my enemies daughter who felt it, although she recovered. I will not discuss the consequence my own mother faced, no major ailment, not that, but she is paying for running, albeit quietly. Some have yielded to their call and have abandoned it half way, but this too is problem for them.

My Oluwo (my traditional God father) once told me a story of an Osun woman he knew here in Nigeria. She had been an Osun initiate all her life. She got married to a soldier, but he was a Muslim who did not want her to practice the tradition anymore. She fought against giving up what she had been brought up into, but he threatened to leave her and so she gave in and tried to live a normal life.

As time went on she found it very hard to survive. Things and times were tough and the husband was not having a great time with his career nor was he able to sustain the family, they even lost their home. They quarreled constantly and eventually separated. Of course she knew what the problem was and was relieved somewhat to finally separate from him, yet still she continued to suffer. Perhaps she became maddened by her problems, it had been years since the break up and still she suffered. She eventually went to river and cried and prayed to Osun. She would do this everyday. She was so consistent with her begging for forgiveness that the river eventually dried up and until this day this is where the woman lives. She built a small house where the river once was and has been resurrected to her glory.

If you are on a path, stick to it. Do not allow anyone or anything let you abandon your calling. Be and accept who you are. Know that you have a great purpose and that purpose is what will set you where you ought to be in life. Not everybody was born to be the Seer or the Healer or the Obeah practitioner, but we all have our place in this world to serve humanity. The Obeah man is judged regardless if he is good or bad, but someone once said “every villain is a hero to someone”. As he does his job, whether you like it or not, he is on his path.

My mother knew who she was and the path she was to follow, but she allowed the Jamaican fear based society of the stigma of Obeah to let her run from who she was. I had to take the mantle whether I liked it or not.

The Osun woman yielded to her calling, having been born into the tradition, but allowed emotion, the willingness to sacrifice all for a husband to allow her to move away from her source, and so her life spiraled.

I tried to run, and run I did, but now here I am, accepting who I am.

Man has been advised to know thyself, and many may wonder how. How are we to know ourselves? What exactly does that mean? Truly we ought to at least try to realize who we are, our potential, our path, our purpose of calling. We ought to take a step back and study who we are, and if the answer becomes clear, then we ought to do what we must or what we came here to do.

Possible Consequences of Ignoring Your Spiritual Calling

  1. Illness. Of any kind
  2. Struggle or suffering in life
  3. Disarray of family – no connection, no unity, no peace
  4. For some, one can lose their mind -this is actually not as uncommon as you’d think- (and this happens because the gift that one came to use while on their journey through life, are equal to spirit energies or spirit beings coming to teach them or set them upon their path. But when they’re not being used -the spirits- they fall into disarray with the human and then causes confusion within the human, which leads to a diagnosis of madness)
  5. Inability to stay one place. One will become unsettled, not only physically but mentally. It can also show in one’s home, which will be very untidy
  6. Some become religious fanatics

Now one might wonder what would do this to them? But this happens because at some point in our lives as we grow from baby to adolescence to adult hood, who we are to become begins to call out to us internally. Our curiosity leads us to where we ought to be sometimes. Our dreams and visions lets us know who we are. There may be times when something happens in ones life to lead them to divination, but they don’t know that they were led to seek divination in order find out who they are – but the discovery is often rejected.

There comes a time within everyone when their deepest selves are unlocked, but most ignore it, many of us run because we believe the material life is the better place to be.

Take heed to your spiritual calling. You never know what the consequence could be.

One ought to focus on where one is going, not where one had fallen – Yoruba Proverb

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I'm sire
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I'm sire
5 days ago
Iyamopo
Blogger
Iyamopo
1 year ago

Thanks for this! Honestly there exist confusion between spirituality and religion. I hope to know more about this. Remain blessed

liyema
Blogger
liyema
3 years ago

i need some to talk to about my calling b4 its to late

Chio1981
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Chio1981
3 years ago

Please how can I know if I have a calling? I ask this because I know I sense things alot and I am confused please help

Scott Troy
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Scott Troy
4 years ago

Thank you so much for the wonderful teaching… when I was 15 years old my mother told me that I have a gift from birth she told me that I was 7 month when a priest told her that if I have a great gift and if I didn’t do life will be hard for me… I think it was a joke and I didn’t pay attention several every priest that I come across maybe when I’m walking on the street they will call and tell me that Orunmila is following me anywhere I go that I should come and… Read more »

VisionsNDreams
5 years ago

I’m way late for this post. But I was prompted to read it a second time in months, and am accepting every single detailed knowledge to be true. I realized I had a gift very young, but had eventually grown to despise it – telling people it was more of a curse. I would pray everyday that it would go away. Over time it dampened, almost completely dissipating. I felt less burdened But looking back now, I see where disregarding the gift caused more issues than I could be anticipate, i.e., all the consequences outlined in this post. I’m learning… Read more »

Simo
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Simo
5 years ago

I’m lost, I’m drained. I don’t know what to do or go… Some1 please assist me… 210237279@mycput.ac.za

pat
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pat
5 years ago

….please all these consequences written is
happening to me .how can I be free please.

p

msa
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msa
5 years ago

Very enlightening. Keep up the good job up. Can you help with what Odu Ifa says about lending and borrowing on Interest.

Iris
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Iris
5 years ago

Surely it feels lonely. I mean being 17 and Haven grown up in a different light of things . A thing for sure is- what i feel is peace. Be this light or dark , it makes me feel serene ,I’ve become a better person – something no other path has made me . i really appreciate this post ALOT .

Nonz
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Nonz
6 years ago

I am completely speechless. I do know I have a calling and after reading this I realize that my life is such a mess because I have been ignoring my calling. I am scared honestly but I guess I will have to do this because my suffering and illness won’t end if I don’t fulfill my purpose. Thank you for sharing this, it has truly enlightened me and made me realize how important my calling is

Zulupickney
7 years ago

Thank you for this Obara this is truly enlightening

Miss P
Blogger
Miss P
7 years ago

Thank you for this, I am currently learning about myself and my path, but there are always constant doubts; is this the right path? and how do I know? It is difficult, because, I think, no matter where we are, when we do something that is different, our society, our peers judge us so, and it can be difficult to stick to our guns. But then, like my Nana used to say, anything worth doing will not be easy.

le.tigre
7 years ago

If someone’s calling was to something like rob and kill, if the person refuses, do they also receive consequences? Can the person who rob and kills also be spiritual?

le.tigre
7 years ago

Every question I was about to type I realized the answer was already evident. lol It is honestly very difficult to accept that God is neither good or bad. Mostly, because I’d have to also accept that all this agony over hurt and “evil” is almost nonsense. There is more sense to move forward and live life than to sit down and have this “God will strike them back” and black and white mentality. It is what it is. There’s less to hold on to and keep you grounded -just move on and soar. Within all of this, I think… Read more »

le.tigre
7 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

So true… I start singing Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.
To be honest with you, I think Jesus was a Black man who lived his time on earth enlightening people to a new way of thinking and returning the people back to spirituality. …but people tek him name mek story. lol

sue
Blogger
sue
7 years ago

Teach you make it sound so easy but sometimes we are confused as to what our passion or purpose is. Sometimes I think I’ve figured it out and then braps! It box mi cross mi face seh mi wrong. Curious though if, we ignore our calling and after many years try to fix our wrongs does it the side effects or not? I know saying “better late than never” this article made my mind run your story with the character bugsy…. I wonder what happened to him when he returned after so many years refusing to do bad and wanting… Read more »

Toy
Toy
7 years ago

Right on time like always, Obara.

Vanessa
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Vanessa
7 years ago

Beautifully written. I will take what is for me from this. Thank you Ma Obara.

Natalie
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Natalie
7 years ago

Good night Ms. Obara,

Many of us are afraid of the unknown even if it is for our own good. Running away or being in denial seems like the easiest way for some to deal with their destiny.

Knowing one’s self and purpose is the key to finding happiness and freedom.

We all have a path to follow. The Blueprint of our lives.

Stay blessed

Sharon
7 years ago

Ahh, Obara, your posts are so so timely. I needed to “hear” this today! Thank you for sharing your story, it is so full of lessons and blessings.

IBQueen
7 years ago

Obara, this was refreshing. I’m not sure if you’ve written about it before but can you tell us of when you “came out” (lol) to your friends and family as an official Obeah Ooman?

IBQueen
7 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

There are usually signs that family/friends may choose to ignore due to societal pressure. But mi nuh tink dem usually surprised….maaybi dem shame but dem know. An di hypocrisy of it is dem aguh waah hide an get piece from yuh! Please nuh bodda wid di twist cause yuh love run serious joke fi hurt up piipl head. I second guess the mad man I see on the street, the miserable disgusting women….more time mi seh maaybi anuh your fault, yuh cudda deh fight weh bigga dan you. The thing I find interesting is that those who do respond to… Read more »

KTB
KTB
7 years ago

Thanks for the post Obara. What if you are not intentionally ignoring your calling or you not really sure if your being called? You maybe stepping back and being present in your life but still no clarity. Some time I get an idea then other times nothing zero…

Patricia
Blogger
Patricia
4 years ago
Reply to  Obara Meji

How is one to KNOW though, whether there is a spiritual gift, and how does one pay attention? Do what?

For example I have the gift of dreaming and have had visions before, but I do not know what to do. I just dream and try to record. I try to pay attention to what I remember. Some dreams have come true. But other than this I do not know what to do, how to utilize it. I have been told I have gifts God wants me to use, but no guidance. That’s it.

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