VODUNS SWEET SIMPLICITY A young woman approached me recently. Her inquiry was most innocent. She asked to what books could she read to learn more about vodun and to what books had I been reading lately. My answer to the latter was none and to the first I no longer clearly remembered. For as a beginning researcher, several years ago, I read what was available; and, they gave me a cursory understanding of what vodun was supposed to be. However, when I became the very thing that I went, to Africa, to study I no longer needed books. As I have developed an intimate relationship with the spirits, now, THEY themselves are my resource. A practitioner has no need of books to know vodun. He or she goes directly to the source or should be able to if they are truly hooked into the spiritual realm. But in so many instances, on the internet, I am observing these neo-scholars/bought in/boot-legged priests of Ifa and the like, in diaspora vodou/orisa, that spend all their time quoting bookish rhetoric instead of talking about what the voduns (spirits) are saying or discussing their nature or how they have affected their lives. To me it is a sure indicator of someone who knows nothing about the spirits. But to challenge them, at this point, is simply a waste of my time. But imagine my shock when I read, on a forum, about a bought in Ifa priest relating about how he was writing Odu/Du. I almost feel out of my chair! These ancient stories coming from ancient Africans, from a pre-colonial/primordial African oral tradition and experiences; yet, he is over here, in the Americas, telling folks he is to write Odu/Du and they are too!. What African or ancestor, anywhere, is going to acknowledge any of this! Whats even crazier is that there are folks who believe him! But, the voduns have a way of dealing with folks like this; so, I will simply wait on them to do their thing. But, might the spirits here me when I beg that some of our brethren/sistren, instead of buying overly expensive gifts for their boyfriends and girlfriends, save up for a few tickets to Africa or at least the divination fee. Such would be life changing! But getting back to the subject matter at hand... While vodun is indeed filled with untold mysteries any of these are to remain as such. For some things are only privy to the divinities, themselves, or to those whom they choose to know. Man/woman is not God but the children of Gods. However to the average person vodun is one of sweet simplicity. All one needs to know is that we are ALL born of spirits. That these are ancestral as well as divine, and, that they love us regardless or race, creed, color or gender. We are all born in their likeness. And, further, that we come to this earth with a specific destiny or spiritual mission. That through the birthing process this knowledge is lost. That the great Ifa was sent to help us to regain this information. And, that if we discover this lost information and choose to proceed and follow the instructions of the spirits, using them as the light unto our paths, we can accomplish whatever it is that we came here to do and will live a better and more prosperous life. AMEN
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 14:02:18 +0000
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