WHY the African Mami-Dan initiations cannot be performed in the United States... People often ask me about the initiation process in Mami Wata. Some even come to me inquiring about someone that they are about to spend their money with to initiate into Mami Wata here in the diaspora. But first, I would like to caution you. Mami Wata has become a buzz word here in the diaspora. Every body and they mama is claiming to have Mami and can initiate you. But here is the deal. We ALL are born of spirits coming from ALL of the elements. However, it depends on what spirit, from those elements, is your head as to what pantheon you belong to. This must be determine by Ifa. And no one, absolutely no one, can initiate you into anything unless that person is duly initiated into that spirit and is of the priesthood of that particular vodun. Youve got folks claiming to have gone to Africa and have been initiated into something else but claim authority over Mami Wata. It is a stone cold lie! Nobody has dominion of the great Mami Wata! These folks are telling you that to get diaspora money! This is the spiritual pantheon of royalty personified. If you are not fully initiated into its priesthood you cant do anything for anyone. Let me give you an example. For three years I was in the temple of the Supreme Chief of Vodun himself. Of the numerous initiations I undertook with him...he could not initiate me into Mami Wata. Why? Because he was Agwe not Mami. Only a duly ordained Mami Wata Priestess could initiate me and even then my head spirit, for whatever reason, refused to reveal himself until the correct person showed up some seven years later. So if this happened to me then how do you suppose just any Joe Smoe here, in the diaspora, can initiate a true African Mami Wata? It cannot be done. But, at this time, there are NO African Mami Wata temples ordained by the spirits or recognized by the African Priesthood in the diaspora. African Vodun is not like those African based spiritual systems here in the diaspora. There is accountability and a hiearchy with specific priests in charge of each pantheon. But back to the subject matter. Many ask how long a Mami initiation is and its costs. I have previously written that costs, of initiations, in Africa, depend on what a persons spirit (spirits being as individual as people) ask to be done for that person. One always start with feeding ones ancestors; so, throughout the process one is constantly dealing with the prices of livestock. Ultimately the fees and costs are worked out between the person his/her spirits and the priest or priestess doing the initiation. But, my subject today spotlights Mami Dan... those divine spirits that manifest their animal form as the serpent. These are the highest of the divinities, in Mami, and many of these spirits are known in the pantheon of the Hindu Gods; but, are born to those of African descent as well. I, for instance, am Mami-Dan. And, the last time I checked, I was not only of African descent but born of the spirit Dattatreya, known in Africa as Densu...meaning father of the river in the Mina language. So was my father, my grandfather was Ganesha, a sister Krishna and so forth and so on. It happens folks! I am not Hindu or of European descent. So, all the critics out there who cannot understand WHY our temple has so many Hindu spirits in it...it is because my husband and I are BOTH Dattatreya and we ONLY serve the spirits that we were born with...those that gave us life! First, of all, if during the divination and initiation process, these great spirits see a person that cannot do your initiation properly they will not show themselves. It happened to me. My Dattatreya hid his three heads and Ayidowedo stood up on his great tail. The three African bokonos, in attendance, saw him and assumed I was Wedosi, the wife of Ayidowedo. If these initiations are done incorrectly it could cost you your life! This is one of the reasons, I believe, that many African Americans do not really know what their head spirit is. There has been only one person that has come to us, in the seven years I have been on the internet, that was told of their true spirit. And that divination was done by an African. We have not only told them their true spirits but found their ancestry as well. This is why, as a priestess, I am avid about ceremonies being done according to the tenants of the voduns themselves. I have little patience for dabblers, folks throwing shells and reading someones destiny off the force of gravity, or folks throwing around spells. Peoples lives can be ruined and to undo this damage is costly; but, in the meantime the person has suffered relentless harm. But if folk could understand that spirit work is a serious matter and not the privy of every Tom, Dick, Harry or Jane it would greatly help! The preparations for a Mami-Dan initiate could take years. These spirits must be carved or prepared by special people, usually in Ghana, that for generations only do this work. Ones pearls or jewels must be dug out of the ground from sacred places. Each pearl (beading) must be hand strung by initiated vodunsi. Ones priestly stool must be carved in one piece out of sacred trees, by artisans, whose work is only to do this. Ones ancestral villages must be visited to give sacrifice and to claim those sacred items inherited by the ancestor that entered the diaspora, trips to India or countries to claim left objects, from another life, must be done if instructed. Gold, pearls, diamonds and precious jewels must be bought and collected to adorn the voduns, themselves, and I can go on and on. This is just the tip of it. Africa is an ancient land. These divinities are timeless; but, it is Africa that they first revealed themselves to man. Africa is ripe with the sacred rivers, mountains, temples, trees, lands etc. that is needed to adorn and work with these ancient spirits. As of yet, they have not identified sacred places in this country for us to work with or persons, who for centuries upon centuries, made the vodun carvings or stools etc. I am not saying Mami, in general, cannot be done in the diaspora. These two-week kanzos have been performed for generations it appears. I assume that for what folks understood they have done. The diaspora is full of Mami initiates; but, Mami-Dan...No! Anyone telling you otherwise has not experienced this initiation for themselves! I have and STILL have much more to go. These very high spirits were here before the world come. Coming to know them isnt easy. The initiation process isnt easy. Any African will tell you they are long, arduous and expensive. One can lay in a temple months on end. It aint no play... And it aint done instantly... But why should it be? These are DIVINE beings!
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 21:24:49 +0000
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