When we go to the movie theater, our eyes are focused on the screen.

We become so engrossed by the storyline, the sound and special effects, that we fail to see the projector that is tucked away in the back. If we didn’t know any better, we would think that the movie is actually coming from the screen. But we understand that a movie is just a bunch of tiny pictures “moving” to create the illusion of something that is in motion. Many people have a difficult time becoming spiritual because they are focused more on an illusion as opposed to the real thing.

Enlightenment is about getting real.

It is about finding the heaven that is inside of you. It is about reconnecting with the source. What does all this mean? It means that you are the projector. You control the pictures, sound, and special effects of your own movie, your life. And you determine how you want your movie to be seen. Your life is filled with tiny little pictures. Your experiences are nothing more than snapshots of thoughts and intentions that create images. These images move with emotion and action. But we have been programmed to focus on the screen. We are trained to focus on results, to be attached to people, things, and events.

I have many people who ask me about love and relationships.

I simply tell them that love is the power of God. Of course, they look at me like I am absolutely crazy. Many of these people don’t really understand love or God. These are people who are looking to fall in love with an illusion, as opposed to the real thing. They want to sit and watch the screen. We see it everyday. They have partners that come and go. They fall in love with success; they fall in love with fame, power, and money. These people are always looking to fall in love with something, because they need that feeling of sustenance and fulfillment in order to be complete.

But this kind of thinking is just an illusion.

It is the kind of love that tricks you into believing that other people are generating these feelings inside of you. We have been trained to project our feelings onto others. This programing causes suffering because we are on an endless cycle of love and loss. If we are constantly loving and suffering, then the love is not real. It is just an illusion, a projection of our own thoughts and feelings.

Love is the power of God because it leads you into the heaven that is inside of you.

Imagine the feeling of being in love, without being attached to someone. Or having a feeling of bliss without having to accomplish anything. Self-love is powerful; for once you learn to generate all of these feelings inside of you. You will desire nothing. This is the kind of love that has sustenance. This is the kind of love that will make you feel whole and complete. This is true love. This is the love of God!

Tags: Love is the power of god

There is one thing that is an absolute complete turn-off, bad breath.
It is even more disgusting when we start to understand why someone’s breath smells bad. When you don’t brush your teeth properly, you are allowing food and left over debris to literally rot in your mouth, resulting in cavities and gum disease. Food gets stuck in the creases of your teeth, and residue starts to build up on your tongue, causing your breath to smell worse than a garbage incinerator. It gets really bad when people start to pop breath mints into their mouth. As if covering up the smell is going to make the problem go away. Sadly, our oral hygiene is much like our spirits, in desperate need of cleaning.

One of my favorite teachers once told me that enlightenment is about getting all the crap that is buried inside of us, out.
Yes, it was one of my aha moments. At that time, I realized that virtually every form of illness, every disease, starts on a subtle level. Holistic health practitioners believe that illnesses penetrate us from within our auric fields. By the time a disease gets to the mind and or body, it is already fully grown. Today, in our society it is commonplace for many people to treat the symptoms and not the cause. It is so much easier to just pop in a breath mint.



Many diseases actually come from the external environment.
Our auric fields are vibrational bands of energy that surround our body. We have certain layers that act as our “teeth.” These layers actually sort through energy (information) and actually decide what kind of energy we want to take in (from other people and things). They break things down, chewing and molding, processing information, and only swallowing the information most pertinent to the growth and development of spirit. However, things get really “dirty” when we start to interact with people and things that give off negative vibes, or spread negative energy. Our auric fields get overloaded and the energy begins to build like residue. Slowly our fields begin to wane and deteriorate like cavities, allowing negative energy to seep through into the body.

This is why a lot of spiritualists take a more preventative approach on health. They do things like chakra cleansing, or they prescribe certain herbal baths. Many practitioners in African religions work to clean the spirit by cleaning the head. They do this based on the belief that the head, or ori, is the gateway to the soul. This approach allows practitioners to treat the actual cause and not just the symptoms. Just remember, we are constantly interacting with people and picking up a great deal of negative energy. So go to New African Spirituality, schedule a consultation and get your spiritual checkup now.

If you are looking for a crash course on how to be fearless, check out my e-course. The Seven African Powers: The Stepping Stones to Enlightenment. Or, if you have additional questions call for a consultation. I am always ready and willing to help! www.newafricanspirituality.com

Tags: spirit cleansing, chakra cleansing, energy healing

Everyone knows someone who is literally a couch potato. Their butts are glued to the sofa, and they can be found with a remote control in one hand and a beer in another. They always have excuses as to why they come up short. They never can find a job or keep one. They don’t believe in education and there is always someone who is plotting against them, dissuading them from meeting their goals. These people can be thrown into the category of having no ambitions, or personal power. They need Ogun, the orisha of iron and war to come and light a fire under their butts.

Ogun is the mighty warrior. He is the patron of war and works with a machete to clear away paths and to help people overcome obstacles. Ogun is similar to Ares and Hephaestus in Greek mythology and Visvakarma in Hindu mythology. In Candomblé, he is syncretized with Saint George in Brazil. In Santeria, he is syncretized with Saint Peter. Ogun can also be associated with energy, in particularly personal power. In Sanskrit, under the chakra system, Ogun can represent the manipura or the third chakra.

This chakra is located in the area of the solar plexus of the body. The manipura chakra, much like Ogun represents our potential to succeed in life. It is also a symbolization of self-esteem and vitality. People who are very much in touch with Ogun normally have a lot of self-confidence, a sense of self-worth and a great deal of personal power. In a sense, they can make things happen. They never do anything for the approval of others. They know what they want in life, and are supercharged when it comes to overcoming obstacles and hardships. They are survivors and are normally optimistic and enthused about their life choices.

Someone who possesses the qualities of Ogun is Jay Z, a hip-hop performer who created a multi-million dollar empire. People who are Ogun types don’t follow trends they create them. People who are Ogun types know how to make money, and they exude power and influence over others. They are incredibly disciplined and never sell themselves short. People who are not Ogun types lack energy, feel insecure, and normally don’t trust others. They have goals, but have no idea how to reach them. They tend to attract people who hinder their growth and make them feel weak and unworthy.

These are the people who land jobs and only keep them for a week. They are the people who are actually content sleeping on their mother’s sofa, or begging a child for change. Ogun is the deity of power; he incites wars and is most popular for his part in the Haitian revolution. However, Ogun represents the war that we all have to fight inside of us. Everyday is a battle, each day we are fighting against self-doubt, low self-esteem, feelings of inferiority, and unworthiness. We all have wars to fight, in the world and within ourselves, and it all begins with us getting our butts off the couch.

In New York City, everyone has a side hustle.

People are big dreamers and they spend most of their days slaving away at a job they completely hate. These are the people who are chained to conformity. So they won’t dare leave their jobs. Instead, they have brief moments where they are swept away by their dreams of becoming the next rap mogul, break out reality star, or bestselling author. These people are just chasing their tails, because the more we think about things, without taking action, the further away they get.

I know, what I am saying defies everything you ever heard about the power of intention.

We are supposed to think positive thoughts and magically the things that we want in life will appear. The power of intention works for smaller things like getting a five percent raise at your job or getting a promotion. But when you start intending to have a successful business, or to be the next break out reality star, it is virtually ineffective.



Lets just say that your odds at getting a five percent raise are around 80%.

People normally get five percent raises to offset the cost of living. Your odds at getting the promotion might be somewhere from 50% to 80% depending on how many people are competing for the job. Now, the chances of you being a hip hop mogul, a reality break out star, or a bestselling author is around 2%. Your chances of being successful is so low because you’re not just competing against a dozen people, you are up against millions. And these people are the best of the best.

There are concepts like survival of the fittest and the market place of ideas.

These concepts are incredibly popular because they work. Nature has its own selection process, and those who are the strongest will thrive. Yes, I said strongest. I didn’t say pretty, smart, or talented. When we spiritualist talk about enlightenment, we are not talking about being confined to an ashram. We are talking about being successful in life.

People who make it to the top are able to beat the odds.

They possess the qualities to strategize like Chango. They have Yemaya’s ability to be creative and think outside the box. They have Ogun’s courage and drive to execute. They have Oshun’s ability to invoke passion and love. They have Obatala’s ability to communicate and entice. They have Eshu-Elegba’s foresight. Lastly, they have Orunmila’s gift of inspiration. We can be much more successful in life by understanding the basic qualities of the Orishas. If we work to possess these qualities, then maybe we wouldn’t have to settle in life. We could really live out our dreams.


If you are looking for a crash course on how to be fearless, check out my e-course. The Seven African Powers: The Stepping Stones to Enlightenment. Or, if you have additional questions call for a consultation. I am always ready and willing to help! www.newafricanspirituality.com

Tags: seven african powers, chango, oshun, ogun yemaya, obatala, orunmila, ori

Why is it that so many of us are on this endless cycle of wealth and poverty? There are times when we are living it up, loving life, and spending money as if we’ve won a lifetime supply. Then there are times when we are digging in the creases of our couches for coins. It is not just the common folk who suffer from the cycle of wealth and poverty. Celebrities go through it too. We’ve seen dozens of A-list actors playing the lead in huge blockbuster movies one day, and then bussing tables the next. Why does this happen? What is the secret to maintaining wealth? Honestly, I can’t really answer that question. But, I’ll just take a wild guess. The secret to gaining and maintaining wealth is to make the right exchanges.

I worked my way through college working nightshifts in a casino. After three years, I was promoted and worked in the high roller section. I watched as people played one hundred dollar slot machines without even blinking an eye. My co-workers needed me to get tips from our customers, I thought it was because I was a smooth talker. Later, I learned that rich people have a certain mentality when it comes to giving money to the poor/workers. Number one, they never throw good money after bad. Number two; they never give money to poor people, because they believe that it makes them poorer. In fact, they were only tipping me because they felt that I had potential. My coworkers had families and mortgages and yet, they couldn’t get anything from these rich folks.

It wasn’t until later in life that I learned the lesson that they were trying to teach me. Money is not earned, it is not given, it is exchanged. People who are wealthy and maintain their wealth are able to make viable exchanges. They put their money into things that have potential. Or into vehicles that circulate and allow money to increase its value. I know, it sounds a lot like the stock market. But if we treated all of our money transactions as if we were trading stock, we would be much more careful.

Lets revert back to the lottery winners. They have third cousins coming to them asking for money. They buy their mom a house trimmed in gold, and buy their father a luxury car, they elect to support their cousin’s business venture, and dozens of other people. Then it happens, these people become dependent on the lottery winners. They get lazy, they may even become deadbeats or losers, and they don’t really respect or appreciate anything that was given to them. In fact, bankrupt lottery winners claim that they not only lost all of their money, but their relationships as well. These people tend to fall off when the party is over and the money is gone.

These kinds of exchanges are bad because they bring out the worse in people. Sadly, many people believe that they are helping others by giving them money. In truth, supporting people who refuse to be self-sufficient is like putting your money in a dwindling stock. You might just have the money now, but sooner or later, you’re going to lose it. Money is the manifestation of energy. Energy has to always move, if it is not moving upward, it is moving downward. So treat money like it is an exchange and be sure that it turns a profit for you, your family, or the community as a whole.

Yamaya Cruz is the author of When The Shadows Began To Dance. She writes about African spirituality, chakra healing, shamanism and much more.

Unfortunately, many of us have had bad experiences with alcohol. We have either experienced the dire effects of it, or we have watched loved ones struggle from a disease that seemingly has no cure. Of course, there’s rehab and other programs like Alcoholics Anonymous that walks people through a twelve-step process. But sadly, many people fail. Our ancestors believed in something called a soul wound. A soul wound is inflicted during the early stages of life. We can even carry our ancestor’s wounds or wounds from previous lives. We are only able to heal our soul wound by using the Orishas as means of light.

Einstein once said that we can't solve a problem from the same level of consciousness that it was created in. We have to rise above it. I know, I am not telling you anything that you didn’t know. However, I can tell you something that you probably don’t hear a lot. Avoidance and discipline is not going to help, especially when we are dealing with addictive personalities. The approach needs to be different, where we need to shift from trying to control our desires to overcoming them. People mistakenly believe that change is difficult, because it involves a great deal of sacrifice and struggle. But this way of thinking is a result of our programing. People have forced us to change through coercion and fear, so naturally we resist.

When we are able to connect to our soul wound, we are able to delve into the shadow side, or the repressed side of ourselves. In order to do this, we have to reach out to Chango. Chango is associated with the first chakra and represents our roots and foundation. All of our illnesses and issues are derived from this basis. In order to heal, we have to experience the pain. We have primary issues and secondary issues. Our primary issues stem from our inability to feel, to allow our emotions to show. When our emotions are repressed, they come out in distorted and perverted ways.

For example, it is very difficult to stop the flow of water, you can build barriers, but sooner or later, the water is going to break them down. It will find anyway to seep through. This is the power of Yemaya, she is very strong and virtually nothing can stop her. She can be your best friend when you decide to work with her, but your worst “energy” should you decide to work against her. Our secondary issues come from avoidance, we are afraid to face our issues. Ogun is a powerful warrior not because he was able to thrive in war, but because he possessed the courage to fight against his own inner weaknesses.

This is a three-step program that I have implemented in my life, although I currently don’t and never have suffered from an addiction to alcohol or drugs. I do have major issues with food. Being a busy woman on the go, I used to indulge in fast foods. However, once I began to develop spiritually, I just lost the taste for it! Now, I would rather starve than eat a cheeseburger. I didn’t break the habit; I simply rose above it, and that is the key to correcting any kind of dysfunctional behavior.
Yamaya Cruz is the author of When The Shadows Began To Dance.
She writes about African spirituality, chakra healing, shamanism and much more.

It is amazing how we take so many things for granted.

We fail to understand that everything in life is an exchange; from money, to relationships, even the air that we breathe. Plants provide us with oxygen and in return, we provide them with carbon dioxide. This is an exchange that is simple, easy, and very natural. We do it without thinking, and it is completely effortless. Can you imagine how life would be if all our relationships were like this? We make things complicated when we start to indulge, when we stop holding up to our end of the bargain.

There is a huge misconception about life.

We believe that we make money, or that we give away money. When in truth, money is an exchange. Much like energy, money has to circulate in order to increase its value. In fact, money is the manifestation of energy, of ashé. The attitudes that we have toward money are the same attitudes that we have toward life. We are either going to hold onto it too tightly, or we are going to blow it all in one day.

The exchange of money reflects the concept of give and take that is needed for growth.

What would happen if the plants got an attitude every time we asked it for oxygen, or if we rationed our carbon dioxide? Only the strongest would thrive, and they would be the ones in charge. This concept works very much like a monetary system, it is rationed, and resources are distributed in such a way where those who follow the natural flow of energy will prosper.

Chango was a king who amassed knowledge, wealth, and nobility.

He was able to climb up the social and spiritual ladder because he was one of the strongest. However, Chango started to indulge. Indulgence isn’t just about being a glutton. It is about becoming complacent, greedy, selfish, and lacking consideration for other people’s needs. This is what happens when there is no exchange, when people just take and don’t give. It causes disparity and results in the creation of oppressive regimes that will do anything to gain and maintain power. We can see whole countries in South America and Africa that operate based on this premise, thus explaining the limited growth.

The concept of exchange is a natural law.

It is best to always create exchanges that benefit both parties. If you decided to just take and not give, sooner or later you are going to suffer the consequences. You will start to take things and people for granted, you will neglect your relationships. People and things will leave you, and eventually you won’t have anyone to take anything from.

If you are looking for a crash course on how to be fearless, check out my e-course. The Seven African Powers: The Stepping Stones to Enlightenment. Or, if you have additional questions call for a consultation. I am always ready and willing to help! www.newafricanspirituality.com

Tags: Chango, Shango, Xango

The Greeks believed that there was a unified system that could explain everything.

They believed that all things comprised of active cores, energy centers that dictated the move and flow of energy. This concept can also be applied to the Seven African Powers. It works as an energy system that allowed energy to circulate throughout the universe and body. Our ancestors knew a lot more about energy and applied a holistic approach to life. From the Zulus in South Africa, to the Ancient Egyptians in Kemet, they all formed energy systems because it was easier to focus on the whole, instead of the individual parts.

Today, we are taught that multi-tasking is effective.

When in fact, it is really an illusion because we are viewing things as separate entities. Our energy is split and is moving in a thousand different directions. Just think back to the days when we were in preschool learning the alphabet. Each letter had its own distinctive symbol and sound. Each letter was powerful and had its own meaning. When we started to progress and gain a higher level of consciousness, we began to learn how to string the letters together to create words, sentences, and even paragraphs.

Words are symbols of communication.
They reflect our culture, history, and work as a means of expression. The order of letters determines their meaning and effectiveness. Letters are used for instructions, for directions, for insight and creativity. They work as a vehicle that allows us to communicate with each other and understand the laws of God. The Orishas are very much like letters, separate, yet powerful in their own right. However, when they are linked together they create a whole entity that is more powerful than the sum of its parts.

There’s an easier way to explain this concept.

Just think about a task. Do you do the task completely? Or does your mind drift? Are you bombarded with invading thoughts of other things you should be doing? Do you want to get things done, but suffer from procrastination? Are you tired or not in the mood to do a particular task? If you answered yes to any of these questions, your energy is being split.

The secret to working with energy is learning how to string everything together so they work as one cohesive unit, not distinctive individual parts.

It is best to tie the individual pieces of life into one unit, so there is a focal point. This will allow you to direct “all” of your energy in one direction. By doing this, you will be emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally invested. You will not need to prioritize or adhere to a tight schedule. You wont have to worry about not getting things done, because when you focus on a focal point, energy will trickle down to the individual parts. Just think about it. Everything works using some kind of system, our bodies, our economy, and our eco-system, even our cars. Energy work and healing is all about getting energy to circulate properly. Our ancestors understood the energy systems and not only applied it to healing, but to life as well.


If you are looking for a crash course on how to be fearless, check out my e-course. The Seven African Powers: The Stepping Stones to Enlightenment. Or, if you have additional questions call for a consultation. I am always ready and willing to help! www.newafricanspirituality.com

Tags: seven african powers, chango, oshun, ogun yemaya, obatala, orunmila, ori

Back in the day, NASA used to launch space shuttles. There was something dangerous, yet exciting about seeing aircrafts attached to a dark red tank, with two solid white rocket boosters. I loved to see the flames propelling the shuttle into the air, while dismounting billowing clouds of grey smoke. Then, the pieces would detach, and the shuttle would go flying into the air, into a world undiscovered by man. Even at a young age, I understood that science was mirroring many of the concepts found in the spiritual world. The liftoff was actually symbolic of how energy works and moves throughout the world.

Kundalini is perhaps one of the most difficult concepts to understand. Traditionally, people applied this principle to the Sanskrit chakra system. It involves the rising serpent activating all six chakras until it reaches the top, the apex, where it is reunited with its mate. However, as I discussed in previous articles, Africans also had energy systems. Our ancestors understood that the secret to prosperity, good health, and relationships was getting energy to circulate properly.

The sleeping serpent rests in the first chakra. In Yoruba, the first chakra is associated with Chango. Chango is the deity of passion. He not only rules over the physical body, but the physical world. Chango was the first person to be enlightened and thus discovering the secret of manifestation. Chango plants the seeds through the power of intention. It is Chango’s passion, desire, and burning fire that allows him to find richness and prosperity in life and in legend. Chango’s fire is like the fuel that is needed to launch an aircraft. His goal is to be lifted up, to become enlightened, and to explore a world that is undiscovered by man. However, he cannot do it alone.

He needs his first rocket booster, Yemaya. She is the mother of all Orishas. She rules over the domain of creation and sexual energy. Sexual energy is energy in its purest form. However, when it is combined with other energies, it becomes more potent, more powerful. Then, he needs his second rocket booster, Ogun. Ogun rules over the domain of vital power and gives Chango an additional boost. But the force of gravity is incredibly strong and Chango, Yemaya, and Ogun can’t get enough momentum going to get all the way to the top.

So Chango looks for his big red tank, Oshun. Oshun represents love, the highest human emotion. Love is God’s energy and when combined with Ogun, Chango, and Yemaya, it is powerful enough to reach to top. However, when Chango is in the sky, he hears the voice of Obatala, urging him to transcend beyond human form, or else he will never make it into the realms of heaven. Chango sheds his human body, like an aircraft detaching its parts. He begins to glide into space, defying gravity and the laws of man.
Once Chango is in space, he is guided by Eshu-Elegba. He looks down and sees the earth below him. His sees the moon and catches glimpses of the sun. He is even able to explore different galaxies. Galaxies that he never knew existed when he was on earth, when he was just a man. This is enlightenment. It is the apex, a spiritual climax that allows us to transcend beyond our physical form. Getting back to our nature means realigning our earth and heavenly consciousness, to form a fully developed Ori, and to see things beyond the scope of common man.

Yamaya Cruz is the author of When The Shadows Began To Dance. She offers e-courses, free e-books, and videos on her website.

My favorite spiritual animal is the snake. I love snakes for various reasons. The shedding of their skin represents rebirth. They lay close to the ground, which makes them incredibly down to earth and practical. Most importantly, snakes love freedom, and they will fight to the death if they feel threatened.

My love of snakes took me to an actual workshop. The trainer had cages of various sizes placed around the room. No one was interested in the corny corn snake, or the friendly but beautiful king snake. We all rushed to the cage that was holding the mighty python. I wanted to hold it in my arms, and feel its skin slither across mine, but the trainer wouldn’t allow me to even touch it. He picked up the python with an elongated hook and extended it beyond my reach.

It was at this time that I learned about the tentative relationship between man and snake. Pythons have serious trust issues, and they don’t allow themselves to be touched or held by people they don’t know. The trainer then told us a story about a man who innocently wrapped a python around his shoulders. The python, out of fear of falling, begin to squeeze tighter. The man, unable to breathe, struggled to get the python off of him. The more the man struggled, the more the snake resisted. Fortunately, the man received help and wasn’t badly hurt. Other people aren’t so lucky.

The relationship between snake and man represents the resistance and struggle that we create for ourselves when we don’t trust our nature. When we wrap life around our shoulders to try and control it, it will strangle us to death. Nature, energy, needs to flow. However, so many of us attach ourselves to certain outcomes, people, and objects. Attachment is the cause of all suffering. We suffer when we burn emotional energy on things that we really can’t control.

Nature is very much like a snake. It is free and flowing, and we need to trust it. We start to get attach when things don’t go our way. We get attached when we feel like we need to be in control. It is important to not be afraid of losing something or someone. Nature works very much like a snake shedding its skin, when one thing dies, something or someone else is born to replace it. When you stop the resistance, you stop the struggle, then you can trust the fact that nature will never let you fall.

Yamaya Cruz is the author of When The Shadows Began To Dance. She writes about African spirituality, chakra healing, shamanism and much more.