Orishas, deities, Orisha, Shamans, Shamanism
The Process of Making a Zombie
26/09/11 16:43 Filed in: Orishas, Yoruba, Orisha, Voodoo, Vodun, Elegba,
Writing about traditional African Religions hasn't' been easy. People who have virtually no exposure to the practice ask me the strangest questions. "Is Santeria black-magic? What about voodoo?" In most cases, I just look at them and smile, because it just too daunting to go into the specifics about those practices. Then the forbidden question comes up. "What's up with the whole zombie thing?" At this point I am elated with delight, because talking about the human zombie is by far one of my favorite subjects.
Hollywood has done a great job at glamorizing the zombie. They are portrayed as life-less, soul-less creatures that aimlessly stroll the streets. They are ready to pounce on you, rip out your jugular vein and turn you into a "zombie." However, the zombie goes much deeper than that. People are being attacked by zombies everyday. You have probably sat next to one, or even worked for one and didn't realize it. They are at your church, in your political organizations, and even your faith based institutions.
The legend of the zombie goes way back, when societies used religion to conquer and control. They invaded countries with the bible in one hand and a steak in another. Then they would tell the people who are literally starving to death that they can have the steak, on the condition that they become Christian, Muslim, or some other type of popular religion. Of course, people accepted it. They "brought" into it; because they didn't think that it was a big deal. They could still be Christian and hold on to their traditional beliefs right?
Wrong. People have used charity to entice people to join. They offer to fill a need or desire on the condition that they think like them, act like them, and become one of them. Their charity work also comes with a hefty price, with dire conditions that work to enslave people's mind, the process of creating the zombie. First, they take away their decision-making abilities. Then, they imbed them with guilt and tell them that their old way of life was evil. Lastly, they ensure that they never have access to their traditional culture and or way of life.
People create zombies because they understand the power of the masses. They are more concerned with quantity than quality. They are not looking to empower people because they want to create mindless, babbling idiots who are ready and willing to take orders without question. The process of making a zombie is to weaken them by stripping away their ability to make their own decisions. They want to turn their minds into silly-putty so they can mold them into the person they want them to be. Imprisoning the mind kills the human spirit, because people need the freedom to make choices to grow. Without this freedom, they never attain the capacity to evolve and understand the true essence of all religions, which is peace of mind. So no matter what, don't ever, ever become a zombie!
Hollywood has done a great job at glamorizing the zombie. They are portrayed as life-less, soul-less creatures that aimlessly stroll the streets. They are ready to pounce on you, rip out your jugular vein and turn you into a "zombie." However, the zombie goes much deeper than that. People are being attacked by zombies everyday. You have probably sat next to one, or even worked for one and didn't realize it. They are at your church, in your political organizations, and even your faith based institutions.
The legend of the zombie goes way back, when societies used religion to conquer and control. They invaded countries with the bible in one hand and a steak in another. Then they would tell the people who are literally starving to death that they can have the steak, on the condition that they become Christian, Muslim, or some other type of popular religion. Of course, people accepted it. They "brought" into it; because they didn't think that it was a big deal. They could still be Christian and hold on to their traditional beliefs right?
Wrong. People have used charity to entice people to join. They offer to fill a need or desire on the condition that they think like them, act like them, and become one of them. Their charity work also comes with a hefty price, with dire conditions that work to enslave people's mind, the process of creating the zombie. First, they take away their decision-making abilities. Then, they imbed them with guilt and tell them that their old way of life was evil. Lastly, they ensure that they never have access to their traditional culture and or way of life.
People create zombies because they understand the power of the masses. They are more concerned with quantity than quality. They are not looking to empower people because they want to create mindless, babbling idiots who are ready and willing to take orders without question. The process of making a zombie is to weaken them by stripping away their ability to make their own decisions. They want to turn their minds into silly-putty so they can mold them into the person they want them to be. Imprisoning the mind kills the human spirit, because people need the freedom to make choices to grow. Without this freedom, they never attain the capacity to evolve and understand the true essence of all religions, which is peace of mind. So no matter what, don't ever, ever become a zombie!
Who Stole My Voodoo Doll?
26/09/11 16:41 Filed in: Orishas, Yoruba, Orisha, Voodoo, Vodun, Elegba,
I am looking for the person who put roots on me. I think that they might have created some kind of voodoo doll in my image. Have you seen it? It looks like me, black with kinky curls, wide nose, juicy booty and ride-em-cowboy hips. I am going to kill whoever has this doll because they keep sticking needles in it. Every needle pierces through my soul, killing my self-esteem, making me feel like a second rate citizen. Every needle ruins my image, and throws me into a category of being poor, ignorant, destitute, and uncivilized.
I remember last seeing it in the early 90s. Yes, that's when it went missing. I knew someone was using the doll to do voodoo on me when I started seeing teenage black mothers, everywhere. Every newspaper ran articles about teenage pregnancy and black women who had babies just to be on welfare. That pinch really hurt, because I knew at the time that there were more white mothers pregnant and on welfare than blacks.
Then, it was affirmative action. People argued that blacks were lazy and didn't have the qualifications to get jobs, so they had to be given a free pass. Ouch! That needle pierced right through my spine. The truth about affirmative action was that it helped more white women, then any other minority. I needed to find this person. I needed to make them stop, but they kept on stabbing needles into my voodoo doll.
Then, there were the pictures of blacks being poor both in the United States and in Africa. There were panoramic images of blacks living in old dilapidated high-rise buildings. There were images of black children in Africa who were bone thin, with protruding collarbones and rib cages. They were always crying while holding their hands out as if they were asking for food or change.
Wow! That needle really hurt. Whoever is doing voodoo on me is really doing a great job of destroying my image. They are trying to portray black people as poor, when more than half of blacks living in the United States can be considered middle class. Then, the whole starving children thing in Africa really hurt too. I am sure that famines do exists, in Africa as well as other places in the world. However, it is unfair to call Africa poor when it is measured against Western standards. The United States tries to measure a country's wealth by GDP and GNP. However, they fail to take into consideration the vast amount of natural resources that Africa has.
Whoever is doing voodoo on me has no mercy. They continue to portray me as fat, dumb, ignorant, and worthless. They want to make people think that I didn't contribute anything to this country. I suppose that fighting in all of America's wars means nothing. My ancestors provided the free labor for this country to grow. My brothers and sisters created jazz, salsa, hip-hop music, and rock and roll. And yet, someone has the nerve to put roots on me. They insist on stabbing me in the back. I really need to find this voodoo doll!
I remember last seeing it in the early 90s. Yes, that's when it went missing. I knew someone was using the doll to do voodoo on me when I started seeing teenage black mothers, everywhere. Every newspaper ran articles about teenage pregnancy and black women who had babies just to be on welfare. That pinch really hurt, because I knew at the time that there were more white mothers pregnant and on welfare than blacks.
Then, it was affirmative action. People argued that blacks were lazy and didn't have the qualifications to get jobs, so they had to be given a free pass. Ouch! That needle pierced right through my spine. The truth about affirmative action was that it helped more white women, then any other minority. I needed to find this person. I needed to make them stop, but they kept on stabbing needles into my voodoo doll.
Then, there were the pictures of blacks being poor both in the United States and in Africa. There were panoramic images of blacks living in old dilapidated high-rise buildings. There were images of black children in Africa who were bone thin, with protruding collarbones and rib cages. They were always crying while holding their hands out as if they were asking for food or change.
Wow! That needle really hurt. Whoever is doing voodoo on me is really doing a great job of destroying my image. They are trying to portray black people as poor, when more than half of blacks living in the United States can be considered middle class. Then, the whole starving children thing in Africa really hurt too. I am sure that famines do exists, in Africa as well as other places in the world. However, it is unfair to call Africa poor when it is measured against Western standards. The United States tries to measure a country's wealth by GDP and GNP. However, they fail to take into consideration the vast amount of natural resources that Africa has.
Whoever is doing voodoo on me has no mercy. They continue to portray me as fat, dumb, ignorant, and worthless. They want to make people think that I didn't contribute anything to this country. I suppose that fighting in all of America's wars means nothing. My ancestors provided the free labor for this country to grow. My brothers and sisters created jazz, salsa, hip-hop music, and rock and roll. And yet, someone has the nerve to put roots on me. They insist on stabbing me in the back. I really need to find this voodoo doll!
The Law of Sacrifice
29/08/11 13:41 Filed in: The Law of Sacrafice, The Law of Attraction, The Power of Intention
Many people have read the books “The Secret,” “The Law of Attraction,” and “The Power of Intention.” Yes, they all can be considered blockbuster hits in the book world. They are stocked on the shelves in the “Self Help” and “New Age” section of every major books store. These books talk about positive thinking, about how the laws of the universe work as far as attraction. However, they seem to be missing one major element, the law of sacrifice.
Within the last decade, people have been swept away by the Harry Potter movies. People want to believe that performing magic is relatively easy. That it can be dwindled down to swinging a wand and repeating chants with powerful incantations. There are other people who believe that magic, and the laws of the universe don’t work that way. It’s not just about thinking positive, it’s about making real sacrifices.
That’s difficult to do, especially in the 21st century where almost everyone has a sense of entitlement. People think that they can just wave a magic wand and almost all their problems would be solved. Many people fail to realize that they must give up something that is truly valuable to them. They must make a trade, or an exchange of equal or more value. If a person wants to lose weight, they are going to have to give up the tasty cakes. They are going to have to sacrifice their time and invest it by walking in the park, or going to the gym.
If a person wants to have a successful business, they are going to have to sacrifice their time and money. If a person wants to be a performer, they are going to have to sacrifice their vulnerability. The universe works in such a way, where it is always expanding and contracting. This law creates and maintains life. Others may refer to the law of sacrifice as creative destruction, where something needs to be destroyed before something else is created.
We can see this law in many industries that just don’t exist anymore. No one has any need for a typewriter, or a phone booth. These things were destroyed, deemed obsolete so something bigger and better could replace them. Computers have replaced typewriters and cell phones have replaced phone booths. The law of sacrifice also exists within us. We must sacrifice the things that we don’t like about ourselves, in order to replace them with things that we love about ourselves.
If we think that we are too needy or overly independent. We can sacrifice some of these behaviors, and replace them with ones that are more beneficial to us. Building the life that we desire is not just about waving a magical wand. It’s about hard work, and sacrifice. And sometimes that means letting go of the things that we love the most.
Within the last decade, people have been swept away by the Harry Potter movies. People want to believe that performing magic is relatively easy. That it can be dwindled down to swinging a wand and repeating chants with powerful incantations. There are other people who believe that magic, and the laws of the universe don’t work that way. It’s not just about thinking positive, it’s about making real sacrifices.
That’s difficult to do, especially in the 21st century where almost everyone has a sense of entitlement. People think that they can just wave a magic wand and almost all their problems would be solved. Many people fail to realize that they must give up something that is truly valuable to them. They must make a trade, or an exchange of equal or more value. If a person wants to lose weight, they are going to have to give up the tasty cakes. They are going to have to sacrifice their time and invest it by walking in the park, or going to the gym.
If a person wants to have a successful business, they are going to have to sacrifice their time and money. If a person wants to be a performer, they are going to have to sacrifice their vulnerability. The universe works in such a way, where it is always expanding and contracting. This law creates and maintains life. Others may refer to the law of sacrifice as creative destruction, where something needs to be destroyed before something else is created.
We can see this law in many industries that just don’t exist anymore. No one has any need for a typewriter, or a phone booth. These things were destroyed, deemed obsolete so something bigger and better could replace them. Computers have replaced typewriters and cell phones have replaced phone booths. The law of sacrifice also exists within us. We must sacrifice the things that we don’t like about ourselves, in order to replace them with things that we love about ourselves.
If we think that we are too needy or overly independent. We can sacrifice some of these behaviors, and replace them with ones that are more beneficial to us. Building the life that we desire is not just about waving a magical wand. It’s about hard work, and sacrifice. And sometimes that means letting go of the things that we love the most.