The Parable of Meeye

                   

"If the eyes does not see difficulties like one being bound by tight ropes;
It may not see things as shinny as brass"

 This begins the parable told in the Holy Odu, Otua Ofun, about a poor man called
Meeye, who goes to the river to pick oysters, crabs, snails and other sea creatures that come to play at the riverbank to make a living. When things became bleak, He went to meet a Babalawo so that his fate will change for better and Aje will come the way of his life's venture. For his desires to come to light. He was instructed to offer pigeons, a cock and a bottle of palm oil and Patience was emphatically required of him by the divination casted on his behalf. He successfully carried out the required sacrifice and his sacrifice was accepted. He praised the Awo, the Awo praised Ori, Ori praised Ifa and Ifa praised Eledumare. And he went his way, years passed and his patience grew and beared the fruits of perseverance and long suffering.

The day his life changed was like any other day, he went to the riverside as he used to hunt for crabs, snails and other sea creatures, unfortunately for him, having picked a basket full of snail, he misstepped under the weight of his load, slipped and his basket fell into the river and was quickly pulled out by its current, being a skilled swimmer with seasoned knowledge of the river, he pursued the basket before it is taken further out by the river. As he swarm, suddenly he was pulled deep inside the river to the kingdom of the Orisa that resided in that river and was brought to the midst of the orisa and her children. Befuddled and trying to catch a grip on the reality he has found himself, he tripped over gourds of offerings laying about in the palace startling one of the irunmoles standing guard, who immediatly seized him and took him before the orisa of the river who inquired of him if he knows the reason why he was called upon, he told her that he has not the faintest idea why and how he found his way there, he narrated his ordeal and he pleaded with her to let him go, but she ask him to be at ease and not be frightened, she told him that his prayers reached Eledumare's ears and his perseverance and steadfastness in the midst of all the tribulations he was measured with didn't dwindle so Eledumare, shaken to respond to his needs has instructed her to bless him. She pointed to the ikoko (clay pot) sitting by a corner and commanded the irunmole standing guard to bring it forward and hand it to Meeye. Lo and behold the ikoko was filled with immeasurable riches, he praised the Orisa, the Orisa praised Ori and Ori praised Eledumare.

With the gift he is given, he returned home and hence, life became blick, his house became a home of abundance and wealth. His soul was not tainted by riches and pride, every member of the tribe benefitted daily from his benevolence and his home was filled with laughter and jollification.
The seed of envy was sown into the heart of His friend Alabahu, he became incessant, constantly questioning him about the source of his wealth. One day, under the tree they routinely to sat to drink palm wine and antelope's meat at night,  he gave in to Alabahun's annoying pestering and narrated his testimony to Alabahun. Secretly, Alabahun decided to follow Meeye's path to riches, un that unfortunate day, the floodgate of heaven opened and rain poured down furiously on the earth, increasing the water level of the river; the current became rapid and violent, catching Alabahun in his act of betrayal and drowned him to his death, has he was taking his final gasps, the Orisa appeared before him and with scorn in her voice and disappointment on her face she said

"In life, We don't compare one's Ori with another's Ori. He who copys Meeye, shall be swept away by the river. He who betrays a friend shall be swallowed by the earth."
With this Alabahun passed away.

Fundamentals of Living

"If we enjoy sweetness for a very long time
Without ever tasting a little bit of bitterness
The World will tire one easily
He who has never experienced difficulty before,
Can never truly appreciate the sweetness of opulence.
Ifa was divined for Onyagbe
Who had a vast farm
Who says,
"If there had been rainfall
through out the year,
The world would have been enjoyable"

Holy Odu Irosun Iwori"

It is no news that all is not well with the world, poverty, oppression, exploitation and general suffering of people are theorder of the day. In the midst of the worst of situations, Ifa directs us to wear the crown of Iwapele (gentle character) for it is gentle character that strengthens the rope of life in our hands and see us through the good and bad seasons without losing sight of or connection with our Ori. The Holy Odu Irosun Iwori declares that we have all been divinely chosen to play specific roles in liberating and uplifting humanity and to multiply in that which we lay our hearts and hand to do. No one can reach the pinnacle of thier purpose or quest of spiritual enlightenment until we achieve harmony, balance and peace in our internal and external worlds. In all we face as we journey towards destiny, Orunmila admonishes us to suffer without surrendering and to put on the armour of perseverance and steadfastness, we should remain seasoned for the best and geared for the worst. "Afterall, a constant soldier is never unready not even once."

The Parable Of The Fetcher

In this time, there was great famine in the land, upon whose back this story is told. At this time not a drop of water fell from the sky, the surface of the earth becomes hardened by the scorching heat, the animals lay dead from exhaustion in the yard and babies cry in starvation. In thier home Matchet, Hoe, Spade and Axe became blunt due to idleness an lack of usage, everything they sow to the earth drys and dies, so there was no use trying.

Amidst the complaints they shared amongst themselves. The Spade caught a light in the darkness that sprang him up to his feet, this attracted a queer silence that filled the clouded air as everyone stirred in confusion. It was axe that first regain spirit and with a stern voice, the axe asked the spade why he stattled them that way knocking away the herb he was filling his pipe with. This caused a chain of laughter that began from the hoe and ran through the room.

Spade apologized to his elders for his rudeness, he began to lament about how bountiful thier lands was before the draught began and how water flowed through the valley, suddenly in the rivers suddenly dried. Its been 5 years since the draught began, where has all the water gone, do they return to the sky whence they came or has mother earth drank it all in a single gulp to quench her thirst in the scorch of her husband's wrath? This question began a train of debate that carried on till the cock began to crow at dawn. The brothers concluded that since the heaven has refused to give water, the earth must be hiding it and they must dig deep into mother earth in search of water if they were to survive.

Sharpened by the hope of thier newly found purpose, they set out at first light the following day to begin thier mission to the core of the earth. They worked tirelessly, spilling blood, sweat and tears, meeting obstacles and overcoming them and this carries on for a new moon and 4 days before they were able to find a reservoir of water miles deep into the earth, but this wouldn't be enough so they continued for 3 more days and on the 7th day after the new moon they rested. To get the water from the debth of hole they dug inside the earth to its surface became a challenge on its own, they couldn't float so it was risky going in to bathe or carry water for other usages. They rubbed minds again that evening has they awaited thier evening meal but they couldn't arrive at a reasonable solution to get water out from the hole, all thier previous efforts turned out to be a failure.

It was during this conference that Fetcher, who was the youngest and only female amongst the siblings came in with the evening meal and sets it in front of her elder brothers and took her place at the right side of the Matchet who she was most fond of amongst her brothers. They continued thier discussion till the food was gone, they have become accustomed to having meals without water to accompling their mealsurprisingly, there was water to drink. The appearance of water from the gourd was a triumph and the Hoe enquired from the Fetcher how she was able to get water from the well, she narrated the story of how she was able to tie her hair to the post they installed to help them out of the hole, then she took a dive into the abyss, with her hair, she hauled herself back out bringing water from the hole with her.

This new source of water brought a great relief to the home and kingdom in general, for they have found salvation from thirst and hunger due to the heroic work of the brothers and thier sister. Later as time continues, the kingdom recovered and the kingdom celebrated a festival of New Harvest, in which they honoured of the Siblings, during the festival, the Matchet being the oldest, was asked to give a speech on behalf of the others to narrate the creation story of the Well, He in turn told a graceful tale and added the tale of his sister's wisdom. When his tale was complete and the audience settled its applause, The Crown took stand and once again praised and blessed the siblings, He cleared His throat and took a sit of wisdom upon which he began to speak "it is with hardwork the farmer tills the land and plants the seeds, it is with wisdom he nurtures the seed till it ripens for harvest, the work wisdom can not do, hardwork can, but it takes perseverance, patience and zeal which are offsprings of wisdom to reap the reward of hardwork"

Gospel of Pain

"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief." Khalil Gibran.

Pain according to a dictionary is the condition or fact of suffering or anguish especially mental, as opposed to pleasure; torment; distress; sadness; grief; solicitude; disquietude. Pain is any discomfort both in the body and in the mind, it is not the absence of pleasure but the derangement of functions leading to a moment of great depression, suffering and gnashing of teeth, these are the fruit of ones attachment to the desires for pleasure and it is the pain that cures the suffering.

Ordinarily, during times of suffering, we try to forget pain. If a man is troubled, he will drink alcohol or shoot some drugs to elevate the mind above the pain. A lady in pain may sit with movies or surf through the internet to distract her from the pain. Somebody is miserable and he will try to forget his misery with prayers and devotional songs, the most severe strategy for drowning the pain as been suicide.
 These are all different ways and means to forget pain, a thousands and more strategies like these can be used to drown pain, all addictions stem from this moment when we meet our edge and we just can’t stand it. We feel we have to soften it, pad it with something, and we become addicted to whatever it is that seems to ease the pain. Little do we remember that the light is in the darkness and the darkness is in the Light, acceptance of the darkness is what reveals the light, the cure for the pain is in the pain.

There is a great lesson to learn in the pain, its in the pain we find the key to life. We tend to lose ourself trying to drown or forget it instead of being aware of it and embracing it. When you become fully aware of your suffering, when you pinpoint its location and look at it face to face, not escaping the pain, you will have a glimpse of your separateness from it, then you will be able to communicate with it and listen to the lesson it wants to pass. This pain we feel are messangers listen to them. Grief can be the garden where compassion grows. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love, peace and wisdom.

CROWN CHAKRA - THE DIVINITY WITHIN

All the energy centers in the body flows up a serpentine ladder to the 7th chakra, to access this energy center successfully, one must have unblocked or balanced the lower chakras beginning from the Toot Chakra whuch is our connection to the earth, it influences our physical identity, stability, sense of safety and need for procreation. Then we climb up to the Sacral Chakra which is the energy source of our emotional identity, source of creativity and desires. Further up, we would have to unblock the Solar Plexus chakra which influences our ego identity, personal power and our ambitions. When we are able to balance this, we would be able to have a concreate social identity, deeper understanding of love and to enjoy more fulfilling relationships and this is the function or fruits of the Heart Chakra. The Throat Chakra helps us to express what we have within to the outside world in truth, originality and authencity. Having gained the abilitiy to communicate properly which will involve authentic and original expressions and active listening necessary for the development of clarity of insight and understanding of informations recieved, enabling us to make helpful choices to our productivity and output. This is the function of the Third Eye chakra. The 7th chakra is at the very top of the head. It is the head that wears this crown of identity and connectivitiy to Eledunare (Divine, Creator, God, Allah or Brahma).

The Crown Chakra is the highest state of enlightenment emphasises the need for the connectivitiy with the creator, one who taps into this energy center feels guided by Divine realms, unlike the root chakra which remains opened from the very conception of the feutus, the crown chakra remains in a blocked state in humans but we have the ability to unlock this energy center and reach the peak of love, peace and enlightenment. As the seventh and final chakra, it’s the most important one in many ways, although it cannot exist independently of the others. Rather, the crown chakra integrates the qualities of each of the other six; if it is blocked, the ones below it will be blocked as well. In christianity, it is believed that the Holy Spirit is a tongue of fire that sits at the top of the head of those who have reached enlightenment and connection with God and so it is in most spiritual path. In Ifá, Ori is one's personal chi (deity to the Igbo) it is our individual guardian and divinity, it is the essense of the divine within and the sole protector of mankind. It is also regarded as an intermediary between us and the divinity whom we worship, it regulates out lives in conformity with the wishes of the divine. Whatever ones Ori as not accepted no Orisa can feed the body. It is Ori that has access to transcendent realms of perception called Orun and its Ori alone that cab follow his own devotee to a distant journey ovee the seas (beyond life) without turning back.

Closely related to the third eye which is the sit of Orunmila, Ori takes the spirituality associated with the sixth chakra a step further. It represents transcendence; and as mentioned, it is our connection to the Divine and our source of enlightenment, spiritual connection, and everything that is sacred. It governs our awareness and presence, allowing us to reach higher states of consciousness. When it comes to Ori, there is no ego and no intellect, only peace and joy dependent on the kind of ones Ori. When ones Ori is in balance, we feel liberated, inspired, and energized; we can even experience ecstasy. But when there is an imbalance, we lose our spiritual identity and become disconnected from the universe. As a result, we can become greedy and materialistic, get stuck in the past, or experience obsessive thinking or obsessive spirituality and dogma, In case of the blocked crown chakra, one is not ready to accept the truth or the realty and prefers self to be righteous. In a case like this, we are not able to meet with our own spirit and keep self away from our real purpose as a result of lack of inspiration. The physical side effects would include poor cordination, headaches, light sensitivity, confusion, and dizziness, and can even cause autoimmune and neurological disorders in more severe cases.

Meditation is the most important thing we can do to balance the crown chakra. After all, meditation is how we connect to our higher selves and commune with the universe. While you meditate, focus your attention on the crown of your head; imagine a radiant sphere of light there, and feel it illuminate your entire body. Also, one can align one's crown chakra through prayers which are in form of reflective mantra recitations and rituals that cleanses the crown, in Ifá it is known as ibori which is a very simple but powerful ritual that can be done to connect with your Ori while ritually cleansing and feeding it. Taking in the energy of the sun as also been recommended to awaken ones crown chakra, simply spending sometime out doors in the sunshine can be a quick and easy way to help open up your Crown.

When your crown chakra is properly aligned and fully open, you will experience a lot of pleasure in life. You’ll feel grateful, alive and your days shall be full of joy. With regular crown chakra healing exercises, you can enhance your spiritual awareness and begin to enjoy the little moments of beauty life has to offer, a renewed faith in one's self and purpose motivating you to pursue and attain your goals without freight or doubts, a connection to the divine will also be attained which will bring blessings of love, wellbeing and peace. Your eyes shall also be opened to the unity and beauty of life.

THIRD EYE CHAKRA - BEYOND OF WISDOM

The third eye chakra is the sit of wisdom and source of vision, insight and intuition; as well as the portal to spirituality and the mind's connection with the soul. It connects the Self to the universe and the world around allowing us to transcend duality. It is responsible for how we see the world enabling you to experience clear thought and self reflection needed to access the soul which is our inner guidiance towards enlightenment enabling you to cut through all illusion to access the deeper truth and meaning of Life in general. It correlates to our mental abilities, psychological skills and how we evaluate beliefs and attitudes, it gives us the ability to integrate creativity and logical thinking by resonating with our psyche as well as our conscious and unconscious traits. Socially, it aids in ones impersonal, impartial and non-judgemental approach in our conviction or thoughts towards all of humanity. That is, it helps us to communicate freely.

By tapping into the the 3rd eye chakra we are able to acquire wisdom beyond our self inflicted perceptions and societal indoctrinations, we are able to break down stereotypes and delusions of societal and religious doctrines. Our minds become opened to a broader purpose of life and instills in us a deep faith and trust in the process and time it requires for attaining our goals and creativity, it also elimnates all fear and anxiety of failure and uncertainity. Giving us the strength and assurance we need to keep on keeping on regardless of the results and consequences. Its through the third eye we can access the knowledge of the past and look into the future to know what to expect, how to follow through and what to avoid as we proceed into productivity while standing firm in the present.

The third eye is the 6th chakra and its located between the eyebrows which is the sit of wisdom in many culture and civilisation across the world. In Ancient Egypt, the third eye is represented by a dot which represents the pineal gland which is a tiny pea-shaped mass within the brain and it is known as the Aten, which stands for the awakened Third Eye that sees the “soul within” or the “sun within,” and which “soul” or “sun” is really the “higher Self” or “divine spark” within us, while in sanskrit the third eye is known as Ajna which means "beyond wisdom" because its between the eyes that sees the future and the eyes that sees the past
When this energy center is stimulated, you have the ability to see how past directions influence present choices and the future potentials toward which they are pointing.

In Ifá, the Orisa most connected to this chakra is Orunmila, the deity of wisdom and destiny who has been in existence since the dawn of time and stood as a witness of creation, he was there when we chose our purpose in life and when we received the power to pursue and accomplish our purpose in life from Eledumare. He knows all and sees all including the fate of every man, woman and child. Has the deity of wisdom, he stands as the great benefactor, adviser and healer of humanity, He points us to the path of wellness and peace in the body and mind and reveals the calamity that awaits humanity on its path towards self realization and how to avoid or overcome them.

Has the deity of wisdom, he advices us on the direction to follow when we are at the crossroads of life that requires major decision making that will affect the rest of our lives. Though the Opon Ifá, the Babalawo (diviner of Orunmila) is able to reveal the truth behind the Illusion of the world, the 3rd eye chakra functions very similarly to those who have a balanced and flowing 3rd eye. A lady who wants to consults Orunmila concerning an undertaking she wants to pursue for instance she wants to start a business, a divination will be carried out on her behalf by a Babalawo who will reveal to her what awaits her by reciting the verses of the odu relating to her reading. She may be asked, depending on the odu that was revealed, to make sacrifices to one of the dieties to ward off any evil that awaits her and bring blessings of success. She might also be asked to avoid some actions that might be deterimental to the smooth achievement of her goals. Failure to follow the instructions given might be derrimental to her course. The verses of the Odu Ifa are filled with such stories as this, talking about people who consulted Ifá, what was required of them and the outcome of thier obedience and disobedience. You can also use your inner sense to ask for guidance to make the right decisions.

Taking into account your mind, intellect, and ego, you are now including your soul in the decision making process. Just as you turned to the third chakra in the area of the solar plexus to guide you with comfort or discomfort, you will pay attention to a hunch or a subtle feeling of moving forward or holding back. If you are conflicted, ask for your sense of intuition to be opened to you in order to help you make the right choice.

Children and young adults are often actively discouraged from developing their intuition and 3rd eye chakra. “Think logically,” they are often told. “Don’t be a daydreamer.” Also, children who have imaginary friends are often discouraged. People who want to use the right hemisphere of the brain (imaginative and creative) are often persuaded to overemphasize use of the left side of their brain (logical and solution-oriented) and neglect the right side. Some are advised not to develop their artistic abilities because they need to make a good living and money will be scarce if they’re not logical about career choices. When they say they have intuitive experiences that come along with activating the third eye chakra, others may suggest that they’re crazy.

When this chakra is blocked or unbalanced, we tend to overindulge in fantasies, ignore our intuition, and fail to see the bigger picture. We lack clarity, focus, and faith in our purpose. If the third eye becomes blocked, you might also find yourself getting more attached to outcomes and being either overly logical or overly emotional. People with a blockage in the third eye chakra also frequently experience depression, anxiety, paranoia, and even nightmares. Physically, it can lead to headaches, vision problems, sinus trouble, and high blood pressure.

An open third eye chakra enables you to see things as they truly are, but even the slightest imbalance can wreak havoc on your psychological, emotional, and physical health. One big problem associated with a blocked third eye chakra is being rigid and closed-minded. To overcome this problem, try reading books, watching new programs or experimenting with activities outside of your comfort zone. Even if it feels a little weird at first, try to be curious about other perspectives and ways of life.
Self-reflection is an important skill to increase your self-awareness, our third eye functions the best when it is grounded in reality, otherwise, we get lost in fantasy and delusion very easily, try to practice being present by focusing on yoyr breath through whatever arises in your daily life and writing your thoughts, feelings and experiences in a private journal each day.

Science has also suggested that decalcifying ones pineal gland by avoiding products and water sources that contains fluoride (flouride is regarded as one of the causes of blockage in the third eye and its a major ingredient for toothpaste). You can also try a sacred form of plant medicine such as peyote, ayahuasca or psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana (or cannabis). These sacred plants help to open the third eye and balance the entire energy system. Often, during these sacred trips, many great and profound truths are revealed.

I personally believe that watching the sun rise and set, star and moon gazing also elevates the mind and opens the third eyes helping you transcend the cage of your thought.

Thank you for the read, the topic on chakra will continue in subsequent post we implore you to subscribe to our page to get notification on our next post via email and we also hope to read your thoughts and suggestions in the commentary box. We wish you a strong heart, healthy body and a sound mind.

THROAT CHAKRA - POWER OF EXPRESSION

Creativity is the process of producing something that is both original and worthwhile. It is finding new ways to solve problems and approach situations. This isn't a skill restricted to artists, musicians, speakers or writers; it is a useful skill for people from all walks of life provided you have some sort of idea to bring to light and words to say to express emotions. The energy responsible for the expresssion of one's creativity is the Throat Chakra. It gives one the inclination to create and project your idea or blueprint into reality it helps you realise your purpose or vocation, and it guides you towards attaining a good sense of authenticity and coordination. It also represents how we fine tune and express our unique ideas and creative voice outwardly. Guided by the heart chakra before it, our voice encompasses more than what we want to say, it includes what we are guided to say intuitively, as well as what we are afraid to say to others out of fear of rejection, criticism or “being wrong.” In this way, the throat chakra acts as a gatekeeper, balancing our true voice with the perceived “cost” of expressing it. It influences one's self actualization and empowers you to stand your ground even in the face of rejection, criticism and failure allowing you to communicate your intentions in utmost faith, integrity and originality.

The 5th chakra is integral to the release of the energies from the lower chakras, it dispels energy from the sacral chakra which is the energy center for the awakening and development of creativity, sensuality and emotions through different means of expression. Opening, tapping into and balancing the lower chakras will help you prepare you for this level of communication given that balancing and tapping into the first and second chakras helps to over come fear, tapping into the third helps you to transform your fears and weakness into confidence, dynamism and will power which are necessary for effective communication. The 4th chakra opens up your heart for you to know and understand what aids the growth of ones passion and what deters it then the fifth give you the voice to express your heart in a truthful, original and coordinated manner for the benefit of all.

Self awareness starts with admitting to yourself that there is more to learn, more to become, more to do and more to have. There is a prayer embedded in an Odu Ifa that say, "If there is a place better than where I am today, may my ori please behold it; may my feet carry me there." Listening is a great tool for personal development and awareness, it is a process that allows you to exchange and gather information from the external word through listening to sort out advices, reading, and exposure to thoughts and ways that will inspire and motivate ones creative goals. The throat chakra enables one to be able to easily deduce from, and understand the information passed through listening picking that which is essential and pushig away the unneeded, this aids in settling one's curiosity, broadening one's perspectives, developing one's intrinsic motivation and the formation of the direction to follow towards the attainment of a productive and successful expression and creativity. One should always have it in mind that active listening and Honest self expression shapes creative confidence, and creativity shapes the world as we know it.

Consequently, it is through a disciplined self evaluation that you learn to optimize your natural gifts and talents. By painstakingly reviewing your conduct you discover the dark corners of your mind, the hidden motivations and striking inconsistencies. For instance, over indulgence in pursuit for appeasement of sensual pleasure through for example excessive consumption of alcohol can need to a blockage in the throat chakra which may cause a defect in creativity, we can see this in the story of Obatala wherein Obatala overindulged in palm wine and while intoxicated proceeded to ineptly and carelessly mold a group of these human figures. Some of the figures were missing arms, others legs,and those with all their appendages intact still showed imperfections somewhere. Because of his trust in Obatala's sense of duty, attention to detail, and personal integrity, Oludumare did not examine the figures when he paused to breathe life into them. From that moment in time, and from Obatala's transgression, come all the dwarves, hunchbacks, cripples, and other deformed persons. And, from that time on, because of the incredible remorse Obatala felt, they became his omo orisa, his children, and are sacred to him. The path towards freeing oneslef from overindulgence that blocks the creative chakra is not a journey for the weak. But for those willing to learn the truth about themselves, the reward is a life without disgrace. This is the essence of what it means to live the medicine that will heal your life and the lives of those you were born to serve.

The throat chakra is located in the area of the throat and its environs, that is the region of the thyroid, parathyoid, jaw, neck, mouth and larynx and the sanskrit word for the throat chakra is Vishuddha which can be translated to mean "PURITY" which in Ifá captures the pureness of the energy of Obatala, who is the most senior orisa in Ifá. He is the creator earth and a great part of humanity, he is also the energy of patience, clarity of mind, truth, justice and creativy. He is the king of purity (or king of the white cloth) one who wears white cloth, sleeps in white, and wakes up in white. His essence is the energy that follows clarity of mind and purpose, truth and justice, and eternal creativity.
Humanity is synonymous with the creative energies associated with the journey of continous improvement, those operating under this energy center are often highly intelligent and exteremly thoughtful they possess lofty yet realistic ideals, they always strive for the expression of truth in action and in words, clarity and peaceful coexistence. As a creative energy it was Obatala, who in Ifá is Eledumare's chief sculptor, was responsible for molding the physical form of humanity out of clay before Eledumare grants breathed life into the molded clay. If this energy is balanced and aligned, you will have no problem expressing yourself in the world! You will be very creative, helpful, and may be good at offering people sound advice when it is asked for. You know what you want out of life and you are not afraid to ask for it, and what you ask for always seems to come to you with no, or little effort on your part! You are not afraid to express your weaknesses and people respect you for this. You are truly free when you can experess your truth.

Trauma, unresolved conflicts and past life circumstances, belief systems and chronic behavioral patterns cause imbalances, blockages, and damage in the chakras. Over time, unresolved imbalances in the lower chakra system can block energy flow, manifesting as illness, disease or mental and social disorder. When the physical body is under continued stress, or the mind remains in a gathered cloud of sensual and emotional haze the energy will not flow properly and this will result in a lack of creativity. When we have a blocked throat chakra we struggle with problems such as fear of expressing our thoughts, shyness, social anxiety, dishonesty, stubbornness, feeling of untrustworthiness, lack of creativity, and unncessary and frequent verbal aggressiveness.

If your throat chakra is over-active you more than likely be an annoying talkative who always has so much to say with so little to communicate, over-opinionated with no sense of boundaries and empathy towards the feelings of your listeners, perhaps very critical of others and how they are performing in life. You may be verbally abusive to those around you especially in times of debating a topic, and may find yourself yelling a lot when not necessary. You won’t allow others to “talk back” or voice their opinions about certain situations and discussions, it will be your way or no way.

When the energy center is under-active, you will be unable to express yourself and will often be misinterpreted or misunderstood by others. You will probably be considered unreliable by the people in your life. If you're a natural introvert, you're more comfortable as a quiet observer, which is not necessarily a problem. But at times you may find yourself in situations that requires you to speak up but then you chose to simply smile and nod? If so, then you know that staying in your comfort zone can sometimes get you into a rut. If you're not careful, your life can end up stagnant and boring. Telling the truth and being honest with yourself is something you probably have a difficult time with, and giving mixed messages is likely something that has gotten you into trouble many times before. Until you find balance within the throat chakra, your life will remain the same and nothing will ever work out in the way you would like it to especially in terms of self expression

Truely, it takes courage to share your true self expression in the world as we know it, in all forms especially when the society you live in has been indoctrinated to a thought pattern, it might seem difficult to freely express your outside the box thinking without fear of judgement, people thinking you have gone insane or the overwhelming prejudice of religious hell fire spread by dogmas. But when we actively listen to fear instead of intuition, it can be very confusing to tell which voice is truly guiding your creative confidence. The only way to get better at opening the throat chakra and tapping into our creative juice is to listen, seek, explore and practice to develop your creative expression and communication without judgement.

The more we put ourselves out there and are willing to be vulnerable, the more our chances of moving past the fear to get the desired information. We see what fits, what we want to create more of, and what demons to push away in our lives to free our self-expression. We also get better at not placing blame on ourselves or others when communication does not land as intended. The majority of my own personal development work has been focused on the 2nd and 3rd chakra. So far so good quelling my sensual desires has elevated my self confidence and as a result i have been ablr to tap fully into the 4th to releasd the creative energy of the 5th chakra through three forms of art which includes photography, painting and the written words (poetry and motivational discuss).


Thank you for the read, the topic on chakra will continue in subsequent articles we implore you to subscribe to our page to get notification on our next post via email and we also hope to read your thoughts and suggestions in the commentary box. We wish you a strong heart, healthy body and a sound mind.

HEART CHAKRA - THE BRIDGE TO LOVE

Love has many different qualities. For some it is the feeling of warmth or sweet taste, a softness or tenderness, while for others it is a feeling of peace, tranquility or silence. Love can also come as a pain, a heartache, a sense of loss or fulfillment.
The Fourth Chakra is all about love, through which we learn that the love we cultivate heals us. The act of cultivating requires working on opening, balancing and tapping into the lower chakras before moving into the vastness greenness of love. The lower chakras which is the foundation of security and trust (Root Chakra), the emotions tied to our ability to create and express (Sacral Chakra), and the courage/willpower to move into action (Solar Plexus Chakra). All these steps have been discussed in previous posts on this blog and they are important to the release of grief, fear and detachment. Clearing that space is necessary for LOVE .As a matter of fact, the heart chakra is the balance point of all seven chakras. For how we engage internally through the stories we communicate to ourselves over and over is what is reflected outwardly. The focus of this chakra is to release apathy and non-engagement and promote empathy, love and pleasure in our lives and relationship. Love is revealed to us when we immerse ourself in this energy center.

The heart is the alter of the Divine and it is where we find breath, unity, balance and healing from grief. When we tap into it, we break the boundary set against compassion and love. As the alter of the Divine, it is from the heart an endless river of clarity of consciousness an awareness of the truth beyind words it a center for dedication, devotion, and faith flows. The heart chakra is the bridge between earthly and spiritual aspirations it integrates the the lower energies of self with the higher energy of spirit, it serves as a link between whats within and what we release out, our emotional responses to our personal thoughts attitudes and inspirations influences our ability to form and be in healthy relationship with others. When we cross the bridge into the heart and tap into the alter of the divine, we begin to see a piece of the Divine everwhere and in everything, it aids in developing one's faith in one's self, one's faith in the Divine and one's faith in others.

The heart chakra is located at the center of the chest and includes the heart, cardiac plexus, thymus glands, lungs and breasts. It is known as in sanskrit as Anahata Chakra which means "unstuck" or "unhurt" which implies that beneath the pains and grievance of the past experiences lies a pure and spiritual plwce where no hurt exists, it is a safe haven from the ills and evil of the outside world. This chakra defines the energy of Yemoja, the mother of all fishes. In Ifá, she is the divine mother of waters from who all the water of the world flows from, Yemoja represents the mother's nurturing energy. Yemoja is motherly and strongly protective, and cares deeply for all her children, comforting them and cleansing them of sorrow. According to the stories of yemoja in Ifá, when her waters broke, it caused a great flood which created rivers and streams, the first mortal humans and orisas where created from her womb, her essense is the purest definition of balanced heart energy center, when one taps into this energy center, a river of love, compassion and empathy will flow out from within. Yemoja is a source of divine love from which all streams, river and lakes flow from.

In the human body, Yemoja presides over the womb, she is the amniotic fluid that houses the child as a fetus for 9 months in the mother's belly, she is the breast that feeds the child after it proceeds into the world and she is the heart that nurtures the child till it grows and dies. Her energy is loving, nurturing and protective, even though she is quick to forgive, she protects and defends her children from those who threaten them, as an essence of the heart chakra, her energy is present in people who are warm, giving, sensitive and kind. She assists and supports the rebirth and transformation process of the solar plexus chakra, cleansing, healing and purifying the fields in preparation for new growth after the fire has engulfed and destroyed the old allowing for renewal and new beginnings. As a healing chakra, a person who has a balanced Yemoja energy center always attracts the broken hearted and people damaged by trials and disappointments, some times you might even attract needy people with closed heart but a balanced heart is always forgiving, free from anger, lust, greed and jealousy, so you become a safe haven where everyone feels protected, secured, loved and alive.

In the overactive mode, the heart or Fourth Chakra makes the individual feel overwhelmed by emotions. S/he tends to experience extreme grief, sadness, jealousy, greediness, anger etc without any control over these feelings. Lack of self discipline; tendency to live one’s life through another's, always putting oneself in the role of the savior or the rescuer; or on the contrary, falling into victimization and experiencing difficulty in relationships are a few signs of an overactive heart chakra. When the fourth chakra is in an underactive state, it makes the individual feel unloved, cold, distant, and inferior or constantly seeking out emotional support from relationships.
Both overactive and underactive Heart Chakra can lead to many physical ailments like circulation problems, skin diseases, sleep problems, heart palpitations, hypertension, immune system dysfunctions, back aches etc.

A well balanced heart chakra will make one more compassionate and loving towards others without expecting anything in return. Likewise, one will start to love him/herself first and also have immense gratitude in life. A well balanced Fourth Chakra can also lead to disciplined living, stronger relationships and freedom from depending on others for peace and happiness.
Chakras become overactive because they are compensating for blocked energy in other chakras, so part of healing an overactive heart chakra is to learn which other lower chakras are blocked and work on opening them.

The Heart chakra is all about connecting and relating. The emphasis here is on love, giving and receiving, and how open we are in relationships. Love is the energy that helps transmit emotions and experiences from within. It’s an essential element in any relationship , whether it’s is with others or oneself. One of the simplest ways of opening the heart chakra is to love oneself completely. By taking care of and appreciating the self, one can learn to love others better. Also,
Cultivating one's sense of appreciation for beauty, whether it’s in nature, people or in the arts is a key to opening and balancing the heart chakras. Meditating daily especially on old wounds inherited from family relationships and come to terms with them compassionately and practicing forgiveness deep within your heart center can strengthen it so that we can become warmer to others and also have our senses completely under control.

Thank you for the read, the topic on chakra will continue in subsequent articles we implore you to subscribe to our page to get notification on our next post via email and we also hope to read your thoughts and suggestions in the commentary box. We wish you a strong heart filled with love, a body filled with health and energy and a mind centered on peace.

SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA - Transformation and Manifestation

So far we have understood the first two chakras of the 7 known major chakras which are the Root and Sacral chakras, we have learnt about the orisa that have the similar eneries with these chakras and how to spot their imbalance and the medication for them. It has come to my notice that, the concept of chakra shares the same similarities with the concept of Iwaju in Ifá even though my fathers and mothers in Isese disagree on mixing the Sanskrit concept of chakras with the orisa. In my study on iwaju i have learnt that iwaju refers to the portals to which the energy of the Orisas enters the body during the possession known as Egun (If you have an alternate and more descriptive knowledge of Iwaju, please drop your thought in the comment box.) Judging by this simple definition, i have chosen to move forward into my thesis on the remaining 4 chakras.

Our focus now turns to the 3rd chakra, which is the Solar Plexus Chakra, located in the Solar plexus region of the body which is made up of the stomach, ribcage, navel, spleen, adrenals, liver, pancreas, stomach, etc. This is a source of personal power that governs self-esteem, warrior energy, dynamism, expansiom, the power of transformation, it also controls metabolism and digestion.
Its the overwhelming force of the wind and the fury of the sun. It is the magnetic core of our personality and ego and the drive for accomplishments of creative goals and ambitions. Once the creative chakra which is the sacral chakra (visit previous post) as been unblocked and you have been able to tap into its creative energy, the empowerment of the manipura chakra brings out the idea to light.

The element of this chakra is fire which is a symbol of empowerment, transformation, purification, movement, and rage. Fire is central to alchemy it gives us the capacity to refine metals, to burn away the debris and turn lead to gold. When we connect to our third chakra, the fire in the belly, we connect to our inner power to incinerate fear, jealousy, and low self-esteem. In Ifá the orisa that best relates to this energy center is the energy of Oya, the warrior goddess, she is an Orisa of winds, lightnin, violent storms, death, rebirth and the market place. She was a one time lover and wife of Ogun, later she fell in love and married the super manly and seductive Sango, with whom she often goes into battle, she is known to be indispensable to her husband in every way. She is the strong wind that precedes the thunder. She can fan any fire set by Sango’s thunderbolts into a high blaze and she also has the ability to use lightening, to assist him in his battles. It is said that without Oya, Sango cannot go into battle. She is also known for her intelligence, independence, fearlessness, gracefulness, sensuality, power, razor-sharp tongue, and deep intense passion. Her energy sits perfectly in the solar plexus center. It is she who assists us with rapid inner and outer transformation.

Oya, is about absolute change and is not a slow or very patient energy. Her role as the orisa of the market place is a subtle but pratical example of the force of change influenced by the solar plexus chakra, that is, the market is an unpredictable place where quickly money changes hands from one hand to another, good luck can produce fortunes and bad luck can dissipate them, in the market place, the poor become the rich and the rich become the power. In a more violent approach, her change is likened to the rushing wind that tears down dead trees from the top to make room for the new, she uses her matchets (she is always seen to hold two) to clear a path for new growth.

Like fire and the energy wheel of the solar plexus, Oya energy requires movement to thrive under circumstances responsible for one's success in breaking the seal and tapping into energy of the manipura chakra, it is only through the channeling of ones willpower and dynamism that we can attract a desired change, as a fire goddess, she brings rapid change and aids us in both inner and outer transformation. She uses her iruke (horse-tail whisk) to stirr the wind to sweep away that which is sullied and as a goddess of rebirth, she brings to life self-esteem that past trials and tribulation must have damaged opening the mind to recieve empathethic transformation. if the timing is right with the energy movement and one chooses to get swept up in the change, good settles after the storm. I have felt and still feel how so much turmoil is churned up for those who ask for change. Instead of moving with it, sometimes we fight it and fail to take the chance that would provide us with great reward. Much of the energy which encourages one to fight back is from false frames of thought which one holds on to. If one could just be open to whatever comes their way and ride the wave of change, growth and new beginnings success will always be on their path. The animal symbol of Oya is the buffalo, the buffalo represents strength of character as well as an independent spirir necessary to generate prosperity and abundance of resources. It is also a totem for survival, strength and stability. Those who are firm in thier will, mold the world to themselves, stability is a key to growth.

At this level of the third chakra we begin to recognize that every choice we make either drowns us more deeply in the “illusory physical world” or invests us in the power of spirit. When the Solar Plexus is out of balance one may lose confidence this might be caused by constant disappointment, and critism from other people, worry about what other thinks can rock the scale of balance of the manipura, losing self assurance which would build self doubt and depression and as a result, it becomes pretty difficult to see the "big picture" clearly which would cause a great confusion in the mind and derail one's sense of purpose affecting one's overall productivity greatly. An overactive chakra may drive one to become manipulative and controlling, always wanting to exercise dominance over others even to their detriment, an example of this is in the tale of Oya and Sango where Oya cajoled Sango to get rid of his two generals, twice sango pitted Gbonka against Timi (the generals) till Gbonka successfully killed Timi and Sango attempted to kill Gbonka, this attempt proved fatal to Sango as it caused him his throne from there things went south and caused Sango and Oya thier lives. When you work on creating a more positive self-image, on making responsible decisions and understanding what you want from life, good things follows, we ought to recognize that ysing anger to control others leads to failure.

When the navel chakra is in healthy alignment, you will be comfortable with your own inherent power and become empowered, you would have been able to create a more positve self-image capable of making responsible decisions in line with your vision and understanding of your goal and aspirations in life. You will have an heightened sense of who you are and why you are here. When you connect with your purpose you gain a deeper understanding of how you as an individual can contribute to the collective in a beneficial way. You will let go of the things whether it’s your job, education, love life and religious doctrines that you depend on to define who you are. Those things may have value but over-valuing anything that subject to change is a quick road to suffering. You have inherent value, take the time through practice to investigate it and you will be less dependent on external sources for happiness and identity. The solar plexus chakra is responsible for helping you discover your authentic self and find your true purpose in life. Getting outside of your comfort zone and experiencing new hobbies, cultures, and ideas can help open and bring balance to this energy center. What emerges through a healthy third chakra, is a sense of personal power, self-esteem, discipline, ambition, the ability to generate action, the ability to handle a crisis, the courage to take risks, generosity, and strength of character. Also, you begin to let love and compassion for oneself and others radiate through you.

Thank you for the read, the topic on chakra will continue in subsequent articles we implore you to subscribe to our page to get notification on our next post via email and we also hope to read your thoughts and suggestions in the commentary box. We wish you a strong heart, healthy body and a sound mind.

SACRAL CHAKARA - The Energy Of Osun

The sacral chakra is the second chakra in the body’s chakra system. It’s associated with one's emotional identity, creativity, and sensuality. It is located at the center of the abdomen a couple of inches below the navel and encompasses the genital region and the hypogastric plexus. It is associated with the dimension of emotions. It’s the center of your sensations and feelings. The sacral chakra is motivated by pleasure. It’s the driving force for the enjoyment of life through your senses, whether through sight, touch, taste, or hearing.
As humans, it is part of our nature to create. When we use our creative energy whether it is through the development of skills and hobby, or even finding a new solution to an old problem we are opening and accessing our second chakra. The focus of the sacral chakra is creativity. 

The Sacral chakra is also known as Swadhisthana in Sanskrit, the word 'Svadhisthana' is derived from two Sanskrit words, 'Swa' and 'Adhisthana' where swa means 'one's own' and 'adhisthana' means abode or seat. To the Sanskrit the colour of this chakra is orange but in Ifa she wears the vibrant Yellow and the fiercely beautiful and ever vibrant Yeye Osun presides as the diety over this energy center, as the deity of sex and fertility, she is the sweet mother of all infants, the goddess of the rivers, sweet springs and waterfalls. She is also the divinity of success and Ajé, she thrives on beauty, and resides in a beautiful enviroment, you should visit her sacred grove in Osogbo. She loves all that tastes sweet and glitters like gold, you will always see her with her brass mirror which also doubles as her brass fan and brass sword. She is a true beauty to behold and a virtuous woman at her finest, he who attains her good grace shall indeed prosper in all he puts his heart to, you can consult Ogun, Sango and Orunmila and they would confirm that she is the real deal, her womb is filled with children and her breast squirts riches (Ore yeye o).

The law of attraction is a Universal law, a Universal Truth that is always in operation whether we are consciously aware of it or not. This law states that what you focus on frequently and with passion is what you will make manifest in your life. When we begin to use this energy of Osun intentionally, we are able transform our lives so that it more accurately reflects the highest vision that we have for ourselves. The focus of the Osun energy centers around creativity, fertility, passion and merriment, She teaches us that it is important to remember that what we think about, what we focus on with passion and feeling is what we will attract. Osun is our creative faculty and imagination is the key to the manifestation and nurturing of ideas she provides a fertile soil for our cosmic seeds to expand. She teaches us that we create from the inside out by using our imagination to SEE what it is that we desire and to FEEL the feelings of having it right now. Imagination that runs unblocked or unlimtited by boundaries has capacity of transforming into to creative genius if it is used to feed the development of a set of skills.

The Sacral Chakra is associated with the element of water and characterized by the flow and movement in mental conversations and emotions. A day at the riverside studying the flow of water can reveal more than a thousand books can, from it, you would learn beauty, life changes, flexibility and resilience. Water, being inherently tied with movement, pulls us back and forth and exhausts how much we feel. Hitting us like waves, we are always experiencing a range of emotions, similar to high and low tides. So flow is an essence of our second chakra. When we release emotions held in the sacrum, we charge and cleanse the body.

Creativity is the cornerstone of the human existence and the source of the world’s most remarkable creations. Although, I believe creativity is a gift that everyone has, I also believe that most of us are unable to fully dip into our creative juices because of our preoccupation with life’s stresses. Our attachment to discomfort limits us from manifesting what we desire in our life. Holding onto stress, fear and old wounds not only blocks our creative genius, but also can produce issues around procreation, abundance and love. To unblock the sacral chakra, you must start with opening the root chakra (visit the previous post for article on root chakra.) If the root chakra is imbalanced, we have difficulties creating abundance in our life. When we are unable to provide sustenance, feelings of lack, anxiety and fear block the sacral chakra. Working with the root will assist you with removing the energetic barriers that may be blocking your sacral chakra. Once the root chakra is open, working with the sacral chakra will provide you with limitless access to abundance, sensuality, creativity and healthy relationships.

Also, Before anything manifests in the physical realm, it exists in the spiritual realm first. Your imagination is that spiritual realm. Spiritual energy and Sexual energy are one and the same. Sexual energy births the physical body and spiritual energy begets creative body. The more the mind is focused upon and gripped by sexual desires the more difficult it would be to break the blockage of the sacral chakra to fully explore its riches and move beyond it. Imbalance in the chakra can occur where there's a desire for intimacy and one is unable to experience this desire or an excessive indulgence in copulation and sexual fantasies eventually lead to dependency
which at its craziest will block the energy of chakra, ultimately leading to emotional instability, creative blocks, fear of change, sexual dysfunction, depression or substance addiction.

Sexual repression also blocks the flow of Osun's energy. Sexual repression is a state in which a person is prevented from expressing their own sexuality it is often associated with feelings of guilt or shame, being associated with sexual impulses. Uncanny sexual repression causes creative blocks, or barriers to inspiration, which can be described as the inability to access one’s internal creativity. Those in creative professions writers, musicians, performers, artists are often more likely to be affected by creative blocks, which can last for days, weeks, months, or even years. Sexual repression also builds a fear of intimacy and sexual expression, one who suffers from this imbalance would find it hard to be comfortable in his/her skin and this is a sign of low self-esteem, insecurity and lack of trust in ones competence. sex has its own beauty, its own sacredness, its own holiness through sex you can catch a glimpse of the spiritual. If you are rooted and centered in your chakras and consciousness, then everything has a different meaning, a different context, you feel more and see more, sex opens the mind because its the most alive and vibrant forces in the body. Remember, One should not cut of one's head to treat a headache, neither should one pluck out one's eyes to keep from sinning, senses are to be tamed not destroyed.

We can chose to remain in the human nature to channel our energy to procreation and develop on attaining peak experiences through love making but this would definitely have its side effects so we best be careful not to overdose and kill the passion for imagination and creativity, and also we shouldn't repress human nature beyond the healthy limits so as not to block the flow and deter or limit our imagination and focus on the manifestation of our goals.
To unblock the sacral chakra, you must start with opening the root chakra (visit previous post for article on root chakra). If the root chakra is imbalanced, we have difficulties creating abundance in our life. When we are unable to provide sustenance, feelings of lack, anxiety and fear block the sacral chakra. Working with the root will assist you with removing the energetic barriers that may be blocking your sacral chakra. Once the root chakra is open, working with the sacral chakra will provide you with limitless access to abundance, sensuality, creativity and healthy relationships.

We can balance Osun energy, through transcendent joyous surrender experienced through dance, music, being in nature especially close to flowing water, and sex. Balanced Osun energy enhances the beauty of a person regardless of ones body size and style, will carry him/herself and behave in the vibrant manner befitting the sexiest movie stars. In the Holy Odu, Osun is always portrayed as a woman of great beauty and charm, as mentioned above, she resides in beauty, she is adorned by beauty and she is beauty in all its forms. Also ones imagination would be opened to a space of ideas beyond the physical, one is able to focus one's mind on day to day activity and the best out of every situation, create opportunities that would bring Osun's blessings.

Thank you for the read, may we recieve a blessing of Osun in all of our endeavours. The topic on chakra will continue in subsequent posts we implore you to subscribe to our page to get notification on our next post via email and we also hope to read your thoughts and suggestions in the commentary box. We wish you a strong heart, healthy body and a sound mind.

THE ROOT (MULADHARA) CHAKRA

To begin our series of chakra which is a continuation from our previous post on the Introduction of Chakra in Ifá, we would comprehensively discuss the Root Chakra, which is the first seal to break in the ladder of chakras we introduced in the introductory post in relations to this. Root Chakra is known by the sankrit word Muladhara. In the Sanskrit, mula means “root” or “base” and the word adhara means “support”, so the meaning of the word muladhara in this contex is the “ support center“. This is exactly what the main function of the Root Chakra is.

Root chakra is the center of stability, security, and our basic needs. The root chakra is comprised of whatever grounds you to stability in your life. This includes your basic needs such as food, water, shelter, safety, as well as your emotional needs of interconnection, and being fearless like a lightening ripping through the storm. When these needs are met, you feel grounded and safe. It is the most important Chakra as this is the Fundamental Chakra, its formation begins at conception and becomes fully developed after 12 months. It is located at the base of the spine, the pelvic floor, and the first three vertebrae, the root chakra is responsible for your sense of safety and security on this earthly journey. Psychological and spiritually, it influences our personal integrity, self-esteem and sense of belonging. A large portion of our society has a blocked or unbalanced root chakra. The Root Chakra provides the links between our energetic system and the physical world and is the base for our life force energy. It gives us the motivation to eat, sleep, procreate and all the basic survival skills is developed through the root. When it comes to our psychological and spiritual nature, it helps us develop our personal integrity, self-esteem and sense of belonging it is the chakra that builds masculinity.

The main color of this chakra is red which is also the most dense color of all chakra colors. Red is the slowest of all the wavelengths within the visible spectrum, yet, it is the most stimulating color. That is why it is associated with Sango, He governs lightning, thunder, fire, drums and dance. Sango is a warrior Orisha of intelligence and wit, has irascible temperament and is the embodiment of manhood. He is very spirited and strong-willed. He loves all of the pleasures of the world and is used in spells for sex, lust, power and money which are the primary needs of man.
His influence as the energy governing the root chakra allows us to harness courage as fit as the thunder, resourcefulness and the will to live during challenging times. Sango is, in reality, the quintessential strategist, he loves nothing better than to plan ahead to set the stage and pull the strings necessary to produce the results they desire. His strategy sometimes goes awry, as in his learthly attempt to destroy his two powerful generals by pitting them against each other, but over the many years his knack for strategy has become highly refined and almost unstoppable.

As the essense chakra, the Root chakra connects us with spiritual energies of our ancestors, and our ancestors challenges and triumphs. Since Root Chakra carries our ancestral memories, basically everyone os exposed to experience the challenges or imbalances of Sango within the root chakra. Working on the root chakra is the first seal to break towards enlightment, the process of breaking this seal is an attempt to free the mind of the burden of the ego and desires which are the causes of imbalance. The first duty of a spiritual quest is to transform the body's sexual cravings and worldly desires, The more the mind is focused upon, and gripped by sexual desire, the more difficult it will be to even begin the climb the ladder of chakra to the crown. Most of Sango's battle in life were as a result of his own ego, sex drive and foolish pride, one notable conflict is that between him and Ogun, the warrior deity of iron and the deity of the heart chakra, where Sango was reported to have successfully wooed and seduced Osun and Oya the wives of Ogun with his good looks and prowess. Its obivious that when there is a conflict between the root and heart chakra there would be a great imbalance which is capable of demeaning ones sense of belonging and self-esteem.

When we are fully grounded and our root is deep, we easily manifest our needs and desires without harming another. Our creations are in divine alignment and created with the purest of intentions. When our root chakra is balanced we have no need or desire to manipulate, force or control another with distorted energy to get what we want at the detriment of another. We are grounded and centered, our physical body is vital and healthy, we are connected to our instincts and we feel safe and supported. We have faith in our own personal manifesting abilities and we do not expect others to take care of us. We do not give our power away and we know we are fully capable of providing all of the basic human necessities needed for our survival. We are a leader, not a follower. We are stable, healthy, courageous, patient and powerful.

There are various traumas that can affect the root chakra, societally, a large percentage of us have blocked root chakra, majority of us were raised by well intentioned but unawake parents who were unable to provide us with the nurturing necessary to fully develop this chakra. If we were raised in a safe, loving, nurturing environment the chances of our root chakra developing fully are very high, therefore, providing a very strong foundation for the rest of our chakras to fully develop. Also, life changes that “pull up our roots” cause a root chakra imbalance. Traveling, fearfulness about family, finances and religious faith, some people don’t need dramatic life changes to become imbalanced in the root chakra; these people live more in their heads than in their bodies, and feel ungrounded most of the time. In addition many religions, governments and the media induce inappropriate levels of fear keeping people stagnated in their root chakra. Fear of God, fear of people with different beliefs, fear of food shortages, viral outbreaks, food contamination, invading countries, nuclear threats and a failing economy keep us stuck in a perpetual state of fear making it very difficult for our root chakra to function properly.

An imbalanced, stuck, stagnant or blocked root chakra can also develop a sense of negativity and narrow thinking in the mind which will start as a need for co-dependence developing itself into to an intense feeling of insecurity due to the lack of self-esteem associated with a sever case of co-dependence; this would in turn lead to restlessness and apathy that has the propensity of transforming into a great depression and heart wrenching frustration leading to resentment of oneself and others in turn this ignites the flame of anger and rage capable of influencing ones ability to burn one's own house down and putting an end to ones zest for life. Other signs of an imbalance root chakra includes
• trouble saving money
• chronic health problems
• lack of healthy boundaries with others
• lack of or little interest in intimate/physical relations with an opposite sex
• eating disorders and lack of appetite
• lack of energy
• fear, etc.

If this chakra is not developed and its blockage broken, our foundation will be shaky and our roots will not be strong enough to provide continued support for our highest growth potential. A ship that is not tied well in port, will be lost to the current. To heal the root chakara, one must try to engage the body with constant exercises, pick a sport of interest, learn yoga if you can (it has been prescribed to heal all chakras); connect with the earth by walking barefooted to strengthen your connection with the earth and nature, joining a mountaineering expedition to clear the mind, and deep forest hiking to fill the lungs, heart and body with the scent of fresh green; also exposing oneself to certain colours especially red can help the restoration process and stating positive affirmation to psych your spirit and raise your vibration. Also, some food like protein rich foods (meats, eggs, beans n etc) and also root vegetables like carrots, radishes, onipn and garlic have been recommended as beneficial to the development of the root chakra.

Thank you for the read, the topic on chakra will continue in subsequent quotes we implore you to subscribe to our page to get notification on our next post via email and we also hope to read your thoughts and suggestions in the commentary box. We wish you a strong heart, healthy body and a sound mind.

INTRODUCTION TO CHAKRA IN IFÁ

Chakras are energy centers located in different parts of the body and are considered an interface between the physical and non-physical levels of a subtler anatomy of a human being. They cannot be seen with our physical eyes and they are not solid in structure but these centers have been widely documented by many seers and clairvoyant people who have the ability to see energy forms.
The english translation of the Sanskrit word Chakra means wheel this refers to the swirling wheels of energy moving through the body, it is vital force that animates us as human beings and all living things.
The Chakra Systems plays a very important role in the make up of our identites and our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. They are organizing centers for the reception, assimilation and transmission of life energies. From instinctual behaviour to consciously planned strategies, from emotions to artistic creations, the chakras are the master programs that govern our life, love, learning, and illumination. Understanding and aligning this mind-body energy system is essential for becomung the most vibrant, healthy and radiant version of one's self.
Since everything in the mind-body energy system is a swirling wheel, it’s essential that the chakras stay open, aligned, and fluid. If there’s a blockage, the flow of energy is constricted like water forced to run through a narrow pipe. The key to unblock, move, and transform one's energy so that one can reach one's highest mental, physical, and spiritual potential is simply through the path of Iwapele.

Different cultures and spiritual paths which include Buddism, Sufism, Sankrit, Ifá, amongst others have developed some type of chakra mapping system used to tap onto the energy of the mind-body. Some spiritual path recognise over a dozen energy points in the body but 7 are majorly identified and accepted universally. In Ifá, chakras are regarded as the body's portal to the invincible realm of Orun. There are portals where human consciousness connects with various forms of orisa consciousness, by tapping into the energy centers were the seven Orisas preside. Not only does the orisas govern the various forces of nature, they also govern various body organs and spiritual functions leading the human to iwapele.


The seven major chakras in Ifá are:

1. Sango - Root Chakra located at the base of the spine; Sango is a warrior diety, divinity of thunder, fire, sky father, represents male power and sexuality. So it governs self confidence, courage and vitality

2. Osun - Reproductive Region (genitals) known as the sacral chakra is the sit of the divine mother, as divinity of rivers and waterfalls, love, feminine beauty, fertility, and art, also one of Sango's lovers and beloved of Ogun and Orunmila. As an energy center, she governs creativity, happiness, sexuality and sensuality

3. Oya - solar plexus chakra, she is an orisha of winds, lightning, and violent storms, death and rebirth. She governs ones ego identity, personal power and ambition.

4. Yemoja - Heart Chakra, she is the divine mother, divinity of the water and loving mother of mankind, daughter of Obatala and wife of Aganju. Her domain is all body of water but mostly an estuary, where the river meets the sea . She influences social identity, love and relationships.

5. Obatala - Throat Chakra- Orisha of peace. An arch-divinity, father of humankind, divinity of light, spiritual purity, and moral uprightness. He influences self experession, communication skills and integrity.

6. Orunmilla - Third Eye Chakra divinity of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight. Orunmila is the Orisa and Ifá is the divinatory system from which he talks through. He opens the doors to self reflection, intuition and clarity of vision

7. Ori- Crown Chakra Ruler of the head, refers to one's spiritual intuition and destiny. It governs one's self knowledge, spirituality and connection to the divine.

Essentially, this is too broad a topic to fill just one basket with, so we would be breaking them into a series of articles discussing each of the 7 energy points, thier influence in our lives, and how to open and tap into them. their symptoms, personality traits, and the deities that oversee them, to help us to understand better our day-to-day functions and behavoir patterns. Please stay tuned to this discussion by subscribing to get prompt notifications to our subsequent posts via email and please drop a thought in the comment box.

Durban Rickshaw

African rickshaw pullers, or amahashi (horses), were an indispensible part of Durban’s transport system in the early twentieth century; and by 1907 their distinctive and elaborate costumes had already become a tourist attraction.

Rickshaws were first imported into Natal in 1892 and from the outset were hired out to African pullers. Their popularity as a means of transport is reflected in the dramatic rise in the numbers of new vehicles and pullers on Durban’s streets: in 1899 about 740 rickshaws were in daily use, and 11 445 pullers were registered; by 1902 there were 2170 rickshaws and over 24 000 pullers. At the turn of the twentieth century it was estimated that some 3400 people spent an average of 9d daily on rickshaw travel in Durban alone.

As Ros Posel points out, African rickshawmen occupied an anomalous position within Durban’s African labour market for they were ‘freelance’ operators who hired their vehicles from rickshaw-owning businesses. While it was a flexible occupation and could be remunerative, it was also hazardous; in 1904 Durban’s superintendent of police Richard Alexander testified to the South African Native Affairs Commission that most rickshawmen only worked for between two and three months either because of ill health (especially pneumonia) brought on by the gruelling nature of the job, or because they quickly tired of pulling.

Although vulnerable to exploitation, the dependence of Durban’s transport system on rickshaws meant that collective action by pullers could help to protect employment conditions. When in 1918 the city’s largest rickshaw company, Durban Rickshas Ltd, raised its hiring fees from 10s to 12s per week, pullers successfully went on strike. However, subsequent industrial action and protests, such as those in 1930, were less effective.

Shortly after rickshaws were introduced, Superintendent Alexander proposed that pullers should wear a distinctive uniform to facilitate their identification by police. This uniform was originally an unbleached calico ‘kitchen suit’ trimmed with a single row of red braid; rickshawmen, however, soon modified it by adding other rows and allowing the braids to hang down on each side. They also patterned their legs with whitewash, wore reed bangles, and tied boxes of seeds around their ankles that rattled as they moved. They also adopted decorative headdresses, which usually consisted of ox horns, through which it was believed the ox’s strength would be imparted to the puller.

The rise of motorized transport throughout the twentieth century meant that there were only ten operating rickshaws left in Durban by the early 1980s. Six of the rickshawmen interviewed by Ros Posel around this time had been pulling for over thirty years. Five were members of the Mandlakazi clan from Nongoma, which by tradition supplied pullers; and four of these men had followed their fathers into the business, including Shampiyise Nxumalo, whose grandfather ‘began that tradition’.

References

Photo:

Ratography

Text:

Ros Posel, ‘The Durban Ricksha Pullers’ “Strikes” of 1918 and 1930’ in Journal of Natal and Zulu History VIII, 1985, pp. 85-106; ‘Amahashi: Durban’s Ricksha Pullers’ in Journal of Natal and Zulu History XIII, 1990-91, pp. 51-70.

Source: historysnapshot.blogspot.co.za

Source:

https://historymatters.co.za/content/amahashi-african-rickshaw-pullers-early-twentieth-century-durban-25-march-2014

Essentials of Ajé

Among the Yoruba and African spirituality in general, wealth is the fruit of all labour, he who seeks wealth must labour for it. A person who has attained wealth is described as Oloro (or-law-raw), i.e, someone who is wealthy, while Olola (or-law-lah) is one who is rich in status. It is generally believed that not many people born into the world have opportunity to become financially rich like the olowo (oh-low-wo..how has money), it depends on not just the fate, circumstances and situations in which they find themselves but also cause and effects play determinant role in an individual openess to wealth, our people say all hands are not equal, some hands maybe be longer in length enabling them to reach further faster to pluck Ajé, but options are still opened to the ones with short hands through devotion to one's work, as my tribe would say "Ise l'ogun ise (work is the medicine for poverty)" and offering sacrifices to one's work which may include phyisical, mental and spiritual sacrifices to recieve the blessings of Ajé.

In Yoruba spirituality, Ajé is the orisa and the goddess associated with wealth and prosperity, she stands as the pillar of trade and commerce, her temple is the tongue and her kingdom is the market place, it is the tongue that we use to call buyers to trade and its also with our tongue that we chase buyers away. When we use the tongue with wisdom, kindness, gentle-firmness, skill, understanding and good-will the blessings and power of Aje, the goddess of prosperity, abundance and fortunate opportunities will manifest in our lives. Stating your vision and goals and reciting positive mantras to awaken your day at the break of dawn before setting out to find your daily bread sets a positive vibe fit for the manifestation of Aje. I guess this is why òrò (wealth) and Orò (word) are spelt with the same letters. Òrò ni a fi n ko orò jo (its with word we gather wealth)

In light of this, my beloved reader I would suggest that we cultivate the habit of thinking before you speak. Not only think what you are to say but know to whom it is that you will be speaking. A right, kind and gentle word at the right moment, at the proper place and to the right person will give rise to countless blessings, joys and open doors of plentiful auspicious opportunities, advancement, prosperity and growth.

In other news, yesterday 18/2/2019 was the annual Aje Festival which held at the Ooni's Palace, Ile-Ife. It was indeed a testament to the potency of our rich African heritage, which is sadly getting lost and forgotten with the intrusion of globalization and its colomentality....Its always a proud and electric to see the turn out of people of different religion and creed coming to show thier support and also to seek favors in prayers to our ancestral dieties especially during festivals as major and grand as Aje Festival. To recieve the blessing of the mother, Be sure to rightly nurture, feed and nourish the divine goddess Aje who resides upon and within your tongue. Nourish her with good-will, thoughtfulness, respect, intelligence, kindness and consideration. Do this and she will reveal and manifest her power and skillfulness on your behalf in extraordinary and wonderful ways.