Real Situation

Let me turn on my stoicness and extract a quote that was translated from the bottomless well of stoic philosophy. This quote was made by Marcus Aurelius, he says:

"Keep in mind how fast things pass by and are gone-those that are now, and those to come. Existence flows past us like a river: the 'what' is in constant flux, the 'why' has a thousand variations. Nothing is stable, not even what's right here. The infinity of past and future gapes before us-a chasm whose depths we cannot see. So it would take an idiot to feel self-importance or distress. Or any indignation, either. As if the things that irritate us lasted."

With this in mind, let me tell you a true story. I met a dear lady a while ago, we hit things off and the sailing was smooth, I like her persona and I believed she liked mine too. We began dating, I did enjoy the moments we shared. On one dark night, the demon in me crept in and I channelled that energy into breaking the lady's heart by quitting. She had absolutely nothing to do with it and I didn't do it out of contempt. But it was a colourless time and such times often turn into a vessel to project one's accumulated hexes outwards. So this was what I did. I took the easy way and poured out some untrue lines as an excuse to get out easy and not face her. Immature right?

Being human, when the cold grip of depression lashes unto my mind, I tend to lash out at any prick that pokes me. I become a terror not only to myself as an individual but also to those that surround me or try to come close. This I never considered, not until I came across a study in Psychology on Psychological Projection and its effect on relationships and socialization.

When in distress, the fear of vulnerability activates the mind's defences, psychological projection is a defense mechanism we subconsciously employ in order to cope with difficult feelings or emotions, it is when you put your ill feelings or thoughts on another as though they are the ones who conceded such ill thoughts. For example a bully may project his or her own feelings of vulnerability onto a weaker target.

To cope with our pent up emotional hexes, we create an arsenal of psychological projection to shut Adam and Eve out of the Eden of our minds forgetting that a pepple that is tossed into a pond begins a reaction from the point of impact to the bank of the pond, unsettling the leaves and sticks floating peacefully on the surface of the pond.

Also, "Men are disturbed not by the things which happen, but by the opinion about the things." we sometimes accuse others of the same mental imbalance we ourselves are suffering from. Someone who feels the compulsion to steal or defraud often projects those feelings onto others. He might begin to fear that his wallet will be shatched or property is going to be stolen or worse he is going to be shortchanged by the woman that sells cigarette up the street. A man who cheats on his wife notoriously, may begin to accuse her of cheating when he senses or dreams of it, If a man is insecure and projecting, they may throw accusations at you out of nowhere. A woman is anxious that she is wasting the best years of her career at a dead-end job. She accuses her artist boyfriend of sitting around wasting his life building castles of art in the air and never trying to change his life for the better by getting a real job or joining the fast-track hustle of youths of his peers.

Depression creates a barrier to communication and social interaction, one who is overwhelmed by it, may begin to slowly withdraw from the external world and recede into the cacoon of one's solitariness chosing to stay unbothered by others and not be a burden to them as well, when they try to come close we show significant irritability and sometimes aggressive behaviour. In times like this, a faithful friend is hard to become or find; harmless interactions, common questions and simple show of love becomes repulsive and we react to them like a threat. We become opportunistic, trying to suck the sweet juices out of any form of relationship, you pass an air of negativity outwards and you inhale the replusive air and blame it on friends and partner. When will you realise that you are the "bad vibe that needs to stay faraway."  Your partner may feel like you are the most attractive person that they've ever seen. But if you don't see yourself as attractive, you may accuse him/her of not finding you desirable, because you are projecting your insecurities onto them, they become the projectee. 

If we want to have a meaningful, authentic and loving relationship, we have to learn to be aware of our Projection when it occurs. This also involves an effort from both partners, the projector ato be patient, mindful and respectful toward each other. Nothing can get solved unless the Projector is aware he is projecting. Things get worse if the projectee reacts to the blame. To conquer a demon you must know its name, to heal ourselves of this plaque, we ought to access our inner turmoil, accept that they exist instead of denying them and release them by sharing with our partner instead of using the 'Fine" line...I will conclude with these wise words, my boy Epictus' "If you wish it, you are free; if you wish it, you'll find fault with no one, you'll cast blame on no one, and everything that comes about will do so in accordance with your own will..."

ÀMÚLUDÙN

From a seed
Iroko's life begins
deeply rooted,
it grows to great heights;
Towaring highabove its neighbours
In contempt powerful wind
tempt to break
Iroko into submission
Its root held firm
Against drastic odds
Iroko towers resolute.
A lighthouse
That sits on solid rock
Will endure raging storm
till the battle is worn out
And its light
Will call lost ships home.
Mirror child of celestial light,
upon your broad shoulders
I rest
May I not fall

If the boisterous blue sea takes
away ancestral wisdom
A river without a source I become,
Slowly evaporating in the heat.
In the abscence of the cat,
The house is invaded by the rat
Who carts away with ancestral mask
A Child keeps the house
Till its father returns
A house a negligent one
Inherits to build
Will lay in ruin,
A child that honours his Egun
Will not suffer neglect
Upon such child,
Clouds of gloom
Shall pass

The celetial òrí
has long melted,
We have offered offerings
To the ancestral alter
Our calabash has been refilled.
New wine deserves new skin,
See the regalia we made in your likeness
Aso Ofi, Aso Oke, Adire and Damask
A regalia of many colours it is,
As flamboyant and graceful as you

Arise
Ancient One,
Saint of celestial order
We have gathered to celebrate you
In one accord;
With ancient tongues
Our Elders are chanting your oriki,
Your children sing your praise
In joy and high spirit
Mothers gather outside
Geared to dance with you
hear the gangan's voice
Mother Rat does not disregard
the call of its offsprings
Hearken to the sound of the gong
Come,
fill us with your prescence

Cool air,
Sweet water,
Bountiful earth.
From darkness comes light
a thunderous roar awakens,
the rythm
Of gongs and gangan
Songs of praise in mother tongue
Fills the mouths of the crowd
Children run around in elation
Àmúludùn the joyous one
As emerged
Her Majestic dance
fills the yard with Grace,
showers of blessings poured
From this benevolent one
Like a pregnant sky,
Long life, peace and wealth
filled our bodies, soul and spirit.

ISESE L'AGBA

Ifa is the knowledge, philosophy and wisdom of the spirituality of Orisa, the mystery of life is unraveled in spiritual calculations and interpretation which brings accurate messages that give warnings, propound solutions, and guidance from ancestral and premodial energies (this include Orisa, Iyami, Egun etc and Irunmole) for human.
The quest for the knowledge of the mysteries in Ifa is an unending journey one can not grasp the entirety of Ifa as the knowledge is very wide and its depth very great, it is a continuous education that one studys till he/she returns to his/her ancestral haven. The quest and practice of Ifa is Isese and Isese comes first in all human pursuit.

IFA says in Osa Irete a verse in the sacred Odu that Tradition is what's needed to have alignment in our lives. Tradition gives us order, it teaches us to respect and honor our Parents and Elders, how to attain a prosperous destiny, as well as Olodumare and Orisa. If we are looking for alignment it is Isese we should search for. The fundamental goal of our practice in Isese is to create heaven here on earth, not just for us but for the sake of generations to come. The Orisas represented by the people in this photograph were once humans that attained greatness in thier life and were deified after thier death because thier accomplishments deserved to be worshipped.

In our quest to fix our sole into tight and painful shoes to climb up the congested ladder of societal ideology of success, we have lost our divine affinity and oneness and become insensitivity to things divine, moral, pure and true. We have pushed Isese aside and trampled upon it with our iron stods and hard boots. We have neglected the source of ancestral wisdom and light. Isese has ceased to be a living reality, power and person in our lives who has the right to command our obedience, loyalty and dedication. We now live a life of strife, aggression, deception, poverty, cheating and fear, we have become spiritually malnourished and morally ill as a result we have become stepping stones and slave for the rise of other nations. The way onward as a nation is to remove the veils of division, rekindle our faith in tradition and its ever flowing stream of wisdom and spiritual consciousness and practice isese with honesty, compassion and justice for the benefit of the great nation of Africa and all of humanity. Black lives can only matter if African culture and traditions are brought back to life in the mind and lives of Africans to become our backbone and wings.

ODE APERIN

The trend of existence is to attain the height in ones undertaking. To keep keeping on regardless of what factors and fate awaits one on the journey to the peak, to manifest the idea boiling within and to influence the world as we know it or to create another instead. The higher the climb the more demanding the weight of gravity pulling you down, you would have to battle physically, mentally and spiritually against nature, phobia and time to kiss the peak. The brave man, as a proverb goes is not he who has no fear, but he who conquers that fear. The most important weapon in the battle against fear is the application of wisdom, it is with wisdom the underdog deals a mortal blow to the champion. Without the application of wisdom, bravery leaves you without guard.

With this in mind, the story I was told of Akiti the Hunter comes to mind and i thought i should share it.

A FAMOUS hunter and wrestler named Akiti boasted that he was stronger than every other man or animal. He had easily overcome a giant, a leopard, a lion, a gorilla, and a boa-constrictor, and as nobody else opposed his claim, he called himself “the King of the forest.”Wherever he went, he sang his triumphant wrestling-song, and everyone feared and respected him. But he had not fought the Elephant, who is a very wise animal and knows many charms. One day the Elephant challenged him and declared that he had no right to call himself “King,” as the Elephant himself was the monarch of the forest and could not be defeated. Akiti there upon flung his spear at his enemy, but because of the Elephant’s charm, the weapon glanced off his iron thick hide and grazed him not . Akiti next tried his bow and poisoned arrows, and his hunting-knife and gun, but still without effect. However, the hunter also possessed a charm, and by using it, he shape-shifted into a lion and leaped at the Elephant, but the Elephant swatted him off. Next he became a gigantic anaconda, but he could not succeed in crushing the African Elephant to death. At last, he remembers a scene were a fly took down his dog by flying into the dog's ear, it was indeed a sight watching his dog, running through heaps of dead leaves and head first into a tree opposite the one he rested under and decides to use the same tactic with the elephant, so he changed himself into a fly, and flew into the Elephant’s large flapping right ear. He went right down into the elephant's guts until he arrieved at the heart. There, he changed himself into a man again and cut up the heart with his matchete. At last the Elephant fell dead, and Akiti stepped out of his body in triumph, for he was now without question “Ode Aperin, the King of the forest.”

WOMEN'S REVOLT

"Koko- the law you passed is bad, unfair and discriminatory, being directed against women because of our stance. We will not accept it"
J.P Clark's Wives Revolt

Violence and inequality of women is all too familiar in my country Nigeria. The most common acts of violence and oppression against women in Nigeria include sexual harassment, physical violence, harmful practices, emotional and psychological violence, socio-economic inequality and violence against non-combatant women in conflict situation. In recent times, women activist have staged and held protest against violence, harassment and oppression of women in Nigeria. Women-led revolt are mass protests that are initiated as an act of resistance or rebellion in defiance of an established system of political and economical suppression and disenfranchisement.  Pre-colonial era, women have played crucial roles in national development, they handled the economy and built the nation through thier influence in the home and society.

During colonialism, women's influence on the economy was snatched from thier grasp and handled by power drunk colonial stooges who played the game as pawns loyally doing the queens bidding even at the detriment of thier own people in order to eat bread from their master's table. The system the British created was solely patriarchal so women had little or no say in the society, they couldn't vote neither were they given positions in the British administration, to surpress the women even further, they placed elevating taxes upon the women which wasn't supposed to be so given that they had no say in social and economical affairs so why should they contribute to such a society. This economic maltreatment of women became a symbol of British colonialism in Nigeria; women expressed thier woes bitterly to ignorant ears who did nothing to ease thier plight. Pushed hard to the wall, they began to seek alternative means to make things right. To bring about this change women began to revolt, starting from their households to staging public protests, women were able to transform "traditional methods for networking and expressing disapproval" into powerful mechanisms that successfully challenged and disrupted the local colonial administration. Two prominent, women's revolts impacted the struggle of women in my nation's history, they are: the Aba women war (riot) of 1929 and the Abeokuta Women Union's protest.

The Aba Women's Riot featured women rebelling against economic and socio-political oppressions in Bende, Umuahia, and other regions of Igboland. The Aba Women's War was built on the ripple effect of systematic sidelining and over taxing of women, in those days, the women owned lots of investments in the society, they owned livestocks, farms and they refined Palm kernels into palm oil. Since women were  making a ton of money from thier trade, The queen's men decided to tax them for all they own. They began to tax women from the age of 15 against the taxing of men from the age of 18, These and other irregularities and unfair treatment of women was the catacies  that ignited a dispute between a woman named Nwanyeruwa, who was a palm oil refiner and a man, Mark Emereuwa, who was a civil servant undertaking a census of the people living in the town controlled by the Warrant, Okugo. Madam Nwanyeruwa was in the palm oil pit refining palm oil when Oga Mark strolled into the compound and began to take inventory of the livestocks and all he was seeing with his eyes, during this unwelcomed visit, words were said, bitter insults and anger filled the air and palm oil was poured on oga Mark, I am certain that he wore the white overstached shirt with white shorts, and white helment. That same  day, The congregation of women assembled at the village square and a protest began, to quell this protest, the British Governor sent his army, in the scuffle women were killed and the protest became a war. The rebellion saw a union of women from six ethnic groups (Ibibio, Andoni, Ogoni, Bonny, Opobo, and Igbo).  It was organised and led by the rural women of Owerri and Calabar provinces. At the aftermath of this  battle, 51+ women were killed by thr British armed forces; many Warrant Chiefs were forced to resign and 16 Native Courts were attacked, most of which were burnt down.

The Abeokuta Women's Revolt (also called the Egba Women's Tax Riot) was a resistance movement led by the Abeokuta Women's Union (A.W.U.) under the leadership of Madam Funmilayo Ransom Kuti  and her sister-in-law, Madam  Grace Eniola Soyinka in the late 1940s against the imposition of unfair taxation by the Nigerian colonial government. Taxation was imposed on the citizens of Egbaland in 1918. From the start, the system of taxation was unfair to women. Women were forced to pay taxes from the age of 15 which was considered the marriageable age, while men did not have to pay till they were eighteen. The women of  A.W.U. were effective organizers, who protested viciously against the colonial government, with different types of resistance tactics. Many women refused to pay the tax and either ended up in jail or fined. In order to end the taxation regime, the AWU wrote proposals to replace the flat rate tax on women, the flat-rate taxation placed on women, this action favoured the British administrators so they supported and enforeced it. All thier petitions were not fruitful It was then that the AWU began their mass protests, such as marching outside the king's palace and demanding the abolishment of direct taxation.  Consequently, the British empire responded harshly by deploying tear gas and brutally beating  the women. Our mothers were resolute they poured out emass, a troop of over 10,000 women gathered and set up camp in front of the Alake's palace.  At the end of the protest, the women came out victorious, incarcerated women were realsed, the Alake abdicated his throne and went on exile, the Sole Native Authority (SNA) was changed and women were included in the governance of the Egba people.

Fast forwarding to recent neo-colonist times, in July and August 2002, a wave of protests by women from the Niger delta region against oil
 companies erupted mainly in Delta and Bayelsa States, in southern Nigeria. These protests
 constituted a landmark in the quest to ensure women’s rights, women from
 several ethnic groups in the Niger delta region put ethnic differences aside and joined to claim
 better living conditions, proper compensations for the communities living on lands that host
 oil exploitation and a sustainable means of living for their families. women from the Ugborodo local community occupied for eleven days the Chevron
Escravos crude oil export terminal in Delta State, operated by Chevron Nigeria Ltd. The
 unarmed women, seeking jobs for their sons and local investment, initially retained over 700
 Chevron workers by blocking sea and air accesses to the facility. The workers were gradually
released when the company agreed to thier terms by signing a MoU which was of course nothing but a written document fit only to be used to wipe the arse with.

Nigerian women are taking to the streets in cities across the country to protest against rape and sexual violence against women, this protests were born as a response to the recent rape and killing of two young sisters and also the pent up anger from rape that went by without the victims getting justice. Nigerian media regularly carry stories of gruesome violence against women and girls, and an ensuing lack of justice. According to Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, an estimated two million women, ladies and girls become victims of rape annually, but few of these cases are reported, let alone prosecuted, due to the stigma associated with being a rape survivor, fear of reprisals, and distrust of the authorities.
As a symbol of thier revolt, sisters began to call out men who have raped them, they began to share stories of mutual rape experiences to support those who  can't speak out andey have taken to the streets in protest. As a response, the Nigerian Police intensified thier investigation, they reported that through DNA analysis one of the rapist of the Victim that was raped and killed in a church was caught and others would soon be caught as well.  Women have also began to enlighten themselves on the need to push the fear of stigmatisation aside and report any attempt of rape to people that would respond swiftly and adequately to it.

These testimonials and many more recorded in the cause of the history of humanity, show that when women who attain a realization of political and social consciousness  come together for a cause to defend it, they can bring down any wall of Jericho set against thier advancement and take charge of thier own destiny. A coven of women can bring down a great nation or an adamant king.

"I fought against a war of
Inferiority because I was
Never born to be inferior.
I fought to illuminate my world
Because I was not born to be in the dark.
I have come to realise that failing to
Fight for what you want is
The worst form of suicide
And self-destruction"

 Ben Binebai’s Karena’s Cross

THE COMMUNE

“It is time to stop celebrating mediocrity. If your neighbour is not happy you cannot be at peace and if your neighbour is not at peace you cannot be happy. You are as rich as the poorest in your community and even one good soul is a blessing to the society." Beautiful Nubia


In Ifa, there is an ultimate need for intimate communion with the natural world and the forces of nature for elevating personal and collective consciousness. Ifa is based on the belief that if we live in harmony with ourself as individuals and neighbour (environment, humans and all of creation alike) we shall recieve the fullness of Life's blessings. Humility is essential in building onces humanity, it takes one who is humble to tolerate the vices of another, and its only with perseverance and tolerance that peace and harmony can reign without which a society will never develop. This doctrine is present in all spiritual path, in the bible, Jesus said "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." If I am compassionate to others and wish all who come my way peace, i find peace like wise. In Islam as well, communal responsibility is one of the pillars of Islam and it is enshrined in the principle of Zakat

The spirituality of the Commune is best described in the philosophy of Ubuntu, basically, the philosophy teaches that "I am because we are. Because we are, therefore I am" this means that society, not a transcendent being, gives human beings their humanity. That is, "a person is a person through other people" like mirrors reflecting one another. This reminds of our human interconnectedness and responsibility to one another, accordingly, we know that it takes a village to raise a child, and to achieve this as a commune, we must practice in our daily living the values of this great philosophy which are: mutual respect, mutual caring, mutual sharing and equality. The harmonious living together and commitment to the ongoing work of fostering peace, freedom and justice for the greater good is the duty of the commune. Nelson Mandela, in defining freedom in this context of shared responsibility, says: “to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but (also) to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

Joys Of Motherhood

In my secondary school years in CDSS Ojo, Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta was one of the books we treated, the book told a compelling story of a beautiful Igbo woman called Nnu Ego who gave her life to raise her children in a merciless colonial society, after the death of her first child, she devotes her life in educating her oldest son, trusting that he will support her and help educate his siblings. Unfortunately, he failed, abandoning his family to pursue life "Abroad." Her husband who usually returned home drunk and useless goes to marry a second and later a third wife even though he earns below the minimum wage. He was forcefully enrolled by the British army during WWII to fight an enermy he didn't even know. He went, he saw, his body returned but he left his fable mind behind. Torn between two cultures and unable to adapt, she dies at the side of road, unwanted, unloved and alone.



In Yoruba Tradition, it is believed that the woman is a distinct and pure portal for the creation of life. There is no human that works the earth, the good and evil alike that didn't proceed out of a woman. In our traditional society women are expected to be proactive, She girds her loin with strength and strengthens her arm as she sets out at dawn to create her own economic independence, It is believed that a woman's duty should include domestic duties like farming and skilled craft production and marketing, in her entreprise she finds fulfillment, a woman's work is never done. However, raising children is the essence of motherhood, the experience of marriage and motherhood dominates the life and identity of most women. Women who are mothers are obligated above other duties to mind the home and raise children that will bring glory and honour to themselves as individuals; to thier household as a unit and to the society as a body, the atrocity of a wayward child is blamed on the mother.

It is the stories the mother shares with her children that they learn from, they pick the positive and also the negative from these tales. Afterall, a fruit that falls from a tree is of the tree and in turn becomes the tree from which it ripen and falls, reflecting on this I remember all the stories from her life my mother shared with her children, though she wasn't an avid narrator of folk tales, like many folklore shared under the moonlight her life's story was always worth its weight in wisdom and from her stories I learnt the value of compassion, courage and willingness to explore beyond life boarders. A dear friend also narrated how her mother will call her and her siblings to her, ask them to kneel before her as she bends to enmbrace each child in her bossom, with her mouth she names the individual trait of each child and pours blessings upon them accordingly. These prayers, she said moulded her unbreakable faith in her path and at every turn she sees the prophecy of her mother come to light.

A Mother is like a tree, she gives her fruits and shade unconditionally regardless of she getting watered or given her due reward or if she lays to sleep without wages for her labour in the life of her children, nevertheless the virtuous labour of a mother never goes to waste, her children will eat from it. The joys of motherhood remains in the fulfilment of her labour not in the reward. This is the reason why "Òrìsà bí Ìyá òsi laye."

#Motherhood #Africanmother #woman #IDW2020 #4toscenethesis(c) #2020

HUMAN NATURE

“Needs are small: yes, you need food, shelter, you need a few things. Everybody’s needs can be provided for; the world has enough to fulfill everybody’s needs but desires… it is impossible. Desires cannot be fulfilled. And because people are fulfilling their desires, millions of people’s needs are not being fulfilled.” Osho


I came across a tale of a mighty man, in this story, on the death of this mighty man, died and reached heaven he was carrying all his weight in gold and diamonds, priceless artifacts and chests stacked full with scrolls containing infinite knowledge. He was truely burdened by his riches in preparation for the journey to the afterlife and all the responsibility that comes with. As he approached the gate of heaven, the gatekeeper asked, "Why are you carrying such a burden?" The man replied, "What burden are you on about? These are my wealthfor the afterlife" So the gatekeeper gave him a scale and placed a eye on one side of the scale He told the mighty man to put all his weight, all his titles, treasures and knowledge, on the other side of the scale. But the eye was heavier than the man's wealth. The gatekeeper said, "This is a human eye. It represents human desires. It cannot be fulfilled, however great the wealth you accumulate and how ever great your effort human desires still exceeds it." Then the gatekeeper blew a speck of dust into the eye. Irritated, the eye blinked immediately it lost its weight. Just a speck of understanding blown into the eye, will blind it's desire. When desire disappears, only needs remain, our natural needs are ever basic and its burden is light in comparison with the ton of desire we place on ourself. Desire is ugly, unchecked, it can make devils of us.

Once we learn how to choose the peacefulness in contentment, a small room is enough; a small quantity of food is enough; a few clothes are enough; how many houses can a man hoard to himself? Really, a lover is enough.

CHILD ABUSE

"You cannot teach a child any more than you can grow a plant. All you can do is on the negative side you can only help. It is a manifestation from within; it develops its own nature you can only take away obstructions" Swami Vivekananda

A child is born and she is not accepted as she is, from infant she is sent out to learn. Many things have to be dimmed, casted out; she has to be disciplined, weaned. She has many parts which the society and her parents are unlearned to accept, so those parts have to be denied, repressed; only a few parts are accepted. As an infant,the child has to be educated in society's doctrines regardless of thier influence in the development or underdevelopment of the society, through education she learns to conform to society and it's laws no matter how harsh and unjust it has been; she must also compete with her peers to recieve honorary pull, up the ladder. In other to conform, She has to deny many fragments of her being that will not fit with the society's design. She has to deny them so much that she herself forgets her essence and spends her years trying to fit her foot in society's tight shoes, she becomes filled with uncertainty, fear, depression and death.

This is repression, its a shame our society thrives on this.