Pouring Libation

[OlOrisa_Olokun]

very important topic.

On the matter of what to offer the Ancestor or Deities, we have the choice of Water, Wine and "Hard" Liquor. The choice of liquid depends on the nature of the libation and prayer and what your aim is in invoking (awakening) the Ancestors.

As has been my own experience:
Water is for cooling and healing and creating or reconciling relationships.
Liquor is fiery and is usually used to rouse, cement, ignite, protect and peform strong purfication.
Wine is mid-way between the two and is good for friendly relations, creating comradry between man and spirit.

This is an important matter as many of us do not realize that when you pour libation you are AWAKENING the Ancestors. The libation is only the 1st part of the process. After awakening the Ancestors, we have to actually DO something, DISCUSSS something or WORK a ritual. Libation is not complete without at bare minimum THANKING the Ancestors or REQUESTING something like support, stability, clarity, spiritual cleansing or protection etc.



Ideally, once you have poured libation you should be TALKING to the Ancestors like you talk to any other living person. You should conversate and build the relationship. Over time, you will hear messages in distinct ways. Sometimes several people will hear the message or hear parts of the message that then can be pieced together to make one complete communication from the Ancestors.

If you are pouring libation prior to a public event, you ask for BLESSINGS for that event or those in attendance.



The important part to remember again, is that libation in and of itself is not enough. You craft your libation prayer (in the diaspora people still dont understand that the best prayers have been empowered or handed down directly from specific Egungun or Orisa, so they are still most comfortable writing their own libation prayers) then you craft the conversation that EXPLAINS WHY YOU INVOKED the Ancestors on this occasion.

After doing these two things you close with Ase (which is a spiritual command/declaration of sorts of "Let it be so/Let it be done") and you GIVE THANKS PRIOR to seeing the fruits of your efforts. That is, you assume with confidence that provided you have not be unethical or lazy or cutting corners in your life that whatever you have asked for will come or Spirit will tell you what is it that you really need in place of that request.



Young people do not normally pour libation in the presence of Elders unless their youthful energy is identified as a necessity for that paricular ritual or cermony. Libation is done by community elders or the oldest member of the family. It can also be done by clergy of all ages, provided the eldest clergy present sanction and approve of the person identified. (This may sound familiar. In some churchs young people ask publicly for the right to speak or preach, even when their presence has already been planned, to guarantee that the eldest among them will be supporting their efforts and firming up the spiritual energy present.)

The person officiating Libation must possess the spiritual FORCE to open the way to Spiritual communication. We go with the safest route during this occasion and choose to allow those that are older, trained or more versed than us conduct such affairs.

Libation is a powerful spiritual science. Learn the steps well!

I guess I will share one other matter. Not all forms of libation are poured. Sometimes libations are shared with the addition of personal Ase, which is done by SPEWING the liquid from one's mouth onto the Earth or Deity or Ancestor Shrine. This carries much strength, but is not done carelessly. (if you don't know when to do it, ask a traditionalist for assistance.)

In contemporary times people do not always have a consecrated shrine or the actual Earth beneath them to pour libation. They wonder how to conduct the process properly in these situations without making a mess, especially when they do not own the space in which they are conducting their event.

 

You can pour libation on
[list=a]

• the ground
• on to a shrine
• on the ground in front of a shrine
• at the doorstep to a building
• on to a living plant
• into a receptable which on the floor symbolizing the ground
• on the street in front a venue

there may be other ways, but these are safe bets.



More Photos
http://www.wku.edu/~johnston.njoku/arochukwu/ututu/eight/20_020_21.jpg
http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~aloung/images/libate.jpg
http://www.igbofocus.co.uk/assets/images/Libation.jpg
http://www.africanartville.org/africanartville/Chapters/SierraLeone/AuntyKunley_Small.jpg

[Sis Najuwah]

Greetings,

This is some great info, it's a blessing to receive.  Most people have issues with deceased relatives and cant phantom communication with relatives as being the norm, even if it's for advice or blessings.

I imbrace my African heritage and would encourage other to go back to thier roots.  it's a blessing to know that my ancestor are with me and I can turn to them for strenght, courage and advice.

Tua Ntr
Najuwah

[MuddyRivers]

Olorisa_Olukun,

Greetings. This is very interesting to me.

In regards to the fact that many an African American rapper has been seen (they put the Ghetto custom on TV, which is why I use them for reference)pouring libations for their fallen Ghetto Dwellers. Do you know the history of this in the African American Community?

Surely it is an tradition that we have retained from Africa.

Do you know the difference between what African Americans do and what is done in African libation ceremonies?

It is almost always done with alchohol by African Americans.

Do you know more about the history of pouring libations?

[OlOrisa_Olokun]

Olorisa_Olukun,

Greetings. This is very interesting to me.

In regards to the fact that many an African American rapper has been seen (they put the Ghetto custom on TV, which is why I use them for reference)pouring libations for their fallen Ghetto Dwellers. Do you know the history of this in the African American Community?

Surely it is an tradition that we have retained from Africa.

Do you know the difference between what African Americans do and what is done in African libation ceremonies?

It is almost always done with alchohol by African Americans.

Do you know more about the history of pouring libations?

I believe all the issues you have addressed above are already discussed in the article.

[MuddyRivers]

OlOrisa_Olokun,

I didn't see any mention of the African American custom and the history of it in this country, nor the changes or distortions of it.

Pouring libations of course is also in the bible. I was wondering if some of the changes in AA libations came about because of the introduction of an new religion?

[jemba]

Hotep Ba bantu

Can you OlOrisa_Olokun or anyone else, tell me what materials I need and how to make a spiritual fire please. I have been trying out a number of items and different ways to make a spiritual fire but i have failed so far.

[OlOrisa_Olokun]

Hotep Ba bantu

Can you OlOrisa_Olokun or anyone else, tell me what materials I need and how to make a spiritual fire please. I have been trying out a number of items and different ways to make a spiritual fire but i have failed so far.

I am not sure what a "spiritual fire" is... Fire as a spiritual element is used to interface/commune/experience/relate to particular Deities. In and of itself, its nothing. Now match it up with a SPECIFIC Deity of Afrika and you're in the mix. You can study it by itself and gain some insight into that kind of energy. But if your intent is doing a ritual, then you need to find ONE system and ask for their Deities that are associated with fire, then what ritual corresponds. That is, begin at the search for God, then fire, not the other way around.

As for African-Americans and libation, its a carry over from our time in Afrika. There is no particular way to do it, You pour it out on the curb or on the ground. There is no distortion in the act, just loss of memory of when to do it and when not to do it. In Afrikan ritual it contains more elements, actual prayers, and it done for certain purposes and certain precede it and follow it. (all of which i covered).

Christianity distorts just about every religion and culture it touchs. Thats the nature of european religion, redefine, reassign, devalue, subjugate etc. I dont know that libation is distorts per se. Again, its a loss of memory. That is the primary reason it libation is not used by non-traditionalists properly. I would also say that libation in the Bible is not the same as Afrikan libation. It way too elementary in purpose and function to be compared to what we do in our cultures.

[MuddyRivers]

OlOrisa_Olokun,

Thank you anyways.

[Moorfius]

Hotep

There are very grave consequences in not honoring the ancestors. Europians in Amerikkka have todays Afrikans who live there as the children from the Slave trade thinking that the Afrikans who live in the Home Land are backwards and primitive worshiping arbatraily ancestors with out knowing what they are doing. At the same time so-called White ancestors are worshiped and honored in churches, schools, colleges etc.  What is not understood is, all of the images and statues in the churches and else ware are White People that have nothing to do with the Salvation of so-called Black People.  All of the images and likenes of so-called whites given to the Afrikan are people who played a major role in their ancestors distruction and in-slavement and not any of their well being.  In fact, this is why we suffer, suffer and suffer, calling on the Open Enemies so-called white ancestors to honor and not our own Ancient Afrikan Ancestors as "We" should. There can never be any justice under these sick, raceist conditions.  "No justice no peace" is a slogan that is absolutly true.  There can never be justice for the Afrikans in Amerikkka or any ware else until we learn to "Honor" our Afrikan ancestors and bring about justice by Uniting, Organising and most of All,...Learning the knowlege of Self, and "Take Back" what is rightfuly the Afrikans place in the Earth as it's Care Takers and protectors. History has been re-wrote, meaning: The Europian's have taken Afrikans place in history by changing the truth and distorting everything for the love of Greed and to satisfy unchecked appitites of lust for Power at any cost to the Earth and it's Origenal People.  May the spirits of the ancestors continue to bless us with the Light of understanding.
                                   People Know Thy Self

Ase`

http://www.swagga.com/libation.htm