Origins of Voodoo

[Ayinde]

Voodoo is a derivative of the world's oldest known religions which have been around in Africa since the beginning of human civilization. Some conservative estimates these civilizations and religions to be over 10 000 years old. This then identify Voodoo as probably the best example of African syncretism in the Americas. Although its essential wisdom originated in different parts of Africa long before the Europeans started the slave trade, the structure of Voodoo, as we know it today, was born in Haiti during the European colonization of Hispaniola. Ironically, it was the enforced immigration of enslaved African from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of Voodoo. European colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community. However, in the misery of slavery, the transplanted Africans found in their faith a common thread. CONTINUE HERE...

[Bantu_Kelani]

Beautiful post Ayinde..Thanks for that!

Vodou/Voodoo is the black race religion! Very powerful, just like any other traditional African religion..Good when use for such purposes and bad when use to accomplish evil. In the Fon language of Dahomey now called Benin in East Africa, Vodou means "Sacred", "Spirit", "Deity" or "Divine spirit".

Vodou is also part of everything in Nature. The Lwa or spirits of Vodou are like branches of a Great Tree or Great Root (God or Bondye). The spirits are within the elements of Nature, such as the sky, wind, water, earth, air, fire, plants, etc... Each spirit has their own purpose. We can communicate with them not only through ceremony or service but also by acknowledging them and interaction with them in our daily lives.

The black Renaissance could be ushered by a push to modernize all aspects of our true religions. I think that Vodou holds the key to Haiti and black communities' transformation. We have a lot to learn from Vodou, but first we must purify and refine it!

Bantu-Kelani.

[sisMenenI]

It is Hollywood's portrayal of Voodoo that has made everyone sight it as some kind of sorcery... as Anthropology shows, there is a definite difference between sorcery and magic, sorcery being with an intention of harm, magic using objects and putting mystical power into their use to get a result, not usually with harmful intent.
The poor thing about Vodun in Haiti is that it is mixed with Catholicism, pushed on the people by the oppressors. So it is not of it's original W. African purity. . . RasTafari is the answer to the current state of the WORLD. Blessed Love

[Yann]

The poor thing about Vodun in Haiti is that it is mixed with Catholicism, pushed on the people by the oppressors. So it is not of it's original W. African purity. . . RasTafari is the answer to the current state of the WORLD. Blessed Love

Well as far as i know Ras Tafari is not based on pure African tradiitons anyway, it is largely Christian in its outlook( i:e reliance on the bible, judeo christian traditions etc). How then could it be the answer to the current state of the world in regards to this post?  How do you see Ras Tafari glorifying ancient african religions/traditions?

[sisMenenI]

Catholicism and the judeo-christian roots of Rastafari are extremely different. Catholicism, having it's head quarters in the Vatican run by the Pope and the evilous actions of the white man... they portray Christ as well as all biblical characters to be white, blonde hair, blue eyed. Catholicizm is a very manipulated branch of Christianity by the white man, again, this is my opinion.
Rastafari know the Garden of Eden is Mama Itiopia, all biblical characters of the old testament and new are very similar looking to HIM Haile Sellassie the first, as he fulfills prophecy, hair as lamb's wool, feet like the brass... black.
And when I say Rastafari is the answer, that is through the living out of Christly principles in the paradigm shift from Christianity to Rastafari. In other words, it begins with knowing thyself and seeking the infinite love dwelling within. This is just my opinion, but I do say that Rastafari encompasses all religion and lifts it to a higher height with the healing of Africa, as it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end.  I hope I answered your question Yan. Give Thanks

[Ayinde]

You said: "knowing thyself and seeking the infinite love dwelling within"

This in essence is what Rasta is/was about in my view.

[iyah360]

Peace.

Yan, you said:

"Well as far as i know Ras Tafari is not based on pure African tradiitons anyway, it is largely Christian in its outlook( i:e reliance on the bible, judeo christian traditions etc). How then could it be the answer to the current state of the world in regards to this post?  How do you see Ras Tafari glorifying ancient african religions/traditions?"

There is a thread on the forum that the I should check out:

"RASTAFARI IS !

qoute from another message :

Bantu Biko wrote " the problem is white supremacy ,the only logical and psychological response is Black Consciousness"

Garvey taught us about seeing God through our own spectacles! he talked about an Ethiopian God , a black God ( yo! he even went further to say not GOD of Abraham , Jacob and Isaac).

Like I have said bookshelf spirituality is not going to take anywhere. I respect the ancient texts and corresponding ideas and philosophies. The reality then was characterised by perfect and harmonious situation . Now black people are concrete slaves wherever they find themselves . They may be exceptions but in general if we talk abot the race as whole! we are owned and controlled! That is reality at personal , national and continental level !

Doc Ben talks about the relation between religion and culture ; he says religion is deification of culture hence if one looks at religion one sees that saints and the god resemble the nation it was "revealed to".

I have grown up under (isi)Xhosa culture which emphasised three aspects of JAH : these being
all pervasive of jah i.e immanence , surely what here is reffered as cosmic ; the localised aspect and the supreme godhead which is the personal nature ( u Qamata: an analysis of the word reflects that this one is a combination of
father and mother).

ok for me HIM and the EMPRESS MENEN fit the supreme godhead and they directly relate to our situation .Hence i have written elsewhere responding to Bantu :

"yes I , Sellasie I IS THE ALMIGHTY!he is the creator ,the mantainer ,the sustainer ,the defender and the developer! he is in one , he is for i ,with i and he is THE i!!

his majesty as can be realised as in creation ,the universal aspect ! he can be realised in the local aspect in I and I WITH THE HEART AND THE MIND . the third and the highest is in his personal form ! the kingly character , the warrior- priest . HE INSPIRES US TO COMPLTE THE HISTORICAL TASK : EMANICIPATION OF THE race .

sellasie i is ,now and for IVER !

STUDY , TEACH AND STRUGGLE

AFRICA AWAITS ITS CREATORS , ARE YOU ONE

SELLASIE i

black love

blessed my lord and empress
sellasie I
SIVUYILE "

black love
bless up "

http://www.rastafarispeaks.com/cgi-bin/forum/config.pl?read=34361

and I responded:

"Peace.

I am merely trying to overstand where the I is coming from. I come with humble respect.

Is the I saying that Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen fit the concept of GOD perfectly in THIS time and that while looking in the past to the concepts previous to colonization is great to overstand the ROOTS, that implementing those ways AS THEY WERE CONCEIVED IN A TIME OF PEACE would not be of the MOST benefit to fowarding towards liberation TODAY -- That the culture and ideology must REFLECT the REALITY of TODAY's environment?

Correct I if I am wrong. Give thanks for the reasoning, very insightful.

Bless."

in which sivuyile responded:

"i am saying iyah.You put it so irie ,my lord.i will qoute the i

"that while looking in the past to the concepts previous to colonization is great to overstand the ROOTS, that implementing those ways AS THEY WERE CONCEIVED IN A TIME OF PEACE would not be of the MOST benefit to fowarding towards liberation TODAY -- That the culture and ideology must REFLECT the REALITY of TODAY's environment?"

that is my point !!!!

selah"



I also posted this as my overstanding of Rastafari alogn with the symbol of Haile Selassie and its validity to my overstanding:

"Peace.

I posted this in response to that post:

'I sight up Haile Selassie as a symbol of the ancient principle of God in man, not as an idol to be worshipped, but rather as a reminder of I and I. The name means Power of the Trinity or might of the 3. If ones have studied the meanings of numbers and geometry, the name Haile Selassie is indeed an accurate expression of one of the fundamental observable laws of creation, being the unity following the division. 1 = fundamental, 2 = division, 3 = the union once again after division.

Emporor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen are also viewed as the feminine and masculine principles in creation, co-creators.

Humans have always expressed in symbols, finite to express the infinite.

I do indeed see many caught up in wastes of energy debating theories and speculation pertaining to the bible and the divinity of Haile Selassie and also as an excuse for continued ignorance.'

. . .

'I think debating biblical validity for something in the heart and apparent in nature and the cycles of the heavens is absolutely silly and a waste of energy. I know Rasta is not Haile Selassie, Haile Selassie is a symbol of Rasta. Ethiopia is the place of the birth of mankind, Selassie is a symbol of Ethiopia(which I know is not the only area once considered greater Ethiopia). Ethiopia and the areas to the south where the Nile flowed from are the homelands of the culture which flourished and evolved in Khemet. Jesus Christ is a version of Horus, the Virgin Mary a symbol of Isis impregnated by God/Osiris to bring forth the Son. Nothing new under the SUN. The Pharoah represented the God-King, the same way I see Haile Selassie as a SYMBOL. I know Rasta is spoken of as a place in the Book of Coming Forth by Day. Rasta is a place known tens of thousands of years ago.

Indeed, as Bantu-Kelani states:

"The Universe is DYNAMIC, always in constant flux...yet we humans wish to not go along with the rest of the Universe! Self examination can only be a benefit. Indeed, all social problems are direct result of people not knowing the content of their OWN minds "

Well said!!!!

Bless.

"those who get lost in symbols and do not pierce the veil to get the meaning of the symbol have not pierced ignorance and are still living in ignorance and have really deluded themselves" '"

[iyah360]

Peace.

Posted:

"You said: "knowing thyself and seeking the infinite love dwelling within"

This in essence is what Rasta is/was about in my view."

EXACTLY.

[iyah360]

Furthermore.

There also must be overstanding of the difference between bowing to idols and having icons to represent certain aspects that one wishes to meditate on.

In much the same way that the  Buddhist and Hindu have representations of different 'gods' to represent the different aspects of the one God(I choose this example because I feel this is the one people are more familar with), Selassie is a symbol to I.

The kingly and royal pictures of HIM reminds I of the kingly character I wish to cultivate through a constant and neverending journey towards overstanding the Most High through processes of greater and greater self-knowledge.

I and I is the center of Rasta. The royalness of Selassie is a symbol of the process.

[sisMenenI]

The kingly and royal pictures of HIM reminds I of the kingly character I wish to cultivate through a constant and neverending journey towards overstanding the Most High through processes of greater and greater self-knowledge.

Yes Iyah.. VERY WELL SAID.
More Love RasTafari

[Bantu_Kelani]

The kingly and royal pictures of HIM reminds I of the kingly character I wish to cultivate through a constant and neverending journey towards overstanding the Most High through processes of greater and greater self-knowledge.
I and I is the center of Rasta. The royalness of Selassie is a symbol of the process.

True mystics are unanimous in their denial of the theory that the supreme Deity is human in form. A human form is utterly useless in the ethereal substances through which the Mind of the Universe, the absolute Emperor of ALL manifest. It is also my belief that the Supreme Being (male and female) consists of metaphysical experiences beyond physical reach.

B.K