Questions about Priests and Devotees in Traditional African Religion (Spirituality) Part 1

Should Priests be rich or poor?
A Priest’s financial situation should consistent with the reading that governed their Priestly Initiation and Destiny. This is really true of us all. We can not define ourselves by other people’s definitions of success. Success looks different for everyone. Some people are destined to find happiness with little or no money; others are supposed to be wealthy. We should be careful to never question the path laid out for others by Ori, the Ancestors and the Deity – or we jeopardize our own Destiny! A person, including a Priest, can only have what has been allotted to them in Orun (Heaven) and nothing more.

Only when a Priest fails to meet their own goals and potential should we question their ability to help us attain our own.

I feel very disconnected from the Priest I am dealing with, but everyone else has a wonderful relationship with her/him, what should I do?
Someone can be a wonderful Priest but be a horrible match for you. We don’t have to question the skill set or motives of a Priest to have a good reason to stop working with them. Without exhausting all the reasons that one might use to severe a relationship with a Priest, let’s say that what’s most important is that we know we are supported, our interactions with the Priest constitute an ethical relationship and we can sense the spiritual protection of the Priest that is working with us. We determine the possibility of working with a particular Priest by watching their relationships with others. We define the value of OUR relationship with Priest by looking at how they work with us.

I have this phone number of a Priest that I have yet to call. I think I have had it for years. I am not sure what I am worried about; I know I need to get involved with African Religion (Spirituality) I just find myself stalling. What should I do?
Call the number on that piece of paper before you lose it, it changes or the Priest moves. If working with the Priest in question doesn't work out, you can just try another at a later date. It’s better to know what you didn't like then to have no perspective at all.

What’s up with animal sacrifice? Is there a way to avoid it?
In the beginning of time, per the arrangement of Olodumare, all of Creation entered into a covenant, which makes us dependent on one another at certain times. Within that covenant we recognize that some things die that others may live. As much as people rail against the idea that some natural disasters are Divine, it is true. Nature sometimes makes sacrifice of us so that other elements in Life can flourish, heal or realign itself. We do the same through animal sacrifice. The blood and spiritual force that runs through living things is very powerful and can make many things happen. Prior to animal sacrifice, divination is used to determine the willingness and match of a particular animal to a ritual or ceremony. So every animal that is sacrificed does so willingly. Also in ancient times, some cultures considered animal sacrifice as a symbol of cutting (Ogun) away the animal (emotional) aspects of the person, so that the True Self/Spirit could lead a person.

There are some Iles that use less blood sacrifice that others and even some that out of taboos that govern their clergy that have developed ways to limit blood sacrifice – but animal sacrifice is and always will be a critical part of Deity worship. Only the Deity themselves, and no other – can sanction its abolishment. (This is because only the Deity can provide a suitable and spiritually potent alternative to it.) There are lots of books and articles that discuss this subject at length. I recommend the Healing Power of Sacrifice.

Does every Devotee have to get initiated?
No. They don't and they shouldn't. Westerners still seem to perpetuate the myth that Priestly Initiation is a natural progression within Deity worship for Devotees. Not everyone is destined to serve others. Everyone does not have the spiritual prowess to conduct and perform spiritual acts and works on behalf of the community. Everyone is not as interested and committed to the study and spreading of ethical behavior. This is a calling that comes from the Deity and the Ancestors, not the human mind or some dogmatic set of “processes”. Why then do so many people get initiated?

I suspect there are two reasons why people that are spiritually inclined to be Priest end up getting initiated these days: (1) Westerners enjoy anything that symbolizes power and eldership. We also seem to think that if we are around long enough that we seem to “deserve” something that is really on loan from Olodumare and Esu – ASE. (2) Many Temples do not possess and/or pass on spiritual sciences that can be used by the non-clergy to make dramatic and life changing improvements in their character and daily life, so out of necessity they pass on the only ritual they know that is strong enough to do this – Priestly Initiation.

Who is more important, the Priest or the Devotee?
There is no temple without a congregation. The community is more important than the Priest! The Priest is afforded respect for her/his tireless devotion to enter spiritual realms that are intoxicating and enchanting, dangerous and beautiful – but above all, unseen and challenging. The Priest has been known to cure the incurable, settle legal matters that seem destined to eat the Devotee alive and bring happiness where only sorrow existed before. It is natural and appropriate to honor a person that acts as the community’s herbalist, psychologist, medium, doctor, bodyguard and confidante – but even still the Priest is a servant. She or he should never forget that to serve one must put the lives and the needs of others first. The Priest exists only because there is a community, a Deity and the Ancestors. These people and spiritual entities are to be served by the Priest. So mutual and equal respect between all parties is due – or the Priest can find themselves without anyone to serve and the community finds itself struggling to sort out its relationship to Spirit. The Priest and Devotee must never exploit, slight, harm or be jealous of the other.

Can non-clergy teach or comment on Traditional African Religion (Spirituality)?
A seasoned Devotee (not intellectual or self appointed researcher) can teach or comment on topics if they have been trained and sanctioned by a Priest/Elder to do so. This is the best “westerner” answer. There are some things that a Devotee will never been sanctioned to teach others to do: make animal sacrifice, teach divination, conduct community ritual etc. These acts require initiation and lineage based ASE. We have way too many westerners (White and Black) that have never worshipped a Black God of Africa, attended a ritual or even talked to their own Ancestors in a traditional way commenting on African Spirituality. It’s not only disrespectful, its ruining the culture.

Back to Questions and Answers Homepage