The Lukumí cumulative veneration of Ori, i.e. free-will, seems to sustain the unchanged western attitude of mind and behavior that ignore the edification of sacred botany. In our time, there is a new trend in the religious community that postulates academic theories of borrowing, change, and diffusion as cultural constants. Some progressive Lukumí postulators seem to be influenced by Western materialism, however, the concern for Lukumí would be the preservation of its own transcendental constants. What are some religious factions borrowing, changing, and diffusing? It is becoming more evident that postulators are purporting psychological and behavioral elements of Western bad character, may it be deliberate, or unintentional.
Lukumí believe plants are living things that are undeniably connected to humans. Sacred botany must be respected. Extracting parts of a plant for ritual use must follow traditional religious protocol to ensure the efficacy of its use and healthy continuity of the plant. The egregious behavior of modern oxidants are observable at the acquisition point of plants for commercial purposes. Sacred botany is eroding into a commodity to satisfy market demands. Plant gatherers ignore the appropriate lunar cycle for pruning. They sliver parts of a plants soul in disregard of its welfare. The behavior ignores asking the plant for permission to take portions of its soul in sacrifice for a higher purpose. Plants are unaware who’s to benefit from its sacrifice. In many instances the gatherer mistreats surrounding plants, as well. The attitude of mind is about entitlement for profit on the basis of free-will.
The consciousness of the gatherer ignores that plants: see, feel, breathe, hear, smell, taste, and their basic structure is similar to humans. This attitude of mind has been borrowed from Western materialism, and its appalling diffusion is not questioned by many in the Lukumí priesthood. Our religion teaches that we must be good stewards of the environment. If we are truly a nature worship based religion adherents must abandon a plunderer attitude of mind and behavior.
Religious leaders don’t seem to reflect or care about the environment and conditions where plants were obtained. It is observable that acts of exploits ignore the fact that plants live in community and have siblings. The gatherer roams and randomly slivers plants that may be located at a hospital, in the vicinity of a cemetery, dump site, defunct strip mall or business, contaminated spaces, homes where human suffering prevails, etc. These plants are exploited and used in life changing sacred ceremonies.
When a plant is desecrated and its peers are maltreated, and comes from contaminated spaces, it cannot constructively benefit the human. People often express that the divinities are not manifesting with the same power. Indeed something is perversely changing in comparison to the old days. Nothing prohibits the Lukumí from following traditional protocol. It is Ori’s aberration that is borrowing, changing, and diffusing an attitude of mind and behavior that violate universal principles. In this context, modern Lukumí postulators are breeding a generation of unsuspecting victimizers whose practices mold a new history and tradition. I encourage the new generation to abandon modern oxidants that pollute mind and behavior. By returning to universal principles of nature worship our religion remains sustainable.
Oba Ernesto Pichardo
11-24-2013
Lukumí believe plants are living things that are undeniably connected to humans. Sacred botany must be respected. Extracting parts of a plant for ritual use must follow traditional religious protocol to ensure the efficacy of its use and healthy continuity of the plant. The egregious behavior of modern oxidants are observable at the acquisition point of plants for commercial purposes. Sacred botany is eroding into a commodity to satisfy market demands. Plant gatherers ignore the appropriate lunar cycle for pruning. They sliver parts of a plants soul in disregard of its welfare. The behavior ignores asking the plant for permission to take portions of its soul in sacrifice for a higher purpose. Plants are unaware who’s to benefit from its sacrifice. In many instances the gatherer mistreats surrounding plants, as well. The attitude of mind is about entitlement for profit on the basis of free-will.
The consciousness of the gatherer ignores that plants: see, feel, breathe, hear, smell, taste, and their basic structure is similar to humans. This attitude of mind has been borrowed from Western materialism, and its appalling diffusion is not questioned by many in the Lukumí priesthood. Our religion teaches that we must be good stewards of the environment. If we are truly a nature worship based religion adherents must abandon a plunderer attitude of mind and behavior.
Religious leaders don’t seem to reflect or care about the environment and conditions where plants were obtained. It is observable that acts of exploits ignore the fact that plants live in community and have siblings. The gatherer roams and randomly slivers plants that may be located at a hospital, in the vicinity of a cemetery, dump site, defunct strip mall or business, contaminated spaces, homes where human suffering prevails, etc. These plants are exploited and used in life changing sacred ceremonies.
When a plant is desecrated and its peers are maltreated, and comes from contaminated spaces, it cannot constructively benefit the human. People often express that the divinities are not manifesting with the same power. Indeed something is perversely changing in comparison to the old days. Nothing prohibits the Lukumí from following traditional protocol. It is Ori’s aberration that is borrowing, changing, and diffusing an attitude of mind and behavior that violate universal principles. In this context, modern Lukumí postulators are breeding a generation of unsuspecting victimizers whose practices mold a new history and tradition. I encourage the new generation to abandon modern oxidants that pollute mind and behavior. By returning to universal principles of nature worship our religion remains sustainable.
Oba Ernesto Pichardo
11-24-2013
Know Thyself
By Michael A. Mason
The gate of the great oracle at the Delphi in ancient Greece
carried the inscription, Know Thyself. To this day people strive to understand
themselves and their place in the cosmos. For increasing numbers of people,
African Cuban Orisha worship and its complex divination systems are important
tools to reflect on their lives and work to improve them. Through Ifa and
dilogun, people around the world are coming to understand themselves and their
situations. Tradition says that these divination systems speak of yesterday,
today, and tomorrow, and search inside and outside of the person to reveal
destiny.
Through destiny we encounter many people, and none of us exists in isolation. Because well-trained diviners understand that people come to the orishas with a variety of challenges in their lives including health, character, and economics, social life often becomes the focus of consultations. The diviner uses the odu given by the oracle to address the key issues in the client’s social environment. Because the orishas wish to help us resolve whatever difficulties we face, their advice encompasses personal relationships, family situations, and political concerns. As Ortega and Gasset said, I am myself and my circumstances.
Consider an example. In the sign Oshe Meji, one proverb refers to the blood that runs through the veins. This odu and proverb lead the diviners to ask about the person’s intimate friendships, about tensions in the family, and about difficulties with the law. Perhaps the person has a sibling who is facing a court case or family spirit that wants attention. Whatever the actual situation, the image of blood that runs in the veins applies to each aspect of social life. Divination locates the relationships that are troubling the individual. It shows us who we are and where we find ourselves.
But Ifa and Dilogun have an advantage that other divination systems do not. We have inherited from our elders a method of communication with the orishas that does more than locate our problems. It pinpoints a course of action to resolve those problems. Even after completing any spiritual work suggested by the orishas, we can refer back to the advice of the divination odu again and again.
Another proverb in Oshe Meji says, the needle carries the thread. This saying implies that we must be careful in our actions—especially with our children—because they inevitably have long-lasting effects. It suggest that we must finish what we start. The proverb’s wisdom guides us as we are interacting with our friends and families. Through the proverbs and advice we remember the orishas’ guidance as we deal with our circumstances. Divination not only reveals our identities and conditions at the time of consultation, it gives us the tools to act more effectively in the world.
All followers of the orishas know that we must obey the instructions of the divinities. Their wisdom shields us from untold trouble, and divination is an important avenue to that knowledge. As the odu Obara Meji says, One who knows does not die like one who does not know.
Published by CLBA Ashe Newsletter
Copyright April 1996
Vol. 1, Number two
Through destiny we encounter many people, and none of us exists in isolation. Because well-trained diviners understand that people come to the orishas with a variety of challenges in their lives including health, character, and economics, social life often becomes the focus of consultations. The diviner uses the odu given by the oracle to address the key issues in the client’s social environment. Because the orishas wish to help us resolve whatever difficulties we face, their advice encompasses personal relationships, family situations, and political concerns. As Ortega and Gasset said, I am myself and my circumstances.
Consider an example. In the sign Oshe Meji, one proverb refers to the blood that runs through the veins. This odu and proverb lead the diviners to ask about the person’s intimate friendships, about tensions in the family, and about difficulties with the law. Perhaps the person has a sibling who is facing a court case or family spirit that wants attention. Whatever the actual situation, the image of blood that runs in the veins applies to each aspect of social life. Divination locates the relationships that are troubling the individual. It shows us who we are and where we find ourselves.
But Ifa and Dilogun have an advantage that other divination systems do not. We have inherited from our elders a method of communication with the orishas that does more than locate our problems. It pinpoints a course of action to resolve those problems. Even after completing any spiritual work suggested by the orishas, we can refer back to the advice of the divination odu again and again.
Another proverb in Oshe Meji says, the needle carries the thread. This saying implies that we must be careful in our actions—especially with our children—because they inevitably have long-lasting effects. It suggest that we must finish what we start. The proverb’s wisdom guides us as we are interacting with our friends and families. Through the proverbs and advice we remember the orishas’ guidance as we deal with our circumstances. Divination not only reveals our identities and conditions at the time of consultation, it gives us the tools to act more effectively in the world.
All followers of the orishas know that we must obey the instructions of the divinities. Their wisdom shields us from untold trouble, and divination is an important avenue to that knowledge. As the odu Obara Meji says, One who knows does not die like one who does not know.
Published by CLBA Ashe Newsletter
Copyright April 1996
Vol. 1, Number two
