Today in our sacred calendar we celebrate Gbĕlŭgan. Gbĕlŭ means to overcome an obstacle. Gan is something big/great. It is a 45-day sacred ritual cycle done to target specific familial and community issues. It is designed to bring energies back into alignment on a larger and more collective scale. There are no blood sacrifices for these cycles. Chapter 73 of the sacred Gànhúmehàn is chanted during Gbĕlŭgan. House cleanings are done. Drumming, singing, affirmations and reaffirmation a done, going over one’s personal mission statements, are all part of this important festival.
This is also a specially designed calendar observance with rituals that repel and eradicate those acts and persons who are the enemies of Máwùfɛ (Afrika) and Máwùfɛnugbɛtɔ (Afrikan people). This includes all acts that oppress Máwùfɛnugbɛtɔ and all of those who engage in it.
The rituals are primarily geared towards warrior divinities like Azunsun, Gù and certain Tohùn (cerain national divinites specific to us).
The Meditator, the Artist, and the Warrior – A View from a Vodúnvi
Sɛ́lìntɔ – The Meditator/One who Meditates
In the Fɔ̀n dialect of the Ajã language, the word sɛ́lìn means to think or meditate on the soul/life/situation. It can be used as a spiritual practice or in a more mundane way. In each of us there is a meditator. It can possibly be buried deep down but it’s there. The Meditator in us is the wish to be calm, to be real humans, to bring the best out of ourselves, and to deposit good into the world. Our inner sɛ́lìntɔ brings lucidity, calm, and deep insight. It comes about by actualizing the desire to create the right condition for such.
Diɖótɔ – The Artist
In the Fɔ̀n dialect of the Ajã language, the word diɖó means to create, to do art. A diɖótɔ is one who does art or who creates. In a healthy society, and within the self, the artist is very important. The artist brings freshness, joy, and meaning to life. Allow the artist in you to be creative so you can experience the joy of mindfulness. The artist within creates the joy and inner bliss we experience.
Ahwantɔ – The Warrior
“Ahwan” is “warrior” in the Fɔ̀n dialect of the Ajã language. In everyone of us there is a warrior; or at least it should be. The ahwantɔ is that aspect that does not give up. It fights for what is right and doesn’t back down. It brings the determination to go ahead when all the obstacles say “no”.
All three of these are part of your sɛ́ – soul, essence, that which brings power to your being, that aspect of the Creator within you. This is evident in one of the Ajã names for the Creator, Sɛ́gbo. This literally means the biggest/greatest sɛ́ – the origin and distributor of all sɛ́. Each Afrikan human has a sɛ́ (soul).
The Meditator, The Artist, and The Warrior are three aspects of who you are. We have to utilize each aspect and never allow either of them to become weak. However, balance must be kept in mind when contemplating these aspects.
From Ayìnɔ̀n Àgɛ̀lɔ̀gbàgàn Jǐsovì Azàsinkpontín Àgbɔ̀vì I
In the Ajã language of southern Benin Republic, the word used to refer to a “person” is “mɛ“. However, the word used for “human” is “gbɛtɔ́“. There is a philosophical reasoning behind this. In English, the words person and human are used interchangeably. Not so from an authentic Afrikan perspective.
The word mɛ is used for an animated person – one who exists, alive. However, a gbɛtɔ́ is an authentic human being – one who is or has evolved into a being who taps into their higher self and good character. This word is composed of “gbɛ” – life, and “tɔ́” – one who is an agent of.
Thus, though everyone is a person from the animated being being alive perspective, not everyone is human according to Ajã thought. This philosophy is weaved intricately throughout Vodún culture.
Additionally, the word “gbɛ” also means language and universe. A true human is the agent, transmitter of life/language. From the language perspective, this is not just outer speech. It includes even having inner chatter from your own cultural worldview.
Thus, it is taught in Vodún that to be considered a true human one must overstand their responsibility to be caretakers of the earth. Of course that starts with self, extends to family and community and then to nation. The latter being said, from a Maroon perspective the authentic human is expected to be a nation builder.
Ayìnɔ̀n Àgɛ̀lɔ̀gbàgàn Jǐsovì Azàsinkpontín Àgbɔ̀vì I
The Ajã African Vodun Cosmological View of Character – Jijɔ
In the Ajã language of southern Benin Republic, the word used for “character” is jijɔ. Of particular interest is the reference to birth in this word – ji. In the Vodún way of life, jijɔ is related to one’s destiny and in many cases related to the type of character you bring back from a previous life or accumulated previous lives. However, though born with a certain type of jijɔ, one is usually able to improve upon it. Vodún teaches that jijɔ dagbe (good character) is requisite in building strong families and communities.
In the Odù Ifá of the Yorùbá Iṣẹṣẹ tradition, it is said that Ọrúnmìlà married Ìwà (character). Ọrúnmìlà represents wisdom. Wisdom was wise enough (😂) to marry character. Thus, our ancient Vodún and Iṣẹṣẹ traditions teach us that wisdom and character are intricately intertwined. Profoundly, when referencing a person’s destiny, the Yorùbá will often use the word ìwà. Similar in concept to the Ajã people, the Yorùbá word for reincarnation is atunwà, meaning “return of character”.
As I’ve stated before, our culture has everything and more of what we need to be a whole people. There is no need to think you have to turn to foreign traditions to fill in the blanks of what you think we don’t have in our traditions. That usually not only reveals a lack of study, but being a bit lazy about getting deeper into your own traditions. Of course, this statement applies more to people already in the tradition. Additionally, for those not in the tradition, this is just a bit of an example of how deep your ancestors thought – an invitation to answer to the Ancestral Call.
A View of Demonic Energy from the Afrikan Vodún Perspective
In general theory, the demons have their own sphere. The demons not only live in the dark spiritual worlds (Yɛ́tɔ́mɛ Tágbà), they also live in various aspects of manifestation, including our minds and bodies, as tendencies and impulses. When they invade bodies, people lose their discretion and indulge in senseless acts of violence, anger, cruelty, delusion, greed, pride and lust. Many even pursue these things under some distorted guise that they are doing the right thing. When enough people thus engage, as we can see in our communities, the demonic becomes the new “norm”. By collective name, in African Vodun the demons are called Yɛ Kplinu. For humans, the earth is a battleground for the Yɛkplinu and the Hùn (deities) with the Yɛ Kplinu trying to overtake the mind and soul of the human.
Conceptual rendering of a powerful Yɛ Kplinu
Depending upon our state of mind-soul and propensities, we may nurture either the deities or the demons that that are present. If we “feed” the divinitie, and good thoughts and actions, we allow the divinities to grow in strength and help us in our self-transformation and liberation. On the contrary, if we “feed” the demons, they grow in strength and transform our minds and bodies into virtual hells with the same actions manifesting from that hell. What we do and what we sow within our consciousness, therefore, is of utmost importance in our lives and our wellbeing.
The sacred Vodún teachings called Hwlεngãn describes the demonic beings as destructive, cruel and deluded beings, who most often do not acknowledge Mãwù (the Creator) or Her role as the sole controller of the universe. Because of their self perpetuated ignorance, they most often will lack respect. Even if they do claim to “worship” Mãwù, they do so out of egoism and vanity, to satisfy their personal desires and show off their power and status. If it suits them, they worship Mãwù but if they deem it necessary, they do not mind to oppose Mãwù and fight with Mãwù.
For those hosting the demonic, the true enemy is within themselves. The demonic loves darkness. The divine, or those seeking such, love light. The demonic beings perform actions selfishly out of vanity and egoism; the divine beings perform actions selflessly as offerings to a divine life. The demonic people love to spread chaos, they love noise (especially early in the morning and late at night), confusion and disorder; the
light beings love to spread peace, happiness and orderliness.
Some Expressions of the Demonic
Lack of discrimination: Demonic people lack discrimination since their intelligence is deluded by ignorance and impurities. Therefore, they do not know what actions should be performed and what should be avoided. They refuse to choose right over wrong and they do not spiritually investigate; as they are opposed to pure spirit by nature.
Considerable Lack of balance: Demonic people lack balance. The go to extremes in performing their actions or voicing their opinions, with little consideration for their strengths and weakness and in disproportion to their wealth or power.
Lack of virtue: Demonic people do not believe in virtuous conduct.
Lack of and aversion towards proper knowledge: They often will hold perverted opinions about the nature of the world and creation.
Lack of compassion: Since they cannot discern the truth of our existence, they engage in hostile and cruel actions seeking the destruction.
Lack of respect for truth and justice: Driven by expectations and given over to thoughts of lust and anger, they try to amass wealth by unjust and unlawful means for the fulfillment of desires.
Lack of respect for tradition: Conceited, arrogant, proud, and intoxicated by desire wealth, they perform sacrifices for namesake only out of vanity and against tradition.
Lack of devotion to Mãwù
Lack of respect for the inner Self
In the beginning, the demons used to live in faraway worlds of total darkness. Later they began living in remote places upon earth, where light could not enter. Then they began entering people’s thoughts, as their minds became polluted with degeneracy. In this age of Uga Azi (last and most degraded of the perpetual four ages of the world; a concept we adopted from the Igbo cosmology), the world will increasingly become vulnerable to demonic nature, whereby people lose their sense of right and wrong and become
excessively materialistic and demonic.
Nowadays they live very much inside of people as they begin more and more to give themselves completely to the dominance of the lower being. They demonic powers are now not only influencing people from the outside, but also from the inside. The demons are being allowed to conquer the world, at least temporarily, until another incarnation comes. In fact, all religions are completely under their sway. This is why we find that some of the most foul, darkhearted and vehement people are some of the loudest when it comes to religion and what they often misnomer as spirituality.
Keep in mind that the Yɛ Kplinu demonic spirits cannot exercise any real power that effects our everyday world without humanhosts. When allowed to enter the human and accumulate in certain areas with other humans are likewise influenced, the foundations for spiritual vortexes are laid. Eventually whole cities or the majority of certain cities become a vortext breeding ground for the Yɛ Kplinu. Just take a good look at Atlanta.
We must overstand without a doubt that we are war with various factions; both human and spiritual. We must be equipped. Watch the type of energy you allow to enter your home. Watch the type of energy you’re around at any given time. Clean your houses and vehicles with copal and/or sage (I highly favor copal). Be very mindful of a healthy diet, as there are certain demonic spirits that try to enter through such (we have currently identified, by name, 27 Yɛ Kplinu…they are expounded upon in a section of our 6 hour Vodun Video series that we have for sell at this link).
Today in our sacred calendar we celebrate Gbĕlŭgan. Gbĕlŭ means to overcome an obstacle. Gan is something big/great. It is a 45-day sacred ritual cycle done to target specific familial and community issues. It is designed to bring energies back into alignment on a larger and more collective scale. There are no blood sacrifices for these cycles. Chapter 73 of the sacred Gànhúmehàn is chanted during Gbĕlŭgan. House cleanings are done. Drumming, singing, affirmations and reaffirmation a done, going over one’s personal mission statements, are all part of this important festival.
