Revised from my book “Ìwákiri: An Afrikan Spiritual Quest”
In the Ajã language, the word xɛxó means tales, story, fable, narrative, myth.
Myths are stories that narrate the structure and origins of a culture. They reveal the symbols, meanings, and values that make up the foundations of a culture. They are far from the stereotypical “fanciful” ideas that many deem them as. They deal with the very real and essential concerns of the culture that created them. Regardless, all people must keep a sense of their origins as many historical facts are intermingled within their myths.
Purposes of Myth
Myths present guidelines for living
For instance, when myths tell about the attitudes and activities of deities, the moral tone implies society’s expectation for our own behavior and standards based upon the heavenly example.
Myths grant continuity and stability to a culture
They foster a shared set of perspectives, values, and history. The myths of the culture reflect a collective worldview in which all life’s challenges are handled according to the ancient accumulated wisdom of their own cultural myths.
Myths justify a culture’s activities.
Through the traditionalism contained within myth and its respective “characters” (deities, hero, sheros, etc.), myths establish a culture’s customs, rituals, religious tenets and structure, laws, social order, power hierarchies, territorial claims, aesthetics, holy days, and other recurring events. By extension myths can establish a culture’s technical approach to civilization.
Myths give meaning to life
A true understanding of myth within this realm all of a sudden makes our pains become our sacred lessons.
Myths explain the unexplained
They reveal our fate after death and the reasons for crises or miracles, but yet they even retain an aura of mystery for our existence. Every individual has their personal myth. Consciously or unconsciously, we create our own myths. We are heroes in mythic journeys by which we develop our own sagas – our tales of tribulation and triumph. Thus, the truly satisfying and exciting myths are those which arise from our own passions, dreams, visions, and experiences. Myth, combined with ritual, gives us very sure methods in dealing with the core of the human psyche. What is your myth?
Today we are happy to announce the beginning of the 9-day Kúlítɔ Nùwíwá Ancestral Feast and Celebration! This celebration starts every year on the first Kúlítɔzangbe of the year. Kúlítɔzangbe is the 9th of the sacred 9-day cycle called the Gba Azan.
The Agan or ancestral masquerade
During this time, many activities are engaged in to show ancestral appreciation, veneration, and to also bring their power into your lives and families’ lives. One of the primary things during this time is to bring out the agan, or ancestral masquerade (depicted in the image above), of certain ancestors in one’s family. This is an annual time of remembrance, reflection, and empowerment to your own personal ancestors.
During this time we also engage in rituals of ancestral cleansing, elevation of various ancestors in need of such, and ancestral healing where needed. Part of this is done through a ritual called ikú jokowhich means to sit with the ancestors in the Yorùbá language. It is a ritual guided by properly trained ancestor priests to connect individuals and families directly with certain of their remote and sometimes not so remote ancestors. powerful ritual indeed! The ancestors literally “show up” during these powerful ceremonies.
During this time we also go over our personal mission statements where the ancestors are concerned and make corrections and adjustments where needed. This is in reference to those things that you commited to carrying out in relation to the ancestors when you wrote your personal mission statement. (Contact us about mission statements)
Sit around, tell and remember stories concerning your ancestors. Praise their names. People are encouraged to create mlanmlan (oríkì ìdílé in Yorùbá) for their family lineage. Mlanmlan are types of poetic sayings that characterize the attributes of certain ancestral individuals and of the lineage in general. They are passed along generationally and are improved upon with each generation.
Zun Kúlítɔ – ancestor shrine
This 9-day ritual time is as much about the social condition of our collective community as it is about direct and personal bloodlines. Additionally, this 9-day period is set to re-energize our connection to spirit, because without the ancestors we have little to no connection to the other worldS.
About Ancestor Worship and Veneration
The xexemedodo (heh-heh-meh-dough-dough), or spiritual science and cosmology of Kúlítɔ Nùwíwá (ancestral ceremonies), is a process of connecting to the invisible, as an intentional practice to locate yourself in the process of truly and honestly seeing others and to know the other within you. Ancestral ceremonies are cultural ritual tactics and methods related to cosmology, ontology, and epistemology to connect Afrikan humanity to spirit. They are rituals in which the local community and people call in spirit (i.e., Kúlítɔ – ancestors) to be the driver of activities or, said differently, allow spirit to be the generator of culture and knowledge production within the participatory and communal process. Ancestral ceremonies sustain joy, culture, and methods of survival and resurrection.
The intimate practice of ancestral ceremonies with self, spirit, and community helps to build internal power within people and within the internal relationships of people who are engaged in movements for collective healing, liberation, and Sovereignty. Ancestral ceremonies support individuals and communities to see each other beyond this material world, and assist individuals and communities to connect to ancestors as a source of wisdom and power. They humble us to truly actualize the reality that we are only servants to higher beings that are responsible for our being here.
Zun Kúlítɔ (ancestor shrine) with offerings
Ancestral ceremonies are a dance with spirit, the soul’s way of interacting with the other worlds, the human psyche’s opportunity to develop a relationship with the symbols of this world and the spirits of the other.
Ancestral ceremonies have their own unique energies, spirits, and ancestors driving the relationships, expressions, and activities. People and community participating, facilitating, and invoking ancestral ceremonies determine the elements needed, time commitment, and values to make the ritual work. However, the following are very important as for base dos and donts:
– Only call upon your own blood ancestors maternally and paternally. Do not call on or pray to other’s ancestors
– Make sure that the entity you are calling and praying to is an actual ancestor. This is part of the spiritual science of ancestral worship. What we mean by this is, for example, someone may have passed a few decades ago, but they may currently be reincarnated on earth. This is one reason not only many ancestral prayers are not working, but they are actually causing harm in the lineage. We don’t give prayers to living humans. Thus, this is where involvement in the actual culture comes into play. One would get readings from qualified priests to see if these people are still in whatever other realm, or if they are indeed on this earth. This is crucial.
– Offer foods and items that they liked that did not bring them or others harm. For example, you don’t want to offer alcohol to an ancestor that alcohol caused problems for.
– Don’t call upon ancestors who were harmful to the family and the community. We do not need those spirits given an opening to come back and do the same things or worse than what they did when here before.
During times as this grand 9-day festival, food is offered generously. As 9 is the ancestral number, We suggest offering 9 plates of 9 different food items. Other instructions can be obtained through the email contact below.
– Don’t call upon ancestors who have not been properly healed who needed healing
Ultimately, this great ceremony is set to realign us with our familial destiny.
* A key to pronouncing Ajã and other related languages like Yorùbá, Ga, Igbo and the like is knowing how the vowels are pronounced. The following is a guide.
Vowels like “ɔ” and “ɛ” are what are considered open vowels. They are often nasal. The “ɔ” (ọ in Yorùbá) is pronounced more like “aw” and the “ɛ” (ẹ in Yorùbá) is pronounced more like “eh” but from the back of the throat causing the open sound as the “a” in bat. “e” is pronounced “eh” and not like “ee” in the word “seen”. “u” is pronounced like the “oo” in “food”. “a” is pronounced like the “a” in “father”. “i” is pronounced like the “ee” in the word “seen”.
Today and over the next 3 days we celebrate the dawning of another Sunkpeka or Full Moon. In fact, this is the first full moon of the month and the year. All full and new moons are dedicated to the Kɛnnɛsi/Minona (Ìyáàmi Òsòròngá in Yorùbá Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ tradition). This is a time to offer boiled eggs, rice, and plenty of palm oil to these Great Mothers. In ideal situations, a woman of the household will offer these between 17-21 our time (roughly between 12 am and 4 am Gregorian time). As much effort should be made to do these at the appropriate time. If this is not possible, the offerings should be done as late on the full and new moons as possible. When presenting the offerings, one should do the chant 3 times that appears at the end of this writing.
This is a time to manifest things started during a New Moon.
A Quick Note on Our Vodún Lunar Observation
Adadé means half and refers to period on either side of a full moon. i.e., full to new then new to full. From new and full is called Adadé Badeji (increasing half) and between full and new is Adadé Dekpo (prostrating half). The period from new to full is more auspicious than the one from full to new.
Full and New Moon Praise to the Names of the Kɛnnɛsi or Ancient Mysterious Mothers of the Night
Say the above chant 3 times over your offerings and then present them in a forested area or at an Èṣù if you have one.
For the extended full version of the praise and other questions contact us at ekaabokilombo@gmail.com
Today, on Gbetɔzangbe (“Monday”), date of Kúlítɔ, 6265 AX (Gregorian March, 25 2024) we celebrate Kúlitɔ Hɔngbó. This word literally means “ancestor/ancestral portal” in the Fɔ̀n dialect of the Ajã language found in southern Benin Republic West Afrika. This is based on our ancient yet revised authentic azanlilen (calendar) whose base goes back to over 6200 years ago. This Kúlitɔhɔngbó is very powerful in that it falls on the first Kúlitɔ 9-day sacred cycle of the year which marks the beginning of the 9-day ancestor veneration celebration.
It was observed long ago that the elevated ancestors used a repeated 27-day cycle to make their presence and power available to us on a larger collective scale than on the personal ancestral veneration scale. On this day, every 27 days, special rites and rituals are done for the ancestral collective of your own blood lineage to empower those that acknowledge the love, benevolence and role these ancestors play in our lives. It is also used to do the continuous work of healing our bloodlines from the various mishaps and tragedies (self inflicted and from the outside) that still plague our families. If it plagues the family then it plagues the community. Thus, making the work of nation building and sovereignty that much harder. It was observed that the ancestral portal is open every 27 days. This means this is when those most empowered ancestors are closer to us. We also do collective ancestral work for the whole of our people during this time also.
The sacred Odù Ifá Owonrin Méjì states:
The hollow part of a well-trekked road is it that breaks the back of a snake
This was the Awo who cast Ifá for Esin (horse) He also cast Ifá for Agbó (Ram)
When both of them were going to Ọọni (the Kings of Ìfẹ) house on a spiritual expedition
Both Esin and Agbó, the Awo of the Ọọni, King of Ilé Ifẹ̀
They were the Awo who cast Ifá for the Ọọni
When he refused to pay his homage to his paternal ancestors anymore
And he was undertaking several ventures…Without succeeding in any
He was advised to offer sacrifice
He complied
I pay my homage to my father
I pay homage to my mother Except if I undertake any venture without reverence May my undertaking be accepted
And finally we learn this from the sacred Odù Ifá Òtúrúpọ̀n Méjì that speaks directly to the state of New Afrikans:
It is now a pitiful play
The Iyere Ifa has now become a dirge
When eyes are two, they watch events unfold
When legs are two, they walk fast
The rumps are two, they sit on a mat
One hand does not jingle Also, one leg will not walk very fast How can one refuse to answer the call from responsible people?
I am asked to kneel and greet those before me I knelt and greeted those before me I am asked to kneel and CALL on those behind me I knelt and called on those behnd me They asked, “Who are those before one?” I said “It is one’s paternal Ancestors before one” They asked, “Who are those behind one?” I said, “the Òrìṣà in one’s paternal household is behind one” When alapandede builds its nest The nest does not touch the sea nor heaven (suspended in heaven) Looking at Olódùmarè in heaven Looking at human beings on earth Atangegere divined for Odùṣola, child of Arannase
Whose father died when he was a little child
Without the knowledge of how to cast Ifa (no real knowledge of his own culture and spirituality)
Without the knowledge of how to print the Odù
And not having been to Ile Ife to witness Ifa festival
When all the ritual elements were assembled for Odùṣola to start propitiating, he broke into tears
Saying he did not know if water was to be offered first
Heavenly spirits, descend and make this ritual a success for me, heavenly spirits
Whether it is gin to be offered first, I do not know
Heavenly spirits, descend and make this ritual a success for me, heavenly spirits
Whether it is obi that have to be offered first, I don’t know Heavenly spirits, descend and make this ritual a success for me, heavenly spirits
Today is also the first sunkpeka (full moon) of the month and the year. On full and new moons we honor the Kɛnnɛsi or Mothers of the Night (Iyáàmi of the Yorùbá) in various ways. These rituals are set to connect us with the powerful energies of renewal and manifestation.
Today in our sacred calendar we celebrate Gbĕlŭgan. Gbĕlŭ means to overcome an obstacle. Gan is something big/great. It is a 45-day ritual cycle done to the deities 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 is 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 designed to 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 (Togùn are certain national divinities specific to us).
Let us take a cursory overview of Vodún for those who may be new to its overall teachings and those in the tradition who seeking a concise explanation. In Vodún, the Creator is primarily and alternately referred to as ߡߊ߯ߥߎ߯ Măwù, Măwù-Lisa and ߛߍߜߏ Sɛgbo. Sɛgbo is the Creator as the balance of all things and the combining of the feminine (Măwù) and the masculine (Lisa) energies to form the whole.
Sɛgbo is the Creator as the genderless giver of all human spirits. As ߛߍ sɛ means “spirit/soul”, and gbo implies “that which is the greatest”, Sɛgbo means “the Greatest and Owner of All sɛ”. Thus, in Vodún, it is overstood that all sɛ belong to and return to Sɛgbo. Each person’s sɛ is imbued with their personal ߤߍߣߘߏߥߊ߫ hɛndowá or destiny. This destiny is agreed upon in heaven before coming to earth and can also be an accumulation of the actions of previous lives. This means that many sɛ come into the world with previous ߛߊ߬ߟߊ߫ߥߊ߫ sàláwá, or karma, that needs to be worked out. This is one of the primary works of Vodún and authentic living Afrikan traditions in general. MáwùLisa works in Its creation through the ߤߎ߬ߣ hùn, or deities. There are many deities; a cosmological reality which lines up with the fact that nature and the universe are variegated and composed of many parts that make up the whole, each serving their individual yet vital functions. Each deity has a color, a number, sacred gem or stone, special days, and usually a coordinate in nature. It is said in Vodún that many of these deities often reside in the Afrikan human at various times in various ways. The Hùn are the ministers of Sɛgbo in the spirit world.
The Sɛplondo. The official sacred symbol of Vodun from the New Afrikan perspective
There are various realms of the spirit world containing various spirits. Many of the spirits are malevolent. Vodún teaches us how to identify, navigate, and remove these spirits. Thus, Vodun is about restoring and maintaining order.
The ߞߎ߫ߟߌߟߓߐߟ kúlítɔ (ancestors) are highly venerated in Vodún. It is said that they are our first line of defense and the bedrock of Vodún. Ancestors often work in assistance with certain deities, usually deities associated with that family lineage. The kúlítɔ are venerated at special shrines and altars set up for them.
The ministers of Vodún on the terrestrial plane among humans are called ߙߏ߫ߞߐ߫ߣߐ߫ߣ bòkɔ́nɔ́n and ߤߎ߫ߣߣߐߣ hùnnɔn and can be of either of the two heterosexual genders places in this world by Sɛgbo. A bòkɔ́nɔ́n is a properly trained priest of the oracle of wisdom called ߝߊߟ Fá and ߊߝߊ߫ Afá among the Fɔ̀n and Ewe Ajã respectively, ߌߝߊ߫ Ifá among the Yorùbá, and also Afá among the Igbo. A hùnnɔn is a trained priest initiated to a particular divinity like ߚߋߝ߭ߌߏ߫ߛߏ߫ Xeviósó, ߘߊߣߜߋ Dangbe, ߊߖߌߣߊߞߎ Ajinakuhùn, kwk. These priests (male and female) use divination and intuition to ascertain the truth of matters whether it is challenging or positive. They find remedies to problems through the oracles (Fá or. one of the deities) they have been trained in.
People who live the Vodún way of life are called ߝ߭ߏߘߎ߫ߣ Vodúnvi; from “Vodún” + “vi – offspring”. They are expected to be contributors to their communities. Vodúnvi are called upon to be family people who are also involved in nation building. They believe in order and preserving the environment. The spirits (deities and ancestors) are often served at altars or shrines. There is often no set time for this. Vodúnvi believe in the reality of ߝ߭ߌߝ߭ߐߖߐ/ߖߌߖߏ߬ߟߌ߬ߟߋ߫ vivɔjɔ/jijòlìlé – both meaning reincarnation. In the Vodún concept of reincarnation, reincarnation occurs only along family and gender lines. Males come back as males, and women as women. Many current souls are reincarnations, many are new souls. Divination can tell you which one are you. As an example, one may be said to be a reincarnation of a grandmother and be called Noleko or Naleko, which means “mother (grandmother) has returned. This would only apply to a female of direct lineage. The same applies to a male that would be named Toleko or Dadaleko – father/grandfather has returned. Additionally, the second term used for reincarnation is of particular interest. Jijòlìlé literally means “return of character“. This is intertwined in the Vodún concept of sàláwá – karma. People often come back where they left off bcuz they did not work on themselves and/or were not properly elevated.
Vodún is a highly spiritual and yet ethical system that calls for much accountability. It is the attempt to skirt around this accountability that caused once thriving Afrikan monarchies to go under and never fully recover to this day. No one knows the age of Vodún. It is a sure fact that it is indeed the oldest spiritual tradition on earth. But Vodún is not just a spiritual tradition. It is a culture and way of life. To study Vodun is to study the deepest and most uncorrupted mind of the Afrikan.
Originating in the remotest antiquity of Măwùfɛnu (Afrikan) antiquity, Vodún is the Natural Spirituality or the living of the philosophy of proceeding in harmony with and gratitude to ߜߍߡߍ Gbɛmɛ – Divine Nature. An ancient Ajã-Vodún saying states ߝ߭ߘߎߟߣ ߋ ߣߌߌ ߡߊߖߥߎ߬ߣߎ “Vodún e nyi Mãwùnu – Vodún is Mǎwù’s thing.” That is, Vodún is that which is the natural emanation of Măwù (the Creator).
Awŏvì (Entity-Chaos), Its Yõvó Enemy-Parasite Agent and How to Overcome Them
From a Maroon perspective, we have discovered and expounded upon the concept of the -enemy-parasite, how it operates from outside, how it effects Afrikans from without and within, and solutions on how to remove it. We expound on it here in brief with these excerpts from my book “The Kilombo Paradigm: Maroon Sovereignty Through Vodun Culture”.
When we say kɛn-nùvíɖogbɛ or “enemy-parasite”, we are speaking of the historical enemies and oppressors of Afrikan people. Those are primarily the European and Arab. Yet, in truth, when you break it down the enemy-parasite has conquered nothing of great substance. They are as large, or as hegemonic as we are intimidated by their confused and boisterous machinations. What they have done is to zealously accommodate themselves as agents of the entity-chaos. This is the more formidable challenge. Its existence antedates the enemy-parasite. In Vodún, this is the spirit entity called Awŏvì.
The enemy-parasite is a small thing. It is like those pesky yet weak lower level spirits of bad intent who must have hosts (preferably those weaker in spirit and open to such negation) in order that they may find expression. They are what people make and allow them to be.
We must learn to recognize intrinsic and extrinsic challenges. We must recognize the enemy-parasite and the entity-chaos that we carry unconsciously in the recesses of our psyche; their major vehicle. We must know the entity-chaos, its vehicles, and the enemy-parasite in all of their manifestations. This will take continual and intense study and analysis of authentic Afrikan cultures and spiritual sciences.
The agents of destruction (the yõvó – historical enemies and would be destroyers of Afrikan people) are no more than agents. They act in the service of an entity greater than themselves. They have embraced it, celebrated it, and defined themselves within it. It is an entity that has no name. The closest descriptive term in Vodún culture is Awŏvì (leader of the spirits of complete and uncontrollable chaos).
Don’t Continue to be a Host to the Enemy-Parasite: Build Up Your Spiritual/Cultural Immune System
Notice that we use the term parasite. Parasites use hosts to survive and perpetuate themselves. Like a marauding, viral disease, it senses the internal weaknesses and the self-compromised defenses of a possible host. It then infiltrates, neutralizes the host’s defenses, camouflages and multiplies itself, and finally overwhelms the host in a feeding frenzy. In its greedy, blinded engorgement, it eventually exhausts itself. A weakened host galvanizes heretofore unrecognized resources and mounts a renewed offensive that facilitates its own recovery and expulsion of the disease. It is not enough, however, to merely arrest or contain the disease. It must be expelled.
The problem is that some hosts don’t know they are hosts and are devoured from within. Some Afrikans are agents of their own destruction by aiding the ailments brought by the enemy-parasite. This is why a Maroon approach to healing and sovereignty is very important. The Maroon realizes that there may be more power in our quality than our quantity.
The enemy-parasite and the entity-chaos are virulent and insidious. The consequence of any accommodation of the enemy-parasite at this point in our history will be a perpetually enfeebled and humiliating subservience.
Check list on overcoming the entity-chaos and its agent, the enemy-parasite
– learn the various cultured ways to identify the Enemy-Parasite in all forms
-check yourself that you do not aid white supremacy (this includes Arabs). Check for the inner enemy.
– return to your original culture and realize it has the keys to empowerment
– live your culture with every intent of achieving proper family development, nation building, and sovereignty
Happy New Year to All. As you know, our year starts on the vernal equinox. Our first month is called Kúlítɔ (Ancestors). The fixed Kpólí Fá (Odù) of this month is Sá Mézì. The year is now 6265!
This year is literally the Year of Vodún. Vodùn is the “theme” of the year. The theme of the year is determined by which day of the 9-day sacred cycle it starts on. Today, we begin the New Year on the 9-day sacred cycle day literally called Vodún. It is the 3rd of the 9 day cycle.
Vodún is the holy day of Vodún. Spirits are highly accessible on this day…A great day to consult oracles. The deity sacred to this day is Ayizan. It is a day representing wealth and prosperity. This is a good day to arrange your home or yard according to the dot (something like Feng Shui) concept. Good day to purchase a new vehicle. The color of this day is lavender (various degrees of purple). The sacred number for this day is 3.
The fixed primary deity of this day is Ayìzan. She protects the markets, public places, doors, and barriers, and governs the deep knowledge of the intricacies of the spirit world. One major aspect of Nana Ayizan is that she governs sàláwá. This is what is commonly known as karma. Mother Ayizan governs cause and effect.
Jejegbo is one of the most formidable of what we call in Vodùn the yɛ̀kplinu. It is fear itself. Yɛ̀kplinu are a group if spirits of abject negativity and destruction. The yɛ̀kplinu inhabit a world parallel to the world of humans.
The Spirit of Fear, Jejegbo, has grown stronger and stronger with time. During the age of Azi (last of the four ages…age of utter chaos and degeneracy), Jejegbo has grown to enormous strength. As with all of these spirits (collectively), it takes communal collective spiritual work to challenge such a vast spirit. Jejegbo attacks the will of individuals, families, communities, and nations. He is strongest where there are things like terrorism, captivity (“slavery”), hunger, homelessness, self hate, anti-nature behavior, and other related forms of chaos.
Ayigbadó – Disorder Of The Mind Due To Fear
Jéjé, fear, is one of the number one culprits of disorder. Constantly living in a state fear brings about unnaturalness in our individual, family, and communal lives. Fear must be met head on and defeated to remove the ayigbadó. This means that we must get at the core of fear. We usually find that the fear is unfounded and based on falsehood, illusion and self defeating behavior. This is why fear is sù (taboo) in Vodún, because it is often based on non-reality.
However, in a strange paradox of sorts, people are often defeated by fear when they are afraid to admit they are afraid. Facing fear is the first step to defeating fear. From there, the road to victory is cleared.
Afrikan Herbal Medicinal Power, the Beauty of Language and Culture
Ewé Eyin Olobe
There is power and meaning in the word from an Afrikan perspective, and the Yorùbá people display this on all levels. In the vibrant tapestry of Yorùbá naming patterns, the names “ewé ẹyinlolobéṣó,” “ewé aríẹyingbéọmọpọ̀n,” and “ewé f’ẹ́yintiṣ’ówó” not only echo the poetic rhythms of the Yorùbá language, but they also carry profound meanings that merge the realms of nature, health, and spirituality.
Ewe Eyin Olobe, (known by its Latin name Phyllanthus Amarus) known by various other names such as gale of the wind, carry me seed, seed on the leaf, pick-a-back and Indian gooseberry. It is a deciduous herb celebrated in Yorùbá culture for its versatile applications. As a “stone breaker” (kidney stone dissolver), it has proven efficacy against kidney stones, gall bladder issues, urinary tract infections, hepatitis, diabetes, hypertension, malaria, and cancer. Looking into the Yorùbá naming pattern in relation to this powerful herb, we unveil rich symbolism. “Ewé ẹyinlolobéṣó,” literally translating to “the plant that sees the end of the wicked one,” suggests a deep connection between the plant and its ability to combat ailments both physically and spiritually. “Ewé aríẹyingbéọmọpọ̀n,” evoking the imagery of a mother carrying her child on her back, refers to the nurturing qualities of the plant, aptly used for treating back pain, menstrual disorders, and issues related to the liver and heart. Meanwhile, “ewé f’ẹ́yintiṣ’ówó” is an image of leaves resting on money, symbolizing prosperity through the health and well-being of its children. This linguistic mastery reveals an esoteric conundrum, revealing the deep thought in relation to our original, pre-abrahamic, culture. It sheds light on the cosmology of nature’s secrets, showcasing the plant’s diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and anti-cancer properties.For optimal use, the recommended dosage ranges from 3-6 grams of dried herb per day, depending on the condition being treated. A unique Yorùbá practice involves chewing the fresh leaves for a brief moment, which often results in the individual feeling an immediate relief.
The linguistic beauty, the thought behind expressing the properties of this and many other herbs, and the worldview of the Yorùbá in general shows us that we have always and will always have what we need to be a whole people without having to feel like we need foreign cultures and religions to validate us.
