Maroonage as an Approach to Afrikan Spiritual Traditions
The concept of Kilɔmbonu (Maroonage) is simple yet dynamic. In its simplest form, Kilɔmbonu (the Kongo-Ajã combined word we use for Maroonage) is comprised of the concepts and ideas of culture and sovereignty manifested. Hwɛndo (“Culture”) is all aspects of living life – economics, finance, spirituality, defense, language, worldview, marriage, courting, kwk. That’s the ideology. Physically, Maroonage often comes about when those who have such ideas realize they have to separate themselves (in various forms) from those who do not hold such a worldview, and are often directly or indirectly in opposition to those noble sentiments of mɛdésúsínínɔ (sovereignty). Afrikan monarchies have been created from this approach. Many are familiar with the Maroons of Jamaica and the Quilombos (Kilombos) of Brazil. These were communities set up by Afrikans who had escaped from captivity who continued to live their culture, spiritual traditions, and worldview. Unfortunately, some of them, especially many of the Jamaican Maroons, turned their backs on true sovereignty and ended up cooperating with the British putting many escaped Afrikans back into caltivity. Well, we don’t count them as Maroons.
Maroonage is very rarely talked about as an approach to the way we live our Afrikan spiritual traditions. It seems to be a scary topic to broach for the religious minded practitioner. We take Maroonage to be the only viable approach to obtain true cultural, spiritual, economic, and physical sovereignty. It is the true healing, and not the continuous patching up of old wounds that religious thought brings.
A degree of separation will have to come about for the success of Maroonage to manifest. Separation can come physically, mentally, spiritually or all of the above. It’s about sovereign space and that space starts within the Afrikan mind.
By Ayìnɔn Àgɛ̀lɔ̀gbàgàn Fáwensagun Jǐsovì Azàsinkpontín Àgbɔ̀vì I
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?
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
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.
Ero Atilẹba Iwoye Agbaye – The Archetypal Expression
There are concepts we see expressed by different cultures around the world that center around certain universal phenomenon. The expression or even the idea of such concepts are not necessarily always copied from or borrowed from another culture. For instance, most cultures experience cold/coolness, heat, rain, thunder, lightening, rivers, lakes, the moon, the sun, seas, oceans, forests, mountains, various animals, kwk. The base of all archetypes, according to Afrikan traditions like Vodùn , Iṣẹṣẹ, Akan, and Odinani ais Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. People aware of this base are able to observe these entities and phenomena and express them in a way that is indicative of their specific worldview; their inherent nature. These archetypal expressions are often expressed through certain symbols, signs, bodily expressions, myths, prayers, invocations, dances, overstanding of the world, kwk. One must overstand thought that it was the Afrikan that mastered these things and were the only ones who were truly in touch with the divine….before the fall.
In Yorùbá, I have coined the term “ero atilẹba iwoye agbaye” to describe this. It means “the original/base worldview – the archetypal expression”. It is the natural phenomenon that all experience and apply their own various cultural meanings to. Many people do not overstand this concept and automatically think or assume a particular people stole or borrowed a cosmological idea from another when, in most cases, it is not true. News flash: the Norse god of thunder, Thor, is not stolen from Ṣàngo (Kawoooo Kábíyèsí!!!) or any other Afrikan deity! What they are, are two thunder deities from two different cultures who realized that there was an essence behind the thunder and lightening that was bigger than the thunder and lightening itself. To my hardcore Afrikans: everything is not necessarily stolen from Afrika. We really need to stop that “everything comes from Afrika” thought. For one thing, if you say that, that means all that degenerate Greek stuff you say you don’t like…the stuff you say is anti-Afrikan… you’re going to have to say that THAT came from Afrika also, right? Not.
The fact is that we need to overstand the concept of the archetypal expression. For those that believe all of these other concepts were copied from Afrika, just examine them in more detail. You will see many non and sometimes anti-Afrikan elements present. But because of the archetypal expression concept, we see how 20 different cultures may have, let’s say, a “goddess of the wind”, and not even know anything about how any of the other cultures express that concept. Yet, because of “ero atilẹba iwoye agbaye”, you will see similarities. The collective conscious of each culture connects with this in its particular way.
By Ayìnɔ̀n Àgɛ̀lɔ̀gbàgàn Jǐsovì Azàsinkpontín Àgbɔ̀vì I
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).
What Does the Ifá Oracle Roots Reading System Say About the Idea by Some New Afrikans that We Come from Amerikkka and Not Afrika?
Afrikan spiritual sciences and oracles like the Yorùbá system of Ifá are profound and are now studied by many non-Afrikans, even to the point of being taught in universities. Initiation into the sacred shrine of Ifá is sought by many, including the previously mentioned non-Afrikans.
There are various levels of divination done by Ifá priests who are called awo – mystery/secret (babaláwo for a male and ìyánífá for a female). One such level is one developed by and for New Afrikans, Afrikans who were displaced by the Maafa (captivity and its horrendous results) is called Ipilẹṣẹ Fá, or “your Foundations/Roots according to Ifá“. You will most often hear the term Roots Reading in reference to the Ipilẹṣẹ Fá. This system was built upon a more ancient Ifá system of divination that is done for a child when she/he comes into the world.
To the left, and Ifá divination board called opọn Ifá with the ikin Ifá, or divination seeds. To the right, an Ifá divination chain called opele.
The beauty of the Ifá Oracle is that it takes human opinion out of the equation. It is the unmitigated truth, and when its messages are followed, as Afrikans, we are returned to true knowledge of self. Awo (Ifá priests), male and female, are expected to be honest and unbiased and to only allow the Oracle to speak. This eliminates false accusations, confirms correct assumptions and dispels incorrect assumptions and opinions. Violation of this code of conduct can bring major spiritual consequences for the Awo.
Not only must you be an initiate of the sacred wisdom divinity Ifá/Ọrúnmìlà to do this reading, but you must be properly and thoroughlytrained to do so. As it is its own system within the larger system, it takes a few years of extra training on top of your other regular Ifá priesthood training to be able to execute this profound science that helps people discover who they really are. This system can only be done by trained Ifá priests born in the belly of the Maafa ìtànkálẹ̀ (diaspora) as it is specifically tailored for those whose ancestors were scattered by the Great Disaster of Afrikan captivity. Nobody directly from Afrika is trained in this system, and if you run into one from the continent saying they do Roots Readings then they are lying.
Video breaking down Roots Readings
That being said, unfortunately, all of the elders in the United Snakes who used to do the Roots Readings have passed into the other realm. However, there are for sure two of their students left and one possible (so I’ve heard) that are properly trained to do this intense reading. Of the two for sure, I am one of them.
In short, the Roots Reading tells the New Afrikan where his/her ancestors on both sides came from, when they came here, how they came here, where the landed, the exact year, the exact names, family and personal occupations before and during the Maafa, family names and totems, clan names and totems, social status, and more.
All of that was said to say this. There seems to appear a new fad of misinformation-that-becomes- fact for New Afrikan people every 10-12 years. That new fad-become-fact is that our people are from over here and not from Afrika! Since 6247 AX (2006 on the Gregorian calendar) I have done over 1000 indepth Roots Readings. The other babaláwo I mentioned of the “two-for-sure” mentioned to me he has done at least double that! I asked him had ANY of the results of the Roots Readings he’s done said that the ROOTS of the person sitting in front of him getting the reading were from anywhere in the Americas. He literally laughed because he thought I was joking. Realizing I was serious, he said heck no! Out of the over 1000 Roots Readings I’ve done, not one roots reading said the person’s ancestry was rooted anywhere in the americas!!!
Even the elders who have passed away, and didn’t know about this “we are really from the Americas” fad NEVER mentioned they did a reading of a person’s roots coming from anywhere else but Mãwùfɛ̀ (Afrika).
Ayìnɔn (His Imperial Majesty) Agelogbagan Agbovi, author of this article
We are thankful for the profound truth that has been left to us in the form of Ifá. Ifá exposes truths and lies. Ifá straightens out that which has become crooked. Ifá brings clarity to the Afrikan mind and soul which has been bombarded with so much foreign enemy ideology that many now have a NEW IDENTITY CRISIS. However, for those wishing for clarity on their real identity, know that the Ifá Oracle is here for you.
Names as to why we Operate in the World the Way we Do
When we have a proper African concept of names, it helps to explain a LOT about people. It also causes us to reflect and think on WHY certain people move in a certain way.
When engaged in Afrikan traditions, along the way you receive certain names. They are given before and during initiation. Let’s take myself as example. This will also let you know why I move the way i move.
When I first became involved in the culture, pre initiation, i received the names Awotunde and Ifáṣeyin. Awotunde is a male reincarnated awo, or reincarnated Ifá priest. It literally means “the awo has returned“. This, of course, means I was a Babaláwo/Ifá priest in a previous life time: not just an initiate, but an actual trained functional working priest. Ifáṣeyin means “one who will make sure Ifá (the sacred oracle and the repository of Yorùbá knowledge) is respected“.
When I was initiated to Ifá as a priest in the Iṣẹṣẹ aspect, the name Dòsùnmú was revealed as my priestly name. This name means “one who holds on to the sacred òsùn staff“. The òsùn staff is a symbol of a babaláwo’s authority and connection with Ọrúnmìlà – deity of Ifá divination. Of important note, this staff also represents CULTURE and all that it contains.
When initiated to Fá in the Afrikan Vodùn system (Ifá in Yorùbá) the sacred Ajã name of Fáwɛnsagun was revealed for me. This name means “messenger of Fá“, and of course Fá is very similar to the sacred Ifá oracle but from the Ajã (Fòn) perspective. Thus, one can clearly see a connection between Fáwɛnsagun, Dòsùnmú, and Ifáṣeyin. All three of these names point to someone who comes here to uphold, and defend culture and ancestral laws. Additionally, my day name is “Yao – a male born on a Thursday” in the Twi language of the Akan. Yao people are often very political and not in a democrat or republican sense. They are also often viewed as militant. What I always say it is simply the Maroon spirit in them. They often create new lanes and are most often non-conformists
From this personal example, you can see that when you are involved in a living culture, you can overstand why people move the way they do; why I move the way I do. I came here to do what you are witnessing exactly the way I’m doing it. It’s my destiny. It is built into me. So when we are equipped with this knowledge we learn how to support the destiny of the individual and not sit in confusion and off-centered assessments.
So now the question is what does YOUR name say about your destiny? And are you willing to find out?
Ayìnɔ̀n Àgɛ̀lɔ̀gbàgàn Jǐsovì Azàsinkpontín Àgbɔ̀vì I
I have noticed a resurgence of people wanting to learn Afrikan languages. Many often go towards Ki-Swahili for various reasons. For one it is much easier to learn than Yorùbá, Igbó, Twi, or Ajã for instance. It is toneless pretty much like English. Another is accessibility.
I personally remember being all hyped up as I was learning KiSwahili. It wasn’t until I started to become fluent in the KiSwahili that I realized how riddled with Arabic it is! The name Swahili itself is Arabic! I began to realize that many of the words and phrases I was saying that I thought were Afrikan were actually Arabic. I remember thinking “Can’t win for losing. Ta Mare/Kemet is a dead culture with a dead language, and NOW Swahili is damn near 50% Arabic!”. Smh
There are people, elders even, who are carrying Swahili names and don’t even know they are Arabic. Names like Maulana and Mwalimu are both from the same Arabic root. 4 of the Kwanzaa principles, yes the majority of them, are Arabic words. Imani, Nia, Ujima, and Ujamaa all have Arab roots. You know how many people have named their lil girls Nia or Imani thinking these were Afrikan names?
This Arabic infiltration is even found in the current most “popular” West Afrikan language; Yorùbá. And it is most evident in the word people are using as a greeting, and that word is àlàáfíà. This word was suspect to me early on but didn’t know enough to prove anything. But having previously studied Swahili, I had gotten familiar with Arabic and the cadence of their words. I kept thinking “I think àlàáfíà is an Arab word but I can’t prove it”.
Then I got to where I could prove it. I found that àlàáfíà is an Andalusian Arabic word rooted in “al-fiya” which means “the health”. Not only is it Arabic but it’s not even a greeting! Even Wesley Snipes named a son of his Àlàáfíà!
These examples are part of the trials and errors of a people trying to ReAfrikanize. However, our elevated ancestors, the Egún-nla would want us to do better when we know better. Now we are supposed to know better. I shouldn’t have to go any further than that.
Authentic African calendar from those at Ganlodo who live authentic African Vodun from a Maroon perspective.
For information on how you can support authentic Vodun through Maroon philosophy and/or how you can become a family-citizen of Ganlodo please contact us at ekaabokilombo@gmail.com. Only serious and respectful inquiries will be answered.
Ayìnɔ̀n Àgɛ̀lɔ̀gbàgàn Jǐsovì Azàsinkpontín Àgbɔ̀vì I
