Your path could lie in any one of these (or none at all). Instead of getting caught up in the dogmas taught by Christianity, Islam, Judaism, return to your African roots. According to Clemmont E. Vontress, the various religious traditions of Africa are united by a basic Animism. We can help you save on the supplies you need! The defining line between deities and ancestors is often contested, but overall, ancestors are believed to occupy a higher level of existence than living human beings and are believed to be able to bestow either blessings or illness upon their living descendants. If you want to listen to this article instead of reading it, check out our video below. A major challenge that I encountered as I transitioned into a more spiritual diet was understanding what I could eat, and how I was supposed to prepare it. Join Dr. Jeremiah Pearcey for a meditative journey through four periods of significance in African-American History. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. While those results may not seem related to developing your spirituality, they are. "Religions of South Africa" pp. That means studying indigenous African religions and applying the lessons that speak to you. [17] Traditional African religions also have elements of fetishism, shamanism and veneration of relics. What Do We REALLY Know About The African Origins of Christianity? From what research has shown, fasting might be the single greatest natural healing therapy missing in today’s Western lifestyle. [16], Animism builds the core concept of traditional African religions, this includes the worship of tutelary deities, nature worship, ancestor worship and the belief in an afterlife. These factors make up your spiritual anatomy called your ‘light body’. [8][9], Although the majority of Africans today are adherents of Christianity or Islam, African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions. Outdoor … daily blog, videos, e-newsletter & magazine on yoga + organics + green living + non-new agey spirituality + ecofashion + conscious consumerism=it's about the mindful life. What is the Difference Between Religion and Spirituality? If you want to get into a debate in the Black Conscious community, bring up the difference between religion and spirituality! Once your body is cleansed of toxins that cause emotional instability, you will begin to gain control over your emotions. [30], West and Central African religious practices generally manifest themselves in communal ceremonies or divinatory rites in which members of the community, overcome by force (or ashe, nyama, etc. Since emotions are a part of your light body, your emotional stability should be developed along with the rest of your spiritual anatomy. Learn how your comment data is processed. There are more similarities than differences in all traditional African religions. The oldest Aboriginal cultures of the Earth used meditation as a tool for spiritual fortification, a nd every religion uses meditation for spiritual development. They have replaced indigenous African religions, but are often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems. Meditation is one of the most powerful ways to develop your African spirituality! It is therefore your mission to find the path that speaks to you the most truthfully, and then walk that path unapologetically! African Spirituality. 48 hours left to save $200: “Only join Elephant Academy if you love Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. This is largely because cosmology and beliefs are intricately intertwined with the natural phenomena and environment. A belief in ancestors also testifies to the inclusive nature of traditional African spirituality by positing that deceased progenitors still play a role in the lives of their living descendants. This is true for people of all backgrounds. June Jordan. According to Gottlieb and Mbiti: The environment and nature are infused in every aspect of traditional African religions and culture. Kemetic spirituality strives for inclusion. Detoxification is your body’s process of eliminating toxins that you eat, drink, and breathe through your colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph nodes, and skin. I am just starting to delve into our indigenous spirituality but my love and embrace for my West African roots was a result of my meditation practice after the death of my biological father in 2014. This list is limited to a few well-known traditions. Wars and immigration policies and cruelties have separated wives and husbands, parents and children and grandparents from each other. But to do so, you must take responsibility for your own education and growth. The 5 Hidden Teachings Of Kemetic Yoga Every Initiate Should Know. African Spirituality. This Index contains brief definitions, descriptions or cross references on over 1,200 religious organizations and beliefs, as well as world religions (including Christianity) and related doctrines. Such separation and subsequent contemplation of the nature and sources of pure energy or feelings serves to help participants manage and accept them when they arise in mundane contexts. Ancestor veneration has always played a "significant" part in the traditional African cultures and may be considered as central to the African worldview. Spirituality is the state of your soul, emotions, beliefs, mindset, and connection to the infinite. The African Orthodox Church was founded in 1921 in the midst of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) under the belief that black Episcopalians should have a denomination of their own. Have you recently left Christianity? On the 30th January, 2021 there will be a ceremony to recite the 14 Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing. For toys, books, and more, check out our selection of religion and spirituality catalogs and coupon codes. However, the effects on depression, anxiety, and stress are unclear. One religious ceremony practiced in Gabon and Cameroon is the Okuyi, practiced by several Bantu ethnic groups. The Benin Monarchy, Olokun & Iha Ominigbon. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. Meet other locals to discuss your spiritual path. Religion and spirituality are indeed two different things – despite what some will tell you! Bishop Alexander McGuire, who had served for many years as a UNIA chaplain, served as the first Archbishop of the African Orthodox Church. In essence, the circle represents completeness, fullness. Instead, these religious have become systems of indoctrination that create. Ministries; Education; Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation; In Action: Helping Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers; In Action: Care for our Common Home; SHCJ Responds to Laudato Si’ Close; Share Our Mission. "Kings, Magic & Medicine". Among Afro-Asiatic-speakers is henotheism, the belief in one's own gods but accepting the existence of other gods; evil here is caused by malevolent spirits. These 3 African Genesis Stories Predate The Bible By Thousands Of Years. It’s not limited to practices of Kemetism. For the Kikuyu, according to their primary supreme creator, Ngai, acting through the lesser deities, is believed to speak to and be capable of guiding the virtuous person as one's conscience. Join Br Phap Hai and the Compassionate Ocean Sangha in Sydney, Australia for sessions of sitting meditation and other practices including sutra recitation, sutra class, Touching the Earth, Dharma sharing, Be-in. Since Africa is a large continent with many ethnic groups and cultures, there is not one single technique of casting divination. It will give you the knowledge you need to stick with it! Which African Ancestry DNA Testing Kit Is Right For You? Peavy, D., (2016). Meditation is one of the most powerful ways to develop your African spirituality! [37] The deities and spirits are honored through libation or sacrifice (of animals, vegetables, cooked food, flowers, semi-precious stones and precious metals). Diviner (also known as priest) are also sought for their wisdom as counselors in life and for their knowledge of herbal medicine. That process increases your metabolism by 3.6-14%. The significance of the Circle in traditional African spirituality. [1] Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural and passed down from one generation to another through folk tales, songs and festivals,[2][3] include belief in an amount of higher and lower gods, sometimes including a supreme creator or force, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional African medicine. Ask 3 people to define it and you will get three different answers. The difference between powerful spirits and gods is often minimal. ), are excited to the point of going into meditative trance in response to rhythmic or driving drumming or singing. 17–19, Parrinder, Geoffrey. In Africa, there is a saying, "He who does not dance does not know what's happening." [1][7], Adherents of traditional religions in sub-Saharan Africa are distributed among 43 countries and are estimated to number over 100 million. Historically, meditation was not conceptualized as an expedient therapy for health problems. Meditation. Some meats should be avoided altogether: The World Health Organization has classified processed meats – including ham, salami, sausages and hot dogs – as a Group 1 carcinogen which means that there is strong evidence that processed meats cause cancer. The Semitic Abrahamic religion of Judaism is comparable to the latter world view. Monthly Meditation; Spirituality Resources; Prayer Requests; Sisters Remembered; Close; How We Serve. [40] With a long farming tradition, the Serer high priests and priestesses (Saltigue) deliver yearly sermons at the Xooy Ceremony (divination ceremony) in Fatick before Yoonir's phase in order to predict winter months and enable farmers to start planting.[41]. I ended up buying some vegan cookbooks, and that is how I found Queen Afua (who we interviewed for our podcast). After a few days of the fast, higher levels of endorphins appear in the blood, making you more alert and giving an overall feeling of general mental well being. In traditional African culture and spirituality the image of the circle is a prominent feature that permeates all departments of life. According to him, the belief in spirits and ancestors is the most important element of African religions. Meditation is one way you can unlock this superpower. Peavy, D., (2009). He summarizes that traditional African religions are not only religions, but a worldview, a way of life. Becoming a vegetarian (a person who does not eat meat, but can eat animal products like milk) or vegan (eliminating all animal products from your diet) might not be practical for you initially, reducing meat consumption can have positive effects on your well-being. Examples include social behaviors such as the respect for parents and elders, raising children appropriately, providing hospitality, and being honest, trustworthy, and courageous. In many cases, Africans who have converted to other religions have still kept up their traditional customs and practices, combining them in a syncretic way.[42]. Most African societies believe in several “high gods” and a large amount of lower gods and spirits. In order to help you get started with meditation, we have written a full, step-by-step article that you can read by clicking here. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1996. [31], When this trance-like state is witnessed and understood, adherents are privy to a way of contemplating the pure or symbolic embodiment of a particular mindset or frame of reference. African Spirituality. Some African religions adopted different views through the influence of Islam or even Hinduism.[36]. 5 Forms Of Meditation For African Spirituality And How To Do Them. [21][22] New world religions such as Santería, Vodun, and Candomblé, would be derived from this world. The foods you eat have a direct impact on your spiritual strength and progress! Fast To Develop Your African Spirituality, Ifá, Vodun, VooDoo, Santeria, and other Yoruba Religions, Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Coming Forth By Day- The Book of Enlightenment, Introduction to African Religion (African Writers Series), African Origins of Major “Western Religions”, The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts, Knowledge of Self: A Collection of Wisdom on the Science of Everything in Life, The City of Wellness: Restoring Your Health Through the Seven Kitchens of Consciousness by Queen Afua (2009) Paperback, How To Wear African Waist Beads And Unlock Divine Feminine Energy, What Kemetic Spirituality Teaches Us About The 9 Parts of the Soul, Everything You Need To Know About Fasting For African Spirituality, How Yeshua Was Whitewashed – A Critical Analysis of The European Jesus Meme.