Ogbodo Enyi

This mask is known as the Ogbodo Enyi, or elephant spirit mask, and its commonly danced by masquerades during festivals as well as funerals of important leaders. The age grade societies that dance this masquerade range from youths to elderly men, and in some very rare cases, its even allowed to be danced by women, such as in the community of Nkaliki. To my knowledge, this is the only masquerade in Ala Igbo that can be danced by both men and women.

Enyi Ogbodo with ntekpe

Variations of the mask will sometimes have a carved human head on the other end, which is called ntekpe. These types of Enyi Ogbodo are usually only reserved for senior age grades, which is an indication of the group with the highest spiritual authority.

Field photograph of Igbo Ogbodo Enyi masker dancing before audience in Enyigba Izzi, 1983. Courtesy of Herbert Cole

For more information and pictures check out the following:

http://organizations.plattsburgh.edu/museum/afm_42.htm

http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/29325/

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/123762?search_id=1&index=0

Rachel Dozeal

Recently, the news of Rachel Dozeal has made headlines all around the world. The once distinguished president of the Spokane branch of the NAACP stepped down when it was revealed that she was really of European American descent, and had fabricated her past to make it seem as though she was African American. I personally found the entire episode to be extremely bizarre and surreal, somewhat like something out of a Dave Chappelle show skit or a Boondocks episode. But it motivated me to finally write this long overdue piece about another person that I know who has fabricated their past in order to gain followers: a man who goes by the name Papa CE.

Papa CE

Who is Papa CE?

This individual started a show on Blogtalk Radio a few years ago, and claimed to not only be a descendant of an Igbo trader who migrated to the the Americas in the 1800s to trade, but also an initiated dibia and a king of a village in Igboland (seriously), where he used to live. He also claims to have been born in Louisiana, and at the age of 3, was declared “two headed” seer, which meant he was clairvoyant, and was trained in the art of hoodoo, which is African American folk magic. Furthermore, he claimed that he was in contact with the “7 spirits of Obasi.” But is any of this true?

What is his real name?

Papa CE is short for Chukwunyere EzeNdubisi. That’s the name that he goes by, but his real name is John Willis. The EzeNdubisi name was taken from the alleged last name of his Igbo ancestor who settled here in the 1800s (which he has not shown any proof of by the way), and he came up with the Chukwunyere name by simply finding an Igbo name with the same meaning as his real one (which means “God is gracious”):   In a private conversation with John Willis, I asked him exactly what his ancestor was over here to trade (with full knowledge that palm oil was the main export out of Igboland at the time). His response was that they were trading “eze ego & other artifacts”, despite the fact that those things would have been practically worthless at the time in the United States. When I pried for more information, he kept on stating that it was secret. The reality is that this ancestor never existed. John Willis learned about Igbo culture via a group called Ekwe Nche, in Chicago, where he lives. It was from this group that he learned the history, politics, culture, and even a bit of the language of Ndi Igbo. When he first met this group, he was a Christian minister, eventually referring to himself as Reverand Ezendubisi. One of the the emails actually reveals his real history:   He even admits that he was once looking for his identity and decided to identify as Igbo in another email: In the very first episode of his Blogtalk Radio, he claimed that his father’s family came to the US to trade, and in another episode, he made the claim that didn’t come from a slave family and doesn’t have the “slave consciousness.” But if the above emails are to be believed, all of that is shown to be a blatant lie. Besides that, his knowledge of Igbo history and culture also seems pretty suspect:

• Willis deliberately mispronounces the name Igbo. After pronouncing it correctly earlier in the show, he pronounces it as “E-boo”, in order to try to make it sound like Hebrew. This is a clear sign of a deceit and a person with a nefarious agenda
• Willis spreads debunked misinformation about Igbo people being descendants of Jews/Hebrews including claims that Igbos say that they are descendants of 3 brothers (Eri, Arodi and Areli) which are 110% fabricated
• Willis claims that the so called Jewish genes (J1) have been found in Igboland, despite the fact that all the DNA studies done on Igbo people have shown them to be 100% African (Haplogroup E1b1A specifically)
• Willis claims that his family knew this information this entire time, but the reality is that he picked it all up from Ekwe Nche, which also promoted the debunked Israel hypothesis

Where was he really born?

Due to its reputation as Hoodoo Central, it makes sense for John Willis to claim to be born in New Orleans in order to add to his credibility. However, besides providing no proof of this, he also never seems to mention places like Congo Square, or the influence of the Congo at all on New Orleans or Hoodoo, which are central to its history. This is most likely another fabrication on his part. Did he ever live in Nigeria? For a person who claims to have lived in Nigeria, he seems to not have an even basic understanding of Nigerian geography or history. In his second episode, he makes several errors:

• Willis does not know the difference between the Benin (Edo) Empire of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Dahomey, which is now part of the neighboring Republic of Benin
• Willis has NO CLUE that the Oba of Benin (who is regarded as one of the top 3 traditional rulers in all of Nigeria) never owned any part of modern day Benin Republic, and still doesn’t to this day, especially not the entire country
• Willis makes the claim that Vodun is Yoruba tradition, when its really practiced by the Fon & Ewe of Benin & Togo
• Willis confuses Haitian Vodun with Dahomian Vodun by using the term Loa, which is a Haitian term, not a Dahomian one

In his third episode, it gets worse. Willis repeats alot of the same misinformation as he did in the second episode in regards to Nigerian history and makes even more basic errors:

• Willis makes a huge mistake in stating that Benin was the largest kingdom amongst the Yoruba when its common knowledge that it was ruled by the Edo. The two largest Yoruba kingdoms were Oyo and Ife (which is also common knowledge)
• Blatantly lies and says that the Yoruba word for sacrifice Ebo (pronounced Eh-bow) was named after the Igbo people
• Says that Africans didn’t expand their territory” or  build empires until European colonization, despite the presence of the Aro Confederacy, Benin Empire, Sokoto Caliphate, Oyo and Ife Empires in Nigeria alone

Its pretty clear that John Willis has never lived in Nigeria, most likely has never stepped foot there. Even if he had, there’s no way in hell that Igbos would allow a non-Igbo person to be king over a village of theirs. And even if such an abomination was to happen, John Willis never provided even an image of his alleged coronation.

Why would he fabricate his past?

John Willis’s target audience was black and white Americans. With all the competition out there now in the psychic/spiritualist arena, he needed a way to distinguish himself. Since most Americans weren’t familiar with Igbo culture or spirituality, Willis pretending to be one would make himself seem more exotic, and protect him from being called out on his lies and misinformation. However, when people like me would raised too many questions in regards to his credibility, we were cut off, while Willis searched for new people to scam. John Willis thinks that Americans (black ones in particular) are idiots, who won’t do their research and will accept anything that he stated.

John Willis was pretty much aspiring to replicate the success of “Miss Cleo”, an African American lady who pretended to be Jamaican “shaman” in order to boost her profile on the Pyschic Readers Network.She achieved fame as their spokesperson in the late 1990s and early 2000s until they were sued by the FCC for fraud and deceptive advertising. The parallels between them are so similar that one could almost call John Willis “Mr. Cleo.” Its almost a gurantee that John Willis aka Mr Cleo aka Papa CE will not come clean and tell his viewers the truth. From talking with him, he’s been lying for so long that he’s actually begun to believe his own lies. Nonetheless, the veil has been lifted and his fabrications are coming crashing down.

In the follow up to this post, I will debunk John Willis’s claims of being an initated Dibia, as well as the so called “7 Spirits of Obasi”

RED ORIGINS is an original African animated series created by Kolanut Productions, an up and coming independent animation, comic, and game productions company. Kolanut Productions focuses on providing diverse media that is predominantly centered on, but not exclusive to the untapped and emerging market of African Magical Futurism. The premise of RED ORIGINS is the following:

“Red Origins is a show that follows Obi, Temi and John as they mystically get transported to Neo Africa in 2070. Upon arrival they mistakenly break a bronze taboo and are forced to join a Peacekeeping Magical Juju Force. In order to return home they must help stop a brewing war between Ancestral Africa and Neo Technological Africa. It is spell casting magical juju daggers versus energy wave cannons; which side will you take?”

I actually learned about this project a few months ago, and took it upon myself to dialogue with the creative team behind it. I have long been a fan of animation of all types (with such favorites as Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Death Note, Justice League Unlimited, Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, etc), and felt that African Animation was long overdue. After a few exchanges, I decided to lend my support to this project, and I am asking you to do the same. The creators have set up a Kickstarter campaign in order to produce the first edition of the Red Origins comic, as well as subsequently produce a 10 minute trailer for the animated series. From the preview that they’ve already posted, its exciting to think of what this team could come up with the right resources:

They’ve also managed to get the support of Sci-Fi/Fantasy heavyweights such as Alan Dean Foster:

As well as my friend Nnedi Okorafor:

Time is running out for this Kickstarter campaign. Let’s show our support and help RED ORIGINS show what Africa has to offer!

By Nze Chukwuka Omenigbo Nwafor

“For man, everything he needed, he needs and or he shall need has been provided. With leaves and the like we can perform any action which modern science (western) cannot anticipate of even in the next ten thousand years or more”—Nwankwo Nnabuchi (In Defence of Igbo Belief System, 1987)

Mythical Origin of Akpụkpala as described in “After God is Dibia Vol 1” page 86

Áfá/Ává/Áhá (pronounced differently from the Āfà for “name”) is an Igbo term that denotes all oracular, divinatory, predictive and clairvoyance practices; only seconded by the much more conversant practice of Amuma or Ibu Amuma – Prophecy. Among the virtually listless variety of divination systems found in Igbo culture, which run well into their hundreds, the primordial Akpụkpala system of divination has surfaced as the most sophisticated, versatile, accurate, enduring and encompassing system thereof; employed successfully since time immemorial in determining and addressing all phenomena.

Rightly so, various questions have been raised by both dedicated scholars and keen enthusiasts of Igbo culture around the world as to the underlying mystery behind the prominently ancient Afa Akpụkpala divination system. Many have attempted to explain and even compare it with the far more recent binary computing system of Western epistemological tradition; an approach that is highly flawed in itself but somewhat aids in lifting the heavy veil of mystery in which the Akpụkpala divination system has been much shrouded in. Indeed, as concerns the profound mystical science undergirding the Akpụkpala divination practice, Prof. Onwuejeogwu (1997) and Prof J. A. Umeh (1999) has in their respective ways, invested great efforts in bringing some of the primary mysteries undergirding the Akpụkpala oracle to academic light. Umeh for instance elucidated that, “this form of divination has its own language which the Igbo people believe to be not only the oldest Igbo language but also indeed the oldest language in the whole world” (Umeh 1999). Quoting Nwankwo Nnabuchi, he maintained that,

“The language of Ikpakpala [Akpụkpala] was based on the original Igbo language which was later modified in the time Amuta [Uga Chi] to accommodate the known innovations. Subsequent to that, there were other modification which gave rise to the loss of a higher percentage of the original concept. This development notwithstanding, its language is still the oldest language in Igbo history. Some people call it the language of Dibias. It is correct because it is the Dibias who still retain some of the earlier culture, practices and religious rites….the study of Ikpukpala shall to an extent reveal a lot about the origins of Igbos (Umeh 1999: 84; emphasis mine).”

Akpụkpala oracle

However, as one would agree, at the time of the penning of Umeh and Onwuejeogwu’s individual monumental works, the likes of Ron Eglash (2005) and Gabriel Oyibo (2002) whose much welcome research revelations are gradually revolutionizing the world of contemporary mathematics and physics were yet to significantly emerge. And even now that they’re here, one still recognizes how incredibly difficult a task it is to initiate a full-fledged scientific exegesis on the Akpụkpala oracle, talk more of fully accomplishing such a project.

Agreeably, perseverance in the face of mounting obstacles is a must, if such colossal tasks are to be accomplished by Africans in this day and time. However, frankly speaking, asides all the ritualized ethics of “discreet practice” embedded in Igbo sacred traditions which even Prof. J. A. Umeh himself confessedly had to override to write his book, asides all that, attempts of elucidating the under-girding mystical principles animating the Akpụkpala oracle naturally embodies a herculean task for anybody since contemporary science is yet to develop any meaningful and somewhat analogous scientific cum epistemic system that can mirror the great mysteries of the Akpụkpala oracle.

Infact, as it appears, the algebraically contrived binary computing system and more recently, quantum computing system is as far as the Western mind can attempt of this feat. But one should be aware that the binary encoding threshold system (Akwu na Obi) as confessedly extracted from the ancient Akpụkpala system by Western seekers merely embodies one of the preliminary, Akashic gateways that an Afa adept (Dibia Afa) has to “pass through” (Ịkwu Afa – literally, jumping into Afa/shifting into the Afa mode of consciousness) before arriving the 5th dimension from where the herculean task of Afa-seeking (Igba Afa) actually takes off and well-extends into an infinity of dimensions or universes.

As such, considering the highly sophisticated methodologies, ritualized speech and mystical knowledge that under-girds the utilization, sustenance and successful application of the Afa Akpụkpala oracle, it becomes highly apparent that the binary computing system as “formulated” by Westerners is but a helpless recourse to mathematical theorization in an attempt to engage a phenomenon that clearly transcends this four dimensional plane of existence (ahịa n’anọ, ụbọchị n’anọ i.e. 4 market holdings = space and 4 diurnal cycles = time). Indeed, what these early Western seekers of African sacred knowledge concocted up as the “binary computing system” is honestly atrocious and pale in comparison to the profound essence embodied in the Akpụkpala oracle.

Binary code

As such, one can rightly assert that, any attempts by African scholars and researchers to utilize such tentative, Western-concocted “information systems” to explain the profound principles and procedures of the great Akpụkpala oracle will merely amount to an innovative boost for the Western epistemological tradition and nothing else; since these are actually plagiarized systems in essence. It is the author’s candid suggestion, that such interested scholars and researchers should engage these original, African mystical systems of knowing from their indigenously conceived and understood perspectives. Secondly, the problem with attempting to utilize even the recently concocted “quantum computing system” in explaining Akpụkpala oracle (QCS was imperfectly plagiarized almost word-for-word from the Dogon “fox-sand-seed-fingerprint” divination system – again the mystical number “4” is key here) lies in the narrowness of its cosmological scope.

Let us not forget that the Western epistemological tradition whose global hegemony continues to stifle other richer, epistemological traditions from enlightening humanity is still in denial of Ala Mmụọ (the other inter-existing worlds/universes/dimensions). Besides, as with BCS, any careful analysis of QCS (Quantum Computing System) will readily reveal that it is simply the result of Western seekers, once again, extrapolating about 10-15% of the embedded principles found in the mystical “fox-seed-sand-fingerprint” divination system of the generous Dogon people and transforming the same into a mere, quantum-mathematical “information system”. Whereas the original Dogon system is actually post-quantum oriented! And even at that, QCS is virtually still in its theorization stage!

A selection of Akpụkpala combinations from page 90 of “After God is Dibia Vol 2” by John Umeh

Quite simply, the point being made here is that the original parent, mystical systems of these concocted forms of “information systems” clearly transcends the “quantifiable” or empirical mode of consciousness which the Western epistemic tradition appears to be trapped in. Infact, as attested by Umeh on this issue, “in a situation where one has to select one meaning out of 823,543 meanings per each Afa seed words the task clearly defies quantification or description” (Umeh 1999). Thus, as the likes of Umeh, Oyibo, Eglash, Afigbo etc. have respectively pointed out, African epistemological systems are mystical in principle and as such are post-empirical, pot-literate and post analytic in nature.

Their profound solution systems, operative bearings, determinative and harmonizing capabilities encompasses but ultimately transcends the empirical scientific system of today’s world. This truth in itself, embodies an insurmountable proof that humanity has known far more advanced civilizations in the past. One is only left in wonder as to how Africans allowed and continue to allow themselves to be convinced by anyone to abandon such a profoundly advanced resource and constitutive element of their super civilization.

Hence, after considering such deep-seated epistemic and academic flaws encountered in candid attempts of elucidating the undergirding mysteries of the Afa Akpụkpala oracle, one is left no choice but to recourse to the original Igbo epistemological system for reference (as Indian scholars still do today). And likewise, since most of the hardcore sacred knowledge embedded in Igbo culture are seldom couched in demotic Igbo, one also has no choice but to recourse to the ritualized oracular tongue of Afa (a sonically distinct, highfrequency meta-language essential for oracular programming, slightly distinct from the original Afa mother-tongue itself known as Ofu Ora) for any precise and articulate presentation of this mystical, Igbo divination system.

“After God is Dibia Vol 2” by John Umeh

Speaking to this, Umeh has specified that “Afa is a mystery tongue of the Dibia, unknown to all save those admitted to the requisite Afa Mysteries that require the Afa language…It is the very language which the Igbos believe the Gods, Goddesses and other Spirits speak” (Umeh 1999). Infact, he went ahead and defined the Akpụkpala oracle as “a mystic super-computer of limitless capacity as well as limitless retrieval abilities” (Umeh 1999). Further still, he specified that, It is the most scientific of all divination methods as afar as the state of scientific knowledge stands in the world today, and so, those who are obsessed with having scientific explanation even for metaphysical complexities, issues and realities which our present day sciences have not yet developed fully into understanding, can more easily learn and appreciate his form of divination (Umeh 1999: 84).

In conclusion, it should be noted that since one can thus far demonstrate a sense of what the Afa Akpụkpala oracle conceptually and operatively entails, in both the mystical and modern scientific sense, the cogent question for Igbo thinkers, scientists, policy makers, scholars, researchers et. al. is as thus: how will this profound system of inquiry,  learning and harmonization once again advance the Igbo civilization of this day and time? Indeed, the oracle itself is as ever vibrant, competent and productive as always, as aptly captured in one of its mystical appellations as “agadi nwanyi osi asili” literally, “the ever gossiping [informing] old woman”.

The problem is when will the Igbo mind fully awaken to its matchless, God-given genius abilities and take up their Akpụkpala seeds and divine another wondrous civilization into reality as they were highly renowned of in the past. Indeed, whether they will realize this soon enough, or later on with much disappointment and whether they will ever be able to undress their acquired western “intellectual costumes of the mind” and humbly approach the wise, mystical oracular systems of their ancestors for guidance, profound knowledge, wisdom and understanding is entirely up to them.

References_____________________________________________________________
1. Umeh, J. A. 1999. After God Is Dibia, Vol. II. London: Karnak House
2. Afigbo, A. E. 2001. Time and Its Measurement in Igbo Culture. Nigerian Heritage: Journal of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. 10, 2001, pages 11-21.
3. Onwuejeogwu, M. A. 1997. Afa Symbolism & Phenomenology in Nri Kingdom and Hegemony. Nigeria: Ethiope Publishing Corporation
4. Eglash, Ron. 2005. African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press
5. Oyibo, G. A. 2002. Grand Unified Theorem: Representation of the Unified Theory or The Theory of Everything. New York: Nova Science Pub. Inc.
6. Griaule, M. and Dieterlen, G. 1986. The Pale Fox. Continuum Foundation.
7. Nielsen, Michael A. and Chuang, Isaac L. 2010. Quantum Computation and Quantum Information: 10th Anniversary Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
8. Nnabuchi, Nwankwo. 1987. In Defence of Igbo Belief System: A Dialectical Approach. Nigeria: Life Paths Print. Press
9. Chimakonam, Jonathan O. 2012. Introducing African Science: Systematic and Philosophical Approach (Studies in African Philosophy, Science, Logic and Mathematics). Indiana: AuthorHouse

From “African Spirituality: An Anthology of Igbo Religious Myths” by Udobata R Onunwa

In the distant past, Chukwu wanted to create human beings after he had created all other things in the universe. he created a man and a woman. He asked the man to marry the women and both of them lived as husband and wife. They looked very beautiful and elegant. Chukwu was happy to see them look good and strong. When he spoke to them, they responded and this gladdened Chukwu’s heart. He asked them not the move out too far from the beautiful compound he lived with them. The man had a very long nose. His wife also had a long nose. That day, the Sun was not shining. The weather was cool and Chukwu asked the man and his wife to stay indoors or in a cool shade. Later the Sun came out and saw the beautiful work Chukwu had made. He went close to them and his presence hardened their bodies and darkened them. Their pointed nose became shortened and broadened. The man and his wife became very hard and strong and turned black because of the Sun’s close visit to them.

Chukwu created another couple the next day since the first batch of man and woman was a good work. He brought out his clay and began the work of molding again. When he had finished putting the shape in order, he placed the figures – male and female – in another shade. The Sun did not see the second beautiful work their master (Chukwu) had produced again. This Sun did not come very close to this new set. They remained in the cool shed for a long time and it took time before they got properly dry. Later when they were brought, they did not see the Sun that had gone away. The pointed nose of this second set of couple remained in tact. Their body remained bright and soft. When Chukwu later asked the Sun why he came out to disturb his first creatures, the Sun apologized and promised that he would from that day take care of the couple by providing them with warmth, light and and making sure that they remain strong and have strong bodies, bones and good hard food. The other couple did not get the same benefits from the Sun like the first couple. Chukwu sent them out to a far place where the Sun scarcely gets to them. They lived in extreme cold, never smiled, and never visited each other.They locked themselves in shed and huts trying to keep warm by whatever covering they could find.

Whenever the first couple came out to work or play outside, they enjoyed the rays of the Sun and its light and warmth which made them smile to one another and exchange greetings with friends and neighbors. They became the ancestors of the Black Race who are friendly, warm, cheerful and strong. The other couple became the ancestors of the White people who are a bit withdrawn, individualistic, locked up, gloomy and shaking with cold every time, soft bones and when they came to the Sun, they go out burnt.

Today, many Blacks have resisted the heat of the Sun while the White skinned people fear excess heat. Even in wet season, the Sun would come out to check whether the Igbo are warm enough. He made the promise to Chukwu that he would look after the Igbo at all times. The Igbo in appreciation of the benevolence of the Sun, established a cult of him and today there are people who worship the Sun as a deity of cheerfulness and bright nature and success. “May your Sun shine for ever” is a blessing people give to those they love. “May your Sun never set” is a wish and pray of long life for people.

by Chukwuka Nduneseokwu

Many centuries ago, when black men lived in harmony with the wild beasts and subtle cattle in the jungles of Africa, before the great war in the animal kingdom and the invasion by the white cavemen, before man lost the trust and love of beasts – the Leopard was the king of the Animal kingdom. He was loved by all, both humans and animals alike. He was blessed with wisdom, beauty and strength. He was the envy of the entire animal realm. The Leopard King was of a royal blood line, as the animal kingdom practised a true and absolute monarchy. His closest allies were the Tiger (Agu) and the Lion (Odum), who were chiefs and members of a noble lineage of cats. Although Chief Odum was not particularly on the kings good books – he was tolerated, as his great grand father had played a great role in the last war with the first wave of the white cavemen who crossed into their land.

Deep in the Igbo hinterlands, on the dawn of the Afor market, the Leopard King, Agu-Okpo, was just returning from an early morning hunt with his royal escorts, the best of his generals. The hair on their jaws bore a beautiful mosaic of blood mixed with the mirror looking drops of the morning dew. Riding directly behind them was a small contingency of younger Leopards carrying the mornings proceeds of anu nchi. They all matched into Agu-Okpo’s palace with grace, as the kings wives and children ran out to welcome him. The clouds were gathering in the sky and it seemed like it was going to be a dark and rainy day, as the jungle was thick with giant trees which often were seen reaching out to touch the skies.

Igwe Agu-Okpo moved his subjects into safety from the coming rain and storm. He was about to retire to get a little rest when the ever busy Fox, who was the royal messenger, ran into the royal quarters with his breath pacing and his tail bitten off and bleeding. He had just started telling the king of the scene of a gathering of Lions and wolves, plotting to overthrow him which he saw, and of how they attacked him. He had not finished when Ugo (the Eagle), who was the leader of the kingdoms air force, landed with great anger and glory. He landed with over 400 of his best men, as they mounted defences round the kings domain. Ugo went into the kings chamber and confirm the Fox’s report. He was already mapping out battle strategies when the wise and strong leopard king busted out into a loud laughter to the surprise of the Eagle and the Fox. He told them of how the Lions and Wolves have been trying to overthrow his family lineage for centuries. He told them not to worry that he had a large infantry to defend himself and the kingdom. Ugo reassured the king of his loyalty – although he was not satisfied with their numbers – for the army of Lions and wolves he saw from the sky was something he had never seen in his 80 years of guarding the integrity of the realm.

On the plane valley of the ‘ugwu ocha‘ mountain – Odum had summoned an army of over four thousand Lions, the finest his clan could boast of. The wolf his ally came with almost the same number of fierce looking and battle ready warriors. They had been planning this overthrow for years. The collusion of their roars and barks echoed round the kingdom as the thunder in the sky bellowed in preparation for a downpour.

Back at the Leopard kings palace and domain – there was huge preparations. Word had been sent out to all the leaders of the clans to assemble their armies. Defences were reinforced and new barricades built. The army was assembling the biggest force ever in the history of the realm – not for a war against man but against it’s own. Agu-Okpo summoned one of his oldest and most trusted allies – Agu the Tiger, who had a legion of three thousand two hundred strong women archers and infantry men. The women of his clan were known for their gallantry in battle. The Rhinoceros came with 500 of his 2 horned warriors and the gorilla had assembled 1000 of his biggest and fiercest tribes men. Agu-iyi (the crocodile) who was the leader of the kingdoms navy readied his clan as they lined the banks of the lakes and ponds and laid in wait for any enemy who would dare cross into the lands from the sea. The Leopard King had 5000 iron claw warriors from his clan – they were the last defence of the realm.

The kingdom had a land, air and water force of over 15 thousand beasts, birds, and reptiles. The Leopard King gave the signal for the battle drums and trumpets to be sounded. And so 15 thousand strong male and female of the kings Army matched out unto the valley of Ugwu Ocha to meet Odum the lion and his allies in battle. The Rhinoceros and his tribes men, together with the Gorilla’s formed the front line of attack – as they charged, the earth beneath them trembled. The Eagle (Ugo) was already in the sky, getting ready to descend on the enemies with Iron claws when he saw a large contingent of white cavemen advancing from the bushes behind the enemy. They carried all sorts of weapons as they wore lion skins. The Eagle was shocked at the sight – so he sent his first son who was a captain in the air force to make haste and inform the king of the humans fighting on the enemies side. The Leopard king on getting the news was paranoid – he never expected the Lion to be that desperate as to bring Men into their war. He paced around the battle ground for a while. And after a few hard thoughts, he dispatched four of his fastest warriors to the domain of men. The Black King of Ala Igbo, had always been a good friend of the Leopard king – and so when the four warriors arrived to tell him of the invading white cavemen, and that Agu-Okpo needed his help – the Black king immediately summoned a fighting force of 1000 men to accompany the Leopards to the battle grounds, while he took the rest of the day to assemble his entire army.

The battle at Ugwu Ocha had started off like every other battle in the realm. There were huge casualties on both sides as the white cavemen had hauled arrows and stones on the Leopard kings Army. The heavens had just started pouring down rain and the battle ground was a mash of mud and blood. The storms got heavy and every side had to withdraw to their camps in preparation for the next days battle. The rains had suddenly come to a halt towards the evening – when the four warriors returned with an angry army of 1000 men. Throughout the night the generals on the Leopard kings Army and black kings army laid out their plans of attack and battle. It was a beautiful sight to behold – an alliance of men and beasts – all in a room – in deep discussions as to how to save Africa from the woe which the Lions and wolves greed had brought upon them. They all had a quick meal and went to sleep, so as to gain their strengths before the dawn of the next day. At dawn every section of the army was awake and started marching out in formation. From the right flank of the camp matched in the Black King with an extra 2000 infantry men. At the sight of this the entire army raised their voices in cheers as the king pointed his staff towards the battle field. Their spirits were lifted as every beast and man alike rode out to meet the enemy on the battle ground.

The Lions and wolves were about to get into formation when they saw the Black King riding beside the Leopard King and his friend the Tiger. At the sight of the mighty army before it – their men started to tremble. For the Black king had never lost any battle – and was renowned for coming to battle with the powers of his god, Amadioha. It was not long before the white cavemen engaged the black men of Africa in close combat. The white cavemen were outnumbered four to one and so before noon they had been subdued. The Lion leader Odum, had also sustained a head injury and it was clear that the his side was loosing the war. Before evening on that day, the battle field was filled with dead Lions and wolves. And so Odum having weighed his chances – signalled his son to sound the drum for retreat and surrender. The drums were sounded as he and his allies started retreating into the mountains. There was heavy jubilation in the camp of the Leopard King and the Black Human King. Some of the war hungry beasts chased the Lions and wolves into the mountains as they hacked them down and killed them.

Soon news reached the villages and hamlets in the kingdom of the victory and there was great jubilation. The battle for the throne was over. Later the following day the Leopard, the Tiger and his human allies had a meeting to discuss the future of the realm. They all agreed that the clans of Lion and wolves who took part in the uprising should be banished from the Kingdom. And so the white cavemen took Odum and his kins men back to their land beyond the seas, with false tales of how they had won the war – and how the Lion wanted to expand his kingdom to the forests of the white man. They cooked up stories to make the Lion look supreme and so began the Legend of the LION KING. But in Africa the Leopard was still King and reigned supreme. The Leopard was given the title “Agu na eche mba” and from then till date the Igbo of the hinterlands have used the Leopard as the symbol of strength and military might.

Amadioha Nsibidi Symbol

“And now we will begin seating the guests at the high table”, the emcee of the Nigerian function bellowed in the microphone as a song by Osita Osadebe blared in the background.

“Please clap for Dr. Augustus MD and Ngozi PharmD.”

Ngozi and her husband stood up and took their seats at the “high table”, which seemed to be mandatory at nearly any Nigerian function happening in America. She thought having a high table at a non-wedding event was a pretty asinine thing to do, but regardless, her husband loved the vanity of paying to sit in what most Nigerians would consider the VIP section, in front of the “lesser people”.

From the outside looking in, one would think that Ngozi had it all. A marriage to a man at the top of the social ladder in the Nigerian-American community; who just recently had been given a chieftaincy title in his village in Enugu state; a successful career as a pharmacist; three healthy, beautiful children all on the honor roll. But beyond the weekend galas, fancy designer clothing, and expensive cars lay a secret that was slowly killing her.

She went through great lengths to conceal her secret, in more ways than one. The makeup she spent alot of time on in the morning; the designer long sleeved shirts and pants. Ngozi was a masterful actress. When she was young, she had mastered the art of putting on whatever face she needed to put on in order to get what she wanted. Since she got married, she had been suffering, but smiling.

But even if she did have the courage to tell other people her secret, who would believe her? She was married to Prophet Dr. Augustus M.D, the second most powerful pastor to the local ministry of “Miracles & Healing.” The man known to his nephews and nieces to be the most generous uncle they had? Who would believe that this same man whose hands that gave so much to so many people would be capable of using those same hands to harm her?

For most of the marriage, she had convinced herself that it was her fault. Surely, there must have been something that she had done to cause him to change from being the charming, dashing medical student who had swept her off her feet to becoming the man who would smack her for putting too much pepper in his soup. In the good old days, he used to brag about how he bullied some of the younger medical students during his residency, but he always treated her like a queen. She never imagined that he would eventually start bullying her?

The first time he slapped her, it caught her off guard. She shrugged it off and figured that he was just under stress from examinations. But the slaps became frequent, and then they turned to punches, then all out beatings. She saw a different side of him, as well of herself. She learned that color correcting concealer was very good for covering black eyes. For a busted lip, coral lipstick worked wonders. And any other physical injury could easy be explained by her playing racquetball.

Ngozi didn’t know who to turn to. Her parents had passed away not long before the beatings began. As a pastor’s wife, the gossiping “market women” that attended their church were out of the question, and her siblings mooched off her husband too much and would probably beat her themselves if she did anything to get in the way of access to the money of their “rich” #1 in law. The only family members she felt she could turn to were the ones in spirit. Like a large portion of Igbos, She grew up Catholic, she had been raised to pray “to” Saints in her time of need. She figured that if she could pray to dead European who lived good lives, she could surely pray to dead Africans who did the same. She called out the names of her deceased relatives, both the ones she knew personally and the ones she didn’t know. As she called their names out in Igbo, tears were streaming down her cheeks mixing with the bruises. She wept, and wailed, and cried to them for support, for guidance, for protection. And then something very strange happened; Ngozi heard a reply to her prayers.

For her entire life, Ngozi had been extremely prayerful. She recited the Lord’s Prayer everyday, and in her youth, the entire Rosary on a regular basis. She still prayed to the Saints and to Mother Mary. But never had she actually heard any of them reply back. She paused. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Then she heard the voice again reply.

“N-go.”

There was only person who called her that. She recognized the voice and felt the presence of her late uncle Mazi Kalu Okoro Kalu, who had recently passed last year. Despite her Christian upbringing, Uncle Kalu was the uncle she was closest to, even though he was a dedicated eze (priest) of Amadioha, the God of Thunder and Lightning. Despite the warnings of her parents, and the rest of her uncles and aunts against her “heathen, wayward” uncle, she always considered Uncle Kalu her favorite. They were so close that he even said that they must have been siblings in a past life. She was the most devastated when he joined the rest of the ancestors after a long battle with cancer. But here he was speaking to her as though he were right there.

“I have seen what your husband has done to you. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you. But I will send you a spirit of truth and justice that will. The Amadioha priesthood has been in our family for generations, ever since its inception at Ozuzu. While others may call upon the spirit to fight on their behalf, our relationship with it goes far deeper. We are the only ones that have the capacity for the spirit to possess our bodies and not kill us in the process. The power of Amadioha runs strong in our family. Your father had that gift but ran away from it. I have it and I embraced it. And now you have it, and I shall teach you how to develop your gifts. Once you learn how to control this energy, no man will ever harm you again.”

Ngozi listened diligently to the words of her uncle. She took notes on all of the materials that she would have to gather to build the shrine.

Bamboo poles: Check
White cloth: Check
Raffia: Check

She dedicated a secluded area in the forest behind her backyard to construct it and set up a long bamboo pole that was being held up by two forked sticks. On the bamboo pole, hung the white cloth, as well as medicinal grass and charms she had made. The process was actually more enjoyable than she imagined it would be and really brought out her artistic side. That is, until it came time to sanctify the shrine using the best way possible…via blood sacrifice.

She hadn’t actually seen any animal killed since she was a young girl growing up in the village in Nigeria, and the thought of actually killing a chicken nowadays made her quite squeamish. Plus, she did not want to break any of her nails. Nonetheless, it was the final step in activating the shrine so she did what she needed to do.

There had been no rain in the weather forecast that week, but not too long after the shrine was consecrated, a thunderstorm rocked the town on a scale that hadn’t been seen in generations. It was so torrential that nearly everyone in her area lost power. There were rumblings that it would take days to restore it all. Luckily, all the members of Ngozi’s family made it home safe and sound. And despite the fact that they lived in a country with 24 hours of constant electricity, the Nigerian habit of having a generator handy is one that they never lost.

That night, she had a vivid dream like no other she experienced before in her life. It felt at the same time, both strange and familiar. Dark blue clouds enveloped her and she almost felt as though she was standing on top of them. Around her were flashes of lightning and incredibly strong winds blowing, yet in the midst of all of these things she was still and at peace. Then she heard it, a thunderous voice that filled the heavens:

“Our daughter. Welcome home.”

A flash of lightning bold illuminated the sky and Ngozi could see that she was surrounded by various celestial spirits, including many of her deceased family members. Despite the fact that their faces were obscured by masks, both small and pale as well as large and dark, she still somehow recognized them. The voice continued:

“To those who are innocent, I am their defender and avenger. And to the guilty, I am judge, jury and executioner.”

Ekpo Ancestral Mask – Atani, Arochukwu

Without even saying it, she knew she was standing face to face with Amadioha, who said to her:

“My daughter show me your hands.”

Ngozi obeyed the command. Jolts of lightning akin to static shocks on steroids leaped onto her fingers. The boisterous voice told her:

“You have come to me with clean hands. I shall walk with you as I walked with your ancestors.”

Amadioha then uttered to her his secret, ineffable name in the form of a chant and told her to only sing it in matters of life and death. The sky lit up once more and Ngozi found herself back in bed She felt different upon waking than she did when she went to bed. Her hands in particular, were much much warmer than usual.

Over the next couple of weeks, things seemed surreal for Ngozi. The first week, she gained the ability to tell whether a person was being dishonest or not. She would be able to pick up the inflections in their voice, the change in pitch, and even hear their heartbeat speeding up. At the job, she deduced that a number of the customers had fake prescriptions and also that the real reason that one of her coworkers was working the last shift was so they could steal pills to resell them on the street.

On week two, things that were once hidden began to be brought to light. She found jewelry, socks, business cards and other things she thought she would never see again. She also found drug paraphernalia that her middle child had gone through great lengths to keep hidden from her.

The changes on week three were the most dramatic. She began to see oddities on the faces & bodies of various people. After a couple of days, especially spending time with people she knew very well, she began to understand what they meant. People who constantly stole appeared to have red colored hands, as though they had been dipped in bright red dye. Extremely envious people would appear to have enormous dark blue eys. Pathological liars had abnormally long Pinnochio-like noses. Treacherous people would have both sides of their face look radically different.

Ngozi began to become a bit overwhelmed with the sheer amount of treacherous people that surrounded her on a day to day basis. It was already bad enough at work dealing with inconsiderate customers, but church became an even bigger circus than it was before. Despite their ostentatious displays, she saw all of them for what they were.

At the same time that her abilities were growing, her already strained relationship with her husband was getting worse. It was almost as though he could sense that she was getting more powerful, and it was making him tense. His barking became more ferocious and his threats became more intense. Things that would have earned her a slap got her a solid punch to the ribs. The same darkness that she saw in others she saw on him. His inward appearance was so distorted, it didn’t even look real.

Augustus had once been a good man, with flaws, like all of us. A man with dreams of becoming a medical professional and serving his community both in America and back home in Nigeria. But after many years of hard work, he started to care more about what he could gain than what he could give. When they moved to America, he had trouble getting re-certified to practice medicine, and spent alot of his free time in church. Augustus too had been raised Catholic, but after attending a revival, he not only received the calling to convert to a Pentecostal church, but felt as though he had been called by Jesus Christ himself to start his own ministry.

He made up for his inability to practice medicine in America by spearheading yearly medical missions to their home state of Enugu in Nigeria, where he could still practice medicine without much drama. But as time passed, the frequency of these missions decreased. It got to a point where Augustus would only set up the medical missions to embezzle funds and trade treatment for sex.

At the church, he set up a weekly “healing list” whereby people could add the names of people that needed healing from various ailments, and convinced them that they would have to give elaborate offerings for the healing to actually commence. Augustus did this with full medical knowledge of how to actually either alleviate or downright put an end to their suffering. Regardless, he had now convinced himself that he indeed did the anointing by the Holy Spirit and deserved to be compensated handsomely for it. And when the conditions worsened (as they usually did without medical attention), Augustus would simply insist that it was because they had not been giving enough.

For years, Ngozi had been blinded by the prestige that came along with being a wife of one of the pastors. She did not allow herself to see the abuse and corruption in her mist..until now. As her eyes opened to what was in front of her, things that were hidden also began to appear. She discovered that Augustus had been planning to blackmail the head pastor into resigning, so that he could take his position. On top of that, Augustus had impregnated a few of the ladies that came to see him for counseling, and had used the “healing list” fund to pay for their abortions. After discovering the paperwork he had sloppily disposed of, she decided that enough was enough, and she was going to confront him face to face.

Ngozi had arranged for the kids to spend this week away at her brother’s house, to avoid them witnessing the showdown. She pushed open the door to his home office and tossed the manila folder that contained the smoking gun on top of his desk while he was leading a prayer line. In the middle of leading a “return to sender” prayer, Augustus excused himself, and placed his telephone down as he yelled at her:

“Woman can’t you see that I am busy? What on earth is this? “

He opened the folder and saw the abortion paperwork he thought he had thrown away. Augustus tossed the folder on the ground and sat silently.

“I am finished! This is it. I’m leaving you and taking the kids with me”, Ngozi said with a conviction she didn’t even think she had in her.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Augustus said in a cool, relaxed manner. “You will die before you leave me.”

Ngozi froze. She didn’t know what to say or do next.

Augustus got up and walked towards her.

“Do you hear me?”, his voice grew louder. “You will DIE before I let you go.”

As Augustus’ voice became louder, Ngozi heard the sound of a beating drum in the background also getting louder. He lurched at her and put his hands around her neck. Ngozi began to see her life flash before her eyes, and felt that if she didn’t do something quickly, she’d become the next person killed by their spouse. She remembered her dream, and whispered the secret name that had been given to her. She sang it very quietly. Suddenly the entire sky erupted in lightning. And she felt a presence in her body like nothing she had ever experienced in her life.

Uli symbol for Amadioha

Augustus throw Ngozi against the wall and started pummeling her. With each strike, Augustus looked more and more like the monster he really was. He raised his fist to strike a knockout blow, and as it came down, it was met with something that neither of them expected….her palm. Ngozi caught his fist and squeezed it as she picked herself off the floor. The look on Augustus face was pain mixed with total shock. Could this really happening? Ngozi looked him in the eye and said one word:

“No.”

But it was not just Ngozi that was behind those words, but also the God of Thunder and Lightning that her possessed her body. Augustus immediately tried to swing with his free hand was met with a kick that sent him flying across the room. This wasn’t possible!

“Ngozi! What is wrong with you? Are you possessed?” he shouted.

“Yes. But the only unclean spirit in this room is yours,” she replied.

Chills ran down Augustus spine as he heard his wife’s voice blended with a thunderous booming one. He got himself up and pointed his finger at her.

“SATAN I REBUKE THEE! As an anointed man of God, I command thee to depart!” He proclaimed.

Through Ngozi, Amadioha spoke: “I am called many names. Igwe. Ezenu. Ubochi. Kamalu. Amadioha. However, Satan isn’t one of them. But whatever name you know me by, just know this: To those who are innocent, I am their defender and avenger. And to the guilty, I am judge, jury and executioner.”

“Is this how you talk to a man who has taken care of you and all of your useless siblings for all of these years? Have you suddenly forgotten the type of life you lived before I rescued you? You should be bowing at my feet everyday you ungrateful witch!” he yelled in response.

“You were blessed with those hands to give healing. Instead you used them to cause pain and take from others,” The God of Thunder & Lightning replied calmly.

Augustus became indignant.

“Don’t you know who I am? I am anointed! A holy man of God! The soon to be head Prophet of his ministry. Bow before me you unclean spirit!” He yelled as he charged towards her.

Immediately Ngozi’s body levitated out of the way and Augustus ran head first into the wall.

“And because you abused your gifts, your punishment must be more severe,” Amadioha bellowed out.

Ngozi, still possessed by Amadioha, picked him up and tossed him all the way through the wall, and stepped through the hole she had made. Shaken, Augustus got up and picking up a bar that was laying in the hallway, charged at her. Ngozi rewarded him with a kick in the stomach, and a 1-2 punch to the face that send him flying to the other end.

“I am the punishment of God,” Amadioha spoke, “If you had not committed abominations, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.”

Ngozi walked over to him laying on the hallway and picked him up by his hands. The God of Thunder & Lightning spoke through her once more: “You are not worthy of these gifts. These unclean hands will never harm anyone again.”

As Ngozi was holding him, her hands began getting so hot that they began to burn Augustus’s fingers. She looked him in his eyes and told him, “And soon the world will see you for what you really are.” Ngozi let go and immediately collapsed. She was transported back to the realm of the God of Thunder and Lightning. Her ancestors, dressed in elaborate masks, were again present. The voice from the Heavens said to her: “Our daughter. Well done. You may go in peace.”

And with that, she woke up to a policewoman shining a light in her eyes.

“She’s awakened,” she yelled out to the rest of the officers.

“What happened?” Ngozi asked.

The policewoman replied: “Apparently your husband had forgotten to put the phone on mute while he attempted to pummel you. The people on the prayer line heard what he said and when the the phone line cut off, a member of your church called 911.”

“Where is he?”, Ngozi inquired.

The policewoman pointed to the bottom of the stairs. Augustus was still breathing, but seem partially paralyzed.

“I guess he slipped and took a tumble,” the policewoman responded. “From the looks of him, he won’t be a danger to anyone any longer.”

Ngozi smiled, and for the first time in a long time, no longer suffered.

In the past,only a few men and women lived on the earth. Thick forests, seas and trees covered other parts of the universe. The big trees became the abode of many spirits, fairies and gods. Some gods, occupied trees, rivers and streams. Some big trees were feared and respected as the abode of the gods. Besides, because of frequent harassment by human beings, the spirits and gods decided to live in the forests where they enjoyed alot of quiet and uninterrupted peace. Most men and women would always bring minor or major problems to the gods by visiting the shrines of the gods and local spirits in the forest. This constituted a sort of nuisance to the spirits and gods.

The animals on the other hand decided to live in the forests to escape man’s constant attack on them. Men went out daily to hunt animals for food. This put many animals at risk of extinction. So many of their species decided to live far inside the bush to escape the attack from man. It was only the cow, dog, sheep and fowls that live in the home with humans. Other animals that live in the bush feel threatened. Although humans eat the domestic animals, which also serve as pets ,they do no kill them at the rate they hunt the wild ones.

A man went out to hung game on one sunny afternoon. He chased an antelope, which ran very fast into a big bush to escape being killed. The man persisted in his chase and came to a part of the bush which looked like an open hall where the animals used as a rendezvous where they would meet to relax when they were not looking for food or when they were not running away from hunters. The hunter did not find any human being there, not was there any animal. He suspected that the space was so beautiful that it must be a center where people gathered for games or refreshments. He hid himself behind some big trees to wait for the people who meet there to assemble. After a while, the forest spirits began to assemble there for their usual evening party. Many other spirits and gods also came along with their wives and children. They began to sing, clap, dance, and enjoy some jokes.

Some of the birds sang beautifully while some of the animals played some musical instruments that produced melodious sounds. It was an evening of great joy and merriment for the animals, while the gods shook their bodies and moved their legs in rhythmic and regular steps. Some of the young birds played flutes and whistles. The melody was very gorgeous. The hunter was thrilled as he watched the program from his hiding place. he did not want any of the guests to notice that he was there. Many of the animals, and birds were so carried away in the party that they did not know that someone was hiding and spying on them from somewhere.

The guests at the party dispersed at the end of the program and each went home. The hunter did not move immediately. He kept quiet until everyone present had left. he finally left and on his way, began to imitate the spirits and gods by humming some of the songs he heard. He moved his steps up and down, shook his body, hands, and his head. Then he began to practice what he saw the spirits and animals do in the forest. The hunter later got home that night and woke up to his family that had already gone to bed. He taught the wife and children how to sing, dance and play some of the instruments. He improvised the drums and bands with pots, tables, stools and plats that he had in his house.

The members of the family enjoyed the late night entertainment the hunter brought home to them. So every evening, the family met, played some music, danced, smiled and entertained themselves. The words of the music did not matter so much to them. They concentrated on getting the rhythm right and the steps correspond with the rhythm. Some younger members of the family added some melody to the songs and the harmony was absolutely interesting. Thus this is how humans learned music and dance.

From “African Spirituality: An Anthology of Igbo Religious Myths” by Udobata R Onunwa

Onye Oji, Black as the Bluest Blue
Silent Dweller

Eze ndi isi oji
Onye oma, a god with starry eyes
My Beloved
Groom of all grooms
My King, Eze’m

I bow before you Lord of the Worlds
Cosmic representative of truth and justice, ofo na ogu
Star traveler, mapping the way, taking us where we need to go

Trailblazer
You

Eze Osetulu, Eze nke kachisi eze
You build the pyramids with your hands
Split the world in half
Spin the cosmic waters
Make matter out of words, okwu afa

Nna nke uwa, whose love is eternal
May we never forget our inheritance
We your chosen ones
Your eternal suns.

by Ebele Chizea

Uli designs by Igbo women

To the point, Ịlọ Ụwa is soul re-manifestation process also known as reincarnation, just as Ịlọ Chi is the original pre-birth divine soul manifestation act of Okike the supreme creator, which originally emanated the individual soul from the divine one cosmic soul (Ọma Ụwa/Ele Ụwa) at the moment of universal creation. Igbo proverbial lore expounds that Ugwu nyịrị anyị makana ọkwerọ ọfeke ngala for time is a special universal element of our realm and therefore precious. The universal cycles which generates this time currency stops to wait for no one, so that one must reap and sow in harmony with them. Ịlọ Ụwa is further still that cosmological stairway of spiritual maturity which is descended and ascended by the soul in the universal worlds with the final aim of transcending the universal worlds and returning back to its original source in the realm of Chi, for existence in the universal worlds is existence in temporality and limitations. Igbo spirituality and lifeworld as a whole is an intricately engineered journey towards this grand destination of humanity and a mirrored extension of the divine ordinance and cosmological principle of egbe na enu unyo na ana.

With this grand level of involvement anticipated in its wisely simplified processes, it is only proper that, access to our cosmic (i.e. non-temporal) memory in consciousness here in the universal world should naturally grant us a great lift from the pits and rungs of our previous climbs of the spirit, and this is what Ọdịnala aspires to with nature as its direct bridge in this realm of universal worlds. As the universe itself is destined a life in grand cycles culminating at the seventh viz. erete ụwa dị ịsaa eji alọ ụwa na ịsaa-ịsaa, so also is the cycle of reincarnation cosmologically capstoned at seven, with the exception of where ọghọm ụwa na ọmetalụbulu (i.e. karma) causes a delay and brings about more subsequent returns. In our present material well-being obsessed world, this exception has become the rule, so that people now assume that infinite reincarnation is the norm which is the fantasy to stay in “sin” or ignorance while “grace” or time is abundant, which is just that – an illusion. The complete reversal of this mode of being called The Fool.

Fool Tarot Cards

(Ọfeke) is what The Wise called Ọmalụ strives to accomplish. This is called Ịme Ọdịnala Chi Ụwa (soul cultular spirituality) or Ịme Chi Ụwa for short, which universal journey is socially celebrated and mystically counted or marked and capstoned with the original Ichiri Chi Ụwa titular rites and ceremonies which the natural Igbo person gravitates to in their universal trotting of accomplishments hunting. As the arch-nomads of the ancient world, movement and traveling is a fairly super instinct in the Igbo person. For having circumvented their present planet in the earliest far deem eras of their presence here, Igbo people naturally became propelled to channel and transform their hyper nomadic instinct and advanced spiritual wisdom gained from their intense nomadic experiences in primeval nature towards an industrious propensity and successfully became technology nomads. At this, they excelled beyond match among their original ancient clan siblings till their much recent decline in spirituality & creativity. Only thus recently have this advanced instinct been blunted and watered down to the trivial economic nomadic consciousness it is familiarized with as of today.

As with reincarnation, the Igbo nomadic instinct is also acutely practical of the Eje Ana Bụ Isi Ije cosmological principle i.e. going forth to life and returning seasoned with wisdom; the journey of incarnation and transcendence. This is to illustrate the reason for the characteristic proactivity of Echichi orders and lodges in Ọdịnala, such as Igbu Ichi, Ichi Iyom, Ichi Ọzọ, Ichi Ekpe, Ichi Eze, Ichi Ekwe, Ichi Lọlọ, Ichi Ọdụ Ichi Ebiri etc. For originally, within these ancestrally established orders and their lodges, were cultivated some of the most advanced Igbo spiritual techniques of enlightenment and cosmic principles or powers of accomplishment. When properly examined in the realm of energy, the memory of these descents and ascents in beings are captured by the soul in a shell-like spiral characterizing its revolutions in energy as would be seen at the center of a tree’s core, for instance.

Tree rings

The soul uses this memory to build a suitable and meriting body for its self in the womb of the universal worlds. When it has achieved this peak of ascent, it reincarnates no more and departs the universal worlds and its cycles of temporality and boundaries of limitations. Since very ancient times in Igbo land, it is known among Igbo seers of varied calibers who could directly see energy without the aid of any tools (Ndị na afụ ịkpa chi/Ịfụ ịkpa chi) that at the expiation of a material body whose in-habiting soul had actually completed its last cycle of returns to the universal world and was now ready to merge with Ọma the one cosmic soul of the androgynous supreme cosmic divinity Chi na Eke, at this point, it takes on the semblance of a feathered or a winged serpent upon its release from the body shell. Such a soul is regarded as having attained the angelic ancestral status of Ushi Egwurugwu i.e. hallowed ancestors of glorious transcendence or rainbow ascent).

The natural cymatia sign of the Chi at fulfilment or rest (which is captured in the Nshịbịrị script) enshrines within it the original mystical architecture of the Tree of Life revealing the completed cellular memory map of what the Chi’s finalized journey in the universal spheres looks like:- a rainbow feathered serpent coiled on a tree pole with its head raised above the pole in victory, illuminated with the golden hallow of enlightenment, sporting the rainbow colors of accomplishment and bearing the grand jewel of wisdom. In truth, Nshịbịrị script has layers of subtly engineered functions and purposes, one of which is to reveal the infinitely unique Chi signature vibration frequency geometry from the moment of its incarnation from Okike as it travels as energy in the spirit realm towards the externalized universal world where it will continue to travel in varying less-subtle phases. The script further uses these signatures in a set of multidimensional configurations to communicate and elicit the same signature vibrations from the Chi using the human psyche as a bridge. This first sign, the primordial sign of the Chi at fulfilment or rest, is the oldest symbol of enlightenment in the ancient world, from which original form it was much later miniaturized in many stages into the triangle with the all Seeing Eye symbol of lesser potency.

Nsibidi symbols on Ukara cloth

In reality, the living human proofs of the culmination of Ịlo Ụwa in Ọdịnala is made-manifestly observable in the life of Ndị Gburu Ichi na Ala Igbo. The ancient dictum goes that “onye gburu ichi na mgbe gboo bu onye ga emeri ọnwụ makana igbu ichi bu mmadụ ịdị ndụ kwa onwe ya”. This observation gave rise to the more generalized aphorism that
“onye gburu ichi emerigo onwu”. How is this so, that the culmination of reincarnation also meant the cessation of death? The answer is deceivingly simple but grave: birth gives rise to death as a crack in the human fate and yet death can be defeated whilst one is alive by the highest type of death in which one dies seven times and is resurrected seven times i.e. IGBU ICHI. This been the core mystic act underlying the original Igbu Ichi rite. The great Igbo ancestor Ọlaụda Ekwealọ of extraordinary bravery and genius, observed accurately many centuries ago that originally, Ichi title bearers in Igbo land were regarded as the most enlightened and wise among their peers where ever found, having undergone the mapping of the cellular memory of their Chi’s ascending current onto their face for the whole world to see and bear witness to the ultimate act of worldly denouncement and impeccable devotion to the Chi as codified in Ọdịnala and simultaneously the conquering of the power of temporal memory, they have forever sacrificed their human individual ego, with their own blood as the proof of death and their living body as the sacrificial alter.

They become living human mirrors of enlightenment and rare living proofs to the reenactment of the covenant of reincarnation cessation between the Chi and the soul,  made flesh. Having died before all, they resurrect to never die again, for every Igbo person who beheld them after this, witnessed to a soul who was now in a conscious blooded covenant with their Chi and this state of being is called Ugo Ebe Na Aja (taboo-restored state of innocence) which is why such persons are naturally excluded from doing all forms of manual work. And finally, when they decide that they are contented with life, they simply eject their souls from their bodies at will. They literally defy death and attain Ibi Ụwa i.e. reincarnation cessation. This is who we are.

Igbo Ukwu bronze

The origin of Ikeji Festival in Arochukwu is as old as the history of the Kingdom. The festival marks the end of the farming season, arrival of harvest, and beginning of a new season. The Ikeji Calendar is determined by the Arochukwu traditional council (OKPANKPO Aro) under the leadership of his Majesty the Eze Aro. Celebrated in the gregorian month of September every year,it is usually a 17 days event.

The Ikeji Period:

The Ikeji month is a special period when Aros are expected to observe strict adherence to norms, ethics, customs and tradition. During the period, neither burials nor mourning gatherings are permitted. All forms of violence are not tolerated, civil disobedience; public protests are strictly prohibited throughout the Kingdom. Death of any Aro within the period is largely viewed as a bad omen and therefore treated quietly with indignity. The period is devoted more rectitude, thanksgiving, entertainment, charity, philanthropy and recreation.

Ikeji presents a unique opportunity to celebrate Arochukwu tradition and culture in its pure and original form. It is also a platform for infinite entertainment, tourism and reunion with cultural delegations from affiliate Aro settlements spread in over 350 communities in Igbo land and beyond. The festival features seminars and lectures on Aro cultures, visits and homage to historic cultural sites, pouring of libation, exchange of kola-nuts and good will, paying of homage to Aro traditional institutions, masquerades, traditional dances, diverse cultural displays and so much more.

It is also a period to commune with the ancestors, reconciliation, peace building, conflict resolutions and self-help development projects. The era therefore witnesses influx of visitors and tourists into Arochukwu. Sons and daughters from all parts of the world return home to the Kingdom to be part of diverse cultural displays, merry making, exchange of visits, marriages etc. The Ikeji Festival is also a time for expansion of boundaries of business and friendship. It is another time to come close to nature, renew faith in Aro culture, connect with kith and kin and watch the original culture and tradition come alive.

Ikeji Calendar

Stage 1: AFOR OKPO NA-ZA AWADA

On this day, members of the Otusi (clan) of Amaja, a historical kith and kin in Aro mobilise to sweep Awada Aro. This event holds in Ugwuakuma village in Arochukwu. The Okpo family from Agbagwu has a leading role in the assignment with the support of Otusi Clan. During the brief ceremony, Awada Aro is opened; the environment kept quite clean, decorated and put in real festive mood. This event marks the beginning of Ikeji.

Stage 2: AFOR MBAPE AWADA

The stage of the Festival features members of the Otusi (clan) of the Amuze. The clan mobilises eligible sons to sweep Awada Aro. The ceremony brings together Otusis from other Aro Kindreds including Okennachi, Eze Agwu, Umu Nna Okwara Agwu, Bianko to participate in the ceremony. The attendants arrive at the ceremony wearing bells on their waist and carrying gongs, both instruments producing resonant sounds. It is usually a prestigious movement that carries the weight of royalty, honour and glamour.

Stage 3: AFOR NDULASA NWAEKPE

Nwa Ekpe, a symbolic representation of the royal ancestors is led home. This is an all day ceremony that keeps the town in real festive mood. All the nine Otusis (clans) in Aro go to Ugwuakuma, to offer sacrifice and pour libation to the ancestors in appreciation for a good harvest period. Each delegation wearing bells around their waists while carrying gongs on hands dancing to the admiration of all and sundry already soaked in Ikeji festival mood. The ceremony ends at night and the various delegations return with dances to their respective villages.

Later the same night the talking drums (uvie) are brought down. The drum (Uvie) left hanging on a particular spot since the last Ikeji celebrations are gracefully brought down, rolled out and played loudly. The loud talking drums are welcomed with loud ovation, excitement and jubilation by all, far and near. In the ancient days, the uvie (big talking drum) can only be sounded only in the compounds of great and outstanding men of each village. Uvie is a drum used to celebrate success, honour, achievements and bravery. Only the wealthy and influential in those days were in a position to host Uvie (the talking drum). This is because the ceremony itself attracts cost for entertainment and relevant materials for sacrifice. The sounding of the uvie put all and sundry on notice that Ikeji celebration has fully commenced.

Stage 4: NKWO NKU

Nkwo Nku is a day when women are expected to fetch firewood for their husband’s mother, their mistresses or close friends. The wood is meant for cooking while the Ikeji season lasts. It is indeed a friendly gesture of love and respect for elders. Nkwo Nku is intended among other to highlight the role of women in the family. It is also to promote the virtues of motherhood and cordial daughter in-law and mother-in-law’s relationship in line with respect of Aro culture.

Stage 5: EKE AGBA UDU

This is a day set aside for Aro Aristocrats from Amuze, a particular kith and kin in Aro kingdom to step out in grand style to offer sacrifice. The day is marked with loud festivities that bring out the best of Amuze peculiar culture and pride.

Stage 6: ORIE AWA

It is a day set aside to offer the sacrificial animals such as goats a special meal. The significance of this has been open to many interpretations and debate. While some claim that the exercise is to offer the animals their “last supper” for possible slaughter in Ikeji, others argue that it is to appreciate the importance of domestic animals like goat in Aro tradition. Orie Awa also features another round of fetching of fire wood to support the kitchen. This is an activity set out for young girls looking for suitors, the newly wed and young mothers. The road to nearby forests and farms to fetch the fire wood creates avenues for “toasting”, courtship by young boys in search of lifepartners.

Stage 7: AFOR AWA

Afor Awa is the expected deadline for all Aro sons and daughters, in-laws, friends and well-wishers travelling to the Kingdom from other Aro settlements and communities all over Igbo land to arrive in Aro. By Afor Awa, all cleaning up activities and preparations for Ikeji should have been concluded. The arrangements made by families and the community to receive Ikeji visitors and invitees should equally be concluded on or by Afor Awa day. The arrangements on ground by Afor Awa put everyone in full Ikeji vacation and festive mood. By Afor Awa, visits to the Farm for any hard work are restricted. Women especially young girls looking for suitors spend more time in body painting (ide uri and ide – nkasi ani). There is also special attention to coral beads andcowries which are usually won to complement the dressing. Afor Awa in Ikeji calendar is also a period that witnesses pressure on families to prepare their children and household for special Ikeji look like no other.

Stage 8: NKWO NZUKORO

Nkwo Nzukoro in Ikeji Calendar represents special market day set aside for Ikeji Shopping. On this day, Aros are expected to do the last marketing and shopping for the season. Although Ikeji is a yam festival, the eating of rice (eresi) has been introduced in recent times. Nkwo Nzukoro therefore also known as also known as Nkwo Eresi. In Aro traditional calendar that day also marks the end of the year. The midnight activities of nkwo nzukoro or nkwo eresi can be compared to activities at midnight of Christmas – New Year eve of 31st December; when Christians send – off an old year and usher in the New Year.

In the olden days, after dinner on Nkwo Nzukoro, Aro villages and kindreds usually keep vigil until midnight to usher in the New Year. For instance within the three villages that make up Umunna Okwara Agwunamely (Ugbo, Ugwuavor and Amoba) tough night masquerades called “Achikwu” take over the night. Achikwu masquerade strictly open to only male members who are initiated dance throughout the night of Nkwo Nzukoro to usher in Eke Odu. In some other villages and clans, it is Obono society that is used by men to mark the night vigil. In those days, the night of Nkwo Nzukoro is a night when women are neitherheard nor seen because of presence of night masquarades and other male dominated cultural dances.

When the New Year is born in the early hours of Eke Odu, there are spontaneous shouts of afo laoooo! afo laooooo! (Goodbye old year, goodbye old year). This is followed by lighted; smoking firebrands that run long distances to the backyard, waved above the head and thrown headlong along gutters, behind compounds to drive away the evils of the passing year. At the end of Nkwo Nzukoro, the Aro main market, Ncheghe, and the Eke Ukwu market, go on recess. On Tuesday 20th September, this ceremony was held as part of this year’s Ikeji festival.

Stage 9: EKE ODU

This is the day of the new yam. It features Ekpo Masquarade dances at Obinkita, variety of dances by the Ezeagwu & Umunna Okwara Agwu tomark the new yam. Eke Odu is the day Arocukwu eats the eat new yam.

Stage 10: ORIE EGBUGBU

This is the day the elders drawn from villages, kindred’s and clans commune with the ancestors through pouring of libation, killing of fouls, goats, cows and other sacrificial animals to appease the land. It is a day Aros make sacrifices to sue for peace, unity and love in celebration of harvest. The type of sacrifice is determined by capacity, affluence and need. This is the time when succulent plants known as OKPOTO is placed at the entrance of each onu ezi (compound). The eldest of the compound offers a sacrifice before the arrival of dawn.

Thereafter, about 7.00 a.m., every family offers sacrifice to its ancestors at Inyamavia located at Ulo nta (a small house but an ancestral assembly hall) where the family staff of office -Inyama Avia- is reposed. People are expected to ensure that their domestic animals are prevented from tasting the ofor left at the ulo nta. Any animal found tasting the ofor would be killed instantly. In the evening of Oriegbubgu, families begin to cook an Ikeji delicacy called osu. This delicacy is only prepared by women of proven purity and decency in character, birth and ancestory. The aboriginal status of women who can be involved in cooking and carrying Osu must not be in question. The end of the cooking is heralded with gun shots, each gunshot representing each goat used for the meal. The more goats killed the more gun shots into the air to celebrate success.

Stage 11: AFOR OSU

The osu meal prepared the previous day is now presented to friends and well-wishers on the Afor osu morning by women. Visitors are also entertained with the delicacy. Members of each family are summoned to the osu meal by the exclamation AFOR OSU OKO-O! The word Okoo is an exclamation used by the Aro to signal an emergency. The sharing of Osu from one household, family to another are usually carried out by young girls who are searching for suitors. It is an amazing day for special Ekpo masquerade performances at the highest level all over the kingdom especially at Obinkita. The journey from one family to the other provides huge opportunities for young bachelors to ask questions seek and fine. Ofor Osu in Aro calendar is a day of caring, sharing, exchange of gifts, pleasantries and good will.

Stage 12: NKWO EKPE IBOM-ISII

Nkwo Ibom Issi holds in Ibom square. On this day, Ikeji activities are centred in and on the Ibom village. All the villages that make up Ibom Isii assemble in Ibom to participate fully in the day’s activities other Aros attend as guests of Ibom Isii. Cultural displays and wrestling matches staged to entertain people from other villages of Aro. It is usually and avenue to market and celebrate talents, bravery, creativity and innovation in skills, dancing and wrestling. Many agile young men smile home with brand new love relationships that they never bargained for. This is Nkwo Ekpe Ibom Isii is also a special opportunity for girls to show their beauty apparently in search of partners. The various cultural displays feature good cultural displays. Respective villages drawn from Ibom Isii dance in style and excitement to the admiration before the Eze Aro and his cabinet sitting in majestic appraisal in Ibom square.

Stage 13: EKE EKPE AROCHUKWU

This is the climax of the Ikeji Festival. On the Eke Ekpe Day, Aros at home and in the Diaspora put on their best traditional attire, assemble in the ceremonial arena, Amaikpe to either participateor watch amazing diverse Aro cultures on display by the various communities. It is also a day set aside for delegations from Aro settlements drawn from communities across Igbo land to showcase Aro culture from the perspective of their host communities. These include dances and masquerades of all shapes and sizes and side attractions that speak eloquently of Aro heritage. Girls who have gone through puberty rituals in preparation for marriage are let out on this day to dance in the arena, from where they are expected to join their bridegrooms.

Eke Ekpe Day offers the Eze Aro another opportunity to address the kingdom, unveil new programs and set new agenda for Aros at home and in the diaspora. It is equally a chance for Nzuko Arochukwu to mobilise resources and opportunities for self help development projects. The Eke Ekpe is usually attended by dignitaries from the academia, politics, economy, private and public sectors including high ranking national and state government officials.

Stage 14: ORIE UBI LEE AVO

The event marks the beginning of the end of Ikeji. The process of winding down Ikeji commences with the ovor (family ancestral staff of office – Inyamavia ) earlier brought down for Ikeji festivities on Orie Egbugbu day in the ulo nta is then returned to original position until the next Ikeji. The Ceremony is restricted to only whom it may concern.

Stage 15: AFOR NDULA NWA-EKPE

During this day, Nwa Ekpe is ‘led back’ to Awada Aro. The ceremony on its own speaks volumes of the place of Nwa ekpe in Arochukwu customs and tradition.

Stage 16: NKWO NWUPU MMAI IBOM ISII

The day invites all aristocrats of Amuze and Ibom Isii to assemble at the house of Eze Ibom Isii who is head of Ibom Isii Kindred of the Aro Kingdom. The day also known as Nkwo Nzupu Avia (Nkwo market day) marks the re-opening of business of Ncheghe market. By this development, business activities earlier suspended to pave way for Ikeji resumes fully.

Stage 17: EKE NWUPU MMAI NA AMUZE

This last day of the event invites all the aristocrats” of Ibom Isii to meet those of Amuze and jointly move into the palace of the Eze Aro at Oror village. At the Palace, the final drinking; libation is poured in all ulo nta in Amuze. This ceremony brings the Ikeji Festival for that year to an end.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Arochukwu remains on ancient Kingdom in Igbo land, South East Nigeria where the culture, customs and tradition reign supreme. The Ikeji Arochukwu is one of such legacies that all generations of Aros hold sacred.

Reprinted (with edits) from AroNewsOnline

For the very first selection for the brand new Odinani Book Club, we have selected none other than “Efufu” by Flora Nwapa. Published in 1966, it was the first novel written by a Nigerian woman to be published. Feel free to purchase the book below, or rent it from the library. We will be creating platforms to discuss the book and the themes it deals with. In the meantime, please comment about it below.

Summary: Efuru is a beautiful,superior woman,who cannot marry or have children successfully. Her neighbors acknowledge her distinctions,are grateful for her generosity, but cannot intervene in or comprehend her tragedy. A sage diagnoses that a river goddess has in fact chosen Efuru as her honored worshipper. So far as earthly companions are concerned she must remain alone…

Efuru by Flora Nwapa is not only the first choice of the Odinani book club, it also happens to be the first novel by an African woman to be published in English. Born in Oguta, Nigeria, Flora Nwapa published Efuru in 1966 at the age of 30. It follows the life and struggles of the title character who struggles to find her place in colonial era Nigeria.

The very first thing that I noticed in the novel are the names of the characters, which are no longer common as first names. It’s unfortunate that due to colonization, alot of Igbo names that were widespread in the past have either been forgotten or only survive as surnames, being replaced with English ones or Christianized Igbo ones. 

The next thing I noticed was the terminology used for certain practices and places. For example, the term “take a bath” is used for female circumcision, which is done to Efuru after she gets married as a young woman. The name given for the Niger River was “The Great River” (or Oshimiri in Igbo).

Next, even though the story was set during the colonial era, the day to day lives of the characters do not seem much different than that or their forefathers and foremothers that lived before British rule. They worked in the farms, did trade up and down the river, went to the market, lived by the traditional calendar, etc.

But I think the biggest takeaway I got for the book was an increased empathy for Igbo women. Despite the characters being fictional, I felt like I could have been reading the experiences of any of my female ancestors. It’s simply amazing that a story of an Igbo woman’s struggles as a wife, daughter and mother could be as captivating as any Male centered, action packed epic. Overall, I’d recommend Efuru as a worthy addition to any library and look forward to exploring other works by Mrs. Nwapa. 

The next book we will be reading for the Odinani Book club will be the recently released “Daughters of Nri” by Reni K Amayo. Its the first in the “Return of the Earth Mother” series. Summary is as follows:

“A gruesome war results in the old gods’ departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Daughters Of Nri explores their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another.

Strong-willed Naala grows up seeking adventure in her quiet and small village. While the more reserved Sinai resides in the cold and political palace of Nri. Though miles apart, both girls share an indestructible bond: they share the same blood, the same face, and possess the same unspoken magic, thought to have vanished with the lost gods.

The twin girls were separated at birth, a price paid to ensure their survival from Eze Ochichiri, the man who rules the Kingdom of Nri. Both girls are tested in ways that awaken a mystical, formidable power deep within themselves. Eventually, their paths both lead back to the mighty Eze.

But can they defeat the man who brought the gods themselves to their knees?”

Why is it important to explore traditional Igbo concepts that are considered to be Taboo?

There are many reasons including:

1. Freedom from fear and shame
2. Self confidence through identity
3. Awakening your Creativity
4. Empowerment through Authenticity

Just to keep things short I will discuss two of these benefits:
Self confidence through identity and freedom from fear and shame

Number 1. Self-confidence through identity

Imagine a world where Africa stops fearing, demonizing, fetishizing it’s past, and begins to look at it with eyes wide open; freely taking elements of it’s past and laughing about it, crying about it, chatting about it…putting it on their key chains, and bumper stickers and backpacks.

Did the Salem witch trials stop Americans from creating the show “Sabrina the Teenage witch?”What progressive culture do you know that has ever been so terrified of their past that they pretend it didn’t happen…I’ll wait. The answer is none!

Even America, no matter how much they say slavery and racism does not exist, they still acknowledge it was their past and are making conscious decisions about how to deal with it and even incorporate it into their framework. Why? Because doing so is part of their identity, and feeling shame about any part of your human identity denigrates your humanity and diminishes your self confidence.

Acceptance is key to the psychology of recovery, because it re-establishes a sense of accountability in the individual, and empowers them to take responsibility of their own actions.

So, accepting our heritage wholesale without attaching excessive emotional bias to it one way or another, will give you a sense of empowerment that will be exponentially beneficial to your sense of self.

Number 2. Freedom from fear and shame

Fear kills relationships, opportunities, morale and chronic fear destroys your quality of life.

Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion typically associated with a negative evaluation of the self, withdrawal motivations, and feelings of distress, exposure, mistrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness.

The two emotions exist solely in the mind, and are linked to many addictions and other mental illnesses.

Science teaches us that fear and shame can be changed by changing the association.

Psychology Today has a great article online called 5 Ways to Silence Shame. Some things listed include:

• Acknowledge the shame
• Analyze what you are feeling and compare it to what you really should be feeling
• Know the difference between what you do and who you are

Changing the association of what you fear and are ashamed of, can be very instrumental to accepting Africa’s past. If you stop associating Africa’s indigenous symbols with something to be ashamed of, like witch craft and devil worship, and start associating with them something like a curiosity or scientific discovery, you will find a greater sense of pride in your heritage.

Much of Western scientific symbols and language comes from occultic symbols. Using symbols to pay homage to the past are not the same as engaging in worship of those symbols.

It is all about reframing your mind. So, looking your ancestors square in the eyes through education and reframing your beliefs about who they are and what that says about you is key to empowerment.

When we run away from concepts such as Odinani, Osu, Ogbanje, Amadioha and so on, we are effectively refusing to deal with their implications and shying away from using our thinking faculty as human beings. All progressive societies advanced through transforming their understanding of the world around them through education and reasoning. Let us begin to ask questions about these symbols from our past and use them to design our future.

“Ka ekere ụwa, agwụ nọ!” (As the world was created, Agwu was there) − Igbo Axiomatic Dictum of the Agwụ Cult

Igbo dibia at a masquerade dance, Nri-Awka Igbo. Photo by Northcote Thomas, 1900s.

Now, on Agwụ! Not very long ago, the rite of Ịrụ Agwụ in Igbo society and in Ọdịnala generally, was still very well known and understood as a rite for the ritualistic brewing and refinement of intelligence. Parents generally performed the Agwụ rite for their children at quite a young age, so as to ensure smooth psychological transition into full productive adulthood and civil progressive efficiency. The ancients, quite succinctly held that raw intelligence (Ọnatalụ-Chi/Agwụ-Onye-Ụwa) like every other component of creation, underwent a series of process called Ọnụnụ na Nshikọ, to reach an optimized favorable state of function called Elele Ọma Agwụ/Irite Ọma Agwụ. In the specific case of intelligence, this unique process was called Ọnụnụ na Nshikọ Akọnache (Brewing and Refinement of Intelligence) or as it came to be called. Ịlụ Agwụ/Ịru Agwụ lit. the marriage of the two poles of intelligence. In the human faculty of the genome with its nearly inexhuastible sequence of DNA and RNA coding which Ndị Igbo has properly called Akpụkpa Oke na Nne, along with yet another faculty of the cognitive system called the pineal gland or pituitaries (Akpa Uche in Igbo bio-cosmology), these two faculties were held by ancients to be under the bio-psychic influence of Ụmụ Agbara Agwụ – an elder race of comic entities or spirits, far more advanced than humans in both capacity and longevity. The ancient observation and principle was simply put thus: by the primordial causation factor of natural affinity, specific genetic types of creatures of certain genetic qualities. This natural affinity is then enshrined in communal memory and made symbolically manifest in those special Emume (rite and ceremonies) which highlight Ogbụgba-Ndụ-Ndi-Mbụ-na-Aja-Ana lit. the cultural foundation principle of totemism or the ritual-enabled life-force bonding procedures of the first ancestors. Emume Agwụ and Ịru Agwụ set of rituals, properly so, constitutes once of such early totemic situations of Ndị Igbo.

Titled elder Onyeso of Agukwu Nri washing hands for a rite before a shrine to Agwụ̀

The ancients held that two cosmic pillars of intelligence were channeled by all cosmic beings as Akọ Nne na Akọ Nna (Intuition and Intellect; the disharmonized perception mode of which is called Ose Ọbala). It was discovered that, naturally at birth, human beings came with four basic generic type of features, two of which were more of ‘default’ and feminine in character, while the other two features which were ‘emulated’ – had a masculine character to them. These dual poles of intelligence within human beings were micro-cosmologically localized as genome (Akpụkpa) and instincts (Akọ). The default features, it was learnt, primarily defined one’s nature or speciation, while the emulated features presented an initial maneuverable take-off pad for one’s unique response and optimal interaction levels with the environment. Often these two poles clashed at points of traumatic events in the life of a human being, thereby causing fundamental distortions in the psychological field of such persons. This distorted perception resulting from the two clashing poles of the psyche is called Agbara Agwụ. But whenever the two poles were properly fused into one ritually (Ọlụlụ Agwụ lit harmonious fusion/marriage of the dual psychological force poles of intelligence), then undistorted clairvoyant perception and advanced instinctive flow of interaction with cosmic nature becomes possible for a human being. For as the harmonized instincts henceforth generated flow in synchronicity with the Ụmụ Agwụ-ritually operated, healed, or ‘attuned’ genetics of the initiate, only then dose higher interaction with nature open up for an individual. As earlier pointed out, Agwụ spirits and their various incarnations and avatars throughout the cosmos, were recognized by the ancients as a specific race of wise beings or elder cosmic entities, who, archetypally are the custodians of this cosmic instituted power called intelligence, whose unified cosmic station is called Aka Ose (Uche). These were the Agwụ race of beings, pantheonised as a cosmic extension of the Igbo communal kinship model of Nne + Nna + Nwa, where we now have Nne Agwụ + Oke Agwụ + Nwa Agwụ. Within this non-human order of spirit called Ọra Agwụ, the Nne Agwụ spirit caliber of this race are primordially designated as the governess of the Agwụ cosmic institution and his power. To be sure, the Ụmụ Agbala Agwụ constitutes an entirely sub-pantheon of tutelary beings in the greater pantheon of Igbo deities (i.e. ancestral cosmic elder entities or ancestral cosmic guardians). As Ndị Mbụ, they belong in the highest Igbo pantheon of ancestral entities and through their earlier primeval direct interactions with the later Igbo superhuman ancestors (Ndị Egede), they tutored humanity adeptly and assisted in ushering the very first templates of what we now call Omenala i.e. a grand cult of civilization = culture. This rank of entities are divinely obligated to observe the manifest cosmos through the capacity of specific celestial bodies known as stars (Kpakpando = Kpakpankpa Ndụ) and report back to Chi-Ukwu the Supreme spirit via the Aka Ose Uche cosmic station. At the same time, the Nne Agwụ simultaneously communicates with those members of the Agwụ race of beings and all affiliated with them, through specially dedicated set of instincts called Kpakpankpa Agwụ. The Oke Agwụ entities, on the other hand – are primordially designated with the status of stational tutelaries, facilitating and overseeing the quantum telematic bridging of dimensions, procurement of new information and serving as protective guarding entities of certain hidden knowledge not meant for certain time era of the universal seasons. We are to bear in mind that the ancient Igbo people also hold that the universe itself possesses a soul, which soul they aptly title and ritually channell as Olisa-Chi-Ukwu lit. the consumer of seven or the infinity defying one. The Igbo also say that Amụma si na Olisa abịa lit. all inspirations, past, present and future, have their source in Olisa the one great universal soul of Chi-Ukwu. The Nwa Agwụ or Ụmụ Inyom na Okoro Agwụ spirit are, in this light, the true messengers and the ones whose duty it is to incarnate in specifically designated terrestrial types at the beginning of each universal season for the divine purpose of prompting the characteristic inspirations that will trend or drive the terrestrial creatures of the universe into the cosmic character programmed for each cosmic season. All together, this trinity of entities in a family or sub-pantheon of spirit speciation called Ọra Agwụ are responsible for guarding and transmitting the actual undying spiritual light (Anwụ) of revelations, true knowing, original vision and wisdom.

DNA

In very ancient times, the Agwụ divine trinity stood for the sacred triad principle of knowledge, devoted and wisdom. These were called the three psychic forces whose soul-borne internal crystallization is known to birth the true spiritual light of illumination or enlightenment. These triad of entities were portrayed as seen in powerful trance-delivered visions by powerful Dibịa lineage of our planet’s first Ụga Chi world age, through which means we received some of the earliest imageries of what these subtle beings who operated the great cosmic intelligence networks – looked like. While some of the imageries were directly ‘filtered’ from the ultraviolet light frequency curtains of the ritually modified subtle space or astral portal, used for communing with these entities. One may also observe the stunning ancient global uniformity of style in depicting Ụmụ Agbara Agwụ beings. The classic Igbo quantum telematics configurations that go into the setting up, consecration and personalized synchronization of Okwu Agwụ shrine portals and its varied types – will have to be addressed at another time. So also the bio-psychic installation or initiation (lit. Ịru Agwụ Dibịa) of the true Dibịa, whose ultimate spiritual descent is traced to the Nwa Agwụ cosmic spirit rank of the greater Ụmụ Agbara Agwụ trinity, giving birth to the very ancients observation that Dibịa wụ Agbara. This is also the origin of the Eze Agwụ official ritual titular of Ndi Dibịa in ancient Igbo land, which expressed the fact that the properly initiated Dibịa was installed into the spiritual position and responsibility of an archetypal human avatar, leader and human custodian of the Agwụ Cult. Again, generally, the existence of Ụmụ Agbara beings can be better described as been in the cosmic status of immortality and superhuman prowess. With the cosmos itself infinitely needing its cumulative sentience emanated or converted into the existential state called creation, so will Agwụ beings always be needed and present to attend to and guard the processes of intelligence. To put this into a more terrestrial context, just as bees (Ańụ/Anwụ) were designed to attend to and guard the processes of fertility here within the terrestrial life network or eco-system of our planet, so do Agwụ beings dutifully attend to the processes of intelligence throughout the grand cosmic intelligence network.

Igbo dibia (’diviner’) standing on sacred tender palm fronds called ọ̀mụ́, praying with edible chalk in hand

Classically, Emume Agwụ rites were originally designed as easily memorisable spiritual procedures for psychically accessing one’s ancestral genius pool, establishing a personalized genius management system for such unique genetic contents and rectifying connections with the appropriate rank of Ụmụ Agbara Agwụ beings linked with one’s unique ancestral genetic signatures or genetic genius loci within the greater cosmic intelligence network order. When this ritual alignment or synchronization of intelligence is not carried out and properly installed bio-psychically into an individual’s consciousness, the ancients propounded that unending fleets of psychological distortions will rid the intelligence process of such individuals. The Ịrụ Agwụ rite therefore – was a four-ritual staged process which commenced with the quantum telematics simulation of the dual pillars of intelligence, preceding ritual interface. This is accomplished using Okpesị Agwụ Oke na Nne properly carved from Ogirishi wood (new bouldia). The two poles (Akpụkpa na Akọ) symbolically erected (psychically mirrored) and consecrated i.e telematically configured and activated – were expected to be become fused and fine tuned in operation within the initiated. The fusion was expected to produce a synthesis of the dual force in the initiate’s consciousness (Aka Nta/Aka Ijite), which expressed itself in the form of a new, original awareness perceptive harmony (Akọ si na Akpụkpa Nne + Akọ si na Akpụkpa Nna) and the truly ease-characterized primordial flow with nature called Amara Chi i.e grace of the nature state, which makes one to seem to be operating with an economy of force. In effect, by virtue of cosmic providence, as the Akọ Nne unit of intelligence controls the RNA thus Agwụ influence the DNA through this mode to produce ever-unique responses to nature’s ever-changing states of energy and events – in the initiate. The universal symbols or sign (Arịma) carved into the Okpesi Ụmụ Agwụ are classic Igbo spirit signatures or sigils (Ọwa Mmụọ/Ọwa Agbala/Mkpa Mmụọ), primordially sourced from Nkwọ-Agbara-Ọkpụ the chief spirit gate keeper of our universe’s astral dimensional gates – for purpose of spirit invocation. These universally potent sigils that are made on the Okpesị ritual devices or totems, identifies them as inter-dimensional communication device and like the electric current circuit grids carved into the electronic circuitry boards of today’s contemporary tech. devices – to basically enable a transmission of kinetic energy to “arouse” the “dormant” potential energy of the device into interface activity – the Okpesị Ụmụ Agbala and its varied set of plug-ins or components once activated, granted one the privilege of having a compact, customized multi-channel-capacity and multitasking quantum intelligence “wisdom” into cosmos.

Okpesi figures in Idemili

These carved sigils are in-laid with the shredded powder of Nzu and Edo, which are primordially indentified natural smart essences (solar and lunar plasmic substance) capable of vibrating at very high, subtle energy sensitivity levels for at least four days and four nights, upon exposure into the atmosphere. In effect, these ancients Igbo people whose harmonious perception of the cosmos is unmatched till this day – discovered that the energy behavior or interaction of these two smart materials with the environment were exceptional and very benefits for humans, for these two substance charged the atmosphere of ritual spaces to a certain desirable frequency or energy pitch which was highly attractive to those caliber of pure spirits as are found in the Igbo divinity pantheons, the Ụmụ Agbara Agwụ included. This was done to elicit the beneficial attention of the Ụmụ Agbara Agwụ in this subtle realm, as these mythical substances have been primordially honored by these beings as a worthy form of spiritual permit or invitation into higher cosmic realms. Thus said, the second ritual stage of the Ịrụ Agwụ rite was the entity-specific “incantational channeling” and wormhole-ushering” (Ịlọ Agbala/Ịlọ Mmụọ/Ịkpọtu Agbala) of the Ọha Agwụ non-human spirit beings cosmologically affiliated with one’s ancestral genetic genius type – to be seated (Ịnye Ọnọdụ) into this 3rd dimensional zone of the cosmos in the state of Agbara Lọrọ Ụwa i.e a pure spirit being whom has ritually possessed a totemic space, creature or consecrated device, as its sacred vehicle of materialized incarnation. The Ịlọ Agbala Agwụ Ụwa ritual goal is achieved with the offering – among other things – of Okeọkpa, Nneukwu, Abụke Na Uriom Ọkụkọ Igbo, (native Igbo cock, hen, cockerel and chick) at varied stages of the Ịlọ Agbala Agwụ Ụwa incarnation ritual stage.

Agwu figurines

Foundationally in Ọdịnala, ritual signifies series of sacred actions in sacred time or a sacred moment in time. Therefore, the sacred ritual moment of blood offering in what it says: a key ritual act in series of ritual actions comprising a comprehensive Ọdịnala rite. In the simple act possessing a knowledge which made it possible that, synchronizing specific types of animal blood from ritual sacrifices with other smart mystic substances in specific modes moods, intentions based on eco-specific characters and well observed reactions in cosmic nature – the resulting meta-substance conducted or conjured-up a strong etheric force field into place which could power a temporary or constant tortus vertex for enabling interdimesional streaming of information, hyper-translocation of beings and objects between realms, among other things – this daring application of observed reality to the needs of spirituality and well-being at such an early time in the story of humanity as observed in the compressed mystic kernels of primordial knowledge (Abịa) preserved and transmitted via the core of many Igbo ritual procedures, simply gives away the glaring fact that the ancients where obviously experiencing and expounding a very subtle, unfiled system  of spiritual epistemology, a glaring synthesis of scientific technique and ritual arts, now variously known as mysticism, magic, the primordial technique, the sacred arts and sciences, the ancients way, the way of the elders etc. the Okwu Agwụ where these rite were executed were really varied calibers of miniaturized quantum activity enabling stations, where the ancients employed these subtle natural agents and resources scientifically (viz. Abịa ọgwụ ka dibịa jiri bụrụ eze agwụ. Ọ afa ka e bolụ ifenine ọgwụ na eri sị ya gbabalụ ụwa. Ire ka ana achọ na ọgwụ. Ọgwụ di ire, o tuo dibịa gwọlụ ya ugo) and in very artful ritual sequences (viz. Nka ka eji agbado mmụọ. Nka ka eji agọ mmụọ. Nka ka eji eme mmọnwụ) to accomplish higher cosmological purpose, task or needs. In direct procession, the third ritual stage in the Ịrụ Agwụ comprehensive rite is called the Orịkọ Ụmụ Agwụ which sees the Agwụ initiate, Dibịa or non-Dibịa as the case may be—proceed with a ritually shared communion of seven elements presented before the naturally very flighty Ụmụ Agbara Agwụ now etherically domesticated in the Okpesị Ụmụ Agwụ. Effectively, these ritual communion elements end up in the hands of the initiate transmuted by the now very subtle etherically-vibrant energy presence of the Agwụ beings in the enshrined space. The consummated elements were ritually designed to infuse the psychic field of the initiate with vibrations of well-beings preceding the major dream-state delivered nocturnal pscyhogeetic optimization operation of the Ụmụ Abanị Agwụ nocturnal speciation type of Agwụ beings. Also, this commune marks the end of the third ritual sequence as well as the first half of the comprehensive rite.

“Sacrifice to the Earth Goddess,” by Uzo Egonu (1974)

The fourth stage in the sequence is the ritual Anya, which is carried out on the next Eke or Nkwọ day, at the Igbo cosmological diurnal time beacon called Amani Aka Egbe Anyanwụ i.e. Midday or high-noon hourly moment (Amani) when the sun is set to shoot off its bitting arrows of heat into space. In this rite, the initiate having had their Akpa Agwụ operated by the Ụmụ Abanị Agwụ spirit beings the previous night, now has Akpa Uche (pineal gland and pituituary bodies) operated upon by the Dibịa by orally administrating a mild psychedelic portion brewed from dried Ogirishi Leafs, Ọjị Igbo (Igbo Kolanut)  and Nkwụ Kwere Izu (4-days fermented palmwine). This is followed by the administering of a second, third and fourth set of portion jointly called Ọgwụ Nshikọ Akọ na Uche. These are properly mixed with blood of a pure white native cock (Egbenu/Okeọkpa Igbo) and administered eyes and nose using fresh Ogirishi leave to funnel the liquid. Some are then cut as incisions into the palm, wrists, ankle and shoulder blades, if the initiate were on the path of initiation towards officiating as a Dibịa. Lastly, some of the portions are administered into ears of the initiated employing a white feather from the offered fowl, soaked in Ogirishi-infused water or alcoholic schnapps. This is called the ritual act of Ịtụwa Ntị and opens up the initiate to vistas of previously inaudible sounds surrounding them, as well as distant ones from other realms. Upon completing these psychotherapeutic administration, the Dibịa merely exist the stage as the fifth stage (Isemalụse Agwụ) where Agwụ becomes manifest to the initiate dawns upon them, as the now perceptually sound and heightened new consciousness of the initiate launched them into full-spectrum, cosmic intelligence interface, knowing and seeing beyond space and time, seeing through the subtle frequency curtain or dimensional veils of the cosmos, which prevents Ofeke and other kinds of being from seeing or interacting with the beings of such subtle realms.

Boy going through the anya ritual in Ohafia

Thus, the ancient Ịlụ Agwụ/Iru Agwụ rite was classically designed as a rite for the transmutational optimization of the human perceptual power system called intelligence, the spontaneous fruit of a wild, primordial, infinitely active two headed serpents called Oke na Nne Agwụ. When genuinely executed, this rite is intended to unlash upon one’s awareness a unified expansive vision of life and ever increasing higher vistas of knowledge. Through the ritual perfection of the perception powers in a human being i.e. Ọnụnụ na Nshikọ (Brewing and refinement of Intelligence), the initiate directly realizes Elele-Ọma-Agwụ state of perceptive blissfulness which comes from the calm, inner knowing of the harmonious mind; a fair rarity in our time. A rarity which is however said to be immortally enjoyed by Ụmụ Agbala in their essential nature. This authentic bare perception of reality as it is – is called the truth principle, and this force of authenticity called truth acquired through undistorted exploration of cosmic nature holds within it, the real the power of intelligence. The wizened Ogirishi trees and its ritual complementing tree known as Okwe Ụmụ Agwụ both stood as the primordial totemic Igbo trees of wisdom and knowledge respectively, since the dawn of Igbo culture; enshrining the essence of the two cosmic pillars of Intelligence, Akọ Nne na Akọ Nna (Intuition + Intellect). As primordially, the grand principles of intelligence as an independent cosmic power is proven to rest on two pillars, the ancients Igbo people sought to leave their footprint in the sands of times, by their effort to preserve the very answers they discovered on the mystery of intelligence by encoding them into the same rituals designed to respectively “brew” and “refine” the intelligence processes of a human being. By ritually classifying the Ogirishi trees as Ogirishi-Ụmụ-Agwụ and scientifically denoting it as Osisi-Akọnauche-Ndị-Mbụ, among other feats – the ancients were ritually engrooving and mnemonically patenting their discoveries for easy access to future descendants, making some of the very earliest classic Igbo ritual procedures bearers of intangible time capsules, designed to infuse our wary minds of today’s lesser world with ancient memories of hope, truth and other cherished qualities, preserved as an auspicious vision of what the earlier harmonious eras of human advancement and prosperity in times far gone looked like, as well as what it could potentially always be.

“Beneath the Ogirishi Tree” by Lynn Marshall Linnemeie

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Nze Chukwukadibịa E. Nwafọr (Omenigbo Nwa Anwụ Ushi Odirimatachi) is a native of Ụmụnze in Agụata Clan of Orumba South LGA, Anambra State. He is a writer, philanthropist, technologist, artist, Dibịa and advocate of indigenous African knowledge systems and spiritual heritage. A lifelong-learner and advanced practitioner of Igbo medicine and sacred teachings, he is also a fully-investitured culture bearer and spiritual lineage holder (Eze Aka Ji Ọfọ Ọdịnala) of Ụrụrọ-Ụmụnze descent. His dedicated efforts towards the total awakening of Igbo contemporary humanity have propelled him to introduce and teach the first comprehensive cyber course on Igbo Cosmology on the Udemy Universal Courses Digital Platform. His general publications on the cosmological knowledge and extensive wisdom heritage of Igbo culture are widely read. His first book, Leopards of the Magical Dawn: Science and the Cosmological Foundations of Igbo Culture was published in the United States in 2014 and is available in bookstores worldwide. He lives and works in Nigeria.

A guest video post via The Medicine Shell:

In Igbo mythology, the Ogbanje are spirits that cause a child to die, and reincarnate just to die again. The Ogbanje is a mischief maker in the spirit world that sneaks into the world of the living through the womb of a woman. But there is more to the Ogbanje than what is popularly known, as many are walking among us today.

“First principles is…boil things down to the most fundamental truths…and then reason up from there.” -Elon Musk