Saturday, December 11, 2004

Our-Story (English)

I tried to post the following comment to the text “Discover Day, Ayiti” written by my friend Mael Brigde, on December 5, 2004, on her blog “Water, Fur and Flame (http://waterfurflame.blogspot.com/)”, but it would only accept 300 characters.  So I posted my comment here instead.  I also reproduced Mael Brigde’s text after my comment.


Honor and Reverence to you, Mael Bridge!

I am Djalòki, from Ayiti.  I am one of those who claim both Taino, African and European Ancestry.  Thank you for telling Our-story with simplicity, yet with eloquence and compassion.  We are really tired of the near truths and lies told in the His-story books.  Unfortunately, my people is still under the evil spell of the His-story tellers, and most Ayitians are conditioned to view Christopher Columbus through the eyes of their His-story teachers, endorsing the colonizers / genociders / slave-owners mentality.  Ayiti is perhaps the only place in the world where the His-story version told to the children is the one of those who have been defeated at war!  They quickly reconquered us by Politics, Economics, religion, and mostly so-called education.  It has been said that our Ancestresses had the land, the gold and their freedom, while the Europeans had the Bible.  They gave us the Bible and they took our land, our gold and our freedom.  And now, the modern Golden Rule is applied to us: “He who has the Gold, makes the rules.”

Much despair and misery in Ayiti is the result of the acceptance of the distorsed and mutilated Our-story by our mis-educators, creating confusion, extreme low self-esteem, self-hatred, resignation, dependency, denial, powerlessness, ignorance, fear, superstition, distrust, cultural apartheid, etc…

Since Christopher Columbus only saw Ayiti on December 5, and really walked the land on the 6th, we, a few Ayitians in process of deconditioning/reconditioning from His-story to Our-Story, celebrate December 5th as the Last Day of Peace and Freedom (before the period of the Nine Hells of about 512 years that was profecized by our Ancestresses and that we are living right now).  We also use more and more Taino based references for that time of Our-story, prefering to talk about Pre-Anakawona and post Anakawona periods than precolumbian or postcolumbian.

Our-story is not a story of conquests and power struggles.  It is a story of healing, past, present and future, for 21 generations of our Ancestresses (including Europeans), and 21 generations of our descendants to come.

Peace and Respect to you!
~Djalòki~

P.S.: I have added a link to your blog on my own blog (http://djaloki.blog.com)


Original text by Mael Bridge, from her blog:

Sunday, December 05, 2004

Discover Day, Ayiti

on 5 December in 1492 Columbus landed on the Caribbean island then called Ayiti, which was well populated by the Taino people. these he praised highly for their gentle demeanour. i seem to remember that he remarked that they would be easy to convert to Christianity, because they already shared many of the same morals. i could be a little off on that quote. nevertheless, his report was completely positive. it is a comment on the great delusive power of racism and colonial self-righteousness that he could then go on to orchestrate their subjugation, especially in light of the barbarism that came along with it.

this was the America that Columbus actually discovered, then, not the land we know as the USA. he named the island Hispaniola, which over time became established as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. (the decision was made on independence 200 years ago last January to reclaim the historical Taino name, Ayiti—in English, Haiti.)

within a short time the Tainos, who used their small resources of gold for crafting ornamentation, were all but gone. the Spanish attacked them with astonishing ferocity in the hopes of gaining riches in gold, and when that proved impossible, they continued to exploit the remaining population as slaves. when even this enterprise began to fail, Father Bartolomé de la Casas, fearing the extinction of the Taino people, suggested turning instead to African slaves, who might be better able to withstand the brutal conditions and toil.

although the Taino are generally considered to be gone from Ayiti, there are people now who claim this ancestry as well as that of Africa and sometimes Europe. this makes perfect sense to me. although it was not at all easy, occasionally African slaves did manage to escape and formed communities in hills which may well have been home to surviving Taino people, too. it is likely that the Mawons, as the runaway slaves were called, and the Taino would have worked together to stay alive, and to fight skirmishes against the Spaniards and later, the French who held the greater part of their people captive.

i haven’t been in Ayiti at this time of year, so i am not sure how this day is observed. i know that a similar event is celebrated in the US with pride and gaiety. i suspect this is reserved in Haiti for 1 January, instead, which commemorates the independence of the Haitian people after three hundred years of slavery.

posted by mael brigde at 4:52 PM

Posted by Djaloki at 08:43:27 | Permalink | No Comments »

Your Own Rituals (English)

E-mail exchange, December 2004.

Friend:

…  “I have asked something of god, of the lwa and now I am being asked, pulled to do something.  I want to understand it better – or at all!  I am not a person of rituals, or even of discipline, really, and go on intuition always.  Yesterday, when the spirit/lwa was pulling me and I felt compelled to meditate, I made physical gestures my intuition gave to me, which seemed the right things to do.  Is there something else I should be doing?  Some specific ways or words to pray?

I would wish to talk with you about what I should do as far as honoring the lwa in a more regular? way.  You are a person for more formal ritual and I am somewhat the opposite, so I would appreciate some guidance.  If it feels like the right path, then I will continue.”…

Djalòki:
…  “You should not worry too much about what ritual you should do.  Just embrace the idea that ritual is a space where we meet our Higher Selves and other Spirits and where the language spoken is understood by both “us” and “them”.  Honor Her-Him in your heart, your mind and your body as often as possible, ideally permanently, but with no formality.  Formulate your intentions clearly and firmly.  Live according to your own moral principles and allow space to make amends and to forgive yourself when you drift.  Learn, grow and get purer and purer.  Also honor your Lower Self (Subconscious, Spiritual Child, Tibonnanj, the inner voice of your intuition and your instincts, your main intermediate towards your Higher Self).  For my part, I literally view myself as a Trinity (my Higher Self or Superconscious, my Middle Self or Conscious and my Lower Self or Subconscious).  We all have our own names, traits, functions and responsibilities.  One of my main purposes in life is to get my ordinary consciousness to be fully aware of and harmoniously connected with the two other aspects of myself.  So let your Superconscious and your Subconscious guide you.  You will be led to perform your own proper rituals which no religion, no pastor, no priest, no oungan, no shaman, no guru, no therapist, no counselor, or myself will ever be able to teach you.
 
Blessings.  Respect.
Ayibobo!
 
~Djalòki~
Posted by Djaloki at 05:10:59 | Permalink | No Comments »

Haiti - Hot and Cold. Orenda Fink’s article on Vodou (English)

The original version of this article was published on Medium Magazine (http://mediummagazine.com/articleHaiti.asp).  Orenda Fink, from the musical band Azure Ray, and her boyfriend Todd Baechle, from the musical band The Faint, visited Ayiti to learn more on Vodou.  Among other places, they went to the annual revival ceremony in Lakou Soukri, near Gonayiv.

…  “When we returned, it was dusk, and another ceremony had begun. All the initiates had changed their clothes and now wore red. I confessed to Todd that I was beginning to feel scared and anxious, like the energy of the place was turning dark and aggressive. As I was explaining this, the generator went out. We were in complete darkness save a distant fire and the occasional lit cigarette. Todd attempted to calm me down, although I knew he was scared too, as we walked back to our camp. Djaloki was there, and I was relieved to see him. I told him of my fears. He listened and thought for a moment. Then he said, “The first thing that I am going to tell you is you are safe here.”

He then congratulated me. He told me that it was very rare that a foreigner felt and understood the power of Vodou the way I did, and that I was handling it extremely well.
“Yes, but I’m scared,” I said to him. “The energy seemed dark and aggressive. It feels evil.”
Dja then explained that Vodouists don’t see spirits as “evil and good” or “dark and light” but rather, as “hot and cold.” Vodou is understanding and mastering the balance of hot and cold energy. For instance, the sun represents hot energy. We need the sun to live, but if you get too close to the sun, you die. Water represents cold energy. It is also essential to life, but if you have too much, you drown. He said that Soukri was a festival celebrating the Congo spirits, which are hot spirits, but that I shouldn’t be afraid as they are not to be confused with evil. Talking to Djaloki really did make me feel safer. This whole concept was mind-blowing to me, opening up a whole new realm of theo-philosophical thought that I had never even imagined.

After some time of lighter conversation, I wanted to revisit the ceremony with this new mindset. Dja, Todd, and I walked back to the ceremony, and I wasn’t scared anymore. We didn’t stay long, but long enough for me to know how much fear stems from a simple lack of understanding-for I slept peacefully that night with the Congo spirits, in the open air, under the mango tree.”…


Azure Ray’s Orenda Fink &
The Faint’s Todd Baechle travel to Haiti to discover the truth
about the mysterious and beautiful island.

Story - Orenda Fink
Photos - Orenda Fink and
Todd Baechle

In the Port-au-Prince airport, there is a sign that reads: “We are sorry to welcome you in such uncomfortable circumstances, but we are working hard to improve this.” It seemed a sad admission, and I got the feeling that the sign was a permanent fixture, as it looked quite old and was bolted to the wall.

It was 2 p.m., my boyfriend Todd and I had just stepped off our plane and into the Port-au-Prince airport. I was nervous and excited about what lay before us in this mysterious country, but on the flight to Haiti there was an unexpected air of peacefulness among the passengers, who all seemed to be either Haitian diaspora or Christian missionaries.

Just a few days before, I had e-mailed our contact in Haiti, Djaloki, who was to be our guide during our stay. I was worried that perhaps he had been caught up in the politically-fueled violence that I read about that week. He assured me that he was fine and that “the feeling of violence and insecurity the news usually conveys [about Haiti] is a pure construct.” Even so, images of the recent attacks and assassinations had not left my mind.

I was under the impression that Haiti had changed since the time of Graham Greene’s novel, The Comedians, but upon closer scrutiny I was afraid this might not have been the case. So, yes, herein lies the question, the one that many of my friends, family, and even I asked myself on occasion: “Why go?” I think Robert Pelton, author of The World’s Most Dangerous Places, answered this best: “The answer is simple. You have to go.”

I understood the imperative nature of his answer and was fueled by an unexplained drive to understand Haiti-the history, the culture, the magic. My imagination had been captivated for some time by the national religion, Vodou, which seemed to be the most complex, intensely spiritual and magical religion I had ever known. The more I read about it, the more I realized that the words on the pages were not mere fiction-this world of spirits, zombies, and dark underlords could possibly exist somewhere other than in a story. Casting fear and doubt aside, I knew I would not be able to rest until I discovered the truth for myself. Two round-trip tickets to Port-au-Prince, much reading, and an extremely understanding boyfriend later, Todd and I found ourselves collecting our bags and making our way outside of the PAP airport.

We were greeted by Djaloki, who was accompanied by an American woman, Carla, who had lived in Haiti for the last 18 years, and Ari, another native Haitian. The three of them were to be our guides. Ari picked us up in a pick-up truck with benches installed in the back-a popular form of Haitian transport called a “tap tap.” We drove through Port-au-Prince to visit the city’s main outdoor market. We purchased a glass globe for the kerosene lamp that would light our guestroom and then took a short trip to Gwo Jan, a mountain community where Carla and Ari live with their respective families. Todd and I were shown our guestroom and we met several people in Gwo Jan. We ate dinner-”diri”-a Haitian dish consisting of beans and rice and mushroom juice. The food was amazing, as was the fresh-squeezed passion fruit juice that followed.

After dinner and a short rest, we were called to a meeting by Djaloki, Carla and Ari. Since we were attending a Vodou ceremony in the morning in Djaloki’s home village near Leogane, he wanted us to have a meeting about Vodou-the spirits, the people, what to expect. The talks were very emotional as Djaloki, Ari, and Carla each discussed the past, present, and future of Haiti-a land they spoke of as a beloved mother. I was moved to tears several times, and as I laid in bed that night, I could feel the spiritual power and energy of the land surging through me-the pain, the confusion, and the longing for peace of heart and mind.

We arose the next morning and prepared for our journey to Leogane. The ride was exhausting-four hours in the back of a truck in full sun, two of those hours through the dusty, polluted Port-au-Prince, but it was a great way to see the country. Most of the roads in Haiti were unpaved and hard to travel. In many places, the dirt on the ground was a thin, white dust which shrouded the entire country in a dream-like haze. We arrived in a remote village where the ceremony had already begun. We were asked to wait outside while the houngan, or Vodou priest, renegotiated the energy of the ceremony in order to receive us. After a few moments, we were invited into the peristyle, an outdoor area covered by a tarp, decorated with shreds of old black and orange plastic trash bags streaming from the low ceiling. There were about 40 villagers packed into this very small area. In the front row four old men played Haitian drums, and they started a special song to welcome us. We were seated and the ceremony resumed.

At this point the houngan was possessed by Baron Samedi, the spirit of life, death and sex. Four initiates, or hounsis, entered in immaculate white dresses and white silk head wraps. They danced and sang along with the houngan. The houngan began to sprinkle a clear, sweet-smelling liquid onto everyone watching. As he was doing this, one of the hounsis screamed in agony, her face twisted in pain. She fell to the ground, rolling through the dirt, screaming and flailing, her white dress becoming brown with dirt and ash. Our guide told us that she had been possessed by Damballah, the serpent spirit. An older woman in the crowd was also taken by Damballah and collapsed to the ground, twisting and writhing. The two women met up with each other and embraced in the earth, their bodies pulsating, their faces in the dirt. The drums stopped and the women laid motionless. People walked over and helped them up.

The drums started again, and the hounsis danced and sang with the houngan as he drew symbols on the ground with flour-one for north, south, east, and west. Once the intricate symbols were drawn, the initiates danced over them in bare feet, blending them back into the earth. Soon, our visiting group was led into the concrete dwelling. It was hot, crowded, and dark inside. One candle lit the room, and a goat lay on the floor, sleeping, along with the hounsis, who had collapsed in a heap in the corner. An unidentifiable dried animal carcass hung from the ceiling above them and menacing symbols were drawn on the walls in white chalk. We were served dinner inside-diri and vegetables and meat. Night fell as we were eating, and when we returned to the ceremony the hounsis were dressed in black bras and black skirts. They were rubbing leaves and herbs for potions in a large wooden pot. They sang and pounded and sweated, smoking cigarettes and drinking rum like it was water. One girl drank rum and sprayed it into peoples’ faces. Meanwhile, an old woman balanced one of her bare feet over the fire for ten minutes. Amazingly, she walked away-no pain, no burns. There were about ten of us still watching the ceremony, and the possessed initiates came to each one of us and gave us a special handshake that ended with our hands in the air up over our heads as if letting something free. While I had watched them doing the handshakes with the villagers first, I didn’t think they would also do it with the “blancs.” But they did, staring into our eyes fiercely, with no discrimination. The eyes were not human. I was convinced at that moment that they truly were spirits.

The final part of the ceremony was the “bathing of the initiates.” This took place inside. A pan of water was placed in the middle of the room. The initiates came out to drums with large bunches of green leaves held over their faces and hands. They danced around the water while the houngan feverishly struck the walls with a machete. Sparks flew in the dark as the big knife made contact inches from our heads. This went on for awhile, and then the initiates settled around the pan of water. They sat for a long time and prayed and sang. Todd and I couldn’t sit up any longer, so we left before the ceremony was completed. One peasant girl offered us her bedroom. We went by flashlight and collapsed into her bed completely exhausted.

Over the course of the next week, we visited different areas of Haiti and got some much needed rest and relaxation. We went to museums, beaches, and nightclubs. We had a great time, but I was anticipating our next experience with Vodou. The ceremony in Leogane was visually arresting, but I felt as if the real essence of Vodou had not yet reached me. So, we decided to take a six-hour bus ride to Gonaive on some of the worst roads in the country to get to Soukri, a marathon ceremony that happens once a year in northern Haiti.
Once we arrived, we made our way to the place we were going to stay (with Djaloki’s cousin, an important houngan at Soukri.) Our room was a small mud and stick structure with a dirt floor, but we had straw mats and plenty of room outside-and there was a huge mango tree to sleep under. Before we slept that night, we went to meet Adelle, a high Vodou priestess and friend of Dja and Carla. She was absolutely gorgeous-long dreaded hair and dressed like a modern-day African queen. She was playful, charming, and full of energy. She welcomed white people to Soukri. She said, “White is the moon, black is the earth. There is nothing more than that.”

The next morning, the first ceremony began inside a concrete building with houngans, mambos, and about 50 hounsis donned in white dress. The room was thick with sweat-an explosion of chaotic energy as people were possessed amidst the singing and dancing and hypnotic rhythm of the drums. Three hounsis made their way in with live goats draped around the backs of their necks, wearing them like big mink stoles. They danced a circle around the room with the goats, and I lost sight of them through the crowd. When I saw them again, they were still wearing the goats, but the animals’ throats had been cut. Then, in a frenzy, all the hounsis started passing the goats around, bathing in their blood. Some were rubbing their faces and heads in the incisions. Todd turned to me and said, “I just saw Adelle. She just stuck her hand down one of the goat’s slit throats and then licked the blood off her fingers.” Then I saw her, thrashing wildly in the bloodbath, possessed with the wild, ancient spirits of the Congo. She was dancing along with the others who once wore white but now wore red.

Todd and I left the ceremony at this point to get some air and to collect ourselves. We talked to each other about what we had seen and felt and agreed that things seemed to be taking a dark turn. Still, the last sacrifice was to be made. A large crowd had already gathered under a tree. A huge black bull was tied to a tree by its horns, and four hounsis were holding its tail out to keep it steady. Amidst the frenetic crowd, I saw a girl running around blindly, screaming with her eyes rolled all the way back into her head. The whites of her eyes were a startling contrast to her dark skin. There was a young woman in the tree above us covered in mud and laying helpless on a branch, screaming and crying pitifully. Carla said she was being punished by the spirits for something she had done. After a number of prayers, three houngans mounted the cow and it was sacrificed.

After this last sacrifice, it was time for the initiates to bathe. Everyone walked down to the river, and after more prayers, jumped in, splashing and flailing about wildly.

When we returned, it was dusk, and another ceremony had begun. All the initiates had changed their clothes and now wore red. I confessed to Todd that I was beginning to feel scared and anxious, like the energy of the place was turning dark and aggressive. As I was explaining this, the generator went out. We were in complete darkness save a distant fire and the occasional lit cigarette. Todd attempted to calm me down, although I knew he was scared too, as we walked back to our camp. Djaloki was there, and I was relieved to see him. I told him of my fears. He listened and thought for a moment. Then he said, “The first thing that I am going to tell you is you are safe here.”

He then congratulated me. He told me that it was very rare that a foreigner felt and understood the power of Vodou the way I did, and that I was handling it extremely well.
“Yes, but I’m scared,” I said to him. “The energy seemed dark and aggressive. It feels evil.”
Dja then explained that Vodouists don’t see spirits as “evil and good” or “dark and light” but rather, as “hot and cold.” Vodou is understanding and mastering the balance of hot and cold energy. For instance, the sun represents hot energy. We need the sun to live, but if you get too close to the sun, you die. Water represents cold energy. It is also essential to life, but if you have too much, you drown. He said that Soukri was a festival celebrating the Congo spirits, which are hot spirits, but that I shouldn’t be afraid as they are not to be confused with evil. Talking to Djaloki really did make me feel safer. This whole concept was mind-blowing to me, opening up a whole new realm of theo-philosophical thought that I had never even imagined.

After some time of lighter conversation, I wanted to revisit the ceremony with this new mindset. Dja, Todd, and I walked back to the ceremony, and I wasn’t scared anymore. We didn’t stay long, but long enough for me to know how much fear stems from a simple lack of understanding-for I slept peacefully that night with the Congo spirits, in the open air, under the mango tree.

With Friends Like the U.S.,
Who Needs Enemies?

Sadly, Haiti is a shining example of how U.S. foreign policy actually effects developing countries. Rather than providing tools for developing countries to solve their own problems, U.S. “aid” is given largely in the form of subsidized imports. In Haiti, the result of this surge of cheap or free U.S. imports is that food grown in Haiti and products made in Haiti become more expensive and therefore in less demand than the U.S. imports. “In country after country, in such labour-intensive and job-creating areas as textiles, footwear and agriculture, the dumping of American products, often at a price lower than the cost of production, has shattered the livelihood of vulnerable populations and reduced them to abject poverty.”1 This economic and cultural degradation is, coincidentally, profitable to the U.S.!

The Role of Vodou in Haitian Society
Over the course of our stay, our guide group, DOABN-(www.haititravels.org), discussed the importance of Vodou in Haiti many times. They explained that Vodou acts not only as a religion, but as a form of government and law in the villages; therefore, it is vital to the existence of Haitian communities. Western theology maintains that one pays for one’s sins in the afterlife, while in Vodou, one is punished by the spirits on earth, in this life. The punishments dealt by the spirits can be severe, perhaps resulting in death. This prevents people in the villages from hurting the community and eliminates the concept of serial criminals. When Western missionaries try to convert Vodouists to Christianity, they do not realize that they are dissolving not only a religion, but a justice system. This ultimately leads to more crime and chaos in Haitian society.

Orenda Fink is-among other things-one half of the band Azure Ray, whose new album,
Hold On Love, has just been released on Saddle Creek Records.

Posted by Djaloki at 03:19:46 | Permalink | No Comments »

La dette extérieure invisible de l’Occident (Français)

Comme beaucoup de monde, j’ai ressenti, au niveau personnel, l’impact des événements du 11 septembre 2001 aux Etats-Unis d’Amérique. Comme beaucoup de monde aussi, ces événements m’ont fait réfléchir et chercher inspiration au sujet des causes profondes et des suites possibles relatives à ces événements. Mais mes réflexions et mes inspirations ne me mènent apparemment pas aux mêmes considérations que beaucoup de monde, du moins parmi le peu qui m’est accessible par les medias. Ce sont ces considérations que je voudrais partager ici.


Dette de l’Occident

LA DETTE EXTERIEURE INVISIBLE DE L’OCCIDENT
(Click here for the English version)

Il y a une mystique naturelle qui souffle dans l’air.
Si tu écoutes bien, tu l’entendras.
Ça pourrait être la première trompette,
ou tout aussi bien la dernière.
Beaucoup d’autres devront souffrir,
beaucoup d’autres devront mourir.
Ne me demande pas pourquoi.
Les choses ne sont plus ce qu’elles étaient.
Je ne te dirai pas de mensonge.
- Bob Marley - “Natural Mystic”, 1977


Comme beaucoup de monde, j’ai ressenti, au niveau personnel, l’impact des événements du 11 septembre 2001 aux Etats-Unis d’Amérique. Comme beaucoup de monde aussi, ces événements m’ont fait réfléchir et chercher inspiration au sujet des causes profondes et des suites possibles relatives à ces événements. Mais mes réflexions et mes inspirations ne me mènent apparemment pas aux mêmes considérations que beaucoup de monde, du moins parmi le peu qui m’est accessible par les medias. Ce sont ces considérations que je voudrais partager ici.

L’Occident

Mon nom est Djalòki. Je suis Ayitien. Bien que ma culture soit significativement marquée par la culture européenne qui en constitue une des trois racines principales, je ne suis pas, culturellement parlant, un Occidental. Les deux autres racines importantes de ma culture - la racine africaine et la racine “amérindienne”, ou plus proprement dit : celle des Peuples Originaires des Soi-disant Amériques - que je pourrais qualifier de racines primordiales ou racines indigènes, sont encore plus significatives dans ma mentalité et ma perception de la réalité “objective”. De même, ma constitution génétique, qui inclut pourtant une quantité non négligeable de gènes de souche européenne, ne fait de moi un Européen par aucun standard. Cela ne m’empêche pas de me sentir proche, sinon apparenté, à mes cousines et cousins occidentaux. Et je dois avouer, que pour l’instant, mon mode de vie est très influencé par le monde occidental, plus par adaptation à un système dominant dans lequel je veux survivre que par choix délibéré. Ceci dit, je reconnais que je jouis de certains effets et produits de la technologie occidentale à un degré limité. Par conséquent, tant que je ne m’en serai pas départi complètement, j’assumerai aussi ma responsabilité partielle dans la destruction et le mal engendrés par cette technologie.
Mais quand je parle d’Occidentaux, je me réfère à des personnes, des communautés et des institutions qui se considèrent elles-mêmes Occidentales modernes civilisées, ou qui voudraient le devenir, et qui pensent et agissent en conséquence, qu’elles soient d’ailleurs d’Europe, d’Amérique du Nord, d’Amérique Latine, d’Afrique, d’Asie ou d’ailleurs.

Pour pouvoir exposer mes réflexions au sujet des événements du 11 septembre 2001, il me faut d’abord présenter quelques traits, propres à mes racines culturelles primordiales - donc non occidentales - qui constituent les fondations de ces réflexions. Pour cette circonstance, je dois laisser les aspects primordiaux de ma culture globale passer au premier plan de ma conscience, pendant que le génie occidental en moi reste à l’arrière plan, en demi-sommeil, juste assez animé pour me permettre d’utiliser un vocabulaire compréhensible des Occidentaux. A partir de ce point, c’est mon génie primordial qui est prépondérant dans ma parole.

Les Invisibles

Nous tenons de nos Anciens, qui eux-mêmes le tiennent de nos Ancêtres, que la Source Divine a créé plusieurs mondes, en relation les uns avec les autres. Vue de notre perspective humaine, il y a, en particulier, le monde visible, dans lequel les Humains vivants évoluent consciemment, et le monde invisible, où évoluent les Ancêtres et les Esprits, et où les Humains font des incursions fréquentes, le plus souvent inconsciemment. Sans entrer dans une description de ce que sont les Esprits, disons, pour le moment, qu’ils correspondent plus ou moins, en termes occidentaux, aux énergies immatérielles dont les effets peuvent être perçus par les Humains aux niveaux physique, émotionnel, mental ou psychique, tels que les humeurs, les émotions, les archétypes ou les forces naturelles.

Les mondes visible et invisible sont en très étroite relation. En particulier, tout ce qui existe et tout ce qui se passe dans le visible est intimement lié à son correspondant dans l’invisible. Cependant l’invisible est beaucoup plus grand et beaucoup plus varié que le visible. Toujours de notre perspective, la Source Divine elle-même semble appartenir au monde invisible. Pour la simplicité de ce texte, et sauf indication contraire, nous nommerons “les Invisibles” tous les Êtres du monde invisible, y compris la Source Divine elle-même.

Principe d’équilibre

Selon nos Anciens, un des principes les plus importants de la Création est le Principe d’Equilibre. Il s’agit d’un principe très élaboré que nous n’allons pas exposer ici en détails; nous nous contenterons de la notion intuitive que la lectrice ou le lecteur en a. Tous les aspects de la Création fonctionnent continuellement selon ce principe.

Une particularité des Humains est qu’ils jouissent du Libre Arbitre, qui leur permet, en apparence, de se soustraire momentanément à ce principe. Mais cela enclenche une série de réactions qui ont pour but et pour effet de rétablir l’application du Principe d’Equilibre. En général, les Humains et les communautés qui connaissent ce principe prennent énormément de soins à le respecter et l’appliquer dans toutes leurs activités. Le Principe concerne toute la Création, de manière multidimensionnelle. Mais pour pouvoir le comprendre et l’appliquer, les Humains ne peuvent considérer simultanément qu’un nombre limité de d’aspects à la fois. L’approche la plus simple et la plus courante est de considérer l’équilibre entre 2 aspects de la Création, par exemple l’équilibre entre le monde visible et le monde invisible. Les Primordiaux sont des gestionnaires méticuleux de cet équilibre et cela détermine leur manière d’interagir avec leur environnement à tous les niveaux : depuis les sciences astronomiques dans lesquelles certains Peuples Primordiaux sont des experts, jusque dans l’artisanat, en passant par une panoplie de sciences traditionnelles s’occupant des équilibres au niveau planétaire, pour les minéraux, les plantes, les animaux et les Humains, au niveau des Nations et des Peuples, au niveau des tribus et des clans, au niveau des familles, des groupements divers, des activités de production, des loisirs, de l’éducation, de la santé, des rituels, au niveau individuel, etc…

Comptabilité invisible primordiale

Plusieurs technologies traditionnelles sont utilisées par les Primordiaux pour gérer l’équilibre entre le visible et l’invisible. Cela dépend de la nature et de la cause du déséquilibre potentiel. Quand, par exemple une action appartient essentiellement au domaine visible, il faut sciemment inviter l’invisible à y participer pour l’équilibrer.

Une manière de procéder à cette invitation est de faire un sacrifice. Je me réfère ici au sens premier du terme “sacrifice” : offrande à une divinité; autrement dit : offrande aux Invisibles.
Dans plusieurs langues occidentales, le terme “sacrifice” vient de deux racines latines : sacer (= sacré) et facere (= faire). Le premier sens du terme “sacré” est : relié au Divin. Le sens éthymologique de “sacrifice” est donc : qui fait relier au Divin; autrement dit : qui relie (un acte visible / profane) aux Invisibles. Si nous combinons les deux définitions que nous avons, nous pouvons dire qu’un sacrifice est une offrande qui relie un acte profane aux Invisibles. C’est un moyen d’équilibrer l’acte en question.

Il n’est pas encore question ici ni du sens suggérant la privation ou la mortification, ni du sens suggérant la perte d’une ressource de valeur - y compris une vie humaine ou animale - en échange d’un avantage quelconque. En ce sens un sacrifice peut être une invocation, une prière, un cadeau en nature, un rituel ou une cérémonie. C’est un acte qui s’adjoint à l’acte profane pour le sacraliser et le rééquilibrer par la même occasion. Avant de boire, nous jetons quelques gouttes sur le sol pour nos Ancêtres. Avant de manger, nous demandons aux Invisibles de bénir et de charger notre nourriture en énergie vitale. Avant de nous adresser à un auditoire, nous saluons les Invisibles avec honneur et respect. Avant de planter, nous demandons aux Invisibles de nous assister et de superviser notre action. Avant de cueillir, nous remercions les Invisibles de nous permettre d’utiliser la force guérisseuse d’une plante pour notre propre équilibre. Avant de nous installer quelque part, nous invitons les Invisibles à s’y installer avant nous et à cohabiter avec nous. Avant de voyager, nous demandons permission et protection, etc… D’une manière générale, avant d’utiliser des ressources de notre environnement, nous faisons une offrande aux Invisibles et leur demandons de sacraliser notre acte profane.

La dette extérieure invisible

Tant que les sacrifices sont faits, l’équilibre entre le visible et l’invisible est maintenu. Quand survient un oubli ou une négligence, un acte est alors commis dans le visible sans sa contrepartie invisible. Un déséquilibre est créé et ceux ou celles qui ont commis cet acte sont responsables de ce déséquilibre jusqu’à ce que l’équilibre soit rétabli. Il s’agit en quelque sorte d’une dette invisible des responsables envers les Invisibles. Plus ces responsables ont une fonction touchant la collectivité dans leur communauté, plus la dette sera partagée par la communauté dans son ensemble. C’est-à-dire que la responsabilité de cette dette peut aussi être indirecte, mais pas moins effective.

La douleur

Les shamans connaissent bien le monde invisible et s’y rendent consciemment, à volonté. Une des fonctions principales des shamans dans les sociétés primordiales est de veiller à l’équilibre entre le visible et l’invisible et d’aider la communauté à rétablir cet équilibre en cas de dérive. Quand la dette extérieure invisible communautaire s’accumule, les shamans perçoivent le besoin de rééquilibration. A leur instigation et sous leur supervision, les sacrifices nécessaires sont faits. Mais à ce stade, les petits sacrifices ordinaires, appropriés pour la gestion individuelle, ne sont plus suffisants pour éponger la dette extérieure collective, qui, d’une certaine façon, a aussi accumulé des intérêts. Il faut effectuer des rituels de réharmonisation et de guérison. Parfois, la douleur est inévitable à cause de sa capacité à créer une soif du secours divin, non seulement au niveau de notre psyche profonde, mais aussi au niveau conscient, qui nous force à appeler intentionnellement et sciemment les Invisibles à l’aide. C’est la force de cette intention qui peut contrebalancer la responsabilité de la dette que nous avons contractée. Un simple geste machinal et sans investissement personnel, aussi impressionnant et majestueux soit-il, ne saurait faire l’affaire. En ce sens, la douleur est parfois une forme de sacrifice en soi, toujours dans le sens de relation aux Invisibles. Un sujet intéressant à investiguer serait cette obsession des Occidentaux à vouloir éliminer la douleur dans leur vie. Mais ce n’est pas notre propos.

Notez que même à ce degré, un sacrifice douloureux n’implique pas de versement de sang ou de perte de vie. Cependant, les qualités et les fonctions du sang peuvent venir renforcer puissamment les effets de la douleur sacrificielle. Nous atteignons ici un stade très délicat et difficile, qui demande parfois aux Occidentaux modernes une bonne dose d’ouverture d’esprit et parfois même d’humilité, pour mettre de côté pendant un instant les conceptions culturelles qu’ils ont à propos du sang. Ne me méprenez pas : je ne prétends aucunement vous amener à comprendre complètement, et encore moins à accepter, en quelques mots, les conceptions primordiales au sujet du sang. Je vous demande seulement de réaliser que les vôtres sont propres à votre culture, qui est relativement jeune. Je vous demande aussi d’essayer d’approcher ce que je présente ici, non seulement avec votre intellect rationnel, mais aussi avec cette faculté de perception intuitive directe, qui tient plus de l’émotion que de la pensée pure, et dont vous êtes très certainement doté, de même que je le suis.
Beaucoup d’entre nous, non Occidentaux, tenons de nos Ancêtres, qui eux le tiennent des Invisibles, que le sang est le siège physique principal de l’âme humaine. Je n’essayerai pas de prouver ici cette affirmation. Vous pouvez la considérer ou la rejeter comme vous le jugez approprié, mais sachez que de nombreux sages et scientifiques non Occidentaux la considèrent comme une vérité. En sachant cela, vous pouvez vous faire une idée de l’importance que peut revêtir la présence du sang dans une activité destinée à invoquer les Invisibles et à communiquer avec eux.

Facturation et recouvrement de créances

Si les shamans ne font pas leur travail, ou si la communauté ne les écoute pas, ou pire encore, si il n’y a plus de shaman dans la communauté, les sacrifices communautaires ne sont pas faits et la dette extérieure invisible s’accumule encore plus. Et un jour les Invisibles demandent des comptes : les créanciers envoient une facture.

Pour communiquer avec nous, les Invisibles s’adressent à notre aspect qui est en contact avec eux : notre supraconscient qui, paradoxalement, opère en étroite collaboration avec notre subconscient, et parle le même langage que lui. Notre subconscient joue le double rôle de messager et d’interprète entre notre supraconscient et les Invisibles d’une part et notre conscience objective d’autre part. Le langage de notre subconscient s’exprime en images symboliques, analogiques et multidimensionnelles, comme on peut le constater dans les rêves. Mais il ne s’agit pas ici de rêve. Pour nous signifier qu’il a reçu une facture d’impayés extérieurs accumulés, notre subconscient va créer une situation qui reproduit symboliquement, analogiquement et multidimensionnellement la dette (le sacrifice) demandée par les Invisibles. Il va s’agir d’une situation bien réelle, mais qui constitue par exemple une image en dimensions réduites du sacrifice final. Et comme il s’agit d’une dette communautaire, cette image sera publique, accessible à tout le monde. Il peut être très intéressant, et très instructif, pour les Occidentaux qui savent et aiment interpréter les rêves au niveau individuel, d’analyser les grands événements qui marquent la vie publique de leur collectivité avec les mêmes méthodes qu’ils utilisent pour les rêves.

A la notification de la facture, la communauté a encore le loisir, si elle comprend le message, de reprendre le dossier en main et de s’en acquitter en réalisant elle-même ses sacrifices. Ceux-ci seront probablement très douloureux certes, mais avec une relative flexibilité dans le choix de la nature et de la forme de cette douleur, avec pour effet de limiter les “pertes” et surtout, de permettre à la communauté de se préparer psychologiquement à ces sacrifices pour les effectuer sciemment, en connaissance de cause et en en assumant l’entière responsabilité. Ces sacrifices sont ainsi “rentabilisés” au maximum et une éventuelle banqueroute ultime peut être évitée.

Si, après avoir négligé les sacrifices anodins quotidiens, après avoir fait la sourde oreille aux avertissements des shamans et après avoir ignoré ou mal interprété le signal des Invisibles, cette communauté ne s’acquitte toujours pas de sa dette, alors les créanciers se paient sans autre forme de procès. En d’autres termes, le sacrifice se réalise sans avoir été sciemment décidé et planifié; il est subi de gré ou de force. Et les modalités de paiement ne sont plus négociables à ce stade. Il y a de grands risques que ce sacrifice soit non seulement extrêmement douloureux, mais éventuellement fatal pour la communauté débitrice, particulièrement si celle-ci est trouvée non solvable. Auquel cas la seule offrande capable de répondre au montant exigé est l’âme de la communauté elle-même, qui doit être rendue à l’invisible d’où elle provient et dont elle a été maintenue à l’écart pendant trop longtemps, à cause des négligences de ses gardiens Humains.

La dette extérieure invisible de l’Occident moderne

Il y a une dizaine de milliers d’années, les Ancêtres culturels des Occidentaux modernes se sont progressivement écartés de la vision primordiale pour se “civiliser”. Une nouvelle culture était née, très différente de toutes les autres présentes sur la Terre, avec, entre autres particularités, qu’elle perdait de plus en plus son contact avec les Invisibles et ne s’occupait plus de l’équilibre de la Création, pas même entre le visible et l’invisible. Le contact s’est complètement rompu pour la collectivité, à la Renaissance, quand la religion a dû laisser la science faire cavalier seul et prendre progressivement les rennes des affaires communautaires.
Cela nous mène à un premier constat.

Premier constat : Le monde occidental néglige l’équilibre visible/invisible depuis longtemps.

La notion première du sacrifice, à savoir : une offrande faite aux Invisibles pour sacraliser un acte profane, est reléguée aux oubliettes obscures de la mémoire tronquée du monde occidental. Je dis mémoire tronquée car les Occidentaux regroupent tout ce qui précède l’apparition de l’écriture chez leurs Ancêtres sous le vocable “préhistoire”, et le citoyen moyen de la rue a une idée très erronée de la préhistoire. Il pense en général que tous les Humains préhistoriques étaient des êtres mentalement inférieurs à ce qu’il est lui-même. On ne lui apprend pas, ou en tous cas il ne retient pas de son apprentissage, que l’Etre Humain, à son degré d’évolution mentale actuelle, vit sur Terre depuis dix fois plus de temps que n’existe la civilisation occidentale, et que, nombre de ces Humains préhistoriques vieux de 100 000 ans, classifiés Homo Sapiens, étaient probablement (statistiquement) plus intelligents que lui (le citoyen moyen de la rue), selon ses propres critères. Je dois être honnête et reconnaître que beaucoup d’universitaires occidentaux ont une bien plus correcte connaissance du passé lointain de leur culture. Cependant je ne les entends pas poser la question de savoir pourquoi, s’ils étaient aussi équipés intellectuellement que leurs descendants d’aujourd’hui, leurs Ancêtres sont restés aussi longtemps sans se “civiliser”, mais en conservant les équilibres autour d’eux, et pourquoi, une fois “civilisés”, ils en sont arrivés à détruire tant d’équilibres et tant de formes de vie en si peu de temps, au point de mettre les grands processus régulateurs de la planète en danger.

Il est vrai que le sacrifice n’est pas une technologie civilisée…

Il est vrai aussi que les shamans ne se rencontrent que chez les Peuples préhistoriques, ou contemporains, mais guère plus “évolués”…

La mémoire courte de l’Occident lui fait confondre ses propres Ancêtres - brillants astronomes, chirurgiens, sociologues et théologiens - avec des primates frustes et galeux. Aucun aïeul antérieur à - ou même contemporain de - Ur et Babylone ne peut apprendre quoi que ce soit digne d’intérêt à un Occidental moyen, si ce n’est pour alimenter sa curiosité condescendante pour des pratiques considérées comme superstitieuses (au fait, superstition = croyance au pouvoir de forces invisibles…).
Nous continuons à faire des constats.

Deuxième constat : Le monde occidental ne pratique plus les sacrifices communautaires conscients depuis longtemps.

Troisième constat : Le monde occidental n’écoute plus ses shamans depuis longtemps.
(Heureusement ceux-ci n’ont pas encore complètement disparu.)

Les trois premiers constats nous mènent à penser que la dette extérieure invisible du monde occidental s’accumule probablement depuis des centaines, voire des milliers d’années, sans être équilibrée dans l’invisible.

Mais quelle est donc cette dette ?

La réponse est simple et effrayante: tout ce que les Occidentaux ont pris pour leur compte, déséquilibré autour d’eux, et détruit, directement ou indirectement, depuis des millénaires d’exploitation à outrance, d’expansion aveugle et de développement vorace.
Nous pouvons formuler un quatrième constat.

Quatrième constat : La dette extérieure invisible du monde occidental est faramineuse.

Une révision de ces quatre constats nous fait tout de suite penser à une possible notification de facture par les Invisibles. Cette notice serait reçue et exprimée par le subconscient collectif. Elle pourrait se traduire par un événement public qui représenterait symboliquement, ou en modèle réduit, le sacrifice qui est attendu du monde occidental. Un événement douloureux qui forcerait les Occidentaux à se tourner vers leur Dieu, et qui en même temps leur indiquerait les offrandes à faire pour s’acquitter de leur dette. En bref une catastrophe ou une tragédie qui s’adresserait simultanément à leur psyche collective profonde et à leur patrimoine tangible.

La tragédie

Et si le 11 septembre était un signal des Invisibles ?

Et si Ben Laden, les Talibans, les intégristes musulmans, les terroristes, la C.I.A., le conflit israélo-palestinien, l’élection frauduleuse de Georges W. Bush, les tours du World Trade Center, le Pentagone, et tous les éléments de la tragédie n’étaient que des outils utilisés par le subconscient collectif occidental, comme un décor de théâtre, ou mieux encore comme dans un rêve, pour indiquer à la conscience collective que la facture a été envoyée par les Invisibles ?

Et si cette tragédie, si traumatisante et si destructrice, n’était qu’une image réduite, qu’une petite éraflure en regard de ce qui attend peut-être l’Occident, si celui-ci ne réagit pas assez vite et dans le bon sens ?

Le sacrifice

Mais l’Occident est-il prêt à se ressaisir rapidement ? Est-il prêt à faire lui-même le sacrifice ? Ou préfère-t-il attendre que les Invisibles s’en occupent eux-mêmes ?

Et puis d’ailleurs, quel est ce sacrifice attendu des Occidentaux ?

La réponse est à la hauteur de celle concernant la dette: simple et effrayante. Il est demandé à l’Occident un changement radical d’habitudes et d’attitudes qui violent le Principe d’Equilibre, ainsi que des offrandes onéreuses.

Les habitudes et attitudes à changer, bien qu’innombrables à lister, ne sont pas difficiles à identifier (sans ordre préétabli): l’arrogance chronique, l’exploitation sans scrupules, la déification du profit et de l’argent, l’expansionnisme, le matérialisme, le consumérisme, l’hypocrisie et le mensonge institutionnels, le racisme, le sexisme, le classisme, l’obscurantisme, l’impérialisme, le monnayage de la terre, de l’espace, de la nourriture, de l’habillement, de la santé, de l’éducation, de la sécurité, de l’entraide, de la dignité, du sacré, de la vie, le non respect des lois naturelles, des cycles, des équilibres, des Humains, des communautés, des Anciens, des Ancêtres, des Esprits, etc… Et nous pourrions continuer pendant de longues lignes encore…

Comprenez bien qu’il n’est pas dans mon intention d’ignorer les innombrables actions, empreintes de respect, de beauté et de grandeur, entreprises par beaucoup d’Occidentaux. Mais je constate que la résultante générale de l’action de l’Occident, comme un tout, sur notre planète, est tout sauf respectueuse, belle et grande.

Les offrandes aussi sont faciles à identifier. S’ils veulent s’amender, les Occidentaux devront tout simplement avoir à se défaire, et se passer dans l’avenir, des “bienfaits” de leur technologie désacralisée : la production en masse, les matériaux non recyclables aussi vite qu’ils sont produits, les énergies non renouvelables, les gadgets, les machines, les produits et les processus non durables ou qui perturbent l’environnement et la santé des espèces végétales et animales, ainsi que des Humains, dans leur fabrication, leur utilisation ou leur rejet après utilisation, etc…

Oui, comme on pouvait s’y attendre, le prix est aussi faramineux que la dette. L’Occident est-il disposé et prêt à le payer ?
S’il ne le paie pas, alors les Invisibles viendront sans doute récupérer eux-mêmes leur dû. Et il y a des risques que le débiteur ne soit pas solvable. Ce sera alors la banqueroute totale du système, causant éventuellement son extinction (le retour de son âme au monde invisible). La balance de la dette sera collectée sur le monde non occidental qui, une fois de plus, devra payer pour nos soeurs et frères de l’Occident.


~ Djalòki ~
Port-au-Prince, Ayiti - Octobre 2001

Posted by Djaloki at 03:05:27 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

The Invisible External Debt Of The Western World (English)

Like so many people, I have felt the impact of the September 11, 2001 events in the USA on a very personal level. As well as for a lot of people, those events have forced me to reflect and search for inspiration for the deep causes and possible consequences. But my thoughts and inspirations apparently don’t lead me on the same path as most people, at least for what the little I understand that comes from the media. These thoughts are what I want to share here.


Western Debt

(cliquez ici pour la version française)

There is a Natural Mystique blowing through the air.
If you listen carefully now, you will hear.
This could be the first trumpet,
might as well be the last.
Many more will have to suffer,
many more will have to die.
Don’t ask me why.
Things are not the way they used to be.
I won’t tell no lie.
- Bob Marley - “Natural Mystic”, 1977

Like so many people, I have felt the impact of the September 11, 2001 events in the USA on a very personal level. As well as for a lot of people, those events have forced me to reflect and search for inspiration for the deep causes and possible consequences. But my thoughts and inspirations apparently don’t lead me on the same path as most people, at least for what the little I understand that comes from the media. These thoughts are what I want to share here.

The Western World

My name is Djalòki. I am from Ayiti, i.e. I am Haitian. Although my culture is significantly marked by European culture, which is one of its 3 main roots, I am not, culturally speaking, a Westerner. There are 2 other important branches in my culture, one is rooted in my African ancestors, and the other comes from the Original Peoples of the So-Called Americas (incorrectly referred to as Indian). These roots can be called primordial or indigenous. My primordial cultural roots are more dominant than my European one in terms of my mental paradigms and perceptions of the “objective” reality. Even at the genetic level, the characteristics derived from my family’s European gene pool does not, by any standard, make me European. This, though, doesn’t prevent me from feeling close to my western cousins. And I must admit that my current life style is very influenced by the Western World, more by adaptation to a dominant system in which I want to survive, than by deliberate choice. I also recognize that I benefit, to a limited amount, from some of the effects and products of western technology. Therefore, as long as I haven’t completely forsaken it, I will take partial responsibility in the destruction and evil created by that technology.

When I use the word Westerner, though, I am referring to people, communities and institutions who consider themselves modern and civilized, or who would like to become as such, and who think and act accordingly, be them from Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia or else.

In order to be able to share my reflections about the September 11, 2001 events, I need to present a few aspects, specific to my primordial cultural roots - hence non western - that constitute the foundations of these reflections. For this, I allow the primordial aspects of my global culture to flow to the forefront of my consciousness, while the western paradigm remains dormant in the background, just animated enough to enable me to use a vocabulary understandable by the Westerners. From this point on, my primordial soul will be predominant in my words.

The Invisibles

We have learned from our Elders, who themselves learned from our Ancestors, that the Divine Source created several worlds connected with each other. From our human perspective there is the visible world, where Humans consciously dwell and the invisible world, where Ancestors and Spirits dwell, as well as to where Humans make frequent incursions, usually unconsciously. Without getting into a detailed description of the Spirits, let us say for the moment, that they roughly correspond, in western words, to immaterial energies whose effects can be perceived by Humans at the physical, emotional, mental or psychic level, such as moods, archetypes or natural forces.

The visible world and the invisible one are in very close relationship. In particular, everything that exists and happens in the visible is intimately linked to its counterpart in the invisible. But the invisible is much bigger and much more diverse than the visible. Still from our perspective, the very Divine Source appears to belong to the invisible world. For the simplicity of this text, and except when elsewhere indicated, we will call “The Invisibles” all the Beings of the invisible world, including the Divine Source.

The Principle of Balance

According to our Elders, one of the main principles of Creation is the Principle of Balance (or Equilibrium). It is a very elaborate principle that we are not going to explain here in details; we will content ourselves with the reader’s intuitive notion of it. All the aspects of Creation are dedicated to functioning according to this principle.

A peculiarity for Humans is Free Will, which allows them, apparently, to deliberately ignore this principle, but this sets a series of reactions in motion in order to reestablish the laws of the Principle of Balance. Usually, Humans and communities who know and understand this principle take great care to respect it and apply it in every aspect of their lives. All of Creation as a whole follows the Principle. Since Humans only have the capacity to consider a limited number of aspects at the same time in order to comprehend and apply it, a simple and frequent approach is to consider the balance between 2 aspects of Creation, for example between the visible and the invisible worlds. The Primordial people are meticulous managers of this balance determining the way they interact with their environment at all levels, from astronomical sciences, of which some of the Primordial Peoples are experts, to handicrafts, including an array of traditional sciences specializing in the balance at the planetary level (minerals, plants, animals and Humans), at the Nations and Peoples level (tribes and clans, families, other various organizations, production activities, leisure, education, health, rituals, etc.), at the individual level, etc…

Primordial invisible accounting

Several technologies are used by Primordial people to manage the balance between the visible and the invisible depending on the nature and the cause of the potential imbalance. For example, when an action exclusively relates to the visible realm, one must deliberately invite the invisible to participate with it in order to reestablish balance

One way to proceed with this invitation is to make a sacrifice. I am referring here to the primary meaning of the term “sacrifice”: an offering to a deity; in other words, an offering to the Invisibles. In several western languages, the term “sacrifice” comes from 2 Latin roots: sacer (= sacred) and facere (= to make). The term “sacred” means related to the Divine, therefore the etymological meaning of “sacrifice” refers to that which makes related to the Divine; in other words: that relates (a visible/profane act) to the Invisibles. If we combine our 2 definitions, we can say that a sacrifice is an offering that relates a profane act to the Invisibles. It is a way to bring back balance to this act.

No mention has been made yet of the meaning of sacrifice suggesting privations or the loss of a valuable resource - including the life of a Human or an animal - in exchange of an eventual benefit. A sacrifice can be an invocation, a prayer, a gift in nature, a ritual, or a ceremony. It is a supplementary act that consecrates the profane act therefore rebalancing it. Before drinking, we pour a few drops on the floor for our Ancestors. Before eating, we ask the Invisibles to bless and charge our food with vital energy. Before addressing an audience, we greet the Invisibles with honor and respect. Before planting, we ask the Invisibles to assist us and guide our actions. Before gathering, we thank the Invisibles for allowing us to use the healing power of a plant for our own balance. Before moving somewhere, we invite the Invisibles to go before us and then to cohabit with us. Before traveling, we ask for permission and protection, etc. As a rule, before using the resources of our environment, we make an offering to the Invisibles and ask them to consecrate our profane act.

The invisible external debt

As long as sacrifices are made, the balance between the visible and the invisible is maintained. In the case of forgetfulness or negligence, an action is thus undertaken in the visible without its invisible counterpart. This creates an imbalance and those responsible are accountable until reconciliation is made. This can be considered as an invisible debt that the people responsible owe to the Invisibles. The more collective the roles of those people, the more the debt will be shared by the community as a whole. Individuals can be held accountable for a debt incurred by others, but it is no less real

Pain

Shamans are familiar with the invisible world. They go there easily, at will. One of the main functions of shamans in primordial societies is to watch over the balance between the visible and the invisible and to help the community in reestablishing balance when it drifts away. When the invisible external debt of the community piles up, shamans perceive the need for rebalancing. At their instigation and under their supervision, sacrifices are made, but at this stage, small or daily sacrifices, appropriate at the individual level, are not enough any more to pay the collective external debt whose interests, in a sense, have accumulated. Healing rituals are then necessary. And sometimes, pain is inevitable. Pain has a unique capacity to create a thirst for the Divine, not only deep within our psyche, but also at the conscious level. This forces us to call with acute intent and awareness upon the Invisibles for help. It is the strength of this intent that can counterbalance the volume of the debt incurred. A simple mechanical gesture, without any personal investment would not do for that circumstance, even as impressive and majestic as it could be. In this sense, pain is sometimes a form of sacrifice in itself, according to the meaning: relation to the Invisibles. An interesting subject to investigate would be the obsession of the Westerners to try to eliminate pain in their life. But this is not our current purpose.

Even at this level, a painful sacrifice doesn’t necessarily mean bloodshed or loss of life. Nevertheless, the qualities and the functions of the blood can powerfully enhance the effects of the sacrificial pain. We are reaching a stage here that may be delicate and difficult. It requires a great deal of open mindedness from Westerners, perhaps even some humility, to put aside cultural concepts they have about blood, for a moment. Do not misunderstand me: I won’t presume I can help you completely understand, let alone accept, the primordial concepts on blood in just a few words. I am only suggesting you realize that your concepts are specific to your culture, which is relatively young. It might be good to approach what I am saying here, not only with your rational intellect, but also with your faculty of direct intuitive perception, more akin to emotion than to pure thought.

A lot of us, non-Westerners, know from our Ancestors, who themselves know it from the Invisibles, that blood is the main physical vehicle of the human soul. I will not try to prove this affirmation. You may consider it or discard it as you see appropriate, but know that more than a few non-Western scientists and sages understand this as a truth. Knowing this, you can have an idea of the importance that the presence of blood may have in an activity designed to invoke the Invisibles and to communicate with them.

Invoicing and payment of debts

If the shamans do not do their job, or if the community doesn’t listen to them, or worse, if there aren’t any more shamans in the community, then sacrifices are overlooked and omitted, and the invisible debt accumulates even more. One day the Invisibles will ask for a settlement, in other words, the creditors will send the invoice.

To communicate with us, the Invisibles address the part of us that is in closer contact with them, our superconscious mind that, paradoxically, operates in close collaboration with our subconscious mind, and uses a very similar language. Our subconscious mind plays the double role of messenger and translator between our superconscious mind and the Invisibles on one hand and our conscious mind on the other hand. The language of the subconscious mind is expressed in symbolic, analogical and multidimensional images, as one can observe in dreams, but this is not about dreams. In order to tell us that it has received an invoice for unpaid overdue external transactions, our subconscious mind will create a situation that represents the debt (the sacrifice) asked by the Invisibles, symbolically, analogically and multidimensional. Although it will be a very real situation, it will serve as an image, likely reduced, of the final sacrifice. As the debt is a collective one, that image will have to be public, accessible to everyone. It may be very interesting, for Westerners who know how and enjoy interpreting dreams at the individual level, to analyze the great events of the public life of their community with the same methods they use for individual dreams.

After the invoice has been received, the community will still have the opportunity, if it understands the message, to take back responsibility of its debt and to reconcile it by intentionally making the required sacrifices. These will probably be very painful indeed, but there is a relative flexibility in the choice of the nature and the expression of that pain, with the effect of limiting “losses”. Most of all, this allows the community to prepare itself psychologically for these sacrifices, in order to make them consciously, in complete awareness, while recognizing its entire responsibility. The greatest value is then drawn from these sacrifices and used to maximum “profitability” so that an eventual bankruptcy may be avoided.

Now, if, after having overlooked the trivial daily sacrifices, after having snubbed the shamans’ warnings, and after having ignored or misinterpreted the message of the Invisible through its subconscious mind, this community doesn’t pay its debt still, then the creditors simply collect for themselves without any other civilities. In other words, the sacrifice is made without the community having intentionally decided or planned it. It is imposed with or without consent. At this stage, the payment modalities are not negotiable anymore. Chances are this sacrifice will not only be extremely painful, but eventually lethal for the debtor community, especially if this community is found nonsolvent. In which case the only offering capable to match the required amount is the very soul of the community. That soul has to be returned to the invisible world where it came from and from where it has been disconnected from for too long due to the negligence of its human guardians.

The invisible external debt of the modern Western World

Approximately ten thousand years ago, the cultural Ancestors of the modern Westerners gradually abandoned the primordial vision in order to “civilize” themselves. A new culture was born, very different from all others on Earth. Among other peculiarities, it was loosing touch with the Invisibles, and didn’t take care of the balance in Creation anymore, not even the most crucial balance between the invisible and the visible. Contact was totally severed at the community level during the Renaissance, when religion gave way to science, which progressively gained control of the affairs of society. This leads us to a first observation.

First observation: The Western World has been overlooking the visible/invisible balance for a long time.

The primary notion of the sacrifice, namely: an offering done to the Invisibles to consecrate a profane action is pushed back into the dark secret dungeons of the truncated Western World’s memory. I use the term truncated because Westerners categorize everything that precedes the oldest writings of their Ancestors under the term “prehistory” and because the average person, generally, has a very erroneous idea of prehistory. He/she usually thinks that all prehistoric Humans were mentally inferior. He/she is not taught (or doesn’t remember) that we, Human Beings, have been living on Earth the way we are now in our current mental development ten times longer than the age of western civilization. According to modern western science many of these 100,000 year old prehistoric Humans, classified Homo Sapiens, were likely more intelligent than the average person, by even his/her own criteria. I recognize, though, that many scholars have a better knowledge of their distant past than the average person. Nevertheless, I don’t hear them asking the question why, if their Ancestors were as intellectually equipped as they (western scholars) are, they existed for so long without “civilizing” themselves, but managed to maintain balance all around them and why, once “civilized”, they managed to proceed to destroy the balance of so many forms of life in so little time.

It is true that sacrifice is not a civilized technology…

It is also true that shamans only existed among prehistoric Peoples, or slightly more “evolved” contemporary peoples…

Because of its short memory, the Western World confuses its own Ancestors - who were brilliant astronomers, surgeons, sociologists and theologians - with rough filthy primates. According to this thinking no forefather or foremother prior to - or even contemporary of - Ur and Babylon has anything of value to teach to an average Westerner, except to feed his/her curiosity about inferior practices considered superstitious (by the way, superstition = belief in the power of invisible forces…). More observations:

Second observation: The Western World hasn’t practiced conscious community sacrifices for a long time.

Third observation: The Western World hasn’t listened to its shamans for a long time.
(Fortunately shamans haven’t completely disappeared yet).

The first 3 observations lead us to think that the invisible external debt of the Western World may have been accumulating for hundreds or even thousands of years without being balanced in the invisible.

And what is that debt anyway?

The answer is simple and yet dreadful at the same time: The debt is made up of everything Westerners have taken for their own benefit, all the imbalance they have produced, everything they have destroyed, directly or indirectly, during several millennia of brutal exploitation, blind expansion and voracious development. Now we can formulate a fourth observation.

Fourth observation: The invisible external debt of the Western World is gigantic.

A review of these 4 observations immediately makes us think of a possible invoice issuing from the Invisibles. The invoice is received and translated by the collective subconscious mind. The message could be expressed in the form of a public event that would symbolically, or in a reduced fashion, represent the sacrifice that is expected from the Western World. A painful event that would force Westerners to turn to their God, and at the same time show them the offerings necessary to reconcile their debt. Simply speaking it would be a catastrophe or a tragedy that would strike simultaneously their deep collective psyche and their material wealth.

The Tragedy

What if September 11 was a call from the Invisibles?

What if Bin Laden, the Talibans, the Muslim extremists, the terrorists, the CIA, the Israeli Palestinian conflict, the fraudulent election of “W”, the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and all the elements of the tragedy were nothing but instruments used by the collective western subconscious mind, as theater decor, or even better, as in a dream, to notify the collective conscious mind that an invoice has been sent by the Invisibles?

What if this tragedy, so traumatizing and destructive, was only a reduced image, only a little scratch in comparison to what is maybe in store for the Western World, if this one doesn’t react appropriately and quick enough?

The sacrifice

But is the Western World ready to wake up right now? Is it ready to make the sacrifice on its own or is it just going to wait for the Invisibles to collect on the debt themselves?

And by the way, what is this sacrifice required from the Westerners anyway?

The answer is on the same level as the one about the nature of the debt: simple and dreadful. What is asked from the Western World is to make a radical change of habits and attitudes that violate the Principle of Balance as well as offerings heavy in cost.

The habits and attitudes to change, although innumerable to list, are not difficult to identify (without pre-established order): chronic arrogance, exploitation without scruples, deification of profit and money, expansionism, materialism, consumerism, institutional lies and hypocrisy, racism, sexism, classism, obscurantism, imperialism, commoditization of land, of space, of food, of clothing, of health, of education, of security, of solidarity, of dignity, of the sacred, of life, non respect for natural laws, for cycles, for equilibriums, for Humans, for communities, for the Elders, for the Ancestors, for the Spirits, etc…

Let it be clear that I don’t have the intention to ignore the numerous actions deeply marked with respect, beauty and grandeur undertaken by generations of Westerners. But, my sense is that the real ultimate consequence of the action of the Western World, as a whole, on our planet, is all but respectful, beautiful and grand.

The offerings too are easy to identify. Should the Western world desire to make amends, it will have to give up - and do without, in the future - the “benefits” of its nonsacred technology: mass production, materials that can’t be recycled as fast as they are produced, nonrenewable energies, nonsustainable gadgets, machines, products and processes that disturb the environment and the health of all kinds of species (vegetal, animal, Human) in their manufacturing, their use, or their disposal, etc.

Yes, as it could have been expected, the price is as overwhelming as the debt. Is the Western World willing, and ready to pay it?

If it doesn’t pay, then the Invisibles might just be coming to take their dues themselves. Chances are the debtor won’t be solvent, causing bankruptcy requiring total extinction (the soul returning) and the outstanding debt collected from the nonwestern world, which, once again, will pay the balance for our Western sisters and brothers.


~ Djalòki ~
(co-translated with Tant Ka)
Port-au-Prince, Ayiti - November 2001

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The Challenge Of The Trickster (English)

In the Primordial vision, events that deeply affect a whole Nation should be interpreted through spiritual glasses.  Such glasses suggested here are given by the Ifá Tradition, rooted in West Africa and present throughout the African Diaspora in the Americas, usually as part of the Yoruba culture.  In Ayiti, Yoruba is known as Nago.  The Spirit known as Esu (normally spelled with a cedilla under the “s” and pronounced close to Eh-shoe) in the Ifá Tradition is known as Legba in the Nago rite.  In the folktale below, although Esu interacts with Humans directly from within a body of his own, the Tradition suggests that in our reality, a Spirit (Natural or Spiritual law) will often “ride” a living Being, Human or other, to manifest itself on the material plane.

Before we go further, it should be stressed that in the Primordial Tradition, common Nature Spirits are neither good nor evil in essence.  They are basically embodiments and enforcers of spiritual laws.  The harmony or chaos apparently generated by their interventions are mainly caused by the intentions, interests and relative wisdom or folly of Human Beings, who are the main operators on the material plane.


The following excerpts, including the folktale, are taken in extenso from the booklet “Esu - Elegba.  Ifá and the Divine Messenger”, by Awo Fá’lokun Fatunmbi, on Original Publications (Bronx, New York), 1992.  The only editing has been the omission of the Yoruba terms, when the English translation is provided by the original text.  These excerpts are offered to you as tools for an alternative interpretation and perspective on the recent political events in Ayiti (February 2004), not as a definite answer to all the questions those events raised.  Attention and care should be given to every sentence and word, with the recent political events in mind, as well as this present essay.

Esu-Elegba. Ifá and the Divine Messenger

“… Esu is referred to as the Divine Messenger because of the key function of Esu in Ifá ritual.  Some Yoruba-English dictionaries and some anthropological manuscripts translate Esu to mean “Devil”.  This translation is not consistent with the description of Esu in Ifá scripture.  Esu can take the role of a trickster, but this role has the function of transforming deceptive and limited visions of self and world.  It is the role of the trickster in all earth-centered religions to shake loose the limited perceptions that cause stagnation rather than growth.  Only those who believe that they are in possession of the “Absolute Truth” view the trickster as a “demonic spirit”.

The Divine Messenger is generally known in the Yoruba culture by the name of Esu.  Among those who practice Yoruba religion in the west, the Divine Messenger is commonly known by the name of Elegba.  It is difficult to establish for certain how and why this shift in names occured.  However, it is known that in Ifá religion as it is practiced in Africa, Elegba is considered a warrior aspect of Esu.  Elegba is a derivation of the term “Ele Agbara”, which translates idiomatically to mean “The Power of Strength”.  As an aspect of Esu, Elegba is the ability to communicate with Spirit in the face of overwhelming obstacles and oppression.  Given the conditions that existed during slavery, it is not difficult to imagine why Elegba would become the primary focus of interaction between human consciousness and Spirit within Ifá worship as it exists in the west.

… The unique function of Esu within the realm of the Mysteries of Nature is to translate the language of humans into the language of Nature and to translate the language of Nature into the language of humans. …

FOLKTALES OF THE DIVINE MESSENGER.

A.- The Two faces of the Divine Messenger.

In the olden days there were two farmers who grew up together in a village located near the forest.  As children they lived in the same compound sharing meals, playing games and learning the wisdom of their elders.  They called each other “Arákunrin” which means “brother”.

When the two young men reached the age of puberty, they were taken to Ifá for divination.  On that day they were told that they would live their entire lives on adjacent farms.  Because they were so close, their abundance depended on mutual cooperation.  The diviner told them that it was Esu who would teach them the mystery of cooperation, the mystery of the forest, the mystery of farming, and the mystery of invocation.

The diviner said that if they did not make regular offerings to Esu, the day would come when Esu would pull them apart.  If that day came, they would live their lives as enemies and suffer old age in poverty.

The two young men could not imagine being separated, they could not imagine being enemies and they could not imagine living their old age in poverty.  Both of them thought that the diviner had been mistaken about their destiny.  They saw no reason to make offerings to Esu.  They neglected the shrine which stood at the entrance to their village.  They assumed that their life of happiness would never change.

Some years later the two men married and started to raise families.  Together they had gone out into the forest and cleared a plot of land for a farm.  Both farms were the same size, both farms grew the same crops and both men continued their friendship as they worked together tending the soil.  One of the young men had learned from his father the techniques for pulling weeds and clearing brush.  The other young man had learned from his father the techniques for drying seeds and watering the furrows.  They depended on one another to insure that each year crop would provide enough food to feed their families with enough left over for trade at the market.

Both farms were separated by a narrow path that ran from the river to the village.  The path was seldom used because there were no other fields in the area.  Often the two men would work for weeks and even months without seeing anyone journey along the road that divided their land.

On the day that Esu decided to travel down the path that ran between the two farms, Esu remembered the words of the diviner.  Esu recognized the two farmers as the men who always passed his shrine at the entrance to the village without making an offering.  Both young men continued to believe that they were skilled in the mystery of farming.  Between them they thought that they had all the good fortune they needed to create a good life.  Life for each of them felt complete.

Esu hid among the trees and watched the two men at work.  As they bent over the earth, Esu removed efun and irosun from his pouch.  He took a large leaf and mixed the efun with cool water, making white paint.  He took another large leaf and mixed the irosun with cool water, making red paint.  Using his fingers, Esu painted the right side of his face red and the left side of his face white.

After placing the remaining paint back in his bag, Esu walked down the path singing: “The word of the Divine Messenger is always true”.

As Esu approached the two men who were working on their farm, they both looked up to see who was singing.  Esu was directly between them when they raised their heads.  Using the index finger on each hand, Esu drew their attention back to soil.

After Esu disappeared from sight, Arákunrin on the right side of the road said: “Who was that strange man with the white face?”

Arákunrin on the left side of the road answered: “Don’t you mean the strange man with the red face?”

Each question was asked in innocence, but the discussion soon led to disagreement, the disagreement led to an argument and the argument led to a fight.  Before the issue could be settled, both men were rolling on the ground tearing up their crops and destroying the ripe yams.

The damage to the farm caused a shortage of food, there were not enough yam left to feed their families and there were no surplus to take to the market.  Each of the young men became so angered by what happened that they never spoke to each other again.

From that day on, those who praise Esu always say: “Divine Messenger do not confuse me”.

Commentary:

… The advice from Ifá to the two friends was to maintain a respectful relationship with Esu so that they could enhance their ability to communicate with those elemental spirits who would have a direct impact on the productivity of their farms.

In addition to the advice from the diviner, there is a warning.  The two friends were told that if they do not make regular offering to Esu, the day will come when Esu will pull them apart.  This is a common warning in many of the folktales associated with Esu.  Frequently this is misinterpreted as an indication that Esu is mean spirited or vicious.  It would be more accurate to say that Esu is functioning in his role of Divine Enforcer.  Those who ignore issues of spiritual growth eventually suffer the consequences of their neglect.

… When Esu is carrying a warning from Spirit, Esu assumes the role of Trickster.  There is nothing demonic or sinister about the Spiritual role of Trickster in any Earth-centered religion.  The function of the Tricksters is always to force human consciousness into a deeper understanding of self and world.

In this instance, Esu paints one side of his face white and the other side of his face red.  The argument between the two former friends is rooted in the truth of their own limited perspective.  Each of the men considers himself to be right and the other to be wrong.  At the heart of their dispute is the inability to consider the possibility that they both might be right.  The world described in Ifá myth is seldom a world of either/or.  In most instances it is a world of both/and.  What this means is that consciousness is a constantly shifting reality.  Information which may be true for one person on a given day may have no value for someone else in a different circumstance. The shifting value of objective information can only be evaluated from a broad perspective and it is Esu who plays a key role in providing that perspective.

When humans become too set in their ways, too rigid in their thinking and too dogmatic in their response to other points of view, it is Esu who stirs up the mix and forces the kind of re-evaluation that can lead to enlightenment.

In this story the disruption caused by Esu does not lead to enlightenment.  Instead it leads to an argument, loss of friendship and poverty.  The point here is that Nature will always respond to those who are in need of spiritual transformation, but not everyone who is blessed with instruction from Esu will grasp the meaning of the lesson that is to be learned.  Within the context of Ifá, every disruption is considered an opportunity for learning and growth.

Spiritual transformation always contains an element of choice, an element of freewill and an element of responsibility.  Those who are unwilling to embrace these qualities project their weakness onto the world and claim that Esu is a demon.  Ifá scripture is very clear that demons are not Spiritual Forces generated by Creation.  Demons are human inventions created and invoked by those who resist living in harmony with Nature.”

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