Ifa: A Forest of Mystery by Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold is a major study on the cosmology, metaphysics, philosophy and divination system of Ifa, written by a tradition holder and member of the council of elders, known as the Ogboni society, of Abeokuta, Nigeria. Ifa - an alternative name for its prophet Orunmila - is a religion, a wisdom tradition and a system of divination encoding the rich and complex oral and material culture of the Yoruba people. The Yoruba culture is grounded in memory, an ancestral repository of wisdom, that generates good counsel, advises appropriate ebo (sacrifice) and opens the way to develop a good character on our journey through life and in our interactions with the visible and invisible worlds. The work is a presentation of the first sixteen odu of the Ifa corpus of divination verses explained in stories, allegories and proverbs reflecting the practical wisdom of Ifa. The work is both a presentation of Ifa for those with little knowledge of it, and a dynamic presentation of the wealth of its wisdom for those already familiar with Ifa. The deities and key concepts of Ifa metaphysics are discussed, including: Obatala, Onile, Sango, Ogun, Oya, Osanyin, Yemoja, Esu, ase (power), egungun (ancestry), iwa (character), and ori (head/consciousness/daimon). Notably, Dr Frisvold has created a work which celebrates the Yoruba wisdom tradition and makes a bridge with the Western world. It is of value for the light that it casts on the origins and mysteries of Esu and orisa, and an important source for those practicing Quimbanda, Palo, Santeria, Vodou and the African Diaspora religions. Yet its lessons are universal, for it is the art of developing character, of attracting good fortune and accruing wisdom in life. "Ifa is a philosophy, a theogony, theology and cosmology rooted in a particular metaphysic that concerns itself with the real and the ideal, the world and its beginning. It is rooted in the constitution of man and the purpose of life and the nature of fate. Ifa is a philosophy of character. The philosophy of Ifa lies at the root of any religious cult or organization involving the veneration of orisa. [...] Through stories and legends, divinatory verses and proverbs, this philosophy will be revealed piece by piece until the landscape has been laid open before you." - Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold

SHAMANISM / INDIGENOUS CULTURES"Ross Heaven is a loyal initiate son who communicates the Vodou tradition faithfully." Bon Mambo Racine, Priestess of Haitian Vodou"Ross Heaven does for Vodou what Castaneda did for shamanism."Prediction magazineWritten by an initiate of Haitian Vodou, this book goes beyond the stereotypes and misunderstandings to reveal Vodou as one of the most powerful shamanic traditions. The author explains why these ancient healing practices are important for the modern world and how secret Vodou techniques can be used by anyone as safe and effective means of spiritual healing and personal development.Providing practical hands-on exercises drawn from all aspects and stages of the Vodou tradition, Vodou Shaman shows readers how to contact the spirit world and communicate with the loa (the angel-like inhabitants of the Other World), the gede (the spirits of the ancestors), and djabs (Nature spirits) for healing purposes. The author examines soul journeying and warrior-path work in the Vodou tradition and looks at the psychological principles that make them effective. The book also offers exercises in specific spiritual healing techniques, including the use of herbs and magical baths, ways to read and rebalance the energy body, removal of spirit intrusions and unhealthy energies, restoration of Ashe (spiritual Power), and preparation for the advanced technique of soul retrieval.ROSS HEAVEN is a shamanic teacher and Vodou Houngan. He served for many years as an apprentice in this tradition, including spending the requisite time in solitary vigil and performing the full sequence of rituals necessary to complete his initiation into the Vodou priesthood. He is the author ofThe Journey to You and Spirit in the City and lives in England.

J.D. Lewis-Williams, a leading South African archaeologist and ethnographer, examines the complex myths of the San-Bushmen to create a larger theory of how myth is used in cultures worldwide. Exploring ethnographic, archival and archaeological lines of research, he extracts the `nuggets', the far-reaching but often unspoken words and concepts of language and understanding that are opaque to outsiders, to establish a more nuanced theory of the role of these myths in the thought-world and social circumstances of the San. The book draws from the author's own work, the unique 19th-century Bleek & Lloyd archive, more recent ethnographic work, and San rock art and includes well-known San stories such as The broken string, Mantis dreams, and Creation of the eland.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1921 Edition.

Handbook to Lothar Kaser's Textbook "Animism - A Cognitive Approach." If we want to understand the animistic cognitive system we must focus particularly on its concept of man. Access to it can only be achieved by proceeding systematically. A basic prerequisite for this is a knowledge of the language spoken by the people whose culture is shaped by such an animistic system of thought. Incidentally acquired knowledge is not enough to give the outsider, whether missionary, teacher, doctor or nurse, the necessary insights for operating effectively within a society governed by an animistic cognitive framework. Why a textbook and a handbook on the same subject? A textbook seeks to address foundational issues and to ask general questions. A handbook on the other hand is concerned to deal with qualitative and quantitative research. This book is the companion volume of Lothar Kaser's textbook on Animism - A Cognitive Approach and provides the interested researcher a tool to guide one's own research into the cognitive aspects of a particular dimension of animism, namely, the concept of man. Robert Badenberg, trained at the Theological Seminary of the Liebenzell Mission. Graduate study at the Columbia International University (M.A.). Doctorate Degree from the University of South Africa (DTh). As author, missionary (he worked in Africa from 1989 to 2003), and mission ethnologist he commands much experience in this field.

The colonization and later conversion of the Faroe Islands to Christianity as the ways of the Asa-faith (Asatru) and Christianity collide...

Uspak asks to live with Odd; Odd agrees because of Uspak's connections even though he is aware of the man's bad reputation. Things go well until Odd wants to take a trip to go trading. He has to talk Uspak into becoming his steward and priest, although Uspak actually wants to do those things. While Odd is away, Uspak woos a rich woman named Swala and moves to her lands after a falling-out with Odd over the priesthood after Odd comes home. Odd tries to bring Uspak to trial but makes a legal mistake and fails. Going home disappointed, Odd meets his father, who promises to take on the case if paid what Odd would have paid anybody else who could have fixed things. Ufeig gets the jury to agree to do what they want to do, condemn somebody as infamous as Uspak, and get paid into the bargain, in spite of the legal technicality. The bribe is suspected by Thorarin, father of Uspak's wife, and his friend Styrmir, and they form an alliance with six other men to take Odd to court and hopefully fine him of all his money.

This saga tells the story of two Icelandic poets Gunnlaugr ormstunga and Hrafn Onundarson, and their competition for the love of Helga the Fair, granddaughter of Egill Skallagrimsson. The story opens with a prophetic dream of two eagles fighting over a swan, prefiguring the love triangle in the story. The story then follows Gunnlaugr as it describes his ambitious career as a court poet. He first competes with Hrafn (Raven) in verse and later in battle.

This is the first collection of essays to analyze intersectional religious and cultural practices surrounding the deity Yemoja. In Afro-Atlantic traditions, Yemoja is associated with motherhood, women, the arts, and the family. This book reveals how Yemoja traditions are negotiating gender, sexuality, and cultural identities in bold ways that emphasize the shifting beliefs and cultural practices of contemporary times. Contributors come from a wide range of fields religious studies, art history, literature, and anthropology and focus on the central concern of how different religious communities explore issues of race, gender, and sexuality through religious practice and discourse. The volume adds the voices of religious practitioners and artists to those of scholars to engage in conversations about how Latino/a and African diaspora religions respond creatively to a history of colonization."

A healing and balanced faith, Haitian Vodou is a member of the African Traditional Religions that came into the Western Hemisphere via the Transatlantic slave trade. Despite a much misunderstood image, Vodou gives its practitioners the tools to understand the world around them. By participating in an annual calendar of observances, rituals and services, servitors can engage with the Vodou "Mysteries," thereby enlisting their aid in helping lead a balanced life. Manbo Vye Zo uses her own story of becoming manbo or mother of the spirits as a stepping stone for her students and godchildren so they can learn by her example. An educational text as well as story, Manbo helps the reader gain a greater understanding of the faith as she leads us ever deeper into unexplored territory. Come experience the world of Haitian Vodou from an insider's perspective, and leave forever changed in your outlook on the world of Vodou.

The Vikings Bok, commonly known as the Poetic Edda, is the spiritual foundation for the Heathen revival today. It is the indigenous, historical remains of a once widespread Teutonic spirituality that has been too long absent from the Western world. This newly revised edition is based on the rare and highly acclaimed Olive Bray translation. Together with a New Glossary of modern Heathen terms and a concise introduction, this single source book is a practical "must have" for those interested in following the Northern Way

What is the first thing a Rastafari does when he/she wakes up in the morning? What is the correct way to grow dreadlocks as a Rasta? What products do Rasta in the Caribbean use to wash their dreadlocks and why? What are 10 Essentials of a Rastafari Home? What can one do to Convert to the Rastafari Livity? What are some Bible Chapters special to Rasta and why? "Rasta Way of Life" is a book for the student of Rastafari Livity. Follow the way life of Jah Rastafari, dictated to Rasta, to enter Holy Mount Zion.

Within the West African cultural spirituality of the Yoruba, Ela is known as the Spirit of Light and Manifestation meaning all things came into existence here on Ikole Aye (Earth) by way of Ela. Ela can also be summarized as the Holy Spirit of Ifa and interchangeably used as another name for Orunmila Elerin Ipin Ibikeji Olodumare (Orunmila, Withness of Creation, Second to the Creator). It is by way of Ela that Ifa became acceptable throughout the world and Orunmila accepted by followers, including followers in secret. In "Ela, The Ifa Concept of Altered States," Awo Falokun opens the dialogue once again on how devotees can continue to seat Ifa in the West. His approach to the subject of Ela is not the way, but a way to create and maintain Extended Family and Community. Knowledge of Ela and the Orisa is not enough - through the possession (spiritual access to the wisdom) of Ela, Ifa devotees can begin to heal ourselves of the negative influences of the Western World View, past and present, and heal the Ifa Community and the world around us. In this book, Awo Falokun teaches that the basis of Traditional Yoruba Spirituality is Good Character, which is accessible through Ela, and how it is essential to go into possession with the Spirit of Orunmila in order to maintain good character and banish the negative forces that create ori buruku, i.e., gossip, jealousy, lying, stealing, violence, etc.

Coming Full Circle is an interdisciplinary exploration of the relationships between spirituality and health among Coast Salish and Chinook communities in western Washington from 1805 to 2005. Suzanne Crawford O'Brien examines how these communities define what it means to be healthy and how recent tribal community-based health programs have applied this understanding to their missions and activities. She also explores how contemporary definitions, goals, and activities relating to health and healing are informed by Coast Salish history and also by indigenous spiritual views of the body. These views, she argues, are based on an understanding of the relationship between self, ecology, and community. Coming Full Circle draws on a historical framework in reflecting on contemporary tribal health-care efforts and the ways in which they engage indigenous healing traditions alongside twenty-first-century biomedicine. The book makes a strong case for the current shift toward tribally controlled care, arguing that local, culturally distinct ways of healing and understanding illness must be a part of Native health care. Combining in-depth archival research, extensive ethnographic participant-based field work, and skillful scholarship on theories of religion and embodiment, Crawford O'Brien offers an original and masterful analysis of Coast Salish and Chinook traditions and worldviews, and the intersection of religion and healing.

This book is written to create awareness and see if adequate interpretation would be given to certain phenomena and calamities created by the vagaries of nature and induced by spirits, Agwu inclusive, and suggest how they can be resolved. To do this, Agwu has examined the concept in all its tendencies and ramifications.

It tries to explain the relationship between Agwu and other creatures from the sources of life-Supreme Being-to the least inanimate object. The moral standard set by Agwu to its worshippers has been a masterpiece incentive and also a source of inspiration to ordinary mortals who watch with admiration the special Agwu elect.