The Matrix

The original Matrix is one of my most favorite movies. The symbolism of this particular movie is so applicable to what has happened in the past, to what is happening now, and to what will happen in the future of human existence. The film illustrates the conflict between the rebellious, independent thinkers, the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar captained by Morpheus, and the remainder of the so-called civilized human society, the residents within the illusion of the Matrix. The film speaks volumes as to what is and, possibly most important, what is not acceptable by the establishment.

My favorite scene in this film is when the hero Neo has his greatest epiphany. Not the one where he actually learns about the Matrix from Trinity, the woman who will eventually becomes his love interest. Not the one where he learns about his abilities in the Matrix from Morpheus, his mentor. The scene to which I refer happens almost at the end of the film, where Neo is killed by Agent Smith before he could escape the artificial world. Neo dies for just a moment and is then reanimated. In an instant he achieves clarity and looks at things deeper than anyone thought possible. The world melts before him. His understanding is enhanced to a point where the sum of what is presented before him actually dissolves and he sees the world for what it truly is for the very first time. He understands that the world in which he operates is an infinite, mathematical succession of bits and bytes and he sees each and every one of them to the finest of detail.

The story of the Matrix is a commentary on the behavior of people. It is an analogy of most people’s choice to stay stuck in the shallow world of day-to-day, mindless repetition, and the thoughtless acceptance of the regulations and conventions. The entities that make the rules are completely foreign to the population that follows them. The ultimate governing body of the world consists of these machines whose primary purpose appears to be nothing more than to feed off the energy of the people. And the machines will do anything and everything to protect that energy source.

As long as the people don’t think too much and stay within the confines of acceptable behavior stability is maintained. But the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar has no intention of following established procedure. Morpheus and his league are like an infection that threatens the order of the machine’s universe. Therefore, they must be exterminated at the earliest opportunity.

How many parallels does this story share with the human condition? It could be a commentary on the relationship between the government as machines and the governed being the people. It could be an analogy of the corporate world with management being the machines and the employees being the human cattle. It could be a correlation between the United States and the rest of the countries of the world. It could be a parallel of any relationship between the controllers and the controlled. Sadly, it could also be analogous between the priest of Ifa and the people who are looking for spiritual guidance to Olodumare, the Orisas, and the ancestors.

Compare the story of the Matrix to the reality of Ifa. According to the story, the number of people that had chosen to be awakened to the true reality of the world is tiny compared to the number of those who choose to remain oblivious in a world of someone else’s, or something else’s, making. In the reality of Ifa many priest choose to live a life separate from the majority of the people in the Ifa community. The rest of the people within the community are content to be led by the priest and live by traditions and concepts that they don’t fully understand or take to heart. Many Ifa followers are more than happy to let the priest within our community lead us and tell us where we need to do with our lives and our spirituality. In return, we pay them for the services they render us and we exalt them for their assistance.

Regardless of what correlation is applied one thing remains the same. The character of Neo represents a new way of thinking, a new way of doing business, a new day. According to Wikipedia, the word neo, derived from the Greek, is a prefix that denotes something new or a revitalization of something in a modern form. By definition, this new manifestation of a revival is a threat to anything that constitutes the traditional way of doing anything. Traditionalist who benefit from keeping the status quo will do their best to suppress anything that will modify their conservative customs.

But new ideas and new ways of thinking are inevitable. Nature itself at times may appear to be stagnant in the relative millisecond of time we as a race may exist. However, nature is in a perpetual state of development. The balance of nature could not be maintained without changes. Change is the only constant in our universe.

When the analogy of Ifa is applied to the story of the Matrix, everyone on the Nebuchadnezzar would represent the people with the desire to end the illusion of the machines and develop a relationship with the reality of Ifa that is empowering and true for all people. The actual energy of the sleeping and unaware people is harnessed for the sole benefit of the controllers. This manipulation is impossible with anyone who achieves true consciousness. Therefore, anyone who becomes aware is a threat to the system. An attempt is made to terminate conscious people by unplugging them from the Matrix and literally flushing them down the toilet into the waste system.

The reanimated Neo achieves the ultimate enlightenment. He sees the world through eyes opened to the genuine reality of the bits and bytes. Now if we continue to apply the story to Ifa, then the level of Neo’s consciousness makes it impossible for him to see the world and not see the essence of the Orisas in everything that is. Imagine the power of perceiving Orisa in everything. I would imagine that that level of consciousness would frighten most people. It would be impossible for such a person to be manipulated or deceived, even by them self. The material world would hold no value because such a person would have no need for it within his/her ultimate connection with their spiritual self.

The great majority of people would prefer not to ever wake from their slumber. The people who make up this group are so busy with their everyday existence that they don’t recognize the inability to fill the emptiness in their lives. Luxurious trinkets loose their luster after a while and have to be replaced with even larger, faster, shinier trinkets. A much smaller group of people are somewhat aware of their predicament, but the sacrifice necessary to achieve a deeper conscious may be more than what they are willing to pay. This group believes that they are content to have someone else guide their semi-conscious existence or they are content to traverse life with their half-assed consciousness.

The final group, the tiniest fraction of the whole, will strive to develop their consciousness to become the Neos of Ifa, the foundation of a new understanding among a spiritual tradition that has developed into a mere shadow of its former self and now appear out of touch with the needs of the population. The Ifa Neos will work to uncover the truth and stop the deception. They will be attacked and vilified at every opportunity by the Ifa machines. The power source that allows the machines to continue their existence would be threatened. But the Ifa Neos will understand that the very future of all humanity is at risk if something isn’t done to force the changes necessary to terminate the traditional relationship with the machines.

Yoruba and Ifa

Ifa is a spiritual tradition rooted in the culture of the Yoruba and passed along from one generation to the next using the ages old African tradition of word of mouth. Parents would teach the concepts to their children through immersion with techniques such as constant recitation, ritual, and ceremony. The children spent their entire lives not just learning the principles but living the principles. With minimal changes to their environment for centuries these time honored techniques served the people well.

It’s not too far a stretch of the imagination that when Africa was “discovered” by the European explorers, irreversible changes were introduced into the Yoruba style of living by the western cultures. European influence introduced a new level of materialism never before imagined by the African people. Suddenly there was a need for wonders never seen before such as more sophisticated and refined jewelry, clothing, decorations, weapons, etc. There was a new focus on individual materialism that began to invade the culture where before a more communal environment existed. For centuries, although individuals in the tribe may have had their own possessions no one really had much more than anyone else, including the tribal leaders. Everyone enjoyed in the bounty of a feast or paid the sacrifice for a famine. But the communal philosophy was eventually abandoned in favor of a more “every man for himself” way of thinking. With no regard for one’s neighbor it’s no surprise to see integrity, equality, and justice dissolve while deceit, disparity, and corruption develop in their wake.

The reality is that today, after a history of corruption and incompetence within all levels of government, Nigeria, largely recognized as the modern incarnation of Yorubaland, has been left a country rich and abundant in resources but mired in debt and poverty for the majority of its population. Government administrators are more concerned with personal enrichment and immediate survival than with long term prospects for future generations. Bribery, favoritism, military coups, and short lived government administrations have become the standard way of life. The practices of the government are a reflection of the people. Therefore, the study of the Yoruba culture truly makes one of the poorest examples for a correct form of Orisa worship. Although the Yoruba are credited with being the first civilization to recognize and develop this particular spiritual practice, the focus on Orisas, ancestors, and community have become secondary to personal gratification. The insistence of following a doctrine of strict adherence to long-established hierarchal structure based on titles, seniority, and class assures the perpetuation of customs that have absolutely nothing to do with spirituality but everything to do with personal benefit.

By developing an ever expanding system of hierarchies and tiers based on so-called African traditions the priest and priestesses towards the top of these rankings have secured their place in a system that looks very much like the infamous multi-level marketing plan otherwise knows as a pyramid scheme. The non-initiates at the bottom of the spiritual hierarchy without their own godchildren or certification of importance will see little personal benefit while the royalty, priests, and chiefs at the top reap benefits, status, and credibility for little more than being where and/or who they are.

Many priests will allege that they are doing the work of the Orisa and must be respected, honored and compensated for such. For sure priests and priestesses are a vital component to the community they serve and should be compensated for their services. But what is the focus? Does a person become a priest to serve as a spiritual guide to the community and as a voice for Orisa or is the priest’s endeavor merely for personal gain?

Too often the community service that should be the focus becomes community domination when priest and priestesses develop a sense of entitlement that comes from being well placed within the spiritual pyramid. The impression of entitlement leads to a sense of disassociation from the “little” people for whom a priest is supposedly here to serve. Feeling the need to win the favor of the priest/priestess in order to gain a more favorable position within the pyramid, lower members of the community will indulge as many impulses as possible from the members higher relative to their position, which reinforces the sense of entitlement, and perpetuates the cycle. As members of the community rise through the spiritual pyramid they feel entitled to work the system that they have helped to establish. The various investments that the men and women make as lesser members will reap rewards and benefits when they gain their spiritual upper status. But eventually, people who suffer from a lack of integrity will find the pursuit of personal rewards and material compensation too much of a temptation to resist and they will have their sense of community service knocked right out of their conscious. Unfortunately, the version of Orisa worship based on the Yoruba system justifies this condition.

If one is a scholar of history the study of the Yoruba culture with respect to Ifa makes for a logical pursuit. But as a guide for how one honors and upholds Orisa and ancestor worship it is without merit and is a hindrance to true spiritual enlightenment. For someone to claim that the study of Yoruba culture is recommended in order to develop a true understanding of Orisa is, to be polite, fabrication. No where is it written that the study of the Chinese culture is a prerequisite to being a good Buddhist. No one of merit requires the study of Jerusalem’s culture in order to be a good Christian. Conversely logic holds to reason that just because a person is of Italian descent and may know something of their culture doesn’t necessarily mean that they are more proficient in Catholicism. One does not automatically or necessarily lead to the other.

Credit must be given where credit is due. Present day Nigeria, which was at one point known as Yorubaland, is the cradle of Orisa worship. That much is true. But because one might be born in Nigeria or may be aware of Nigeria/Yoruba culture, does not automatically endows them a special place in the in the eyes of Orisa. The spiritual pyramid based on knowing the Yoruba culture is little more than an artificial concept used to control the masses and protect someone’s ability to reap undeserved benefits. To study Yoruba culture as an example to spirituality is flirting with an invitation to wander off path.

Manifest Destiny

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breath free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore; send these, the homeless, the tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

These meaningless words adorn the famous Statue of Liberty in New York’s harbor. At one point in American history this phrase captured and fired the imagination of any and all people around the globe looking for an opportunity for something better in their lives. The beacon of the young, fresh, and still growing at the time, United States called and tired people waiting to exhale answered. Never mind that it was all coming at the expense of Native Americans. The dogma of Manifest Destiny assured the immigrant population that the non-Caucasian natives were not entitled to protect the land from the exploitation of the United States. Then again, non-Caucasian appearing immigrants weren’t entitled to participate in the bounty of the land either. Then again, many African immigrants weren’t immigrants at all but unwilling victims of the United State’s first act of extraordinary rendition.

Manifest Destiny was the name of America’s first “War on Terror”. Through the clever use of propaganda and marketing many Caucasians in America’s earliest history developed a sense of entitlement that permeates their psyche to this date and, one imagines, far into the future. Indeed, it grows the more time goes. There have been Star Trek episodes depicting the future where legendary captains of the starship Enterprise argued humanity’s right to explore and invade space itself at the expense of extraterrestrial cultures. “To boldly go where no man has gone before!”

But that’s already somebody’s home. The citizens of planet Zippididoda IV probably don’t see their backyard as a particularly bold and challenging place. But to hell with them! Fire the phasers up to maximum charge and put the warp drive pedal to the warp drive metal ‘cause the Federation is coming through.

It is not exaggeration to say that the traditions and cultures of the people indigenous to what is arrogantly referred to as America, a term rooted in European culture, have been decimated far beyond anyone on this plane of existence can imagine. The people lived in true harmony with their natural environment. For many of these cultures the buildings and structures built by the people could be broken down and moved without a single trace that they were ever there in the first place. People understood the fact that individuals didn’t own the land but lived on the land, co-inhabiting it with other animals. The animals of the land weren’t to be hunted for sport or entertainment. The right’s of other species to exist didn’t evaporate simply because humans with weapons were in the vicinity. If a member of the tribe was killed by a predator it was probably a lesson or a reminder for the survivors to not take the environment for granted and exercise more caution. I’m sure a hunting party to kill the offending bear or lion was unheard of.

Various social structures of the pre-American cultures existed under the assumption that everyone is an equal regardless of their personal possessions. A single individual or a small fraction of the group didn’t benefit or exist at an elevated status of anyone else. Everyone was part of the whole and the whole didn’t exist for the benefit of a few or of one. The community was a chain of individuals who were only as strong as the weakest link. Without everyone to do their share the entire machine of the community would suffer. One would be challenged to imagine a pre-American culture where their sole purpose is the acquisition of materials. It would be just as daunting a task to imagine an indigenous pre-American community existing to provide for the status or for the comfort of just a few members instead of the whole. What would be the point for the members of the community who are not benefiting? Unfortunately not enough people take enough time to seriously contemplate this question.

Many iles around the globe claim to operate under traditional African concepts of community and faith in Orisa and ancestors. However, there are a couple of points that need to be taken into consideration. First, it should be noted that African spirituality predates “Africa”. The word Africa is derived from the tribes of people who lived off the southern coast of the Mediterranean collectively known as the Afri. The suffix “ca” comes from the Romans and it denotes land or country. Africa therefore is literally translated as the land of the Afri. But like the indigenous people of the Americas the indigenous tribes of Africa pre-existed their European name.

The second point of consideration is that iles as a whole no longer even tries to operate under the belief that each and every member of the entire community are equal components of the whole. Many houses of Orisa worship are socio-economic models of capitalistic European cultures where the social structure is based on the strict hierarchy of feudalism. Priest and priestesses who run iles contend to protect and help their members or “serfs” from various troubles spiritual and otherwise. In return, the serfs pay fees and perform physical labor for their priest or “feudal lords”.

Members of iles can improve their status by having various rituals performed on their behalf. An ile may have a series of sub-organizations or egbes within the house that are intended to perform some important function within the spiritual realm. Each time a member obtains a pot for an Orisa they are included in the egbe intended to honor that Orisa. An egbe will be setup to venerate ancestors. Another egbes will be set aside for the men in good standing while another will be for the women of good standing. And yet, other egbes will be established for drummers, other musicians, food preparers, dancers, craftsmen, herbalist, etc. The list can be extensive.

For most children of Africa life in the United States is hard enough. Many of us don’t have the financial resources to operate independently of the economic social structure of western culture. An ile should be a place of refuge for its members against those influences designed without our benefit in mind. Each ile should have a creed over its door saying something to the effect, “Give me your tired, your poor, your African masses, yearning to breath free. The wretched refuse of America’s gentrified and forgotten neighborhoods; send these, the distressed, the tempest-tossed to me, I lift my light beside the golden door.”

Yet, instead of sanctuary and fellowship, some of us are subjected to rituals and regulations that do anything but uplift our spirits as a collective unit. Once all the rituals are performed and the ceremonies are completed, the individual members disperse to their own little corner to take on the world, until the next time. It is a too close for comfort imitation of church. It’s sad, because our community, our spiritual family, should be more important to us than that.

The Inflated Cost of Orisa Initiations

In Ifa, an initiation is a marriage between the devotee and their Orisa. The initiated devotee is known as an iyawo which is literally translated as bride of Orisa. In many cultures and governments, the actual act of marriage occurs when two parties agree to the marriage contract. The wedding is just a ceremony or ritual to give the newlyweds an opportunity to celebrate their marriage with friends and family. After the wedding there is the wedding reception where people are invited to eat, dance, and enjoy themselves on behalf of the married couple.

Wedding ceremonies and their corresponding wedding reception can run the gamut from the rather simple and undemanding to huge, extravaganzas of extraordinary proportions requiring careful planning, perfect timing, and abundant resources. Many fiancés fall into the mindset that their celebration must be the absolute biggest display possible in order to correctly and proportionately reflect the size of their love for each other. Never mind the fact that chances are good that they’ll end up in divorce court. But nevertheless, traditionally, couples who marry have the opportunity to decide exactly how much they are willing to budget for their celebration.

But when it comes to Ifa weddings the budget for the initiation isn’t in the hands of the devotee. In most houses of Orisa worship, the ile sets the price for the ritual and the devotee has no choice but to pay or to do without. Most houses have a distinct order of initiation rituals that may require a number of things that can increase the cost of the initiation ceremony exponentially. A particular set of decorations must be purchased and members of the community must be compensated for installing them on the devotee’s behalf. Certain members of the community must be paid for their presence and compensated for any expenses incurred traveling to the ritual. Certain foods must be purchased and prepared for everyone who comes to the ile during the initiation ritual which could be as long as an entire week. The oriate, the Yoruba equivalent of a master of ceremony, must be paid along with various priests and priestesses within the ile. Authentic African clothing must be purchased, transportation must be arranged, animals must be sacrificed, spiritual readings must be performed, and the list can go on and on and on. There is no option to delete any item a devotee may consider unnecessary. It is an all or nothing proposition.

Imagine what would happen if you hired a wedding planner or coordinator for your conventional wedding celebration and they told you there was only one way they operated, their way or the highway. One wouldn’t hesitate to terminate the business relationship and find someone else to do the job. There are claims that the quality of the initiation ceremony may suffer if one does not use knowledgeable and/or experienced priests. Some will argue that unless a specific number of priests participate in the process then the integrity of the initiation may be in jeopardy. But the simple fact is that like most conventional weddings these are traditional ceremonies performed as an option and not actually necessary ceremonies.

For the most part, once a devotee is correctly identified with his/her Orisa the matrimonial bond is a relatively simple and straight forward ritual. It involves ritual cleansing of the physical body and of the spirit. The physical body will be purified by fasting before hand and a bath with herbs associated with the specific Orisa. It includes an invocation of prayer to recognize and acknowledge our spiritual benefactors the Orisa (mo ju ba o), the ancestors (iba se o), and our family (both spiritual and by blood) and friends. And like almost every other milestone celebrated throughout our lives, it includes a feast for the gathering. The priest performing the ritual is simply making the formal introduction of the devotee to their Orisa. The quality of the priest performing the ritual is not the pertinent issue to the joining. The devotee and his/her devotion to the Orisa is the one most critical component to the success or failure of the initiation. The vast majority of ritual, procedure, ceremony, pomp and/or circumstance are the trivial additions designed to impress and overwhelm the guests.

Like people Orisas enjoy a good party. But contrary to what people may have been taught to think no Orisa wants to see their children stressed over things that really don’t matter. Orisa are spiritual, non-corporeal entities who manifest themselves in nature. As they interact with us during meditations they simultaneously interact with other worshippers and non-worshippers around the world. People insist on giving the Orisa human emotions and weaknesses. The Orisa are above irrelevant displays of anger on inconsequential people. In the big picture where does one more sacrificial goat fit into the grand scheme of things otherwise known as the divine plan? Why would Orisa exercise their unlimited power into reprimanding a single individual? One thing about Orisas that everyone will do well to remember is that their patience is very long. These are the entities that build mountainous islands in the middle of the ocean over eons. These are the same entities that carve rivers through grassy plains over millennia. And these beings are the ones who will wait for your conscious to open and any work that needs to be done will be done in its own good time.

It’s all about keeping balance. In order for the devotee who’s barely making ends meet to save up enough money to pay for the same type of an initiation for someone else who could simply make a withdrawal from their savings account is not balanced.

When a priest claims that an Orisa is angry because they didn’t get the sacrifice or ebo they required it is an attempt to use inherent superstitious fears of the spiritual realm against the devotee. For a priest to say that an Orisa demands all the trappings of a full blown initiation is an attempt to perform the very same type of manipulation on a grander scale. Sadly, the very people who have the most influence in our community appear to be more concerned with making quick, easy money than with serving the people or the Orisa. In the one price system of initiations only the most fortunate can pay to have their relationship with their Orisa recognized with a ritual. Too many people see the request for an initiation as an invitation to print money. On the other side of the coin, too many people prefer to wait until they have enough of their hard earned cash to give these priests the windfall premiums for a so-called higher quality initiation.

Like its conventional counterpart, the Orisa initiation can be a beautiful occasion whether it’s a full scale assault on the senses open to the public or a simple, elegant, private affair. The devotee should be able to make the choice to have their initiation done as their resources will allow. The devotee should have the option to be able to stick to a reasonable budget as they see fit. Not everyone has deep pockets to employ every person in the ile for their initiation. For those that don’t they should know that there is an alternative.