spiritualist in benin city

P.D. It also profited greatly from the slave trade. Chatwin's narrative of bloodthirsty African kings, slavery, and French and Portuguese ambitions, is enthralling. - When people are ill, it is common for them to say that they are low in energy; conversely when people are healthy, we talk about them bursting with energy. Islam was brought into Benin by the Songhai-Dendi traders and Hausa from the north. After the Mass he carried a memento from the grave and the candle used during the Mass back to Ireland with him. The smaller side streets were also built in mathematical patterns. The spiritualists understand God as infinite intelligence. But, as my guidebook informed, Mami Wata is the mermaid-like goddess of water who 'offers happiness and fortune to those with courage to meet her at the seaside'. After communing directly with the powerful Dankoli fetish, a further half-day's drive north at Savalou, Filbert and I returned south for my last day in Benin. McCawille immediately communicated the good news to Brian, Jr. who was about to leave Ireland on a wing and a prayer on his journey of discovery to Nigeria. People seek help on a variety of issues - to be cured of a disease, find a job, complete a business deal, find a spouse or have a child. Some Egungun whirled like dervishes, green, silver and yellow capes creating spinning circles. It was the crowning moment in a miraculous spiritual adventure. 4 IZIEGBE STREET, OFF AIKHIOBARE STREET, GRA. Other variants of the system are found across the region, a result of its dynamic history. This rivalry resulted in a high degree of religious and cultural exchange between the Fon and Yoruba, with Dahomey making a conscious effort to incorporate Yoruba art, deities, and cultureincluding Ifa divinationinto its existing set of beliefs. As reported by The Guardian, mathematical patterns were apparent throughout Benin City, from the length and arrangement of the streets to the shape and size of the buildings. Mr Yaseen, a spiritualist with the highest level of Knowledge. 'plaything') is a spiritual belief system incorporating objects, such as amulets, and spells used in religious practice in West Africa by the people of Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Congo and Cameroon. See more information about the objects on Learning Lab. Voodoo spirituality, known in Ghana as Vodun, is one of them. In 1843, English Methodists began in Benin spreading among the Gun people from the coastal region. Although it was built after the Punitive Expedition of 1897, Benin's Royal Palace of the Oba is officially listed as one of Nigeria's heritage sites. Between 2012 and 2017, the percentage of American adults who meditated rose from 4.1% to 14.2%, according to a 2018 CDC report. Read about our approach to external linking. As part of the healing process, some healers use touch while others will have their hands a few inches away from the clients body or will simply sit opposite their client. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. It predates the use of modern earth-moving equipment or technology in these. I politely refused seconds. An attractive city of spirits worshipped by the animist Goun people, Porto Novo's most visible ghosts are world-weary French houses with honey-coloured facades and peeling shutters, and I spent my first morning exploring its fine museums. Initially, Europeans who visited the city described it as "disorganized." Masked participants of the Egungun Ceremony, Benin (Shutterstock). Before the Mass Brian placed a laminated photo of his father and a card from his mother on the grave. I met an English-speaking teacher called Yvette who took me to see a local Fa reader. Read about our approach to external linking. Tempers rose. Photo by Rebecca Fenton. He promptly rang Fr. Meeting a Beninese king is a real highlight and not difficult to arrange: bring something to toast him and present a gratuity of about US$25-50. After two days in a taxi with a driver called Filbert, the coastal plain subsided to a rippling landscape of green bush and ochre roads, studded by granite hills. They started to swop stories and mention of his dads death in Nigeria all those years ago nurtured in Brians mind the desire to locate his fathers grave. A persons condition after death is directly related to the moral quality of his human existence. Benin City is situated on a branch of the Benin River and lies along the main highways from Lagos to the eastern states. Almost exactly fifty-six years since his father was buried in Benin City, Nigeria, Brian McCormack, Jr. fulfilled a dream and stood at the grave and talked to the father that he never met. Not only did Benin City have an incredible network of walls, but the entire city was also built using fractal design. Written nearly 30 years ago, it tells of Dom Francisco de Silva, a 19th-century Brazilian migrant who became Benin's most notorious slave trader. Materials & Size It is a pendant mask made of elephant ivory, iron, and copper alloy. Although the specific age of the home is unknown, the architectural style suggests it was built in the mid to late 1800s. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH BENIN CITY (1941 - 2021) ST. . - People who are frustrated with chronic or recurring problems, - People who don't like to take medication, - People who have been in prolonged forms of treatment without much result, - People who are emotionally suffering and are unable to understand the source of their unhappiness, confusion, or anxiety, - Universal energy or spiritual force (non-religious) can be directed by intention, - When focused on the human body, via the aura (human energy field), it raises the spiritual vibrations of that person, improving health that allows your highest nature to unfold, - For optimum healing, repeated treatments are needed to overcome the bodys inertia. The Royal Palace of the Oba of Benin. Before long, Remi and I were pinned against a wall by a hulking Egungun. The city is wealthy and industrious. I walked around late every evening hoping to witness them, but I never did. People across West Africa, especially Togo, Ghana and Nigeria hold similar beliefs but in Benin it is recognised as an official religion, followed by some 40% of the population. By the 1100s, the Edo people gained independence from the Ogisos. Communion with the spiritual world is both possible and desirable, and spiritual healing is the . Somebody had seen an evil vision, so a semi-naked Voodoosi came over, cast sanctified water over us and urged the sacrifice of a chicken to atone. In a trance, they laughed and howled as priests blessed a pot of water. In 1974, the Guinness Book of Records recognized the historic Benin City for its extensive network of walls, which surrounded the entire kingdom and divided it into nearly 500 separate villages. This is one of Beninese Voodoo's most explosive events, where departed ancestral spirits take the form of humans in order to impart wisdom and justice to the living. The African American Spiritual Churches are combinatory religious sites, which blend Protestant, Catholic, Spiritualist, Haitian Voodoo, and Benin's traditional Vodun practices. Contrary to the British troops' description of the Benin Kingdom, other visitors described the city as civilized and clean. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Spiritual music, lyrics, and videos from Benin-City, NG on ReverbNation His two sons, Paul, born in December . The Slave Trade, Depopulation and Human Sacrifice in Benin History. According to Bacon, the town was rife with "crucifixions, human sacrifices, and every horror the eye could get accustomed to blood was everywhere; smeared over bronzes, ivory, and even the walls." Water, quartz and cowry shells were also heaped on the cast beads. Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries In The World, Protestantism and Other Forms of Non-Catholic Christianity, West African Folk Religions and Traditional Beliefs other than Vodun, Eckankar, Baha'i Faith, and Other Beliefs. In attendance were Bishop Kelly SMA and Fathers Michael McFadden SMA, also a native of Castlebar, Joseph Stephens SMA, Joseph Hilliard SMA, Thomas Murray SMA, Joseph Conboy SMA, William Kennedy SMA and James Conlon SMA. In an attempt to bring her husband peace, and secure his position as Oba, Queen Iden offered herself to be sacrificed. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com, 3 Requirements To Achieve Happiness According to Epictetus, 10 Countries Where Women Far Outnumber Men. spiritualist in benin citypapa smurf tattoo. Fr. Omissions? I would like to say thanks once again. These gatherings evolved into the Sunday church services that became common in spiritualist churches in the 20th century. The land, which is presently part of southern Nigeria, remained under British control until 1960. Google Arts and Culture reports Queen Iden was, and is, considered a hero for the sacrifice she made for the betterment of Benin city. It is unclear how common human sacrifice was in Benin City, and as reported by Vanguard, current Obas have denied it was ever part of the culture. I wandered the city's caramel-coloured, sandy streets, noting sumptuous architectural landmarks such as the Portuguese Fort built in 1721 to administer slave transportations, and Afro-Brazilian mansions of emancipated slaves returning from the Americas. In 2016, the population of Benin City was estimated to be 1,500,000. Benin's constitution provides for freedom of religion which is also respected by the government. Corrections? Our picturee shows Brian Jnr praying at the grave of his late father. The Voodoo spiritual world consists of Mahou, the supreme being and about 100 divinities - or Voodoos - who represent different phenomena, such as war and blacksmiths (Gou), illness, healing and earth (Sakpata), storms, lightning and justice (Heviosso) or water (Mami Wata). Amid pandemonium, the lady serving my meal screamed, ducked under my table and grabbed my legs. Lit by pretty candlelight, the market by night is usually more palatable. Fa divination is intrinsically connected to the environment, using materials such as kola and palm nuts, palm oil, leaves, and flour, plus animal sacrifice. The number of those who practiced yoga jumped from 9.5% to 14.3% . In human cultures in general, and perhaps particularly in Africa, the landscape is the first shrine of tradition. Voodoo priests ask these gods to intervene on behalf of ordinary people but local adherents stress that they have nothing to do with sorcery or black magic. He completed the prescribed sacrifices following a January consultation and sent video evidence of them over WhatsApp to his absent client. As reported by BBC, their newly formed kingdom, Igodomigodo, was ruled by kings who were called Ogisos, or "rulers of the sky.". It communicated to visiting ambassadors, traders, courtiers, and subjects the power and wealth of the Oba (the king). The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. As reported by National Geographic, Benin was also known for its unique architecture, bronze sculptures, and practical infrastructure. - Deepening connections with other people, - Seeking greater meaning and purpose in life, - Desiring to make the world a better place, - Asking deep questions about topics such as suffering and what happens after death, - Experiencing compassion and empathy for others, - Experiencing feelings of interconnectedness, - Seeking happiness beyond material possessions or other external rewards, - Less stress, even during difficult times, - Greater capacity to handle stress and stressful situations. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, drawing on spiritual energies or forces through spiritual healing in Benin can be extremely beneficial. The messages that mediums claimed to receive were examined in order to build theoretical constructs for explaining how spirit contact could occur. Unlike many western religious beliefs, Yoruba spirituality emphasizes living a good life; reincarnation is part of the process and is something to be looked forward to. According to the most recent 2020 estimate, the population of Benin is 52.2% Christian, 24.6% Muslim, 17.9 Animist and 5.3% follows other faiths or has no religion. Society of African Missions - Designed and Developed by, A miraculous spiritual adventure to Benin City. Ewuare was succeeded by a line of strong obas, chief of whom were Ozolua the Conqueror (c. 1481c. Benin is a religiously diverse country consisting of Atheism and Agnosticism which accounts for 7% of the population, West African folk religions and traditional beliefs aside from Vodun which accounts for 6% of Benin's population and Eckankar, Baha'i faith and other beliefs accounting for 3% of the countrys population. 1504; the son of Ewuare) and Esigie (early to mid-16th century; the son of Ozolua), who enjoyed good relations with the Portuguese and sent ambassadors to their king. Here, members of the Bah' community are working together with their . Later my hotel proprietor explained it to be Gounko, a Nigerian-Yoruba Voodoo figure that chased away evil spirits. In Cotonou, Benin's largest city, the tourist office told me to return in January, because I'd only see Voodoo at an annual festival in Ouidah offering choreographed ceremonies for Benin's trickle of largely French tourists. The oba became the supreme political, judicial, economic, and spiritual leader of his people, and he and his ancestors eventually became the object of state cults that utilized human sacrifice in their religious observances. The weaker obas sequestered themselves in their palaces and took refuge in the rituals of divine kingship while indiscriminately granting aristocratic titles to an expanding class of nonproductive nobles. 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Larger gatherings were held for public demonstrations of spirit contact and psychic phenomena. 6 talking about this. Still, it was an enjoyable, melodious, almost gospel affair. During the treatment session, the client is always made to feel safe and comfortable with some spiritual healers preferring to have their clients lie on a massage table, while others may ask if they can remain sitting up. Christianity first entered Benin around the year 1680 and gained momentum during the 19th century. Spiritual healing aims to give a person total healing. Suddenly an ageing lady, head lolling on her neck, pulled down her top and started beating her breasts. However, it gained independence in 1960 and became the capital of Edo state in 1963. The human body is composed of mind, spirit and emotions. Apostle Samuel E. Agbonifo 1970 -1992 . Yovo, yovo, bonjour. Diviner Aboubacar Otunba Taiwo gives an Ifa consultation in Porto Novo, Benin. Spiritualists sought to make contact with the dead, commonly through the assistance of a medium, which is a person believed to have the ability to contact spirits directly. The belief that the dead communicate with the living, as through a medium. Many divination practices are connected to religious traditions, but they are also used to glean insight into all aspects of daily life. His son Esigie controlled Benin City, while another son, Arhuaran, was based in the equally important city of Udo about twenty miles away. Those for whom materialistic ways of thinking have precluded belief in a life after death have been given a new hope of immortality. The residents also participated in Benin City's prosperous trade market. Stay tuned for more research and stories from the program. Each of these corresponds with a du sign, which has a specific name and directs the diviner to a verse from the Odu Ifa, a body of divinatory literature that is typically passed down orally. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It was designed to be worn suspended on the chest or hips during important ceremonies by the two large side hoops framing the face. The city also manufactures furniture and produces beer and soft drinks. My reading was not particularly flattering. "If your wish comes true," reminded Pascal, the Voodoo attendant, "you must return to sacrifice two chickens to Dankoli.". I lost all my hopes getting rid of this . First National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria, 1970. Diviner Aboubacar Taiwo of Porto Novo, Benin, works for many long-distance clients. No solid information emerged. Beneath an archway on the shoreline, designed to symbolise 'The Gates of No Return', I watched the pummelling Atlantic surf churn grey with sediment and contemplated the terrified thoughts of captured Africans being paddled out to waiting slave galleons bobbing on the horizon. During the expedition, Benin was decimated and burned to the ground. Blood and divinity are linked concepts in Vodun, and the process of animal sacrifice is seen as a way to nourish both vodun and ancestral spirits, and as a way to share ase through the human consumption of the animal. Just like most nominal Muslims, some nominal Christians also practice traditional local religious beliefs. Incredibly, he met one man who felt sure that in those days Europeans were buried in a cemetery close to the former Police Station. Vodun religious beliefs are entirely different from other African traditional beliefs since it is syncretized with Christian beliefs to some extent together with indigenous American traditions and the traditional beliefs of the Kongo people. i am a herbal Doctor and also a spell caster i cure people of their incurable disease and also i hel Dr Susan Oduwa voodoo and herbal temple | Bnin As reported by The Guardian, Benin city was virtually free from crime, and its residents never went hungry. In Benin, Christianity is the most practiced religion with more than half of the entire Christian group belonging to Roman Catholicism. Remi, a local guide, showed me the marketplace where slavers bartered 15 male Africans for one cannon. Amid the British Punitive Expedition, Commander R. H. Bacon disputed reports that Benin was a productive, modern, and civilized city. I lost all my hopes getting rid of this evil spirit after trying many years get rid of him but you made the impossible thing into possible and that is out of our life. The term has been applied to traditional African religions.. Benin City's family homes were also built using fractal design. In a cupboard-sized room, crammed with potions, the medium Casmin Fabiyi fingered his Fa beads (threads of eight wooden disks) like a rosary. Vodun is a traditional religion that connects not only West Africans in Togo, Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana, but is spread throughout the diaspora. As reported by Black Past, Benin City still has an Oba, who fulfills a traditional cultural role and participates in local and federal governmental proceedings. Late in the 13th century, royal power began to assert itself under the oba Ewedo and was firmly established under the most famous oba, Ewuare the Great (reigned c. 144080), who was described as a great warrior and magician. "The priests pray for bad spirits to fly away," said a neighbouring man, before a shriek rippled the now feverish crowd. As he paraded through a crowd, some people collapsed, shaking like fever-pitched evangelists on American TV. After beseeching the god to grant my wish, I sealed our deal by anointing the shrine with blood-red palm oil and spitting out three mouthfuls of fiery homemade gin. While we spoke, local television showed a wild-eyed man carrying a slaughtered goat's head in his mouth by its severed neck ligaments. Its brass smiths and bronze casters excelled at making naturalistic heads, bas-reliefs, and other sculptures. Fa divination and its variants have adapted to the needs of the diverse communities in which they are found. Megan Grabill is a research intern at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and an anthropology and comparative studies major at Oberlin College. Benin, one of the principal historic kingdoms of the western African forest region (fl. 2023 BBC. Support the Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, sustainability projects, educational outreach, and more. largely similar to how they were in the material world, although without any physical Benin: A Country Armed With Powerful Spirituality Fundraiser TRACKS - Travel Documentaries 564K subscribers 979K views 11 months ago In human cultures in general, and perhaps particularly in. In an 8-point paper presentation of the Benin Dialogue Group and Oba Ewuare II Foundation by Ambassador Martins Uhomoibhi, a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the . He explained that diviners can save lives by solving both spiritual and physical problems. The population of Benin is approximately 10.8 million people with their official dialect being French. Contemporary Fa divination usually involves a divining chain, called an akplekan or an opele, after the seeds out of which it is made. The kingdoms prosperity declined with the suppression of the slave trade, and, as its territorial extent shrank, Benins leaders increasingly relied on supernatural rituals and large-scale human sacrifices to protect the state from further territorial encroachment. Tel: 0044 2079 939 017. IGHODARO AYELALA SPIRITUAL TEMPLE was incorporated in BENIN-CITY, Nigeria with Registration Number 89089. Then Casmin rang a bell. Feeling positive now. A pioneer Missionary to the North America born on the 16th June 1947 at Iguogie, in Benin City. The chain consists of eight linked seed halves and is shaped like a U. The diviner, called bokonon in Fongbe and babalawo in Yoruba, throws the chains to the ground, where they turn up in one of the 256 possible formations. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Indian officials wife distraught as his killer is freed, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Copyright 2023 - Yasseen Spiritualist - All rights reserved. In Vodun, a religion originating in coastal West Africa, Fa (also known as Ifa) divination is a key component of religious practice. It remains an important source of palm kernels, palm oil, and lumber. However, they also took great pride in their city. The walls around the perimeter of the kingdom were also surrounded by deep moats, which provided Benin with another degree of protection, The Guardian reports Benin's walls were "four times longer than the Great Wall of China, and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops," and reportedly took the Edo people an "estimated 150 million hours" to complete. Brian, Sr. was born in 1917 into a family of 9 boys and 5 girls. Yet what really captivated me were the tales of Voodoo, a practice that is still followed by over 60% of Beninese today and considered the state religion. However its rich, and somewhat unusual, past, remains an intriguing part of its legacy. Women painting voodoo symbols in a Benin village (Shutterstock).

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