Giving In: The Spirit of Obedience

There's a saying, "A hard head makes a soft ass" and if that's the case my ass is pillow soft over here. I may be one of the most stubborn, bullheaded person that I know. But at some point I eventually give in, which is why this post is even happening in the first place. I am being obedient and doing what is being asked of me by my spiritual court. I was going to do a twitter testimony about being obedient and how far it has gotten me in a very short amount of time. But, my spirits told me that I needed to take this off of social media and put it in my own space. So I am doing as I am told.

So...lets talk about obience for a minute. The first question I want you to ponder is why do you spend your time, money, and energy going to get divination after divination, reading after reading, if you are not going to listen and follow the advice and messages that are given? Why seek guidance that you aren't going to follow? Why build a relationship with your ancestors and spirit guides if you aren't going to listen? Why get initiated if you aren't going to do the work? Why go through all of the ceremonies, divinations, head markings, etc. to find out who your head orisa is, what your ita (guiding Odu) is, who your Nsila is, or do any of the work to figure out what your destiny or reason for being on this earth is if you aren't going to do what is required to fulfill it? WHY?!?!?

People love to talk about Karma and I believe that very few understand the principle of Karma from a true Buddhist/Hindu perspective. According to the definition on Google, Karma is the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. The reason that I am bringing up Karma is because I want you, the reader, to understand that being disobedient build a karmic debt that must be paid. You learning what you're meant to be doing on this earth and not doing it...debt. You not following the advice of your ancestors and spirit guides...debt. You not doing your ebos, following your taboos, or doing what you were told to do in a divination...debt. Sometimes this debt it collected quickly and sometimes it takes lifetimes. Sometimes you pay your own debt and sometimes your bloodline pays it. The entire premise of Karma is to maintain and restore balance in the universe, so there's no distinct way that Karma collects the debt that is owed.

Even if we take Karma out of the equation and we stick to a strictly African perspective. Not being obedient creates Osogbo or Ibi for a person. Osogbo or Ibi is the principal of negativity in African spirituality. It is the work of the Ajogun (negative forces) in one's life. This can be wahala (confusion), iku (death), orun (sickness), contention, accidents, etc. By not being obedient and following the prescription of a reading or by not following your destiny you are creating your own road blocks, you are getting in your own way, you are the sole creator of the negativity that is brewing in your life. And because you're the creator, you're the only one who can make it go away. But understand that when it comes to ATRs and doing ebos..the more of them that you put off, the more expensive the ebo gets. Esu will NOT forget that you owe him that rooster, and at the next reading he may ask for two roosters or he may ask for a goat. So now something that was $25-50 (roosters are expensive now) has become $100-300. And for every Orisa that you do not give them what they are owed...it will multiply. Oh, and understand that by not doing your ebos and following your taboos you're basically telling the Orisa that you don't need or want their help. They will step aside and let you fall on your ass if they're being nice or they will make your life a living hell until you get your shit together.

I want to end this post by talking about what obedience looks like for me especially as we're coming up on a new year. I do my divinations. I do my ebos. I speak on things when I am told to do so. But, there's so much more that is being required of me from Ifa, my Orisa, my Ancestors, and my Spirit Team in general. I have been being disobedient when it comes to walking in my destiny as the leader that apparently I chose to be when I came to earth. I have often said that I do NOT want to be anyone's godmother. I don't want an Ile, I don't feel like I know enough. I don't feel like I am ready. And let me tell you, every single one of my elders, mentors, readings, divinations, etc. has told me that in 2022 I have NO CHOICE in the matter. At this point Osun and Obatala have stepped in and let me tell you those are two Orisa I want no smoke with. I have been rocking with Ifa and Egbe since my initiations along with having Esu as my bestie and they have been letting me get away with murder. Osun and Obatala have stepped in like the strict parents that they are and they are like no more baby girl! I don't want to say that I'm being forced into obedience, but I'm being forced into obedience.

I have been given my instructions via my Dillogun and my Ifa reading of 2022. I have done my ebos so that my paths are clear and I have the support of my supporting cast of Orisa for this upcoming year. And now I'm going to do the work. A part of that is holding myself acccountable, which is a major part of this blog post. If I put it out there for the public then I gotta do it. Expect more posts from me. Expect classes from me. I'm going to be teaming up with one of my close friends and mentor, Big Liz Conjure, to offer some of my classes and others I may host on my own site. Expect me to be more open to accepting mentees and godchildren. Know that these things aren't happening overnight because I still have some things that I'm working on for my personal development. But know that I've been given a very short time frame to get it done, and by short time frame they gave me the 1st quarter of 2022 and that's it.

A lot of what I have had to deal with by being disobedient was being isolated. In 2021 I was stripped of every single elder that I had (and for good reason), I have been stripped of close friends, progress that I have been trying to make in my personal life have been held up. All of these things happened for two reasons...to prepare me for 2022, and to show me that unless I do what I am called to do then my life is going to be a very lonely one full of stumbling blocks and chaos. In just changing my mindset and giving in to being obedient things have turned around for me quickly. I've been given instructions on how to access the elders that I need. Doors have opened to complete the trainings that I need to do the work that I'm being called to do. I'm being given the confidence that I need to lead.

I can speak on my mistakes and my L's confidently because I want others to learn from them. I'm big on "I did it so you don't have to". The reason that I made this post is as a warning to those who are being stubborn and hardheaded like I was being. Its time to fall in line before you get dragged into it.