The popularity of consciousness has given rise to the audacity of many folks who seek to bypass the traditions that were put in place before colonialism and patriarchy poisoned its way around the world. With all due respect for the dismantling of your infrastructures, this ain’t that. Indigenous traditions are on the rise in America very simply because of the first amendment. These practices aren’t even as openly practiced in Africa. Most of them are devout chrisitians. I personally speak from a place of integration and not aversion when I refer to christianity. However, it is imperative that we become aware of how and why the oppressor used religion to successfully undermine black and brown folks. It's still going on, to this day with “missionary” work. Yet no one bats an eyelash because we’ve been conditioned to believe and accept that it is ok. Leave indigenous people alone. The capitalism that you can offer them pales in comparison to the genuine happiness they feel just from growing with each other.
We as shamans know this because we get clients that have reached the educational pinnacles of society, obtained the American dream that immigrants daunt over, and still miserably lack purpose. They come to sit with us and our medicines, because perhaps we are able to reach that part of them that they’ve been taught to suppress in exchange for compliance and assimilation into American culture. Perhaps we can reach what lay dormant and hidden because they lack the tools to actually be a functioning and empathetic human being. What has your society done to you, American people? What has your culture brought you?
It has offered us such a freedom that those with enough cunning are able to continue the, sometimes religious, regime designed to bombard the subconscious minds of the entire world. Dare you even wish to “Take over the world,” it has already been done. Reclamation is now at hand, by way of mother earth. In January of 2012 mother earth began to awaken. From then until March of 2020 she was experiencing what scientists call the hypnagogic stage of sleep. You know that foggy, in between, state of consciousness you feel when you’re waking up or falling asleep? Well hers took 9 years. She fully awakened last year and we are now completely at her helms.
“I pray she has mercy on those that have already and are ready to change.”
The reclamation at hand will come through the victories of indigenous peoples. They must reclaim their history, teachings and practices with as much audacity of which they have stripped. During this transitional period, folks have weaponized their own victimization in order to acquire their desires and appropriate traditions without due respect to the people who have managed to keep them alive in spite of colonialism. I have heard stories from elders who shared how they had to hide, and work only at night, because the indigenous works that predate the government systems in place, were illegal at the time. Imagine what it would feel like for someone to arrive in your personal and sacred space, then kill, rape and steal your resources. After which, they take over as an authority in your life and wonder why you are not happy about it. “This is America. This is colonialism.”
Among the trends that have risen in the past half decade, spiritual bypassing reined most astutely. In a land where native black and brown folks have been decimated to the point where their numbers dwindle, they’ve been offered colonial indulgences such as alcohols, drugs and gambling habits to weaken their indigenous practices on their own land. For it is these practices themselves that have always had the power to over turn the injustices of mother earth. It’s easy of us to believe that everything is all butterflies and fairies on these native reserves, because of the subconscious suggestion that things are being “reserved.” However they, like the rest of humanity have been fighting an internal war of integrity. Yet they are still the gatekeepers of their practices and traditions. They must be honored, flaws and all. The wounds of authority created by colonialism have no place in indigenous practices that are done honorably. I would even gander to say that most, if not all of the problems of indigenous folks have come from the infiltration of colonialism in one way shape or form-- be it mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually. This does not in any way justify the appropriation of indigenous traditions by any person.
People who claim the title shaman without going through a proper rights of passage through indigenous teachers are just as bad as these Babalawos on social media claiming they have a message for you from your ancestors. These practices are upheld by traditions that are put in place to protect the honor and integrity of its practitioners. If you would not call yourself a Babalawo, without receiving Isefa and Priesthood in Africa, then you should not call yourself a shaman, because you are not a shaman. It’s similar to the Orishas coming to visit you without you being initiated. You still would need to find a teacher to honorably advance in the practice and most importantly, you shouldn’t be claiming any titles to validate your sense of insecurity because you know you’re wrong. The same thing goes with the title priest and priestess. If you can not notate a practice that your priesthood is rooted in then you are not a priest or priestess. If a title is so important to you, why not try empress or emperor. We are all divine sovereign royals over the kingdoms of our personal temples.
There’s a trend of people who want the attention, authority and notoriety of these indigenous titles without doing what honorably needs to be done to be blessed with them— no matter what color you are. If you’ve not sat at the feet of any elders in your indigenous practice, then it’s a dub. Mother earth has bared witness to every decision you’ve made. There is no great pity party you can throw to convince humanity to give you what you want. These titles could never equate to the trophies of participation that coddled the egos of a generation. All things done in the dark are brought to the light in some way shape or form. Folks that are willing to do this are used to hiding things they’ve done from the general public because they can simply convince others to accept what they want them to believe. This behavior is actually rooted in colonialism. Decolonize. Simply because this doesn’t work anymore. Mother earth is awake. Consciousness is in a heightened state. People inherently know the truth. The veil is nearly non-existent.
Spiritual bypassing on a quantum level is being dismantled. Those who are used to doing harm in the dark and playing hero in the light are being exposed for who they truly are. One of the simplest paths of shadow work is doing the right thing when no one else is looking, when it's just you and the source of all creation. This by definition is integrity. Like the fertile darkness of the new moon, these choices made within yourself will shape your reality. The universe knows what you chose. Don’t fret when you get exposed. Mother earth protects her children of light.