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| EGUN WOLE! |
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| All content © 2006 M. Eliza Hamilton |
will periodically share what I have learned from my own practices and suggestions on how you can connect more deeply to your ancestors. This may not be as difficult or strange as it may sound. Think of the national holidays you celebrate. Think of the way your family remembers birthdays, cooks a favorite food, visits a favorite place , or retells stories that were told to you by a family member no longer living. We unconsciously (and subconsciously) remember every day. The goal of Egun Wole! is to help us all become more mindful of the rituals we create and their power to change our lives. In the Yoruba orisa tradition, ancestors are the foundation of all things. They are the link between what is seen and not seen on the earth plane. You can talk to them and ask for their help and guidance when you need it. Because they were once alive as humans, they have a good understanding of our needs, desires, and wants even from the other side. However, asking for help must first be balanced with honoring their lives. In the orisa tradition, as in many other traditions around the world, we commemorate the work, struggles, and triumphs of the people who lived before us. As black African descendants, we would not have many of the rights and opportunities that we have today had it not been for all those who had the courage to reshape history.
Make certain that you have cleaned and washed the space well (walls included) before beginning. After this is done, you can burn incense and pray/meditate. Be certain when praying/meditating that you state your intention for the space's use. The space can contain a list of names of all those you remember on your mother’s side and your father’s side (think of your store-bought calendars that list the names, birthdays, and deeds of historical figures you never knew about). It can contain special items that those particular family members liked or that remind you of them. If you can, include a picture of that person by themselves. Also consider adding a bowl of water, candles, incense, flowers, and food. These items bring beauty to your space and represent the different elements in the world. An important part of the orisa tradition is creating and maintaining balance between all elements and beings in the world. Honoring the ancestors is one way of having this balance. By honoring them consistently, we learn the importance of daily (weekly or monthly) ritual. Ritual helps us slow down and pay attention to what we are doing. When we pay attention to what we do, we begin to understand how we are connected to other people and other places. A ritual is something that is regularly done with and for a specific purpose, with a specific intent. In creating ritual we are forced to examine our own minds and thoughts and clearly articulate what we wish to accomplish. As you continue this process, you may discover things you never knew about your family. Perhaps you have a famous inventor, or the first woman who ever conducted a trolley car. Perhaps you might discover an unpublished manuscript, or a story about someone who grew beautiful flowers. There’s no telling all the wonderful, courageous stories you are going to discover about your family! To know these stories is to know your history. To know your history is to know where you are from. To know where you are from is to know where you are going. To know where you are going is to have the ability to dream outside the box that others may try to put you in. To dream outside the box is to know and believe in all that you could possibly become in the world. And to do that would honor your ancestors deeply because all of their hard work and sacrifice would have not been in vain!
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