Ifa Orisa Spirituality is an ancestral wisdom tradition steeped in nature and West African history . Isese (Ee Shay Shay) refers to tradition in Ifa spirituality and refers to the wisdom passed down from our ancestors and spiritual progenitors. Descendants from the African Diaspora displaced during the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade are seeking to return back to our indigenous nature based roots for empowerment and spiritual transformation. The Isese Workbook offers a wealth of information, personal rituals, and exercises that can be done right now to begin to tap this expansive spiritual system whether or not a mentor has been found. It will also offer new practicial tools for those who are already devotees of the tradition to deepen their understanding. The workbook is specifically designed for inner work including exercises and rites drawn from traditional practices in Africa but also embraces the evolution of that understanding to be useful and relevant for the 21st Century African Diaspora population. In the Isese Spirituality Workbook, you will learn: * About your unique spiritual anatomy and physiology based on Isese and Ifa * The power of your Ori and its influence in shaping your destiny. * The Pillars of Isese foundations in Ori, Egun, and Egbe. * The role in Iwa or Character in spiritual evolution and healing. * About Asaro meditation and how to use it to cultivate inner peace and healing. * How to cultivate a relationship with your ancestors & healing generational trauma. * About Egbe, your spiritual support system ,soul family & multidimensional worlds * The role of divination in securing answers and how to use a simple method to gain immediate direction and guidance. * Sacred verses in the Ancient Ifa literary corpus to give us timeless guidance. * Sacred technology using Ewe and easy to find items. * Frequently Asked Questions of Beginners * How to begin the practice of Isese, Ifa Orisa Spirituality in the West and more.

Iyanifa means Mother of Wisdom or Mother of Ifa. It is the position of the High Priestess in the Ifa Orisha tradition . The Ifa Orisha tradition of Africa is thousands of years old and was so strong, it was able to survive the slave trade to go on in the new world. What didn't survive the slave trade ,but remained in Africa was the position of Iyanifa. In a world where women have lost much of their ancient mysteries to patriarchy and slavery, a tradition is presented here that went underground but did not die. Iyanifas, Iyami, and Queen mothers of Africa resurface now to continue a legacy for new generations across the globe. This book is a collection of stories, essays, and explorations of the position of Iyanifa and its resurgence in the Diaspora. Gleaned from the perspective of the elder mothers who broke the glass ceiling to reclaim the tradition , they share their divine wisdom teachings, candid personal experiences, joys, and growing pains drawn from their lives as Iyanifas and women in the tradition. This volume of work features authors such as Luisah Teish, Iyanla Vanzant, Aina Olomo and many other powerful healers, diviners, and counselors. It is offered as a gift to women in the tradition and to those interested in Woman’s and African Studies to explore the path of Iyanifa and to be a resource for years to come.

While endeavoring to tell this story, I needed clarification on which approach to take. I could present this work in an entirely academic format. However, I am reminded of what my comparative religions professor would say at the beginning of his lectures...” Intellectuals are boring. We will attempt to tell the story from the griot format. You may have wondered why I am writing this book. This is the third book in my series from the Yoruba-American Theological Arch ministry. Inspired by the library in the Oyotunji Village in South Carolina, these books are intended to educate our children, students, clients, and followers of our beliefs, customs, and traditions. The first book in the series, “Ile Ifa International,” was presented as a format for beginning worship and establishing your spiritual home, or “Ile,” as we call it. The second book, “The Voodoo Kings,” was presented to emphasize the elders in the Diaspora and their work. Art...art, love of culture and tradition, and respect for elders and teachers are essential to practicing the tradition. Due to the demonization of the tradition in Hollywood and other media sources, the beauty and refinement of art and the genius of the literature have been reduced to the default term “Voodoo” to represent the many manifestations of the tradition throughout the diaspora. We love the practice in all its images and attempt to educate beyond the simplifications. It is their birthright for Yoruba Americans, and you should know which tradition resonates with your soul or spirit. In this latest book. “Bablawo” looks at the Yoruba Americans' future and their vision for the future in the Diaspora.

The African diaspora is arguably the most important event in modern African history. From the fifteenth century to the present, millions of Africans have been dispersed -- many of them forcibly, others driven by economic need or political persecution--to other continents, creating large communities with African origins living outside their native lands. The majority of these communities are in North America. This historic displacement has meant that Africans are irrevocably connected to economic and political developments in the West and globally. Among the known legacies of the diaspora are slavery, colonialism, racism, poverty, and underdevelopment, yet the ways in which these same factors worked to spur the scattering of Africans are not fully understood -- by those who were part of this migration or by scholars, historians, and policymakers. In this definitive study of the diaspora in North America, Toyin Falola offers a causal history of the western dispersion of Africans and its effects on the modern world. Reengaging old and familiar debates and framing new ones that enrich the discourse surrounding Africa, Falola isolates the thread, running nearly six centuries, that connects the history of slavery, the transatlantic slave trade, and current migrations. A boon to scholars and policymakers and accessible to the general reader, the book explores diverse narratives of migration and shows that the cultures that migrated from Africa to the Americas have the capacity to unite and create a new pan-Africanist movement within the globalized world. Toyin Falola is the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities and University Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the 2011 recipient of the Distinguished Africanist Award from the African Studies Association and serves as the vice president of the International Scientific Committee of the UNESCO Slave Route Project. His previous books published by the University of Rochester Press include The Power of African Cultures and Nationalism and African Intellectuals.

Ife` Kenyatta is the first in her bloodline in over 400 years to carry on the traditions of her ancestors, unaware of a destiny to be fulfilled and a cosmological prophecy she is plagued by savage dreams that literally draw blood; driving her to West Africa to seek answers. While traveling the interior of Nigeria at a secluded check point she is stopped and harassed. Escaping from the soldiers she is pursued by them for the mysterious death of one of their comrades. Fleeing from them she encounters a land bewitched with terrifying mirage-like barriers that protect the village where she must go; a village shrouded in mystery populated with spiritually advanced Seers and Shaman. There her only hope is to survive a deadly rites of passage that will empower her with the ability to command the elements, invoke the spirits of the dead and reside in two worlds; that of the living, and that of the dead. There she learns of the war in heaven before the creation of the human race so that she may prepare for an inevitable confrontation. Meanwhile the H20 Command Advanced Technologies vessel captained by Captain Fatima Jatari commissioned specifically for the investigation of unexplainable anomalies, accidents and incidents off the coast of Nigeria she and her crew stumble across the wreckage of what they perceive as a horrible shipping accident, until further investigation reveals the unspeakable; the unbelievable, a horror unimaginable. A thousand miles out in the Atlantic in the middle passage deep beneath the ocean's surface a four hundred year old abomination raises every full moon tormenting Nigeria's coast driving its citizens to the edge of madness. Somehow these two women must join forces to eliminate a common enemy and fulfill an ancient prophecy.

In order to know where you're going, you must know where you've been. In her debut book, podcaster, priestess, and all-around badass witch Juju Bae teaches you how to connect with your ancestors, as well as how to create a spiritual practice that respectfully incorporates their wisdom while remaining uniquely yours. It’s also the story of the necessity and vitality of Black spirituality, from the Yoruba pantheon of Ifa to the freedom-fighting origins of Black American Hoodoo. You will learn: History: An overview of Africana Spirituality in the United States and beyond, including information on ATRs (African Traditional Religions) like Ifa and ADRs (African Diasporan/Derived Religions) such as Hoodoo. Altar-building: How to create and incorporate a place to venerate and commune with your ancestors, including a guide to offerings and prayers. Ritual: Practices you can use to cleanse yourself and your space and attract prosperity and protection, while safely opening the channels of communication with your ancestral spirits. Dos and Don’ts: Tips from a spiritual practitioner on how to speak to spirits, craft the right questions for personal divination, and recognize and interpret Spirit’s advice and wisdom. By reading this book, you are taking steps to uncover your spiritual self and gain the tools to access the wisdom of your past, to better navigate your present and future.

The Seventh Priest - Offering Day is Dennis' first work of historical fiction and is the first of a two-book series. The second book, The Seventh Priest - Preacherman's Harvest is expected to be released in late 2012. Both books are based in religion-torn and violent Sudan, where Dennis traveled extensively in both the Muslim north and Christian south. Dennis is also nearing completion of a historical fiction based in post-Apartheid South Africa. Two Moons over Madness mirrors his preferred writing style of which he focuses on the ins and outs of American diplomacy, the inner working of our U.S. Embassies, and its weaknesses and strengths in protecting our national security

For centuries, Santeria has been part of life in the Americas. From the island nation of Cuba, where it first emerged, it has been disseminated throughout Latin America and has a significant presence in the United States of America. It has adherents in nations across the Atlantic – even in those nations that were once driving forces in the colonialist project of subduing the Americas. What you'll learn in this book will challenge the popular depiction of Santeria that so many of us are accustomed to. You'll discover that Santeria is a communally-based, no hierarchical, grassroots religion and that one of its most pressing aims is to make its followers better people. Because of Santeria's origins in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, it has been maligned as brutal, evil, savage, and unholy. But in this book, you'll read the truth about this New World religion. You'll come to understand Santeria as not only a story of cultural and spiritual survival but as a challenge to colonialism and its demands.

This volume seeks to examine the skills development agenda for youth by exploring two key questions for sustainable livelihoods: What are the skills needed for employability in developing countries, especially in Africa and Asia? And, what skills are currently possessed by students and secondary school leavers? An introductory chapter will set the stage for the discussion and analysis to follow by reviewing in broad terms the current research on relevant topics such as global youth unemployment, the relationship between skills and economic growth, and the expansion of secondary education. The following chapters synthesize a series of background studies focused on Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia, including both a general overview and an in-depth look at several countries. The chapters introduce innovative models for skills delivery, and highlight some of the key elements of successful skills models, including multi-stakeholder partnerships, updated pedagogy, and innovative financing mechanisms. Each of the five core chapters of the book covers one theme, with the support of case studies to illustrate successes, challenges, and lessons in real world examples.