Lineage, Initiation, entitlement and appropriation: Part 1

by oshunschild Categories: Connections · My ten pence worth! · Protocol and Ceremony5 Comments

The other day, I came across a Facebook/instagram friend posing with two cards from an Orisha tarot deck, with “messages” from the Orisha. The messages quite frankly were very general, superficial  and flippant.   I was surprised and concerned since I know the person not to be involved in the Orisha way of life, and if she had been, she would not be posing in the park,  giving messages  from the Orisha on social media. I picked her up on it and pointed out nicely that Orisha do not communicate via tarot cards. The mouthpiece of Orisha is the Dilogun. We…

Overwhelmed!!!

by oshunschild Categories: Connections · My ten pence worth!2 Comments

It’s coming to the end of the year, and I will be going back to Cuba, my “Towering Rock of Safety”  for respite from the madness that is social media!!! We are entering an era where our sacred traditions are being undermined and at the same time, there seems to be an explosion of people on the internet selling services including readings with the Dilogun without being ordained as an Olorisha. Just a point of information:  Only those that have Orisha crowned  have the authority to read the Dilogun. Furthermore, it takes years of study before you are are competent….

What to expect when going for Divination

by oshunschild Categories: Connections · Protocol and CeremonyTags: · · · · Leave a comment

What should you expect when going for a Divination. Within The Lucumi tradition. There are several ways of connecting with the Divine, depending on who is the Diviner and what the purpose of the Divination is. You may go for an Ifa Divination where the trained Babalawo will interpret the word of Orunmila.   OR you may go for a divination with the Dilogun, from an experienced Olorisha who has had training and experience in divining with 16 Cowries. On this occasion, the Cowries will be the mouthpiece of Elegua who is the witness to your destiny.  It must be…

Can we not just Co- Exist?

by oshunschild Categories: Connections · My ten pence worth!Tags: · 2 Comments

These are my thoughts following a performance that my Choir did as part of “Faiths In Tune”, a Festival using song and music as a means of uniting people from different faiths. It was a truly magical day and there were some beautiful performances. Hearing the singer, Faisal Salah, representing his faith and singing songs that he had wrote inspired by his faith, resonated a lot with how I feel about mine. It is a reminder to all of us that we all have our own path to the divine or not if we don’t choose to connect.   Atrocities…

A guide to receiving what, with whom and what it means!

by oshunschild Categories: Connections · Protocol and CeremonyTags: · · · · · · 25 Comments

I have noticed that there is a general confusion regarding initiations, the reception of certain things, and what it means. So here is a general breakdown of what to expect and from whom. Just a reminder to let you know that in Lucumi, there are houses that work with Ifa and houses that do not. There is no “correct” way. There are different ways of working and each way is legitimate. ELEKES: WHAT ARE THEY: Elekes are the reception of the  sacred beaded necklaces of the four Pillars of the Regla de Ocha. Obatala, Chango, Yemaya and Oshun. Some houses…

Can following this path help with depression?

by oshunschild Categories: Connections · My ten pence worth! · ResourcesTags: · · · 5 Comments

This will probably be one of the most candid blogs I have ever written, and also will ever write. In addition, it has taken me along time to put pen to paper since it is a subject that is difficult to talk about. September has been a hard month for me over the last couple of years. In addition to the fact that it is suicide prevention month, it is the month where my son’s father ended his own life. For so many people he was the life and the soul. A generous, positive person who was extraordinarily fun to…

London’s Lost Rivers

by oshunschild Categories: ConnectionsTags: · · · · · · · · · · 2 Comments

New Video Clip! London is a City that is never far from a river. There is a lot to explore. Thanks to Elio Peña and Rebecca Radmore, husband and wife film and photography team, I learned about the River Wandle as I made some research for the London Lucumi Choir’s debut Video clip. The track we made the Video for is a cover version of the Ibeyi’s amazing Song “River”.  Whilst I wanted to make an arrangement suitable for the Choir also exploring toques dedicated to Oshun, I wanted a backdrop of a beautiful London based river and I found…

11th December 2016 Hosting Aña for Obatala

by oshunschild Categories: Connections · Protocol and Ceremony8 Comments

I was very blessed to be able to host the very first Aña to Obatala in honour of the International Peace and Healing initiative organised yearly by Oloshas United. It was held on the same day as many events all over the world, and our hope is that it will advance our quest for peace and healing, and that united we can have an impact in this world that is often so angry and damaged. I thank everyone who made an effort to come down, whether Olorishas or Aleyos, and I thank my Family and my Godchildren without whom I…

Resources, a different way of learning

by oshunschild Categories: Connections · ResourcesTags: Leave a comment

Those who live in communities that do not practise Lucumi or other branches of the Orisha tradition often find that they are drawn to researching the tradition. This may be through books or online resources. It has to be said that on the net, there is a lot of rubbish and we know that things spread quickly on the world wide web.  There  are also resources worth looking at. Of course reading and researching has little to do with practise, but if your exposure is minimal then it may be a good place to start: Here are some of my…

Honouring Your Ancestors

by oshunschild Categories: ConnectionsTags: · · 3 Comments

As I have mentioned before, the first step really in following this spiritual path and most Ancient Spiritual Paths is not to find out your Ocha, is nothing to do with the Orisha, but it has everything to do with your Ancestors. I spent a month in Cuba recently, as I attended my daughter’s Ocha Ceremony. It made me realise more and more that this path is not for everyone.  My daughter has a lineage of Orisha practitioners within her blood line, on both sides of her family, she has visited Cuba since very young  yet she was brought up…