Speculum Celestae

An Oasis of Traditional thought amidst plants, stars and beasts, a track of harmonious unity, leaving a world of alienation and dualistic bewilderment. ---- Um Oásis de pensamento Tradicional dentre plantas, estrelas e bestas, uma trilha de unidade harmoniosa, partindo de um mundo de alienação e atordoamento. Blog em fase de reestruturação




Uma tradição deve expressar algumas facetas particulares para ser corretamente referida como tradição, de outra forma ela é uma presunção, uma pseudo-tradição. Uma tradição necessita expressar uma mundovisão e também necessita uma sucessão de conhecimento que em última instância revela a conexão com espírito, mais comumente através do intercessor humano que serve como um intermediário na corrente de transmissão. Nesta última, a corrente de transmissão, é suficiente apontar à quantidade de discussões e batalhas de egos que ocorrem entre tantas crenças derivadas das Africanas no Novo Mundo para ao menos sugerir que a conexão com a fonte é na melhor das hipóteses, falha, dada a apresentação puramente profana aos mistérios atemporais. Isto também é revelado em como as pessoas, ao assumir o papel de sacerdotes, institucionalizam automaticamente disfunções de todos os tipos. Estas disfunções revelam-se nos jogos de poder, que variam das mentiras, engodos e o uso de mecanismos de controle de várias formas, onde o medo parece ser o fator principal.

Na teologia de Ifá, isto é conhecido como ‘ibi Egun’. Ibi Egun não significa que a morte (Iku) está atrás de você, como é geralmente visto pelos intérpretes modernos, mas que os ancestrais trazem má fortuna simplesmente porque sua última peça na corrente de ancestralidade demonstra padrões disfuncionais de comportamento que são característicos de sua família. Isto significa que estamos caminhando por uma trilha inútil para alcançarmos nossas metas, mas que nos mantemos nela porque nos identificamos com esta trilha em particular. O que ocorre é que os padrões inúteis são individualizados e nós continuamos com a maldição familiar – maldição no sentido de má fortuna – tornando-nos ‘proprietários da maldição’, ou Ol’Ibi simplesmente. Agora que já falamos de corrente de transmissão da luz da fonte, é talvez necessário apontar as más interpretações e más representações dos Orisa e como eles trabalham em nossas vidas. Se entendermos a natureza dos anjos em conformidade com a doutrina Tradicional, ela harmoniza com o conceito de Orisa. A doutrina tradicional concernente à natureza dos anjos de forma aplicável aos Orisas é encontrada em Mysterium Magnum de Böhme, onde lemos:

“a criação dos anjos tem um início, mas as forces de onde eles foram criados nunca conheceram um início, mas estavam presentes no nascimento do eterno início... Eles nasceram da Palavra revelada, à partir da natureza eternal, escura, ardente e luminosa, do desejo pela revelação divina, e têm sido transformados em imagens ‘criaturizadas’”, ou como o sábio e profeta René Guénon disse: “fragmentadas em criaturas isoladas”.

Isto significa que anjos representam idéias da razão divina que se tornaram reveladas. É também interessante ver que Böhme expressa claramente uma visão similar sobre a criação que encontramos em Ifá, onde as “forças” que ele fala são claramente sinônimas com o tecido da criação, ou seja, Odù. Odù são os padrões de energia da Criação que fazem com que a existência spiritual conhecida como Imole (Casas da Luz) sejam trazidas ao estado invisível, que dão nascimento às suas condições visíveis em Irunmole, e que se mostram na luz das estrelas e corpos planetários. Na Terra, estes padrões energéticos da Criação, todos os 256 deles, expressam tipos diferentes de consciência. Os diferentes tipos de consciência se expressam em diferentes personalidades, que demonstram uma relação com um Orisa em particular. Daí temos os comentários que geralmente ouvimos, que somos filhos ou filhas deste ou daquele Orisa.


Em nossa sociedade moderna que sustenta sobre classificações inúteis e idéias erradas sobre valor e quantidade, também ao Orisa é geralmente dado um horizonte partindo de uma perspective muito humana. Mesmo que agora vejamos ou aceitamos a isto, o homem tende a medir o mundo usando seu próprio ego e estado mundano como regra e compasso. Este é um erro sob a luz da doutrina tradicional, que se ancora no não-manifesto e simplesmente vê neste assunto uma contração do divino, que é tão grande que a ilusão da fragmentação é assumida como realidade dentre os humanos.

A meta da teologia de Ifá enquanto refere-se aos Orisa é encontrada na palavra Ìgòkè, a qual Baba Falokun traduz para ‘ascenção’. Ìgòkè refere-se como transgressão da consciência individual rumo à fonte. Isto é alcançado quando orí inú, ou seu self interno – e não a mascara condicionada e egoísta que você acredita que seja o seu self – forma um elo com Ìponri, o self superior. Quando isto ocorre, o elo com Orisa é feito em um nível supremo, e o OlÓrisa se torna uma manifestação do Orisa da pessoa. Em termos metafísicos, isto significa que o Ol’Orisa olha para cima e rumo à fonte e forma um elo com a expressão tangível com as divinas idéias. Ao se voltar para a fonte um renascimento da matéria, por assim dizer, também ocorre, desde que o espírito que anima a matéria partirá da fonte e não do self egoisticamente construído. O Ol’Orisa se torna uma expressão natural de um padrão da criação, uma consciência trazida pelo Orisa e expresso de formas únicas através do alinhamento da pessoa com a fonte. É como se fundir o Amor com o Amado, e é neste ponto que se pode realmente dizer que aquele é Ol’Orisa, dono do Orisa, ou que se é dono de sua própria consciência. Ase O O dabo!  






Tradition must express some particular facets to be rightly referred to as tradition, or else it is a pretender to tradition, a pseudo tradition. A tradition needs to express a traditional world view and it also needs a succession of knowledge ultimately revealing connection with spirit, most commonly through the human intercessor that serves as the intermediary in the chain of transmission. As for the latter, the chain of transmission, it would be sufficient to point to the extent of quarrels and battling egos happening between so many African derived faiths in the New World to at least suggest that the connection with source is at best faulty given the purely profane presentation given to the timeless mysteries. This is further revealed in how people in assuming the role of priests and priestesses automatically institutionalize dysfunction of various kinds. This dysfunction reveals itself in plays of power ranging from lies, deceit and the use of control mechanisms of various forms, where fear seems to be a main factor. In Ifá theology this is known as ibi Egun. Ibi Egun does not mean that death (Iku) is after you, as is an often seen modern interpretation, but that the ancestors are bringing misfortune simply by the last living ancestor displaying the dysfunctional patterns of behavior characteristic for his family. It means that we are threading a path that is useless for achieving our goals, but we hang on to this useless path because we identify ourselves with this particular way. What happens is that the useless patterns are individualized and we continue a family curse, but curse in the sense of misfortune, and become ‘owners of the curse’, Ol’Ibi simply. So much for the chain of transmission of the light from source, more critical is perhaps the misunderstandings and misrepresentations of Orisa and how they work in our lives. In the New World the Orisa is often referred to as an angel, and this is quite right, insofar as we understand the nature of the angel in conformity with Traditional doctrine. Traditional doctrine concerning the nature of angels in a way that makes it applicable on Orisa is found in Böhmes Mysterium Magnum where we read:


 “the creation of the angels has a beginning, but the forces from which they were created never knew a beginning, but were present at the birth of the eternal beginning… They are born of the revealed Word, out of the eternal, dark, fiery, and luminous nature, from desire for divine revelation, and have been turned into “creatured” images, or as the sage and prophet René Guénon said: “fragmented into isolated creatures”.


This means that angels represent ideas in the divine reason that has become revealed.  It is also interesting to see that Böhme clearly expresses a similar view upon creation as we find in Ifá, where the “forces” he speaks of is clearly synonymous with the fabric of creation, namely Odù. Odù are the energy patterns of Creation that causes the spiritual existence known as Imole (houses of Light) to be brought forth into a invisible state that gives birth to its visible condition in Irunmole, which shows itself in the light of stars and planetary bodies and on earth these energetic patterns of Creation, all 256 of them expresses different types of consciousness.  The different types of consciousness express themselves in different personalities that express a relationship with a particular Orisa. From this we have the often heard comments that we are sons and daughters of this and that Orisa.


In our modern society that thrives upon useless classification and erroneous ideas of value and quantity also Orisa is often given horizon from a too human perspective. Even if we do now see it or accept it as such, man does tend to measure the world using his own ego and mundane station as ruler and compass. This is an error in light of traditional doctrine that anchors its point in the un-manifest and simply sees in the matter a contraction of the divine that is so great that the illusion of fragmentation is assumed as a reality amongst humans.


The goal of Ifá theology insofar as it concerns with Orisa is found in the word Ìgòkè, which Baba Falokun translates into ‘ascension’. Ìgòkè refers to a transgression of individual consciousness towards source. This is accomplished when orí inú or your inner self, not the conditioned egoistic masque you believe to be self, is forming a link with Ìponri, the higher self. When this occurs the link with orisa is made on a supreme level and the OlÓrisa becomes a manifestation of one’s Orisa. In metaphysical terms, this means that the Ol’Orisa is looking upwards towards source and form a link with the tangible expression of the divine ideas. By turning towards source a rebirth of matter, so to speak, is also occurring, as the spirit animating the matter will be from source and not from ones selfish self construct. The Ol’Orisa becomes a natural expression of a pattern of creation, a consciousness brought by Orisa and expressed in unique ways through ones alignment with source. It is like the merging between the Love r and the Beloved. It is at this point one can truly say that one is Ol’Orisa, owner of Orisa, or that you own your own consciousness. Ase O O dabo!          

21/11/2009

The Oath



Oh! Be Thou Consecrated
As Thy word is given and taken
So mote it be
Be Sacred Accursed One
Be Accursed Sacred One
Watchful eyes be upon your brow and hand
As your foot steps the wheel of Fate
Oh! Be Thou Consecrated
By word and silence
May the Blessing, Curse and Cunning pass to be Thine
Amen

Consecration is the act of setting something aside, to make it sacred, The mystery of consecration is deeply related to the Greek Anathematizo, which means “to bind under a curse”, which is derived from anathema, which does not only mean “different”, but also “consecrated” and “accursed” In the Latin language the words detestor  and sacer are both giving head and tale to “consecration”. The latter refers to someone being set aside as belonging to a deity, while detestor means “to bring down a curse”. Naturally, the consecration is walking hand in hand with the oath, to give ones word as a man and woman of honour. The oath as taken in the Craft is always rewarded with the act of anathematize, the word of honor is bound under the curse of the watchful eyes of the angelos watching the moment when the oath is given and bound.

It is from this mystery we can understand that the Art defends itself and how the oath given in dishonor will always turn back upon the one set aside who will then untie to curse and walk astray into the exile of his or her choice. The act of consecration is commonly seen as a significant part of traditional craft initiation, and can be as simple and to the point as giving ones word or oath to more elaborate and lengthy procedures. The most important aspect of the initiatic oath is the silence that perforates it. It is here in the silence the breath of nous will invigorate the oath and bring it to meaning and effect. Actually, the oath and the silence are factors of the initiatic ordeal that verifies the claim to traditional pedigree. In traditional African faiths the consecrated one is physically isolated for a time, as in traditional strands of the Craft, where the consecrated is isolated to meet the sworn deities and submit to the oath.

By the involvement of detestor a reference to temptation, to forces attempting to shake your faith and word is reminded upon, for also the unruly forces are released for the sake of making your disposition firm. St, Anthony and his temptations in the desert is famous is as the 40 days and nights in the desert by Jesus Christ when he confronted his angelos detestoris and solidified his oath in silence under the curse. And it is this mystery the wayfarer encounters when his or her word is given within the stream of genuine traditional transmission of the living light, from whatever true lantern. The silence profound is hidden within the solitude and its many shades, the all-oneness, but in the loneliness it remains a creeping shadow of the accursed, the twine blade of word and commitment.

From this we have the cunning phrase that says so much more than the few words it speaks, May the Blessing, Curse and Cunning Be.



The nanchon or division of Haitian Vodou known as Congo breaches across the rites of Rada and Petro, especially is this the case of Simbi Andezo, the lwa that is seen as having one foot in the sweet waters and the other in the salty waters. Andezo is like all Simbi lwa enigmatic and mysterious, as revealed in many of his songs, which speaks of how his votary seeks to know him, but he hides from getting known.



The nanchon Congo is a complex fanmi where their complexity is well demonstrated amidst the Simbi lwa. In Congo these spirits were called basimbi and designated the spirits living around ponds, rivers and fresh waters. They were at times considered to be a class of spirit composed of highly developed ancestral spirits. The Simbi ranges from the balanced and benevolent, as we find in Simbi Andezo to forms like Simbi Macaya, the lwa that was adopted as patron for the Bizango cult formed by Makandal during the rebellion in 1757. Simbi Macaya is seen as violent and dangerous and it is said that slave masters were sacrificed to him in the time of Makandal. The Congo petro rites are said to be bakongo in origin, and some say that it is the bakongo way that informed Petro rituals as well as many secret societies and more obscure rites, such as Zandor. The patron for the Zandor rites is Ti Jean Zandor and Erzulie Zandor, but it also count in its fold, Krabinay, Marinette and Simbi Yan-Kita. The Kita lwa being a sub division within the Congo nanchon together with Boumba, Caplau, Kanga and Mandange. According to Metraux the Congo division is also parted into Congo du bord de la mer, “Seashore congos” and Congo savane, ‘wild congos”. It is the latter that forms the influence into the Zandor rites and take of ferocious and nefarious qualities where they impart superior knowledge of herbalism, malefica and wanga.


The seashore congos are said to be of fair skin and possess long black hair and be of a superior intellect and possess better manners than the wild or interior congospirits. This form suggest a connection with La Siren and Agwe and therefore with the potency of prophecy, dreams and inspiration. Interestingly it seems that this class of lwa was already known in Haiti prior to the population from Africa as the Tayino Indians knew a spirit called Zimi, said to have a copper red hue and long black hair, living around springs and fresh waters. Usually these spirits are called Ti-Simbi.


Simbi Andezo is the Simbi that, like Leghba and Danballah possesses the perspective that sees two sides at the same time. Like Leghba he opens the crossroad for entrance into the rite, but Andezo opens the crossroad between the rites themselves. He possess the power to make the sweet into vinegar and the sour into honey. He is a Simbi of inspiration and secrecy, and albeit shy and difficult to know, as all Simbis, he possess a unique Janus qualities between the Rada and Petro rites where he brings a form of equilibrium between the sides.


The Catholic imagery used to display Simbi varies from Moses to St. Charles Boremeo, but quite typical the Three Magi Kings are used to represent Simbi and thus the 6th of January becomes an important day for the celebration of this mystery.


Simbi is served with the colours white and greed, Andezo for instance is served with white, red and green. On his vévé we give a plate of white china, where a glass of kleren and a cup of coffee are presented along with candles. We give a twist of lemon in his coffee and kleren, as the sitwon tree (lemon tree) is sacred to him.
Simbi Andezo Sa ki fe yo pa vle we mwen yo poko konnen mwen.


Yo bay mwen pwen a




Se pou m mache la nwit O Simbi Andezo!          




“O God, who hast given unto Thy blessed Apostle Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and the power to bind and loose: grant that we may be delivered, through the help of this intercession, from the slavery of all our sins: Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.”




When the ashes of Lent are announced and the forty days of passion commences, the tide of Holy St. Peter is set in motion. The divine gaze is covered with violet cloth and all grace is hidden – as is the acts and actions of man. These forty days represent the days the anointed one spent in the desert, where he was tempted forsake his destined station. The forty days in the wilderness is the days of ashes and dust, a proverbial tide of gloom and adversity where man is left to face his own trials and tribulations and polish his own mirror and see how it reflects the divine on the day of resurrection. Lent start a period that culminates with Holy Friday, the day of the Lord’s death, where for one night the divine potency is taken by the host of night and held until the cock’s crow with the rising of the sun on the day of Saturn. The inverted cross, which is a symbol of humility, turns gradually from its upright position on the Wednesday of ashes and until the Holy Friday where it becomes a symbol of the need for turning the poles, the needed misrule for a night of promise and return.

Holy St. Peter with his boat on the unruly ocean of passion holds the book of wisdom and the keys to both kingdoms. He knows the mysteries of the world of animals and beasts, where the celestial is turned up-side down - and he knows the heavenly Jerusalem. Holy St. Peter is at the crossroad of the worlds and he binds and he lose, the blessing and the curse both streams from his book and key – the tool of prophecy.

Holy St. Peter meets you at the crossroad, he stands at the gates of chance in wilderness and every domain, worldly and lofty and he always presents options, never he make the choice. Herein rests the secrets of the keys and may you bind or lose your fate by the intercession of the warden at the gates of chance, with the garland or roses, so mote it be.

Holy St. Peter

Blessed Saint of the Crossroads

Oh venerated one who knows the past and the future

Who knows the Fate of men

I entreat thee and pray thee to guide me towards the fire in the wilderness

May you guide my heart at the gates of chance so I pull the lot of joy

And If I may choose the lot of scorn, may wisdom protect me from accusation

For the wheel of chance stops at the gates of blessing

As it stops at the gates of teaching

Oh, Holy St. Peter

I pray that with the help of your intercession to be free from slavery

As found in the world of matter and passion

Guide me through the wilderness

as I mark the roads of the sun with the hand of the moon

so I can grasp the golden key to the doors of glory

Holy St. Peter, pray for me!

Amen!


Obàtálá belongs to the class of spiritual forces known as funfun. The word mans simply ‘white’. The word fún, which funfun might be a development from or at least have a relationship with do bring the idea of ‘giving’ in the form of applying something as a gift. For instance, fún obinrin means to make a woman’s womb pregnant. From this we might suggest that the word funfun refers to an ability of whiteness to impregnate matter. The whiteness is of course a reference to a sattvic state, to borrow a vedic term. It is the tranquil peace of the mind that carries all possibility. Funfun is contrasted to dudu, or black by dudu representing the forces that, in the words of Awo Falokun, ‘removes the veil of mystery that surrounds the Source of Creation’. We also have a third class, the awon pupa, ‘mysteries of red’, which are spiritual forces intimately related to the blood, the heart, passions and the possibilities for germination of any sort. The use of awon pupa is always a reference to passion and fierceness. In Ifá metaphysics there are only these three colours, and these colours denotes the qualities found in creation as well as the potentialities in Ol’Orun. The spirits that gain the epitaph ‘funfun’ are spirits who partake in the source of creation, the realm of possibilities. They are the first light as spoken of in the last of the meji odus, Ofun meji, at times called Agbababa odu, the grandfather of odu. Obàtálá manifests in the first odu, Ejí Ogbe, which is the light in Ofun manifested. The word Eji Ogbe refers to the act of lifting both hands to heaven. This is both an act of reverence as it is a remembrance of how the manifested creation is possible, namely by the tow forces on the same body. In Ifá metaphysics the universe is seem as a result of inálo, the power of expansion or exhalation and isoki, the power of contraction or inhalation. This cosmic pulse is frequently referred to as Orisa ko, referring to male spirits of whiteness and Orisa bo, female spirits of darkness as a reference to the interplay between imo (light) and aimoyé (darkness as the pulse needed for manifestation.


The condition of Ofun, pure consciousness, still and un-manifested can be touched in dreams. Ifá teaches that nothing that is first imagined can become a reality. Our good fortune begins in dreams, in the invisible universe of spiritual denizens called Imule, meaning ‘House of Light’, these spirits transforms spiritual potential into physical reality, this is the origin of the substance of creation and accomplishment known as ase. Obàtálá is the one who brings this light of possibility into the world and therefore his votaries says:

Obàtálá sùn nínú àlà, Obàtálá jí nínú àlà, Obátálá tinú álà dìde, Ìbà Obàtálá is a praise of Obàtálá’s qualities which means “The Lord of the White Cloth sleeps in white, The Lord of the White Cloth wakes up in white. The Lord of the White Cloth rises in white. As such we praise The Lord of the White Cloth. These qualities are further found in the form of a practical recommendation in one of the verses of Eji Ogbe where we read:



Let us not engage the world hurriedly


Let us not grasp at the rope of wealth impatiently


That which should be treated with mature judgment


Let us not deal with in a state of uncontrolled passion


When we arrive at a cool place


Let us rest fully


Let us give continuous attention to the future


Let us give deep consideration to the consequence of things


And this because of our eventual passing


We fear death and we fear the darkness as we fear adversity and depression. The darkness holds the unspoken and mysterious and man is generally scared of the unknown. Who knows what will happen it we indulge the unknown and the darkness? In Ifá metaphysics darkness is born in the olódù given the name Òyèkúnméjì, which is an elision of O yeye iku, which means ‘Spirit of the Mother of Death’ – but what is death f it is not the end of something – a promise of a new beginning? By daring the darkness, to dare yourself to enter a new cycle is begun and if your life at this point is not what you want it to be, Òyèkúnméjì, brings a promise of change. She is the darkness following the flash of light. She is the space of contemplation and promise after the break of light. Baba Awo Falokun says that she is the invisible dimension, the aye akamara, the very Source of Creation, the womb from whence Nature ‘red in claw and tooth’ sprang forth in the words of Robert Graves and Robert Cochrane. Icons of fiery goddesses, such as Kali Ma and her ten Mahavidyas, are all born from the silence of the darkness. She is the wisdom of the pole and point that stretches out in the landscape and makes divination possible. Mankind approaches with fear, mankind prostates in fear of Her. Not because of what she is, but because of what we are. Mankind are shifting and not stable. We are mediating between the questions of the passions and the answers of reason. The okàn (heart) and orí (conscious mind) will be in a constant dialogue if we let them. We can do divine hermeneutics. In the wonderful translation of Dr. Karenga of one of this Odús many verses we can read:

Constantly shifting is a boat on water
And so are human beings.
This was the teaching of Ifá for Ona Ishokan
Who was a child of the king of Oyo
One who is brave
Should not assume the voice of the timid
And one who is timid
Should not talk like one who is brave
The king does not allow us to make war on a
Town of woman
So that we may go with them
Let us conduct ourselves with gentleness
So that we may pass peacefully,
And so that our children can stretch forth
Their hands fully

On us in burial

What the verse tells us is that we should use the silence of contemplation Òyèkúnméjì gives us to allow us to know our selves. It is a death to false ideas and ideals towards recognition of who we truly are. It even comes with an admonition of conducting ourselves with gentleness, in other words being through to our selves – which always has an effect of bestowing kindness on our surroundings – so our children can bless our memory and by taking our name in their mouth feel a healthy pride. If we act in such ways that we secure a good name in death we have acted good.
Òyèkúnméjì is also the root cause of the condition we known as depression, a condition clearly referred to by the multiple meanings given to the word ‘dudu’ meaning ‘dark’ or ‘black’ in Yorúbá. But the challenge lies in not falling in love with ones depression or dark moods but use this condition to grasp our potential. Dark moods brings us towards the edges of our being, it is a condition where we feel alive because death is so close. It is the fire of protection rising within; this fire tells us that we are mud and clay (leaving out the fire of the soul). It is the cold fire of the black holes that tell us to break through and not be like a boat on shifting waters, but realizing yourself. This is the Spirit of the Mother of Death, beware so you do not mistake Her spirit for being Death itself….