Some humans involved in the ritual even gender bend in terms of their clothing, if they want to summon an Orisha of the opposite gender. Men and women can both take place in these rituals. The Orishas rise up from the Earth and mount the bodies and souls of those involved in the ritual. This is done through an elaborate dance ritual where certain orishas are evoked through a particular dance and drum beat. Orishas are also capable of possessing the bodies of their followers or priests. Each Orisha has their own color, drum beat and even an article of clothing that is associated with them. Of the real number no one can be certain. Some say that there are 400 and others say that there are more than 3,000. Orishas also live on the Earth, rather than the sky. They marry, divorce and even have their own favorite beers and foods. They actually have very human characteristics, a variety of quirks and different attitudes. While some are similar to the Western concept of an Angel, there are also some key differences. And then there are spirits who take the form of natural resources such as rivers and trees. Some who have always been present and others are humans who made the leap to divinity. These messengers are spirits called “Orishas.” In Yoruba you must believe and interact with the Orishas to reach God Consciousness. Yet it has holy messengers who help to intercede between the Almighty and Mankind itself. It lives in a heavenly realm, far from its creation. Oludumare is not a “he” or a “she.” The only appropriate pronoun here is “it” because Oludumare is a genderless being who is responsible for all creation. The spirituality of Yoruba focuses deeply on self exploration, learning one’s destiny (or fate), interacting with the spirits of nature as well as one’s ancestors, and getting yourself right with the almighty creator Oludumare. There is a great article on this very phenomenon on NPR. Today, many people of African descent are returning to their roots via exploration with the Yoruba spirituality. Yet the most recent migration is because of the Atlantic Slave Trade that brought the peoples of Yoruba to Trinidad, Tobago, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Venezuela, North America and elsewhere. Some of this was due to migration that occurred before the Egyptian dynasties. Yet the beliefs of Yoruba are also incredibly widespread around the world. Yoruba is a West African spirituality that some Anthropologists estimate is 10,000 years old! It comprises the beliefs of the Yoruba people, whose homeland is in the South Western part of Nigeria and adjoining parts of Benin and Togo. A Divine Journey to the Inner Self and God Consciousness.
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