Posts Tagged ‘goddess’

Christine R. Page, M.D., began her medical practice in London in 1978 and combined it with homeopathy in 1989. She is an international seminar leader on subtle energy and energy medicine, having created a three-level training program to enhance the power of intuition for health care professionals. She is the author of Frontiers of Health: How to Heal the Whole Person and Spiritual Alchemy.

She has been a guest on the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, where we discussed her book, 2012 and the Galactic Center, which speaks about the Galactic Alignment that began with the Harmonic Convergence in 1987 and will conclude in 2023, a thirty-six window of opportunity for humanity to participate in the creation of a new era of expanded consciousness. Christine Page explains that as the source of all creation, our galaxy is the Great Mother and its center, her heart.

Her new book is, The Healing Power of the Sacred Woman: Health, Creativity and Fertility for the Soul. According to Christine’s research, over four thousand years ago, women were seen as living representatives of the Great Mother, whose cyclical and potent energy gave birth to all existence. Today, this sacred awareness has been lost or distorted, causing a collective amnesia among women around the world. However, there is one symbol of the Great Mother’s loving presence that has remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years: the physical body. Its curves, sensuality, softness, and monthly flow are constant reminders of this deep loving connection.

Combining more than 30 years’ experience in health care with in-depth research into the history and mythology of the divine feminine, Christine R. Page, M.D., reveals that women are the foundation of the birth of new levels of consciousness, without which the evolution of humanity will become barren and dry. Yet, such birth can occur only when women have the courage to reject the beliefs and images of the feminine imposed upon them four thousand years ago and reclaim their true identity.

Through the journey into the body, Dr. Page reminds women to reconnect to the potent and creative energy of Mother Earth, which gives power to the intuitive voice of the heart and nurtures new seeds of inspiration and enlightenment through the womb.

On a personal note, I found this book to be fascinating. As a woman, I appreciated her exploration into sacred feminine sexuality and found her section on Awakening the Serpent and Dragon Power (page 151-171) enlightening and reminiscent of the techniques used in the ancient temples of the high priestesses.  Chapter Nine with the discussion of the Queen Bee and the pineal gland is also particularly inspiring.

As a mystery school teacher, of particular interest to me was her research into the Temples of the Divine Feminine along with her explanation of Mesopotamian mythologies, including the legend of Lilith, Hathor and Sophia.  She also does a fantastic job covering goddesses from all of the world’s religions.

I rate this book Five Stars out of a Five Star rating and recommend that it be a part of any metaphysicians library.

Author Kala Ambrose in New Orleans

More about Kala Ambrose… An award winning author, national columnist, inspirational speaker, and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, Kala Ambrose is on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. Her books, The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body and 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled reveal ancient wisdom teachings and how their techniques can be used in modern day living. Kala also shares her love of history, travel, and the spirit world in her books Spirits of New Orleans and Ghosthunting North Carolina. These books are designed to explore the history of cities in an entertaining manner while sharing haunted stories and offering travel tips on how to best see the cities to shop, dine, stay, and visit the haunted sites.

Kala writes for the Huffington Post, the Examiner, AOL, Yahoo and Fate Magazine and presents workshops nationally on the Mind/Body/Spirit connection including Auras and Energy Fields, Entrepreneur Intuition, Haunted History, and Wisdom Teachings at the Omega Institute, John Edward Presents Infinite Quest, the Learning Annex, LilyDale Assembly, Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. and the Daily Om. More about Kala at www.ExploreYourSpirit.com

In the wisdom teachings of the Divine Feminine, there are certain earth cycles, which open a gateway between the higher planes of existence and the earth plane. These moments of enhanced connection allow us to view the rhythm and timing of the goddess in her form as mother nature.

As the traditions of the Goddess and Divine Feminine resurge in the light again, it’s time to celebrate. The powerful life-affirming magic of Spring is around the corner. Should you wish to change something in your life, this is the moment to set that intention and ask for your dream to bloom, grow and rejuvenate.

“In every woman there is a Queen. Speak to the Queen and the Queen will answer.” - Norwegian proverb

We are experiencing one of these magical moments this week, marked as the mid-way point of the season of Winter around February 2nd. This celebration is most popularly known by the Celtic reference of Imbolc. Imbolc, a gaelic word, means in-milk, derived from the gaelic pronunciation ‘oimelc’, meaning ewe’s milk.

While Imbolc is the most well known celebration of this holiday, its origins stem from a powerful universal wisdom teaching known as – ‘As Within, So Without’.

During the barren frozen winter days of early February in western Europe, the celebration of Imbolc was a symbol of hope and represented the good things to come. When surveying the landscape (without), everything appeared bleak, and lifeless yet (within) the dairy animals, hints of Spring were returning as the animals began to lactate and milk began to flow again.

There is a Goddess assigned to this quickening and universally she symbolizes the seeds of life planted (within) the earth and within each person and how when nurtured and cared for, they blossom (without) producing the life affirming milk and awakening of life and hope.

In the Celtic celebration, the Goddess is known as Brigid, also spelled as Brighid. Brigid is revered as the Goddess of healing, writing and prosperity. As a solar goddess, she represents the fire and light that burns within each living being and how when cared for, this eternal light creates inner healing, restores vital energy and stirs life within. She is also represented in the phases of the Goddess as the maiden and the bride.

Wise women around the world work with this goddess energy, helping others to launch new projects and beginnings, to stimulate powerful healing energies within the body and perform weddings, as this is the most advantageous day of the year to be married.

Brigid is referred to as the bride, which in modern times is recognized in the form of a young woman being joined in matrimony. This is but one derivative of the wisdom teaching and rituals. The Goddess Brigid is recognized as one of the Queens of Heaven who is being transmuted during this time and reborn.

The Wise Woman of Winter, who has journeyed deep within herself during the darkest days of winter, is now ready to emerge and be reborn as the Young Maiden. This maiden carries the hope and promise of new life along with the wisdom and discernment of the wise women, giving herself the gift of intuition, healing, abundance and love. She is a bride of the light, participating in her own unification of this energy in a marriage ceremony of the heart and mind.

Would you like to connect with this energy and connect with the loving energy of the light without and stir this energy within your heart and mind?

Here are Seven Sacred Ways to Connect with the Energy of Imbolc and the Divine Feminine:

1. This year, Imbolc falls on February 3rd. On February 2nd through Feb 3rd, light candles and lamps in the home to welcome the return of the Light. Yellow, white and orange candles are the best colors to use. As you light each candle, focus your energy with the flame and ask that the light burn clear and bright, bringing clarity to the home, burning off any residual gloom or negative energy within the home.
2. White flowers symbolize the purity within and the promise of blooming to come. Place a beautiful bouquet in the heart area of your home and breathe deeply into the flowers, allowing their essence and fragrance to be experienced by all of your senses. Yellow flowers are also a good addition, symbolizing the warmth of light.
3. Reminiscent of the milk flowing, sharing dairy products is abundant, the most popular choice being milk chocolate. Hot chocolate warms the body and when stirring the chocolate, imbibe the mix with loving thoughts and warmth.
4. Place a silk ribbon or piece of fabric on a window sill, often referred to as Brighid’s Mantle. It is said that overnight, it will be blessed with the healing, intuitive and abundant energy flowing at this time. Use this fabric to wrap your deck of tarot cards, to wrap herbs in or create a special pouch to hold treasured items.
5. Leave an offering outdoors of bread for birds and other small creatures who may be having a difficult time finding sustenance in the barren landscape. While outdoors in the cold, give thanks to the beauty surrounding you. Stand with your feet firmly grounded to the earth and raise your arms in the air, bring the light from above around you and allow it to flow deep within you.
6. Gather the seeds that you will be planting in your Spring garden. Hold your hands over the seeds and ask for the energy of the Goddess within to bless the seeds and nurture them. Take a small quartz crystal and charge this crystal with the same intention. When planting these seeds in the spring, plant the quartz crystal into the earth next to the seeds.
7. Reflect on the seeds of thought you planted in the Fall within yourself and the goals you are affirming in this new year. Ask for the quickening of the seeds within you, that they may blossom and grow. Take a quartz crystal and charge this crystal with the same intention. Keep this crystal on your desk or in a spot where it will remind you of your goals and intentions.

The Goddess in her many forms, teaches by example through nature. Use this time wisely, as it creates a sacred opportunity to plant new seeds of thought in the mind and heart. In the circle of life, there are adversities (within and without), representing a time of darkness and Winter, which are always overcome through the journey.

The return to the light in the Spring, offers the opportunity to be reborn and move forward on the path, having learned from the time of adversity. Offerings of gratitude are given at this time to one’s adversaries, as they represent lessons and growth opportunities in disguise.

About Kala Ambrose: Award winning author, national columnist, inspirational speaker, and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Radio and TV Show, Kala Ambrose’s teachings are described as discerning, empowering and inspiring. Whether she’s speaking with world-renowned experts on the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, writing about empowering lifestyle choices, reporting on new discoveries in the scientific and spiritual arenas or teaching to groups around the country, fans around the world tune in daily for her inspirational musings and lively thought-provoking conversations.

A highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire, Kala teaches and writes about ancient wisdom teachings and how their techniques can be used in modern day living. Her books, The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body and 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled both cover these topics.

In addition, Kala shares her love of history, travel and the spirit world in her books Spirits of New Orleans and Ghosthunting North Carolina. Her books are designed to explore the history of cities in an entertaining manner while sharing haunted stories and offering travel tips on how to best see the cities to shop, dine, stay, and visit the haunted sites.

Kala writes for the Huffington Post, the Examiner, AOL, Yahoo and Fate Magazine and presents workshops nationally on the Mind/Body/Spirit connection including Auras and Energy Fields, Developing Business Intuition, Haunted History, and Wisdom Teachings at the Omega Institute, John Edward Presents Infinite Quest, the Learning Annex, LilyDale Assembly, and Daily Om. More about Kala at ExploreYourSpirit.com

In every woman there is a Queen. Speak to the Queen and the Queen will answer.’ - Norwegian proverb

In the wisdom teachings of the Divine Feminine, there are certain earth cycles, which open a gateway between the higher planes of existence and the earth plane. These moments of enhanced connection allow us to view the rhythm and timing of the goddess in her form as mother nature. As the traditions of the Goddess and Divine Feminine resurge in the light again, it’s time to celebrate. The powerful life-affirming magic of Spring is around the corner. Should you wish to change something in your life, this is the moment to set that intention and ask for your dream to bloom, grow and rejuvenate.

We are experiencing one of these magical moments this week, marked as the mid-way point of the season of Winter around February 2nd. This celebration is most popularly known by the Celtic reference of Imbolc. Imbolc, a gaelic word, means in-milk, derived from the gaelic pronunciation ‘oimelc’, meaning ewe’s milk.

While Imbolc is the most well known celebration of this holiday, its origins stem from a powerful universal wisdom teaching known as – ‘As Within, So Without’.

During the barren frozen winter days of early February in western Europe, the celebration of Imbolc was a symbol of hope and represented the good things to come. When surveying the landscape (without), everything appeared bleak, and lifeless yet (within) the dairy animals, hints of Spring were returning as the animals began to lactate and milk began to flow again.

There is a Goddess assigned to this quickening and universally she symbolizes the seeds of life planted (within) the earth and within each person and how when nurtured and cared for, they blossom (without) producing the life affirming milk and awakening of life and hope.

In the Celtic celebration, the Goddess is known as Brigid, also spelled as Brighid. Brigid is revered as the Goddess of healing, writing and prosperity. As a solar goddess, she represents the fire and light that burns within each living being and how when cared for, this eternal light creates inner healing, restores vital energy and stirs life within. She is also represented in the phases of the Goddess as the maiden and the bride. Wise women around the world work with this goddess energy, helping others to launch new projects and beginnings, to stimulate powerful healing energies within the body and perform weddings, as this is the most advantageous day of the year to be married.

Brigid is referred to as the bride, which in modern times is recognized in the form of a young woman being joined in matrimony. This is but one derivative of the wisdom teaching and rituals. The Goddess Brigid is recognized as one of the Queens of Heaven who is being transmuted during this time and reborn. The Wise Woman of Winter, who has journeyed deep within herself during the darkest days of winter, is now ready to emerge and be reborn as the Young Maiden. This maiden carries the hope and promise of new life along with the wisdom and discernment of the wise women, giving herself the gift of intuition, healing, abundance and love. She is a bride of the light, participating in her own unification of this energy in a marriage ceremony of the heart and mind.

Would you like to connect with this energy and connect with the loving energy of the light without and stir this energy within your heart and mind?

Here are Seven Sacred Ways to Connect with the Energy of Imbolc and the Goddess:

1. On February 1st through Feb 2nd, light candles and lamps in the home to welcome the return of the Light. Yellow, white and orange candles are the best colors to use. As you light each candle, focus your energy with the flame and ask that the light burn clear and bright, bringing clarity to the home, burning off any residual gloom or negative energy within the home.
   
2. White flowers symbolize the purity within and the promise of blooming to come. Place a beautiful bouquet in the heart area of your home and breathe deeply into the flowers, allowing their essence and fragrance to be experienced by all of your senses.
   
3. Reminiscent of the milk flowing, sharing dairy products is abundant, the most popular choice being milk chocolate. Hot chocolate warms the body and when stirring the chocolate, imbibe the mix with loving thoughts and warmth.
   
4. Place a silk ribbon or piece of fabric on a window sill, often referred to as Brighid’s Mantle. It is said overnight, it will be blessed with the healing, intuitive and abundant energy flowing at this time. Use this fabric to wrap your deck of tarot cards, to wrap herbs in or create a special pouch to hold treasured items.
   
5. Leave an offering outdoors of bread for birds and other small creatures who may be having a difficult time finding sustenance in the barren landscape. While outdoors in the cold, give thanks to the beauty surrounding you. Stand with your feet firmly grounded to the earth and raise your arms in the air, bring the light from above around you and allow it to flow deep within you.
   
6. Gather the seeds that you will be planting in your Spring garden. Hold your hands over the seeds and ask for the energy of the Goddess within to bless the seeds and nurture them. Take a small quartz crystal and charge this crystal with the same intention. When planting these seeds in the spring, plant the quartz crystal into the earth next to the seeds.
   
7. Reflect on the seeds of thought you planted in the Fall within yourself and the goals you are affirming in this new year. Ask for the quickening of the seeds within you, that they may blossom and grow. Take a quartz crystal and charge this crystal with the same intention. Keep this crystal on your desk or in a spot where it will remind you of your goals and intentions.

The Goddess in her many forms, teaches by example through nature. Use this time wisely, as it creates a sacred opportunity to plant new seeds of thought in the mind and heart. In the circle of life, there are adversities (within and without), representing a time of darkness and Winter, which are always overcome through the journey. The return to the light in the Spring, offers the opportunity to be reborn and move forward on the path, having learned from the time of adversity. Offerings of gratitude are given at this time to one’s adversaries, as they represent lessons and growth opportunities in disguise.

“Today, I see how strong the energy of the wise woman and divine feminine ran in me and I’ve connected with my past lives and understand the parts I’ve played in previous lives and how they have culminated into who I am today.” – Kala Ambrose

Are you feeling the Clarion Call of the Wise Woman? Does your heart race and your senses tingle when you see something that reminds you of the old ways, whether they be Celtic, Egyptian, Greek or others? If so, the Divine Feminine is calling your name.

The time has come for women to explore a journey of self-enlightenment, releasing the goddess energy within, rekindling lost dreams and awakening the ancient spirits and legends of the ones who came before us.

This year I’ll be offering a new course, an inter-active guide of how to connect with the ancient energy from the wisdom of the elders.

It’s time to rediscover the High Priestess living within you. Explore your goddess roots and history on a soul stirring spiritual journey and discover the magic that lives within you.

The Spirit of the Divine Feminine has a wish for you, for a wonder filled life, full of magic and power.  Come dance in the moonlight with your divine sisters and discover who you were born to be!

If you are interested, let me know, facebook me, twitter me or post a comment below here on the blog and let me know if you hear the call. When the course is ready, I’ll send you a message to join me on the path…

In love and service to the Divine,

*~Kala~*

This week on Explore Your Spirit with Kala Radio, I speak with Donna Read about her film, The Burning Times. My interview with Donna can be heard here on Explore Your Spirit.

You can watch The Burning Times documentary here as presented by the National Film Board of Canada. This documentary takes an in-depth look at the witch hunts that swept Europe just a few hundred years ago. False accusations and trials led to massive torture and burnings at the stake and ultimately to the destruction of an organic way of life. The film questions whether the widespread violence against women and the neglect of our environment today can be traced back to those times.

This documentary is part two of a series of three films on women and spirituality, which include Goddess Remembered and Full Circle.

You can also watch the documentary on You Tube. Here is Part One and you can follow in order from part one via You Tube.

More About Donna Read:
Donna Read is a producer, director and film editor. She was a member of the National Film Board of Canada’s renowned women’s studio, Studio D, for many years where she directed the Goddess trilogy and many other films before forming Belili productions. More information – http://www.belili.org/donnabio.html

This week on the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, Kala speaks with Z. Budapest, author of Summoning the Fates. During the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, Z. Budapest narrowly escaped a massacre. Was it chance that spared her life, or destiny? In Summoning the Fates, Budapest, a pioneer of the women’s spirituality movement, introduces us to the three Fates that rule our lives. Not even the gods and goddesses can escape these raw forces of nature presiding over the past, present, and future. Budapest uses fairy tales, historical lore, and personal anecdotes to describe the three sacred sisters who are especially active during our thirty-year life cycles: Urdh (youth), Verdandi (adulthood), and Skuld (the crone years). Want a taste of the cosmic soup bubbling in Fate’s cauldron? Budapest also offers heartfelt advice, exercises, and rituals to help you connect with the Fates and embrace your own unique destiny.

More About Z Budapest:
Zsuzsanna Emese Budapest was born in Budapest, Hungary, during a big winter storm on January 30, 1940. Her mother, Masika Szilagyi, was a medium and a practicing witch who supported herself and her daughter with her art, as a sculptress. Masika’s themes always celebrated the Triple Goddess and the Fates, and Zsuzsanna, “Z,” grew up respecting and appreciating Mother Nature as a god. The poverty of postwar Europe and political oppression under the Russian occupation made Z fiercely political, so when the Hungarian Revolution broke out in 1956, she took her destiny into her own hands and became one of those sixty-five thousand political refugees who left the country, mostly young workers and students like herself. She finished high school in Innsbruck, graduated from a bilingual gymnasium, and won a scholarship to the University of Vienna where she studied languages.

Z emigrated to the United States in 1959, became a student at the University of Chicago, married, and gave birth to two sons. Her family’s spiritual tradition, however, started seeping back into her life, and she practiced solo worship of the Goddess at her home altar in her backyard. When she entered her Saturn cycle at the age of thirty, she became involved with the women’s liberation movement in Los Angeles and became an activist herself, staffing the Women’s Center there for many years. There she recognized a need for a spiritual dimension so far lacking in the feminist movement and started the Women’s Spirituality Movement. She founded the Susan B. Anthony Coven Number l, the first feminist witches’ coven, which became the role model for thousands of other spiritual groups being born and spreading across the nation. She wrote The Holy Book of Women’s Mysteries (Weiser Publishers, 1989) which was originally published in 1975 as The Feminist Book of Lights and Shadows. This book served as the first hands-on book to lead women into their own spiritual/Goddess heritage. Z was arrested in 1975 for reading Tarot cards to an undercover policewoman. She lost the trial but won the issue, and the law against psychics was struck down nine years later. Z has led rituals, lectured, taught classes, given workshops, written articles tirelessly, and published in hundreds of women’s newspapers across the country. She has powerfully influenced many of the future teachers and writers about the Goddess. She is the star of her own cable TV show called 13th Heaven and acts as the director of the Women’s Spirituality Forum, a nonprofit organization sponsoring a monthly lecture series in the Bay Area about the Goddess, spirituality retreats, and annual spiral dances on Halloween. Z founded and sponsors the Dianic University Online, a vagina-friendly online school for Dianic Wicca and Goddess studies for women. More info: www.zbudapest.com

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Enjoyed this article? Kala welcomes your comments and reads them all. Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by clicking the button at the top right corner of this article. By doing so, you’ll receive e-mail updates every time a new article by Kala Ambrose is posted – and it’s free! To read archived articles by Kala Ambrose, visit her main page at the National Haunted History Examiner and the National Metaphysical Spirituality Examiner.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She lectures on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings of Egypt and the Mystery Schools, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom.

Welcome to Kala’s Quick Five, where I chat with fascinating authors, artists, teachers and researchers and ask them five questions about their work. My guest today is Ócháni Lele, author of seven books, including the topic of our discussion here – Teachings of the Santeria Gods: The Spirit of the Odu.

Kala: Ócháni, many people are not aware of Santeria and what its philosophy and teachings share. Can you briefly explain to our readers the origin and core principles of Santeria?

Ócháni: While the Lucumí faith is a modern religion flourishing on American soil, it is heavily rooted in the past, a surviving, spiritual evolution of ancient Yoruba beliefs. The Yoruba were a proud nation of warriors who occupied southwestern Nigeria, an area in which their modern day descendants still thrive. These Africans developed a religious city-state system whose brilliance in some ways exceeded the systems of classical Greek and Roman empires, for while those ancient European civilizations are no more, the Yoruba culture lives on. History tells us that they were founded by one holy man, Odúduwa, the ancestor who established the first holy city at Ilé Ifé.

From his work they grew; the tribes flourished and a religious nation formed. As the ethnic group spread, entire city-states sprang around the worship of various orishas, the gods of the tribes. Ilé Ifé belonged to Obatalá, Oyó was governed by Shangó, Ilobu was Inle’s, Ketu to the orisha Ochosi, Inisa to the orisha Otín, and Ilesa (Ijesa region, Iwo and Edo) to the orisha Logun Ede. Each city-state had its own priesthood. To whom a priest served depended on the spirit protecting the city. Thus, initiates in Ilé Ifé were brought into the mysteries of Obatalá, while those who entered the priesthood in Oyó received Shangó. Ketu priests were bound to Ochosi. Overlapping of priesthoods did occur for political reasons when ties between sub-tribes needed strengthening. Uniting all these city-states no matter the god served were three concepts: that of Odúduwa, the common ancestor, Olódumare, the supreme God, and Elegguá, the orisha who opens the doors from our world to that of the divine. While each individual province had its own orisha to worship, with Odúduwa in their blood, Elegguá at their feet, and Olódumare in their heaven, all were one nation.

The religion, whether one speaks of the ancient Yoruba , the modern Yoruba, or the Cuban-American Lucumí (Santería), is a faith teaching that the ultimate creative force, Olódumare (“owner of the womb”), divided itself into innumerable aspects – the orishas. Each force is a living, spiritual personification of limited ashé (a word translating loosely into power, grace, and life). The ashé of an orisha depends on the aspect of Olódumare from which it spawned. Obatalá, a deity who can be either male or female, comes from the vastest and wisest aspects of God; he was known as the “King of White Cloth,” the cloth itself being the pure, white light from which all things coalesced.

Yemayá is the sweet, life-giving, mothering principle of unknowable deity; and like a mother, she is swift to protect and defend her children. Ochosi is the hunter, the one who not only hunts to feed God, but also to feed his people; he taught humans how to hunt for food, thus representing the aspect of Olódumare who created the concept that to live, life must feed on life.

Olokun, the hermaphroditic deity ruling the depths of the ocean, draws her ashé from the part of Olódumare that is secret, mysterious, and unknown; hence her home is in the depths of the ocean where none may descend while living in the flesh. Ainá, mistress of flame and constant companion to Shangó, is the limitless fire of Olódumare’s existence. Too vast to be known as a whole, Olódumare is made knowable through the religion’s myriad deities. We believe that it is only by worshiping and studying each force that one slowly acquires greater knowledge of the divine.

Kala: The ancient stories are called “patakís” and are connected to the 16 odu (principal creative forces of Santeria). They were originally shared by the Yoruba people of ancient Africa in an oral tradition. How are the patakís shared today, has the process evolved from ancient times?

Ócháni: Even today, the patakís’ main mode of transmission is oral; however, Santería is experiencing a geometric growth best described as explosive. My own godfather, for example, has 25 crowned heads (godchildren who are initiated as priests), and he cares for an ilé ocha that has about 200 uncrowned heads (aborishas – worshippers). In Orlando we have an incredible priestess with Oyá done, Nina, who has dozens and dozens of crowned heads, and probably hundreds of religious godchildren who are not crowned. It is impossible for any one person to instruct all these godchildren orally – there are not enough hours in the day. Faced with such explosive growth, oral training is strained at best.

Over the years there has been a gradual transition from oral teaching to written teaching. One can see it on the internet primarily; in various newsgroups, priests and priestesses are instructing others about the orishas in written, electronic medium. This is a huge diversion from what has been, traditionally, an oral medium. A lot of my instruction for my own godchildren is done in a private newsgroup. And now we have books . . . well . . . a book (mine) that has moved from private online instruction into a more expansive form. I think this will be a future trend. As the years go by, more priests and priestesses will pen books of patakís and other teachings that have been primarily oral for centuries.

Kala: Your book is the first to chronicle these stories in English and shares over 100 of the ancient parables. What led you to the decision that it was the time to write about Santeria and the Odu?

Ócháni: Throughout my private studies I’ve been an avid note taker; and, as I took notes I catalogued everything I learned according to the odu of the diloggún. It was a process that took years. Before I knew it I was writing a book – it was a process that just snuck up on me! My first manuscript, The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination, almost got shelved. When it was done I read it and thought, “I can’t publish this!” It was a huge change from tradition. So I put it away.

Not long after I went to a tambour (sacred drum and dance party) for the orishas, and the orisha Oyá came down. To make a long story short, she demanded that I continue my work and she gave me a pen name to use. She promised that as long as I wrote to educate, she would protect me and bless my work. After that tambour I had a renewed sense of purpose, and since then I’ve been writing fearlessly and unashamedly about the orishas and our religion.

Kala: How has the spiritual practice of Lucumí graced you in this lifetime and what have you learned the most during this time?

Ócháni: The orishas gave me a life when I had none, to be honest. I was born into this tiny rural town, a “hick” by anyone’s standards. The religion opened my eyes to a greater world, one filled with light, love, magic, and infinite possibilities. It brought me wisdom and grace; and it led me to some wonderful people who I consider my spiritual family. It’s amazing the people the orishas bring together – writers, artists, teachers, doctors, lawyers, musicians, actors, and singers – people from all walks of life come together to work and worship and pray. That in itself is very magical, and very humbling.

Kala: Of all the stories you shared in the book, which is your favorite and why?

Ócháni: It’s very hard to pick a single story that I consider my “favorite.” As I brought the volume together, I picked stories that were my favorites, tales that moved me or inspired me in some way. Right now, however, I’m really into The Story of Iré and Osogbo found in chapter 10. I have a god-brother in L.A. named Andreas who has been having “Story Time with Uncle Stewie” nights with his godchildren (it happens right after Sunday dinner and the Sunday night airing of ‘True Blood’) and they’ve had hours and hours of discussions from just that one patakí. It teaches an essential truth of this religion, or any religion, really – we are not defined by how we act in the good times. Instead, we are defined by our actions in bad times; and those misfortunes we face force us to evolve, to become something greater than we once were. It’s a simple story, but one that has dozens of interpretations and practical applications in our lives.

Kala: Ócháni, thank you for joining me here on Kala’s Quick Five. More about Ócháni and the Teachings of the Santeria Gods book can be found at Destiny Books.

Ócháni: Thank you for having me. It’s been a pleasure! And, please, check out my latest book Teachings of the Santería Gods. It’s a wonderful collection of short stories based on the patakís of Santería.

More about Kala Ambrose: Kala Ambrose is an award winning author, intuitive and talk show host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show. Her thought-provoking interviews entice listeners to tune in around the globe! Described by her guests and listeners as discerning, empowering and inspiring, she speaks with world renowned authors, artists, teachers and researchers delving into metaphysical, holistic and paranormal topics. Kala’s book, 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian mystery schools and explains their wisdom teachings. Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire. She lectures on the Ancient Wisdom Teachings of Egypt and the Mystery Schools, Developing Business Intuition, Working with Auras, Chakras and Energy Fields, and Wise Woman Wisdom.

Kala’s new book Ghost Hunting North Carolina will be available in 2011.
More information about Kala at: www.ExploreYourSpirit.com
Information on Intuitive readings and consultations with Kala available at:
http://www.exploreyourspirit.com/psychic.html

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