One Year of Conviction

A late friend of mine, Jay, once prompted me with a request. Many years ago in fact, he said “I task you with the responsibility of choosing a litany of prayers do not change them once you begin, and commit to studying, reciting and using those prayers, daily, at your ancestor shrine and let me know what happens.” I immediately came up with every excuse in the book to the tune of “But, how will I do that when I travel so much? What about if I am home after midnight?” yadda, yadda. He smiled and said “One year, that means daily. Figure it out.”

I straightened my back and said “Sure, I promise I will do that and I will circle back to let you know how it went”. Time passed, the logistics of how I’d do that had not dawned on me just yet, but I’d see him every so often and say “it’s gonna happen, ain’t figured it out yet but it will!”

I then found out he had cancer — and not long thereafter he passed away. He knew his time would be cut short, however, the divination pertaining to his destiny said as much. Didn’t quell the sting of loss found in the hearts of everyone who knew him.

The promise still remained.

Though, this is a painful reminder I can be slow to complete things, as a person with ADHD and OCD I do consider myself a person of my word.

I will lay out what I have found in the many years since that promise was forged, and how I came to truly understand what he meant. I will also impart on you, how this can help you in your spoken works. See, a prayer, is more than something one memorizes and recites without feeling, without conviction. If you truly understand what it is you are saying (Re: Hermeneutics), and you then place repetition behind it, as well as know which parts suit your purpose or convey what you’re trying to accomplish, even the use of one particularly versatile monologue can bless or destroy.

I want to use Psalm 23 for this example.

In the context of using this prayer to connect with certain Christian-identified ancestors, as well as with those previously enslaved ancestors who utilized the doctrines within the bible to covertly express their ancestral connection.

The first line - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

If I am speaking to the ancestors who recognize this passage, I am opening this supplication by stating “The Lord (and my ancestors) are in a relationship with me, and so long as I follow the guidance therein (Shepard), I shall be provided for in my needs (Shall not want)” in the context of spiritual work I am already stating that so long as I follow the guidelines of the work provided via specified Divination means (Shepard), the work will follow through (I shall not want).

The Second Line - He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

In context, this can references a few things. One, it can reference rest and resting in the security of the bond set henceforth, and the knowing that your collaborative efforts with your ancestors prepares a space where you can live in peace (lie down in green pastures, not barren wastelands). Secondly, the importance of water in ADTR in general, as a liminal space where birth and death reside as well as a channel for divine connection (ex. baptisms, river initiatory rites, etc). Thirdly, I find this scripture reminds me of the Seeking rite, “maketh me to lie down in green pastures”. As well as the insurance of emotional stability and cool mind (still waters).

The Third line - He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

One could say, in the context using this passage for ancestor veneration, that which restores one’s soul, is the connection to Ancestral wisdom and using that to find one’s spiritual identity. No more are you wandering in the dark. It is the water for the soul that is thirsty, that has lived in lack or gone without. But it also speaks of healing, to restore one’s soul can then bring about physical healing as well. (Ex. “Let the weak say I am strong” Joel 3:10, but that can speak to other things too.) For his namesake, begets a purpose for the prayer. As we know there are many names of God and many names of our Ancestors, if I am working with a particular spirit, and this petition is in their namesake, the path to success (righteousness) will be made plain.

The Fourth line - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

This one reminds me of the post I did called, A time to Heal, because at first thought, it suggests that even in the midst of evil, when I want to do what I want to do, I will not because the Rod and Staff (Divine insight, ancestral guidance) will see to it that I am invoking their protection and am kept out of harm’s way (I will fear no evil). It also acknowledges that in this plight, I may face some tests (the shadow of Death) to see if it is really for my betterment and I accept that in some cases, it may not. I can then rest in the knowing and faith (because faith without works is what?) that I have not strayed from the path through the valley so long as I have remained disciplined and listen to the advice of the spirits who govern the work or life in general (thy rod and thy staff they comfort me).

The fifth line - Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Sidebar: A little funny tidbit is I remember waking up to oily crosses on my forehead as a kid, when my mother spiritually cleansed the house of malevolent forces, and I know she got that from her mother and grandmother, so I utilize that part to pause and exercise remembrance of traditions both maintained and lost to time within my own family.

This line also reminds me of the fact that our ancestors can, many times, set things up to get the last laugh. He who laughs last, laughs best amiright? I kid, I kid (or do I?) But on a lighter note, its saying with your voice that in this relationship you have outlined so far, above, that in your stewardship, you know that no one can take your place, or see to it that you lose what is divinely set aside for you. To then be anointed, on your head, which holds your mind, soul and spirit, is to be consecrated — this is where in a working you can consecrate yourself, a tool or give to it libations to bring life. The cup running over, speaks of not only abundance, but having more than you need or wanted, because in the end, the ancestors that have your best interests at heart want to see to it that you be cared for in all the ways they had gone without. This line is especially good in terms of utilizing that spiritual relationship to heal from childhood wounds.

The last line - Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This to my understanding is where personal conviction shows up full force, as SURELY goodness (blessings) and mercy (Grace) shall follow the speaker all the days of their life. This is an affirmation that in all shared in that prayer, the results are assured, sign, sealed and delivered. And to secure that, it ends with the proclamation of dwelling in the house (pact, oath or relationship with the Ancestors) and allowing oneself to truly become one with one’s ancestors taking on a concrete role as an active participant in the betterment of the lineage.

I’d mentioned in another post why repetition in traditions is important, and I’ll reiterate that here: “In many religious practices, globally, repetition in an act gives it more light, power, and continued thought, which spans time and space, which then impacts the subconscious mind, which exists without physical limitation.” seen in my post “That’s a Low Vibrational Plate”

Many people have recited these prayers, whether you practice Hoodoo, Vodou, Ocha/Ifa or what have you, those words that left the mouths of hundreds of thousands of practitioners across time are woven into those refrains. So couple that inherited repetition, with your own, you’re going to be cooking with gas. And don’t let it be a specific prayer a spirit in your court specifically asked you for — well, now you know how to call that spirit. Neat!

As I stated before, I was tasked with this promise a long time ago, and my first attempt, I failed. I prayed, made and consecrated a travel shrine to pop up in my hotel rooms, everything, I had the keys to the kingdom. But after 256 long days, I failed.

Why?

Because I realized half that time I was doing it to technically fulfill a promise, but I wasn’t doing it in earnest. Secondly, I had gone through a period of a few months that were absolutely brutal on my mental health due to some disrespect I could not easily get over and stopped. Which is something I should note: When you feel bad, that’s when you need your practice of communion with your ancestors the MOST. Do not fall into the trap of “Oh I feel bad, so I’m not going to bother them with that bad energy hooplah! Go sit down and TALK! Thirdly, I had lost the plot yall. He wanted me to do it to offer me the opportunity he’d experienced when he did it — not as some game or some badge carrying accomplishment. It wasn’t really about the number of days, nor was it something to half-ass recite just to say I hit that day, it was about what is built and realized over a sustained period of time and building the habit long enough to see the changes. When I failed, I realized I could not do it hinging on a promise. He actually never asked me to promise him anything, he just asked me to do it. To try.

And, well, technically I did. However I started back, and I will never go back to praying when ‘technically required’ ever again. Because now, it’s a daily thing— for life. I can’t sleep if I don’t— gots to check in with my peoples. The development I received as a medium after that first attempt alone was unbelievable. The connection I felt to certain prayers, incantations or phrases across languages to serve various spirits from different cultures that once felt strange to my tongue at the beginning became tools that were battle worn and actually invoked them to visit me daily. Yes, it may feel strange at first, and you may find times where it appears to be a chore, but stick with it for a time and the revelations soon come. The magic in repetition doesn’t get the shine it deserves, because that is how to go from picking up a psalm book every once in a while to jug some money out of desperation, versus simply reciting a age-worn verse with your spirits directly (it may not even be a Psalm if we being real) and the need is resolved sans panic or utilizing dubious spells from dubious sources.

Also, this prayer practice will impact your dreams, by the way. Some of these prayers became much like that of a Curandero’s master plant (a plant whose spirit communicated to them how it is to be used, and in many times, can be used in a wide variety of ways), or an old Church Mother’s favorite prayer warrior verse in all times, good or bad. I was even able to use them to distinguish a method of nightly astral communications with my spirits. When I say nightly, I mean every. single. night.

It built a dwelling filled with communion and ease of access to knowledge from the other side, versus a home with a spiritual space I maintained out of duty. There is a difference, believe you me!

A little bit about my prayer selection that you might find interesting, is that my folks requested all daily prayers MUST include a pause to reflect on and share vocally all the blessings of that day or in general. I asked them why one night before bed and had a dream where an old man told me “we have to remind you that there is still much to live for”. Divination cosigned that the next day and added, ‘girl you have OCD, and you ruminate— you need a lil positivity to forcefully break that cycle of thought each and every day’.

May Jay’s request help you, like it helped me.

Rest In peace Awo Irete Yero.

Y’all be blessed,

Lolu