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Azacotogan

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    Studying African history and culture, spending quality time with my family, performing my duties as a chief, playing my bass, djembe and other instruments, playing chess, working with my hands

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  1. Now that we have talked a little about the nature of salawa, let's talk about the concept of maroonage. First, I'd like to make clear that the principles of salawa and the importance of good character are not only relevant for maroons but for all Africans in general. No matter where African people are born, no matter the circumstance, we all should recognize good character as a cornerstone of our existence. African culture in its purest form teaches this in ways that are designed for the success of African people globally, we just have to show the interest in reclaiming our birthright, which is our culture. We as a people cannot win without good character tied to its application in African culture. Maroonage has a long history with extensive references. I use the KiBantu term Kilombo to refer to the concept of and lifestyle of maroonage and it can be more or less translated as “encampment.” To be a maroon is to be a citizen of a Kilombo, these terms have the same meaning and implication. Many are familiar with the portuguese spelling of Quilombo, but it is originally a KiBantu word and not portuguese. The term (Kilombo) has cultural and character-oriented implications that can sometimes be overlooked when studying the history of maroonage in general. Many people are familiar with maroons from a historical perspective, but there are numerous Kilombos in existence today. The Xotome of Ganlodo for instance is a Kilombo. A Kilombo is not limited to captives (so-called slaves) who freed themselves and formed communities of their own in the western hemisphere. It can also exist within a people’s native land (Africa for instance) and cause them to leave and establish a separate smaller community because the larger community is or was becoming increasingly self-destructive and anti-African. It can also take place when there is no physical captivity anymore but a people’s ancestors may have been brought to that land against their will. So therefore, and to be clear, the word Kilombo not only means encampment but also refers to a group separating itself from the larger community or nation because of the larger community/nation’s degenerate ways. Now to recap, a maroon community is the same as a Kilombo. In today’s world, maroonage as a concept can be looked at as African culture+black nationalism= maroonage. You can’t have maroonage without African culture or an African people first and only policy. Many people today may be black nationalist, but have no interest in living African culture, and you have people throughout the diaspora who live African culture but are not black nationalists. But you cannot have maroonage without realizing the inherent importance of both. The people who live African culture (including those new Africans in the diaspora)think, for example, that it is okay to involve non-Africans in African culture. They will even go so far as to initiate these non-Africans to African dieties. But for a maroon and any true African, this is disrespectful of our ancestors who fought against the ancestors of those same non-Africans who these “African” sellouts willingly initiate to this day. The people who live the culture but sell it out are way more dangerous than the nationalists without culture because they present the culture in the wrong way and are part of the reason African culture is not respected globally now the way it once was. Another reason it is not as respected is because many of our people have no interest in living their own ancestral culture. That is partially because they feel there is no way to ascertain which African culture they descend from but as was explained in part one, we have ways of retrieving that information for new Africans who don’t know. One of the most notable examples of a fully functioning Kilombo is the Brazilian example of Palmares, also known as Angola Janga. For those not familiar a quick google search can bring one up to speed. There are a number of things that are instructive about Palmares. For one, it was largely organized by Africans from the Kongo region. What they would do in the early days of their formation into a Kilombo is they would escape captivity and form small villages deep in the jungle, often on hillsides. The portuguese would call these small, often mobile camps mocambos and feared them greatly because of how difficult they were to pinpoint. They also feared them greatly because of how several of them would be extremely organized and in communication. But the main reason they feared them was because the actively engaged in living their own culture and some of the members of these groups were trained priests and many of the ones that weren’t were also living the culture before capture in Africa. Then you had those Africans who were born into captivity but still had the innerstanding that African culture was the natural way to live as an African and even though they were not born into the culture they still sought it out when possible and strived to apply it in everyday life. Maroons equate African culture with the survival and freedom of African people. The members of the Kilombo would perform ritual to ask for the freedom of their people and the destruction of the caucasian captors. Maroons to this day ask this of the deities and our ancestors. I ask daily for the freedom of my people and the destruction of our oppressors, just like our ancestors did. I also ask for the destruction of those who sell out our people and culture. Just as our maroon ancestors did. There was a vetting process for determining who could be admitted into the Kilombo. Simply being an African wasn’t enough. There would be instances where the portuguese would hire a sellout African to try and infiltrate the Kilombo and then report the location of Palmares to the portuguese along with other valuable intel that would aid in the defeat of the town. So here the emphasis on character was paramount to being a member because if you were sympathetic to the portuguese, you could not be trusted and could not gain access to the location or setup of the Kilombo. So, as maroons we put a large value on the character, trustworthiness, strength, consistency and intelligence on all potential members of our community. The same that was true then is true now. We know that if we tell just anyone where we are or the nature of our setup, that can and will be used to effort our destruction. Palmares had a permanent central town with a fortified wall and trenches. There are reports that as many as 10,000 (though some say upwards of 17 to 20k) people lived in the central town and smaller camps in the nearby area. They had elected officials and had a king chosen by the people that was largely based on the Kongo model of hierarchy. Now that we've talked about some of the geography and setup, let's examine what took place there a little more closely. The first individual granted the title of king by the people was Zumba. He was also referred to as Nganga (priest in the Kikongo language) Nzumbi. He was a royal of the Kongo people. To keep things shorter, in 1678, at the objection of his most trusted advisors (including Zumbi his nephew) he agreed to a treaty with the governor of Pernambuco and this treaty would effectively end the Kilombo if agreed to. This is because one of the terms of the treaty was that all of the members of the Kilombo would move to the coast where their location was known and their activities could be monitored. Also, all people not born in the Kilombo would be returned to captivity. In exchange Zumba was told he would receive weapons. Why this made any sense to Zumba is unclear because it clearly only benefitted the portuguese, but I think it was largely motivated by fear. Before the “treaty” was offered, in 1677 Zumba had led an offensive war expedition against military strategist Fernao Carrilho but was soundly defeated. 47 people were captured including two of his sons, He was wounded and barely escaped himself. In Losing two of his sons (there are reports that they were executed along with the other 45 Africans) and so many members of his Kilombo must have shaken his resolve because in 1678 he sent an envoy to Recife to negotiate peace. He knew there could be no peace with the portuguese, they would not stop until they could have total control over the region. Peaceful coexistence was not possible. The best method was to stay hidden and defeat the portuguese when they attempted to find Palmares. He knew all this and knew that this maroon policy was what had kept them safe from infiltration as a Kilombo for almost 80 years up until that point. But he was traumatized by the defeat and lost sight of the thousands of others that were counting on him for their safety. His deviation from the guerilla war tactics caused his defeat, a defeat likely spurred on by arrogance, and now his people were to pay the price if allowed. When he sent the envoy to Recife, the governor was told that Zumba himself would come to negotiate “peace” and that he was open to finding a way to live together. Bottom line was that it really wasn’t a treaty, it was a surrender. This is why his nephew, Zumbi, and many others who knew what was going on opposed the decision and would not either give up their location, or go to live among their oppressors in neo-capitivity. Zumbi and thousands of others stayed behind and continued to live as maroons whIle Zumba returned to live among the oppressors under their watch while many of his people were put back in chains as a result of the “treaty.” Zumba was poisoned in the end. There are reports that the people of the Kilombo were responsible, while others say that when he did return to the coast as the caucasians wanted, they then were able to poison him. It is truly unclear what happened. But one issue is clear, the cost for being a traitor to your people is high. It can cost you your life. Part three will tie it all together and look at where we go from here. We will define some very critical terms and talk about practical solutions. Azacotogan Fajise Syenxwe
  2. The ultimate goal is to be practical. In Vodun we use these cycles, rituals, gatherings and so forth to make our lives better and to facilitate the destruction to our eternal enemy, the caucasian. When, for example, we go sit with our ancestors at their shrine, we ask for the destruction of caucasian culture while at the same time looking for the preservation and safety of our people. We ask for this when we summon the hun and other spirits. African culture in general is full and developed. This means there are methods used to maintain harmony in times of peace, and methods used for the destruction of our enemies (caucasians, sellout African people, i.e. traitors, kwk). This innerstanding was key to the success of the Ayitian liberation struggle (Haitian revolution). We must never forget that African culture is not about intellectual grandstanding but about action and using the various methods available to improve our lives, increase our innerstanding, hold each other accountable and deliver justice when needed. The post I made about Hu is a prime example. For us in Vodun, we recognize certain activities that should be done and others that should be avoided with regard to certain cycles. So these cycles affect and modify our behavior and thinking. This is the true purpose of culture. This also teaches us patience in various ways. So we don't simply sit around and talk about these concepts, we put them into action on a daily basis and we check each other to make sure we are acting on what we know we need to do. This teaches discipline. This is just food for thought.
  3. I want to thank those who have been reaching out in response to the first post about salawa looking for more information. We've gotten some emails but I encourage you all to go ahead and join this forum in spite of the interactions you saw with other members. It will be good to see a healthy and positive dialogue on the subject of Vodun. I'm still working on part 2 but it's taking longer than I thought because of my schedule and because it's a little more involved than part one. I'm working on it though. On to this post's topic. The sciences of studying the cosmos and recognizing which deities, (called Hun pronounced "hoon" in Aja language) as well as other spirits and energies are performing what functions in relation to that and human life is called Wezizakpon in Aja culture. Some people may refer to that sort of process as "astrology." In Vodun (also sometimes referred to as vodou or voodoo, but the west African term is Vodun) , time is cyclical. Not only is it cyclical but there are cycles within cycles. For instance, many are familiar with the so called great year which is simply the procession of the equinoxes (the equinox is called zankpozekpan in Fongbe) of approximately 26,000 years (though it's closer to 25,800) and within that there are smaller cycles of 2,160 years and then within that are smaller cycles of 540 years and so forth. Of course there is a certain energy shift that happens with the procession and also with the movement within each of the smaller cycles as well that must be accounted for. This is a part of what we do as wezizakpon. In Vodun we have all these cycles and eventually we get down to smaller cycles that occur monthly at a certain time. There are numerous monthly cycles we have with various significance (for instance we have one that is dedicated strictly to strengthening our bond with the ancestors [Kulito in Aja and Egungun in Yoruba]) but one cycle in particular deals with the energy of a certain time period and is related to a particular Hun. In fact yesterday we began such a cycle and it is related to the hun we call Hu. In Yoruba culture, this deity (called orisa in Yoruba) is Olokun. So we are in the Xwenu (season) of Hu and great care as a Vodunvi must be taken to not only be aware of the characteristics of Hu but be mindful of how that will make certain activities either more challenging or much more likely to be successful. We also would try to make an offering of some kind to Hu at the beginning of the season. This is a time where things associated with Hu will dominate so one must always be mindful of how to best take advantage of that. This is an example of the way that in Vodun we strive to "live in harmony." E sun gbede
  4. I almost fell for it. Dude is trying to deflect from the information. It almost worked. May people with an open African mind see the real on this thread. Ase.
  5. Y'all little "discussion" was lightweight and was talking about things I was studying as a teenager. But it's real deep to y'all. Your lame attempts to clown only show the buffoon that you are and your significant level of immaturity. In addition to obviously being inaccurate, do you really think that acting like a fool garners respect? And if anyone does respect that sort of childishness then, wow. I have posted the facts regarding Ganlodo and people with good minds can see what's what. It seems you forget, your opinion means nothing to me. An interview I did of the Axosu a couple years back
  6. You certainly can't put AFRICAN culture on like clothing. But you wouldn't know about that. It is funny tho how you still try to talk about Ifa in a vacuum as you did. You certainly are no authority on what is legit and what is not when it comes to African culture. However it is natural for an African to be African. Even if they were cut off thru captivity, the blood is still there and connects us to the deities of our people and most importantly, our ancestors. In Yoruba culture we say "Orisa bi Egungun ko si." So if Africans are truly receptive to their non sellout ancestors, they'll end up living the same culture as their ancestors, which is a natural and beautiful experience no matter how much confused individuals try to undermine it. We aren't blood connected to saturn and jupiter as deities anyway since they are totally made up and have no true power. Even the nasty romans themselves could see that and that's one reason why they walked away from it in favor of a more effective method of enslaving minds. You talk about the importance of the spoken word but clearly can't see the fallacy from a spiritual perspective of calling celestial bodies things like saturn and jupiter or mars or whatever. Dude, stop it. Amazing how you conveniently tried to skirt the facts.... There you go again with that karma stuff.... sheesh. Man, your whole world view is non African. There is literally no point in continuing this useless dialogue.
  7. First of all, you can't really speak to what I "took to." You say astrology like it's so legit. Wow. Ok. Once again that's a european term with a cosmology that is european in origin. Evidenced by, for example, your european name for the planets. It hasn't entered my soul? What are you talking abou? There you go again speaking with certainty about something you're totally clueless about. And no those systems are not connected to African ones. And it seems that you are implying that the reason your "prediction" is off is because it's "difficult," to master, yeah ok. That's not why, it's because it's bogus from the start. I might seem condescending to you because I have no respect for African people who clearly have little respect for African culture. The ones who try to piecemeal together a "system" based on scraps of misunderstood African culture. I have no respect for those who take the universalist approach that they are all equal, African and non African. No, African is superior. It is and that is one of the reasons we were here first and are the only true humans in the planet. Even our blood is different from everyone else aside from the fact that Africans are the only ones on the planet with 100% human DNA. Every other "system" or religion or cosmology outside of African is just an attempt to recreate what we've already mastered. But people choose to go that route for whatever reasons. I choose the source because it's in my blood already and it's original and true. Can't get any better than the original. Reality is African. But you've already admitted you're in some form of disexual relationship so I wouldn't expect you to get it. I don't care what people who revere non African culture, customs or people thinks--you can call me condescending or whatever. See how I talk to an African who loves their culture and who they are. It's totally different. But like I said, have fun with your astrology, you'll end up exactly where you deserve playing with that.
  8. *sighs* dude, I could correct you again but I won't even bother. Go ahead and have fun with astrology. Also, if y'all want to come on this thread and talk about a bunch of non African subjects, I can't stop you, but when you start mentioning west African culture, that's where I have to draw the line. Stay in your lane and over there in your love and reverence for things non African. But don't start speaking on the culture I live like you know what you're talking about. But that's the thing. Our people, in their confusion, like to profess knowledge on things they're actually ignorant on. Like I said pseudo intellects. Interesting how you point out that your prediction is likely wrong Seriously, why do you think that is? And look, for real, I'm not at this point, looking to debate with you, but I think if you answer sincerely it can be very instructive. Also, what's the point of all your studies if the divination methods you use are still inaccurate? The point of them is accuracy. The issue isn't you per se, it's the systems you're using. There is a reason caucasians have been in west Africa for the last 300 years trying to document Fa/Ifa...
  9. Well, I don't know what "baba" you studied with who told you about Ifa but the fact that you describe the system in the way you do only shows that you don't really know the system. You can't read some stuff online, talk to some people, and think you have it figured out. With those other simpler, less complicated and non African systems you may be able to get away with that. But not with Ifa. You're asking about what astrology systems I've studied? Ok fine, tarot, book of doors, Oracle of Tehuti, Het-heru shep, things like that. I'll go with this though, I think I see how you're using the word astrology and while I don't use it that way, I get what you're saying. I have found the term cosmology to be a little more apt because, astrology usually implies spirituality and most systems that people tend to think of have little of that. But they are cosmological systems for sure. Also, you can study with lots of people, doesn't make what they tell accurate especially if they dealing with non African cosmology and then you're trying to compare it with African cosmology. I know that's the trendy thing to do now but it's one of the reasons many African people have a deep misunderstanding of what African spirit science is. And to be clear, I've also said I've studied qabbalah, I ching as well. I've also studied many other systems along the way that I've totally forgotten about. But everyone I know who has also done that, and then graduated to studying and living African culture full-time all have said it's no comparison. And so do I.
  10. I'm not aware of it? Lol dude I've been studying what you call Ifa for years. Those other system too. I'm actually initiated to Ifa. I never said I didn't know about the spiritual side of numbers. You said that and made certain assumptions. Astrology is child's play compared to Ifa. And once again, that word has european origin. Can't use it to describe African cosmology, although you seem to wish to force that. Once you get into the deeper aspects of it, African cosmology and non African are like apples and oranges. The former being far superior. Jesusneverexisted.com This website does a good job of showing how not only is jesus a mythological character, but so is adam, noah, abraham, isaac, Jacob, moses, all the "prophets" are mythological and not historical characters. And they are plagiarized at that.
  11. Not in terms of a link. Unless you want to totally discount the cosmology that has to be taken into account. At least as far as Ifa and I ching. Although Ifa is in a class by itself, at least i ching is also a divination system. Kabbalah is not.
  12. Ifa, qabbalah and I ching.... the last two have links but Ifa is a totally different ballgame and is not in any way linked to those. First of all, although Ifa is in a class by itself, I ching at least is also a divination system. Qabbalah however is not.
  13. This is for people with sense who might see this: We clearly explain what languages (Fon and Yoruba) we speak on our sites and we clearly state where our writing script (N'ko) comes from. So neither those languages or the script are made up. Some people don't know what reclaiming our culture means though. We haven't made up anything. Our Xotome is not fantasy and is acknowledged worldwide. The Axosu was fully and properly coronated according to Aja culture in 2010 by kingmakers from Benin. This is all there on the site. So for clarity, don't be fooled by cultural children who are DEEPLY confused and think that anyone who can see the sense in what we do as pawns to be manipulated. At this point, I see no point in trying to be sensible with this individual and won't respond to any of his or other individuals slander. I'll be posting a part two to the original post here and on other sites for those interested in learning about true Vodun and Aja culture. O daabo.
  14. We haven't created our own alphabet and language. Dude you are off the chain with your misunderstanding Once again you have no idea what you're talking about. "You're far too caught up in yourself to lead or even influence anything other than the most desperate, desolate individuals." Ok, so if they don't think like you or accept your logic they're pawns? Yeah ok. I couldn't care less about what you think about me or what we do. Your "assessment" of my personality and communication skills only apply because I'm not telling you what you want to hear but I should remind you that your opinion at this point means nothing. As far as it being a "hustle" you clearly don't know what's real from what's fake. And that's cool. Once again as I said we aren't trying to reach people like you.
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