ORISA

A curious question on one of the networking sites has incited me to think of a series exploring religions(old-new)/religious/sub cultural/belief-based movements of the world. In light of this I've dug up an old piece written quite a while ago, focusing on Orisha (a spirit that reflects one of the manifestations of Oludumare in the Yoruba belief or spiritual system.) def derived frm wikipedia cited under Orisha

The belief can be traced back to West-Africa, spread to the 'new world' through slave trade in the 1700s. Following is an excerpt regarding the creation of Earth. May I add, it seems to me that if religion seeks to explain anything at all, it would be how we came into being.

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Before there was day,

before there was night,

and before there was a Universe,

All things lived in harmony in Olorun,

The Cosmic Heavens,

located in the realm of Ikode Orun.

The Giant Egg

that sat in the center of Nothingness.

http://www.mythome.org/yorubareligion.html

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Ashe has a Thought

Now realize before the beginning of everything there was only Ashe, the creative force itself. It was in no pot. There was nothing but Ashe. But one day Ashe began to think. And when thinking began Ashe became Oloddumare (The mighty creator).

And as Oloddumare thought he thought matter, and so matter became to be. And the matter is called Olorun(The realm of Olorun), the Adobe at the center of everything. But matter became a she as Oloddumare is a he, for thinking causes a reaction in the opposite direction, a male thinking generates a female thing; a female thinking a male thing. The name of the thinking creating matter in Olorun is Nana Baruku, the Grandmother of all the divinities.

In short:

- Ase is the life-force that runs through all things. Ase is the power to make things happen, through thought and consequently through action.

-Ori literally means the head, but in spiritual matters is taken to mean an inner portion of the soul which determines personal destiny and success.

-Orisha devotees strive to obtain Ase through Iwa-Pele or gentle and good character, in turn they experience alignment with the Ori or what others might call inner peace or satisfaction with life.

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In Yoruba mythology SANGO, the ORISA of thunder and lightening, is married to OYA, the ORISA of the wind. The wind blows and opens the path for the storm to rage in with its thunder and lightening. This assemblage made of reeds, paper, earth, fabric, beads, shells, seeds, acrylic gels and compounds shows SANGO and OYA in a dance of love.