Written by Dr. Asanee Brogan, Spiritual Coach
Dr. Asanee Brogan is a seasoned spiritual coach who specializes in African spirituality, the Ifá tradition, and Voodoo. She is the founder of Asanee 44 LLC, the author of African Spirituality for Beginners and similar books, and the host of the African Spirit Reintegrated + Reimagined podcast.
According to many spiritual belief systems, the Higher Self is the most elevated aspect of one's being. This energy correlates to our inner head, intuition, or our enlightened consciousness. In traditional African belief systems, our Higher Self is thought to be a spirit or deity. It is a separate yet connected part of our life force that came into this existence with us. As such, it oversees every aspect of our lives as it guides and directs us toward our destiny.
Our Higher Selves often operate in opposition to our ego. Our inner head seeks to help us achieve our greatest good, regardless of whether we desire the outcome or not. Our ego, on the other hand, desires to make us feel good, irrespective of whether the outcome benefits us. The egotistical part of our being is concerned with self-gratification. However, our Higher Self focuses on self-actualization.
In many traditional African cultures, the Higher Self has always been the most revered aspect of our persona. As such, individuals in African societies often engage in specific rituals, customs, or ceremonies to appease this deity. They have long since understood that if we aren’t guided by our intuition, we are prone to making critical mistakes. Even more, if this Divine Force is not pleased with us, it will refuse to accept good things on our behalf.
Awakening your higher self
Sadly, in today’s world, many are what the ancients would call ‘spiritually dead.’ Toxins, distractions, misinformation, overconsumption, and many other devices have left the average person empty and devoid of wisdom. As a result, few people are capable of ascending to the heights of spiritual elevation as they should.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Many ancient rituals exist to help us awaken and elevate this aspect of ourselves. In fact, one of the foremost African religions that maintain a legacy of spiritual connectivity with the Higher Self is the Ifá tradition from Yorùbáland, Nigeria. In this practice, the Orí is considered the most important spiritual entity as it governs our head.
Even more, this Divine Force leads us to our destiny and helps us fulfill it. Like most ancient cultures, ritual work permeates this traditional African religion. These practices help us align and deeply connect with the spiritual world. As such, because of Orí’s role in our lives, rituals and ceremonies are often conducted to awaken this spiritual force.
Ancient African rituals: Embracing spiritual enlightenment
In the Ifá tradition, the process of awakening the Higher Self is referred to as ìbọrí. This word loosely translates to feeding the head. This ritual is commonly done to help individuals maintain alignment with their inner heads. An Ifá priest or priestess typically performs it, and it can be done in person or remotely. It can also be performed by individuals aptly trained in this process.
The ritual aspect of feeding one’s Orí involves giving the head a variety of offerings, including fish, goats, fruits, honey, water, bitter kola, etc. In cases where individuals feed their inner head after Ifá divination, the Ifá oracle tells them what’s best for their inner head at that time.
Otherwise, one can feed their Orí any acceptable offering based on traditional protocol.
Individuals can participate in this process as often as they desire. In fact, we are encouraged to feed our Orí as frequently as possible. For the average person, this means giving sacrificial offerings to their inner head every 17-30 days. Though non-animal offerings are often given more frequently.
This process helps us open critical aspects of our conscious being so that we can grow in wisdom and achieve a higher level of enlightenment. This ancient practice is paramount in connecting us with the vital essence of our being. It gives us greater insight and allows us to receive clearer messages from our Higher Selves. But spiritual alignment doesn’t stop there. Connecting with our inner head involves additional soul-enriching practices.
Aligning with your inner head
Beyond awakening our inner head, we must continuously align with this spiritual force to progress toward our Divine calling. As such, additional practices ensure that we consistently synchronize with our Higher Selves. So, it is likewise beneficial to engage in activities to clear toxins, distractions, and the like from our environments.
Again, the ancient world maintained vast and replete systems to ensure such alignment. Our ancestors understood the importance of vibrating on a high level. Doing so helps us make sound and beneficial decisions for ourselves, our families, and our communities. It aids us in maintaining strong, powerful, salient societies.
In today’s world, we can still take advantage of these ancient resources. All we need to do is embrace the wisdom of our ancestors. In doing so, we revive tools such as ancestor veneration, spiritual medicine, creative expression, and much more to align our beings with the spiritual world. Let’s take a look at how some of these devices are instrumental in connecting us with our enlightened consciousness.
Ancestor veneration
Undoubtedly, ancestors play a vital role in our lives as we are the incarnate version of these beings. We carry their DNA or their vital essence, which means that our Orí or Higher Self is connected to our ancestral Orí. So, it's incumbent upon us to tap into ancestral knowledge systems to gain high-level discernment.
We do so by honoring their legacy in many ways. Ancient African systems maintain sacred rites and rituals to help us venerate our ancestors at an optimal level. These rituals involve many elements, including sacrifices, offerings, dancing, chanting, and other spiritual elements.
Typically, such ceremonies are conducted within the family unit, adding to the collective nature of this process.
However, you don’t have to practice a traditional African religion to benefit from such processes. Many people in the new world connect with their ancestors through individual and communal rituals designed to fit their lifestyles and needs. Ancestor altar work has become very common among those in the Western world who desire a deeper level of spiritual connectivity.
These individuals often work with various apparatuses to honor and appease their ancestral heritage. Doing so provides them with comfort and strength, allowing them to fulfill their destinies more efficiently. Even more, it strengthens their bond with their inner head. They begin to awaken to their inner knowing, leaving behind chaos and confusion in their wake.
Sacred herbs and spiritual medicine
Nature is replete with sacred plants, roots, herbs, and other natural substances that can help restore our constitution. These constituents cleanse and clear us of toxic energy and align us with our higher consciousness. Many of them can be found on the African continent. However, every region of the earth has sacred herbs for this purpose.
Even more, these elements are often embedded in spiritual medicines such as soaps, powders, protective charms, amulets, etc. Infused with the essence of spiritual forces, these devices purify, protect, and fortify our energetic force. They ground and help us withstand the attacks of negative forces that try to get us off balance. As such, these natural elements are vital to ensuring that we maintain our vital essence.
Creative self-expression
Beyond practices designed to evoke the essence of our ancestors or elevate our energy, we must also engage in creative self-expression. In African thought, the highest level of achievement is about fully exploiting our natural gifts and talents. We were all given specific abilities or strengths that benefit our own needs and desires. Likewise, such talents can help advance the collective.
As such, we must explore these aspects of ourselves in more depth. The more we understand ourselves, the better we can serve our life purpose and humanity at large. There are a myriad of rituals and practices that can assist us in actualizing our innate ability to construct our reality.
Various African meditative practices are employed for this purpose. These processes include trance states, ecstatic dancing, drumming, quiet solitude, chanting, singing, etc. Each of these tools can attune us to our highest vibrational frequency. Even more, they can connect us with our greatest desires and help us achieve our highest aspirations.
Summary
In African cultures, the Higher Self is a highly revered spiritual force. The role of this energy is to ensure that we fulfill our destinies. Being properly connected to this force ensures that we achieve our soul mission. However, being disconnected from this entity can result in a life of hardships and undue difficulties.
Our ancestors understood these principles and diligently worked to maintain alignment with their Higher Selves. Unfortunately, many of the practices they used have been neglected. However, these ancient tools still exist within indigenous and traditional societies.
Even more, they can be availed by those in the modern world brazen enough to embrace the depths of spiritual enlightenment in this existence. So, if you desire spiritual elevation, consider engaging in ancient African rituals designed to awaken your Higher Self. Doing so can transform your life.
Read more from Dr. Asanee Brogan
Dr. Asanee Brogan, Spiritual Coach
Drawing from her deep-rooted practice in the Ifá tradition and Haitian Vodou, Dr. Asanee develops multifaceted resources, enriching her clients' understanding of African spirituality. Her commitment to sharing her evolving expertise involves coaching, writing, teaching, and mentorship. She is the founder and CEO of Asanee 44 LLC, a platform dedicated to integrating individuals into African traditional religions.
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