spiritualist in benin city

Spiritual healing occurs largely among practitioners who do not see traditional religious faith as a prerequisite for effecting cures. Benin City has a renowned teaching hospital and a number of factories. Nor does he take advantage of the royal bathhouse where two new queens were once prepared for the reigning monarch every 21 days, or the mysterious chambre noire where successive rulers consulted the spirits about their destiny. In Benin, Fa is predominantly associated with two ethnic groups, the Fon and the Yoruba. I would like to say thanks once again. In the tiny West African nation of Benin, Voodoo remains the state religion. However, today's Benin City remains one of Nigeria's most prosperous centers of trade. McGlinchy remained at the helm of spiritual affairs of the Parish until October 1978 when Fr. - People who are frustrated with chronic or recurring problems, - People who don't like to take medication, - People who have been in prolonged forms of treatment without much result, - People who are emotionally suffering and are unable to understand the source of their unhappiness, confusion, or anxiety, - Universal energy or spiritual force (non-religious) can be directed by intention, - When focused on the human body, via the aura (human energy field), it raises the spiritual vibrations of that person, improving health that allows your highest nature to unfold, - For optimum healing, repeated treatments are needed to overcome the bodys inertia. Black Past reports Benin City is once again thriving. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. "If you see their eyes, you will die!" One of the most notorious of Benin City's sacrifices was Queen Iden, who was the wife of Oba Ewuape. At The Tree of Forgetfulness, Remi explained how "slaves would circle nine times to magically forget everything, so they weren't sad in their new lives.". If they fail to work in unison, any one of these can place stress on the other parts so the healer, client and spirit all work in harmony to restore the proper flow of energy. It is so well governed that theft is unknown and the people live in such security that they have no doors to their houses.". The Benin Empire was ultimately destroyed during the Benin Punitive Expedition of 1897. This approach is in harmony with any other healing work you . Today, Ifa divination is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and bokonon have continued to adapt to and take advantage of technology, selling palm nuts and divining trays on Etsy and even performing divinations over WhatsApp. Each of these corresponds with a du sign, which has a specific name and directs the diviner to a verse from the Odu Ifa, a body of divinatory literature that is typically passed down orally. The type of people who would gain benefits from consulting with a Spiritual Healer in Benin include: Spiritual healing usually picks up where other treatments left off. Her tomb is still displayed near the Oba market in Benin City. One of the wonders of the world. Benin, one of the principal historic kingdoms of the western African forest region (fl. Yovo, yovo, bonjour. I would like to say thanks once again. His son Eweka is regarded as the first oba, or king, of Benin, though authority would remain for many years with a hereditary order of local chiefs. Define spiritualist. It remains an important source of palm kernels, palm oil, and lumber. Brian McCormack and his friend Tajudeen Busari arrived in Benin City on Sunday, 7th March and visited the grave the next day. Blood and divinity are linked concepts in Vodun, and the process of animal sacrifice is seen as a way to nourish both vodun and ancestral spirits, and as a way to share ase through the human consumption of the animal. There is also the presence of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who most recently inaugurated the AL Mahdi Mosque in 2006 in Benin. However, Mr Oriafor graciously assured Fr McCawille that the grass would be cut the next day. Each home was also outfitted with a well, which provided the family with fresh water. Contrary to the British troops' description of the Benin Kingdom, other visitors described the city as civilized and clean. In an attempt to bring her husband peace, and secure his position as Oba, Queen Iden offered herself to be sacrificed. With Yvette's help and a cash donation I was finally able to attend an otherwise closed ceremony. I met an English-speaking teacher called Yvette who took me to see a local Fa reader. What's for sale at a Voodoo Fetish Market, West Africa (Shutterstock), More goods on sale at a Voodoo Fetish Market (Shutterstock). The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. It is quite small at 9.6 inches high, 4.9 inches wide, and 2.4 inches deep (24.5 cm H, 12.5 cm W, and 6 cm D). Their faces were veiled by cowry shell screens. A Mass was celebrated by Fr. The client purchases ingredients as determined by the diviner, and the diviner prepares and executes the sacrifice, accompanied by sung and chanted prayer. Dr. Guillory's upcoming book draws on years of archival research, ethnographic observation, and oral history interviews to . As reported by The Guardian, mathematical patterns were apparent throughout Benin City, from the length and arrangement of the streets to the shape and size of the buildings. According to the most recent 2020 estimate, the population of Benin is 52.2% Christian, 24.6% Muslim, 17.9 Animist and 5.3% follows other faiths or has no religion. Is climate change killing Australian wine? It communicated to visiting ambassadors, traders, courtiers, and subjects the power and wealth of the Oba (the king). Photo by Rebecca Fenton. Amid the British Punitive Expedition, Commander R. H. Bacon disputed reports that Benin was a productive, modern, and civilized city. Across the Atlantic, Fon, Yoruba, and other African systems of belief mixed with colonially imposed Catholicism, particularly by combining Roman Catholic saints and Fon vodun/Yoruba orisha, thereby enabling enslaved people to covertly continue their religious practices. People here do not stick needles into dolls to cause misfortune to their enemies, as you see in some Western films - this image may have arisen from the icons of a particular god which a priest may have in their shrine. On a side street in Mgomilite district, crowds assembled by an abandoned petroleum tanker. - Spirit beings are little changed from their earlier selves as those in the spirit-world are was then in Rome receiving his faculties as the Local Ordinary of Benin City. Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Water, quartz and cowry shells were also heaped on the cast beads. The Slave Trade, Depopulation and Human Sacrifice in Benin History. Spiritualism in Benin is a religious movement based on the belief that departed souls can interact with the living. Masked participants of the Egungun Ceremony, Benin (Shutterstock). However, they realized they still needed a leader. The Roman Catholic Christians in Benin have 900 women and men in religious order and 440 priests. In the inner sanctum of the Djeho Temple, built by Glele for his father Ghezo, the mortar is forged from the blood of 41 slaves. The Non-Catholic Christians in Benin include Jehovah's Witness, Rosicrucians, Methodists, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Unification Church, Assemblies of God, Seventh-day Adventist, Celestial Christians, and Baptists. Most Muslims in Benin practice the Sunni which is an Islamic branch with the existence of Shi'a Muslims who are very few and are mostly expatriates from the Middle East. I lost all my hopes getting rid of this evil spirit after trying many years get rid of him but you made the impossible thing into possible and that is out of our life. 1 follower Join to view profile Self-employed. Following the Punitive Expedition of 1897, Benin City remained under British control for more than 60 years. P.D. No matter whether your intention is rooted in the physical, emotional, or spiritual, while the healing transmission occurs your body, mind, and spirit re-emanate and heal at the deepest essential levels. Chatwin's narrative of bloodthirsty African kings, slavery, and French and Portuguese ambitions, is enthralling. Before long, Remi and I were pinned against a wall by a hulking Egungun. Latest Testimonials. On a high, I headed north to Abomey the next day. In Benin, Christianity is the most practiced religion with more than half of the entire Christian group belonging to Roman Catholicism. From the 15th through the 18th century Benin carried on an active trade in ivory, palm oil, and pepper with Portuguese and Dutch traders, for whom it served as a link with tribes in the interior of western Africa. Still, it was an enjoyable, melodious, almost gospel affair. After the Mass Bishop Kelly accompanied the funeral to the cemetery where he blessed the grave and led the prayers of Christian Burial. Stick-bearers tried to stop the Egunguns' robes inauspiciously touching the living. The next day I would witness something extraordinary. The Voodoo spiritual world consists of Mahou, the supreme being and about 100 divinities - or Voodoos - who represent different phenomena, such as war and blacksmiths (Gou), illness, healing and earth (Sakpata), storms, lightning and justice (Heviosso) or water (Mami Wata). 4 IZIEGBE STREET, OFF AIKHIOBARE STREET, GRA. Historically, spiritualism was organized in small groups that conducted sances, or meetings for spirit communication. AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', Cat-and-mouse chase with China in hotly contested sea, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Since that time, increasing numbers of people throughout the country have been finding inspiration and guidance in the teachings of Bah'u'llh. R.I.P. the actual grave was located. Voodoo spirituality, known in Ghana as Vodun, is one of them. Brian, Sr. was born in 1917 into a family of 9 boys and 5 girls. In Cotonou, Benin's largest city, the tourist office told me to return in January, because I'd only see Voodoo at an annual festival in Ouidah offering choreographed ceremonies for Benin's trickle of largely French tourists. For more information about spiritual healing in Benin, please feel free to contact our friendly team of experts today! Some simply scared the crowd. Although the specific age of the home is unknown, the architectural style suggests it was built in the mid to late 1800s. The Republic of Benin is a West African country that is bordered by Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo, and Nigeria. However, they also took great pride in their city. But a crushing defeat to the French in 1892 saw most Dahomian palaces razed and the empire destroyed. Benin City. A letter written by Fr Michael McFadden SMA who was working in Ibadan, Oyo State and had attended thefuneral Mass in Benin City provided useful information about Brians death and the details about thefuneral Mass and burial. Read about our approach to external linking. I sensed the Voodoo floodgates were opening. Initially, Europeans who visited the city described it as "disorganized." It traces the journey of people of African descent throughout the world: in Ghana, the Ewe people call it Vodun; in Brazil, it is Vodum; in . King Ghezo's intricately carved throne rests upon four skulls of rival chiefs while beyond all taste (amid fine Portuguese silks and British cut-glass decanters) is a royal flywhisk assembled from a human cranium attached to a horsetail. He immediately alerted his mother and the extended family by phone to his discovery. Benin's Catholic hierarchy includes the Archdiocese of Cotonou which consists of the Dassa-Zoume, Lokossa, Abomey, Porto Novo Dioceses and the Parakou composed of the Natitingou, Djougou, N'dali and Kandi Dioceses. Using the traditional diviners tools of tray, sand, and shells, he conveys the results over the phone. Each of the city's 11 divisions included workshops, where artisans created sculptures, cast bronze plaques, and carved ivory. Only those who live a virtuous and good existence earn the privilege of reincarnation; those who are unkind or deceitful don't get to be reborn. He hails from Obrumudu-Oghara Ethiope West Local . Benin City is situated on a branch of the Benin River and lies along the main highways from Lagos to the eastern states. His son Esigie controlled Benin City, while another son, Arhuaran, was based in the equally important city of Udo about twenty miles away. Juju or ju-ju (French: joujou, lit. For more information about spiritual healing in Benin, please feel free to contact our friendly team of experts today! And, hurrah, Voodoo-dolls were tucked into their sarongs, each representing the number of deities they individually worshipped. In a shady woodland glade before the charred tree-stump fetish, adorned with jawbones, I hammered a wooden peg into the gooey shrine. I was fleetingly disappointed to discover it was going to be another a Mami Wata ceremony - but not for long. Vodun religious beliefs are entirely different from other African traditional beliefs since it is syncretized with Christian beliefs to some extent together with indigenous American traditions and the traditional beliefs of the Kongo people. The belief that the dead communicate with the living, as through a medium. Real changes may unfold in your life during the weeks after your sessions. As Pope Benedict XVI visits Benin, widely seen as the home of Voodoo, Virgile Ahissou from BBC Afrique explains the reality behind what is often a misunderstood religion. Before the Mass Brian placed a laminated photo of his father and a card from his mother on the grave. It was a defining and joyous moment. Spiritual music, lyrics, and videos from Benin City, NG on ReverbNation First National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria, 1970. Spiritual healing can be very empowering for the client, as there is a desire on the healers part to enable each person to heal themselves. In a general sense, the term "juju" can be used to refer to magical properties dealing with good luck. Spiritualism absorbed many of the assumptions of the Magnetist movement but maintained that healings were the result of spirit influence rather than magnetic power. Ouidah's market sells grotesque ritualistic accoutrements used in ceremonies. Vodun is the center of the religious life and has female priesthood which can be hereditary being passed down from mother to daughter. Brian contacted Fr. I lost all my hopes getting rid of this . Omissions? The messages that mediums claimed to receive were examined in order to build theoretical constructs for explaining how spirit contact could occur. Not only did Benin City have an incredible network of walls, but the entire city was also built using fractal design. Late in the 13th century, royal power began to assert itself under the oba Ewedo and was firmly established under the most famous oba, Ewuare the Great (reigned c. 144080), who was described as a great warrior and magician. Mr Yaseen, a spiritualist with the highest level of Knowledge. n. 1. a. And then fate eventually smiled upon me. shouted Remi above the cacophony. Rituals, related to the Benin cosmic view form an intrinsic part of life. May Brian Senior rest in peace until the day of the Resurrection. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. For all of us gathered around the grave it was a rare moment of great celebration and intense joy. The descendants of Benins ruling dynasty still occupy the throne in Benin City (although the present-day oba has only an advisory role in government). Fa divination and its variants have adapted to the needs of the diverse communities in which they are found. The human body is composed of mind, spirit and emotions. People seek help on a variety of issues - to be cured of a disease, find a job, complete a business deal, find a spouse or have a child. In present-day Benin and Nigeria, Dahomey, a Fon kingdom founded in the seventeenth century, and Oyo, a Yoruba kingdom founded in the fourteenth century, were rival states. 2. I'd fallen completely under her spell. Culturally diverse, Benin's people follow a diverse mix of Christian, Muslim and West African traditional beliefs. Animals are often sacrificed in order to bring good luck. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Between 1440 and the late 1800s, the Benin Empire thrived and became a successful center for trade. It was spooky. spiritualist in benin citypapa smurf tattoo. People across West Africa, especially Togo, Ghana and Nigeria hold similar beliefs but in Benin it is recognised as an official religion, followed by some 40% of the population. deficiencies. I was ready to converse with the spirit god Dankoli. Although the majority of the population in Benin City describe themselves as Christian, many also believe in the indigenous spiritual customs. Benin is bathed in simplistic beauty yet possesses a thrilling, mystical underbelly. The African American Spiritual Churches are combinatory religious sites, which blend Protestant, Catholic, Spiritualist, Haitian Voodoo, and Benin's traditional Vodun practices. Just like most nominal Muslims, some nominal Christians also practice traditional local religious beliefs. Instead, the main altar (bereft of human skulls) was a dribbling accumulation of wax and oil that reminded me of a cheesy table-decoration in an Italian restaurant. This is one of Beninese Voodoo's most explosive events, where departed ancestral spirits take the form of humans in order to impart wisdom and justice to the living. View Spiritual Healer's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. And despite myHammer House of Horrorexpectations, not a drop of sacrificial blood was spilled, nor did any eye-bulging zombies grace the affair. With this knowledge I headed to Porto Novo, a lagoon-facing former French colonial city of 350,000 people, 40-minutes drive from busy Cotonou, and on the flat coastal plain of south Benin's Voodoo heartland. Written nearly 30 years ago, it tells of Dom Francisco de Silva, a 19th-century Brazilian migrant who became Benin's most notorious slave trader. Various chronic, recurring, or nagging conditions can be healed or greatly relieved by the more subtle processes of spiritual healing. Vodun which means spirit in the Ewe and Fon language is widely practiced by many West African countries mostly in the southern and central regions of Benin. Nowadays it's possible to meet the King of Dahomey and keep your head. In Vodun, a religion originating in coastal West Africa, Fa (also known as Ifa) divination is a key component of religious practice. After two days in a taxi with a driver called Filbert, the coastal plain subsided to a rippling landscape of green bush and ochre roads, studded by granite hills. Tradition asserts that the Edo people became dissatisfied with the rule of a dynasty of semimythical kings, the ogisos, and in the 13th century they invited Prince Oranmiyan of Ife to rule them. The residents also participated in Benin City's prosperous trade market. Top 10 Alcohol Consuming Countries In The World, Protestantism and Other Forms of Non-Catholic Christianity, West African Folk Religions and Traditional Beliefs other than Vodun, Eckankar, Baha'i Faith, and Other Beliefs. Benin City, also called Edo, capital and largest city of Edo state, southern Nigeria. Get the very best of Wanderlustby signing up to our newsletters, full of travel inspiration, fun quizzes, exciting competitions and exclusive offers. An attractive city of spirits worshipped by the animist Goun people, Porto Novo's most visible ghosts are world-weary French houses with honey-coloured facades and peeling shutters, and I spent my first morning exploring its fine museums. Across Africa, the practice of divination is a way of knowing that is widely used and . Brian served the Mass mindful of the fact that his father Brian, Sr. had also served Mass every day on board the ship, the Aureol, which had brought him to Nigeria in the company of many Irish missionaries. In a village north of Ouidah, the group met with a. Roman Catholic Christians account for 27% of Benin's population. The Oba of Benin is the traditional ruler of the Edo people, and his palace has sacred cultural significance. In halcyon times, Abomey was capital of the feared Dahomey Kingdom (Benin's former name). In human cultures in general, and perhaps particularly in Africa, the landscape is the first shrine of tradition. It was Chinese masquerade meets the 'running of the bulls' at Pamplona. Benin City has a renowned teaching hospital and a number of factories. In 1974, the Guinness Book of Records recognized the historic Benin City for its extensive network of walls, which surrounded the entire kingdom and divided it into nearly 500 separate villages. At dusk I settled into a bar near the Python Temple and watched clouds of fruit bats funnel from a mango tree like departing souls. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH BENIN CITY (1941 - 2021) ST. . A dancer at Benin Voodoo Festival (Shutterstock). Prior to the year 900, the location of today's Benin City was a dense and inhospitable rainforest. McCawille immediately communicated the good news to Brian, Jr. who was about to leave Ireland on a wing and a prayer on his journey of discovery to Nigeria. Benin, one of the principal historic kingdoms of the western African forest region (fl. In term s of administration , the spiritual leader/General overseers that have administered the church till date are: Most Snr. According to Bacon, the town was rife with "crucifixions, human sacrifices, and every horror the eye could get accustomed to blood was everywhere; smeared over bronzes, ivory, and even the walls." In a trance, they laughed and howled as priests blessed a pot of water. Many divination practices are connected to religious traditions, but they are also used to glean insight into all aspects of daily life. I'd come to see two surviving Unesco-listed Dahomian palaces: the 19th-century mud-walled palaces of Kings Ghezo and Glele, both packed with wonderfully macabre artefacts. Islam was brought into Benin by the Songhai-Dendi traders and Hausa from the north. He explained that diviners can save lives by solving both spiritual and physical problems. A core belief of spiritualism is that individuals survive the deaths of their bodies by ascending into a spirit existence. Although rumors suggest a portion of one of the walls remains intact, hidden in the Nigerian bush, it is unlikely as there was no effort to preserve or restore any of the remnants left standing following the Punitive Expedition. Feeling positive now. As he told me about Voodoo's living dead we consumed Johnny Walker whisky. A musty odour reeks from dehydrated bits of crocodile snouts, hippos' feet, pigs' penises, whole chameleons, pangolins, and (look away pet-lovers) cat and dog heads. b. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, drawing on spiritual energies or forces through spiritual healing in Benin can be extremely beneficial. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. "He's back," whispered Yvette. It has none of the negative connotations it has in the West and many of those who are officially Christian or Muslim also incorporate some Voodoo elements into their beliefs, especially in times of crisis. From the sand dunes of Mauritania to the currents of River Senegal, to the Lions of the Beninese savannah to the spirits of the forests of Gabon, this series explores the origin, the nature and the survival of deep links between several populations in West Africa and their habitat.Each episode takes us to discover an emblematic landscape: the river (Senegal), the desert (Mauritania), the forest (Gabon) and the savannah (Benin). The sign is determined by the diviner and named aloud, solidifying the results. People wearing masks during the Egungun Ceremony, Benin (Shutterstock). The Guinness Book of Records noted Benin's walls were "the world's largest earthworks prior to the mechanical era.". Fr McCawille visited all three searching for any information about the whereabouts of the grave of the late Brian McCormack Snr. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Everywhere I went, I was accompanied by gawping children performing their jaunty little song: "Yovo(white man),yovo, ca va? He completed the prescribed sacrifices following a January consultation and sent video evidence of them over WhatsApp to his absent client. Once again I was being swept along by a society offering a magical snapshot of life and beliefs before European Christianity arrived. Although spiritualist practices have been motivated by mere curiosity and fascination with the supernatural, they have also been driven by more serious concerns about the fate of the human soul. We know our history and tell it to our children.. Corrections? Other variants of the system are found across the region, a result of its dynamic history. It predates the use of modern earth-moving equipment or technology in these. I lost all my hopes getting rid of this evil spirit after trying many years get rid of him but you made the impossible thing into possible and that is out of our life. Its brass smiths and bronze casters excelled at making naturalistic heads, bas-reliefs, and other sculptures. The smaller side streets were also built in mathematical patterns. The chain consists of eight linked seed halves and is shaped like a U. The diviner, called bokonon in Fongbe and babalawo in Yoruba, throws the chains to the ground, where they turn up in one of the 256 possible formations. I entered the now modest Abomey palace of King Benhanzin II, kowtowing at his feet so my forehead brushed the ground. Approaching the coast, sea breezes rustled coconut groves while crabs gnashed their claws amid mangroves. As reported by The Guardian, the walls were largely destroyed during the Benin Punitive Expedition of 1897, and no known trace of the walls remain in the modern Benin City. Two bulky 'monsters' galloped into the arena sending people scattering into a banana grove. Spiritualists sought to make contact with the dead, commonly through the assistance of a medium, which is a person believed to have the ability to contact spirits directly. 13th19th century). The funeral Mass took place on 22nd March, 1954 at Holy Cross Cathedral. The city also manufactures furniture and produces beer and soft drinks. Ewuare was succeeded by a line of strong obas, chief of whom were Ozolua the Conqueror (c. 1481c. - Ramandeep Kaur Cheema. Under these obas Benin became a highly organized state. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Spiritual's connections and jobs at similar companies. But Voodoo is more than a belief system, it is a complete way of life, including culture, philosophy, language, art, dance, music and medicine. I won't reveal what I wished for. They are practiced in Haiti, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States as an aspect of religions such as Santeria, Voodoo, and Candombl.

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