Coming Closer To The Divine - Part Two

In Search of the Gods: Coming Closer To The Divine - Part Two

In the last issue of this column, we discussed two very important aspects of how a human being can come closer to the perfect model of the existence itself; the world of the Gods. Attention was given to the fact that one must first purify oneself through a process of ablution, or physical/spiritual cleansing, before any attempt to connect with the divine world takes place. This is a must, considering that the world of the Gods is free of pollution, corruption and filth. We also previously discussed how important it is to be able to communicate with Gods in the tongue that they first gave to humanity, the Medu Neter (language of Gods). Both of these aspects are spiritual requirements and should be learned and practiced by any person who desires to live a spiritual existence. But that's not all. The role of the ancestors cannot be omitted from the equation, for without their intervention in the life of every human being, it will be virtually impossible to access the divine world. It is from this standpoint that we shall begin our attempt to understand their roles and how they affect the destiny of every human being. 

For every human being born into this world, there is a path or course that has been set for their life to follow. This path is what we call destiny. In the modern religious belief system, the common perception is that the destiny of the individual was given to him/her by the God of his/her respective religion. If the life of the individual on Earth is free of suffering, poverty, sickness, etc. the individual then entertains the thought that he is doing what it takes to please the God of his choice, and therefore his life is favorable in the eyes of that God. On the other hand, if the life of the individual is stricken with the before mentioned influences, the individual will either feel that he should continue to try harder to please his God, or he may feel cursed by his God and lose hope altogether. These scenarios would make perfect sense if Gods dealt directly with humans, which is a common belief among worshipers of modern religions, but the reality is that Gods are not directly responsible for the outcome of the life of humans. This area is reserved for the ancestors of the individual. 

All humans are born with two destinies; the prenatal destiny and the conditional destiny, which were both given to the individual by his ancestors many generations before he was born. The prenatal destiny is the path that many of us believe was given to us by God. But this notion couldn't be further from the truth. Within the Kemetic (original) spiritual system, it is taught that the prenatal destiny was set for us by our ancestors (through the bloodline of the mothers) based on what that particular ancestor wished for us during that time, seven generations back. But if one traces his history back to that time and compares that to how things function today, one can see that what would have been a sufficient path for their life to follow back then may not be enough in the present time in which we live. This is where the conditional destiny comes in. 

The conditional destiny allows the individual to alter the course of the original destiny that was set for him. This is the destiny that is not spoken of in any of the modern religions, because the only way to affect it is by going through the ancestral line, which erases the idea of the individual dealing directly with God in order to see changes in his life. But in order for changes to occur outside of the original (prenatal) destiny, as the name implies, there are certain conditions that must be met. It must first be understood that the ancestors are the intermediary between the human being and the God(s). As we mentioned before, God(s) do not deal directly with humans. The dimensions in which the ancestors exist are much more favorable than what the human beings on Earth can perceive. This is how vital the ancestral spirit is to humanity. Another important aspect that must be understood is the fact that just because a relative dies, that does not make him/her an ancestor. At that point, they are just a dead relative. Only under the condition that we raise them to the level of an ancestor, can he/she do the work we require of him/her. 

We can raise dead relatives to the level of ancestors through a series of ceremonies consisting of various offerings. The most common are food offerings. To give a small example of how it works, imagine you are in a strange desolate place all by yourself, and you are very hungry, cold and tired. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a person appears and walks towards you with a package in his hands. While you are still trying to make sense of it all, that person hands you the package and tells you it is a gift from your son or grandson or great-grandson. You then open the package, and to your delight there is a nice hot meal inside for you to eat. After receiving the nourishment you so desperately needed, and because you are so pleased that one of your descendants cared enough about you to make sure you will be fed and taken care of, you then look for ways to make the life of that descendant more pleasant as a show of appreciation, by negotiating directly with the Gods to allow the wishes of that descendant to manifest in the course of his life. 

This is a loose example of how the conditional destiny works and the role the ancestors play in our lives. It is important for the reader to understand that it is the energetic presence of the offering that is received by the ancestors. It is equally important to understand that the relationship between a human and his ancestors is a reciprocal one, meaning if the human turns his back to the notion of taking care of his ancestors in the realm in which they exist, in turn they will turn their back on that human being as well. It is only by opening this channel can a human have access to God(s). This is direct knowledge, and it is not to be perceived as myth, folklore or legend. This is the system the world functioned upon thousands of years before modern religions and new ideologies were introduced to the world. Until now, the reader could have used the excuse of not knowing this reality exists. But that is no longer the case. 

Many indigenous cultures worldwide have always understood how this works and still conduct ancestral ceremonies today. In many places, shrines are built specifically for this purpose. It is only those of us that have not been exposed to this practice that continue to believe we can just pray to God and have our prayers answered. It has never been that simple and it will never be, regardless of what our emotions may lead us to believe, or what we have been taught and conditioned to think. The individual on the true spiritual path must educate himself of the realities of existence. The Earthcenter has come all the way from the African bush to provide the individual with the tools in which to build the wisdom of himself and the world in which we live. As Master Naba says, "The sun never sets, it is man that moves away from the light." 

To learn more about the Earth Center's classes and services, call us at 773-722-7001 or go to www.theearthcenter.com. I wish you peace and understanding, as we continue our journey in search of the Gods.