AFRICANISM.
5.AFRICAN CULTURE AND TRADITION.
I'm an African myself; my identity is undeniable since it is written all over me in the form of skin color and hair texture; and therefore, since the day of my birth I was not immune to any African practice or rite. Now that a little child could not decide what their parents should do with them.
But naturally; the parental power is not a permanent phenomenon; not at all; instead it is meant to be there for a little while and afterward everything be left on to the child to decide on their own in terms of what life to follow or what ideology to adopt.
The parental care itself is all about grooming up a child, since it is every parent's responsibility to take care of their child; and prepare them for the future.
However, the direction of any particular child's future is not known to any particular parent nor the child themselves; no; instead, it is known by the natural powers of destiny alone; and when it fulfills its tasks no one can be left with anything whatsoever to stop it.
It would just have things going its own way this destiny!!
However, my African identity does not bind me to a state of silence and compliance; even when there is something perceived unacceptable.
Neither is it binding me to certain unacceptable commitments established in the name of compulsory African culture and tradition. I do have my own mind to think and decide.
Therefore, whatever is deemed inhumane and unacceptable to me, I won't feel ashamed having to criticize; reject and condemn without having to become a representative of anyone except my mind and heart; same applies to anything perceived suitably humane to accept.
For truly speaking what I deem precious in my life I will simply embrace and respect no matter what African culture and tradition may be trying to prohibit me ; that is my right as a living creature and the consequence of any choice made will rightly come to me as an actor.
It is just about every matured adult who has the right to do what they deem suitably human and await the eventual consequences!!
There has never been anything wrong around traditional healing at all; I just speak from my own point of view and am not trying to represent anyone else.
Surely, it is natural that in times of physical difficulties one can simply resort to mountains over there and help themselves with tree roots dug out there for an assurance of one's physical relief. Or rush to a particular plant for its medicinal leaves if not to a particular stream or well over there to fetch the magic-like waters thereof.
That has always been the part and parcel of natural and physical living every living creature is entitled to; for out of such medicinal roots and leaves of specially-created plants there would be lying the healing of a particular ailment. And that is what traditional African healing is all about if opposed to western medicinal practice where chemical processes and ingredients are involved as boosters.
The original traditional healing is all about mutual support.
From where I stand; these are the aspects and qualities of true and original African culture; that makes this natural and mutual traditional healing stand out from the mischievous and wicked practice in the form of witchcraft and sorcery.
According to the findings of my own; that are based on my recent research carried out ever since mental freedom and maturity came into my life, the research around witchcraft and traditional healing altogether; only as an attempt to try to distinguish each from the other; I came to realize myself that the difference between the two lies in the involvement of blood and snippets of body parts.
Such is research conducted personally and out of personal experience; meaning that the final inferences I came and arrived at were satisfying and without any doubt at least on my part, and it was only then that I could start acquiring the understanding about these two African issues; that is witchcraft and traditional healing; and then became able to differentiate between them. Let me say that I am not speaking or writing about all these things in an attempt to represent any person whatsoever, not at all; better my mind; my heart and my feelings. Naturally, everybody knows how it feels like when there is something stressful in one's life, and they cannot immediately understand how to get out of that problem. The stressed person would find themselves without any mental freedom and peace; while suffering from sleepless nights as they try getting to the bottom of the troublesome matter and then find answers; and there won't be any exhilarating moment much more than the one of discovery of the truth and answers to troublesome questions that used to riddle their mind day in and out.
Life itself is based on truth and was created to be as truthful and realistic as it should be and therefore; anything that may try diverting life into what it is not meant for will be brought to the fore or be exposed, no matter after how long. And when that moment has eventually come, happiness shall be with those who had been in pursuit of the truth from time to time in their lives; much as vain attempts would be made by the one who had been twisting things around to get away with their sophisticated and well planned imitations of the original. But; great lies in the fact that even though one may try getting things their own way; destiny itself would be awaiting on a standby to execute its compulsory duties in due time. And when the time of the final fulfillment has eventually come; even the one who had been rating themselves above the rest won't believe it after having been reduced to the grounds below. And sorrow would be with them at their realization of how low they had been reduced and made to eat the humble pie they had been scornful of from time to time. Now that destiny would have taken its course and channelled life to its own way.
The curse and blemish of African culture and tradition.
Witchcraft and sorcery has always been two aspects of the profane and defiled part of African tradition and culture; and because of their presence within this naturally sacred African culture and tradition; African identification has lost its value and true original meaning. What is being seen and observed today is nothing less than an imitation of the original, instead it is more of that imitation; where fundamental qualities are replaced with certain components of dilution; propaganda; and superstitions as brutality and torture plays a key role in the consolidation of the superstitious fabrications in the name of ancestral tradition and culture. There is nothing wrong with ancestral belief and culture, though; it is a naturally realistic phenomenon and justifiably a factual practice. Or is there any person who have come into existence by dropping from the skies above like a mighty bolt of a lightning; without any sexual contact between two people of different gender prior to the birth of that particular person? What will that person call those through whose sexual contact they had been brought to physical life? And what will the children of that person call the parents of their parent; or how will the children of those children consider those unknown and unseen grandmas and grandpas? So goes the lineage and as such ancestry is for real!!
Or is there any person who does not know that their ancient grandmas and grandpas are their ancestors?
The origins of these two main sources of profanity and guile in the name of African tradition; that is witchcraft and sorcery; and also in the name of traditional healing, are very far-reaching and deep. History can surely attest to that fact; and there is no doubt that out of them the African continent itself has been reduced into a mess of bloodshed and torture, given the stereotyped and crooked mental state of many African inhabitants.
As part of my personal research around these two sources of African profanity and guile based on my personal experiences; I found myself wondering how all these things had started to be this way and what inspired them. Well; the findings appeared to be amazing to me as I accepted what I believed to be the real origins of these two problems beside history itself. I came to accept and realize that the main issue behind this trouble is the state of the mind and the heart.
Enemy of Humanity!!
The heart and the mind have always been two partners playing interchanging roles in the history of life itself; history can still attest to that fact also. Because of the state and power of these two dangerous partners, life itself had been reduced into a scene of destruction that is mocking the real meaning of life itself. The powers of these two partners knows no color nor race or any social status; no. When they are out in operation they would just sweep any weaker identity they do come across; and when one is overpowered by the willpower of the two, they would act in accordance with that effect; and it will depend on the kind of the generated effect; whether it is good or bad; evil or just; generous or brutal. It will just depend on that, surely!!
The state of one's mind and heart can make one to love or hate; it can make one to respect and disrespect; make one deceive or advise properly; make one feel to support the other or destroy another's life; it can also make one become sympathetic or brutal. That has always been the dynamics of the power of mind and heart; and out of them the world has always been shaped into a particular form and life channelled into a particular direction.
History can be the universal judge!!
So whether one is a black man or white man; an African or Asian; the rich or the poor there is still no available mean to escape the powers of these two partners when they are out in full force; and whosoever they come across they would inevitably sweep over; and great shall lie in that part of life to which they sweep their prospective target.