The etymology of the word “religion” reveals that the root of the word means, “to bind back”. At this point in the history of this planet, what are we binding back to?

Olodumare in His/Her infinite mercy bestows upon us signs…blueprints if you will, to guide us. In Ifa alone we are given various forms of contacting the higher realm for information, for truth. We are always provided with a roadmap.

In the story of the birth of Jesus, the Magi looked up and saw the star and they knew immediately that there was a journey to be made. They had been waiting for the sign. Currently in the heavens there is a phenomenon that I mentioned in my introduction, which is the occultation of Venus.

Every 121 years Venus passes across the face of the sun. Venus is the planet that symbolizes the feminine principle. Venus represents co-operation, sociability and wisdom. Venus represents the goddess energy. Venus is also just another form of the orisha Oshun.

The transits of Venus herald a dramatic shift in human consciousness. All occultations of Venus occur in the sun signs of either Gemini or Sagittarius. This year’s occultation occurs in Gemini, which symbolizes that energy is being released to harmonize a masculine vital force that is imbalanced. In previous occultations over the centuries there were major milestones in areas of communication and travel. In 1519 Magellan set off on what European historians would have us believe was the first circumnavigation of the world. The Reformation began and a long line of female rulers reigned throughout Europe. The occultation in the 1600’s coincided with the beginning of regular mail service in Europe. Another occultation in 1874/82 (they happen in pairs, eight years apart) coincided with the World Postal Union and the idea of the telephone was conceived. In the period of the mid-1800’s, the women’s suffrage movement became a powerful force and subsequently women were given the vote in the United States as well as Australia. These events suggest both a chance for global communication and a chance for women to be push their way to the forefront.

The cosmos has been giving us a chance to include what has been cut out of what has now become religion. We have failed because the changes appear to be merely cosmetic. As people who choose to be guided by an African cosmology we have to understand our place in this. Over the past five centuries we have gradually traded in the wisdom of our forefathers for a false sense of reality.

Venus is the planet that the Catholic Church vilified by naming her Lucifer, the fallen angel. Ellegua is syncretised sometimes as Lucifer. We know the path of Oshun Ibu Kole, the Divine Messenger, who out of all the orisha was the only one who was able to save the world. Olodumare gives her Ellegua as her traveling companion. Ifa also tells us of a time when the orisha lived on earth. Olodumare sent 17 down, Oshun being the only female. When they arrived, Oshun was excluded form their work. When the world was filled with destruction and there was nothing they could seem to do, the male orisha went back to Olodumare to ask why they had failed. Olodumare asked them how many He/She sent to Earth. When the male orisha realized what they had done, Olodumare sent them back to beg the forgiveness of Oshun and ask her for help. They did this but at this time Oshun was pregnant and did not want to help. Instead she told them if she gave birth to a son, the world would be saved. If she gave birth to a daughter, then there would be war. Oshun gave birth to a son and he was named Osetura, otherwise known as Ellegua. Is it a coincidence that the Catholic Church named Venus after the fallen angel, Lucifer?

Venus is called both the Morning and Evening Star. She has a dual nature and rises and sets with the Sun. The Sun is a masculine force. The passing of Venus across its face means it is time again for the masculine force to be united with the feminine force. A marriage needs to occur. The Mayans studied this cosmic phenomenon closely. The next occultation they predicted occurs in June 2012. That date is six months shy of the end of the Mayan calendar, which ends in December of 2012. The end of the Mayan calendar suggests Armageddon. We don’t have much time left.

The people of the world share this quagmire. We are all in the same boat, as they say. At this point we are all responsible. We who rely on the wisdom of the African ancestors have the power to turn this around, partly because we did not create this schism, though we have helped to perpetuate it. There has been a gradual removal of the female energy from spirituality in many forms. In Christianity, the Virgin Mary is excluded from the Trinity even though she gave birth to the Christ. Mary Magdalene, who some say was a disciple, is called a whore. Some religious historians have begun to do research on whether Mary was actually a virgin. There is a story I have heard often about when missionaries first told African of this story, they laughed. They thought they were being told a child’s tale. That is because they intrinsically understood the laws of nature. The original meaning of the word “virgin” does not mean “chaste” but means “unmarried”. This gives the connotation that a virgin is whole and complete in herself, by herself. I would also venture to say that it is the male principle that needs to be “married” to be complete.

When the ancient goddess religions gave way to those of the Hellenic solar gods, sexuality (another aspect of Venus/Oshun) was divorced from spirituality, so women who pursued a spiritual path were to remain chase, thus we have nuns. In earlier times a priestess could enter into a state of spiritual transcendence through sexual union with a partner that did not call for marriage or commitment. In patriarchal culture this illumination was seen, as a descent of the flesh so now the priestess instead becomes of bride of Christ in order to be spiritually pure.

The role of the goddess energy is to nurture and love but most importantly, to transform male energy so that it is elevated spiritually. We all know a simple example of this: conception. The sperm that penetrates the ovum is nurtured and completely transformed in a living human being. When the baby is given to the father it looks nothing like what he originally gave the mother, but he knows it is of him and it is beautiful.

Another example of the role of the goddess is the story of Isis. Isis was initially a divinity of fertility, but in later mysteries she became a goddess of wisdom. Her main myth concerns the dismemberment of her husband, Osiris who she put back together.

The Creator is our Father as well as our Mother. All of creation manifests this. Disciplines such as chemistry and mathematics make this clear, but in our arrogance and unwillingness to change we poison our relationships, our children and ourselves. We have become fragmented.

The goddess comes quietly and sweetly and gives us many chances but when she gets tired she turns into the warrior. Oshun carries a knife with her to cut the throats of her enemies. Yemaya’s avatar of Okuti uses Ogun’s tools to fight for her children. We only get so many chances.

As we ponder these things let us begin to really look at our lives and make ourselves whole. Then the meaning of “iwa pwele”, good and gentle character, becomes second nature.

Much ire to all,
Iya Oshunlade.