Orisha Worship
Ashe today, tomorrow, and always.
As always and forever, I hope that when you read this message you and all in your Kingdom are truly in the best of health and spirit. As for me, I continue to draw from beauty and strength of my Ancestors as well as the Orishas. Through their generosity I am able to breathe an air of Ashe that rejuvenates, recharges, motivates, inspires, and brings clarity to my scope of vision.
With the tumbao of Cuba pulsating in the background, my fingers seem to be typing with the rhythm of the Orishas as the words created are done so in their honor and for the purpose of celebrating their magnificence. Through this message the method of Orisha Worship as practiced through Ministry Ashe will be explained.
The beauty of the Orishas is that their presence and energy surrounds us whether we are conscious of it or not. The power of Orisha worship is that by increasing our consciousness and understanding, we are able to access this energy and live in a manner that is more conducive for personal progress, mental management, and spiritual salvation. Orisha worship through Ministry Ashe is rooted both in the African Traditions of the Yoruba people as well as the Catholic infused Cuban Traditions. This by no means is to say that we approach Orisha Worship from a Catholic perspective; for we do not. It simply means that the depths of what we know as Santeria, Lucumi, Ocha, and Ifa will be explored, taught, and practiced through an understanding of historical origin as well as cultural perspectives.
The foundation of this faith is based on sincerity and a genuine desire to not only enjoy the balance of energy, but also to appreciate the commitment that needs to be made and the consistency that needs to be displayed when this balance is obtained.
Orisha worship with Ministry Ashe begins with embracing the existence of our Ancestral Spirits (known as our Egun). While most commonly referenced are the ancestors that we are personally familiar with (i.e. family and friends), through Ancestral worship we understand that our spirit is joined by the spirits of many who we never came to know in the physical sense during our current lifetime. In our spiritual entourage we each have a mixture of ethnicities, genders, and ages from all parts of the globe. Their energy is intimately connected with ours and it is imperative that we understand, accept, and exercise the importance of tending to these ancestral spirits.
The manner with which we will tend to the Orishas directly is where the fusion mentioned above is truly highlighted.
The birth of civilization and subsequently the Orishas is in the land that parents us all: Africa. It is through the study of the Yoruba people, their civilization, their culture, their beliefs, and their traditions that we will gain our understanding of the Orishas, their origins, their legends, and the methods of worship as defined by the Yoruba people.
The incorporation of Orisha Worship into our daily lives is what we learn from Cuba. Not to say that such is not the case in Africa, as I am sure that it undoubtedly is. However, my personal experience is rooted in the traditions of Santeria and Ifa in Cuba. From the references to the Orishas in the popular music, to the commonality of seeing initiates in the street going through their daily routine, to the ceremonial beads that adorn the bodies of the practitioners alongside their work uniforms; life on the island of Cuba has taught me that true understanding of one's faith manifests itself in the complete integration it has in every aspect of their life.
The methods of Orisha Worship that have yet to be created are what we will learn from studying the lives we lead and the world that we live in today. We must never lose sight of the fact that a faith that focuses on the energy that we emit as well as the energy that is around us is a faith that is living. Each and every day by simply going through our daily routines, we are writing the stories that future practitioners will study to heighten their understanding of the Orishas and how they manifest themselves through us. The way a child of Eleggua navigates through the opportunities presented to them as the roads open, the way a child of Oggun yields the tools of his/her consciousness to fight the battles created by the trials and tribulations of life in our age, the way a child of Shango (Kabieosile) uses his/her passion to propel forward with strategy and conviction, the way that a child of Oya uses his/her ability to move things around to reach his/her goal, the way that a child of Oshun reminds all around him/her that the celebration of life is as important as the work that we do in it, the way that a child of Yemaya teaches all around him/her that each blessing received is as profound as the deepest parts of the ocean, the way that a child of Obatala reminds us of the importance of introspection, and of course, the way that those of us who are initiated in the mysteries of Orunmila teach all who are ready to learn that sincerity and simplicity set the stage for ashe to thrive in ways that are unimaginable; this is the evolution of Orisha Worship in today's day in age. This is Orisha worship with Ministry Ashe.
Ashe!
Rev. William King Mission Ross
Omo Shango - Oba D' Ara
Babalawo - Ola Banji
Contact
Ministry Ashé
Today!
Rev. William Q. Ross
ministermission@gmail.com
www.ministryashe.com
Phone & SMS:
602-814-2345
Fax: 888-273-8215
