Constructing a Philosophy and Spirituality of Ogboni
a Yoruba Origin Esoteric Order
by Adapting the Work of Babatunde Lawal
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
Comparative Cognitive Processes and Systems
"Exploring Every Corner of the Cosmos in Search of Knowledge"
and
African esoteric orders have a lot to offer the wold but this potential is often unrealised on account of the secrecy of these groups. An example of this is the Yoruba origin Ogboni esoteric order which constitutes a rich philosophical core and inspiring spiritual practice, information unknown to many, if not most people, even in its native Nigeria, enabling the group to be known largely in terms of negative associations.
Using published scholarly literature as my sources and inspired by my study and practice of various philosophies and spiritualities across Africa, Asia and the West, I am developing an openly and freely accessible Ogboni philosophy and spirituality adapted from the traditional approaches.
I present here the most important work of a scholar of fundamental importance on Ogboni and outline how it may be adapted to an Ogboni philosophy and spirituality.
Babatunde Lawal's " À Yà Gbó, À Yà Tó : New Perspectives on Edan Ògbóni" , linked here, is the most important writing I know on Ogboni. Its comprehensiveness, expository clarity, analytical and integrative power and powerful images of Ogboni art means one can use it in setting up an Ogboni philosophical structure and spiritual practice.
By philosophy, I refer to ideas about fundamental values. By spirituality, I mean an effort to relate with forms of consciousness different from conventional understanding of mind.
Ogboni spirituality, as I am developing it in adaptation of traditional Ogboni ideas, is centred in relationship with Ile, Earth and agents connected with her.
In developing an Ogboni spirituality, one could construct a physical shrine. As representing the presence of Ile in the shrine, in place of the magnificent Ogboni art presented in Lawal's essay, one could use any substitutes one finds congenial but which communicate the same or similar ideas as the art.
One could also build a mental shrine through visualization of the Ogboni sculptures or related figures.
Online searches for "Edan Ogboni" and "Ogboni onile, owner of the land", Ogboni onile, owner of the house" and "Ogboni onile, owner of the earth", central motifs in Ogboni art, yield much fruit on this sculptural genre.
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