Modern Western Witchcraft is one of the world's fastest growing religions, thriving across the West, from the UK to the US and beyond, after it was founded by Englishman Gerald Gardner.
So, witchcraft is growing rapidly at the centres of global scientific culture.
Parallels and divergences exist between pre-modern Western conceptions of witchcraft, modern Western witchcraft culture and those African ideas that may be associated with their counterparts in pre-modern and modern Western witchcraft conceptions.
Scholars often argue that the Yoruba Iyami and Aje concepts, for example, are different from Western witchcraft conceptions, referencing the greater complexity of attitudes, at times valoristic, towards women in the Yoruba ideas, and grounded in a rich metaphysics, in contrast to the demonizing of women in pre-modern Western witchcraft ideas.
The concept of ''psychic batteries'' is my own construction, interpreting my experiences with trees and forests, often those described as sacred, in Benin-City.
Such intellectual strategies are vital to moving away from superstition, which may be understood as belief that is not critically examined.
The terms I am using ''psychic'' and ''batteries'' indicate ideas about consciousness and energy, ideally precisely defined.
In developing such conceptual definitions, one is developing an approach to the beliefs about relationships between witches and trees, such as the belief that they meet on trees.
This is my interpretation of my own experience which suggests to me the belief in Southern Nigeria that witches meet on trees.
I am of the view that this experience of mine represents general human capacity activated by intimate relationship with the trees in question.
Such actions inimical to one's humanity include the suggestion to sacrifice other people to the entity, akin to the belief that witches sacrifice people, particularly their loved ones, at their meetings.
All these conclusions are based on my personal encounters, represented by suggestions made to me in the course of my explorations.
These suggestions were not made by any human being, since I work on my own nor was I initiated into these explorations by anyone, only through my own self cultivated relationships with nature.
The spirits can communicate with you mind to mind. You can be in your room and yet be in their location at the same time. You don't need a shrine or the accustomed paraphernalia of many African spiritualities. You are the shrine. This emphasis on internalized spirituality is correlative with the belief in the embodied nature of witchcraft in Southern Nigeria.
Recognizing these possibilities for good and evil, I am insisting on the centrality of Christian ethics as well as of a focus on God as central goals of this form of witchcraft.
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Toyin Adepoju:
Arent 2 B & C contradictory?
How can you reconcile spiritualities on trees as psychic batteries with eliminating superstition from witchcraft?
Can the concept of witchcraft be modernised in the age of science?
OAA
Sent from my Galaxy
-------- Original message --------From: Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju <toyin.adepoju@gmail.com>Date: 01/03/2021 16:36 (GMT+00:00)To: usaafricadialogue <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>, Yoruba Affairs <yorubaaffairs@googlegroups.com>, Naija Observer <naijaobserver@googlegroups.com>Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Modern African Witchcraft: Theory ,Practice, Ethics
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Modern African Witchcraft
Theory , Practice, Ethics
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
Comparative Cognitive Processes and Systems
"Exploring Every Corner of the Cosmos in Search of Knowledge"
Painting by Victor Ekpuk of a bird ascending on a delicate white line into a cloud of enigmatic script evoking
mysterious knowledge.
I am using the image in suggesting the idea from Nigerian witchcraft lore of witches moving across space
as birds. The bird evokes in this context, movement within and across dimensions in quest of ultimate
reality.
Contents
1. What is Modern African Witchcraft?
2. The Reasons for the Creation of Modern African Witchcraft
A. Actualizing the potential of the female centred spiritualities of Orisa cosmology in Iyami Aje concepts and the institutions of Ifa, Gelede and Ogboni.
B. Developing the possibilities of Benin nature spirituality on trees as energy batteries facilitating psychic acceleration, a process also known as initiation into witchcraft.
C. Working towards the elimination of superstitious approaches to witchcraft and their outcomes in the demonization of women and children.
3. Philosophy of Modern African Witchcraft
A. The quest for the ultimate source of possibility as a fundamental goal.
B. The pervasive presence of spirit, understood as self consciousness unrestricted to material forms.
C. The pervasive presence of cosmic force, ase in Yoruba, ike in Igbo.
D. The activation of psychic powers through nature in the quest for the ultimate reality.
4. Inspiration of Modern African Witchcraft
A. Yoruba Iyami Aje, Ogboni and Gelede theories of feminine power.
B. Benin nature spirituality as psychic catalyst.
B. Personal experience of Benin nature spirituality.
4. Ethics of Modern African Witchcraft
A. Christian principles of love of God, love of others and of humanity above possessions.
B. Ogboni vision of unity of humanity as children of Earth.
C. Unity of all beings in Buddhism, Yoruba origin Orisa, Igbo Odinani and other animistic spiritualities.
5. Practice of Modern African Witchcraft
A. The quest for the ultimate through self and nature.
B. Cultivating relationships with nature, facilitating movement within and across dimensions.
C. Using trees, forests and other natural formations as points of entry into other dimensions.
Mode of Delivery: Audio Recording
Contact info- email at toyin.adepoju@gmail.com;WhatsApp and text at 002348051439554.
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