SPIRITS

 

THE SPIRITS

 

What is ancestral spirits?

 

The phrase ‘Ancestral Spirits may be used in two ways, it may refer to the spirit of your ancestors that in many traditions are  important part of traditional ritual, or may refer to spirits that existed since before us and in which our ancestors believed already, as some spirits of nature in animists traditions. It is a spirit that is attached to a person because of the family they were born into.

Connection and spiritual affairs

A sensitive person may hear or see the spirits. Some people may suggest that ancestor spirits are memories; ancestor spirits are entities that are linked to the living through genetic memory. Because of the genes carried in a family, ties on a Physical, Sub Cellular level cannot be destroyed as long as they are passed through generations.

Ancestral spirits were often contacted in dreams and in the trances of spirit mediums

as were the high godsends other nonhuman spirits. They would give people information about the causes of diseases, death and other misfortunes and would sometimes prescribe new medicines or new variety of powers. At times the spirit mediums would also order their human protégés to perform songs and dances for entertainment of the spirits, to win their goodwill and ensure the prosperity of the community.
Understanding our ancestors very well helps human to know where they come from. We must pay attention and sufficient respect to our spirit protector, the spirit may bless, forgive as well as cursing.

Why some people see Spirits and Ghosts and others do not

A very common question people ask is why some people see sprits or ghosts but others do not. It is because those who cannot see are not connected with the spirit world and those who can see them are called for medium ship between the spirit world and human world of living. Is there such a thing as a Ghost? Can you see a ghost? The answer to questions is yes, there is and you can see it.

Ghosts are spirit beings not only the spirits of the dead

Because the spirits of people who have died are called amadlozi (Ancestral Spirits) and they are Good Spirits that guards; guide and protect us. But the bible negates the fact that the Spirits of deceased Human Beings can remain on earth to guide, protect, curse and haunt the living for some particular reason. Mostly ghosts are disembodied spirits of the deceased human beings chased from the spirit world for some misconduct during their times of living as humans, it also can be spirits of witches and wizards used to trouble people, they come in form of shadows and can change into a lot of things, people who are attached to them can see them though.
When tragic death occurs mostly the deceased become ghosts they start to trouble the living at home or at the places of death. That is why many people consults with mediums right away when tragic death occur, wanting answers solution and comfort.

The bible speaks clearly that there are indeed spirit beings

That can connect with and appear in our physical world. The bible identifies these beings as Angels and Demons. It says Angels are righteous, good and holy; Demons are fallen angels who rebelled against God. It says Demons are evil, deceptive and destructive.  2 Cor 11:14-15.

The closest biblical example of a “haunting” is found in Mark 5:1-20. A legion of demons possessed a man and used a man to haunt a grave yard, there were no ghosts involved there were no ancestral spirits involved. I am afraid when some preachers are misleading people referring those so called demons to our ancestral spirits but the verses I have just mentioned above do not.

John 10:10 they will do and say anything in their power to deceive people and to get the followers

That is those so called demons not our ancestors. Our ancestors are people of God they praised God in their own ways which was destroyed by colonization mostly between 1500 and 1900 colonizers forcing their own religions and beliefs into us and our children, killing our own.
Making people believe that everything they believed in was second to best, inferior and barbaric, that is why until today people feel embarrassed to be known they consult with Spirit Mediums, Sangomas, Izinyanga, Clairvoyance, all Spiritual and Traditional Healers. Now people help themselves by consulting by night (secretly). Even the Pastors and Bishops do consult with Sangomas and there is nothing wrong with that, they still have a share from the fruits of nature regadless their wrong understanding of Traditional African Religion.

This is very likely the explanation of a “Ghostly”  activity today

whether it is called a Ghost, a Ghoul, a Poltergeist, if there is Genuine Evil Spiritual Activity Occurring, it is Evil Spirits, Spirits of Ghosts, Spirits of Darkness, Spirits of Doom. Human spirits with no home, no place to dwell trying to use or return to their dead earthly human bodies. Having a lot of issues to solve in order to transform to the spirit world and become ancestor spirits. Wandering and suffering human souls that failed to transform to spirit world appear in many funny human like images. Sometime they trouble people in their houses.

About instances where Ghosts act in positive ways

Powerful Psychics, Spirit Mediums, Sangomas, Nyangas, summon the deceased and gain true and useful information from them. If the results are that the spirits want people to do something for them and those people are prepared to honor/do as the spirits may request, the spirits will be more than willing to reveal true, helpful and guiding information.
Having honored and done whatever the ghost spirit may need in order to be accepted in the spirit world, the ghost gradually expires with that soul/spirit transforming into the spirit world to become an ancestor spirit.

We at Khokhovula are ghosts and witch hunters

, WE CAN RID YOUR HOME OF GHOSTS AND WITCHES. People are studying this world thinking they are studying the spirit world, the spirit world needs people who connect to it spiritually, there is no magic, no technology, no fashion, no style, no big name, no big amounts of money, no mansions, no big brand name cars, no fax, no internet, no telephone or cellular needed to connect to the spirit world, you only need to be a chosen, you need a calling. You do not design or invite the calling; you need just to be called and you will be having a telephone, a fax, telegram, internet, a television and video cameras all in spiritual visuals and communication.

Ancestral Spiritsand Dark Evil Forces attach to a person fighting for space

for permanent residence in that particular person they create personal problems and they heavily affect the emotions, thoughts and energy levels of that person through that tug.
75-80% of the world’s people have spirit entities or ghosts, attached to them.
50-60% of the population has dark forces and / or evil spirits attached to them.
80-90% of the population have some form of spiritual attachment on their houses, land, and / car / vehicle.

THE DARK FORCES

Are a collection of non-human dark energy ( negative and fear ) based beings with an extremely high intelligence that are sent to our planet with an intent to cause harm to humans, to steal the power, Light and Energy of humans and to create as much pain, misery and fear as they can. Dark forces use fear as their main tool to have power over humans. Dark forces prey on the fears, negative emotions, unhealthy habits and dark thoughts / beliefs of the people they posses.

Types of dark forces

Demons – non-human dark energy (the most common dark force entity).
Negative spirit entities – Dark or negative spirits that have chosen to work with the dark forces.
Fallen angels – Dark angelic beings which are extremely rare.

Spirit entities – Ghosts

Spirit entities / Ghosts / Poltergeists are human souls who at the time of death did not choose to cross over to the next world or the spirit world or the other side. These earthbound souls and soul fragments attach to the energy of field of humans to maintain some type of control and power over humans, to live through humans and to live from the energy (life force) of humans.  Spirits choose to cross over to the other side for various reasons such as confusion, fear of the unknown, unfinished business, revenge, fear based on religious, beliefs, (fear of being judged) too much attachment to physical life on earth, or to watch over family and friends.

HOW BAD SPIRITS ATTACH TO PEOPLE.

Dark forces and spirits enter cuts and holes in the energetic field of humans around the body. The energy is an outer layer of energy that emanates from every person. Cuts and holes (energetic openings) Develop in the energy field from weak emotions and a loss of personal power. Cuts and holes that develop in the energy field can be either temporary or permanent. Temporary cuts or holes in personal power develop because of: Drugs, Alcohol, Fear, Anger, Donating your power away to others and Soul Loss From Traumatic Experiences.

Permanent Cuts and holes in the energy field are caused by the Loss of Personal Power on Deeper level involving soul loss fragmentation. Another way to pick up spirits and / or Dark Forces is through SEX. Sex is much more than physical interaction; it is an energetic exchange, and opening into another person on an energetic and spiritual level. The act of sex creates a connection between your energy field and the energy field of the person you are having sex with.
When this connection is made you will pick up or absorb whatever is attached within the other person’s energy field. If youhave sex with someone that has a spirit entity or witch spirit, you will absorb that Spirit or Witchcraft entity into yourself. You will basically be making a choice to allow or invite anything within the person’s energy field you are having sex with to come into you.

BAD SPIRITS ATTACHING THROUGH SEX

It is important to understand what sex actually is and what it creates beyond physical pleasure, and choose the correct people who you want to open yourself to on that level. That is the other reason in our Traditional African Religionwe don’t sleep on the same bad with a woman on her menstruation periods, we consider them dirty by that time. Our great grandfathers (ancestors) wouldn’t just marry any girl from any family, they considered what kind of people the girl’s family are; e.g., any kind of witchcraft history, violence and other mischievous deeds would nullify the marriage proposal to avoid absorbing evil from the girl right into the family.

SPIRITS PAST LIVES

past life, earth bounding Spirits,Sangomas, Izinyanga, Izanusi, Psychic healers/readers, Clairvoyance, Shamans, Prophets, Angel Readers, People, Ancient and most indigenous cultures recognize that we are multidimensional beings. We do not just exist in physical reality but simultaneously in other worlds as well, and just as we are not alone in the physical world, there are countless beings also in other worlds.

Most people are familiar with spirit guides and helping beings that resides in these other worlds

Along with these ‘higher beings’ are also many classifications of ‘astral’ spirits that are still in need of healing. The most common are earthbound human spirits that for a variety of reasons have been unable to move on. It is understood that this is not the total soul of an individual but a fragment of their being that remains close to the earth plane. These types of spirits can affect either places, people or both.
Quite frequently entity attachments are family members who after death feel compelled to finish their unfinished business with either the living or by hanging around the family line. An example will be a father or mother who died prematurely still wanting to protect their children. Another example might be a baby who was aborted and stays with its mother because it still desires to be born. Ancestral attachments can be passed down from the generations, from ancient ancestors that a person never knew. Modern psychology recognizes that family patterning of issues such as addiction, incest, abuse and other psychological complexes can be passed down from generation past linger in family lines even if the current parents did not have these issues. It has been shown in studies that sometime issues skip generations; the common explanation for this is that it is ‘genetic’. The ‘Shamanic’ understanding of this is, the spirits of the generations past need healing and are still affecting the living. 

Working with Ancestors directly affect the current generations

So that they can live unfettered from these unsolved issues. The most immediate ‘Ancestors’ we have are our parents. It is not hard to see how we might unconsciously internalize their unresolved issues. A father committed suicide when his daughter was young, she never really knew him, nor much about him as the family treated his death and life as a taboo subject. Spirits of the past that are not allowed their honored place in the family field are often troubled about this on the other side. Regardless of what their role was in the family, if they have been ostracized while living or after death, they often need to come forward and be recognized.

When asked to focus on her father the girl reported feeling his presence

She was guided into dialogue with him and they had a tearful reunion. Talking to her father directly through the spirits, the father was regressed back to the point of death which was relieved through the daughter. The father remembered all the depressive thoughts that drove him to commit suicide. As the girl tapped into her father‘s memories she saw many circumstances of his life she never new. It became apparent that the weight of his suicide was something she had been unconsciously carrying since her childhood and had been present in her adult life, as an all pervasive desire to die.

Father was asked through spirits through his daughter if he wanted his child to carry this for him any further

and the daughter was asked the same. Both agreed they wanted it resolved. After some further help and healing on the issues that drove him to suicide, powerful and helpful spirits came to assist in lifting the weight of suicide from the father and his daughter’s body.

The father was now asked to check the family line to see if some of his experience had not originated from an earlier ancestor

It appeared to back a few generations to his great grandfather. After working with this spirit, I Khokhovula Gundabaloyi as their spirit medium and healer encouraged the ancestors to pass this bad happening ‘suicidal force’ down to the family line until it could be dispersed.

The girl watched this process and reported that it was finally released into a black hole into the deep center of a dark/black planet

. Not surprisingly, the girl told me that through her newly born spirits she have done some research and found that the father’s side of family had a long history of suicides. She also reported that the heaviness in her body and the feeling of despair were gone.

Often ancestral entities simply need to just tell their story.

For various reasons they might have been shunned by the family, or never had the chance to tell anyone of their pain. Sometimes they have not yet joined with family members that are on the other side and when they are assisted to do so they find relief and no longer need to linger among the living. Quite often ‘family counseling’ need to take place among the spirits on the other side so that the troubled spirit is welcomed and at peace with them. Spirit releasing can also help complete the grieving process for the family members that are still living. Often when a loved one has died, a person may have been unable to express all their thoughts and feelings. The weight of unspoken words can keep spirits lingering as well as weighing the living down in unsolved grief.

Ancestral work is not meant to replace one’s own personal process of healing issues

and is not meant to shift ‘blame’ or place causative factors onto the spirit of the departed. Our own personal misconducts and complexes can act as magnets for lingering spirits with similar issues. We often choose to incarnate in families that we have unfinished business with or that reflect our own unhealed dynamics. Spirits that attach or hang around us only add to our own complexes making them more difficult to heal. In this work personal issues are worked with alongside any complications caused by spirits.

TYPES OF SPIRITS:
The Spiritual World, or world of spirits, is central in almost all African Religions. Spirits (like Angels and Demons in the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian Traditions) directly communicate with and impact the lives of human beings, as individuals and as communities.

GOOD SPIRITS

Provide protection against harm, Misfortune, and Disease, heal illness, and provide children, rain for crops, fish, and wild game, and protection for livestock. The realization of these blessings is dependent on the appropriate behavior on the part of individuals. Good behavior, according African religious beliefs, includes following and practicing values and behavior established by society and culture, participation in religious rituals and practices, and proper respect for family, neighbors, and community. Failure to follow these behavioral guidelines often results in the good spirits withdrawing their blessing and protection. That results in illness, death, draught, and other misfortune.

Good spirits can be divided into the following categories:

Human Spirits: Most African Religions firmly believe that people continue to live, through their spirits, after death. These spirits are often referred to as ancestral spirits. It is believed that spirits of the ancestors remain very interested in what happens in their families and communities. Most African Religions divide Ancestral Spirits into two groups:

The Recent Dead Ancestors:

After an elder dies her or his Spirit remains actively interested and engaged in the life of their family and community for many years. The ancestral spirits are most concerned about the prosperity and security of their families and communities. They intercede with God on the behalf of their communities. However, if individual members of their families or communities as a group engage in inappropriate behavior, the ancestors show their displeasure by withdrawing their protection-their willingness to seek God’s blessing on their descendants. Although this results in illness and misfortune, it is not the desire of the ancestors that their families and communities be destroyed. Rather, the ancestors hope that illness and misfortune will be seen as warning and result in people and communities stopping the inappropriate and offensive behaviors. Remember that African Religions hold that following social and cultural norms and values is the only way to guarantee security and prosperity. No wonder the ancestral spirits want their descendents to behave appropriately!

The Spirits of the Long Dead:

As time passes, the spirits of the recently dead gradually withdraw from the lives of their descendents and communities. It is believed that these spirits live with God. However, some ancestral spirits remain actively engaged for many generations. This is particularly true of the spirits of important individuals. For example, it is believed that the spirits of great rulers or founders of nations maintain their interest and power for a long time, perhaps centuries after their deaths. These ancestors are most interested in promoting the longevity of their kingdoms, nations, and communities. As with the regular ancestral spirits, these spirits intervene to protect their communities. In African story there are examples from Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe of ancestral spirits encouraging people to resist colonial rule that was perceived by the ancestors as destroying African nations, cultures, and societies.

Given the importance of spirits of the ancestors, most African religions taught great respect for the ancestors.

In addition to living appropriately, special shrines were often built to commemorate the ancestors. These shrines, while different in style, have a similar function to grave-stones in the Christian and Jewish traditions.

In addition, respect is shown by giving libations to the ancestors.

That is, at least once a day, symbolic drink and food is presented to the ancestors. When Europeans first encountered these practices, they wrongfully thought that the people were worshiping the ancestors. In African religions, ancestors are not gods and they are not worshiped, but just as living elders are given great respect, even more so the spirits of the ancestors are remembered and respected. Moreover, ancestral spirits are not feared. Although their blessings are important to personal and community well-being, appropriate behavior is all that is required to maintain social harmony, longevity, and the ancestral contentment.

NATURE SPIRITS

All African Religions believe in the existence and importance of Human Spirits, however, not all African religions believe in nature spirits. Nature spirits are spirits that inhabit or live in nature. For example, several African religions teach that there are spirits that live in the skies. These spirits are important since they are believed to control the rain that is so important to the raising of crops and animals.
Other African religions hold that spirits live in and control rivers, lakes and oceans. These water spirits are also very important since they are believed to control the fish that live in the waters. Still other religious traditions believe that important Ancestral Spirits Inhabit Rocks, Mountains, and Trees.

As is the case with Ancestral Spirits

Nature Sprits are held to be good since they help to protect people and to provide people with essential items like water and food. In order to guarantee the good will of these spirits, African religions practice rituals and ceremonies that honor these spirits.

Just as the early European Missionaries misunderstood the role of Ancestral Spirits in African Religions, so too they often misunderstood the beliefs regarding nature spirits. These outside observers thought that African religions held that God inhabits all of nature-trees, rocks, water, land-a religious system scholars call animism. African religions do not worship rocks, trees, the sky or rivers, as is the case in animism. Rather, important spirits who control the forces of nature are believed to live in the sky, rocks, trees and rivers.

BAD SPIRITS
African Religious Traditions, as with Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and other major world religions, hold that just as there is good in the world, there is also evil. Goodness is the result of the blessings of God and the Spiritual World in response to good behavior on the part of individuals and communities. Suffering and misfortune to individuals and communities, in all of these traditions, are believed to be the result of either:

• Inappropriate behavior on the part of individuals or communities.
• The intervention of bad or disruptive spirits.

Just as there are Good Spirits these Religious Traditions hold that there are bad spirits (referred to as the Devil or Satan in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). In African Religious traditions, Bad Spirits are responsible for causing much of the misfortune that individuals and communities suffer.

Most African societies have specially trained spiritual professionals who through special medicines and communication with the Ancestral Spirits can provide protection against the wiles of evil spirits.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Every religious tradition has individuals who perform specific religious tasks and duties. Each religious tradition has special titles for Religious Officials-rabbi, Imman, Minister, Pastor or Priest. In African Religious Traditions, there are different religious roles; these include Rain-makers, Healers and Priests, (diviners, herbalists). In some African Traditions, these various roles may be served by the same individual, in other traditions different persons may serve each position.

We should consider religious leaders to be professionals in that each position requires a long period of training. Moreover, these positions are often full-time leaving little time for activities beyond the fulfillment of their duties. We should also note that in most African religious traditions women and men serve as priests and healers.

PRIESTS

The role of priests varies between Religious Traditions. One of the most important functions of priests in many traditions is to officiate at religious ceremonies and rituals. Religious Ceremonies and rituals are very important to maintaining religious and cultural traditions. Ritual ceremonies celebrating birth, transition to Adulthood, Marriage, Death, Planting and Harvest, or commemorating the life of a deceased ancestor are vital to maintaining a close-knit community. Such rituals also help to reinforce values and appropriate behavior within the community. Priests, who officiate at these rituals and ceremonies, play a central rule in promoting a strong and united community.

In some religious traditions, priests will be affiliated with a particular spirit or group of spirits. In this situation, priests will be in charge of a special shrine dedicated to the spirit, and she or he officiates at special ceremonies commemorating that spirit. For example in many African religious traditions, there are special shrines to commemorate the founding ancestor of the community. In addition to officiating at special ceremonies celebrating the ancestor, the shrine priest(s) serves as the voice of the ancestor spirit, communicating advice and admonition to the community.

How do the ancestral spirits communicate to their priests? As part of her or his religious practice, a priest will enter a trance-like condition during which time it is believed that the spirit of the ancestor enters or “possesses” the body of the priest. During the possession, the ancestor directly communicates with the priest, passing on information to the people. History of Africa gives an account how ancestral spirits in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe communicated through shrine priests their wish for the local community to resist European colonialism which was destroying local cultures, traditions, and communities.

RAIN-MAKERS

With the exception of the area of tropical rain forests in West and Central Africa, much of Africa is either arid or semi-arid and suffers from fairly regular cycles of drought. Geography of Africa and climate/Vegetation map of Africa shows very sad outcomes. In vast areas of East, West, Central, and Southern Africa, farmers are dependent on rain for their very survival. Throughout these regions, rain is an important focus of religious practice. As you learned, many religious traditions in Africa view misfortunes such as drought to be a result of inappropriate behavior on the part of community members, or of the disruptive influence of bad spirits. Rain-makers are special priests who are responsible for finding out the cause of a drought and to devise a remedy to the problem that has caused the drought.
Rain-makers through possession communicate with ancestral spirits to find the cause of the draught. Once the cause of the draught has been identified, the ancestral spirits will provide the rain-maker with a remedy. The remedy usually involves changing an inappropriate behavior that is believed to have caused the drought and offering special librations to the offended spirits.

HEALERS

Healers, often referred to as Traditional Doctors, are important in all African Societies. Given what we know about African religious traditions, including healers as religious leaders should not be surprising. Good health is then believed to be the result of appropriate behavior that is living in accordance to the values, norms of traditions of the society. One of the primary causes of illness, then, comes from inappropriate behavior. In addition, illness can be the result of the work of bad spirits.

In either case, illnesses have a spiritual basis that in turn

requires a spiritual remedy. In most African Religious Traditions, there are two methods of healing. In some traditions, these two methods are practiced by the same healer; in other traditions, there are separate practitioners. To be a practitioner of either type of healing takes experience and great skill developed over many years of training. Training to be a healer in Africa takes time and effort just as does training to be medical doctor in North America.

Herbalists:

Extracts from plants-fruits, berries, roots, leaves, bark-provide the basis of the medicines used by traditional healers in Africa. Herbalist healers go through a rigorous training through which they learn about the healing properties of a wide variety of plants. When they finish their training, herbalist healers will be able to prescribe herbal remedies for many different illnesses. On occasion, a healer will be confronted with a new and strange disease. In these situations, the herbalist will seek assistance from the spiritual world. As described above, the healer will enter a trance in which she or he is possessed by a spirit. The spirit will lead the healer to an appropriate remedy.

Spiritualists/Diviners:

Diviners treat illness primarily through facilitating the direct intervention of the spiritual world. If an illness is believed to be caused by inappropriate behavior on the part of the patient, a remedy or cure for the illness can only come through spiritual intervention. While a herbal healer uses plants to treat diseases, a diviner seeks input from the spiritual world to understand the cause of the illness and prescribe a cure. Usually a diviner is possessed by the same ancestral spirit with whom she or he has developed a special relationship. In addition to treating specific illnesses,

African Healers-Herbalist

and diviners- also practice preventative medicine. Patients may come to the healer seeking protection from misfortune. Or a person undertaking a long journey may want a remedy that will provide safety on her trip. Another patient may want a remedy that will provide wisdom and clarity in making an important decision.

When Europeans were first observed African Medicine and Healing Practices

they often had a negative reaction. They viewed these practices as being based on magic and not on science. These judgments were based on a misunderstanding of African views on disease and healing. Indeed, like “western” medicine, African Healing is based on close observation of the patient and his or her disease and on the use of remedies-medicines-that have a track record for successfully treating a particular ailment.

During the past thirty years, Western trained doctors have gained a greater appreciation for African healing techniques and practices.

Indeed, throughout Africa, it is now fairly common to have Western trained doctors working with traditional healers in the treatment of patients.
Global Impact of African Religions
Indigenous African Religions continue to be very important in many African societies. However, African religious beliefs and practices have not remained unchanged. The spread of Islam and Christianity has influenced the practice of indigenous religious practice. But just as importantly, as will be demonstrated in the next two sections, African religious belief and practice has influenced the way Islam and Christianity are practiced in Africa.

African Religious Belief

and practice have also had an impact outside of Africa. Just as trade from Asia and Europe helped to facilitate the spread of Islam and Christianity in Africa, so too travel and trade facilitated the spread of African religious traditions into Europe and the Americas (See : Africa and the World in African history). The Atlantic slave trade and more recently the new wave of immigration of African to Europe and North America assisted the transfer of religious practice to these areas.

 

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