NEW COURSE ALERT!

RESPECT TO

THE LAW:

PROTOCOL IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS

It's time to have a critical conversation that many people who are abusing African Traditional Religions in the name of money, power, ego and respect do not want us to have.

RESPECT TO THE LAW

THE MODE OF DETERMINING STRUCTURE OF THE WESTERN WORLD VIEW IS THAT OF POWER, CONTROL AND DESTRUCTION...TO THE AFRICAN, ON THE OTHER HAND...THE DETERMINING WORLD-VIEW IS HARMONY.

TRADITIONALLY, AFRICAN CULTURE IS AN EXTREMELY WELL-ORDERED CONSTRUCT, SINCE IT IS INFORMED BY A WORLD-VIEW CHARACTERIZED BY THE THEMES OF UNITY AND HARMONY, OF WHOLENESS AND EQUILIBRIUM. THE HEALTH OF THE SOCIETY WITHIN THE CONTTEXT DEPENDS ON THE MAINTENANCE OF BALANCE BETWEEN COMPLEMENTERY FORCES. WHEN THAT BALANCE IS UPSET, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE ORDER IS THREATENED AND OTHERWISE NEUTRAL FORCES CAN BECOME DANGEROUS...

– LET THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN BY DR. MARIMBA ANI

NEW COURSE ALERT!

RESPECT TO THE LAW

PROTOCOL in AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS

Designed for ATRS newbies and practitioners, this course will examine the basic laws and principles of order, morality, values in African spirituality. RESPECT TO THE LAW: PROTOCOL IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS will address the core of ATRS -- The principal of RESPECT. Respect of oneself. Respect of one's elders. Respect of God. Respect of one another. Fundamental principles that sit at the heart of Yoruba beliefs i.e. Iwa Pele, Respect, Reciprocity and Karma will be defined. Over a four week period, we will unpack value systems that existed in pre-colonial African societies, how they have bastardized by Western notions of civilization and how these norms are resurfacing in African Traditional Religions today. We will also take the time to understand the godparent/godchild relationship in order to manage expectations and to avoid exploitation on both sides. Lastly, we will discuss how universal protocols in African Traditional Religions exist as tools of power, agency and resistance in a chaotic world. Now more than ever, there is a need for safety in our sacred traditions as we use them as tools to empower ourselves, our loved ones and our communities.

Instructor: Iya Shantrelle P. Lewis

FEATURED COURSE

IS THERE A SUCH THING AS A MORAL CODE OF CONDUCT IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS?

Contrary to popular belief, African Traditional Religions operate off a universal set of shared principles of morality. "Respect for authority, position, the elderly, the spiritual, the mysterious and the sacred is strict tradition," according to Akan Priest Nana Akua Kyerewaa Opokuwaa.

Nana also says "translating the moral language of proverbs regarding sanctions, etiquette, protocol, behavior, ethics would require one lifetime to write. Studying the Elders discourse on the history of customs and traditions would require another lifetime. And, exploring the various components of protocol for specific situations could require another lifetime of study." It's imperative that we decolonize external values of other cultures that we have adopted and embrace the culture and values that will bring us closer to our sacred traditions.

RESPECT TO THE LAW. RESPECT FOR THE LAW. RESPECT OF THE LAW.

FEATURED COURSE

LET THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN: DECOLONIZING YOUR ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, SPIRIT AND YOUR MIND

A HIERARCHY OF TRUTHS

One of the primary objectives of RESPECT TO THE LAW: PROTOCOL in AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS is to outline reliable sources of instruction and moral discourse as people identify safe spaces to learn, grow and develop their relationships with their ancestors and an understanding of the divine.