How to reconnect to the root

What African Spirituality is all About and How to Reconnect to the Root 

The confusion is high as far as reconnecting to the root is concerned. Most people, especially Africans of the diaspora confuse the connection to the root with initiation to some spirituality; which is not right.

Spirituality in Africa is not like western religions where everybody willing to integrate is required to follow a common philosophy, a given lifestyle, or take through a special ritual. We all are human being but we are not physically the same; nor are we spiritually the same. We have different missions on this trip of ours on earth. The plants, trees and flowers of the forest don't have the same virtues but they all are called flowers. We all are human being but our life purposes are not the same. There, lies the truth that true spirituality is African. I said so because one thing is to recognize that one mighty being rules the universe but it becomes a lie when we speak on the behalf of that mighty being and set some rules that are said to be the only one way to go to paradise, a place where no one of us has the exact knowledge of. African spirituality sees every person as single in their being, and regards to that particularity, an approximate lifestyle is prescribed to them via Ifa. All this is like the diabetic is not prescribed the same medicine like the hepatitis career. In Vodun-Hwendo, no deity is said to be the most powerful that can protect everyone and against everything. No lifestyle is known as the best and then prescribed as the standard for everyone like formulated in the other religions. Fire and water cannot be good friends. The way every country has a chairperson, the same way the whole universe has a mighty master; but that might master is not good at everything or cannot do everything alone and at the same time. Based on my experience in Vodun-Hwendo and the knowledge acquired, here is the definition I give to African spirituality: the universe is made up of four main ministries: air,earth,water, and fire. Each of these ministries has a chief. The minister of air is known as Dan, the minister of earth is known as Sakpata, the one of water is Toxosu, and the fourth is governed by Xebioso also called Chango. Connecting to African spirituality is like finding out which department you belong to and which level your mission on earth is located. This is known through divination and a spiritual lifestyle is prescribed accordingly. This process of divination to find out who and what you are spiritually is not yet an initiation to any Vodun or to Ifa but can be considered as connecting to African Spirituality if the sacrifice related to the divination is carried out.
So, when should we speak of initiation?

Difference between Practising Vodun and Initiation to Vodun

Not all people are required to get initiated to Vodun though everybody is Vodun practitioner in one way or another. In fact, here is what happens when you go to the Ifa priest for the divination about who you are:
1- The priest may tell you that some deities are responsible for your life, and you need to take a spiritual work before they cause the change in your life
2- It may be revealed that you are not linked to any deity but to your own Sè, your creator, the spirit that is responsible for your life and death, and then you just have to follow a lifestyle the the Sè will prescribe if you get the chance to meet one of those very rare priests able to have direct communication with Sè.