Do you know the goddess Ireada? Ireada is evil, ignorance and arrogance all wrapped up into one. She is narcissism and disrespect, and if you haven’t guessed already she isn’t a goddess at all. Ireada stands for I read a … book.
Everyone wants to be an expert these days, about life, love, religion, everything. We have drifted into a post-modern sense of entitlement that instead of empowering people has created a sad state of elitism that hurts us all. Among the Yoruba people there is a saying “You can’t get Awo from a book.” Awo is spiritual knowledge, insight and experience. No, you can’t get that from a book. Paganism by definition is a religion based on nature and the natural forces around us. There is a huge difference between reading about a rock and placing a quartz crystal on your heart chakra and feeling the healing connection. A person can read about a tree, or truly feel and understand the joy that comes from planting a memorial tree for your ancestors which will provide shade and more for generations to come.
Books are great. There are hundreds of them here in my home, at least five times my weight in words. However Paganism, spirituality and religion are so much more than just words. In my tradition of New Orleans Voodoo there is a lot to read, the bulk of it created in the past 15 years and frankly a lot of it is a bunch of crap. Today we live in a world of Wiki-idiocy where collective belief has become truth. This kind of thinking has gotten us into trouble and created atrocities such as cultural genocide for hundreds of years. Part of the problem is that these Pagan religions were cloistered under secrecy for hundreds of years. Books and other material goods were not things afforded to slaves and other oppressed classes. Not just New Orleans Voodoo but Haitian Vodou and La Regla Lucumi (Santeria) were practiced under cover of secrecy because laws and oppressive regimes made the thought of doing otherwise a deadly proposition. People found a way to keep the traditions alive despite impossible odds. Knowledge was passed down from Godparent to Godchild, the same way it is done today. Anyone who has played the childhood game of telephone knows that passing along information this way can be interesting. Then there is the fact that these traditions don’t have one standard set of rules. The same holds true for other varieties of Paganism as well.
The are many divine and sacred forms of Goddess out there. Traditional knowledge must walk hand in hand with practice. There is no need to follow Ireada only. Let’s take her down a few notches in favor of the true beauty and knowledge that comes from direct contact with the Goddess. This can be done through song, dance, art, ritual, and most importantly interconnectedness with others as part of a spiritual house. Even if you aren’t able to join a group, you can learn about Isis, goddess of the moon by saying her sacred chants or travelling to her holy places. Afro-Caribbean goddesses like Oshun can be honored through a butternut squash soup recipe or a sacred song. The possibilities are endless, so grasp the opportunity to expand your knowledge beyond the printed page whenever you have the chance. May your journeys be blessed ! If you agree with these words please do us all a favor and share this post- Thanks!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In