After my initial IFA reading with Bàbá Jamel, I started on the path to learning about IFA and the Òrìṣà. My father gave me a list of books to check out to help along the way. Some dealt with IFA while others discussed the spiritual world in general. All of them were valuable to varying degrees and helped me to understand this walk that was quite new.
Being that Bàbá Jamel was now based in Puerto Rico, I would begin traveling to the enchanted island to engage in what would be referred to as “spiritual work”. My first time to Puerto Rico it was just Bàbá and I. I think we spent 5 or 6 days together, which is kind of wild because prior to that we only spent a few hours total. We still didn’t really know each other very well. I was invited to stay at his mountain retreat in Bayamon to observe, ask questions and overall learn how to start working with certain Òrìṣà and my ancestors. We cooked together, stayed up late talking about our respective paths that led us to this point, and very quickly became very close. We shared a passion for food and travel and we both were once Black boys from Brooklyn who found themselves surrounded by the call of spirit. I felt I was in good hands.
On that first trip I learned that “spiritual work” is just that, work. There is a lot that goes into creating the ideal conditions to engage with spirit. As much as synchronicity plays a role and flow is essential, once you are in the flow, when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. There were things that came up during that first trip for me around fear, something I thought I got rid of once my shift happened. I was forced to confront a personal fear of mine that had been lingering and I was forced to do it alone. This would be the first of many tasks that I would be asked to complete in order to stay in alignment with my path. That fear was of nature.
Although I didn’t realize it, the unknown aspects of nature caused me terror. The idea that a spider could POP OUT at any time or some other creature that wanted me dead was lurking behind a bush never allowed for me to be calm in a full nature setting. Prospect Park, sure, jungle, not so much. I was required by spirit to go out and spend time alone in the jungle like land of Bàbá’s property. I also had to stay for a certain amount of time so I couldn’t hop in and hop out. While in that space I had a machete to keep me company/safe and an offering to give. I went out and walked until I felt like I found where I was meant to go. Once there, I stood and I listened. I watched the leaves of the various coconut trees swaying, and birds that would show up occasionally. I also looked out for the spiders whose webs I cut through to arrive at this very spot. I started out worried and full of flinches; however, by the end of my trial by nature I saw the beauty in it all. I saw that while there was a reason to be cautious, there was also many things to make me smile. The aroma of the flowers, the sounds of the various animals, the colors of the leaves all began to feel like home. When I left, I felt as though I made a new bond with an old friend. One that had been waiting for me to return for some time. In order for this city kid to move forward on his spiritual path, he had to make peace with the Earth that gave him birth.
