Names and Doors in Spirituality

 

Tarot of the Orisha Deck
(Based off IFA Spirituality)


I had a really great conversation a few months ago while being in New Orleans. I can't say it wasn't one that I wouldn't expect after some time with my brother and his wife seeing me study my books from the 3 Tarot decks I have with me. I always make sure to respect their outlook on Tarot, especially in their home. Sometimes I like to just relax and listen to or read different interpretations of the cards and their imagery. It's a knowledge base of history and understanding of the core principals AND trials in life. 

So knowing, he is a Mason, Godly-wise man, and a soldier 🪖, I expected a conversation to be brought up. It did cause a conversation eventually. I had pulled 1 card just to learn more on it in the book, elsewhere online, and in my life (that's just how magic/manifestation works to me). My brother noticed and eventually let me know "You'd better not let [my wife] see you with those doing that." I quaintly smiled because as I stated, I knew something would pop up to spark the conversation and we could begin to get more understanding of his and her beliefs.

Again... It's a quest for knowledge and threshold by learning PEOPLE. There are parts I understand of him that he may not believe I understand due to not believing that ANYONE could understand the EMOTIONs of what he went through in his life... Even though he has shown me or told me... He may believe I still NEVER PHYSICALLY went through it, so I cannot feel what he felt. This is all true, right? NOT WHEN ON A BASIC LEVEL OF RIGHT AND WRONG YOU CAN TAKE YOUR EGO/EXPERIENCE OUT of the conversation and say "Damn, that's Fd up". There's a clear way of being understanding to someone else's emotions, but not absorbing and embodying it in your own being.

Anyways, back to the card ♦️. I told him "yes I understand, I'm just doing more research on this particular card and it's meanings." He then said "ok, I'm just saying, we've had 'experiences' and I know you're into your own spiritual journey... But, I want you to be careful with the doors you open and don't know how to shut." I was really intrigued by how he knew about doors, but couldn't fathom a person... A God-Gifted person, wouldn't or couldn't be blessed with the ability to block or shut out certain energies when it is proven possible. I immediately came back to other experiences he had told me about and 1 event stuck out the most that I'll circle back to! 

Now, I didn't argue this point, I had to truly understand WHY he would be saying this. Not including that he has never deeply researched MY chosen spiritual path in IFA. So he doesn't have the knowledge of what it means or the origins (as at the time it wasn't widely spoken of online, etc). Which to me, is understandable, but he may also see that I have dove even deeper than him and may have knowledge he isn't receptive to yet. I can have that understanding or idea and remove myself even further to ask, WHY is that? What EXPERIENCE makes him stop where he is to not see or accept the connection that: With names there is power, and that with my tool of divination I AM AWARE and ABLE to close DOORS as this is an innate thing we all accomplish everyday?! But we have to believe we do it and have the God/Ancestor-Given power to proclaim doors/decisions closed.

I straight up asked him like Justin Bieber "What do you mean?" He replied to me in a way reintroducing himself as a Mason and going on to say "Your spirituality gives names to energies or deities, when there are only the 2 to be named - God and Legion (the devil with all other things you give names to)". This concept threw me completely off even though I was trying to understand it. Why would our Ancestors break down God into the energies/dieties/names in and around us (ie spirit) and then give them STORIES, if it wasn't for us to have something to relate it to. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. When I call on the energy of Ogun it is to work hard and creatively as a leader - AND of course with that God given power I can work smart or tirelessly. Those are my 2 choices, my Angel/Spirit Guide or Devil, my Creation or Destruction, my Life or Death. So I believe I have God/Ancestor-given power EVERYDAY to shut a door down and energy off especially with a physical thing such as cards. The Names hold power and thus there is power in naming your God/Ancestor-Given Energy. There is power in YOUR NAME.

So the experience he told me about that lead me to a HIGHER UNDERSTANDING was this: His most fearful encounter with abuse from a parental figure. I won't go into details, but it got spiritual EVERYTIME he brought this story up to me... He's told me more than once, but I'll never stop him from telling it once he starts because I see the overall lasting effect it has on him to this day. He mentions seeing the man in the door of his room and his eyes actually shined RED. I understood then the spiritual aspects to why he FEARS DOORS in that way. It doesn't take much to understand his belief and threshold with spiritual works. Also one of the decks (and one of my favorites) I have with me is the "Book of Doors" Ancient Egyptian Divination Deck/Tool 🤔😁.

I attempted to get him to understand that tarot/cards are a visual aspect of being able to get Gods/Ancestors messages. Not everyone is gifted the same way to see or view messages from God/Ancestors. No man can then say that one way is right or wrong. As a Mason I thought he would understand that concept, but it was still more clear that there was a FEAR. I could feel it and with certain times his tone would change to that of getting him to the threshold of being angry, but I was then able to bring the conversation back to a grounded state of question/answer dialog. "Let me ask you this..." Became the slogan of the conversation if I felt it get more tense. 

I believe this is how people should effectively communicate differences. He may not try to understand my ideals and teachings due to that threshold. But, I cannot be the judge and force it on him to attempt to understand. Not when I have taken the time to listen and understand his life experiences and beliefs. 

If I add on that playing a video of chants that my spiritual teachers do during rituals, with the fact that he can relate the sounds/language they sing/chant in with that of Taliban and extremist from the military experience - that is a ticking time-bomb. I have to be understanding of those things as a human being. Knowing, I don't have that experience... But where YOU are at now I can see that effected you THIS WAY (Good Door/Bad Door) so I'll go this way with you... Pick the Good Door.

Some may say, what about the Back Door? I'd say that Door is what I did...

I could see or sense the 2 Doors my brother had seen in his life experiences: Masonry knowledge of a conglomerate of belief systems and his Stories he told me. So I was able to use the Back Door of 'KNOWLEDGE' to ask questions in a way to UNDERSTAND his mind on the matters of tarot, interject parts of Orisha Stories, and ask more about Masonry. I gained even more knowledge and a deeper understanding of my brother, his life, and his beliefs all in one engaging conversation.

I wrote this only to show how to read emotionally and communicate to keep a balance of understanding.

The Ancient Egyptian Book of Doors Divination Deck