{"id":449,"date":"2018-05-09T12:25:52","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T06:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ivanigreppi.wordpress.com\/?p=449"},"modified":"2022-09-16T02:54:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T02:54:42","slug":"what-does-beyonce-a-former-san-francisco-mayors-wife-and-a-new-york-times-best-seller-have-in-common","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/2018\/05\/09\/what-does-beyonce-a-former-san-francisco-mayors-wife-and-a-new-york-times-best-seller-have-in-common\/","title":{"rendered":"WHAT DO BEYONCE, A FORMER SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR\u2019S WIFE, AND A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER HAVE IN COMMON?"},"content":{"rendered":"

ANSWER: THEY ALL CHANNEL ORIX\u00c1S.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"beyonce_oshun_002_360nobs\"<\/p>\n

When I shared my testimony on social media about being an ex-Umbanda medium who channeled an Orix\u00e1 (Orisha) goddess, many had never heard of this occult religion before.<\/p>\n

My Testimony<\/a><\/p>\n

Below is the definition of Umbanda and its beliefs from ReligionFacts.com:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is Umbanda?<\/strong><\/em>
\n Umbanda is a religion of Brazil that combines influences of indigenous Brazilian religion, African religions, Catholicism, and Spiritism. Umbanda is related to the Brazilian religion Candombl\u00e9, but it is not identical.<\/em><\/p>\n

Umbanda Beliefs:<\/strong><\/em>
\n There isn’t uniformity of belief among all followers of the Umbanda religion, yet there are certain beliefs that are widely held. These beliefs include faith in a supreme deity called Olorum (or Zambi), who has various representations. <\/em><\/p>\n

Many followers of Umbanda also believe that various Catholic saints emit divine energies and forces called Orix\u00e1s. It is also common for adherents to seek interaction with the spirits of the deceased. The ideas of karma and reincarnation are also centrals tenets of the religion.<\/em><\/p>\n

Historians and sociologists believe that the Umbanda religion got its beliefs about a supreme deity and the reverence of saints from Catholicism; from Spiritism, the Umbanda religion got beliefs in communicating with the dead in its various forms, including psychics and mediums; from indigenous Brazilian religions, Umbanda adopted the deification of Orix\u00e1s.<\/em><\/p>\n

Subdivisions of the Orix\u00e1s:<\/strong><\/em>
\n 1. Oxal\u00e1 is the chief intermediary. His celestial body is the sun. His ritual day is Sunday. His sacred color is white.<\/em>
\n2. Yemanj\u00e1 represents femininity in the Umbanda religion. Her celestial body is the ocean. Her ritual day is Saturday. Her sacred color is bright blue.<\/em>
\n 3. Xang\u00f4 is the intermediary of justice. His ritual day is Wednesday. His sacred color is red.<\/em>
\n 4. Oxum is the goddess of love, money, and waterways. Her ritual day is Saturday. Her sacred color is yellow.<\/em>
\n 5. Ogun is a defender of soldiers. His ritual day is Tuesday. His sacred color is green.<\/em>
\n 6. Oxossi is a hunter and protector. His ritual day is Thursday. His sacred color is green.<\/em>
\n 7. Ibeji are associated with the spirits of children. Their ritual day is Sunday. Their sacred colors are blue and pink.<\/em>
\n 8. Omolu is intermediary of death, disease, health, and healing. His ritual day is Monday. His colors are black and white or red and black.<\/em><\/p>\n

(I would like to add to this list: Ians\u00e3 goddess of winds and lightning, Nan\u00e3 ruler of rivers, marshes and lagoons, Oxumar\u00e9 serpent god of the Rainbow, and Exu divine messenger\/ door opener\/ divine trickster or the devil.)<\/em><\/p>\n

The Religious Practices of Umbanda:<\/strong><\/em>
\n Umbanda temples are led by psychics who interact with various spirits on behalf of the living. Leaders of Umbanda temples are often referred to as priests or priestesses. The temples are called Terreiro (meaning \u201cbackyard\u201d because they once used to be located in people\u2019s homes) or Tenda (meaning \u201ctent\u201d because they once used to be located in tents.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today Terreiros can be built likes homes or Catholic churches. Gatherings in temples occur often and depending on the particular Terreiro or branch of Umbanda, ceremonies may include chanting, offering food and other items to spirits, dancing, as well as eating and drinking. If visitors manifest a spirit during the gathering they may be asked to become members of the group.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Like Umbanda, the Candombl\u00e9 and Quimbanda sects that are also practiced in Brazil, worship the same deities. The difference between the three however, is that animal sacrifices are not used in Umbanda.<\/p>\n

Throughout the slave trade history, many other countries came to practice very similar religions worshiping the same Yoruba (Congo\/ Angola) deities in Santeria or Voodoo (i.e. Cuba, Haiti, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, and other South and Latin American countries).<\/p>\n

All this sounds so foreign and far removed from American culture doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

But would it be surprising to know that many celebrities and Hollywood elite are not only familiar with these particular occult beliefs, but actually practice it?<\/p>\n

Would it be alarming to learn that during the 2017 Grammy Awards, Beyonce who was raised in the Christian faith paid homage to the goddess Oxum (Oshum)?<\/p>\n

Pregnant with twins, wearing a golden gown, Oshum\u2019s sacred color, Beyonce channeled the goddess of \u201clove, money, and waterways\u201d or goddess of water and fertility as some headlines claimed.<\/p>\n

\"beyonce-oshun-tribute1-grammy2\"<\/p>\n

\"goddess-oshun\"

OSHUN<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

In an interview with Daily Mail , Dr. Jacob Olupona, a Nigerian professor of African Religious Traditions at the Harvard Divinity School stated, \u201cShe is speaking to the world, she is speaking to America. Beyonce is educating the masses on Oshun. She is seeing how indigenous spirituality can be a powerful tool for changing the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apparently, according to a BuzzFeed community post, Beyonce\u2019s latest album \u201cLemonade\u201d references not only Oshun, but six African deities.<\/p>\n

A quick internet search will show multiple \u201chow to\u2019s\u201d on channeling your inner Oshun goddess like Beyonce.<\/p>\n

Blanche Brown, wife of former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, began her dance career studies in New York with a Haitian teacher. She also participated in Haitian ceremonies in \u201cthe middle of Manhattan\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really showed me how culturally African dance began, what it was for,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn that community, they were dancing for spirits. It could have been a celebration of a spirit, it could have been for somebody who needed to have that spirit come down and talk to them. But it was for something.\u201d<\/p>\n

This experience led Brown to the Yoruba tradition and she was initiated as a priestess of Oshun.<\/p>\n

\"Rasanble2013-PetitReunion\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI do feel that spirits help me do what I\u2019m supposed to do,\u201d she continues, \u201cand definitely at my age, the fact that I can still dance means that it has to be something more than just physical. When you see me walk, you\u2019d never think that I\u2019d be able to get out on the dance floor, but it\u2019s just something that takes over. It\u2019s so cleansing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, Blanche Brown like Beyonce, channeled the Yoruba spirits through her performing arts.<\/p>\n

Iyanla Vanzant a lawyer, talk show host, and best-selling author is a Yoruba Ifa priestess initiated at Ola Olu by the Ifa Foundation of North America, Inc.\u00a0 She was a regular featured speaker on the Oprah Winfrey show and hosted a talk show on ABC.<\/p>\n

Vanzant was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential African Americans, Vibe magazine called her one of \u201c100 Leaders of the New Millennium\u201d and Newsweek featured her as one of the \u201cWomen of the New Century.\u201d<\/p>\n

She is Founder and Director of Inner Visions Institute of Spiritual Development where she shares her knowledge of Universal Principle and Law, Eastern and Western spiritual teachings and religions.<\/p>\n

\"vanzant\"<\/p>\n

Her mission is to educate others to create a better life by discovering the \u201ckingdom of God within\u201d.<\/p>\n

Umbanda, Candombl\u00e9, Santeria, or Voodoo\u2014the worship of the African deities called Orix\u00e1s (Orishas)\u2014is fast becoming part of the American mainstream culture.<\/p>\n

It is glamorized by celebrities as a powerful and seductive spiritual movement.<\/p>\n

Sadly, soon enough the channeling of Orix\u00e1s will not sound so foreign and far removed from American culture after all.<\/p>\n

REFERENCES:<\/p>\n

\u201cUmbanda.\u201d ReligionFacts.com. 28 Oct. 2016. Web. Accessed 9 May. 2018. <www.religionfacts.com\/umbanda><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-4221100\/Was-Oshun-Beyonce-s-Grammy-Award-inspiration.html<\/p>\n

Teacher, Priestess, Dancer: Paying Tribute To Blanche Brown<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n