The decision to visit the diviner was a difficult one. I am becoming more open to new cultural experiences, but I was initially concerned with my own spiritual beliefs and ‘witchcraft’. As a catholic, it is a sin to practice another religion and ‘worship other idols’. That is not what the diviner is/does! For myself, the diviner was able to aid in the spirits and please my ancestors, and help solve any outstanding issues with them. The sacrifice, at the shrine will please them and a higher power, but the use of the word ‘God’ was never used, and this is not worshipping another god.
There were 2 people in the room, the diviner and his assistant. I whispered to my 10 cedi what I would like answers to my troubles. He then took the money, waved the beaded strings over it and covered it with a cloth and hit it 3 times. When he removed the cloth he said the spirit that was going to communicate was Tool-ba-gouda (phonetically spelt). Then I had to hold all the tokens in my hands (representing Death, A case, Bad luck, The forces/spirits and Business, sickness, depression, hunger), divide them, and he dropped/laid out the beaded string and told me which hand to drop. Eventually the one left was bad luck (a white square shaped rock), related to business, caused by nature (white shell), particularly a human being. I was then handed a larger brown-red-black token, which represented “no”. This brown stone was laid for a man, and the diviner asked if it was a woman. This seemed very bizarre, as I don’t know what other sort of person it could be! Anyways, after a few more questions, the answer came out that it was Kendra and that we should not be together because she is my source of bad luck. This can apply to the present and the future, so as the business problem may not make sense now, it will/may be applicable to the future.
The forces were not happy with me, and it was not caused by the food I was eating (so I am fine to eat groundnuts and chicken). It was also discovered that the forces are unhappy with me, as there was a vow made when I was in the womb, before I was born that I have not fulfilled. To appease the ancestors I must pour libation for my dead father, and pay/donate 12 cedi to the shrine as well as schnapps and sacrifice a chicken (I’m glad it wasn’t a goat…).
Kendra was unable to find out her divination right away, as others needed to talk with them, as a priest from the shrine sent other people to the diviner because they needed this type of answer before the priest would be able to assist them.
When Kendra was able to have her divination completed, it was very eerie how the same spirit for me was also for her. There is a 1 in 256 chance of having any spirit to communicate through, and she happened to have the same one. Of those who are skeptical, I’ll let you think what you want.
In the end, it was discovered that we are safe to be and travel together as she will not cause me too much bad luck, just in ‘business’ (so I guess my divination was slightly off, but at least we have that cleared up now!). Kendra also had not pleased the ancestors, and when asked if she should make the same sacrifice I do, the answer was yes.
Our divinations were also very similar, with only a few rows that did not match. Prof. Michael had described the process earlier in the day as a double-blind study, which is an excellent analogy. The odds of us having such similar divinations can only provide evidence for those who are skeptical of the power of spirits and ancestors.
After her divination was finished, Prof. Michael took us over to discuss logistics with Kwasi, about how to obtain the chicken, schnapps, and how to pour libation. The pouring of libation will occur tomorrow (with a 3 cedi bottle of liquor), and we will give our money for the chickens (7cedi). We then must donate 12 cedi to the shrine, and schnapps (5 cedi) as well. A small price to pay to please the forces and decrease my bad luck! To end off the night, we of course, drank Red. It still remains such a mysterious substance- but it is a communal drink.
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| Explaining why we need to pour libation. |
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| Pouring libation |
On August 5, we poured libation for my father. It was very fitting, and nice. We had to ‘kneel’ before the elder who prays for deceased spirits. And tell him what we were there for. He then went around to all the people present, and everyone drank a shot of the clear alcohol (most likely palm-wine based).
So we then held on to calabash and an elder poured the mixture as well as a shot of alcohol on the ground. It was a good feeling. I don’t know if I was supposed to feel anything, but it was a liberating feeling to do this, and complete this step.
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| Eyie, Dashie, Wetsa and Egbo |
On August 6, I received my “Ewe name”. Kendra, Sherri and I participated in the naming ceremony. We were told to be at the Stool House for 6:30 as the ceremony was scheduled between 6 and 7. At 8, the ceremony got underway (I love Africa time!). There were many people present. It was great to feel like a member of their community. Initially Kendra said to me "I hope I didn’t just pay 25 cedi to find out I’m Yetsa"… but we did. My name is Eyie (pronounced Eye-ee), and Kendra is Wetsa (in English because we do not have the squiggly-x/y symbol so this is how they said we should spell it). Libation was poured for the spirits (facing the west), then for the ancestors (in the East). We then had Coke, and a shot of the white alcohol… all before 9 am! Definitely the breakfast of champions. We also wrote our names in a book that will be placed in the Stool House.
Kwasi gave us our names on a piece of paper. It was interesting because he knew which twin I was. When I asked him later how he knows who is Eyie and who is Wetsa, he said he “just knows”; the spirits told him and he “just knows”. I don’t understand how he can “just know” after such a short time. My mother occasionally calls us the wrong name, so how can a person who met us a week ago know who we are?
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| The 'twin' beads. People in the village did recognize the beads, particularly other twins. |
The Dashie (who is said to be over 100) said that she was going to go to the Akatsi market to pick up our beaded bracelet because there are special twin beads. With a name you receive a beaded bracelet.
The feeling of belonging was overwhelming. I am now a member of the village; this is my village. This is my 2nd home. It was well worth the 25 cedi.
The following day we attended another funeral and Dashie wanted us to borrow some of her traditional cloths, as we are now members of the village. At her house, she brought out a wrap full of cloth, and majority of them were Kente woven. It was beautiful and so unique. She then pulled out a large rice bag, half filled with necklaces and bracelets. It was very heavy. Once we chose our cloth, we picked new necklaces. She gave Kendra and I the same, as twins should wear the same, and be together (we also wore the same cloth). It was such a great experience, similar to going through grandma’s jewellery box and closet and picking out a favorite outfit. Seeing her so happy to allow us to borrow these items was extraordinary. Dashie does not speak English, so it makes it very difficult to communicate, but we are getting better at reading body language and guessing what she is saying. Its amazing how with non-verbal communication, you are still able to sometimes have an idea of what is being said.
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| Our borrowed funeral cloth from Dashie. |