I grew up in a society where we were taught to reject, to demonize African sp...
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I grew up in a society where we were taught to reject, to demonize African spirituality and mystical practices. Naturally, as I grew up, I felt a fear of anything that emanated from African spirituality. The gods, the practices, created in me a psychosis. However, I kept hidden in myself an unexplained admiration for the cauri. I could not explain how this so-called "diabolical shell" could attract me as much. I watched him from a distance, I appreciated him by forbidding me to have physical contact with him. And then, a few years ago, my curiosity as a journalist pushed me to get closer to spirituality to get away from religion. As I read, research and meditate, I discovered AFRICAN SPIRITUALITY and the power of the Cauri. I understood where my attraction for cowries came from. I learned that the history of my people was inseparable from that of the cauri ... Old currency in West Africa, object of divination, communication link between men and spirits, the cauri represents wealth, power, the protection, the woman, the creation, the femininity, the sexuality ... Its curved back recalls the belly of a pregnant woman. It is a symbol of fertility. The split that separates the two parts, represents the duality. The power of this shell is immense, its mysterious origin ... .. It is said that it comes from the Maldives. It was introduced in West Africa in the 8th century as a bargaining chip by Arab traders. It was thus adopted by my people who knew how to recognize his power. With us Dan, people from the western region of Côte d'Ivoire, cowries are part of our lives, they are our protectors, the messengers of djinans (geniuses). That's why we use them to give strength to our masks, our dancers. For our mystical rituals, to communicate with our ancestors as well as our Gods. "The cowries are so powerful because they draw their strength from the sea from which they come" "we use them because our ancestors asked us to do it" "the cowries speak. They communicate with pure hearts ". "They tell us our story, but we also predict the future." My fight For centuries, we have been told our story for us. Our gods, religions, traditions, rituals have been demonized. Our fetishes carried away. At the place, we were told how and who to pray! How to dress, what to eat. Our existence has been dictated for too many centuries. Today, knowledge is within reach, we must seize it. It is time for us black Africans to reconcile with our heritage and reclaim our culture; our spirituality, our gods and embrace it. Our history, we must write it for ourselves. Therefore, I write mine, that of my people through my creations. They are an invitation to discover my story. That of a woman in search of her story, spirituality, balance; of his Gods, of happiness! I call for a reappropriation of our culture.
The product is perfect and arrived super fast. Communication was clear with the tracking number. Thank you very much and look forward to ordering a new product soon
Le produit est parfait et est arrivé super vite. La communication était claire avec le numéro de suivi. Merci beaucoup et hâte de commander un nouveau produit bientôt
I’m so happy with my pieces! Order arrived earlier than expected which was a nice surprise! I can’t wait to take my photos and show the final product! Thank you for such an easy purchasing process and great quality. Thank you!
This skirt is absolutely beautiful! My experience from ordering to receiving was very pleasant! All of my questions were answered quickly and I was kept at ease the entire experience.
The item is so well made and a beautiful accent piece. It truly is a craftswoman item. Incan’t wait to rock it