The Knowing

One of the greatest travesties to occur following colonialism and the enslavement of African, or marginalized people is the invalidation of self as a source of infinite knowing, knowledge, and inspiration. The necessity of approval and the dependence upon the opinions and points of view of others, to derive value of self, arrests creativity, halts the expansion and evolution of society and results in the atrophy of optimism and courage. In some cases this leads to dependence on narcotics, opiates, and alcohol when the approval of others isn’t enough.

Charlotte says her husband Raymund was very distraught over the loss of his father. Raymund says, “When a man loves his family as much as my father did he will reach from beyond the grave to care for his descendants.” It is the insistence on directing the course of his progeny, coupled with his will and might that keeps Raymunds’ father anchored to this reality. Raymunds’ unwillingness to let his father go, keeps his father stuck here incessantly chattering in Raymunds’ ear as if he has a body.

One morning Raymund heard a statement. Not the way one usually hears a statement, by waves of sound vibrating against his ear drum. He heard a thought! “You should go to church today.” What if whenever you perceive the phrase “you should”, it’s a clue, a hint that something else wishes to communicate with you? Raymund perceives the phrase “you should” as a thought, and carries out the directive even though he would never address himself as you. “I don’t particularly like going to church”, Raymund says.

Some ministers claim to receive revelation from God or the spirit as they interpret the gospel, scriptures, or sacred text. Entity communication or communicating with the “dead” is an offense in many world religions and can be prohibited. However communications with spirits are common as many of the prophets of the world religions are no longer embodied. Who does the minister or rabbi receive his revelation from? Who listens to and answers his prayers?  What daemon or ascended master is attempting to impose its’ point of view through the power of his will and might? Are the religious leaders communicating with a plethora of god’s, one god, or gods at all. Many of the sacred text were purportedly received through direct and divine revelation.

Charlotte talks about communion with her body. I have communion with my body in such a way that when I ask my body where it would like to go today I will usually receive an image of a place or a light pull/desire to go a particular place.” “I will then meet someone or come across some information pertinent to my adventure, expansive for my living, or receive something just plain enjoyable.” So, what if the consideration of everyone else’s points of view or judgments as true, coupled with the choice to ignore our body’s senses is what expels us from the Garden of Eden day after day?

When I picked up the book Guns & Rain, a shot of energy ran from the palm of my hand, up the forearm, through my bicep and ended with a tinge of ecstasy in the center of my heart. This book was particularly expansive for me as I began playing with extrasensory abilities and sharing the information I received with others. The author claims that during the Zimbabwe War of Liberation spirit mediums and channels led guerilla warriors to victory with their uncanny ability to know what was required to enhance their armies and assist the guerillas in hitting their targets.  There are first hand examples of how communication with the unseen world enhanced the quality of the soldier’s lives and ultimately led to a partial victory, overthrowing white minority rule.

The mediums of Zimbabwe channeled chiefs, witches, and ancestors who passed by. The ex guerillas tell stories of how the mediums led them to food sources and other supplies. One ex-combatant talks of how a conversation with a medium ended the death in his camp. There were several deaths in the guerillas camp and no one knew exactly what was causing the death. The medium told them to stop bathing in a nearby river and there would be one more death of a child from bathing in the river. This is exactly what happened. The mediums were also leaders of a war fought to liberate a colonized country from its oppressors. Even the future Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe was assisted to escape by an obscure mountain route to Mozambique at the advice of a spirit medium.

The new state of Zimbabwe was founded in large part by the consultation of mediums, the channels of the mhondoro or royal ancestors. The mediums of the mhondoro spirits were the advisors of the guerillas and the peasants of Dande from 1970 until 1979. Guns & Rain focuses on the relationship between guerrillas and the mediums of spirits. While many of all of Britain’s colonies achieved independence by the mid 1960’s, Rhodesia refused to give its’ citizens the right to vote and while many say the war for independence began in 1964, it appears the by 1970 the guerillas and citizens of Rhodesia were willing to receive from the mediums that had access to a vast range of knowledge.

The Guerillas of the Zimbabwe African National Union rebelled. Somehow they knew that political independence was a possibility that would create a greater future. They traveled from Mozambique to speak with a medium. “We are the children of Zimbabwe, we want to liberate Zimbabwe.” She began to give them information about the terrain of northeastern Zimbabwe. Many of the terrains were dangerous where wild animals roamed. She gave them directions and routes to take. She told them where to sleep and what foods to eat. The mediums taught the guerillas how to interpret certain signs displayed by animals so they would know when the antagonists were approaching or a change of weather coming.

When the ancestor wishes to communicate directly to his descendants it chooses a man or woman who has literally gone unconscious. When the medium has gone unconscious the ancestor takes control of the mediums body and begins to communicate with the progeny. The mutapi assist the mediums by acting as an intermediary between the visitors and the mhondoro. He receives the visitors, calls the spirit down to attach itself to the medium and the question and answer session begins. The mediums have capacities like reading past present and future lines, and extrasensory perceptions. In Zimbabwe when a chief dies he is transformed into a mhondoro and becomes the source of the fertility of the land itself. Many people visit the medium to request that the mhondoro bring the rain. Mediums objected to the new techniques of agricultural production like irrigation and the use of fertilizer. They knew much of the fertilizer was harmful to the foods and many of the agricultural practices disturbed the balance of the land. They opposed the construction of dams that would flood sacred pools.

The spirit mediums were sure of victory and following the fifteen year guerilla war with black nationalists, a peace agreement was established. The peace agreement was to institute the holding of general elections, and to make Zimbabwe Rhodesia an independent state with the parties settling disputes and differences by elections. The European Union continues to impose economic sanctions on Zimbabwe due to electoral fraud and human rights abuses. What do we all know that could change everything that allows this to occur? Change may begin with the acknowledgement that we do know. What if the mediums assisted the guerillas and the peasants in to live consciously and to access their own knowing? Would the outcome be different? With more awareness would we choose greater leaders and systems that worked?

Lan,David. 1985. Guns & Rain Guerillas & Spirit Mediums in Zimbabwe. Great Britain: James Currey Ltd
"Zimbabwe profile:Timeline" www.bbc.com. June 12, 2015. google. JUNE 16, 2016.