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Most of my spiritual journeys have been initiated by my friend and sister, Deborah Carter, ND. Along with Deb and her mother, Dorothy Carter, (Mama C.), I have made my way to expansion and growth, especially as it relates to universal indigenous teachings and practices. We invoke Christ consciousness and the LOVE of every path/tradition, and we are the same “usual suspects” you met in my sagas on Brazil, Sapelo Island, on the mound in Florence, AL, and now, Asheville, North Carolina. And so we start.
My trip to Asheville began with an exciting phone call from my sister friend, Dr. Deb. She told me about a woman of the Yoruba tradition who received a spiritual message about the potential destruction of Mother Earth. She recounted how this woman was told that the global community has the urgent mission to come together in ceremony to ask forgiveness from and to honor in prayer and gratitude the 4 Elemental Mothers symbolized by air, fire, water, and earth. Initially, I thought, “So, what else is new…Biblically, Revelations talks about this kind of destruction.” Then I thought about something else. Within the last 3 months, I had spoken in several spiritual centers. In each message, I found myself using water as metaphor for flow of spiritual consciousness, and water is the most essential element. So when Deb invited me to travel to Asheville to attend one of the ceremonies, I answered what I felt was a spiritual calling and agreed to go.
As prescribed by Deb, I browsed the website, yeyeosun.com, which introduced me to the dynamic couple, Yeye Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis, and Chief Olu Derrick Lewis. There, I read a bit about them and their work and realized its synchronicity with my messages about water:
Yeye Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis and Chief Olu Derrick Lewis are a husband and wife team who travel around the world bringing attention to the ailing state of our waters and earth. Both have enjoyed traveling to various waterways to hold traditional water ceremonies and share earth honoring teachings with various nations and peoples. Wherever they go they spread the message of oneness, compassion, love and balance.
Both are the founders of Yeye Osun Institute of Sacred Balance, the internationally recognized Humanity4Water Awards, Co-Founders of WaterSongline international prayer network for the waters, one of founding partners of UNICEF Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA). Both have also been invited to attend the United Nations and received blessings from His Venerable Thupten Ndogdup Kuten La – Medium for the Tibetan State Oracle and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
For the duration of this story, I respectfully refer to Omileye as Omi and Chief Olu, as Olu, which was how they introduced themselves to me.
Deb also encouraged me to listen to the audio of Omi’s story. It depicted her background as a Priestess of Osun, Yoruba Universal and Water Mother. Keeping with her African Caribbean heritage, she is a third generation Wisdom Keeper. Omi told about the trance state she experienced that shook her, took her to the floor, and caused her “tremendous suffering…” in her body. As she experienced this pain, the Mother Osun began to speak through her and said “there (is) a great suffering coming to the earth.” This suffering of unparalleled tsunamis, earthquakes, and tragedies is due to how mankind has treated the earth and each other; we are not listening to our ancestors. This message was repeated with clarity. The “calamities” shown by the message are the result of humanity not listening to the earth and not taking care of it. The message also said that the Mother’s energy has been weakened. Omi felt this weakness, as though she was “experiencing a death.” After the trance state, Omi was shaking, crying, and she was frightened. Her husband, Olu, “manages” the trance states Omi experiences. He indicated that this trance state and message was unusual by the “level of anxiety,” felt from the Mother.
Olu asked who should hear the message. Omi and Olu were told they must carry their message to the world. They consulted with their African oracle from Nigeria and were told they had to see The Tibetan State Oracle, Thupten Ngodup, better known as Kuten La, in Dharamsala India. Throughout this process, the will of spirit was at hand. Omi and Olu and their daughter Omo Lolu had to travel within 10 days to India. and the money came to support them! Olu acknowledged, “This is really deep. Spirit is working with you to make this actually happen.”
Upon traveling to Dharamsala, the family met Kuten -La, and he confirmed the message from Osun. He indicated that two days before Omi received it, he had received the very same message from the ancestors and the Nechung Oracle:
“There is a great suffering coming to Earth in the form of huge tsunamis and earthquakes. This is a result of mankind polluting the Four Elemental Mothers. They are putting pollutants into the air and creating an imbalance, they are putting pollutants into the waters and poisoning the waters. The Four Elemental Mothers are out of balance and angry. They are the ones who will be bringing the Great Suffering. Osun was right, the Nechung Oracle had the answer. The answer is to give prayers and ceremonies of gratitude and apology to the Four Elemental Mothers.”
Their mission was clear – to carry this mission to the universe and to do ceremonies honoring the Four Elemental Mothers. Kuten La also gave them an initiation to strengthen them to carry out their mission. He saw them 3 times and organized an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to bless them! His Holiness also gave them a “powerful” initiation and asked them to return. “(He) made us promise that we would return to share the messages, solution and work hard to deliver humanity form suffering.” As Olu remarked, this message and its journey were “magical.” *
IMPORTANT: When Omi asked if humanity has hope, Kuten La answered that only if we act with compassion and act on the messages being given, will there be hope.
“The ancestors and the Mother are really reaching out to us to give us hope.” -Omi
With sound commitment from Omi and Olu, the ceremonies started. I attended the second ceremony, at sundown, August 27, 2016. By the way, Deb’s second prescription for me was to do a fast in anticipation of the energy of the ceremony.
First Day in Asheville
Deb, Mama C., and I traveled to Asheville from Florence, AL. Upon arriving there, GPS (I call her Gigi), took us effortlessly to OM Sanctuary, which was suggested by Olu. This sanctuary was absolutely beautiful, serene, and welcoming.
Labyrinth in the garden of Om Sanctuary
We settled our travel gear, and Deb called Olu. We went across the road to their cabin to meet them. There, we were greeted by Omi, Olu, and a few of the spiritual group assembled to help with the ceremony, David, Heidi, Yona Yellowhawk, Squiqui, along with Olu and Omi’s children, Kemra (20) and Omo Lolu, (6). They were gathering to discuss the upcoming ceremony to take place the following day. We thought we were there to simply meet Omi and Olu. However when they opened their session with prayer from each participant of various traditions, Spirit opened through energy and transformed the session through messages of clarification and confirmation. This powerful session was truly the initiation of The Four Elemental Mothers ceremony. And, yes, I was happy I had fasted during the week!
After Spirit expressed itself, we were generously invited to break bread and to introduce our backgrounds. We listened and shared for the planning of the ceremony. After retreating to our room, we were excited about our experience and anticipating the ceremony for the next day.
The Spider Web
After breakfast, we walked the labyrinth on the grounds of the Sanctuary and found Deb sitting on a bench on the second level of the grounds. She invited us to see a beautifully symmetrical spider web that mirrored the sun. I thought about the awareness to be able to notice this treasure, and also thought about the generosity of Mama C. who welcomed all walkers to notice the web – a symbol of God’s beauty. Look closely to find it.
Preparing for the Ceremony
We followed Olu and Omi to the site of the ceremony. They stopped to gather water from the river. Omi had received bottles of water from all over the world, and she had been doing ceremony at the river with them all, but had yet to gather water from their local river. Deb brought water from our Tennessee River for the ceremony. These waters were to be “joined” at the ceremony. We were ready to join the others for the potluck at the house. With water gathered, we made our way to Alexander, NC to the ceremonial site.
Sacred Circle Sanctuary
We were told the ceremony would take place on a medicine wheel, but I was unprepared for this sanctuary. We saw the property, in its glorious expanse. There was a beautiful sustainable home and a beehive on the grounds! We parked and had to walk beyond the hive and down a hill to a massive wheel built of intricate placement of stone. We met all the participants readying their quadrants for the ceremony, one for each element. Deb brought her collection of crystal skulls, which had traveled with Deb and Mama C. all over the world. I placed my knotted yarn representing the spirit of the Ancestors on Deb’s prayer mat. We were ready to join the others for the potluck at the house. Rama Kaur, a spiritual teacher who was present to play the gong, offered us a ride, which was a blessing in climbing the hill to the house.
Yona Yellowhawk and Heidi preparing
Deb at the Earth quadrant.
Omi in preparation
Mama C. and Squiqu
Rama Kaur, ramakaur.com
The Home/heart of John and Kevin
There were around 30 pairs of shoes that had been shed to enter this home. The floors were concrete, warmed by the energy of design and the souls of the husbands that resided there. We met open arms of people gathered for the potluck and ceremony and looked on to those still entering the home.
I noticed tours conducted by both John and Kevin. So I stood in line to talk with Kevin and to ask for a tour. Mama C. asked if we could see their prayer room. We had been told about it. After hugs for Deb, Mama C. and me, Kevin escorted us to a door with an ornate Art Nouveau handle. (The other doors complimented the contemporary setting). He opened the door and Whoosh! The energy was so intense, it went through my body. The Ancient One, through Mama C. began to bless the room; I closed by eyes, and Kevin began to play one of his flutes. The room contained a phenomenal collection of indigenous relics, drums, stones, crystals, swords, feathers, and fossils. Deb could identify many, but I simply felt the energy of what they represented. It was an unforgettable experience and certainly another preparation for the ceremony. Deb, Mama C. and I chose to forego the potluck.
The owl, deemed Keeper of the Room.
John Leonard
Kevin Wilkerson
The Ceremony
Participants were cleansed with sage and Chief Olu welcomed us by requesting solicitations of loving intentions from our ancestors upon entering the medicine wheel. We sat around those holding the energy for air, fire, water, and earth. Chief Olu introduced the order of presentation, and said it was only right that our Cherokee brother, Yona Yellowhawk open the ceremony. After a prayer, invoking the Great Spirit to forgive our treatment of the 4 elements, Yona began to honor the thunder cries we were hearing and to sing and drum. As people began to dance around the circle and drum, the frequency was enhanced. Finally, most of the circle was on their feet. Mama C. and another participant began to channel, and then the Ancient One, through Mama C., began to walk the circle, blessing each person. Yona was blessing everyone with an eagle feather, and Mama C was right behind him. While the intensity soared, all I could say was “Thank you, thank you,” over and over again, “Thank you.”
Leumeria Kumara & Gagan Hunter, from Spiritual Roots & Earth Medicine Blog Talk Radio
With the initiation of each element, we asked forgiveness and celebrated the love of the Mother. Olu divined each expression of the quadrants to make sure we were in concert with spirit. Squiqui shared stories from the Swinomish Tribe; a teacher from the Kemet tradition, Gagan Hunter, introduced us to their concept of Oneness with the Divine Creator. He told us of Aset (Isis) and the importance of welcoming the divine feminine. After singing and dancing with him, Omi and the energy keepers joined the waters and accompanied by the didgeridoo and the gong, Omi did a powerful meditation for water. Yona came back to invite us to sing The Big Stick, which got us on our feet again. With a beautiful invocation and meditation inviting us to become the earth, David Metz, representing the Inca tradition, honored the fourth element through forgiveness and gratitude. Deb invited all to touch and hold the crystal skulls, and Lena did a beautiful prayerful message of forgiveness and gratitude for the Mother.
David Metz, Certified Clinical and Energetic Herbalist, apu67@live.com
Lena
There were various songs honoring the Mother and instruments played, but the young girls that walked the circle bowing in reverence to the participants particularly moved me. We were the ‘choir’ during the first burst of spiritual expression, led by Yona. I also loved the beautiful song to Osun by a small woman who played the didgeridoo and an instrument made out of a gourd.
As we gathered around in circle, this time smaller than at the start, we blessed the ceremony the way we came in, with the intention to be love. The constellation of stars said Ase’.
Out of reverence, and because of my own participation, I do not take pictures while ceremonies are taking place, but below is an image taken of the first ceremony that was held in June, 2016:
Realization
I called Omi and asked her speak about purpose, as she had done the first night we met. She spoke about the African culture understanding that every soul is born with a purpose, and that it is our destiny to fulfill it. She told me that her family, from the Africa and Caribbean cultures was rooted in the practice of spiritual gifts, but how for years she was afraid to use hers. She spoke of the States being different from the UK and Trinidad, where spiritual gifts were honored and how it was “cool to be a wisdom keeper” there, as opposed to here. She implored spiritual men and women to “step out in compassion, peace and love.” After she reiterated her words, I thanked her for answering the call to step out and use her gifts and for her generosity of fulfilling the mission.
As usual, I finished where I started – within. What was my lesson? To not only hear, but adhere to the message from the Mother. I ask forgiveness from the water by clearing my consciousness of fear-based thinking, and to give ceremony to honor the most vital resource we have. The fire burns and cleanses my errors; I will invoke it in my own ceremony for inner peace. Take breaths that honor my body through Qigong, deep, holy breaths before confrontation, and do my best to use products that do not pollute the air. Touch the earth; walk, talk to it; nurture it, and ask forgiveness. My spiritual work is through my healing words and I suspect, through touch. I am open to a deeper exploration of this gift. I hear the ancestors, as they call me to “step out in compassion, peace and love.” For this, I say “Thank you, thank you.”
Deb, Omi, Olu, Omololu, Sququi (crystal skulls at the forefront)
*Please have a listen to this important and compelling story about the message in its entirety:
To learn more about this work, I invite you to browse yeyeosun.com
They ask of us to Help… Appease and Honor the Four Elemental Mothers through:
Individual, public and private group ceremony and prayers Monthly individual, public and Private group ceremony/prayers Joining in on the synchronized ceremonies Urgently spreading the word in your spiritual circles Through your everyday actions and Becoming the Ceremony
– Victorine
Originally from Chicago, Vicki Goldston, (Victorine), now calls the Shoals area home. She has three children, (including a son-in-love), and 3 grand children, all who add texture to the fabric of her life.
Teaching Conscious Living through God Within You, Vicki is the Pastor Emeritus of Living Spirit Church, an Independent, New Thought ministry, in Florence, AL. Minister Vicki is an Inspirational Speaker; a Contributing Author of a Chicken Soup book, The Miracle of Tithing, by Mark Victor Hansen; and the author of her own book, Be S.A.F.E. (Still, Aware, Faithful, and Excellent). She is the president of Camp Goldston Publishing, LLC. and the founder of Garden Spices Magazine. She facilitates her workshop, Abundance Therapy, and is the Founder/Facilitator of Revelations: A Ministry. She is also a member of the C.O.R.E. Drummers.
Her slogan is: “It’s all good/God” and Minister Vicki believes “love” has the final word.
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