SPIRITUAL OVERVIEW OF "IWA N'AFA"

(A) *About "Iwa n'afa* 

"Iwa n'afa" is a term some igbo communities use to express that diviners see the root of problem or disturbance arising from disobedient to joint volitions of a people. 

Literally it means root of problem/disturbance appears to or is identified by diviner ('Dibia-afa'). 

Other communities may have different terms for expressing same thing.

Cultures of a people that eventually became tradition/custom were instituted by their joint volitions. 

The tradition should be improving by the people as they improve in their understanding of the workings of the Will of God expressed in nature as natural laws.

In Igbo tradition, problems or disturbances are believed to befall a person if the following happens:

1) Not conducting a funeral in the traditional sense or not complying with the procedure of officially informing 'Umuada' (married daughters of paternal kinsmen), 'ndi-nna-ochie' (maternal kinsmen) and 'ndi-nwe-ozu' (paternal kinsmen) of a funeral and not permitting their style of funeral rite & not giving them items they resolved with the deceased or items traditionally approved for their rituals. 

It is said that departed souls do not join the ancestors if these were not done. 

If those directly responsible for a funeral where these were not done start having problems, diviners could trace the root to not complying to traditional burial rite. 

2) Giving a woman to a man in marriage without the man providing goat ('ewu') to the kindred ('umunna') of the woman. Eating of 'Ewu-umunna' by the kindred confirms general acceptance of a marriage.

If goat is not provided and problem develops in the marriage, diviner coup trace the root to non fulfilment of a marriage rite.

3) A woman living in marriage with a man that has not paid her bride price & has not performed other traditional ceremonies. 

If problem develops in their living together, diviners could trace the root to not yet married in traditional sense.

4) First son's role usurped by any of his sibling. 

If the sibling starts having problem, diviner could trace the root to depriving first son his rights.

5) Incest.

 

If there arises any of these problems in marriage of one that committed incest; malformation of baby in the womb, problems of child birth, still birth at every pregnancy, birth to imbecile or woman having ethereal problem after birth, diviner could trace the root to incest.

6) Abortion by spinsters.

Pregnancies by spinsters are considered a taboo and a child that comes from it are not accepted by some community.

If any of these starts occurring in a marriage; miscarriages, pregnancy becoming difficult or nightmares connected with dead children, diviner could trace the root to abortion. 

7) Murdering or killing people. 

If any of these starts happening to a person; disturbance by unseen force(s), departed soul or discarnate soul, diviner can trace the root to murdering or killing human beings. 

Divination is done when a troubled/disturbed person or his relative with him goes to a diviner to ascertain root of the problem/disturbance.

Tool for divination could be any of these:

1. Solid natural things e.g. seeds, shells, stones or bones.

2. Fluid natural things e.g. water, flame(fire), smoke or ash.

3. Man-made things e.g. tarot cards, runes, i ching coins or mirror. 

These are used in various ways e.g. casting, patterning, scrying or gazing.

Igbos believe that divination lays bare the truth.

Remedy usually proffered by diviners to end a problem or disturbance could be any of these: appeasing the gods, cleansing rituals or doing what was not done that brought the problem/disturbance.

Persons entrusted with making appease to gods and/or cleansing ritual are the 'akanri', so called either because they are linked to a dynasty in Nri kingdom who has the roles or are descendants of dwarf dynasty in Nri kingdom who by believe are entrusted with the roles. It is believed that dwarfs have connection with spiritual world, to gods and to ancestors.

The ancestors of the igbos are said to be from Nri kingdom. 

The 'akanri' prescribes what will be brought for the appeasing or cleansing, and performs the ceremony.

Priest/Ministers of some religions now perform the role of 'akanri' for those who believe in the tradition but do not accept the traditional style of appeasing and cleansing.

(B) *Spiritual Overview* 

Spiritually three things can bring problem or disturbance to a man or a people. 

If to a people each person among them will experience the problem/disturbance according to his nature i.e. different from how the others experience it. 

The three things are:

1. Wrong believe. 

2. Disobedient to the Will of God.

3. Disregarding joint volitions of a people that became tradition which one still upholds.

1. *Wrong believe*

The effects of wrong belief come to the fore when one passes on and finds oneself among one's homogeneous kinds with same belief.

The laws draw one to the height or depth of the weight of one's deeds to experience with his/her homogeneous kinds with same belief.

Despite the belief his earth-life could be good but he cannot ascend further because nothing wrong can be taken to spiritual realm. 

The belief will no longer work for him because he can no longer draw help from the power centre of the belief that was effective for him while on earth. 

The centre powered by the volitions of earthmen is located in a plane of medium gross matter (the astral plane). He is held by the centre but cannot draw help from it.

Wherever he may be with those that lived same earth-life (good or bad) with him he cannot leave there even when he changes if he is bad until he cuts himself off the belief by correcting it. 

He would be confused and cannot move forward despite his good life on earth, though not suffering 

except the denied urge to ascend.

This type of problem cannot be access by divination and cannot be remedied or abated by 'akanri' or priest/minister. It is only the soul himself that can solve it.

As long as one is on earth in flesh & blood what one believes will be fulfilled for him until he passes on to face reality. What happens on earth is made effective from centres of wrong beliefs in the beyond powered by the believers on earth with their volitions.

2. *Disobedient to the Will of God*

Disobeying what God ordained can have immediate or future effect depending on the nature. 

The consequences of such disobedient are fulfilled in the laws of gravity, homogenous kinds and reciprocal actions: the laws take one to the height or dept of the weight of one's deeds, there one is drawn to where those like him/her are (homogeneous kinds) to experience the good or bad one sowed with them.

The Will of God is that one must love oneself, one's neighbour as oneself and God otherwise the person suffers from the wrong that may arise from not loving.

The root of suffering what arose from disobeying the Will of God cannot be accessed by divination but clairvoyants can see the effects coming.

'Akanri' or priests/Ministers cannot remedy or abate the suffering. It can only be remedied by total change and living aright otherwise one suffers it either symbolically if he does not completely change or fully if no change at all.

3. *Disregarding volitions that became tradition which one is still part of*

These volitions differ from tribe to tribe, even from community to community. 

That which is tradition of one community may not be that of another community. 

A people intuitively resolves what and how their tradition would be. As they resolved so is it for them on earth. 

Their joint resolutions are their volitions which form centres in the beyond powered by them.

The joint volitions of ancestors affect those who still strongly uphold or power them the way the ancestors resolved and also those who pretend not to uphold them but inwardly support them & surreptitiously indulge in them, also those who do not know what they believe/what to believe, who acquiesce to everything or anything.

The problems or disturbances emanating from disregarding joint volitions can be accessed by divination and can be remedied or abated by 'Akanri' and Priests/Ministers 

Those that distanced themselves from such volitions because of better knowledge cannot be affected should they disregard or violate them: no problem or disturbance will come to them in that line.

Mezue Edmund O