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How to Create a Simple African Spiritual Fire Shrine

African Spiritual Sacred Spaces


How to Create a Simple African spiritual Dagara Fire Shrine

There are a number of traditional African methods for building an African spiritual Dagara Fire Shrine. 

African Spiritual shrine

Why build an African Spiritual shrine 

An African spiritual shrine is a sacred place and by building a shrine, we establish a sacred space for prayer, spiritual awakening, and spiritual union with the ancestors. Building a shrine is not weird, instead, it shows a willingness to connect to something greater than yourself.

Sacred Space and Ancestors Explained

Imagine walking into a beautiful garden and seeing two people arguing and fighting. Most of us would just be aghast and realize something is gravely wrong with what is going on it is because we understand about space as sacred its set apart is to be used for only one thing, peace.

One of the secrets of a happy spiritual life is set aside a sacred space like an altar in your home. When you set aside a sacred space, it has a similar effect as when you walk into a beautiful orchard filled with every fresh fruit imaginable. In my sacred space I have candles, water, and live plants, it is very beautiful and it is very small does not take up a lot of room and I use it for only one thing, prayer. 

Sacred spaces make you drawn to prayer, as human beings were affected by our surroundings, quiet beautiful places remind us of a kind of purity of life. We must create ancestral scared spaces that remind us of Spirit spaces that draw our hearts to the helpful ancestral spirits. Sacred spaces tell us in all of who we are it is time to pray, time to enter into a relationship outside the physical; it is time to have that one-on-one commune with the ancestors.

If you want to make significant progress in communing with the ancestors, I strongly recommend that you set up a sacred space in your home for nothing else but prayer and if you do, I assure you that your struggles with talking and listening to your ancestors will be greatly minimized because that space will draw you to prayer every time you enter.

Spiritual Awakening and the Ancestors

Spiritual awakening actually means awareness, you have a level of awareness of who you really are, of what your divine nature really is. You understand and you know you are a spiritual being having a human experience. 

But what it actually means to be a spiritual me that you are Eternal that you are worthy that you are loved that you know that you exist that you're not just this being that's a part of the universe but you're the entirety of the universe. That you are the universe and the universe is you.

There is more to you than just a flesh and blood, more than that there was another aspect to be aware of the other aspect of you to the first stage of that usually is that you understand there's a spiritual part of you that you cannot see with your eyes. 

This part is the larger part of you is the internal part of you; you are not separate from the whole but literally one. It is that right thinking when we come to the understanding that we are a spiritual being.

Awakening really is when you boil it down to the smallest level is understanding your divine nature and spiritual essence. You are an eternal energetic being; you are not just this physical aspect of bone and blood and wasted energy vibrating on a temporary frequency that allows you to be human. 

Do not misdirect your spiritual power from the ancestors. You have a connection to the spiritual and when you can see the whole breadth of yourself with the ancestors, you are being then become awakened and you will recognize that you have always been a part of the whole.

African Spiritual Sacred Spaces

African spiritual Dagara fire shrines are always built-in the Southern part of the house made from natural materials. You can simply use a table and place photos of past away family members, shells, coins, jewelry, favorite objects, and other personal effects of the deceased. 

The most important element of an African spiritual Dagara fire shrine is fire, which must be kept burning at all times under watchful eyes. Fire shrines are built for protection and fire symbolizes the deep burning love, support, and warmth of the ancestors.

Fire can devour but warm and lighten dark places, fire can also bring agony and death if not channeled correctly. Fires symbolism has had a very significant role in spiritual development since fire is a purifier as well as a destroyer. This is why fire in many cultures is viewed as a symbol of a flame of wisdom and knowledge if used in the approved manner.

Burkina Faso Lobi peoples Bateba figures are recognized as living beings, which are placed on the shrines of supernatural spirits and are able to communicate with one another and to fight off evil.
Burkina Faso Lobi peoples Bateba figures 


Spiritual Shrines throughout Africa

In the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria great altars were constructed to commemorate the passing of royal ancestors.

The Dogon people of Mali in western Africa use figures of dogs celebrate the memory of a brilliant dog that discovered a watering hole during the search for their current homelands.

Guinea Baga peoples elek figures represent the family lineage. They were placed upon the family shrines, normally in the house where the eldest member of the lineage lived. Offerings were made in hopes of assuring protection from malevolent forces.

Among Mistogo peoples of Gabon, guarded by wooden figures, the skulls and bones of honored ancestors are kept as reliquaries on shrines that commemorate the lineage.

Burkina Faso Lobi peoples Bateba figures are recognized as living beings, which are placed on the shrines of supernatural spirits and are able to communicate with one another and to fight off evil.

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