Embodying Shango: Overcoming Fear
by Verona Spence-Adofo
Publish Date: Thu 25th Jul 2024
I grew up in a Jamaican household with Reggae music as the soundtrack to my younger years. Until this day I can vividly remember the unique track titled ‘Creation’ by Peter Tosh on his Bush Doctor album. Whenever this song was about to play, my family would have to hastily skip the track as they knew it would send me into uncontrollable hysterics…
While my childhood was a reasonably happy one, it was overshadowed by a deep-rooted irrational fear, one that would keep me hostage until the age of 16 years old. I can’t remember exactly when it started, but from my earliest memories I recall being extremely terrified of thunderstorms. So impacting that even the slightest rumble would send me into a crippling panic. This phobia consumed me, I grew fixated on watching weather reports and became adept in noticing the conditions that that would likely produce thunderstorms. The fear was so extreme that if the weather forecast predicted a storm several days ahead, I would cry anxiously, even though nothing had happened yet.
Now I’ve explained the extent of this fear, hopefully you can begin to comprehend how this simple song could send me into a terrifying panic.
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The worst times were overnight thunderstorms, the experience of the heavens opening displaying its magnificent power left me feeling dreadfully frightened and helpless. On such nights, I would awkwardly sleep with my fingers in my ears to block out the experience, praying for the storm to finish.
This natural phenomenon would continue to haunt me and control my emotional state for years. It only came to a head when I reached 16, it was during the time I was doing work experience towards the end of Secondary school. There was one evening whilst at home, I could hear a storm coming, the panic set in. I wanted to escape it yet dreaded the thought of staying inside. Despite the fear, I was compelled to go out into the storm and anxiously walked to my local underground train station. I felt safe underground and I found solace on the tube journey; I was literally able to escape the reality of what was happening outside. I remember getting off at Baker’s Street station. The thunderstorm continued but I bravely walked down the street, I noticed others passing by and how unphased they were by the weather conditions. This gave me strength and I slowly began to calm down and allowed myself to experience the storm.
With every step I took, it became a little easier. It felt surreal to observe the distance between the lightning and the thunder increasing gradually over time. The storm was finally passing, and I had tackled my greatest challenge head on. I was finally able to make peace with the very same fear that had held me hostage for so many years. I felt empowered and proud of myself!
After that experience I was eventually able to witness storms and see the beauty in its majestic and powerful display. I was also finally able to listen to the Creation track and for the first time enjoy the creativity of the tune.
It was well over 10 years later that I would come across information about the Orisha Shango in Yoruba cosmology and begin to make correlations with my own experience.
SHANGO
Shango is a deified ancestor who was one of the early kings of the Oyo Empire. This Orisha (Nature Force) is represented in the natural world as thunder and lightning and is believed to possess immense power and strength. Associated with fire, courage, virility, resilience and leadership as well as many other things.
One of the key traits of Shango is his fierce and bold nature, who is unafraid to confront his enemies and is associated with victory. Shango is seen as a protector of the people, especially those who are in need of strength and guidance. He is often called upon in times of crisis or conflict, as his presence is believed to bring courage and determination to those who seek his help.
WE ARE NATURE
It took years before it was revealed to me that by allowing myself to experience the storm with the intention to face my fear, I unconsciously invoked the essence of Shango and began to embody the same characteristics. In that moment I became bold and felt enough courage to stand up to the very same thing that had historically held me in an emotional prison.
By immersing myself in the elemental orchestra of the falling rain, lightning flashes and booms of thunder my energy field aligned with my environment. My fear would ultimately become my teacher, proving to me that we are Orisha and embody all those attributes within us, and through activating that energy we can allow it to express itself through us.
I was 16 years old, no knowledge of any African cosmologies, no teacher to guide me…just following my intuition. For years I couldn’t understand why my instinct was to go outside in something that brought me such crippling fear, but now with hindsight I can see that deep within me, intuitively I knew that connecting with that natural force would provide the solution to my problem.
We should never forget that WE ARE NATURE and through observing own unique relationships with the different elemental forces, we can begin to witness the alchemy that takes place within ourselves when present with these elements.
We can simply bathe in the ocean, bask in the rays of the sun, spend time with the trees, let our feet touch the earth, breathe with intention, soak in the river, experiment with different herbs, there’s no limit! The natural forces are always there to teach us when we attune our perspective and become conscious of the influence they have on our mental, physical, emotional and energetic state.
Since then, my experience with thunderstorms has dramatically transformed, I now embrace them when they occur and consciously use those moments to connect with the energy of Shango, invoking his power, for justice, determination, strength and to assist me to be victorious over my challenges.
Nature is alive and living through us!
May we remember this sacred connection as we continue to embrace our own divinity!
Verona Spence-Adofo (Ancestral Voices Co-Founder)
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