FROM THE SUITCASE--Oliha Yiwama

“Come to me, my love...”

African medicine is a really in-depth practice that includes not only the physical, but the spiritual, psychological, emotional, and mental aspects of the individual and community. Each aspect also includes use of herbal and ritual methods of medicine. I have touched upon traditional African medicine in earlier columns, but the realm of African medicine is vast.

One of the categories of traditional African medicine I like to approach is Compelling Medicine. In general, in traditional African thought, a native doctor, through understanding the physical application of medicines, believes that a person can be controlled, or compelled to perform or restrained from doing a number of activities. Probably the most famous of the compelling medicines are the ones that will make a lover or potential lover fall head-over-heels with the person using the medicine. Those that draw money are equally popular.

Africans have been using advanced forms of science for many generations, before Western medicines attained similar concepts. For instance, in many love medicines or potions, some part of the potential lover's DNA material is required, whether bodily fluids, hair, or a piece of one of their garments. Although not used for love medicines, Western science now recognizes the concept and value of DNA's unique combination in one particular person, and its ability to identify that person.

Well, Africans were aware of that general scientific concept for centuries! Personal DNA, mixed with herbal, mineral and animal ingredients, usually along with an incantation used to spark or enhance the potency is the method employed to attract love and money.

Probably the most famous place where compelling medicines have made their mark is in Nigeria. Ads by native doctors who possess compelling medicine are frequent, and the clients who use compelling medicine are more frequent than the ads.

Although Nigeria may be well known for its compelling medicines, love and money are the preoccupation of the world. People go to soothsayers, seers, prophets, priests, clergy, and their mothers to find ways to bring love and money--which are often related!

Love and money-compelling medicines also made their way to the Americas via West Africans. Here they go by a variety of names: gris-gris, hand, mojo hand, jomo, root bag, luck hand, conjure bag, toby, savon patchuoli soap, money drawing candles, etc. For the love of money!

Compelling medicines have been tried and tested for centuries, and still find their place during this modern era. Well, you be the judge. Love and money drawing medicines will soon be sold at the Iyawo store on Saminaka. See ya there!

***ADVERTISEMENT***

Devotees of Oshun, the lovely orisha of Nigeria's Oshun river and the New World's freshwater rivers and waterfalls, reveals her seductive powers of love in this Brazilian-style gown and crown with flexi veil. She's a golden woman, flashing her brass and drawing every eye! A coquette with a scripted fan, sweeping her lashes and throwing flirtatious glances. Complete with jewelry and a vase of her favorite sunflowers, you won't want to resist her. At Iyawo http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/128/199/30

HAWKING IN THE MARKET--SAMINAKA COMMERCIAL NEWS

***IYAWO is open on Saminaka! This fascinating store (formerly was to have been named Adire Extraordinaire) combines images drawn from the Yoruba diaspora to clothing and ritual objects from that diaspora! It's still growing, but orisha dresses for Yemanja, Oshun and Oya are out, all in Brazilian style. More orisha clothing in different traditions will be added, for women and men.

***Changes are still afoot for the grand opening of the cacao megastore on Saminaka, due to take place next week! For the moment, furniture cannot be found, because Gidan Magarifi's stock has been removed for the building of the new store--it will find its way back, in new and improved form!

HAWKING IN THE MARKET--SAMINAKA COMMERCIAL NEWS

***Sultan Oliha Yiwama has returned from Nigeria, and has opened his office on Saminaka. It has dual access--directly from the beachside, beside the new shrine, or through the Iyawo store. Sultan Oliha has had extensive real life training and initiations in the U.S. and in Nigeria, and is a qualified diviner and priest in both Yoruba and Benin Kingdom traditions. See him for all your needs, religious and personal!

***VENDORS! CALLING ALL AFRICAN MERCHANTS! Saminaka will be holding SL’s first African Festival from the evening of Oct. 1 through Oct. 4. Its many events will include appearances by masqueraders, stiltwalkers and acrobats, as well as a decorated canoe regatta, a durbar with a display of finely attired horses, an African fashion conest, two (or three!) djed parties, a live musical performance, cultural lectures, readings, displays about Nupe culture, the horse in Africa, and Nigerian plants, a sim-wide treasure hunt, the launching of Ananse, an SL group devoted to African and Diaspora scholarship and more! During our last treasure hunt, our numbers were in the thousands. And what’s a festival without a special festival market? The big boat is coming down, and in its place we will have festival stalls, ready for stocking with African merchandise. Do you sell African clothes? Jewelry? Drums? Hair? Skins? Come and take a booth and sit back for a willing audience of strollers! Our prices are low because we really want your participation to add to the atmosphere: 125L a day for 25 prims worth of display, or 300L for the three and a half day period. Contact Tamsin Barzane for details; there are only a few spots left

***Our new store IYAWO (formerly Adire) has opened! Iyawo will specialize in orisha attire, art, and ritual products. Brazilian-style dress for Oshun and orisha followers are already out, with Yemanja and Oya to be added within days--and many more to come. The carved wooden panels and paintings of Carybe, showing orishas and initiates, are up, as are selected other art works. A sculpted Eshu/Eleggua awaits your threshold! More to come. Visit our Olokun shrine as well, and be on the lookout for expansion in this area.

***Be on the lookout for a new superstore on Saminaka, the cacao main store! Some of Tamsin's brands will be folded into this store, but that doesn't mean her off-sim stores will vanish. Kiko Life's cacao store will remain the jewel box it is, and will only carry the latest cacao collection, but Tropicality will change directions somewhat, becoming what its name implies--THE spot of African-inspired beachwear! Most of Pangolin Dreams' African art works will move into Seven Cowries, but Pangolin Dreams will continue to carry some art and artifacts while changing direction somewhat. As for the promised cacao superstore....wait and see! Its exterior will be a spectacular piece of Hausa architecture, filled with products you'll be eager to stock up on! Keep looking here for the grand opening date!