Orisha elders invoke ancestral help against covid19

THE COUNCIL OF ORISHA ELDERS OF TT on Sunday called on all ancestors – regardless of race, religion or history – to assist Trinidad and Tobago in the coming challenges with covid19.

Led by public relations officer Darren Robinson and accompanied by secretary Neil Ryan Rawlins, the council gathered at the ancestral grounds at Lopinot/Bon Air West Community Centre and called on the ancestors in song, and with sacrifices of dried foods, liquor and tobacco.

They gave thanks for their guidance thus far and petitioned for more guidance and leadership and prayed that they manifested in the leaders of TT.

“It is not one type of ancestor that sits in this place. It is not our ancestors alone. It is all the ancestors. It is not just African ancestors who reside in this place but our tradition stands on the shoulders of our ancestors. So we pay homage to them,” Rawlins said.

He added that each year to the day the Orisha families have gathered at this ancestral grounds, blessed and petitioned by international leaders in the faith, after it was discovered that the bones of slaves were buried at the grounds.

Rawlins said the procession was important because leaders of the faith had predicted a darkness coming over the entire world.

“There were warnings where our manifestations had come to warn us to prepare for something negative. On July 3, 2019, one of our manifestations said there would be a darkness that would cover the entire earth and people would have to isolate themselves and keep indoors and stock grains and water.

"Now you are seeing the devastation of human life. There are people that don’t believe in covid19. But they can’t explain why there are so many people getting sick and dying.”

He said that spirits have already guided the nation into the position it is right now, which is better than many other countries'.

“We are a lot better than most in the world that we did not have a high rate of infection. Something had to guide them to make the decisions that they made. So we are praying for the people of TT.”