Are you searching for a spiritual path that speaks to your cultural identity? Are you curious about the connection of the African-American experience to ancient African culture and spirituality? The Quest for Spiritual Transformation: An Introduction to Traditional Akan Religion, Rituals, and Practices is an important contribution to the exploration of cultural approaches to healing the mind, body, and spirit. Author Nana Opokuwaa clearly illustrates the connection between the traditions and beliefs of Africans born in the Diaspora to the ancient customs of the Akans. Her writing style exhibits a special sensitivity and compassion that shows appreciation for the reader's need for guidance. Opokuwaa's approach to explaining the Akan Akom Tradition brings clarity to the complicated practices associated with African religion in the Diaspora. In addition to seven study guides meant to serve as discussion points within your organization, group of friends, or for yourself, this book includes a list of references to enlighten you about Akan culture, customs, and traditions. There is a glossary of Twi words, with which readers may not be familiar, utilized in the book and an index for readily available reference. In the follow-up to Akan Protocol: Remembering the Traditions of Our Ancestors, Opokuwaa continues her effort to share information about the ancient traditions and customs of the Akans of Ghana, West Africa.

This book is an insightful guide to the diverse ways that religious faith is practiced and spirituality is understood. Discussing contemporary issues such as post-modernism and the emergence of a "new paradigm," the new realities of geopolitics, globalization and global warming, this book explores the importance of religion in people's lives to provide direction in the society today. This book demonstrates the common quest among the world religions for a deeper and more profound spirituality. Describing the spiritual pathways of the various world religions, it assesses the ways that the beliefs, values and practices of these traditions can be life-giving, leading to personal and social responsibility and transformation, but also sometimes harmful and divisive, even used for dangerous purposes. Promoting constructive engagements between the world's religions, this book will connect social justice and ethical engagements with core religious practices and spiritualities. This is an ideal introductory text for students of world religions, spirituality and interfaith relations, broadening their understanding of these lived faiths.

So, you're Awake now. You've discovered a deeper, more intimate connection with yourself. And now the Great Illusions of your life don't sit so well with you anymore. Anyone who's gone through a Spiritual Awakening knows it's rarely ever a walk in the park. It can be hard, even painful, to peel away those layers which no longer serve and rebuild yourself anew. Confusion, fear, loneliness and depression often follow an Awakening. And yet, your Awakening was always meant to happen. Perfectly timed to take place as it did. The reason for it may still elude you, however you can't shake the feeling there's a deeper purpose driving it all. For those experiencing the upheavals of a Spiritual Awakening; for those trying to understand what they're going through and it's purpose - this book was written for you. Join the author in this candid and honest account of his experiences navigating a Spiritual Transformation and how through performing Vision Quest - an ancient tradition of rebirth and renewal - he was able to better understand where his Awakening was leading him to. May it offer valuable insight on how you too can discover yours...

A story about a girl that followed her inner dreams that became a reality. She always felt the spirit sometimes she'd listen sometimes she would ignore it. Through struggle and pain she finds her way, her path, her spiritual center.

This book begins your exploration of the culture and traditions of the Akans of Ghana, West Africa. It introduces the reader to the lifestyle of the traditional Akans living in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, and other West African Countries. Little has been written on the Akan culture and spirituality especially in the style and with the sensitivity of this author. The reader gets a glimpse of the traditional life of the Akan with its protocols, hospitality, and embedded cultural spirituality. This is a user friendly guide to anyone seeking knowledge on the culture and/or spirituality of the Akans. The author has spent more than 15 years traveling throughout Ghana, observing and participating in cultural activities as well as studying day-to-day life. Additionally, the Author has spent many years interviewing practitioners of traditional Akan customs and rituals in Ghana. This book is a must read for social workers, psychologists, professors, teachers, and students. It is a great reference guide for those who plan to travel to Ghana and other parts of West Africa. Akan Protocol is infused with stories of interest and humor that will place you in the heart of Ghana, West Africa with Nana Kyerewaa.

Among most products of alien education, there is total lack of moral virtues, honesty, integrity, eagerness to serve and readiness to sacrifice. Rather, he is enslaved by the glittering fancies and fascinations of other cultures. He has embraced, and is enthused by, a religion which compels him to acknowledge that he is a sinner who has to work hard to attain purity which he already is. If the new religions made him more caring, honest, sincere, God-fearing and less sin-loving' there would be no need for this work. He has assumed political and judicial roles and is ruling a society, the majority of whose members live with, and cherishes, the traditional knowledge he holds in contempt and disdain. His rule can be successful, fruitful and beneficial to himself and others if he re-educates and equips himself with the philosophy underpinning his religious/spiritual heritage, instead of using political power to impose his new-found religion and its values on his people. In Akan Traditional Religion, the author has revisited the native religion of the sophisticated Akans who built the vast Asante Empire even before the British dreamt of an empire. He has re-examined, analysed and reinterpreted this heritage from the Akan point of view rather than as part of the colonial legacy in Africa. He concludes that the Akan traditional religion is no less holy than, or the ethical values it espouses inferior to, any other religion. Akan traditional religion proclaims that the one God is, and in, everything, that is to say, a living universe based on Universal Consciousness. (This is why Akans readily accept any name, such as Allah, Jesus, Krishna, the Father, etc. used by other communities to denote the One God). In other words, it espouses the doctrine of unity in diversity. The individual forms (bodies) are activated and operated by the same one God. The differences between individuals only reflect the diversity. The self-aware individual shares in divine power and majesty; the totally ignorant person thinks he is the body and caters only to the needs and comforts of the body. Identification with the body makes him prone to suffering from excessive desires which expose him to fear, anxiety, lust, anger, pride, etc. as a consequence. The heaven/hell dichotomy is absent in Akan doctrine. All will become divine, eventually. This principle of unity in diversity, rather than conflict and strife, guides the Akan in his personal life, (wo yonko da ne woda; i.e. the bed you make for your neighbour is the same one you will lie in), as well as the organisation of his society (wo amma wo yonko antwa nkron a, wonso wonya du ntwa; i.e. your right to ten can be exercised if, and only if, your neighbour's right to nine is guaranteed). The esoteric significance of the title 'Nana', which every Akan 'Ohene' or 'Ohemaa' bears, has been clarified and the phrase, 'Nananom Nsamanfuo', means 'the Enlightened Ones' rather than 'ancestral spirits'. (Ch. 5) Anatomical analysis of prayer has shown that the Akan congregational prayer, 'Nsa Guo' is as valid a prayer as any offered to the Supreme Deity and has no resemblance to the Judaic tradition of libation pouring. Therefore, 'Nsa Guo' cannot be described as 'Pouring Libation'. (Ch. 9) The concluding chapter will make interesting reading for those toying with the idea of Africanising the Christian religion or Christianising Africa.(Ch.14)

"The Spiritual Quest, the first book in the Sacred Adventure series, presents a step-by-step guide to the spiritual path. It gives a thorough understanding of the purpose of life—from your point of origin to your becoming a masterful spiritual being. You’ll find dynamic keys to your spiritual growth in each of the chapters on your divine origin, your higher self, living a spiritual life in a material world, expanding the flow of light within, karma (good, bad and balanced), reincarnation, and your ultimate destiny. Includes charts, diagrams, color illustrations and audio links throughout."