The Vision - Free Spirit Crusaders

The Free Spirit Crusaders

Once upon a time, yesterday in London, here on a winters day, lives a nomadic storyteller who comes from a long line of storytellers. Ironically this nomad has been static for a very long time. Her name is Griot Chinyere. She once travelled in a mobile home between communities nurturing Afrakan culture through the stories she shared, being a free spirit. Now she has been static for so long, her bones creek out of sync and the dust clouds her memory. Her ancestors are unhappy. Last night in her dreams they visited. “The time is here to unifest the vision we gave you as a child. Try to remember. You must build a sacred geometrical structure for the children lest they forget who they are. And you will call it a storytelling retreat. But first you must seek an ancient story to guide your destiny. On your search you will encounter magic, wisdom and the healing ancient traditions of Afraka”.

This morning Griot Chinyere wakes up to squawking crows, shivering. Fore she knows where she must construct the sacred building. You see, many moons ago, a young spirit guide named, Kweku led her to the Kepko community in Ghana and their Chief. Under the bobao tree at the heart of the community, they poured libation and harnessed the positive energies of the universe. Griot Chinyere then presented the idea of an eco friendly storytelling retreat, running on natural renewable energy. There were many conversations, on the necessity, to preserve Afrakan heritage through storytelling and to conserve Mother Earth using renewable energy. A small circular ritual was enacted. All forces who needed addressing were addressed. The Chief received the message from a divine force, to donate 4 acres of land and install Griot Chinyere as their Queen Mother. It is agreed the storytelling retreat will be the keeper of ancient traditions in both the oral and written forms.

Today Griot Chinyere cycles through the cold and icy roads, to meditate in the Flower garden Park, she is conscious a dedicated team is required to help set a story trail blaze overland from England to Ghana; a trail that others with good intent will follow. A smile crosses her face as she considers the team name. “The free spirit crusaders”. A laugh jumps out of her mouth. It has a nice ring to it. Griot Chinyere sits meditating, hidden from view, engulfed by the snow laden hanging branches of an antiquated pine tree. The vision becomes clear. The free spirit crusaders are travelling through Afraka in a 4-wheel drive box trucks, about 7.5 ton. It has been converted into a fully furnished mobile home. Their conversion includes solar panels, windmill energy, a wood-burning stove, a bed, a dinning table, kitchen sink, herb rack, a shower etc etc all the creature comforts

The excitement, the verve and the energy this expedition inspires, motivates all manner of celebrity to endorse the Story Trail Blazer. And millions from the universal community support the project. There is much media attention everyone is trying to get in on it, with radio interviews, newspaper headlines and television coverage. The team set aside approximately 18 weeks to voyage 6,867 miles through 13 countries. This significant quest gives them unique exposure to communities and people of historical and social value. In the heat of the night under the rays of the full moon, the sound of the crackling fire bounces on the airways. The fire flies are the starlight of the surrounding forest. Griot Chinyere looks into the faces of this newly formed team and wonder if they wonder as she does how they will ever explain the spiritual evolution she has experienced. her day to day life is transforming from ordinary to extra ordinary. The learning that comes from acclimatising to a new way of being. Will the stories gathered, the video clips, the photographs the drawings be enough to show the emotional, mental and physical challenges on this odyssey? Will these tales become time honoured legends as they, seek the wisdom of the indigenous?

Something in the air changes and simultaneously they all avert their attention away from the fire. The eyes rest on the figure of an elder. It is hard to tell the gender. When Griot Chinyere receives the gaze of the elder she is compelled as the others are, to stand up and follow this figure into the darkness of the forest. They stop at a clearing framed by twelve trees. And in the night on this full moon there comes a chorus of animal spirit chants. The eyes of the elder light up. As clear as the stars in a night filled sky, Griot Chinyere realises this is the elder who will pass on the gift of the ancient story. Vibrations run up her spine and through her head. This is a rites of passage, a mystical, definitive moment.

Griot Chinyere meditation moves forward; she is stepping out of the truck. The Kepko community call and response causes an eruption of energy to ricochet throughout the land. They celebrate the safe return of their Queen mother. The free spirit crusaders are welcomed with open arms. The long awaited festivities begin. A colourful ceremony of singing voices, dancing bodies, clapping hands and drumming hearts generates continuous pulsations. The master crafters are called to begin the work. The ancient story lays the foundation. Red clay from spirit mountain forms the structure, bamboo from ancestral swamp decorates the walls, wood from old furniture, panels the floors and a thatched roof adorns on top. The energy flow divinely shines through the large open windows. At the centre of the 6-roomed retreat is the inner temple of sacred story divination.

This divinely creative space attracts an international circle of Griots and storytellers. Beautiful spirits sojourner here during the Solstice, for the Sesa Wo Suban Storytelling Festival. These eager ones go on a magical journey of the imagination as they enjoy annual renditions of ancient & contemporary stories. Many ones, fall in love with Ghana. A chosen few are gifted land in exchange for producing community projects promoting Afrakan culture and the potency of Mother earth! Some repatriate, attracted by; the excellent lifestyle opportunities, the ability to further develop the stable infrastructure, and a chance to contribute to the growing economy. Others return time and again to their favourite holiday destination.

The ancestors smile as the prophecy is fulfilled. The Kepko community live happily for eons.  Their centre of magic, wisdom and healing traditions, spurs the children to pass on Afrakan stories to their children, their children’s children and all the children throughout the generations. At the end of the meditation Griot Chinyere gives thanks to the ancestors for the vision and with a humble bow to the tree, an inwardly smile to herself she exits the snow laden garden to raise energy and resources. Isé

I honour Queen Mother Jessica Huntley

Jessica Huntley service, Thursday 31st October 2013 at Christ the Redeemer Church, Ealing, was a beautiful celebration of life. The energy generated in the people who loved her, knew her or just heard about her was definitely great enough to ensure and secure her journey to the higher plane. Aunty Jessica came and walked her divine path. The ancestors are there guiding her on the power of earthly love. If I have a birthday party with half as much vibrancy I will be flying on the moon. The commemoration of her life left me quite speechless for the most part. I had to let the pulsations of the event flow over me, through me, around me and beyond me. There were times when I was mesmerised by the whole affair.

My thoughts journeyed between this celebration and the marking of my own mother's powerful life. My mother was also a well regarded, trusted and loved woman. She had touched so many peoples lives with her generous nature and inspiring love. My mother was a nurturer and it did not matter who you were or how old you were if you came onto her pathway and needed love nurturing she had it to give. My last thoughts before leaving the burial ground was that my Mother and Aunty Jessica will meet on the ancestral plane. They will have so much to talk about.  After the church and the burial I went to another church in Northampton to tell a spirit tale "Ezigbo the spirit child. I dedicated that sharing to Queen Mother Jessica Huntley. I explained to my audience that in ancient Afrakan cultures, today is not about Halloween, the living dead and scarry stuff it is an opportunity to honour our ancestors, an opportunity to thank them and ask them to continue to bless us earthly beings with their guidance and protection as we walk our path of purpose. An opportunity to call down divine chi energy and surround ourselves in it.

I invited my audience to join me in the honouring of our ancestors and with that I shared a few words outlining briefly what Jessica Huntley meant to the Afrakan and Afrakan Caribbean community. Her book shop the power of transformation Jessica and Eric allowed to happen by publishing the books they did and what a haven they provided for lost souls to find themselves. She touched many people including the ones who only heard about her. She touched so many people I knew. Her funeral was an opportunity to renew friendships that I had let go. I hugged people that I love to hug. I met people in flesh that I had only communicated with via cyberspace. Jessica Huntley I bet you are asking yourself what the fuss is about and yet loving the fuss being made. I suffer from a lack of modesty, I tried to fight it but now I have chosen to claim it. I am a show off and any chance to boast I will, there I said it, and this looks like a chance. I would like to thank Queen Mother Jessica, during Afrakan remembrance day Aug 2013, for telling me I was the best storyteller she had ever heard . My response was - I am sure you say that to all storytellers. She told me that she had heard them all and no she does not. I tried to graciously accept the compliment, but it went straight to my head. I am sure she must have encouraged and guided and inspired many a being in her life time. I give thanks that I was amongst them.

Queen Mother Jessica Huntley My mother thanks you for being good to her daughter, my children thank you for keeping their mother's heart warm and I thank you for being here for us for as long as you were, May your spirit continue to shine and the ancestor show you favour for the connections and relationships you formed in your life time. RIP  divine chi energy Griot Chinyere Xxx

Is Storytelling the North Star?

While my formal education focused on the story of Britain and taught me little about myself or those other cultures surrounding me, by travelling to new lands I meet my neighbours, in their home land, our stories became connected an intertwined.

For a while my learning become free flowing and unstructured with only one aim; To be open to the abundance of knowledge that is available to me in the universe: I became a seeker of the truth and the beauty in truth. My formal education, which had trained me in theatre, engineering and scriptwriting, was the foundation upon which I based all that I learnt. However the more I leant and explored the more I learnt that there is so much more to the world story than meets the British Education Systems eye. However with a thirst for knowledge I had to be prepared to shatter and scrap my formal foundations to allow new knowledge to flourish. A scary thought, as I imagined myself moving as an open vessel floating through space and time, deliberately being detached from a physically place, yet staying connected to the universal forces.

The Storytelling spirits have brought me to a place in my evolution where a structure, a clear vision has materialised.  They say in order to contribute to the world story in a significant way and prosperous manner I must gather the stories that make up who I am and share them with my fellow divine beings. My story, is your story, is their story is our story. I have a piece of the puzzle to lay in the world story puzzle and I am asking for guidance and assistance to create my piece of the puzzle to share on the world stage. It is my responsibility to give a herstorical, mythological and imaginative context to my part of our story.

I acknowledge the teachers, oracles, shamans, griots along the way, whose stories and messages are teaching me about my place in life. I am blessed to have had some important lessons on the ridge of a volcano, in the middle of a busy square, in the darkness of a cave; practical lessons out in the field, living life. Now the foundation of my learning puts me at the centre. Because I have a deeper knowledge of self, I am more accepting of who you are, of who they are, of who we are.

The storytelling spirits say I am ready to move on. They are telling me to go out again into the world as a Griot nomad and gather certain sacred stories, knowledge and information, from people who are the backbone and skeletal form of society. People, families and community who do not get quoted in the newspaper or on world news or written about as contributors, People who do not win awards for their thoughts and ideas, people who are essential to heritage, people who are not paid for being the guardians of ancestral messages weaved into the tales they share.

If I am to reach the people I have described I must meet them on a human level, I must meet them as an extension of my family of myself. I must meet them as a reflection of something within me still to be discovered. I stop and listen to the voice of concern. I am fore warned to show prudence of divine laws when preparing the sacred stories to share. The art of storytelling used with integrity is the North Star leading us to salvation. 

Come and Enjoy the art of storytelling with Griot Chinyere's Enchanted Tales on October 19th!

I give thanks to the storytelling spirits who have been a constant guide to my visions and actions
Divine Chi Energy
Griot Chinyere

Ben Okri Speaks with Griot Chinyere

August bank holiday weekend, I attended the Under the Sun Storytelling Festival, mainly to listen to Ben Okri and interview him because he is my favourite author and I grabbed the opportunity as it presented itself.

Griot Chinyere: How can we use Storytelling to empower the Global Afrakan community?

Ben Okri: We can not liberate ourselves with our stories until we get beyond our pain, our anger our….. which is residual because of the racial injustice underline. We need to get beyond!

Stories that free us are connected to what we really are and not how we perceive that we are perceived. It is the double nature of that perception, we need to get beyond. First we need to tell all of our stories, where we came from, where we are, to where we want to go. We need to include whatever our past is into our stories, we can not cut it off, we can’t just say our story starts here. The very nature of our story likes its roots, it likes its branches, it likes where the roots go, where the roots come from, we need to accept all of our past, that is the material of our story, with which to work toward the story of the future. The acceptance of our past with all its difficulty is what is going to liberate our present.

We should not be a people whose perceptions are merely historical but our perception should be imaginative. The first element is the imaginative reclamation of our own stories. The liberation begins with the move from the historical to the imaginative. People feel that when you make the move from the historical to the imaginative that you are betraying your personal story. That is not the case at all, I would say you are liberating your story, liberation begins not with history, but with imagination. We need to include in our personal sense of ourselves the storytellers of our past. We need to include the storytelling voice of our communities. We need to find our voice, the tone, the beat of our stories.

We tell stories to one another in the African and Caribbean community all the time, we are natural storytellers. We make a distinction between the stories as we tell one another and the stories of ourselves as we tell it to the world. I am saying we need to break that down, remove that wall so it is one in the same. Starting with the voice we use to tell stories to ourselves and each other, we need to reclaim that. That intimate, individual playful slightly jousted voice we use with one another, we need to use that voice openly so we can include the bigger story we are constantly trying to tell. I would like us to be a forward dreaming people rather than a backward looking people. We tend to be more backward looking, I don’t mean we are backward, I mean in terms of always looking over our shoulders. Bob Marley said, what he noticed when he first came to England, is people always look down when walking in the streets, people should look up. That is what I am trying to say. We should look forward.

Storytellers free a people, storytellers are the liberators of people. Stories show that in the life of a people there is continuity that is what stories do. We need more storytellers in our community. We need to let people know and be aware that there is this new unexplored possibility. Amongst all the other things you can be, an engineer, a doctor, dentist, lawyer, teacher, one of the other things you can also be is a storyteller. It is a noble thing to be, it is an ancient thing to be and it is a future sighted thing to be.

Griot Chinyere: Thank you!

It was an honour and pleasure to speak with Ben Okri. His words, have inspire and encourage my work further. Please join me on The Griot Way Storytelling Training, This weekly course set over 3, nine week terms is a time for participants to establishing their own storytelling voice and the creation of an original Afrakan story based on our infinte imagination.

ONLY £240 for complete course - Begins Thursday 3^rd October 2013, from 6.30pm, The Albany, Douglas Way London SE8 4AG.

For further details http://www.shanti-chi.com/#!tgwcourse/c1qhs. Feel free to email info@shanti-chi.com with enquiries.