By Gabriel Patrick Lagu
Well, even the Big Bang creation theory and Darwin’s famous evolution hypothesis might be accepted since they’re not another superstition of fortune-telling.
The real Africanism died; a present community of proto-Africanism centered on wealth and propaganda flourishes decently today in the once lion’s heart of Africa.
Such a pitiful fate to imagine one who is supposed to be chanting the litanies of saints put on a blaze, sending incense to the occult world, a fortune for those who have high hopes on meaninglessness. Fortune tellers have lost their legitimacy, taking the picture of a magician with fake tricks to blind the people. No wonder a few realize the falsehood surrounding this game, moreover being ignorantly blinded by a mere fact of obvious happenings—from a scholastic knowledge ranging from daily scientific studies to confusing the ignorant through a forgery that has the same chances of success or failure alike. Fortune tellers have become another commercial partnership business running in the heart of Juba.
Definitely, our ancestors, the fathers of the present Africa, left us with a well-formed religion organized to the level of the African priesthood, just like the modern-day Christian priesthood, who are responsible for all spiritual consultations in the society. In comparison to the ancient African priesthood, the present poses huge boundaries of differences, like in the world of today, the African religion is modified to a lesser and useless sect, citing all the revolts from the priestly virtue of serving the locality in truth to the variant of serving people for wealth and riches. Never has it happened that the past fortune tellers made their brands and advertised their services, giving all price tags and several business indications. Well, this is not a new thing today; our environment has become covered with all these posters showing a fortune teller nearby.
Time for primitivity has already elapsed many centuries ago, closing up with that man who made axes from stones, who lit fire by rubbing two stones past each other with unequal strength, that old ancestor who spent his nights in caves dug from the mountains. As long as it is one’s will to believe and tell the truth, it is also the same will when it comes to being fooled and deceived.
In the blink of an eye, analyze the superiority of the present-day commercialized fable “fortune telling” for animists. This may seem convincing, though let one have a broader look at its very essence. Fortune telling might be a turning game for others, but that doesn’t credit it as legitimate, for it’s just a psychological game. Man is obsessed with knowing the future since the future gives him many threats and fears about how to tackle something unknown in the future, which one day, one time, will come to the present. So, fortune tellers fill that gap to secure the aspirations of those who opt for a life prediction on their halfway broken relationships, guidelines on making a profitable step in life, or even issues of a lifetime partner and definitely the future fortunes in one’s life. All of these are done to tackle the main issue of securing a major disaster in one’s life, and undeniably that might be the reason why most fortune tellers predict bad omens with treatment from their clinics, not only that, but also making full payment before consulting the spirits.
One time a fellow gave an account of a group of primal fortune tellers captured by the police for some cause, who were flogged in the open at the police station. Narrating further, these same fortune tellers who claim to predict future events failed to learn about their seizure that day, which regrettably ended up with all of them in tears. Such a hilarious moment, experiencing every bit of stroke flashing through their flesh, spilling down tears… yet, with all these, some people continue to ignorantly patronize these fortune tellers. However, to some unconditional extent, a fortune teller in the traditional ground could possibly be legitimate given his aspirations are not wealth.
Lots have been heard of those who visit the dark magicians (Kujur), looking for wealth, riches in material things, prosperity in businesses, getting promotions in the organization, and lots of ambitions to mention. Later on, unusual chaos in the family develops from sudden loss of lives to loss of major assets. Mind you, fortune telling is far much different from dark magic. Dark magic is a soul-feasting destruction; one who goes for it to gain a financial breakthrough in most cases is not just selling her soul but killing her own soul. The naming “dark magic” is enough to raise concerns about its meaning. Anything dealing with the “dark” clearly points to Satan, the fallen angel. There’s a famous saying that states, “When you give a finger to the devil, he will come and take the whole of you.” With no compromise, this is the fact.
Firmly accounting, there hasn’t been anything like dark magic in the African religion; what is well known to be and has been is fortune telling, that’s all. Accounts of the rise and popularity of dark magicians must have slipped its path during the postmodernity era, where African culture experienced a symposium of foreign cultures, from Eurocentric to Arabic cultures. Though not an authentic conclusion, dark magic must have gained entrance to Africa from the outside world.
Nowadays, life is lived with a thread of caution, not to end up suffering the risks that surfaced. If man was not so obsessed with riches, the devil wouldn’t get someone to prey on. Circumstances might be a driving force to make a poor decision. Rather, a circumstance shouldn’t be an obstacle to a strong man but a stepping block to foster a chance of courage to work harder for his future.
However, it’s also a wise tradition to call on God Almighty when things appear blundered. Patience is the strong key to God’s heart; being steadfast in prayer is not all. Never forget to continue working hard for your goals.
Do your part and leave the rest for divine intervention.
Stay blessed.
The writer is a student from Kings Academy Digital Secondary School.