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Part 2: The Water Journey through the United Kingdom

Part 2: The Water Journey through the United Kingdom

Engaging with the Element of Water at BEZA’s Zen Academy in Cape Town, Western Cape, emphasizing flow, emotion, and mindfulness through water-inspired meditation practices.

The Eternal Journey of Water

– Composed by Douglas Webber, and edited by Ekan Nangaku Leisching

Today’s journey begins in the ancient land of Somerset, but my existence stretches far beyond the boundaries of time. I have flowed through countless landscapes, touched by the hands of seekers, molded by the rhythms of the earth. My journey is endless, my origins lost in the great expanse of the waters that came before land itself.

Where I first emerged remains a mystery, hidden in the eternal body of water. Yet now, I find myself here, where the Red and White Springs of Glastonbury have flowed for centuries, carrying with them the essence of the earth. Beneath the watchful presence of Glastonbury Tor, I emerge from deep underground.

The White Spring: A Sanctuary of Stillness

The White Spring, rich with calcium, emerges cool and clear, nourishing the moss-covered stones of the well house that enshrines me. This is a sanctuary. The well house, dimly lit and hushed, embraces those who step inside, inviting reflection and reverence. Phones and cameras are forbidden, ensuring that those who enter do so with full presence, free from distraction. The air is thick with incense, and candlelight flickers across the sacred pools, illuminating the offerings placed with care—tokens of gratitude, requests for healing, and symbols of devotion. Shrines line the chamber, honoring different spiritual paths, weaving together traditions and beliefs into a sacred space where Divinity manifests in many forms. Among them stands a shrine in honor of Brigid, the Celtic Fire Goddess and guardian of sacred springs, where the Brigid Flame perpetually burns. Nearby, a shrine venerates The Lady of Avalon, watching over the healing pools, while another honors the King of the World of Faerie, marking the portal to the Otherworld. The powerful ley-line known as the Michael Line runs through this sacred space, connecting the energy of Michael, forever linked to Glastonbury Tor, to the flow of these waters.

The Red Spring: The Blood of the Earth

Just a few steps away, the Red Spring seeps through iron-rich earth, its hue reminiscent of lifeblood, revered by those who seek renewal. I have absorbed the whispered stories and murmured prayers of those who believe in my power to cleanse, restore, and strengthen, carrying their hopes in my endless flow. The iron that tints my waters is not just an earthly element—it is my essence, my vitality, long believed to rejuvenate the weary and mend the broken, infusing those who immerse themselves in my depths with renewed energy and strength.

The Waters and Energy of Avalon

For centuries, people have bathed in my embrace, believing in my ability to heal not just the body, but the spirit. The contrast of my twin sources—one flowing pure and clear, the other tinged red with life’s force—embodies the dual nature of existence: the balance of strength and surrender, of the seen and unseen. Scientists speak of the minerals within me, their effects on circulation and well-being, while mystics claim that I hold the very pulse of the land, channeling energies that awaken and transform those who come seeking something more. Whether through chemistry or divinity, I am a source of healing, and I have watched as those who arrive burdened with sorrow leave lighter, renewed, as if they have been reborn within my waters.

I have borne witness to seekers, and druids, and pilgrims who have journeyed to my waters in search of peace and wisdom, as well as the wild creatures who once roamed freely, their presence leaving ripples upon my surface long before human footsteps arrived. Deer bent their slender necks to drink from me, their breath rippling across my surface, while birds skimmed the water’s edge, their songs merging with the whisper of my current. The ancient roots of towering trees reached deep into the earth, drawing my essence upward so they may grow. Through it all, I have felt the reverence of those who have come after—the trembling hands that cup my waters to drink, the bowed bodies that submerge in my embrace, seeking something beyond the physical, something timeless and true. I have listened to chants that echo through the chamber, prayers murmured to the rhythm of flowing water, voices seeking clarity, healing, and renewal. I have felt their wounds ease, their burdens lighten as they listen to the whispers I carry from the deep earth. I have seen the mourning of knights, the prayers of mystics, and the silent hopes of those who come in search of something unseen. I have been present at Avalon’s heart, where legends and spirits intertwine. Legends whisper of the Grail hidden here—but ah, who am I to spill the secrets I may or may not hold? I simply flow, carrying the determined whispers of divine resolution between the past and future in my current as I watch seekers seek what is already found. I swirl with the echoes of Joseph of Arimathea’s presence, and Arthurian lore drifts within me, woven like mist upon the surface of my waters.

Flowing Toward the Bristol Channel

My journey must go on. Seeping through the bedrock of Glastonbury, I emerge into a stream that feeds the River Brue. Winding through the Avalon Marshes, I flow past the remnants of what is now known as Glastonbury Lake Village, a testament to those who once thrived in harmony with these wetlands. Here, where water has always been both friend and master, I have seen lives unfold and histories take shape. Reeds and willows bow to my passage, egrets lift effortlessly into the sky, and dragonflies trace delicate patterns upon my surface. I carry with me the whispers of the marsh, the secrets of those who built upon my banks, and the endless rhythm of life sustained by my touch. Merging with the River Parrett, I am drawn inevitably toward the Bristol Channel.

As I approach the sea, the tide pushes against me, resisting my flow, holding me in a delicate balance where fresh and saltwater meet. In the essence of flow, I rise, lifted into mist and carried by a breath of life as a storm gathers over the Welsh hills, drawing me into the embrace of the clouds. Suspended in the sky, as more of me gathers, the heavens swell with my presence, both seen and felt. Then, with great exhale, I bless the land below, pouring life upon the thirsty land, carrying within me the essence of every sacred place I have touched, descending upon the rugged peaks of Snowdonia.

Rising to the Clouds and Returning as Rain

Among these ancient mountains, I find my way into a spring that feeds St. Winefride’s Well in Holywell, North Wales. For centuries, I have been sought by the faithful, my waters a source of devotion, a refuge for the weary, a sacred current carrying the hopes and burdens of those who come seeking cleansing and healing. I remember the legend of St. Winefride, whose severed head, cast upon the earth, gave birth to me—a moment of divine grace, where death was met not with an ending, but with restoration. The faithful have gathered here ever since, their hands trembling as they reach for me, their prayers of hope merging with my waters. Some seek my touch for the healing of body and spirit, others come burdened with prayers they dare not speak aloud but rather to let them dissolve into my depths. I carry the wisdom of all dilemmas when waters flow where the mind cannot. I have carried these offerings for centuries, bearing silent witness to the unbroken pilgrimage of belief. And whether the legend is woven from truth or something else, I do not say. I have been flowing since time beyond memory, knowing all that has come before, yet I do not seek to shape the understanding of those who walk their own path of discovery. I receive devotion, cradle secrets, and offer my embrace to all who seek me. From that place of rebirth, I never ceased to flow. Pilgrims dip their hands, splash their faces, and fill their flasks with my sacred essence, carrying a piece of me forward into the world beyond…

One such traveler, an elderly woman, with a lined face and kind eyes, fills her bottle and sets off eastward toward England’s heartlands. As she crosses into the ancient kingdom of Mercia, she pauses at the banks of the River Trent, emptying the last drops of her flask into my flowing waters. I become part of a greater current, carried northward, past the spires of Nottingham, where I have witnessed the march of Romans, the rise and fall of kings, and the silent prayers of monks long gone.

Merging with the Great Currents of England

I merge with the River Ouse, a name that simply means ‘Water’ in its ancient origins, as if to remind the world that I am what I am. For centuries, I have borne witness to the tides of history, an ever-present stream through time. Before the longships arrived, Benedictine monks had settled upon these lands, their chants rising softly with the mist upon my surface, their devotion carried upon my currents for I am the medium, the vessel, the bringer of news. Then came the Viking raiders, their ships slicing through my waters, warriors wading ashore, their voices as rough as the northern winds. They carved their presence into the tides of time, leaving behind echoes that still linger along my banks. Long after their war cries faded, the monks remained, seeking solace in my embrace, their prayers weaving into the fabric of flow, a quiet contrast to the clashes that once disturbed my surface. I have known conquest and quiet contemplation alike, bearing witness without interference, ever-moving, ever-knowing, ever-being and seeking stillness without rest.

Leaving behind the echoes of ancient prayers and Viking longships, I surrender to the pull of the tides, drawn into the embrace of the Atlantic Ocean, where currents weave stories between distant lands. I drift with these currents, carried past craggy cliffs where seabirds wheel above, until the sky darkens, and the cold northern winds gather me into their grasp. Suspended within the mist, I fall once more, descending upon the rugged Scottish Highlands, where the air is crisp, and the mountains cradle deep, mysterious lochs. Here, in the shifting waters of legend and time, I am called toward an island shrouded in mist, where sacred wells and hidden lochs guard the wisdom of ages—the Isle of Skye.

Drifting Northward: The Sacred Waters of Scotland

I flow into a land of untamed beauty and deep spiritual resonance, where sacred waters have long been revered for their healing and mystical properties. Among these, I find Loch Shianta, meaning “Holy Loch,” a place of pilgrimage and folklore, where my waters carry blessings of renewal and protection. Tucked away in a secluded glen, I have been visited for centuries by those seeking cures for ailments, their offerings left at the nearby well in quiet reverence. Infused with the spirit of the land and its ancient traditions, I am not just a body of water—I am a living vessel of reconciliation, holding the messages of the past and the energies of the present. I am deeply intertwined with Celtic beliefs in the sanctity of nature, where springs, lochs, and wells are seen as portals to the divine. Even today, I awaken a sense of connection to something greater, drawing seekers and wanderers who come to drink, to cleanse, and to listen to the echoes of harmony carried in each ripple.

The Final Sanctuary: St. Nectan’s Kieve

Drawn once more toward the endless rhythm of movement, I surrender to the pull of the waters that weave through this ancient land. I follow the rivulets trickling from mossy stones, merging with mountain streams rushing towards the vast embrace of the Atlantic. Carried southward by unseen forces that tend me toward balance, I become one with rolling tides, drifting along the western edge of the isles, where the ocean cradles the mysteries of myth and memory. The winds rise, guiding me ever onward, until I am drawn toward a land where the echoes of the past still dance upon cascading waters—a sacred glen hidden in the Cornish landscape, where St. Nectan’s Kieve awaits my return.

St Nectan’s Glen is a place where the veil between worlds feels thin, a final resting place on this journey where the echoes of my path still ripple through time. Drawn here by unseen currents, I have traveled through sacred wells, rushing rivers, and boundless seas to reach this sanctuary, where water has long been revered as a force of transformation and renewal. Nestled within Cornwall’s lush woodlands, this sacred site is home to St Nectan’s Kieve, a breathtaking waterfall that cascades through a naturally carved rock arch into a crystal-clear basin below, standing at an impressive 18 meters high. Long considered a place of spiritual cleansing and renewal, the glen is steeped in Celtic legend, pagan traditions, and Christian mysticism. Pilgrims and seekers have visited for centuries, leaving offerings of ribbons, crystals, and heartfelt prayers, drawn to the site’s powerful aura of healing and transformation. The legend of St Nectan, a 6th-century hermit said to have lived in a cell above the falls, adds a layer of divine presence, as does the belief that knights once blessed themselves here before embarking on quests. The glen is not just a place of beauty—it is a living sanctuary, where the sound of rushing water and the chants of the forest weave together, calling those who seek connection, guidance, and an experience of the sacred.

 

Suspended within the vast embrace of the waters, I wait, lingering in the endless rhythm of ebb and flow, listening to the murmurs of journeys yet to come. I have carried the wisdom of ancient wells, the prayers of pilgrims, the essence of sacred rivers—and still, I move, seeking, becoming, forever entwined with the great cycle of existence. But even as I drift, I invite you to pause, to listen, to immerse yourself in the sacred flow that has carried me through time.

The waters do not merely touch the land—they whisper secrets, they guide, they call. Those who listen find themselves drawn deeper, moving beyond the surface, feeling the pulse of something ancient stirring beneath. If you wish to follow the current, to explore the depths of water’s wisdom, let me carry you toward greater understanding. Journey with me through several sacred waters on my “Since the Beginning – Water Announces Life” reflection and hear the first whispers of this path. Sink into the stillness of Meditation, where the waters within reflect the waters without, or flow into the teachings of the Compassionate Water Module and allow its currents to reshape and renew you. If you feel called to guard these waters, to walk the path of the apprentice, the gateway awaits within Apprentice Gatekeeper Training.

A Call to the Seekers

Throughout the world, people of the Way of Water—across continents, from east to west, north to south—priests, goddesses, shamans, and druids have given their human voices over to Water Speaking Water. In this eternal conversation, wisdom flows freely, carried by those who listen. Among them, Ekan Nangaku, an initiated Elder and Shaman in the ancient West African lineage of the Dagara (the Wild People), shares the teachings received through compassionate transmissions from Water itself. His mentorship and teachings illuminate the path for those called to the waters, those who seek to listen, to learn, and to carry forward the voice of the unseen.

The flow continues, and the invitation remains. Come, listen to the water’s voice, and let it guide you toward the next part of your path.

The waters are calling—will you answer?

Part 1: Since The Beginning, Water Announces Life

Part 1: Since The Beginning, Water Announces Life

Engaging with the Element of Water at BEZA’s Zen Academy in Cape Town, Western Cape, emphasizing flow, emotion, and mindfulness through water-inspired meditation practices.

Water - Way of Balance

– Composed by Douglas Webber, and edited by Ekan Nangaku Leisching

Before language, before thought, water was the first breath of life. It is the primordial element, the ancient memory, the silent witness to all that has ever been and all that will ever be. Water moves, carves, erodes, reshapes and restores. It is the unshackled traveler, crossing lands and lifetimes, dissolving what was and making space for what is yet to come.

Sacred Water

In every sacred tradition, water has been the great life giver and healer, the irresistible way-shower over thresholds between states of being. Across cultures and spiritual paths, water flows through rituals of cleansing and renewal, weaving a timeless thread that connects humanity to something far greater than itself.

In Japan, the graceful movements of Misogi invite the spirit to be cleansed beneath cascading waters, while in Islam, the mindful practice of Wudu prepares the body and soul for prayer through purifying touch. The sacred immersions in the Ganges River call millions to its banks, the waters believed to carry away burdens beyond the physical. In Bali, the Malukat ceremony unfolds like a prayer in motion, each drop of water a blessing, washing over body and spirit alike. And within Christianity, baptism becomes a passageway, where the water cradles the seeker between old and new, cleansing not just the skin but the very essence of being.

These sacred acts do not stand apart—they are ripples in the same vast ocean, reflections of an ancient knowing: that water is more than substance; it is memory, medium, and the tender hand that invites us to live anew. Indigenous traditions have viewed water as the lifeblood of the Earth, with ceremonies dedicated to honouring its presence and seeking balance, such as the various forms of Water Blessing Ceremonies practiced by so many indigenous cultures, where communities gather to offer prayers, gratitude, and songs to rivers, lakes, and oceans, recognising water as a living being and vital source of life. Water flows through these practices as a gateway between worlds, a medium through which the old is washed away and space is made for the new. A baptism, a river crossing, an offering at the feet of the divine—it is the gateway. Yet beyond eternal washing, beyond the physical, water is the carrier of energy in motion -emotion, sensing deep inner knowing.

To be intimate with water is to connect with ourselves, for we, too, are mostly water—rivers running through the soil of our flesh and over the stones of our bones.
Engaging with the Element of Water at BEZA’s Zen Academy in Cape Town, Western Cape, emphasizing flow, emotion, and mindfulness through water-inspired meditation practices.

As the new moon rises on March 27 2025, Born as the Earth Zen Academy, under the guidance of Ekan Nangaku and his Apprentice Mentors, opens the Water Gateway for seekers ready to attune to the subtle currents of water, emotion, and deep conscious awareness.

This is an invitation to walk the Middle Way – the Way of Balance, to cultivate compassion, resonance, and harmony—learning to navigate the complexities of human and non-human relationships through the wisdom of water’s way. Collectively, we will be holding space for transformation, immersing participants in two months of guided meditations, elemental rituals, and deep self-inquiry. Born as the Earth Zen Academy’s training invites you to step into a living stream of wisdom—an immersion into Water’s essential intelligence of fluidity, healing, and emotional depth. This experience can be gentle and subtle, like the tender touch of the early morning dew kissing your face at day break, or it can be energizingly rapid, as though you are swept into its surging currents alive with restorative power. Always still, always in motion, Water’s natural medicine resolves all dilemmas for a fresh day to reveal itself. How you journey is yours to choose—whether to lightly tread the surface, cautiously wading the shallow, or dive headlong into its depths, it’s wisdom unfolds immediately and in its own time. In this way, the journey will reshape the way we sense, feel, and dissolve into the world around us.

During this Prelude to the Water Module, we will release a new article each week, offering an unfolding stream of stories and insights that invite reflection and preparation for the journey ahead. These writings will explore the significance of water through the ages—its spiritual connection, its resilient determination, and its role as a mirror and medium of communication —guiding readers to sense the deeper currents that flow beneath the surface of everyday life. Like stepping stones placed across a river, each exploration leads intuitively to the next, revealing the passageways across the eternal flow of time with spaces in between to pause, reflect, and feel the Water Way speaking to you. This training is not merely a transmission of information; it is an invitation to align and sense the currents of your journey toward the ocean of peace and harmony.

Water: The Vessel of Emotion

When we stand at the edge of the ocean, why do we feel the weight of our thoughts begin to dissolve? Why does the sound of a running stream bring a sense of clarity? Water holds the imprints of emotion, etching its ancient story into the land, as riverbeds remember every flood and drought. Science tells us that it carries memory, that its structure shifts in response to energy, emotion, and sound. Ancient traditions knew this long before science—every drop is the whole ocean and a medium of revelation, carrying the whispered vibrations over the land and sky.

To truly work with this element, we intimately listen. We allow ourselves to be fluid, carried and held and moved by its eternal force toward stillness and flow. It teaches surrender—not as passivity, but as intelligent adaptation. It teaches that resistance creates suffering, that a river does not break against a rock, instead its flexibility moves around obstacles, its constant resilience softening edges without the constriction of time.

Flowing into the Water Module: What Apprentices Will Experience

2 x Mentoring Sessions:

One guided by an Apprentice Mentor, the other with Ekan Nangaku, offering structured wisdom and personalised insight, spiritual guidance, intuitive mentoring, and essential practices for transformation.

1 x Divination:

A channeled journey into the ancient art of divination, where apprentices receive the subtle messages of the unseen, gaining insight into the deeper currents shaping their path. Through symbols, visions, and intuitive practices, this session reveals the deeply held wisdom within us.

4 x Nature-Based Wisdom Teachings:

A deep exploration of animism and the living essence of nature—learning how land, water, and sky breathe as one, and how we are intrinsically connected to them. Apprentices will uncover how to listen to nature’s voice, integrate its wisdom into daily life, and align with its rhythms for greater balance and insight.

8 x Community Talking Circle’s:

A journey into the ancient practice of communal wisdom and shared leadership. Apprentices will learn how to hold space for collective dialogue, navigate group dynamics with presence and integrity, and foster a deeper sense of connection within BEZA and their own communities.

1 x Zen & Elemental Meditation Training:

Rooted in the principles of Zazen meditation, this training shifts the focus from breath to the five Earth elements—Fire, Water, Earth, Nature, and Stone. Apprentices will learn to align with each element, understanding its presence within and around them, and cultivating a meditative practice that deepens their connection to the natural world.

Unlimited morning group meditation (Online, 7 AM – 8 AM daily)

Beyond these immersive sessions, apprentices will learn to tune into the rhythms of water, refining their ability to sense, relate, and respond with emotional intelligence and deep presence. Water teaches the art of harmonisation—flowing between interactions, sensing the unspoken, and embracing the unseen. Through this fluid connection, apprentices will develop a heightened awareness of balance, sensitivity, and relational depth, discovering how to embody compassion and resonance in both the tangible and intangible aspects of life.

Each session will bring apprentices into a deeply intimate relationship with water, not just as an element, but as a living guide to balance, presence, and relational flow. Emotions are the oscillations of Water, reflecting the ebb and flow of our inner world. Tears become the body’s release, like fresh rain cleansing parched earth. Our clear, still waters hold the weight of what is unspeakable, quietly resolving distorted into calm. It teaches us to cleanse, recharge, and realign our inner states, revealing the body itself as a flowing system—a harmonic hologram of the great waters of the world. By learning to listen deeply, apprentices will cultivate a profound sensitivity, allowing them to respond to themselves and others with openness, clarity, and compassion.

Through meditation, elemental rituals, and reflections on ancient wisdom, apprentices will learn to resolve dilemmas, engage in shadow work, and strengthen their emotional intelligence—deepening their understanding of how water nourishes and connects all life.

A Call to the Seekers

This Module is not just a program or another workshop—it is a Gateway, an invitation to step beyond the known and into the depths of emotional and spiritual intelligence.

Approaching any sacred waters—be it an ocean, a river, or a hidden stream—you are invited to choose how deeply to immerse yourself. You may dip a toe, feeling the cool surface shimmering with a touch of magic, or slowly wade the shallows, letting the sparkling waters embrace you with a gentle, mystical pull. Perhaps you will choose to dive into the deep end, immersing yourself in the majestic depths where the currents hold ancient whispers and hidden truths. Each layer of depth offers its own wisdom and empowerment. It is for those who feel the pull of the tides within themselves, who know there is a call in their longing, who understand that healing is not about force, but about flow.

If you feel the call, the waters are waiting.

Compassionate WATER Module

Compassionate WATER Module

Compassionate WATER Module

Way of Balance

27 March – 10 May 2025

Engaging with the Element of Water at BEZA’s Zen Academy in Cape Town, Western Cape, emphasizing flow, emotion, and mindfulness through water-inspired meditation practices.

Learn harmonising techniques – how to sense and relate to others. Access your emotional intelligence. Navigate the complexities of human and non-human relationships. Acquire the skills of meditation; compassion; resonance; resolving dilemma; and shadow work.

Unlock the transformative power of Water with BEZA. Journey through the element of Water to cultivate compassion, deepen your sensitivity, and reconnect with the flow of life. This sacred training invites you to immerse yourself in Water’s wisdom, nurturing emotional healing, intuitive insight, and a profound sense of interconnectedness.

A group of deeply curious and dedicated BEZA Students and Apprentices will embark on an 8 week deep dive into their authentic medicine.

This training is for committed ones who are eager to uncover their authentic selves and give the gift of their unwavering Truth to the world.

Ordination in Africa

Ordination in Africa

One of the apprentices at BEZA’s Zen Academy in Cape Town, engaged in mindfulness and spiritual growth through Shamanic Gatekeeper training and Zen meditation practices.

Ordination in Africa – By Ekan Nangaku Leisching

South Africa is one of the most diverse nations on Earth. It is a complex matrix of many languages, traditions, religions, economic and societal history and trauma. While diversity and complexity are the foundations of healthy human ecosystems, oftentimes emphasis can be focussed on these powerful illusionary differences causing separation, alienation and ultimately conflict. Zen’s Relative and Absolute Heart Wisdom practice can create a strong spiritual Way here, because unity and diversity is inescapably obvious in South Africa. Hence the Buddha Way is already present for all South Africans, even if it isn’t called that. Like water, it reflects diversity while at the same time heals and holds unity.

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha

I was first introduced to Buddhism 35 years ago when I attended my first retreat at the Buddhist Retreat Center in South Africa. I learned to meditate regularly from a Tibetan Buddhist monk. A few years later I immigrated to the United States of America. Soon after arriving in Maine I was introduced to Daido Loori Roshi of Zen Mountain Monastery in New York state, and studied with him from 1997 until his passing in 2010.

Upon my return to South Africa, I deepened my lay practice on my own, occasionally holding Zen style meditation retreats. I kept in touch with Esho Sudan, who I had met at ZMM, and we often talked about her monastic life at Toshoji and her study with Seido Suzuki Roshi – who had assisted Daido Roshi in establishing Zen Mountain Monastery in the 1980’s. I was no longer married and my children were grown. I realised that my heart’s calling was to do what I can to bring the Sōtō Lineage to Africa. I asked Seido Roshi to ordain me, and surprisingly, he suggested coming to South Africa to hold the ordination here.

Roshi and Esho arrived in Cape Town on 16 September 2022. It was the first time to meet Roshi. Upon greeting him and seeing Esho, I struggled to contain my emotions. We travelled to my home in the village of Stanford, in the Western Cape, where we began preparations for my ordination. The curious Stanford community were intrigued by our visitors from Japan.

The evening before the Tokudo Ceremony, dear one’s close to me gathered to shave my head. As they began, the electricity went out, leaving us in darkness for the duration of the shaving. Just as they finished the lights came back on.

September 20th, the Spring equinox in the Southern Hemisphere, was a beautiful day filled with fresh blue sky and bright flowers. The night before, Roshi and Esho had transformed the house into a temple with a shrine room. Roshi found an auspicious sign in the visiting two doves (happiness birds as he called them) that seemed to greet us on the gate just prior to the ceremony.

Before departing Roshi gave me a precious teaching. He encouraged me to greet life with open hands – that the Buddha’s work is best done through hands that are open – fully open in their giving and in their receiving.

So as I stumble on, slowly finding a modicum of grace as a novice monk, I trust the Heart of Buddha and Zazen to guide me in the Way. In alignment with my vows, I dedicate my life to bringing the Dharma to life wherever I find myself. There is both a great need for the Dharma here, and a generous and large-hearted South African spirit that is ready and appreciative – and I will be continuously planting seeds, so that the Sōtō School will find a welcoming soil in which to germinate, root and flower in Africa. I trust Zen will find its unique way to thrive on this continent.

Gassho
Ekan Nangaku
The Ancient Art of Divination

The Ancient Art of Divination

Celebratory announcement: BEZA proudly becomes an official Non-Profit Company, marking a new chapter in its mission to alleviate suffering.

The Ancient Art of Divination

Divination is an ancient healing craft which has been used for centuries to make the invisible world visible. To be a diviner, or seer, into other realms requires the Art of responsible Gatekeeping between the Worlds.

Gatekeepers and diviners are shamanic practitioners whose function is to purify the energies they let in and out of their being. By attuning to, cleansing, and bringing these energies into balance, Gatekeepers become the Wisdom Keepers of the World. 

BEZA Initiates of the Five Elemental Bodies of the Medicine Wheel serve the transformational power of love for the benefit of all beings.

Introduction to Divination

Divination (from Latin divinare ‘to foresee, reveal, foretell, predict, prophesy, etc.’) is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a querent should proceed to attain harmony and balance in their lives by reading signs, events, or omens, or through contact or interaction with ‘supernatural’ agencies such as ancestors, spirits, elemental spirits, gods or god-like-beings, or the “will of the universe”.

Divination can be seen as an attempt to organize what appears to be random so that it provides insight into a problem or issue at hand. Some instruments or practices of divination include Tarot-card reading, rune casting, tea-leaf reading,automatic writing, water scrying, and psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms and DMT. If a distinction is made between divination and fortune-telling, divination has a more formal or ritualistic element and often contains a more social character, usually in a religious or spiritual context, as seen in traditional African medicine. Fortune-telling, on the other hand, is a more everyday practice for personal purposes. Particular divination methods vary by culture and religion.

In its functional relation to magic in general, divination can have a preliminary and investigative role. The diagnosis or prognosis achieved through divination is both temporarily and logically related to the manipulative, protective or alleviative function of magic rituals. In divination one finds the cause of an ailment or a potential danger, in magic one subsequently acts upon this knowledge.

The History of Divination

Antiquity

The eternal fire at Nymphaion in southern Illyria (present-day Albania) also functioned as an oracle. The forms of divination practiced in this natural fire sanctuary with peculiar physical properties were widely known to the ancient Greek and Roman authors. The Oracle of Amun at the Siwa Oasis was made famous when Alexander the Great visited it after conquering Egypt from Persia in 332 BC.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 or Leviticus 19:26 can be interpreted as categorically forbidding divination. But some biblical practices, such as Urim and Thummim, casting lots and prayer, are considered to be divination. One of the earliest known divination artifacts, a book called the Sortes Sanctorum, is believed to be of Christian roots, and utilizes dice to provide insight into the future.



Middle Ages and Early Modern period

The divination method of casting lots (Cleromancy) was used by the remaining eleven disciples of Jesus in Acts 1:23–26 to select a replacement for Judas Iscariot. Therefore, divination was arguably an accepted practice in the early church. However, divination became viewed as a pagan practice by Christian emperors during ancient Rome.

In 692 the Quinisext Council, also known as the “Council in Trullo” in the Eastern Orthodox Church, passed canons to eliminate pagan and divination practices. Fortune-telling and other forms of divination were widespread through the Middle Ages. In the constitution of 1572 and public regulations of 1661 of the Electorate of Saxony, capital punishment was used on those predicting the future. Laws forbidding divination practice continue to this day. 

Småland is famous for Årsgång, a practice which occurred until the early 19th century in some parts of Småland. Generally occurring on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, it is a practice in which one would fast and keep themselves away from light in a room until midnight to then complete a set of complex events to interpret symbols encountered throughout the journey to foresee the coming year.

In Islam, astrology, the most widespread divinatory science, is the study of how celestial entities could be applied to the daily lives of people on earth. It is important to emphasize the practical nature of divinatory sciences because people from all socioeconomic levels and pedigrees sought the advice of astrologers to make important decisions in their lives. Astronomy was made a distinct science by intellectuals who did not agree with the former, although distinction may not have been made in daily practice, where astrology was technically outlawed and only tolerated if it was employed in public. Astrologers, trained as scientists and astronomers, were able to interpret the celestial forces that ruled the “sub-lunar” to predict a variety of information from lunar phases and drought to times of prayer and the foundation of cities. The courtly sanction and elite patronage of Muslim rulers benefited astrologers’ intellectual statures.

The “science of the sand”, otherwise translated as geomancy, is “based on the interpretation of figures traced on sand or other surface known as geomantic figures.” It is a good example of Islamic divination at a popular level. The core principle that meaning derives from a unique occupied position is identical to the core principle of astrology.

Like astronomy, geomancy used deduction and computation to uncover significant prophecies as opposed to omens, which were a process of “reading” visible random events to decipher the invisible realities from which they originated. It was upheld by prophetic tradition and relied almost exclusively on text, specifically the Qur’an (which carried a table for guidance) and poetry, as a development of bibliomancy. The practice culminated in the appearance of the illustrated “Books of Omens” (Falnama) in the early 16th century, an embodiment of the apocalyptic fears as the end of the millennium in the Islamic calendar approached.

Dream interpretation, or oneiromancy, is more specific to Islam than other divinatory science, largely because of the Qur’an’s emphasis on the predictive dreams of Abraham, Yusuf, and Muhammad. The important delineation within the practice lies between “incoherent dreams” and “sound dreams,” which were “a part of prophecy” or heavenly message. Dream interpretation was always tied to Islamic religious texts, providing a moral compass to those seeking advice. The practitioner needed to be skilled enough to apply the individual dream to general precedent while appraising the singular circumstances.

The power of text held significant weight in the “science of letters”, the foundational principle being “God created the world through His speech.” The science began with the concept of language, specifically Arabic, as the expression of “the essence of what it signifies.” Once the believer understood this, while remaining obedient to God’s will, they could uncover the essence and divine truth of the objects inscribed with Arabic like amulets and talismans through the study of the letters of the Qur’an with alphanumeric computations.

In Islamic practice in Senegal and Gambia, just like many other West African countries, diviners and religious leaders and healers were interchangeable because Islam was closely related with esoteric practices (like divination), which were responsible for the regional spread of Islam. As scholars learned esoteric sciences, they joined local non-Islamic aristocratic courts, who quickly aligned divination and amulets with the “proof of the power of Islamic religion.” So strong was the idea of esoteric knowledge in West African Islam, diviners and magicians uneducated in Islamic texts and Arabic bore the same titles as those who did.

From the beginning of Islam, there “was (and is) still a vigorous debate about whether or not such [divinatory] practices were actually permissible under Islam,” with some scholars like Abu-Hamid al Ghazili (d. 1111) objecting to the science of divination because he believed it bore too much similarity to pagan practices of invoking spiritual entities that were not God. Other scholars justified esoteric sciences by comparing a practitioner to “a physician trying to heal the sick with the help of the same natural principles.”

Mesoamerica

Divination was a central component of ancient Mesoamerican religious life. Many Aztec gods, including central creator gods, were described as diviners and were closely associated with sorcery. Tezcatlipoca is the patron of sorcerers and practitioners of magic. His name means “smoking mirror,” a reference to a device used for divinatory scrying. In the Mayan Popol Vuh, the creator gods Xmucane and Xpiacoc perform divinatory hand casting during the creation of people. The Aztec Codex Borbonicus shows the original human couple, Oxomoco and Cipactonal, engaged in divining with kernels of maize. This primordial pair is associated with the ritual calendar, and the Aztecs considered them to be the first diviners.

Every civilization that developed in pre-Columbian Mexico, from the Olmecs to the Aztecs, practiced divination in daily life, both public and private. Scrying through the use of reflective water surfaces, mirrors, or the casting of lots were among the most widespread forms of divinatory practice. Visions derived from hallucinogens were another important form of divination, and are still widely used among contemporary diviners of Mexico. Among the more common hallucinogenic plants used in divination are morning glory, jimson weed, and peyote.

Contemporary divination in Asia

India and Nepal

Theyyam or “theiyam” in Malayalam is the process by which a devotee invites a Hindu god or goddess to use his or her body as a medium or channel and answer other devotees’ questions. The same is called “arulvaakku” or “arulvaak” in Tamil, another south Indian language – Adhiparasakthi Siddhar Peetam is famous for arulvakku in Tamil Nadu. The people in and around Mangalore in Karnataka call the same, Buta Kola, “paathri” or “darshin”; in other parts of Karnataka, it is known by various names such as, “prashnaavali”, “vaagdaana”, “asei”, “aashirvachana”, and so on. In Nepal it is known as, “Devta ka dhaamee” or “jhaakri”.

In English, the closest translation for these is, “oracle.” The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in northern India, still consults an oracle known as the Nechung Oracle, which is considered the official state oracle of the government of Tibet. The Dalai Lama has according to centuries-old custom, consulted the Nechung Oracle during the new year festivities of Losar.

Japan

Although Japan retains a history of traditional and local methods of divination, such as onmyōdō, contemporary divination in Japan, called uranai, derives from outside sources. Contemporary methods of divination in Japan include both Western and Chinese astrology, geomancy or feng shui, tarot cards, I Ching (Book of Changes) divination, and physiognomy (methods of reading the body to identify traits).

In Japan, divination methods include Futomani from the Shinto tradition.

Personality types

Personality typing as a form of divination has been prevalent in Japan since the 1980s. Various methods exist for divining personality-type. Each attempt to reveal glimpses of an individual’s destiny, productive and inhibiting traits, future parenting techniques, and compatibility in marriage. Personality type is increasingly important for young Japanese, who consider personality the driving factor of compatibility, given the ongoing marriage drought and birth rate decline in Japan.

An import to Japan, Chinese zodiac signs based on the birth year in 12 year cycles (rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog, and boar) are frequently combined with other forms of divination, such as so-called ‘celestial types’ based on the planets (Saturn, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, or Uranus). Personality can also be divined using cardinal directions, the four elements (water, earth, fire, air), and yin-yang. Names can also lend important personality information under name classification which asserts that names bearing certain Japanese vowel sounds (a, i, u, e, o) share common characteristics. Numerology, which utilizes methods of divining ‘birth numbers’ from significant numbers such as birth date, may also reveal character traits of individuals.

Individuals can also assess their own and others’ personalities according to physical characteristics. Blood type remains a popular form of divination from physiology. Stemming from Western influences, body reading or ninsou, determines personality traits based on body measurements. The face is the most commonly analyzed feature, with eye size, pupil shape, mouth shape, and eyebrow shape representing the most important traits. An upturned mouth may be cheerful, and a triangle eyebrow may indicate that someone is strong-willed.

Methods of assessment in daily life may include self-taken measurements or quizzes. As such, magazines targeted at women in their early-to-mid twenties feature the highest concentration of personality assessment guides. There are approximately 144 different women’s magazines, known as nihon zashi koukoku kyoukai, published in Japan aimed at this audience.

Japanese tarot

The adaptation of the Western divination method of tarot cards into Japanese culture presents a particularly unique example of contemporary divination as this adaptation mingles with Japan’s robust visual culture. Japanese tarot cards are created by professional artists, advertisers, and fans of tarot. One tarot card collector claimed to have accumulated more than 1,500 Japan-made decks of tarot cards.

Japanese tarot cards fall into diverse categories such as:

  • Inspiration Tarot (reikan tarotto);
  • I-Ching Tarot (ekisen tarotto);
  • Spiritual Tarot (supirichuaru tarotto);
  • Western Tarot (seiyō tarotto); and
  • Eastern Tarot (tōyō tarotto).

The images on tarot cards may come from images from Japanese popular culture, such as characters from manga and anime including Hello Kitty, or may feature cultural symbols. Tarot cards may adapt the images of Japanese historical figures, such as high priestess Himiko (170–248CE) or imperial court wizard Abe no Seimei (921–1005CE). Still others may feature images of cultural displacement, such as English knights, pentagrams, the Jewish Torah, or invented glyphs. The introduction of such cards began by the 1930s and reached prominence in the 1970s. Japanese tarot cards were originally created by men, often based on the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot published by the Rider Company in London in 1909. Since, the practice of Japanese tarot has become overwhelmingly feminine and intertwined with kawaii culture. Referring to the cuteness of tarot cards, Japanese model Kuromiya Niina was quoted as saying “because the images are cute, even holding them is enjoyable.” While these differences exist, Japanese tarot cards function similarly to their Western counterparts. Cards are shuffled and cut into piles then used to forecast the future, for spiritual reflection, or as a tool for self-understanding.

Taiwan

A common act of divination in Taiwan is called the Poe. “The Poe” translated to English means “moon boards”. It consists of two wood or bamboo blocks cut into the shape of a crescent moon. The one edge is rounded while the other is flat; the two are mirror images. Both crescents are held out in one’s palms and while kneeling, they are raised to the forehead level. Once in this position, the blocks are dropped and the future can be understood depending on their landing. If both fall flat side up or both fall rounded side up, that can be taken as a failure of the deity to agree. If the blocks land one rounded and one flat, the deity indicates “Yes”, or positive. “Laughing poe” is when rounded sides land down and they rock before coming to a standstill. “Negative poe” is when the flat sides fall downward and abruptly stop; this indicates “No”. When there is a positive fall, it is called “Sacred poe”, although the negative falls are not usually taken seriously. As the blocks are being dropped the question is said in a murmur, and if the answer is yes, the blocks are dropped again. To make sure the answer is definitely a yes, the blocks must fall in a “yes” position three times in a row.

A more serious type of divination is the Kiō-á. There is a small wooden chair, and around the sides of the chair are small pieces of wood that can move up and down in their sockets, this causes a clicking sound when the chair is moved in any way. Two men hold this chair by its legs before an altar, while the incense is being burned, and the deity is invited to descend onto the chair. It is seen that it is in the chair by an onset of motion. Eventually, the chair crashes onto a table prepared with wood chips and burlap. The characters on the table are then traced and these are said to be written by the deity who possessed the chair, these characters are then interpreted for the devotees.

Contemporary divination in Africa

Divination is widespread throughout Africa. Among many examples it is one of the central tenets of Serer religion in Senegal. Only those who have been initiated as Saltigues (the Serer high priests and priestesses) can divine the future. These are the “hereditary rain priests” whose role is both religious and medicinal.

Cultures of Africa to the year circa C.E. 1991 were still performing and using divination, within the urban and rural environments. Diviners might also fulfill the role of herbalist. Divination might be thought of as a social phenomenon, and is thought of as central to the lives of people in societies of Africa (circa 2004 at least).

South Africa

AmaXhosa and AmaZulu

The Xhosa peoples contain individuals who practice divination known as sangomas. The diviner of the Amazulu (the Zulu people) of South East Africa is known as Izinyanga Zokabula, or an Inyanga.

Traditional Initiation

In the period of initiation, the man, to begin with, abstains from certain foods, and eats only a small amount of the foods he does eat. He complains about bodily pain. He dreams many things (he has become a house of dreams). He finally becomes ill and goes to a diviner to seek help, but the man stays unwell for perhaps two years. At this time he is already possessed by Itongo. His hair falls out. His skin is now dry. About this time he becomes aware of his divinatory powers which are heard and seen by his sneezing and yawning repeatedly, and is also now liking snuff very much, taking this often. He suffers convulsions in illness and has water poured over him, at which time the convulsions stop for a while. He cries and weeps. During the night sometimes others go to sing with him, after he has awoken them with his own singing, after having composed a song. His body is now emaciated. During the initiation the sleep pattern of the initiate changes to a number of brief periods and awakens to be active singing songs and leaping inside and outside (like a frog). The village makes an effort to make the initiates Itongo white. At this time, a well-respected and known Inyanga makes ubulawo (an emetic) for the initiate, the initiate and the Inyanga spend two days together, then the initiate is himself an Inyanga.

Impepo

The initiating Inyanga first eats black impepo, to take away dimness from the inner sight, then white impepo. White impepo is used to maintain trueness of inner sight after the black impepo. Both are emetics. The Inyanga sleeps with black impepo (under the head) to make the dreams clear and true.

Divination Training with BEZA

Human beings are the current expression of millions of years of evolutionary transformation. We have emerged into existence from galactic stardust, into foundational Earth elements, into life forms, homo-sapiens, and then, through a very long line of ancestors, we arrive on the scene as who we are today.

Humans are inherently mythological beings – the species that uses the language of symbology to create meaning. Countless mystics from traditions the world over, speak of our mythological journey as a cycle of dream-like states in which we are constantly prodded to awaken into our inherent enlightenment.

Divination is one of many guiding tools used to access awakening – the state where our ancient mystical wisdom is made visible and practical. Becoming a diviner or seer is akin to being a mentor and guide into the mystical realm.

The year-long Gatekeeper Apprentice Training around the Elemental Medicine Wheel and a 22-Day Divination Training Intensive in South Africa facilitated by Ekan Nangaku, a master-diviner of 15 years, teaches how to engage Mother Earth’s Elements as harmonic tools to reveal the rituals needed for clients to create harmony between the realms.

During training, BEZA supplies their apprentices with a divination manual and all the items needed for their starter divination kit. Students are asked to acquire some additional items beforehand and personalize their divination cloth. While on the training apprentices embody the healing remedies or prescriptions during their initiation into ancient ceremonial practices.

Ancestral Divination Sessions

Divination is an ancient healing craft which has been used for centuries to connect with the ancestral realm and make the Invisible World, visible.

Usually you come to a divination session with a deep question. Your question and the ensuing divination lifts the veil to the invisible world which is complete in potential. By way of your ‘ask’ of the invisible world (Other World and Ancestral Realm) for guidance (to make visible) as to what hidden energies are constellating in your life, you discover how to open the way for healing. Various prescriptions or remedies will flow out of the divination session which ask of you to perform a ritual or ceremony in acknowledgment of having received a profound message and to restore balance and wholeness in your being.

Private Divination sessions are offered on a sliding scale.

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