In and of Itself 2: "Àjẹ́" Is Not "Witch"

[@yorubalessons]

A "Hansel and Gretel" Google search leads one to so many juicy reads, but these ones stood out to me almost immediately: Discover The Truly Grim History Behind The Fairy Tale of Hansel and Gretel (2020): allthatsinteresting.com/hansel-and-gretel-true-story Two Witches Ask School Board To Ban ‘Hansel And Gretel’ (1992): apnews.com/article/174295c1507346af33e19f16d8298db4

[@temiladealamudun5063]

Let’s keep Yoruba language & culture alive from generation to generation. 👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@olubukola.o]

great video topic! i find it very interesting re: english/british/european concepts of being a "witch". it makes me think a lot about the influx of superficial "witchcraft" versus the natural, embodied sacredness of indigenous wise women/medicine women.

[@yorubalessons]

It calls for critical thinking for sure. Thank you for watching!

[@tkspiece2310]

Thank you Yeye. This is the problem with translations, always has been. A lot of African concepts have been demonised because of these wrong translations. To the point where Yorubas are literally afraid of their own heritage. It's the same translation issues with Esu as devil, Orisha as "gods and goddesses" and all manners of ignorance. We need to accept that there are sometimes no literal translations, attempts can be made to explain the concept, but we should never force a literal translation into English.

[@yorubalessons]

Thank you for watching!

[@MOtuyelu]

Thank you so much for the work you put into making this. I have been nourished. Blessings!

[@yorubalessons]

Thank you for watching!

[@llcutej1]

Awesome

[@66AleX99]

Thank you Iya, blessings upon your head. Much gratitude and love from Mexico

[@OyaRevolutionary]

So powerful my dear, very succinct & straight to the point.

[@IYAAANU18]

Brilliant work! Thank you very much for this. In my research, I’ve identified the same issue with Ajayi Crowther’s mistranslation of “Esu” and equating this being with the Western/Christian notion of the “Devil” or “Satan.”

[@lovelylocolad]

The very fact that his name is Crowther says he was sold into slavery and lived outside of Nigeria and probably had no ties to the country until his seasoned age. I don’t think he really knew the Yoruba language, seeing as he was mixed with Sierra Leone and under oppression by the Portuguese, before being sold into slavery on British soil. A child’s development at the age of 12 can be hindered by such traumatising situations. I think it’s good he mistranslated, why tell those that enslaved people what our words mean? Why empower the enemy? This video is very well done though, thank you Aderonkè.

[@yorubalessons]

Thank you for watching!

[@yorubalessons]

​@@lovelylocolad Thank you for watching!

[@lovelylocolad]

@F A it made him money, that's all he cared about.

[@JaviPalabra]

I do enjoy your videos. As Lukumi. As a lover of language, history and culture. I appreciate you giving your knowledge and being humble enough to say what you can own or can’t own and essentially say it isn’t for you to invent an understanding. While Spanish also is a language that does not favor the word “witch” nor does history. Aje - is simply that Aje. No translation could properly describe it. Only what we understand of Aje could give insight to who/what it is. Thus, Aje are a group of powerful, influential force in which embody and manifest through “Feminine” energy. - Javi Palabra (Oshun Kayode)

[@mariahedwig]

This lesson is right on time! You give me life, Thank you!

[@yorubalessons]

Thank you for watching!

[@Gopalo1]

Beautiful explanation.

[@Iz-Oko]

Many thanks for spreading that knowledge

[@yorubalessons]

Thank you so much, Iz!

[@michaelaugustus1341]

Blessings, iya! Excellent lesson! Love how you explained the subject! And yes Oya does have her Iyaami aspect!

[@jaysonshift4392]

Although I'm an okunrin, my mother is Yeye Osun ,you will know if Aje sit with you . I can't talk to them I'm still a male but upon receiving Osun, they took me out to the trees lol and I begged them never to let me fly with them again ! It's an unworldly experience but affirming and beautiful at the same time !

[@selimolamilekan7240]

That means those witches are our mothers who fought the European to be free from Slavery, They were so powerful

[@yorubalessons]

I suppose they did their best to stop many things but there's only so much you can do when your own people (men and women who have been severely brainwashed into thinking of you as demonic) turn against you.

[@selimolamilekan7240]

@@yorubalessons Ooto oro le so Inumi dun gan ni Tori wipe Mon so ede Yoruba meji : titi EKO ati ILORIN

[@kartagoddessdivineservices8709]

I think the Odu you wanted to refer to is Osa Meji

[@PowerNoir]

I found this....right on time. Thank youl.

[@jonralph8843]

Watching this video, I can't help but have a very strong feeling that you know way more than you are revealing, probably because you have first hand knowledge, which would be very admirable indeed and I would understand the secrecy and your being circumspect here, after all, we shouldn't "cast pearls before swine".

[@KEEPOURSANITY]

thanks for this video, had to come revisit to resurface my knowledge did u make any more videos on Àjẹ́? or do u have anywhere u could point towards that i could look at to gain more insight?

[@jomoguera4645]

Good to hear your voice

[@yorubalessons]

It has been a while, baba! Glad to see you’re alright.

[@jomoguera4645]

@@yorubalessons 🙏

[@Healingsanctum]

Thank you for this. Another great video.

[@yorubalessons]

Thank you for watching!

[@cocolove1981]

Thank You 🙏🏽

[@thespaceguardin9]

Thank you

[@MadebySOMI]

Hi ma ma. Thank you so much for your videos. I love them so much. My question is, how does this term relate to the orisa, Aje? Is it the same concept? I recently learned Aje is the daughter/extension of Olokunn so with this information, I’m trying to connect the two together. Could you help me understand deeper please? Thank u ❤️

[@yorubalessons]

They are not the same, although they work together. "Àjé̩" relates to femininity, maternity, and power, while "Ajé" relates to money, abundance, and wealth. An "Òrìs̩à Ajé" devotee could be an "Àjé̩," for instance, and a person's ability to acquire wealth may be completely jeopardized if they are in the wrong against the "Àjé̩." Extreme poverty for a prolonged period of time and the inability to shake it off (no matter how much work one does) is one of the telling signs that some kind of restitution to the physical and/or spiritual mothers may be needed. Most women, "Àjé̩" or not, possess the ability to attract "Ajé," and many men would not embark on anything that relates to the acquisition of money or power if they do not first honour a woman in some way or ask for her blessings. Traditionally, due to the tighter cords that bind them, it tends to be their mother and/or their wife. So, although they are not the same in definition or role, they are linked in several ways.

[@MadebySOMI]

@@yorubalessons wow! Thank you so much Ma! This explanation was much more than I expected. I understand the concept now. It is with the use of the accent marks that make the difference which is hard to know since I don’t know how to write or even speak yoruba! Let me go watch your earlier videos on intonation and alphabet lol Thank you!

[@dominicd2063]

Is there any relation to iyami osorongo?

[@yorubalessons]

Yes.

[@davidbabajeh6833]

I agree with you, 'aje' isn't a witch but a sorcerer.

[@onikunimports8617]

Yes there was a lot of misogynistic translations. But it wasn't by mistake. Imagine if they lwt european women back then know that yoruba women had economic freedom, controled retail trade, could be an Oba and apply for loans in her own name and vote. The feminist movement would have started earlier. Instead the colonial govt hired 5000 people out of a population of 20 million. And only 1 if those 5000 was a woman. Yet they pushed for women to stay home and be homemakers.

[@MarkWallace-v7n]

ASE’ To the Divine Ancestors Ase’ Ase’. I often meditate talk pray sing dance and celebrate with the Divine Ancestors. At one point my spirit was very much vexed and disturbed by people who claimed our Divine Ancestors/ Ntr and Orisha as witches and warlock mess!!! They let me know that they are not at all are never have been and never will be witches and such like. They let me know there is no association with those to them. They also wouldn’t let me honor any of those white representations of them when we used to have to hide our ancient Afrakhan’ spiritual practices because of slavery and indoctrination. They said do not hide their true identity anymore because it is not necessary to do it anymore. They speak and communicate clearly if we truly honor and esteem them for who they truly are! Not witches not any dark evil sinister beings. They are the Highest form of Divine Benevolence and Light. If we were made in their image then call them by their name!!! Ase’ooooo✨🙏🏿✨

[@amarimoore7213]

Would Iyami Aje be okay to name a daughter?

[@yorubalessons]

It would be out of touch with how things actually work, but if she has insisted that it’s the name she would like to bear upon entry into the earth, seek an ìyáláwo/babaláwo’s guidance. In the Yorùbá culture, we don’t force random names on our children. The circumstances of the child’s birth and the events that occurred before, during and after pregnancy are our naming cues.

[@Melvin-bh2op]

Thank you very much for this video. I hope you can teach us about the badly translated words because it is a fascinating subject like esu which is badly translated by satan🤓

[@yorubalessons]

Thank you for watching!

[@omobolanlefasokun3459]

What then is witch in Yorùbá? Did I miss it in the video?

[@Stretchnrest]

She said there isn't any witch. She said she doesn't even know what that is

[@kartagoddessdivineservices8709]

Some concepts from one culture may not always find expression or interpretation in another culture.

[@baba-mandef]

Efirin is basilic

[@moremiaj4786]

The English screwed a lot of people up, including their own Irish and Scottish people. I hope, I dearly hope, that we as Yoruba people and as black people a whole can regroup, recoup and get our "ORI" straight once again. I am tired of us acting like stupid animals without direction. Tired of our degeneracy and lack f respect all over the world. I believe getting back to basics, will center us again. But how do we get there and how fast? Our colonized minds are working against us.

[@selimolamilekan7240]

Those people they are calling witches are our mothers with powers to protect us 😉 Iya e eseun gan ni, mo feran eeto Yi, Nitori wipe oshimi ni iye Mo dupe pupo Oduduwa agbewa

[@yorubalessons]

Thank you for watching!

[@selimolamilekan7240]

@@yorubalessons Ejowo mio mo Ami fi si oro ni ede Yoruba I don't know how to put stress mark on Yoruba words Like : Do Mi Re

[@yorubalessons]

@@selimolamilekan7240 Have you seen this video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oajEfXyXoNudhrs

[@Ashanti_flower24]

I know that I’m late on this video but I want to know would you consider all women to be an aje to some level?

[@yorubalessons]

I don't know Julie. Lol. Does every woman embrace her femininity (way beyond sexuality and maternity) and explore the powers that come with it? Every woman has the potential for sure, but it's a more conscious state that many are scared of (and unsurprisingly so).

[@Ashanti_flower24]

@@yorubalessons Thank you for answering my question.

[@teslimbello2747]

I think Efirin is Scent leaf😀. Thank you for all you do🙂

[@yorubalessons]

Yes, a type of basil leaves. 😄 Thank you for watching!

[@Yomiyankee]

I'm fascinated by the way you explain the meaning of "Aje" through it's lexicon. Very educative. However, AJE, WITCHES, AND WIZARD, all deal in one thing that is common, OCCULT KNOWLEDGE. What they do with the knowledge is a different thing entirely.

[@yorubalessons]

Your capitalization of “occult knowledge” and the bold assumption on how each group operates is laughable, and I typically would not have taken you seriously. YOU have and use occult knowledge yourself. The ability to think outside the box is the point of these In and of Itself videos. Occultus,” the Latin word that “occult” originated from, simply means “secret,” “clandestine” or “hidden.” It’s very unfortunate that the word has been weaponized to create fear in those who hear it. If you use a piece of information I don’t know to your advantage, you have used your occult knowledge. Your choice of words is critical. The "Àjé̩,” as an organized union, use the sacred knowledge of nature and femininity. You’d be surprised to know that a lot of their methods, including that of manifestation, are not so hidden.

[@OyaRevolutionary]

​@@yorubalessonsYES O!❤

[@truthsquestions1532]

Aje is not witch, and esu is not satan

[@lesnubiana9482]

I have questions are there 3 different Aje

[@yorubalessons]

Are you referring to maiden, mother and crone? Or the one in which people divide the àjẹ́ with colours and claim that the white ones are always good and the black witches are always bad?

[@lesnubiana9482]

@@yorubalessons yes. Is there a white, red, and black?