Seeking | The Gullah Religious Tradition

The documentary, Seeking | The Gullah Religious Tradition is an in-depth look into a cultural practice that is seldom shared outside of the culture. For the Gullah Geechee, joining the church, at one time, was an ancestral West African tradition called seeking.
The practice was based in the thought that since God and the ancestors communicated through dreams, the interpretation of the dream, represented achieving spirituality. The process and resulting dream can become life-altering and is often something that one may never forget.
Seeking was mostly experienced on the coastal sea islands from North Carolina to Florida and eventually stopped as recently as the early 1970s.

[@elodiejones7727]

The spring before I was initiated into my Family Tradition, I dreamed my Aunt. Every night. And we were eating dinner , it was May 13,1986, the phone rang and my Mom picked it up, it was my Aunt Jackie in Ville Platte. She said she'd dreamed me in the river and it was time. I spent the next 2 years with her, learning. It was amazing. I'm passing on the knowledge to my daughter and my step daughter, amazingly enough! The River always seems to tie everyone together ! Ancestral memory still unites folks the world over.

[@OctaviaH-u3q]

The past is our schoolmaster. History should be preserved and protected by descendants with the help of preservation professionals and historians native to the particular regions.

[@joanne8486]

I like the tradition of the knotted twine to be worn on the head of the seeker; to signal to others to leave them alone during this time.

[@alexbarrera1551]

As a practitioner of orisha tradition (lucumi) this is so fascinating, especially how the Gullah Geechee preserved the godparent and spiritual initiation traditions. 🤍

[@malcomporcherlove9176]

I wish this was something that didn't die out. This is beautiful.

[@lmgs1182]

I agree completely

[@mamamoonie]

Do it for your family.

[@elodiejones7727]

Bring it back. The memory lives in your DNA. You'll know what to do.

[@TommyStrategic]

Some people are still doing this in the Lowcountry, or have an updated version. Prayer is the central thing, so doing intense, isolated prayer may lead you into a community of spiritual people who understand this.

[@Denise993]

it’s still some gullah geechies in the lowcountry & some areas in NC.

[@carolpowell639]

I did the exact ritual when I was 11or 12. We called it “Praying” Quite the experience ❤

[@lan92034]

Wow, that's amazing. Are there any churches or people that still do it? I have been trying to connect with my Geechee roots, and would love to experience that ritual.

[@OctaviaH-u3q]

The untold story is some blacks never left the South, but endured until change came. Sending you love from the younger descendants of Maryland, married South Carolina men who worked at the mill and waterfront. My mom and dad’s story, When mother Harriet Tubman left Maryland for abolitionist efforts she headed to Sumpter, SC my dad’s paternal great grandmother’s birthplace. She left Sumpter married my great grandfather in Florence County, SC. God made us descendants of these places. Cambridge, Maryland, Sharp LeadenHall (1790), and South Carolina for life.

[@edwardwatson6562]

This video is a gift from God.

[@lowcountrygullah690]

Thank you!

[@kimaparker6430]

Thank you so much . I remember the old mothers like her in the early 80’s . They don’t exist anymore 😢. We need them . I pray God bring those old traditions back with me to help young people today. Because we need the Yawh more than ever today!

[@lowcountrygullah690]

Thank you very much! And you're absolutely right!

[@elodiejones7727]

Ashe, ashe, ashe.

[@BoudoirBoutiqueNC]

I loved hearing her speak. Thank you!

[@lowcountrygullah690]

You’re very welcome. Glad that you enjoyed it

[@christinemoore1509]

Yes, thank you for capturing that real Gullah voice. I am from Georgetown. The sound is sweet!

[@ShaneM420]

She said I born 1918....you figure that fo yself. Veneration of our Ancestors is what we're missing in today's African diaspora. I know she's one of the Ancestors by now.

[@KeithGilliard]

No one told me I was seeking until I spook and did the work to find and I still do. We all do. It's a good thing ❤ write those dreams and get that understanding with god. I recall me and my friends doing this too. Thank you for this video.

[@TD617]

My father told our family about his Seeking experience ❤🖤💚

[@jahrez1155]

In the old school apostolic church we had to seek the holy ghost.It was very similar. 9nce you received, the church would welcome you.. This is where they got that from.

[@ShaneM420]

...other way around. The church got it from these African descendants. Let's give history its proper place, and give these people their Respect.

[@TommyStrategic]

It is a very similar. When I was little, they would turn the lights down in the holiness church for a tarry service. When I began to hear more about seeking from older adults, it seemed to me our tarry service was just a different iteration of seeking. We did call it “seeking the Holy Ghost,” so lots of parallels. 🤝🏾

[@rrichardson340]

Beautiful video!

[@lowcountrygullah690]

Thanks so very much

[@gldnglow]

Thank you for sharing.

[@LifeNationKC]

Tarrying for the Holy Spirit - Church of God in Christ [no going to graves though]

[@alonzokinchen1117]

Thanks for sharing cuz

[@Therootdoctress]

A rare share ❤ wow thank you

[@lowcountrygullah690]

You're welcome 😊

[@imfromhereiaintcomehere6921]

🪶🪶🪶🪶

[@14612CreatorsPodcast]

Do the Gullah have a translated Old testament?

[@lowcountrygullah690]

Not an old testament yet, but the new testament, yes. It's available at www.lowcountrygullahmarket.com

[@ShawnMacATM]

@@lowcountrygullah690is this still available

[@lindamaemullins-wr1jg]

And you don't tell your dreams before breakfast 🤔

[@GeecheeGypsy]

This was very helpful. Thank you. I just connected a dot.

[@lowcountrygullah690]

I'm glad that you got something out of it

[@waydetahtawy319]

🪘🌾