Harnessing the Power of Creation through African Ritual

The Esalen Institute

November 8-10, 2024

Traditional African rituals are an important part of our global spiritual heritage, and they have much to teach us about many different forms of creation: how the universe was brought into being, how to manifest things we want in the world, and how to create a life filled with divine harmony. Led by Marques Redd and open to people of all backgrounds and experience levels, this workshop will explore the lessons that traditional African spirituality can teach us about creation, how the universe was brought into being, how to manifest things we want in the world, and how to fashion a life filled with divine harmony. It will first introduce the world of African ritual through my highly acclaimed film Obi Mbu (The Primordial House): An Igbo Creation Myth — a fantasia of dance and theatrical performance.

From there, we will explore a variety of ritual modalities that will enliven all your senses. Come prepared to engage with the Primordial Blackness that precedes creation and embodies infinite possibility, use African symbols and movement to energize your intentions, activate the cosmic strings that link everything in creation in order to draw your desires to you, experience symbolic death in order to be resurrected into new life, and employ the magic of spaces and thresholds. This workshop will provide you with many ritual tools that you will be able to use to plug directly into potent spiritual energy and empower your life!