This is the 4th blog on the Elements and Nature

The Ancestors

In Zimbabwian culture the Nyami-Nyami is a powerful snake-like water spirit that resides in the Zambesi river. 

All Southern African sangomas know that in order to be initiated one has to go to the "water" to engage with the water spirit. In Zulu it is called the Unzunzu. Below is a Shona soap stone rendition of the serpent Nyami-Nyami.

 In Yoga the Kundalini experience has sometimes been described as like drowning in water. This is tantamount to engaging spiritually, fully with the Shakti, femine like energy that is key to mobilizing the Kundalini. When the Shakti, feminine, Kundalini rises up the spine and meets with Shiva, the masculine principle at the crown chakra a Oneness Experience or Unity Consciousness occurs. This is when the OBSERVER - THE OBSERVED & THE PROCESS OF OBSERVATION fuse into just one thing (Samadhi to the Yogi.) Many of us have had what Maslow called a Peak Experience which is like a "mimi" Kundalini. The Kundalini is described as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine or first chakra, and is key to the enlightenment process.

The sangoma who is initiated is certainly liberated in a different way after encountering the water spirit - Unzunzu or ? the Nyami-Nyami.

In the Yoga system of Chakras each has an increasingly fine vibration as the Kundalini energy rises upwards through the different chakras and their elements.

In Isaiah's vision of the Six directions, each direction; North, West, South and East has a respective element; Water, Earth, Fire Air and Archangel; Uriel, Gabriel, Rafael and Michael. In addition all Four directions have a river, wind, color, animal and "being" (growing, still, talking and wild as one travels anti clockwise from North to East.) Shechina - the feminine aspect of the Divine is above.