PROMETRA Symbol Book English2013

Dr Erick GBODOSSOU
The world
of symbols
The world
of symbols
Homage TO THE
WISE OF AFRICA AND
THE WORLD!
A sage, on the evening of his life, began to sing Unfortunate

human who cannot be A tree or a stone
My God, my God If I die and if I am reborn I want to be a tree in

a virgin forest
My God, my God If I die and if I am reborn I want to be a pipe in

the mouth of a sage
Erick Vidjin’Agnih GBODOSSOU

The world of symbols
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to accompany you and incite you to dream about the
world of symbols and then invite you to dwell on that dream. This will
allow each and every one of us the opportunity to possess a unique
body of knowledge in the realm of the imagination.
SOMMAIRE
INTRODUCTION 6
THE CYCLE OF LIFE IN AFRICAN THOUGHT 7
TCHE-TOUN-TOUN 11
THE REINCARNATION OR JO ‘ TOH 15
HEGBE-DOTOH 17
MAWU 20
HEGBE-TOH OR HUMAN 22
SIGNATURE OF GOD 25
SEGBO LISSA 29
EKPLIN OU AGOUMAGA 32
TABLE OF THE SPIRITS OR KPOLI, THE FA MAJOR 16 35
DAN : GUARDIAN 39
LE CERCLE INSTRUMENT 42
SAKPATA 44
SAN-HO-FA 47
TATTOOING 51
THE EAGLE 55
COWRIES 58
TALISMAN PLANETARY 61
RINGS PENTACULAIRES 65
SYMBOL TO EXORCISE EVIL SPIRITS 70
LOBSTER, THE SYMBOL OF AMBIVALENCE 72
BEE 74
CROCODILE 78
THE SNAKE 83
WATER 89
FIRE 96
CONCLUSION 100
BIBLIOGRAPHY 102
INTRODUCTION
We live in a world of symbols and a world of symbols lives in

us. In recent decades there has been a reemergence and renewed
interest in symbols. These symbols have been rehabilitated as
sources of inspiration for new discoveries, innovation, progressive
and sustainable human development. One explanation is that this
increasing interest in symbols is due in part to the limitations found
within the Cartesian scientific system and the devolution of modern
human sciences. In order to birth tomorrow’s science, symbols must
be subjected to a more profound and fluid exploration in order to reveal
the secrets of the subconscious and unknown, thus unveiling the most
hidden motives of our actions. Through engaging this process, a new
scientific system will be born that serves and develops a more humane
and enlightened world.
These symbols are interpreted, embodied and expressed through

language, gesture, dream, behavior, and attitude by way of an ancient
practice that assists in resolving various challenges we encounter on
our planet. Their educational system, organization, understanding
and interpretation call upon numerous disciplines such as the
history of civilization and religion, linguistics, cultural and religious
anthropology, art, psychology, parapsychology and even meta-
psychology.
It is possible to expand this list to include the symbols of marketing,

sales, propaganda and political practices.
Humanity cannot afford to continue to underestimate the importance

of symbols, the enigma that they represent, and the energies they
embody. Instinctually, humans are conditioned to reject systems that
would lead to their demise. The question remains, can logic, common
sense and collective determination bring the present generation towards
more tolerance, justice, and brotherhood, for the sake of confronting
the various challenges that jeopardize the survival of our planet?
6
Le cycle de la vie
THE CYCLE OF LIFE IN
dans
AFRICAN THOUGHT
la pensée africaine
7
AFRICAN THOUGHT
8
AFRICAN THOUGHT
Whether one is an atheist, a believer, a polytheist, or a monotheist, somewhere

in the human instinct, deep within the subconscious mind of all creatures, exists
the grand architect of the universe that some call God, YAHWE, MAWU,
GBEDOTOH, AKLUNON etc. Let us call this architect God. In the beginning,
there was nothing, and then God had a divine thought. This divine thought gave
birth to a divine consciousness, this divine consciousness gave birth to a primal
breath, the primal breath gave in its turn the essential breath and the essential breath
gave birth to the 4 essential spirits:
• The first essential spirit created fire
• The second essential spirit created air
• The third essential spirit created water
• The fourth essential spirit created earth .
So at this point, there is God, the essential spirits, and the four essential elements,
which they engendered. Next, God needed a womb in which to insufflate life. This
creation was a unique spirit apart from the four essential spirits. It is when the four
essential spirits are joined with this one, that we have the living. This is represented
mathematically as: 4 + 1 =5; or four, one (41). The 4+1 corresponds to the living.
In this creation of the living, life is one of chaos, contradictions, and ambivalence.
In this world that will disappear, God is always expressed in mathematical form
through his signature, √5, the square root of 5.
It is obvious that this world will disappear leaving in its place: 3+2=5, a world of
equilibrium, love, and sharing which will lead humanity towards a better and more
enlightened civilization. However, God’s Signature, √5, will remain unchanged.
There are 41 Voodoo (four and one); they do not represent a religion but rather a
spiritual system, or better yet a womb in which life is formed. Therefore, from this
womb of life combined with the four elements fire, air, water, and earth, God has
all that it takes to create the living.
As soon as the womb, Voodoo and the essential spirits were formed, God
sequentially created the celestial lives, the aerial lives, the aquatic lives and then
9
AFRICAN THOUGHT
the terrestrial lives. Within the framework of terrestrial creation mineral life, plant
life and then animal life was formed. In the creation of this animal kingdom, the
human being was God’s last creation.
This last creature has the specificity to be created in the image of God
symbolized as the number 1. Of all God’s creatures, only man stands like an I
which is represented numerically as the number 1, symbolizing the utmost
uniqueness of God’s symbol. This is why some people believe that man is created
in the image of God. We know that God’s symbolic appearances are represented
in the form of five-pointed stars. When a man is standing with his legs apart and
arms spread out, we also find God’s symbol of the five-poined star. In African
thought, the terrestrial world is the first stage of seven worlds, because all that
God created must evolve according to a specific cycle. All species evolve towards
God. Everything starts from God, and returns to God. In a simplistic way, this
terrestrial world engenders a multitude of lives, which after their terrestrial death
shall become divine beings. Death is not an end, but rather a door that when shut is
succeeded by another that is open. Therefore, after this terrestrial death, life enters
into the intermediate world.
Lives, whenever they come to an end in this intermediate world, are prolonged
towards the third world, the world of the ancestors that in Benin are called FE
TOMIN.
FÊ =country; TOMIN=world, the world of the ancestors.
In this world of the ancestors, life continues. Once this life comes to an end, the
spirits of the ancestral world continue towards what is called the NEXT WORLD.
In this NEXT WORLD, there are no constraints for life besides time and
space. Life then continues into the fifth world, which is called the celestial world;
following the celestial world is the spiritual world. Finally the seventh world is the
divine world where the being returns to God, the original source. This is a broad
and general outline of the cycle of life in African thought, more specifically in the
thought of the Tado civilization.
10
TCHE-TOUN-TOUN
11
TCHE-TOUN-TOUN
12
TCHE-TOUN-TOUN
T
he symbol of the imperishability of God in the Tado
civilization is called TCHE-TOUN-TOUN. In this TOUN-
TOUN, is the symbol that represents the unknown aspects
of God, while the being would represent God the known. This is
why God is not necessarily related to the existence of God. God is
absolute. God is timeless. God is in all. God is everywhere. God
is everything. Indeed, the concept of God in African thought is a
mathematical equation. Which poses the question: Does God exist?
There are only two (2) choices of response.
• NO, GOD DOES NOT EXIST.
• YES, GOD DOES EXIST.
If the answer is No: there are more potential issues.
If the answer is Yes: there are three (3) possible options
• YES, GOD IS IN US
• YES, GOD IS OUTSIDE OF US
• YES, GOD IS IN US AND OUTSIDE OF US
In African thought, all these claims are fair. ie.: No, God does not exist.
Yes, God exists. God is in us, God is outside of us; God is in us and outside
of us.
Everything that exists relates to God, however, God is not a
function of what already exists, God is itself the Existence. This is
why God is not necessarily related to the existing. It is rather in the
independence between God and the existing, that their detachment is
resolved through their relationship. Divine independence is emerging
as a real ontological field of study. Any valid statement about God
presupposes that it penetrates to the core essence of all existence.
This is the traditional way by which God touches the soft essence
of each being extending beyond the limits of the special conditions
of its own domain; yet still taking root in its absolute fullness
absent of limitation. Human beings are like a seed that extend to
infinity. TCHE-TOUN-TOUN translates to mean the imperishability
13
TCHE-TOUN-TOUN
of God. It symbolizes the one, towards which all events converge;
or also articulated as the life that is performed throughout life. It
is precisely at this juncture that thinkers and philosophers such as
Descartes and Freud lose their meaning and their logic. God does not
say: «I think therefore I am», which is a selfish and dehumanizing
philosophical perspective, but rather says: «I am because you are.
The «imperishable God is in us, outside us, is in us and outside
of us! The individual, at the symbolic level, becomes meaningless
and remains denatured, mechanical, and deserted. The «I» can fight
neither oppression nor injustice. It can’t even search for truth and
light. More simplistically an African proverb says «you cannot clap
with one hand»... «could not chew with a tooth….»
The French psychoanalyst Jaques Lacan’s critique and
contribution to the Freudian school of thought may be perceived by
African symbolism as a desperate attempt to fill in the gaping holes
in Freudian philosophy. His quest for understanding was more like
a failed attempt to open a chest of which he did not possess the key.
Therefore if the scientific approach of FREUD is in question, then
the symbolic shortcomings expressed through the application of the
philosophy to their environment is also in question. In their attempt
to understand man’s relationship to creation, Freud speaks of «Me or
him» and LACAN speaks of «Me or the small other.» However they
both could have benefited from the sacred African forest lessons,
such as “self forgetfulness, selflessness, and perfect availability to
the other».
In African thought «the other» is not only a human, but also
includes all living creatures in one’s environment. TCHE-TOUN-
TOUN, the imperishable God, is also the link between the lives of
the living. This approach is based in a traditional philosophy called
REINCARNATION.
14
THE REINCARNATION
OR JO ‘ TOH
R
eincarnation is the most apparent symbol of divine
manifestation. The secret of life, according to Tado traditions,
can only belong to God. The traditions further maintain that
God created death prior to creating life therefore creating a succession
of lives, or existences.
In layman’s terms, death refers to the absolute end of something positive,
negative or living: it can be a human being, an animal, a plant, a
friendship, alliance, peace, or even a specific period of time.
In fact, it is implicit in our conversations when we speak of the
death of a storm, a day or the Sun. Man, like the morning dew, may
disappear for a while but does not die, he rather follows a cycle of
life.
Fundamentally, humans are the only creatures capable of
conceiving evil without reason. Therefore, humans must evolve
into something more complete. Neither the duration of the morning
dew, nor the period of a lifetime is sufficient to complete human
evolution. An initiation process must happen through a phase of
death before open access to a new life can occur. Death itself is
like the daughter of night and the sister of sleep. It has the power
to regenerate and reincarnate as his mother and his brother. While
awaiting reincarnation, the human being is in a spiritual state. The
right to life, death, and reincarnation all belong to God.
After the physical death, one’s spiritual life, which never dies,
joins the intermediate world: a world of waiting. According to its
level of transcendental evolution, the spirit of the deceased will wait
for the ideal couple, which will permit it to go to the next stage
of its mission in its evolution. Through a process of probability,
combinations, and mathematical permutations a couple is identified.
It is then that the spirit of the deceased awaiting reincarnation,
fertilizes the egg of the couple and reintroduces the spirit into the
15
LA REINCARNATION
OU DJO’TOH
earthly realm.
«In this sense your father is not your father, your mother is not
your mother», you simply arrive in the world through them».
In other words, your child may be from several generations
before you. In the Tado civilization, when a child is born several
rites and rituals are performed. Among them is the rite of «Jo ‘ TOH.
The purpose of this ceremony is to identify the great-grandparent
or grandparent who returned through this baby. Following the
reincarnated ancestor, the community grants the appropriate respect
and attention according to his rank and status in the community.
Today, the media tells stories that confirm the concept of
reincarnation. For example, a couple picks up their child from a
preschool in the village. The child knows the old people in the
village and calls them by their first and last name. He even goes
so far as describing the type of relationship he had with each of
them. Mr X, over 80 years-ago, was his son. Mrs. Y, over 100 years
ago, was his mistress. After leaving the school, the child asked his
parents to stop for a cup of coffee. They enter the cafe and the child
asks the waitress for Madame Z. The waitress calls the owner of the
Bar. When the owner heard the accuracy in the child’s description
of Madame Z, he goes to retrieve a photo album containing pictures
that date back 100 years. As they turn the pages, with confidence the
boy identifies the photo of Ms. Z. The owner admits that this is a
photo of his grandmother who first opened this CAFE.
.
16
HEGBE-DOTOH
17
HEGBE-DOTOH
18
HEGBE-DOTOH
T his symbol, signifies the supremacy of God, creator of

creatures, creator of this world and the universe, HEGBE =
universe or world; DOTOH = creator. This is the supremacy of
God who is above all. The one who has created everything that creates
everything. All beings, both visible and invisible, are included as part
of this creation. Therefore, in the African conception all systems of life
and grace are functions by which we participate in God’s nature. Hence,
everything we do maintains a fundamental relationship with God as the
source of reality. This is especially true when the Fon people sing the
following song:
Ali non-hiségondin
Do tominfio
Awa GbêminboJaGbênouWaGbe-ô
Yé non can nu bio et nan gnon !
Translation of the song :
If, before entering into a lost ship,

A human could examine his destiny,
He would know where to go. He wouldn’t question his destiny.
19
MAWU
20
MAWU
T
he symbol of God, MAWU, AKLOUNON GBEDOTOH.
This symbol depicted as a five-pointed star in a circle
representing the microcosm, or the cosmos, with four
cardinal points. It is important in the formation of the symbol of
God, AKLUNON MAWU, that it is created in alignment with the
Earth’s axis which is located on 0 = 5 vertical. This is important
to understand if you want a real symbol that represents the true
power of God that has no relationship to the five pointed stars that
symbolize the power of man. To make this symbol, the axis of the
world 0 = 5, must be 30 ° to the left of the Eastern coordinate. When
you have this line, as an initiate you learn how to easily achieve the
other points (1, 2, 3, and 4) to give all the energy and power that God
gives the beholder of this powerful symbol that the Serer (priest) in
Senegal call ROG SEN. ROG = God and SEN = everywhere and
nowhere.
MAWU is the Supreme Being, the unknown being, the source and
purpose, the Alpha and Omega. Everything that exists relates to him. He
is, and symbolizes, the UNIQUENESS present in all manifestations of
life; the life in which all life is performed. All beings, visible and invisible,
are expressions of MAWU. MAWU’s very nature is demonstrated in all
the mysteries of life, natural and supernatural forces. Just as MAWU,
AKLOUNON GBEDOTOH symbolizes God, there are deities that
symbolize the presence of God on a lower level. In addition to these deities,
there also exists the «gods» that symbolize idealized human qualities.
Between these two deities are the spirits of our ancestors.
The veneration of the intermediate deities brings about joy; however
when they are neglected, one’s negligence will cause anxiety, inhibition,
impotence, and torment. Why not spread tolerance, mutual understanding,
brotherhood, justice, sharing, forgiveness, love?
We come from MAWU and we return to MAWU.
21
HEGBE-TOH OU
HOMME
22
HEGBE-TOH OU
HOMME
M
an is the image of God, HEGBETO.
HEGBE: world, TO is the one responsible for the
management of the world; the father of the world.
It is God who created HEGBE; EGBEDOTOH, is the creator of this
world. HEGBETO = man or father of creation, is the man who is
responsible for the management of this world. This is why man was
created in the image of God. This word exists in Fon, Goun, Popo, Mina
and Tado civilizations. God is HEGBE = world; DOTOH: creator. By creating
man, God gave him the responsibility of managing this world. Thus, man is
the father or manager of life in God’s creation.
HEGBE-TOH, or man, is a living social, cosmic, and spiritual

organism. He is composed of a composite of perishable and imperishable
elements that are integrated at all three levels of his being; social,
cosmic, and spiritual. Every life cycle begins with the integration of
these three components organized around a principle of personalization.
The life cycle ends with the breakup of the human compound, which
offers the possibility of a new destiny, or a new reincarnation. All of the
elements of the human being, HEGBE-TOH, are assembled before their birth
and remain after their death. In fact, God created death before life, such that
life benefits from death. .
HEGBE-TOH means in literal translation manager of the world; father of the
world
HEGBE = universe, world
TOH = father, Manager, managing
The essence of HEGBE-TOH is linked to three attributes of

transcendence
• Transcendence is both the source of life, and life itself.
• Transcendence is communication: through the mediation of
symbols, the transcendent power is brought closer and made
more accessible to the individual.
23
HEGBE-TOH OU
HOMME
• Transcendence is participation: it creates a common destiny
between all beings of the universe.
Life itself is a dynamic stream of information by the transcendent
power, to animate the material and spiritual bodies for the duration of
their cycle of divine energy. In order to fully understand the meaning
of transcendence one must refer to the definition of the origin, nature,
and cycle of life.
• Origin: life comes from the transcendental power, which can
be both personal and/or collective, that creates and constantly
renews the energy in the cosmos.
• Nature: life is an energy that animates an independent,
material or spiritual agency endowed with the qualities of its
divine energy.
• Cycle: life has a dynamic and cyclic character, capable of the
strengthening or loss of energy.
If God is called HEGBE DOTOH creator of the universe, man is
called HEGBE-TOH, manager or father of the universe.
Therefore, it is said that man is created in the image of God. In
addition, the symbolic representations of man and God are identical,
the star with five (5) branches. HEGBE-TOH, the image of God must
be inherently good, helpful and available.
Availability itself cannot be equated with a quest to identify with the
other. The other is not necessarily a human! But any other creature that
man has the responsibility of ‘fathering’.
Even if God has given to HEGBE-TOH the responsibility to
understand the universe and the laws that govern nature and the world,
it remains clear that God established a great distance between himself
and HEGBE-TOH.
24
THE SIGNATURE OF
GOD
25
THE SIGNATURE OF
GOD
26
THE SIGNATURE OF
GOD
W
herever God goes, each initiate of Tado’s deepest and oldest
symbolisms knows that the manifestations of God are always
expressed by √5. When you see the angles and forms of God’s
creations, it is always based on a function of √5. Even the triangle generated
by the stars to 5-pointed star, its base is always base X √5 which gives the
adjacent side that links the base to the apex. In plants, flowers, and throughout
nature we always find this manifestation of God, √5, as both a divine symbol
and a real manifestation in nature.
The interior of an apple cut horizontally;

there is the symbol of God 5 branches
stars.

In flowers, there is the symbol of God,
the five-pointed star.
27
THE SIGNATURE OF
GOD
Phalanx of fingers of a hand

P2=P1 X √5
P3=P2 X √5
b= c= a X √5
√5=2,236
1+0,618=1,618
1x1, 618+0,618=√5=2,236
28
SEGBO LISSA
29
SEGBO LISSA
30
SEGBO LISSA
H
ere we have the symbol of life, SEGBO LISSA. Since this symbol
is also found in Egypt, one may ask if the symbol comes from Egypt
or does it come from Tado? The fact is that the early Egyptians were
black, and their Egyptian civilization has its origin in earlier civilizations in the
African interior, possibly the Tado civilization. SEGBO LISSA, the symbol of
life.
The ring of life, unfortunately, is a concept that has become increasingly

lost and ignored by conventional science. Indeed, conventional science
teaches us that to live, we need to eat; it may be true! But it’s also false!
You can live for fifty-two days without eating. They teach that there is a
need for water, it’s true! But it’s also false! You can live twelve days without
drinking water. Although statistics illustrate globally that people die more
from consuming harmful drinks, like contaminated water and alcohol, than
not drinking. You need oxygen, it’s true! But it’s also false! You can live 7
minutes without oxygen, even after the third minute the brain may suffer
damage, but you can live 7 minutes without oxygen. However, nobody can
live the smallest fraction of a second without energy.
The energy that gives life is unknown and not understood by conventional
science; in fact, it is a missing link in research. However, the knowledge
of the Tado civilization and African symbols can help provide solutions to
human development by addressing the gaps and failures in the Cartesian
system. Even though it may be true that the techniques have made progress.
No laboratory in the world can demonstrate the difference between an organ
taken from a living being and the same organ taken from a corpse! This is
due to the fact that the only difference between the living and the dead is their
source of energy, that, unfortunately, western science does not know. Western
science knows no energy that can exist without its source: the vibration.
The vibration produces energy which gives life. This is a trilogy known to
conventional science. So therefore, Africa can help bring real solutions to
this worrying gap in our contemporary science.
Life is a cyclic phenomenon, which rotates in a counter-clockwise and
helical formation that is present within each species with an inter-penetration
between all life, the circle of life, and the life cycle.
31
EKPLIN/ OU
AGOUMAGA
32
EKPLIN/ OU
AGOUMAGA
T
his image is the instrument of divination. In Tado,
civilization there is a science that dates back several
thousand years BC. It continues to be practiced to this day
and is called the FA. Some call it IFE, FA, DAO, etcetera according
to the ethnic group. This practice, however it may be called, comes
from the Tado civilization. There are two levels of execution of this
divinatory science, the great game and the little game. The great
game consists of a more sophisticated instrument, while the little
game uses the instrument you see in the image that we call EKPLIN
or AGOUMAGA.
When you see EKPLIN, it consists of two parts: the left and the
right side. Both the left and the right side contain four semi-nuclei.
The right side is the symbol of the male, which represents the first and
primitive creature, who is completely disorganized. The four semi-
nuclei on the right have a link with the primitive spirits who created
fire, air, water, and Earth respectively. The left side, in EKPLIN
or AGOUMAGA symbolizes the world as it has been created and
organized, symbolized as the Moon and Earth. Each of these different
semi-nuclei, A, B, C, D, signify a specific and particular symbolic
meaning. (A) Symbolizes the created world, which gave birth to the
CELESTIAL beings. (B), represents the created world which gave
birth to AVIAN life; (C), the created world AQUATIC life and (D)
the created world that gave the TERRESTIAL life.
This instrument is what some call a crystal ball, it allows one to
clearly discern their past, present, and future without risk of error.
To connect with EKPLIN or AGOUMAGA, you can communicate
through rhythm, dance, trance, symbol, and/or word with
transcendence through 256 spirits. Human nature has three ways to
communicate with the transcendent, the first is the word, through
the power of the verb; the second is the rhythm, through the power
of the movement; and the third is the symbol, through the power of
the image. The FA by his instrument provides us with these three
avenues.
33
EKPLIN/ OU
AGOUMAGA
The right side symbolizes the communion between the non-
created and the created as a passageway of communication of one
to the other.
The right side is divine. The first human being was a man. Adam
being androgynous was then split into two. The man was formed on
the right side, and woman on the left side. In the FA, law concerns
the events relating to the paternal family. The right side symbolizes
strength, precision, and success.
In the concept of the FA and its «Little game» instrument, the left
symbolizes the woman, the womb, the mother, and more generally,
the maternal side. The left is also nocturnal and represents the
starting point of movement. The left is honorable, she represents
Mother Earth. All that is left is noble and contains the principle of
wisdom. The left is of levo-turn, counter-clockwise, which is the
marking of the creator and all movements of our planet.
The left symbolizes sweetness, the quiet and the noble. The holder
of the knowledge of the FA is called the BOKONON, and the AKPO
is the small bag containing the sacred instrument (AGOUMAGA or
EKPLIN). To perform the clairvoyant ritual, the Bokonon positions
himself on a small mat with the instrument in his hand.
After performing several invocations and employing the three (3)
means of transcendental communication, the Bokonon conducts his
divination based on which spirits reveal themselves.
34
TABLE OF 16 SPIRITS
OR KPOLI
THE FA MAJOR
35
TABLE OF 16 SPIRITS OR
KPOLI THE FA MAJOR
36
TABLE OF 16 SPIRITS OR
KPOLI THE FA MAJOR
F
A is a science that is based on the study of 256 spirits. This
table shows the symbol of the 16 major spirits. The 240 Minor
spirits are combinations of the 16 major spirits. Those who
practice the FA are called a BOKONON. They are directed to the FA to
fulfill the will of God, spirits, and the ancestors. A consultation with the
FA is performed to council a trusted friend before making an important
decision. The FA removes doubt, and replaces it with reassurance and
guidance. For this reason it has been used as a tool or form of traditional
technology that is involved in all the events of social life.
The 16 major spirits are the most important and decisive in the
FA system. The other KPOLI appear as sub-categories made by
combinations of two of the major spirits.
These KPOLI are classified, consolidated and prioritized under each
of the 16 major spirits. The highest of all is KPOLI-DJOGBE: DJOGBE-
M E D J I .
The table reflects the hierarchy and gender of each of the sixteen
major spirits.
In this order, the spirits of odd numbers are males and the female are
37
The world of symbols TABLE OF 16 SPIRITS OR
KPOLI THE FA MAJOR
even number.
This order of the figures of the major KPOLI 16 possess harmonious

mathematical properties that exclude the possibility of chance in the
outcome of their revelation The BOKONON can be wrong, but the FA
never lies.
All the systems of geomancy known, none can reproduce the
atmosphere of the FA. By the extent of its domain, the FA goes beyond
the simple code of a revelation, to encompass cosmogony and universal
spirituality.
38
DAN : GARDIENAGE
39
DAN : the guardian
40
DAN : the guardian
H
ere we have the symbol of DAN, the guardian. In this symbol,
you have the eight (8)-pointed star that governs all spheres,
the seven (7) worlds plus the one (1) uncreated world. Seven
(7) worlds exist, and the 8th is the non-existent. This means that Voodoo,
DAN, has at its disposal all that subtle energy required to ensure its
role as the guardian. The number eight (8) is the universal symbol for
cosmic balance. This is the number of the cardinal directions, when
including the intermediate directions. This is the number of petals of
the lotus flower and the number of paths to existence. The heavenly
throne is carried by 8 angels. The mosque of Cordoux in the Χ century
has eight domes. The eight is not the infinite, undefined and dispersed;
it is rather the infinite, ordered and defined in the eight.
The DAN or «snake» in literal translation can manipulate, use
and order any creature. The DAN or snake has neither beginning nor
end. Its physical name «snake» is an incarnate abstraction that comes
alive through its ability to animate and transform to take on any
representations. If it is visible, it becomes a representation of the Holy
in physical form. In the divine world, it arises as a palpable fantasy,
which slips between the fingers of time and infinity. Afterwards, DAN
takes refuge in the underworld from which it originates, where it can
exist in a space that is timeless, permanent and immobile. In its mission
to guard, DAN or the snake becomes as fast as lightning. When it is
visible, it emerges out of the shadow of a crack or crevice to spit out
terror or death prior to returning to the invisible.
The symbolism of DAN or Guardian inspires fear and respect, as its
work continues throughout infinity.
41
CIRCLE MEASUREMENT
INSTRUMENT
42
CIRCLE MEASUREMENT
INSTRUMENT
T
he circle is the measuring instrument that allows one to not only know
the cardinal points, but also be able to detect and be in communion
with these directions. Each of these points can bring forth from an
energetic point of view, both positive and negative energy. They also have the
ability to give direction on how to constructively bring about harmony between
communities to improve their quality life.
The second most fundamental symbol is the circle with the cross and square
embedded within it. This symbol is powerful because it contains all three; the
circle, cross, and square.
The circle represents perfection, uniformity, the lack of division and
distinction ... the circular motion is perfect, immutable, and without beginning
or end, or variations. This is precisely what enables it to symbolize time. Time
is defined, in this context, as a succession of the discontinuity of relative and
specific moments.
The circle also symbolizes the sky, or circular and invariant movement. The
circle-square-cross is the perfect instrument for measuring time in any dimension
and in all their relativity, through the measurement of the cardinal points. With
regard to the measurement of time, the watch is a mechanical device that loses
the sense of the relativity of the discontinuity. At the real and symbolic level,
when the sun rises it is 0600 hours, or 6 am. When the sunsets, it is 1800 hours, or
6pm, regardless of the geographical situation at ground level. In the North Pole,
both the notion of time and telling time by reading a watch loses its meaning.
It is interesting that in the languages of the people of the Tado civilization
in Mina, the literal translation of the word “MINUTE” said: «ANABA POPO
DEKA means «an eyelid blink.» This conceptually reflects the the relativity of
time. At the symbolic level, it is easy to understand than at any time, at any
moment in life, or any period of time, there is a point where opposites Cancel to
allow the manifestation of eternity. This circle, instrument that has no beginning
nor end, can be used as a measuring tool in both the spiritual, invisible and
transcendental worlds. It has the ability to measure the activity of the sky, its
dynamic insertion in the cosmos, its causality, and its divine and miraculous
function.
43
SAKPATA
44
SAKPATA
S
AKPATA - ZONWANNON: this is the deity of mother earth. It
is the SAKPATA Voodoo that has a direct relationship with the
molding of all life. She is also known as the Earth God whose
purpose it is to knead and breathe life into all living creatures. The
followers of SAKPATA, the deity of mother earth, has the advantage
of being the beloved mother to us all. It is the Voodoo SAKPATA who
can protect against some incurable diseases. In fact, history provides
evidence of this in its accounts of how the Vodoussi, who lived a
millennia before Christ, never had smallpox. Furthermore, the source
of the smallpox vaccine comes from the symbol of the deity of mother
earth, SAKPATA ZONWANON.
AZON = diseases. WANNON = controller or Manager.
AZONWANNON = controller or Manager of disease. SAKPATA =
deity of the Earth. The Earth symbolically represents the opposite of
the sky, just as the passive is the opposite of the active principle; or
as the female is to the male. The Chinese would characterize these
opposites as the YIN and YANG. Nature symbolizes the matter, force,
and transformation; the passive perfection which supports all life.
SAKPATA is female and night; the womb and source of life through
which all human beings receive their birth. SAKPATA symbolizes the
sweet, the tender, the peaceful, the firm and the humble. It is important
to note that both the word humble and human are etymologically related
to the Latin word “HUMUS” meaning “ground”, of which it is said that
man was molded.
SAKPATA is the universal deity recognized as the «primal matter»
that separated the waters. As the nurturing mother, SAKPATA’s nurturing
power is tapped through the work of the hoe, spade, and plow in order
to allow the fertilizing rain to nourish the seeds of Heaven who maintain
the life of her children.
SAKPATA, the deity of the Earth, is also the womb from which
precious metals and minerals are produced.
It is for all of the aforementioned reasons that SAKPATA -
45
SAKPATA
ZONWANNON represents the principle of protection against any force
of annihilation. She is the guardian against all kinds of pandemics or
serious diseases that involve the survival of her children. The Earth
holds all the plants and curative resources necessary to overcome any
disease or epidemic of any kind.
SAKPATA – ZONWANNON has already saved the world of smallpox.
It will save the world of AIDS, cancer and other so–called incurable
diseases of concern today. Unfortunately, man often behaves in an absurd
and destructive manner. He vandalizes everything in its path like a bull
in a cage of porcelain. He poisons himself by using pesticides, against
the wonderful plants that his mother, SAKPATA DON provides to save
her children. Many pregnant women eat SAKPATA, the identification
symbol of the Earth. The earth gives birth to all beings, nourishes them
then again receives them as a fertile seed when the die.
History teaches us that SAKPATA-if, or followers of Voodoo
SAKPATA, never had smallpox. Initiation tattoos of their recipient are
true vaccines against smallpox. The origin of the peasant who helped
the scientist Dr. Edward Jenner discover this «vaccine» still has yet to
be revealed!
Recent results from a serious study carried out in Benin by an NGO
named, “NGO AHOUEFA” that screened the population for AIDS
revealed that no SAKPATA-SI tested positive. Perhaps the symbolism
of mother earth may lead researchers to find the solution of AIDS in
Voodoo! Soon, Very soon!
46
SAN-HO-FA
47
SAN-HO-FA
48
SAN-HO-FA
S
AN-HO-FA is an educational symbol of the Tado civilization.
SAN-HO-FA = learn from the past. The source of knowledge
is never lost. Even though Knowledge itself can be forgotten,
dismissed or even despised, by men or the Cartesian system, Supreme
knowledge is never lost. It has its source in morphic resonance: the space
in which memory becomes collective. Speaking in modern language,
one would say that this knowledge is located on the «server» which is
stored in an invisible external memory source. Yet this information can
be accessed, downloaded and stored in your internal memory, if you
know how to connect to it.
SAN - HO - FA, is a powerful symbol, a symbol that represents the
ancient education whose origins are lost in the mists of time. This is
also why in many Serer civilizations the prefix to the names of many
ancient cities begins with FA, ie. Fatick, Fayile, Fafakho, Fadiouth, etc.
The ‘FA’ in this context is a symbol of the distant past, the oldest the
source of knowledge. It is also the reference by which to understand
the present and the future. This concept is captured in the adage, «today
better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today”. It is in this quote
that one can see that development is not new, but rather an absolute and
continuous process that has existed since the time of the most ancient
civilizations. SAN - HO - FA, learn from the past, has a similar etiology
of the word SAN - HO – HO, of the Pla, Mina, and Popo people, which
means since the dawn of time.
FA = wisdom of peace = teaching of evolution = spiritual teaching,
communication and communion with the transcendent. SAN - HO - FA
= learn from the past.
Traditional Africa holds two systems of learning from the past.
In African thought we make a differentiation between knowledge and
knowing.
• Knowledge is found in a book, school, or University. It is frozen,
inert and lifeless.
• Knowing is Supreme. It cannot be learned in school, it cannot be
49
sold, nor can it be bought. It is movement, it is vibration; it is

energy, and it is life.
SAN-HO-FA, to learn the knowledge of the past
There are various centers of learning that teach this knowledge. These
places can sometimes be the home of a great master, a temple, or even a
sacred forest that has been formalized into a school of learning.
SAN-HO-FA, to learn the knowledge of the past
This training often requires a unique predisposition. This is not to
exclude anyone! I would say that innately, some people are able to have
more precise premonitory dreams than others!
Such knowledge can be acquired by:
• A series of initiations that last throughout life and are carried out in
appropriate locations with the assistance of great masters
• Dreams can be either nocturnal or diurnal. A person who has lived
60 years, has slept for nearly 12 years and spent approximately
5 of those years dreaming. Five years of school without reason,
without conscience, what an immense source of knowledge.
Reasoning is fallible and full of error; therefore, a school without
reason is closer to the truth.
• Initiatory illnesses. The healer before curing a madman was
himself mentally ill. It is in his illness that he has acquired the art
of healing the madman. Mental illness can be a great school of
knowledge.
• Vertical, transcendent, spiritual, connections are also a great means
to acquiring or accessing such knowledge.
SAN HO FA, learn from the past to build a future of peace, stability
and balance.
50
TATTOOING
TATTOOING
52
TATTOOING
T
attooing is a means of spiritual communion and identification.
The symbolism of the tattoo is indicated by the original
meaning of the symbol, which in turn indicates the holy
character of the writing. It is a permanent invocation. Tattooing allows
one to be identified with specific Celestial powers while simultaneously
serving as the fundamental expression in the communication with the
Celestial world. The most common symbolism of tattooing is conferred
after one undergoes an initiation. It facilitates a communion based on
scared principles of a process that has been practiced since the dawn of
humanity, well before the Christian era.
The facial tattooing ritual of the PEDA, an ethnic group in
Benin, demonstrates the very specific relationship they have with
the celestial python that existed before creation. The Python has
the same scarification on its face, 2x5. This practice has existed
for over 10 million years and it continues to help its followers to
communicate with and be protected from some negative aspects of
their environment (evil spirits and people with evil intentions).
The tattoo functions as a symbol of identification that is imbued
with magical and mystical powers. Identification has always had
a double meaning. It tends to confer to a subject the virtues and
strengths of the being it embodies, while also immunizing the
subject against the evil powers of the latter. That is why tattoos
representing dangerous animals such as scorpions, snakes, bulls and
the lions are common. Identification also has a sense of consecration
that is symbolically represented by the tattoo. Therefore, it is a sign
of allegiance. As a sign of social integration, tattooing allows the
identification of an individual’s ethnic group. The tattooing of the
Holi is different from that of Peda, which is also different from that
of Bariba, the Hausa, and the Goun, yet all are ethnic groups of
the TADO civilization in Benin. Here, the tattoo becomes a tribal
emblem that even varies according to convents within a tribe.
53
LE TATOUAGE
The follower of the Vodou Sakpata has tattoos different from that
of Guinvodoussi whose are also different from that of Tchabassi etc.
The tattoo allows one to not only become identified with an
animal, but also allows the acquisition of power.
The Tattoo is like a school in which one learns the symbolism of
figures, images, and numbers that can be manipulated in order to
commune with the powers they represent.
This young Lady for example has, among others, a tattoo in the
shape of a “cross”. The symbolism of the cross has existed in Africa
since antiquity. It is the third of four fundamental symbols that is
found at the center of the circle and square. The cross participates in
the most complex symbolism that gave birth to the richest and the
most universal language; the language of symbols. It is the primary
symbol that serves as the basis of orientation at the various levels of
existence of man. The orientation of the animal is composed of its
proprioception, which is facilitated by its own spatial or horizontal
orientation; and its temporal perception, that is facilitated by its
spiritual or vertical orientation.
As an initiate, the tattoo of this young lady makes her an itinerant
school. In this school, the Cartesianist and other contemporary
philosophers have a lot to learn.
54
THE EAGLE
55
THE EAGLE
56
THE EAGLE
T
he Eagle is capable of rising above the clouds and fixing the
sun. Eagle = King of birds; a celestial and solar symbol. It
has a link with angels and higher spiritual realms. In 1996
we conducted an experiment called “COUMBA LAMBA USA «. We
brought Ndëpkatts of Senegal to heal the Americans in the USA by
using a traditional healing ceremony called Ndëp. This ceremony can
be defined as an ethno-psychiatric group treatment. We collaborated
with the Native Americans in this healing ritual through using song,
rhythm, trance and symbol.
During the ritual of the mysterious circle of Indians, 3 eagles flew
at low altitude counter-clockwise during the entire duration of the
ceremony. Moreover, it is also necessary to mention that the mysterious
circle of the Amerindians is conducted using 100 feathers taken from
100 different eagles.
Some say the White and Black Eagle have as their mission the
shedding of light in the universe. A pure and crystal clear light which
has the ability to lead people towards a more clement, generous,
tolerant and just world, full of love and peace. At the same time, the
symbol of the double-headed eagle on a sword represents justice and
the management of the universe. It is a very strong symbol of initiation
found in systems such as the lodge system; an initiation system that
exists outside of the customs of traditional African society and the Tado
civilizations..
57
LES CAURIS
58
LES CAURIS
C
owries, called OHO-KOUNKOUNDE in the POPO PLA
language (Benin), are the symbol of excellence and wealth.
This shell served as currency several centuries before Jesus
Christ. Its usage in art today has no limits. We find it in ornaments,
necklaces, hairstyles, clothes etc. Cowries are also the symbol of fertility
and the source of all secular and profane passions of the uninitiated..
At the initiatory and / or spiritual level, cowries become sacred or
contribute to the preparation of the sacred. For example:
• The eyes of the LEGBA are made of big cowries.
• The entrance of Gou Vodou is constucted by 8 x 2=16 cowries
arranged so as to symbolize the spirit DJANGLAN.
• Certain sacred or powerful objects (initiatory clothes, tails of
spiritual animals, talsmans, heads of animals), have a certain
number of cowries of which the design materializes a spirit or
expresses a purpose.
Eight arranged cowries with the opened side up, in 2 rows of 4,
symbolize the spirit DJOGBE-
MEDJI, the spirit in charge of the
path or the road.
When 8 cowries are all facing
with the closed side up, they evoke
the spirit YEKU-MEDJI, which
represents the link with the ancestors
and communion and communication
with the transcendence.
When the 4 top shells are with the
open face up and the 4 bottom ones
are with the closed face up, the spirit
LOSSO MEDJI is called upon. The
proverb of this spirit tells us that “the
carrier of the shells is a respectable
leader. They have objects made of
59
The world of symbols LES CAURIS
cowries: statutes, portraits, carved objects, etc.” (sticks, tails of animals)

DJOGBE-MEDJI glorifies the chief who wears or holds the cowries,
which symbolize triumph or glory. It is also the master of the opposite
powers and can according to its evolution take on a spiritual meaning.
Because of their aquatic origin, cowries are used in the birthing rites,
for rejuvenation and purification.
60
PLANETARY
TALISMAN
61
The world of symbols PLANETARY
TALISMAN
62
The world of symbols PLANETARY
TALISMAN
I
n African Civilization and in many practices of secret societies,
when it comes to planetary talismans or PENTACULAR seals,
they may possess several different signs or geometric figures.
However, it is important to know that there is a sacred language that
is used to transcribe these names and invocations into an appropriate
shape. This figure is usually a circle, a pentagram, a hexagram, and
sometimes a square. The geometric shapes symbolize philosophical
data.
• The circle is perfection, the radiant sunlight; it is also a
natural symbol of protection, closing. The initiated draws
one or several circles around him, retreating within them for
protection.
• The pentagram can present two forms: Pentagonal (5 angles)
or starred (10 angles). The symbolic geomoetry is always
based on 5 (five), which expresses the union of the unequal.
To that extent, it is a microcosm. The pentagram also signifies
marriage, happiness, fulfillment and acquisition of power.
• L’hexagramme est fait de 2 triangles équilatéraux superposés,
The hexagram is made of 2 inverted equilateral triangles.
One triangle pointing upward, and the other one pointing
downward in a way in which the set constitutes a star with 6
branches. It is also recognized as SALOMON’s seal for the
Hebrews. We find it in India, under the name of YANTRA:
the union of Civa and Shaki. It symbolizes the union of the
ego’s, personal and temporal, world with the non-ego’s,
timeless and non-personal, world. It is the union of the soul
with God.
• The square is an anti-dynamic figure. It symbolizes the finite
and motionless.
When it comes to the pentagram or the star with five branches, it
represents the man whose arms and legs spread out forming a natural
star. It is the number five, the number of the fingers of the hand, and
63
PLANETARY
TALISMAN
the instrument of natural calculation, √5, God’s signature. When it
comes to the hexagram, it is constructed by the fusion of two inverted
triangles, which symbolizes the interpenetration of what is at the top
with what is at the bottom. Another important element is the square,
and the global inscribed or engraved seals that contain a secret figure.
Besides, pentacles benefiting from a Celestial and Complex impulse,
can join the pentagram. The magic square or this common energy
square, which we study in the Tado traditions, calls upon God’s secret
names. This pentacle or these practices of initiates date back several
millennia BC; they play a fundamental role in the certain practices or
experiments that are extremely rich in symbols, methods of protection,
and communication with the transcendent.
These planetary talismans, whatever their shape (square, and others),
reveal the 7 planets that surround their seals. When one wants to talk
about these 7 planets, we have first Saturn, which has the magic square
with three (3) columns, Jupiter, whose magic square is four (4) columns,
Mars’s magic square has five (5) columns, the Sun, the magic square
of six (6) columns, with the magic number 111; Venus’s magic square
has seven (7) columns and whose basis is 175; Mercury’s square has
eight (8) columns. These 8 columns are based on 260, and the Moon’s
magic square of nine (9) columns is based on 9369. These squares and
figures are extremely rich and have powers that you cannot began to
understand unless you are initiated or in the initiatory process. The
different symbols provide extremely valuable tools that allow one the
ability to direct the world towards a more enlightened humanity. In this
Planetary Talisman that is usually worn around the neck, the symbols
are extremely rich, and in its middle there is a square with a spiritual
seal, which lies both in and out of the triangle.
There is also the planetary Talisman, which is worn as a pendant. We
will not dwell on this, because it is the purpose of the initiation to go in
to detail about the explanation of each symbol.
64
PENTACULAR RINGS
65
PENTACULAR RINGS
66
PENTACULAR RINGS
T he PENTACLE used to conjure up Lucifer. ADONAÏ, God’s

sacred name, embodies wealth and invocations from spirits and
from gods.here are several varieties of PENTACULAR RINGS.
The main objective is to understand the symbol that every pentacular
ring contains. One sometimes can see beyond these pentacular rings as
just being rings, and are embedded with symbols and are oriented in
particular directions. Every invocation and every symbol, is determined
by the number of concentric circles within the ring, 3, 5, 7 or 9, which
gives it its particular characteristic.
There are also pentacular rings specific to every convent. For
example, in the oval shape circle there is a snake biting its tail. In this
image, one can see the snake which bites its tail counter-clockwise and
another snake in the same symbol which bites its tail clockwise. De-
pending on the direction the snake bites its tail will represent different
energies, visions, and educational systems. They are contradictory just
as North and South. .
Sometimes the manufacturer of the pentacle takes into account the
zodiac sign of the beneficiary.
How does one make and use the zodiacal pentacles?
The choice of the metals, the manufacturing of the pentacle, as well
as the place on the body where the talisman has to go is inter-connected
by the astrological correspondences of the zodiac sign.
There are also talismanic rings, or amulets, that one wears on his/
her finger.
When the snake bites its tail in one direction or the other, what
creates the difference; is the sign inside that reads IMX-HAA (see the
image below), which allows initiates to receive particular.
When the image shows the snake biting its tail, the clock-wise
position where the bite is made has a meaning.
The bite can either be made in the clockwise or counter-clockwise
position at the 12 o’clock mark, or the 06:30 mark.
Each symbol has its meaning and its educational system. Likewise,
67
ANNEAUX
PENTACULAIRES
68
ANNEAUX
PENTACULAIRES
each pentacle has its energy, its interdicts, and a specific way it should
be worn.
69
SYMBOL TO EXORCISE EVIL
SPRITS
70
The world of symbols SYMBOL TO EXORCISE EVIL
SPRITS
T
here is also this kind of symbol where the thumb retains one
or two other fingers which allows the exorcism of evil. When
you are in a situation and you feel your head vibrating or some
kind of strange negative energy invading you; make that sign and you
will feel immediate sensations of well-being and energetic balance.
We live constantly with spirits of several different orders. There are

those who have a link with our lineage, our family, or our genealogy,
and then those that do not have these type of family ties but who are
next to us day and night. They are more present between midnight and
05:00 am.
Whatever the type,

there are always the
good, the less evil, and
the evil spirits whose
expression is always in an
energetic form. A spirit
is a force that produces
vibrations which generate
energy. The human spirit,
or human expression,
functions in the same
way. Consequently, when
two forces are present
there is always a result,
R! F1-R-F2 According to
the force, the result can be
positive or negative. The
positive result allows for
the harmony, welfare and transcendental development of the individual.
The negative will result in imbalance, anxiety and regression of the
transcendental subject.
71
LOBSTER SYMBOL OF
AMBIVALENCE
72
LOBSTER SYMBOL OF
AMBIVALENCE
T
he Lobster, is a crustacean that symbolizes ambivalence.
Here is a creature which is very fragile, yet has a great deal
of symbolic meaning. The Lobster has all of its digestive
tract and primary organs in its head. At the same time, it is an animal
that is sought after and eaten by many animals because it is an easy
prey. However, the lobster has been able to survive millions of years
because it has this ambivalent capability of being an easy prey, but also
transforming and protect itself. Therefore, the lobster is truly a school
for wise men. When we say, you have your bowels in your head; it is
not necessarily an insult, but rather a statement of well-being and a
representation of unique control of yourself and others. The Lobster has
been beneficial in the manufacturing of useful medicines for memory
loss, and improved brain function and intelligence. They are also used
to help make talismans that bring good luck.
As a symbol of opposition, conflict, and reflection, the Lobster

represents an achieved balance or a latent threat. It is ambivalence and
dual personality. The Lobster also symbolizes the dualism on which
rests any dialectic, any contradiction, any fight, any movement. It
is division and multiplication, but also synthesis. It is also the latent
antagonism that becomes obvious.
All the African symbolism rests on a fundamental dualism,

considered as the cosmic law for excellence. The Lobster in man can
be seen in life and death, the good and evil. Any matter has its positive
(diurnal) aspect and its negative (nocturnal) aspect, its left and right,
levorotatory and dextrorotatory.
73
THE BEE
74
THE BEE
T
he symbolism of the bee is based on its organization, its
diligence, its zeal, its knowledge and its mystery. The bee
gathers from flowers of different meadows, yet produces
only one type of honey regardless of the variety of flowers it used. The
spiritual life of some ethnic groups of the TADO civilization is inspired
by the caution of the bee and by its transcendental capacity, which
defies the “laws of nature” and Cartesian principles. Its way of being,
its methods of communication are spiritual. Just look at the wings of a
bees, notice their small size, their delicacy, their fragility. Now look at
the body of the bee, its size, its significance, its volume, its weight!
TClearly, by any physical, Cartesian, or mathematical consideration
the bee should not be able to fly!
And yet it flies, and flies well.
In the TADO civilization, the bee teaches (wo)man about the forming
of social organization.
Certain ethnic groups use it as a TOTEM.
According to history, the totemic bee was revealed to the founding
ancestor of this ethnic group by a vision during the observation of a
rites of passage. Since then, this insect has established a physical and
virtual relationship of «kinship» with the royal leadership, with the duty
and obligation to protect and serve the Kingdom. The bee plays many
important roles and intervenes in several sectors of society. It protects
guides, defends, and helps in the regulation of conflicts and acquisition
of power.
As a Totem it can be a caretaker or power holder belonging to an
individual. The Totem has no hereditary or genealogical character, and
doesn’t represents a particular faith, a morality or a primitive shape of a
religion. Its relation with the individual or the social group is based on
some interdicts, or taboos.
75
THE BEE
The Totem can be considered here as a symbol that connects one to

a community or an extra-human, transcendental power.
By way of reviewing initiation notes, we can establish one’s identity
through the relationship between the initiated and their totem.
The prestigious METO AHOUSSAN, first King of TADO to
AGBANNAKIN, had his hive and swarm of bee which he used for the
following purposes:
• To make legal decision
• To make decisions in times of war.
To serve justice, by adjudicating a thief or a criminal. The priest
guard of the cult of the bees tells the bees to destroy the guilty party
if repair is not made for the damage that he caused. He will say for
example: “If the thief of the ox does not restore the animal to his/her
owner in seven days, put - in nude «.
Effectively if the ox is not restored at the end of the deadline, the
thief is invaded by a swarm of bees, which imposes deadly stings on
the thief.
As for war, history teaches us that the kingdom of AGBANNAKIN
(TADO civilization) has never known defeat. The army of the KING
consists of, among others, a swarms of bees. These bees, when released
reek havoc on the enemy army until capitulation. In more recent history,
we know that KING BÉHANZIN, who is of TADO descent, had inflicted
a crushing defeat on the French army in the battle of ABEOKOUTA by
using bees. Regrettably his young brother, AGOLIAGBO betrayed him
by giving the secret to the French. Instead of letting the French army
decimate his warriors he surrendered and was deported, the rest of the
story goes without saying. Nevertheless, the bees played an impressive
and terrifying role in the war.
To return to the symbolism of the bee, it is symbolically represented
76
THE BEE
by lightning, its symbolic origin is the sun, and its honey represents
divine essence. The symbolism of the bee can be found almost anywhere
outside of the TADO civilization. A good example can be found in how
Catholics will not sing mass without having the wax candle present.
The Hebrew have established a relation between the bee and the verb
“to be”. It is the solar symbolism of order and wisdom. The bee is also
the symbol of the resurrection. During the 3 months of winter, no one
sees the bee. It disappears and does not leave its hive. After the death
of Christ, he was out of sight for THREE DAYS with his body in the
grave. However, after those three days Christ rose again. There may be
a resemblance!
By its honey and its sting, the bee is considered as an emblem of
Christ. On one hand, they represent sweetness and mercy; while on the
other hand, they represents a justice that purges all sins. The therapeutic
virtues of the honey are known. The wise men are inspired by the ritual
of the Bee, and use it for their spiritual elevation. Indeed the body of
the bee is the symbolic image of the spiritual Man. Its lower body,
which contains the sting, is made of flesh. This very fine intermediate
which maintains the equilibrium between both of these characteristics,
symbolizes the perfect balance between the body and the soul, the
physical and the subtle, between the earth and the sky, the visible and
the invisible.
77
The world of symbols THE CROCODILE
78
THE CROCODILE
I
n TADO mythology (from the Gulf of Benin) the crocodile is the
originator of the drum, the song, and transportation. It plays a
role in the rhythm and the harmony of the world.
Naturally the crocodile lives in the water and has a contradictory
relationship between water and earth. It reigns over rivers, lakes and
ponds, is the cadre of the Princes of AGBANAKIN and the royal fleet
of the TADO civilization. During the colonial wars against the French
armed forces, the warriors and Prince WLA of the TADO civilization
used crocodiles and hippopotamuses in their tactical retreat. In fact, this
royal fleet of AGBANAKIN transported them all until GANVIE, where
they built a village.
This village was built far from human sight. Even the French invaders
with their Binoculars, bought into the illusion and thought that they had
defeated the people and were now the masters and owners of the TADO
Civilization. This
illusion lasted
for only a short
time, because the
unpredictable
return of the WLA
warriors imposed
a bloody defeat
on the French
army close to the
end of the XIX th
century.
The lakeside
village of GANVIE is a known and appreciated and tourist destination.
This historical account is still told till this day by tour guides. In 2008,
Dr Erick V. In. GBODOSSOU organized a «Return to the sources»
conference of traditional leaders in Benin.
79
LE CROCODILE
Several Buses and boats were used to help transport hundreds of

important officials and spiritual advisors, of cult leaders and princes from
GANVIE back to the AGBANAKIN they left a century ago. January
9th, 2008 was the historical day of the encounter between princes of
the same blood. The festivities also served as the occasion to invite
the descendants of the princes from GLIDJI (Togo) and ABEOKOUTA
(Nigeria) that had to move far away for historical reasons
If it is true that these modern means of transportation allowed
everyone to converge towards AGBANAKIN, the wise men and
dignitaries reassure that the possibilities of using crocodiles and
hippopotamuses as transportation are still real, and immortal. King of
the earth and the waters, the crocodile continues to be used in funeral
rites. It is the symbol of darkness or death, and has an important
connection with the kingdom of the dead « Fê-Tomin « that facilitates
the sharing, communion and communication with the ancestors. The
initiated would say this incantation in order to enter into the intimacy
of this communion with the crocodile. «ADJAGBA KOLIKO (ritual
name of the crocodile) ABA NTO LE TOHTO HO HO SSAN (the mat
is by the river since) … … TOFOUTOU MY TRO-DO …. « (The non
transplant water lily). These incantations are used to call the crocodile
while sitting on a mat a the side of a river. The divinity, that embodies
the crocodile appears like a «big jaguar « which can evoke fear in an
enemy and cause theme to retreat. As such, it is often associated with
the symbolic values of water lilies. As the water lily, it is the symbol
of abundance. The powder of the dried water lily mixed with corn
seed, favors good harvest. The root of the water lily intervenes in the
treatment of female infertility.
The ritual Baths of protection and purification use among others, the
water lilies in waters where there are crocodiles. The crocodile is also
a guardian that stays alert and keeps an eye on the borders gates of the
kingdom of AGBANAKIN. It also lives in a temple called «TOBOSSI-
HOUE» for the protection of the Kingdom of AGBANAKIN. TOBOSSI-
80
LE CROCODILE
hoe temple of the crocodile is assisted by the «DEN’ SOU-HOE» which
is a temple of snakes. If necessary, the crocodile will be assisted by
the snake to protect the kingdom and to keep the enemy away. The
crocodile can also play the role of a « bodyguard» and to accompany
the small boats of the priests and the priestesses GUINVODOU who
use the waterway to go to the annual ceremonies of GLIDJI, which are
attended by the great masters in the sacred forest to look for the STONE
OF THE YEAR.
The color and the shape of this stone help to have exact information
on the various aspects of life and prediction for the next 12 months. In
the songs of the Guinvodoussi the crocodile is called the «beauty of the
waters» and the god of fertility.
The lifestyle of the crocodile confers a symbol of divinity; and a
sacred character.
• It has no tongue; as a matter of fact, the divine wisdom does
not need a tongue or words to show itself. Does it detain the
dry word? The original word?
• It is the only animal living in waters, that has a third
transparent eyelid that allows them to see underwater and
night vision gives them the ability to see in darkness. While
it watched it remains unnoticed, as God sees unnoticed.
Without being a God, it has this privilege.
• Crocodiles lay sixty (60) eggs and then wait 60 days for
them to hatch. They also live on average 60 years. It is
necessary to mention that the number 60 was fundamental
to the development of astronomy and was the basis of the
calculations of the original astronomers.
• In this song, the crocodile is described as a school of
ambivalence.
« ETE WOUE DJO BO LOSSOU-LE MAN NON NOU TO
HOMINSI… » Why does the crocodile which lives in the water not
drink the water? «Why does the crocodile have a more ancient life than
81
THE CROCODILE
the dragon? Its position as intermediary between earth and water makes
the crocodile a symbol of profound contradiction. It stirs in the mud,
and then in its place luxuriant vegetation grows. As such, it symbolizes
abundance and fertility. It also devours and destroys, and therefore
symbolizes wickedness and cruelty. Hence, it is the mystery of life and
death; the great initiator symbolic of occult knowledge.
There is also a crocodile of the sea is symbolic of wealth and
abundance. Some temples call it “HOUMIN-NOU AYAVEMIN”,
“The treasure of the sea spare me of poverty”. Certain initiated people
periodically dedicate some appropriate rites and rituals to it. Powerful
invocations are sent to:
« AHLO GADA-GUIDI-GADA VLOU-VLOU KAN HOUE KO
HASSA HASSA KAN HOUE KO etc.»
to seek its benevolent protection, and its assistance for abundance
and ease.
82
THE SNAKE
83
THE SNAKE
84
THE SNAKE
W
e have spoken about the DAN symbol, the star with eight
(8) branches of the Vodoo DAN «SNAKE» spirit. Now
we would like to speak about the symbolic meaning of the
snake in the TADO civilization.
The snake distinguishes itself from all the animal species. If the man
is the last creature, the snake a cold creature, without legs, without hairs,
without feathers, it must be present at the beginning of the process of
animal creation. According to the same thought, the man and Snake are
opposed, complementary and rivals; however, there is some snake in
every man.
The snake is a vertebrate which embodies the dark psyche, that is
rare, incomprehensible and a mystery to man. The snake is common
and simple, while at the same time it is terrifying and scandalous. In the
creation of human life, the snake played an essential role in the libido
and the forbidden fruit. The snake is a living abstraction in the flesh,
which has neither a beginning nor end. It is believed that it exists in the
infinite and material, the present and beyond.
The symbolism of the snake is connected to the idea of life. In
Arabic, the snake is « EL-HAYYAH; the life is «EL-HAYAT» and the
vivifying « EL-HAY « are the principles of life. Thus, it appears as
a brief embodiment of a big invisible master snake representing the
principle of vitality. He precedes religion and is the messenger of God.
In traditional beliefs of some ethnic groups, the snake is a messenger
of God that punishes certain behaviors, brings a fact, or a mission. The
Wolof in Senegal would say to somebody « its JAAN WACC-NA « «
Your snake came down» meaning» Your mission is achieved in front
of God». The snake encircles and embraces the world. When it bites
its tail, the circumference symbolizes the fundamental realities of the
cycle of life of divine creatures. It is sexual intercourse with itself, a
permanent auto-fertilization, shown in its tail being pushed in its mouth.
It is the perpetual transmutation of death in to life. It injects its poison
85
THE SNAKE
into its own body to embody a symbolic death from which life emerges.
It is the death, which comes out of life and the life, which comes out of
death. The snake which bites its tail, is reminiscent of the image of the
circle or the egg, in that it embodies the dynamics of infinite life. The
circle turns on itself while appearing motionless as the earth rotates on
its axis while it appears seemingly motionless. As the universal driving
force, it is not only a developer of life, but also creates and maintains
life in time and space. Everything comes to it and returns to it.
The snake is also found in the divinities of Fire, Air, Water and
Earth and benefits from the ceremonies and specific rituals carried out
by various followers or initiated people. Temples are built for it. The
Temple of the snake, DAN, is the divinity of the clouds and fertilizing
rains.
AHIDO-WEDO or snake RAINBOW is a big divinity of the TADO
civilization in the Gulf of Benin, which is also called DAN-BALLAH
by the Vodoo Haitian priests, meaning the spirit that presides over
the springs and rivers; the force responsible for the movement of the
water. The stone of lightning is dedicated to it. It is the huge snake, the
rainbow that connects the earth and the sky, the physical appearance in
the subtle, the visible with the invisible.
DE-N’SOU - DAN HLOSSOU-KPOH-DAN HOE etc. are some
names of temples built for the glorification of the uniqueness of the
snake. Two in one, that which is divided into two elements to allow
human order in this world of chaos, 4-1, to die in order to be reborn. It
becomes the sun, and then dies in the West at 6 pm to be born again in the
East at 6 am. Two in one, ambivalent and dialectical, it is the protector
of the twins « AZIN OF KA VI VE» «An egg with two children».
At the Yorubas-Gulf of Benin «DAN is OSHUMARE or the Rainbow
which connects the top and the bottom of the world and appears only
after the rain. It is the big original snake which is the Alpha and the
Omega of any appearance. The feces of the snake AYIDO-HOUEDO
contains very popular original pearl worn by the high dignitaries of
86
THE SNAKE
Vodoo. Some of these pearls are spat by the snake HOUEDO and can
be found in the sea or in the ground. As pearls of the sea, we can quote:
Mami-Dabé, PAN’ZI, HOUME-GBO, OMAN-KOUM, BE-HONZO,
ACAFOU. These pearls are used and worn by initiated priests of Vodoo
who have a link with the sea and the waters. According to the type of
pearl worn, we can know the level of initiation of the person wearing it.
We also find pearls in termites’ nests or in holes in the middle of
forests. The wearer of these pearls, called BEJE, help to communicate
with the spirits of the forest so that they may communicate with AGUE
GBETO- GBENON.
• There are sacred pearls such as HOUENION, ABLOH
• There are totemic pearls: AGBAMAN which symbolize the
power of the lion and the ingenuity of the bee.
• HOUGBO is the pearl of the big introduced hunter.
• ADJAN-GBAN, ELO, KAYELO, are pearls that symbolize
the crocodile. There are associated pearls, such as the pearl
PEGUE-SOU that is associated with the pearl GLO-BO the
bearer of supreme protection. The pearl EJIGNIN-GBAN
associated with XEGBO allows for the harnessing of an
ancestral power.
• By pearls, we can know the ethnic group of a dignitary, such
as the LANKPAN of the GUIN-VODOU for example. The
pearls of equity such as the FOULANE and the LOSSO are
worn to symbolize the equality between all people.
All these numerous and varied pearls come from vomit or feces of
snakes. These pearls worn originally by carriers of power have nothing
in common with “fake pearls», which are frequently being sold in
jewelry shops. The African does not confuse the artificial image with
its original and genuine image.
The original Pearls issued by snakes occurred during rites, rituals,
initiations and other activities during the lifetime of an individual. Such
as the rites and the rituals of birth, baptism, circumcision, marriage,
87
THE SNAKE
puberty, menopause, and funerals. They also play a role in the treatment
of infertility, the health of animals, preventive and curative medicine,
love, fortune, and sexuality. The search for these sacred pearls is the
work of the initiated. The symbolism of the snake in African thought is
so rich and ancient, that their sources are lost in the mists of time.
88
L’EAU
89
WATER
90
WATER
December 22, 1992, The United Nations General Assembly

adopted the resolution A/RES/47/193 which declared March 22
of every year World Water Day, starting in 1993. To establish and
promote a culture of water conservation, the General Secretary of
UN proposes to launch a “Blue Revolution”. If the current wasting
continues, people will suffer a water shortage by 2020 years. This is
why; the international decade of action, 2005/2015, carried the slogan
“Water for Life”. This slogan is perceived differently, whether one is
in North or in the South.
In the North, when one talks about water one sees activities, games,
sports, swimming pools, waterfalls. A child in the North cannot
imagine opening a water faucet and the water doesn’t come pouring
out. It is as if water is an inexhaustible source, which always must be
there to serve man’s needs and leisure activities.
In the South, on the other hand, water is life and everyone prays for
a good rainy season. The death rate caused by diarrhea and the lack
of safe drinking water remains alarming in our developing countries.
Only privileged citizens have safe drinking water in their premises;
but even for them, running water is not always guaranteed when they
open the faucet. In Africa, according to the many rituals, myths,
customs and religions, the significance of water can be reduced to
three dominant themes:
• Water is the source of life,
• Water is a means of purification, and
• Water is the center of regeneration.
• These three topics constitute the widest most coherent variety
of creative combinations.
Water’s undifferentiated masses, represent the infiniteness of
possibilities. They also represent in a virtual and abstract sense, the
semen of seeds. It symbolizes the promise of development, but also
the threat of resorption, destruction, or catastrophes. To immerse
oneself in water and to come out only dying a symbolic death; it is to
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L’EAU
turn back to the source to tap into its immense reservoir of potential
in order to draw new strength. It is a momentary phase of regression
and disintegration in order to condition a progressive phase of
rehabilitation and rejuvenation.
In Africa, one can find the symbolism of water in the tests for
initiatory rites of passage, such as baptisms and certain bath rituals. It
is a symbol that provides strength, fertility, protection and purification
in both the spiritual and physical body.
In Benin, the Peda ethnic group defines water as “Materia Prima”.
Meaning that water u
is the primal matter from which all life emerged . The original
waters did not have banks. The world was born from within the
waters. Likewise, God’s breath, God’s spirit, and the genesis of
creation, was birthed through water. As for the Aja ethnic group of
Benin, water is “Esi”. That means that which is indivisible. Water is
classified into two groups, up-stream waters that are characterized by
abstract possibilities and down-stream waters that correspond to the
formal possibilities. The dualities represented in certain rituals are
in the form of a double spiral, just as DNA, the agent of hereditary
features, is itself in the form of a spiral. Any life, any movement is of
spiral type.
Water, like all the symbols, can be considered to fall under two
categories that are rigorously opposite but by no means irreducible.
This ambivalence is found at all levels. Water is the source of life and
the source of death, the creator and destroyer. This is why, by prayers,
one evokes God to bring to his servants, blessed water. In Africa and
certainly elsewhere, hospitality requires that fresh water be offered to
the visitor. So that his feet may be washed in order to ensure peace for
his body. Yahweh himself is compared to a spring rain, and dew of the
night, which gives to the flowers, trees, and seeds their growth.
The thirsty Sahel awaits the manifestation of God with its dry earth
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L’EAU
and wishes to be able to be watered by his rains. God gives water to

the Earth, but there exists more mysterious water. This one concerns
the wisdom which preceded the formation of water. In the heart of
the wise, resides the pristine water. It is similar to a well, a source
that taps into the power of the waters stream. As for the ordinary Man
with no wisdom, his heart is comparable to a broken vase, which lets
knowledge escape. For certain beliefs, the waters of wisdom wash
the heart. Water, symbolizes blessings, it also becomes the symbol of
the spirit and the spiritual life. Jesus said to the women of Samaria:
“Whoever will drink water that I shall give him, will quench his/her
thirst forever”.
Water that I shall give him will become in him/her, a source of
water spouting out eternal life”. With the Father being the source, the
son being the river, it is said that we are drinking the Spirit. Water
has here, a sense of eternity, whoever drinks from this flowing water,
takes part in the Eternal Life. The flowing water is represented in the
form of a cosmogonic symbol; it purifies cures and rejuvenates.
The well holds stagnant water, but the man’s water is water in
motion; just as the well has depth and the river has mobility. Water
appears right from the start, as a perfect, fertile and simple substance,
that is completely transparent. It is, in and of itself, a purifying virtue,
and therefore is regarded as sacred. This is why it is so commonly
used in ritual or religious purification ceremonies. By this virtue, it
erases any violation and any stain.
In African traditions, when the layman undergoes his initiation,
he is subjected to the test of water. Beyond all the aspects referred to
above, this test of water allows the layman, to reach another state of
being a Born again Man. This rejection of the Old Man, or rather, this
moment of the death of ones history is comparable to a flood.
The flood symbolizes a disappearance or obliteration; one thing
vanishes and another emerges. The immersion is regenerating; it
operates as rebirth in the sense where it is at the same time, death and
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L’EAU
life. Water erases history, because, it restores the being in a new state.
It is not by coincidence that any place of pilgrimage has its water
point, its fountain. In Africa, all the old villages and temples, just as
the sacred forests, have a source of holy water. They have a sacred
well.
In Senegal, the original founding site of the town of Fatick is
related to the mysterious discovery of a well by the animals. There
was a shepherd who arrived at a precise place and spotted a bull who
always would leave its herd. The bull would leave and move towards
the bank of the sea where it would remain for a long time before
returning to join it’s herd. The shepherd, intrigued by the behavior of
the bull, decided one day to follow it to see why it leave the herd.
When it arrived at the bank of the sea, the shepherd noticed that the
animal plunged its head in a hole then, pushed back a stone to cover
it before leaving. When the shepherd moved the stone, he discovered
very soft and purifying water, a sacred source where a large black
snake resided. The first inhabitants settled around this sacred well and
began to construct city of Fatick, which is the regional capital of the
Sine people.
Another story that supports the existence of sacred wells in the
creation of old villages is the story of Niakhar. Not far from the town
of Fatick, the town of Niakhar shelters a well that has its counterpart
in Baol, an area located in the groundnut basin of Senegal. These two
wells, which are separated by several kilometers, are connected by a
mysterious flow of water and each housed a black snake. In Niakhar,
when the bucket, which is used to pull water, falls into the well, it can
be recovered in the well located at Baol.
Conversely, when an inhabitant loses an object in the well of Baol,
it can be found in Niakhar. The sacred notion of water is a daily
reality in Africa that is acknowledged b the wise during the time of
the celebration rituals. Rainwater and seawater symbolize duality,
the top and bottom. The first is pure, and the other is salted. That
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L’EAU
which symbolizes pure life is creative and purifying, while that which
symbolizes the bitter produces a curse. As for the healing virtues of
water, they are well known by all medical disciplines.
For reasons of mere individual or collective interests, following
the prevalence of an economy with overflowing profit, water becomes
a dump of multiple pollutions: pharmaceutical, nuclear, oil, marine
commercial, chemical, etc. Before the destroying man’s instinct,
Nature, in its tolerance, sometimes gives some warnings. The floods,
the tsunamis and other catastrophes, are early warning indicators that
nature gives to Man. An attentive observation helps to note that these
warnings save the animals and even the forests.
Unfortunately, up to now, Man remains deaf to these alarms,
by his overwhelming obsession with possessions. The rivers can
be beneficial currents that give shelter to monsters. Agitated water
represents evil and disorder. In 2010, one the third of the land in
Benin was flooded by water. The wise and great spiritual Masters
secretly met in their sacred forests and their temples, to make prayers
and sacrifices. Within 24 hours, the waters returned to its initial site.
It is obvious that this phenomenon, which occurred in Benin, goes
against any “scientific” logic. Nevertheless, it is appropriate, to seek
an answer to this strange question.
In Senegal, if we would have relied on the mayors of the flooded
suburbs of Dakar, cities like St Louis, Touba, what could these
officials do to remove all of this water? Let us pray for the suburbs,
the cities flooded by the rainy season in the Sahel where water is an
imperative need. May God the Almighty, give some harmony among
the populations that are victims of disaster, because water has entered
their souls. Within those who live, lies the source of the water needed
to live, die and be born again. Drink the water of the fountain.
95
FIRE
The Celestial Fire

represented by the
Sun
The
intermediate
Fire
symbolized by
lightning
The terrestrial Fire

called common
fire
96
FIRE
Fire is the first essential element deriving from the essential spirit N°1
of the PRIMAL spirit himself coming from the Divine breath.
The symbolic aspects of fire and its expression concern three
dimensions:
• The terrestrial Fire called common fire
• The intermediate Fire symbolized by lightning
• The Celestial Fire represented by the Sun
Other initiated people speak about the consideration of two other fires:
• The fire of penetration or absorption
• The fire of destruction
The Fire has a relationship with the South, the color red and the heart.
‘It, therefore, symbolizes passion (Love or Anger), of either instinctive
or=intuitive knowledge, the purifying and generating fire.
The catholic liturgy of the new fire is celebrated on the night of Easter.
The legend teaches us that the Christ re-verifies the body, by transforming
it as one would reform metal in a fiery hearth.
In the African traditions, therapeutic rites consist of making patients
walk in the fire for several meters without burning. During the crossing
every patient is engulfed by profound joy and liberation. It is in fact the
highlight of the ceremony. After the crossing, the therapist looks at the
sole of the foot of each individual. The presence of a blister allows the
therapist to diagnose the sick organ and treat it at once; it is the purifying
fire, the therapeutic fire that treats the aforementioned organ. Other
rites enable one’s internal fire to germinate, concurrently illuminating
knowledge and revealing one’s inner resources of supreme knowledge.
Sometimes, it is necessary to burn the unrefined exterior with the ritual
fire to gain access to one’s internal fire or state of being.
In the initiatory traditions, the vapor, which fire and water produces,
is restored as water once cooled. The terrestrial fire is expressed when
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FIRE
rainwater falls. The rain is of celestial origin with terrestrial fate, while
the fire is of terrestrial origin with celestial fate.
In several rites, we observe the purifying fire, the fire of communion,
communication and prayer. In our villages, the wise men gather the
children around the fire at night during a full moon. It is recommended
that every child bring a bird and a pocketknife. After stories and folktales
were told by the wise elder or the grandfather, the boys are to stand and
circle the fire four (4) times in the dextrorotary direction: clockwise. Then
the girls are to rise and circle the fire three (3) times in the levorotary
direction: that is counter-clockwise. After that, every child will have to
open the thorax of the bird, remove the heart still beating and put it in the
fire.
Any prayer expressed by the child is transported by the smoke coming
from the heart of the young bird towards the transcendence. A get-
together around the fire is scheduled for the next new moon to assess and
to receive responses to the prayer. Here, the fire also represents the deep
force allowing the union of genders moving in opposite directions the
sublimation of terrestrial substance (beating heart) to celestial substance
(spirit of the bird) and the consequential ascent of the prayer through the
release of terrestrial life force energy. So, this symbol takes shape in such
cremations.
The fire is also the motivation that leads to periodic regeneration, the
revitalization of the body and mind, as muscular strength evolves and
the mind becomes attuned to greater wisdom. Here, it is a question of
accepting the fire as a messenger, that transmits from the land of the
living to a celestial destination. The break of the impure towards the pure,
the imperfect towards the perfect, the world of the sinners towards Fê-
Tomin: World of the peace (Fê = Peace, Tomin=World). The symbolism
of fire marks the most important stage of the intellectualization of the
cosmos and transcends man’s animal condition more and more.
The fire represents the alive and moving God, the image of God,
represented as least imperfect. It is the original element N°1 deriving
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FIRE
from the Original Spirit coming from God’s breath.
As the sun, representing celestial fire, by its radiating beams serves
to fertilize, purify and illuminate, it presents also the negative aspect.
The fire can express ambivalence, in punishment and war; it darkens and
suppresses its flame, burning and devouring beneath the surface. .
The flame rising towards the sky represents the ascension towards
spirituality. The intellectual under his evolutionary shape is a servant
of the spirit. The fire burns and consumes, as a symbol of purification
and regeneration. The symbolism of the fire is fertile, ambivalent and is
vertically directed, either from earth (terrestrial) heavenward (celestial)
or from the heavens down, arriving on earth or in some intermediate
space. The fire leads us towards the celestial world and allows each
and everyone an opportunity to become a celestial being, evolving and
transcending beyond the constraints of time and of space!
99
CONCLUSION
From time immemorial, knowledge and teachings has been organized

into a hierarchy, and dispensed by leaders having varied missions. There is
knowledge that is acquired horizontally, from books, and which is taught to
the ordinary people. This antique, elementary knowledge is comparable to
what is taught in the 21st century’s universities. There is other knowledge
that can be considered intermediate knowledge, which i have taught in
the form of a series of initiations, granted the recipient having a particular
predisposition. Intermediate knowledge has been imparted in sacred or
secret places.
Finally, there is the supreme, vertical, transcendental knowledge, which
is detained by the old wise scholars. This supreme knowledge is acquired
through a divine, spiritual source, by also known as the school of nature. It
is also the object of acquisition in sacred temples where certain followers
get together into what are called secret societies. This knowledge is what
was responsible for some of the miracles that occurred before the birth
of Jesus Christ. They continues to remain a mystery because no one can
seem to integrate them into a contemporary logic.
The pyramids of Egypt are striking examples. We can quote from
the record of the antique temples, the caves conceived for religious and
spiritual practices. History confirms that the temple of King Solomon
was conceived, built and laid out according to knowledge and know-how
based on symbols, rites, and spiritual practices. This book speaks to the
consciousness of the great men in this world, whether they are political,
spiritual, religious guides, or have the material power to re-order the
priorities of our planet and the life surviving on it.
The author of this work, urges you to give the hope to the future
generations, to rethink the educational systems and to revise their contents.
The Cartesian system has really delayed the human development and
while it allows for space exploration and deep-sea diving, it cannot and does
not resolve the human situation. How is it that a Tsunami took hundreds
of human lives, but the animals, which are not connected to the Cartesian
system, all managed to escape the disaster. The symbolic knowledge
100
CONCLUSION
includes all forms of supreme knowledge and allows us to not only make
scuba diving possible but also to commune and to communicate with
the spirits of the sea and to facilitate in depth research in domains which
allow initiated people to tell their. The World of Symbols is just a taste
of the science of tomorrow, which will help to restore hope in human
civilization and help construct a viable and livable world.
101
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Chevalier Jean et Alain Gheerbnat, Dictionnaire des symboles,

Ed. 28-51, N° 375, St Etienne, France, 1976
• Gbodossou Erick, Le Concept Africain de Dieu à l’Homme,

Introduction à la Spiritualité Africaine, Ed. METRAF, 2004
• Gbodossou Erick, Virginia Floyd, Le Symbolisme du Sacrifice

dans la Communion et la Communication avec la Transcen-
dance, Ed. METRAF, 2004
• Gbodossou Erick, Alphabet de la Médecine Traditionnelle,

Tome I et Tome II, Ed. METRAF, Dakar, 1984/1985
• Gbodossou Erick, Une science dans l’Ombre : L’Art de guérir

en Afrique, documentaire, Télévision Suisse Romane, 1975
• Gbodossou Erick, Le Cycle de la Vie, Emission, Le Grand

Cercle, 3ATELESUD
102
Dr Erick V.A. GBODOSSOU, chercheur de
renom, est fondateur de l’Organisation - Promotion
des Médecines Traditionnelles (PROMETRA
International) et du Centre Expérimental des
Médecines Traditionnelles (CEMETRA) de Fatick
du Sénégal. Il est expert, consultant et personne
ressource auprès de plusieurs organisations et
institutions Internationales.
Initié Vodu, le Dr Gbodossou travaille depuis
plusieurs décennies à réhabiliter le Xoy (séance de voyance publique), le
Ndëpp (ethno psychiatrie de groupe) et plusieurs autres sciences méconnues,
méprisées qui peuvent contribuer au développement. Dans ce monde en
pleine mutation, ce monde à la croisée des chemins, le système cartésien a
montré ses limites. Si ce système permet de faire des plongés sous-marines,
des voyages dans l’espace, ses bases ne lui permettent pas de prédire une
pluie au-delà de 96 heures, ne lui permettent pas de mesurer l’intuition,
l’émotion, l’amour… Ce système qui est malheureusement le seul accepté
par le conventionnel ne connaît même pas la vie et l’énergie qui est vie.
L’une des préoccupations du Dr Gbodossou est de faire des recherches
pointues sur les moyens que nous avons qui permettent de communier et de
communiquer avec la transcendance. Ces moyens sont au nombre de trois :
la parole : puissance du verbe
Le rythme : la danse, puissance du mouvement
Le symbole : puissance de l’image.
Dans le présent ouvrage, l’auteur; Dr Gbodossou lève un coin du voile
sur le symbole et le symbolisme qui gère nos vies dans lesquelles nous
vivons mais aussi qui vivent en nous.
Puissent ces quelques lignes, permettre au lecteur de rêver le rêve qui
le conduirait dans le monde des symboles, et l’aider dans sa quête pour
retrouver les raisons de sa vie terrestre et appréhender avec confiance son
rôle horizontal qui lui ouvrirait la porte de la verticalité.

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Dr Erick GBODOSSOU

A sage, on the evening of his life, began to sing Unfortunate

My God, my God If I die and if I am reborn I want to be a tree in

My God, my God If I die and if I am reborn I want to be a pipe in

Erick Vidjin’Agnih GBODOSSOU

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We live in a world of symbols and a world of symbols lives in

These symbols are interpreted, embodied and expressed through

It is possible to expand this list to include the symbols of marketing,

Humanity cannot afford to continue to underestimate the importance

Whether one is an atheist, a believer, a polytheist, or a monotheist, somewhere

T his symbol, signifies the supremacy of God, creator of

Translation of the song :

If, before entering into a lost ship,

HEGBE-TOH, or man, is a living social, cosmic, and spiritual

The essence of HEGBE-TOH is linked to three attributes of

The interior of an apple cut horizontally;

Phalanx of fingers of a hand

The ring of life, unfortunately, is a concept that has become increasingly

This order of the figures of the major KPOLI 16 possess harmonious

sold, nor can it be bought. It is movement, it is vibration; it is

cowries: statutes, portraits, carved objects, etc.” (sticks, tails of animals)

T he PENTACLE used to conjure up Lucifer. ADONAÏ, God’s

We live constantly with spirits of several different orders. There are

Whatever the type,

As a symbol of opposition, conflict, and reflection, the Lobster

All the African symbolism rests on a fundamental dualism,

The Totem can be considered here as a symbol that connects one to

Several Buses and boats were used to help transport hundreds of

December 22, 1992, The United Nations General Assembly

and wishes to be able to be watered by his rains. God gives water to

The Celestial Fire

The terrestrial Fire

From time immemorial, knowledge and teachings has been organized

• Chevalier Jean et Alain Gheerbnat, Dictionnaire des symboles,

• Gbodossou Erick, Le Concept Africain de Dieu à l’Homme,

• Gbodossou Erick, Virginia Floyd, Le Symbolisme du Sacrifice

• Gbodossou Erick, Alphabet de la Médecine Traditionnelle,

• Gbodossou Erick, Une science dans l’Ombre : L’Art de guérir

• Gbodossou Erick, Le Cycle de la Vie, Emission, Le Grand

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