Malidoma Patrice Some Quotes & Sayings

Whether they are raised in indigenous or modern culture, there are two things that people crave: the full realization of their innate gifts, and to have these gifts approved, acknowledged, and confirmed. There are countless people in the West whose efforts are sadly wasted because they have no means of expressing their unique genius. In the psyches of such people there is an inner power and authority that fails to shine because the world around them is blind to it. — Malidoma Patrice Some

Healing comes when the individual remembers his or her identity - the purpose chosen in the world of ancestral wisdom - and reconnects with that world of Spirit. — Malidoma Patrice Some

Nakedness is very common in the tribe. It is not a shameful thing; it is an expression of one's relationship with the spirit of nature. To be naked is to be open-hearted. Normally kids stay naked until puberty and even beyond. It was only with the introduction of cheap cloth from the West, through Goodwill and other Christian organisations, that nakedness began to be associated with shame. — Malidoma Patrice Some

Grandfather used to call the rain 'the erotic ritual between heaven and Earth.' The rain represented the seeds sown in the Earth's womb by heaven, her roaring husband, to further life. Rainy encounters between heaven and Earth were sexual love on a cosmic scale. All of nature became involved. Clouds, heaven's body, were titillated by the storm. In turn, heaven caressed the Earth with heavy winds, which rushed toward their erotic climax, the tornado. The grasses that pop out of the Earth's warm center shortly after the rain are called the numberless children of Earth who will serve humankind's need for nourishment. The rainy season is the season of life. Yes, it had rained the night before. — Malidoma Patrice Some

The power of nature exists in its silence. Human words cannot encode the meaning because human language has access only to the shadow of meaning. — Malidoma Patrice Some

It is the right of the grandfather to tell the grandson later what was said while in the womb. It is the right of the grandfather to give the name that will serve as a life program to its bearer. Grandfather — Malidoma Patrice Some

One can say, 'Teach me what you know,'
but the better request is,
'Teach me about what teaches you.' — Malidoma Patrice Some

Wealth (among the Dagara) is determined not by how many things you have, but by how many people you have around you. — Malidoma Patrice Some

As long as we are not ourselves, we will try to be what other people are. — Malidoma Patrice Some

The spiritual thirst that is latent in everybody can never come to a place of fulfillment unless people begin to think of each other as potential brothers and sisters. — Malidoma Patrice Some

Among the Dagara, darkness is sacred. It is forbidden to illuminate it, for light scares the Spirit away ... . The one exception to this rule is the bonfire. — Malidoma Patrice Some

Our souls do not like stagnation. Our souls aspire toward growth, that is, toward remembering all that we have forgotten due to our trip to this place, the earth. — Malidoma Patrice Some

... for there are times when disobedience heals a very ailing part of the self. It relieves the human spirit's distress at being forced into narrow boundaries. For the nearly powerless, defying authority is often the only power available. — Malidoma Patrice Some

Peace is Letting Go
Returning to the Silence that cannot enter the realm of words because it is too pure to be contained in words. This is why the tree, the stone, the river, and the mountain are quiet. — Malidoma Patrice Some