The Tripartite of the Divine Man
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From my book New Afrikan Vodún Vol 1: Rites of Spiritual Nationalism ©2005-2024
(It should be noted that my usage of the word "man" is in its original usage to refer to all of those who originally and later dwelled on earth.)
The image accompanying this write up is one of the simplest representations of the Vodún tripartite existence of the human’s spiritual makeup.
The square is the base nature of the finite human being. It is the desires, the wants, errors, and pseudo-reality of the human’s mundane existence. It encases the untrained and unspiritualized being at every step of life.
The triangle is the soul-mind of the human. It is likened to the yɛ (“shadow/mystical soul”) of the individual. It is the “midpoint” of human overstanding.
Because the human has furthered her/himself away from Mãwù, this triangle, or yɛ, can sometimes be misinformed by the square which can also be represented by the kpólí (container of one’s destiny) and its attachment to the ará or body. The yɛ should take its instructions from a Higher Source represented by the circle.
The circle is spirit. As far as I am concerned, I have always viewed the symbolic of the circle as representative of Danbalá Wɛdo. He/She (this deity is a composite of a masculine a d feminine deity) is not only the collective ancestry of all Afrikans, but He/She is the encompassing Spirit, the very soul of the New Afrikan nation.
The presence of the circle/Danbalá Wɛdo is in this case here to spiritualize the whole components of the body, mind-soul, and spirit. The tools of the great and ancient òrìṣà Ògún are used to chisel away at the roughness and jaggedc orners of the untutored soul. Some of the tools and their uses are explained below:
Anvil – symbolic of the Earth’s ability to shape the Human
Hammer– shapes or bends Man’s faculties
Machete– protection and clearing of paths
Rake– used to gather together roughness to discard from life
Hoe– cut the “weeds” (elinini – negating spirits) that can smother one’s potential
Shovel– used for “digging” into one’s potential self
Pick ax– for “piercing” the hardened areas of life
Using these spiritual tools makes the square a triangle and the triangle a circle. Esoterically speaking spirit resonates in spiral or vibratory motions. Spirit is light in weight. To spiritualize the other major components of the person is to exist at a high vibratory rate of transcendence. We are able, at moments, to transcend time and space just as the represented in the esoteric stories concerning òrìṣà Òṣóòsí and the Vodún hùn Agwé.
Once again one makes the square a triangle through hard work. Then the triangle must be made a circle. Then the circle must not be broken!
The roundness of the circle represents the absence of all fetters. It is nondiscriminatory. It does not bend or attempt to make sharp angles. In fact, it has no reason to make any sharp angles. It is even everywhere. It is a sign that the soul-mind is no longer subservient to the finitismal notions of the lower person.
Kplɔn ma blo blo do tadunɔ we. Blo blo ma kplɔn do ma jɛ ha we. (Fɔ̀ngbè)