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🔥 Before the Blessing Comes the Fire

Greetings Reader,

One thing I’ve learned on every spiritual journey — is this:

When you say yes to your spiritual path, life will test you.

So many spiritual seekers are surprised when challenges show up.
They think something must be wrong…
They think they’ve taken a wrong turn…
They think the ancestors have abandoned them.

But here’s the truth we often forget, Reader:

Everyone is tested. We must expect this and embrace it.

When you begin to rise, everything that is not aligned with your rising gets exposed.
​Old patterns. Old fears. Old relationships.
​Even old versions of yourself.

And while the tests are hard, they are necessary — because they strengthen the very parts of you that your next chapter will require.

Just like iron sharpens iron, spirit sharpens spirit.

I’ve been tested many times on my journey —
The legacy of Malidoma Somé, one of the great spiritual teachers of our time, is a great example of how tests show up in our lives.

🔥 Malidoma Somé: A Reminder That Even the Great Ones Are Tested

I was blessed to meet Malidoma several times in Oakland, and his presence left a lasting impression on me.

For so many exploring African spirituality, Malidoma — a gifted shaman and diviner — became their introduction to ancestral wisdom through his book Of Water and the Spirit.

His passing moved me deeply.

In fact, I included a short tribute to him in the second edition of my book Meditations Across the King’s River, honoring the legacy he left behind.

Malidoma was a prophet.

But as powerful as his teachings were, many forget Malidoma faced constant challenges.

🔥 The Trials That Shaped a Prophet

Malidoma was born in Burkina Faso.
As a young child, he was kidnapped by Jesuit priests, taken from his family, forbidden to speak his language, and indoctrinated into Christianity.

Years later, when he escaped and returned home, he faced new struggles.

Some in his tribe believed he was no longer one of them.
Some doubted whether he should be initiated.
Some questioned whether he truly belonged.

And yet —
​he walked into his initiation anyway.
​A grueling, painful, transformative process that reconnected him to his destiny.

Later, when he brought the teachings of the Dagara to the United States, the tests continued.

People projected their expectations onto him.
People wanted answers to every problem.
People treated him as if he should never be tired, never be human.

And here’s the funny part — some people actually got mad when they saw him eating Kentucky Fried Chicken.

During our interview in his office, he said something I’ll never forget:

“Being popular is a trap! No matter what you do, you can’t please people. I’m human. Give me a break."

He was often tired.
He taught globally.
And he left this world young.

His life teaches us a truth many forget:

Even the greatest spiritual teachers are tested.
No one is exempt.

🔥 And You Will Be Tested Too

So, if you’re being tested right now, don’t panic, Reader.
Keep going.
Don’t doubt the blessing that is trying to find you.

Instead, ask yourself:

What is this moment trying to teach me?
What part of me is being asked to grow?
Who am I becoming through this challenge?

Remember…

Every ancestor who ever walked the earth was tested.
Every healer, every priestess, every warrior was forged through resistance.
And so will you.

Stand firm, Reader.

You’re not failing — you’re evolving.
And evolution always comes with fire.

Trust your journey — even when it doesn’t make sense yet.
Trust that the ancestors are guiding you toward something greater.

Beautiful things are waiting for you.
Blessings are waiting for you.
Breakthroughs are waiting for you.

🔥 Walk your path with courage.
🔥 Expect the tests — and rise anyway.
🔥 Your next level is already on its way to you.

With strength,
​James Weeks

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P.P.S. And if you feel called to go deeper, visit Across the King's River, you can book a spiritual reading, learn about our retreat to Nigeria, or explore our non-profit initiatives.