December 2022 Update Below
Déclaration de décembre 2022, la traduction en français se trouve ci-dessous
December 2022 Update Statement
Dear community and friends of Malidoma Patrice Somé,
I write to you on the anniversary of my husband Malidoma´s death, where I sit at his graveside in Dano, Burkina Faso, holding my husband, his work and his children in my heart, hoping for reunion with my family. As you know, Malidoma and I are deeply committed to one another, and we share the mission of bringing indigenous African spirit technology to the world.
It hurts me deeply that Theresa Sykes Brittany continues to hold court in my husband’s home in Orlando, Florida, in a continuing effort to deny us family union. My husband intended a great deal by marrying me. Malidoma and the children’s mother Ruta wanted connection with Africa for them and for his work. Our marriage was ordained and directed by the ancestors for this purpose. This is my family. I feel deep, deep sorrow for what has been usurped.
My husband, Malidoma, devoted himself to ritual and right relationship with the ancestors. It is with deep ancestral desecration that one would solicit business in the deceased´s name during his funeral. This is what Theresa did on January 14, 2022, the very moment the funeral procession in Burkina Faso began, in an email blast advertising new teaching in Malidoma’s name (payable to her organization AncestralEvents). Malidoma taught of the power of the funeral. Any professed practitioner and teacher of ancestralization would recognize the significance of this action. This is again what Theresa recently did in her newsletter of December 9, 2022, soliciting business in Malidoma´s name on the exact anniversary of his death. When Theresa wrote Malidoma´s obituary, she omitted my name, repeating her pattern of excluding me, Malidoma´s widow, from the family. She also implies in her recent newsletter that Malidoma´s children were handed an eviction notice. This is not true. Theresa Sykes Brittany herself was served an eviction notice, and it was signed for by another tenant.
There are financial interests involved. Theresa continues to exercise complete control over Malidoma´s estate, including the business, the website Malidoma.com, classes, and mailing lists. Marriage is a sacred act, and the law recognizes this by including the spouse as an heir, together with the children. Malidoma married me for very important reasons of legacy, family, and work to come. His actions displayed his intentions publicly. Denial of me is denial of Malidoma himself. I have been working through the US legal system to regain access to my family and receive an accounting of the business, but the probate process is slow and challenging.
My friends, please hear me during this annual time of gratitude and homecoming. I wish to continue Malidoma´s work and fulfill his legacy in the way he intended. Let us demand a reckoning and a cleansing. Let us move forward as Malidoma himself intended, with honor, purpose, and love in our hearts.
Madame Malidoma Patrice Somé (Annoubaternifa Fati Somé)
Dano, Burkina Faso
December 9, 2022
Déclaration de mise à jour de décembre 2022
Chère communauté et amis de Malidoma Patrice Somé,
Je vous écris à l’occasion de l’anniversaire de la mort de mon mari Malidoma. Assise sur sa tombe à Dano, au Burkina Faso, je porte mon mari, son travail et ses enfants dans mon cœur, en espérant des retrouvailles avec ma famille. Comme vous le savez, Malidoma et moi sommes profondément engagés l’un envers l’autre, et nous partageons la mission d’apporter la technologie de l’esprit africain indigène au monde.
Cela me blesse profondément que Theresa Sykes Brittany continue d’occuper une position dans la maison de mon mari à Orlando, en Floride, dans un effort continu pour nous refuser l’union familiale. Mon mari a eu une grande intention en m’épousant. Malidoma et la mère des enfants, Ruta, voulaient un lien avec l’Afrique pour eux et pour son travail. Notre mariage a été ordonné et dirigé par les ancêtres dans ce but. C’est ma famille. Je ressens un profond, profond chagrin pour ce qui a été usurpé.
Mon mari, Malidoma, s’est consacré au rituel et à la juste relation avec les ancêtres. C’est avec une profonde profanation ancestrale que l’on sollicite des affaires au nom du défunt pendant ses funérailles. C’est ce que Theresa a fait le 14 janvier 2022, au moment même où commençait le cortège funèbre au Burkina Faso, dans un courriel adressé à tous les étudiants du monde entier, annonçant un nouvel enseignement au nom de Malidoma (à l’ordre de son organisation Ancestral-Events). Malidoma a enseigné le pouvoir des funérailles. Tout praticien et enseignant professant l’ancestralisation reconnaîtrait la signification de cette action. C’est encore ce que Theresa a fait récemment dans son bulletin d’information du 9 décembre 2022, en sollicitant des affaires au nom de Malidoma le jour de l’anniversaire exact de sa mort. Lorsque Theresa a rédigé la nécrologie de Malidoma, elle a omis mon nom, répétant son habitude de m’exclure, moi, la veuve de Malidoma, de la liste de la famille. Elle laisse également entendre dans son récent bulletin d’information que les enfants de Malidoma ont reçu un avis d’expulsion. Ceci n’est pas vrai. Theresa Sykes Brittany a elle-même reçu un avis d’expulsion, qui a été signé par un autre locataire.
Des intérêts financiers sont en jeu. Theresa continue d’exercer un contrôle total sur les biens de Malidoma, y compris l’entreprise, le site Web Malidoma.com, les cours et les listes de diffusion. Le mariage est un acte sacré, et la loi le reconnaît en incluant le conjoint comme héritier, avec les enfants. Malidoma m’a épousée pour des raisons très importantes d’héritage, de famille et de travail à venir. Ses actions ont affiché publiquement ses intentions. Me renier, c’est renier Malidoma lui-même. J’ai travaillé à travers le système juridique américain pour retrouver l’accès à ma famille et recevoir une comptabilité de l’entreprise, mais le processus d’homologation est lent et difficile.
Mes amis, veuillez m’écouter en cette période annuelle de gratitude et de retour au pays. Je souhaite poursuivre l’œuvre de Malidoma et accomplir son héritage comme il l’entendait. Exigeons un compte rendu et une purification. Allons de l’avant comme Malidoma lui-même le souhaitait, avec honneur, objectif et amour dans nos cœurs.
Madame Malidoma Patrice Somé (Annoubaternifa Fati Somé)
Dano, Burkina Faso
Le 9 décembre 2022
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE LAND OF THE DAGARA OF BURKINA FASO
Malidoma’s spouse, Fati Malidoma Somé, carries Malidoma’s name as a portion of her full name. It is her true name and her medicine name.
In Burkina Faso she can be referred to as “Madame Malidoma”.
Fati Malidoma Somé is the one who will soon step forth to “make friends with the stranger-enemy.”
Malidoma chose her for a significant reason:
To carry on his legacy with the fire of the ancestors backing her and him, as he directs her from the Other Side.
Named Annoubaternifa Fati Malidoma Somé, she carries the meaning of “Malidoma” as her prime directive and takes it forward to teach the ways of indigenous heart connection.
Funeral Days of Malidoma Somé, January 2022
Malidoma’s stunning, immense funeral lasted 5 beautiful unending days. Technically the funeral began on January 13, 2022, at the moment Malidoma’s body left the soil of the United States and rose into the air via plane destined to return to his homeland. In Burkina Faso, his body was carried immediately to the home village, when the music and sea of tears began to flow.
The funeral lasted until Tuesday January 18, when the last pole of his funeral shrine was lifted from the ground. During that time the celebration of his life continued without ceasing. Musicians played, ritual washing and wailing continued, singers chanted of his life, stories were told of all his years and works and adventures, and thousands of people from near and far approached the shrine of his body.
During these days his widow, Fati Malidoma Somé, was accompanied always, guardian keepers at her side.
Throughout this time, by Dagara mandate absolutely no business could be solicited using the name of Malidoma Somé or the Somé family, by email / online or verbal offer of service or in person, as this was the time of the liminal. Any business requested by someone during these days invoking Malidoma’s name would violate the spiritual tradition. The work and shrines of such a person would eventually be devoured by the liminal space of the funeral, their business unsanctified. Fati and the Somé family thus conducted no business in the name of Malidoma Somé during this event.
Once the funeral days ended, the rituals commenced in earnest for Madame Malidoma. She went through many rituals, sometimes with elders and sometimes with many villagers. Her tears were washed from her face over and over. Her state of being was divined upon. Her head was shorn of her beautiful hair. She had to complete many tasks to be declared free to end the main portion of the funeral, an event that also buried a part of her heart.
After this period of time which lasted about two weeks, the time of Malidoma’s ancestralization began, an additional liminal period of a number of continual days and nights. That is the ritual process of seating Malidoma in the land of the ancestors as one who can now dispense aid and counsel.
After some days this was complete. The next phase began.
After the Funeral Days…
Shamanic Counsel and Divinations, looking to the future
After the funeral days were complete began the time of determining how Malidoma came to leave before his time, an event unforeseen. Consultations with elders and spirits, with other shamans near and far were done. Ritual corrections were done. More consultations were sought.
This process of gathering information and ritual is still ongoing. With each step comes an adjustment, or a task that needs doing.
The time is coming that Fati will take the helm of Malidoma’s great work. She will lead and direct and bring forth innovations that the ancestors see will be needed for this new world, a world again vastly different than when Malidoma began his medicine teaching path.
Fati Somé holds deeply in her heart Malidoma’s children by Malidoma’s marriage to his previous wife Ruta and will defend them always, as well as Ruta herself. Ruta’s presence in Fati’s and Malidoma’s home is unceasing. Along with Malidoma himself, they have a firm alliance of three, two beyond the veil and Fati strongly present in this world.
Malidoma is very active in counsel, working with Fati for what is to come. Any of Malidoma’s work to come will only be authorized by this ordained partnership through the voice of Fati Somé, under direction of Malidoma himself. Fati Malidoma Somé was directed by Malidoma himself before his death that she is not to remarry, that the marriage to Malidoma continues. Fati affirms that Malidoma remains her husband and their partnership endures into the future.
Malidoma saw in Fati the fire of the feminine, the character to lead legions, and the gift of discovering the correct spirit centered solution for the need at hand.
Fati is gifted with a vast otherworldly sense to search for and find the correct shaman needed in the vast land of Burkina Faso, like nobody else can. She spent over a decade in apprenticeship with shamans of West Africa.
He chose her for these powers and more, with conviction and knowing that she would carry on his great work, while hand in hand with him, even when he left to join with the ancestors.
“You will not remarry after I die, for you will remain my wife even still, and I will be your spirit husband…And if a child comes to you, even long after my death, you will name him Malidoma…”….Malidoma’s directions to Fati, before joining the Land of the Ancestors.
