Love. Patience. Abundance. Lafalaise grew up with fear from African spirituality. Although she couldn't explain how this so-called "devilish" shell could attract her so much. Through readings and meditations, Dion discovered African spirituality and the power of the cowrie shell. The history of her people is inseparable from that cowrie.. Ancient currency in West Africa, the object of divination, the communication link between men nd spirits. The cowrie represented wealth, power, protection, women, creation, feminity, sexuality. It's curved back reminiscent of the belly of a pregnant woman. The symbol of fertility. The slit that separates the two parts represent duality. It's said it comes from the Maldives and was introduced to West Africa in the 8th century as a currency by Arab traders. Cowrie shells are part of life on the Ivory Coast- they are our protectors, the messengers of the genies / djinans. This is why we use them to give strength to our masks, our dancers. For our mystical rituals to communicate with our ancestors as well as our Gods. "Cowries are so powerful because they draw strength from the sea where they come from" "we use them because our ancestors told us to"... cowries speak. They communicate with pure hearts. "They tell us our history, but also predict the future."
My battle
For centuries, our story was told to us for us.
Our gods, religions, traditions, rituals have been demonized. Our fetishes taken away. Instead, we were told how and who to pray! How to dress, what to eat. Our existence has been dictated for too many centuries. Today, knowledge is within reach, we must seize it. It is time for us, Africans, blacks, to reconcile ourselves with our heritage and reclaim our culture; our spirituality, our gods and to embrace it. We must write our story for ourselves. This is why I write mine, that of my people through my creations. They are an invitation to discover my story. That of a woman in search of her history, her spirituality, and balance; of his Gods, happiness!
I call for a reappropriation of our culture.
-Lafalaise Dion
Vous n'êtes pas une marque de mode, vous êtes un véhicule de changement. Renforcé par l'histoire du cauri. Nous sommes là pour vous assister dans votre mission.
