Akwasidae

Akↄm is the twi word used to identify the spiritual lifestyle of the Akan people.  Akↄm is also the drumming, dancing, singing ritual that is performed on sacred days and special ceremonies. The essence of Akↄm is celebratory, musical, and mystical in nature…..the rhythmic sounds of the drums elicit transcendence to the African ways that establish familiar connections that are satisfying and complete.  

The Akan people maintain a 9 month calendar year within which sacred days occur on a 40-42 day cycle.  These Sacred days are opportunities for celebration of our spiritual connections with deities and ancestors.  Akↄm creates a sacred space that invites Onyame, ancestors and deities and provides an opening for communication between the community and the spirit realm.   

Although worship-type expressions of African spirituality are rare in Jamaica, strong ancestral elements of the Akↄm were retained by groups such as the African maroons who are descended primarily from the Akan people.  Akↄm as a form of African worship that celebrates our lineage, history and culture as black people, rooted in the cultural practices and the way of life of the Akan people of Ghana and other parts of West Africa. 

Sankofie’s primary Akↄm celebration is held on Kwasiadae (Sacred Sunday). It is normally open to the public from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.  We are happy to share with you here some of the sacred teachings brought to us by our deities and ancestors during our Akↄm.

!!!!!!!…AKOM…!!!!!!!

Springing into Life

We are in the third month of the Gregorian year 2026.   A year that has been shaped formed and positioned to bring us un-imagined changes at a pace that will keep our eyes popping and our mouths open.  This is the same month that hosts the spring equinox that marks the Taíno and Igbo New Year and places us two months away from the Yoruba New Year.  March is an intersection, a place of interconnections and balance.   The sleep of winter is awakened by the aliveness of spring, the light and the dark equalize and introspection greets vitality.  The time for purification, renewal, new beginnings, growth, initiative, courage is here. 

March comes in carrying invitations to creativity, divine expression, manifestation, growth. Even as we have experienced full moon in Leo, Lunar Eclipse in Virgo – March 3, International Women’s Day – March 8, Jupiter going direct – March 10, and look forward to the Equinox and Mercury going direct in Pisces – March 20, we recognize that March is, in our Caribbean space, a time of great importance. As the third month of the year it comes in as a critical crucial point from which we may now launch our lives.  

It is an exciting time to be alive.  To witness the birth of a new world order and figure out our place and space in it.  Join us as we individually and collectively triple check our pre-launch preparations, procedures and protocols.  Check the flight plan, fuel tank, passenger list and seating plan.  Check our spiritual maturity and strength and make sure we have grabbed the energies we need to secure success on this mission to a self-in-charge reality.  Let us gather in commUnity to talk, sing, dance, eat, drink and thank our ancestors and deities.  Gifts for the ancestral altar may include fruits, flowers, money, drinks, prayers, candles or any representation of your love, respect and gratitude. 

Sunday, March 15, 2026

********* 9:30 AM *********

SANKOFIE