Last month I attended the first ever Halo Festival at Wolves Lane Centre in Wood Green. Organised primarily by Kesheniwa Aghaji, the festival is a “celebration of African and Caribbean ancestors, and a remembrance of deceased loved ones” which offers “an immersive and sacramental experience where personal and community history is engaged by all the senses.”
I entered the space as somewhat of a spiritual novice. Though I was raised in a dual-faith household and have always prayed, my understanding of God always felt both broader and closer than the deities described in my mother’s Bible and my father’s Qu’ran. In December 2019, my paternal grandmother died. She was my last living grandparent and her passing triggered a spiritual awakening in me.
Since then, I have been researching the indigenous divine practice of my tribe, the Mende of Sierra Leone, adopting as much of it as possible – most notably the practice of ancestral veneration. Worshipping my ancestors and late grandparents has strengthened my faith and allowed me to achieve things I never thought was possible and so I was eager to go to Halo and learn more about African spirituality while connecting with a community of similar thinkers.