How to Find the Wisdom of Nature in Adinkra Symbols

Welcome to this new blog post series on the wisdom of nature found the Adinkra symbols.

Adinkra

Adinkra symbols are appearing more frequently in popular culture, and since I have always been fascinated by both their simplicity and complexity, I want to delve into what makes them unique. The symbol above is called Adinkrahene, it is the cornerstone of all the Adinkra.

What is Adinkra?

In fact, many of the Adinkra symbols are drawn from the wisdom of nature, and guide one to live in harmony with the natural world. These symbols are part of the framework of a highly developed and sophisticated culture.

In the West this wisdom has been hiding in plain sight. It was transported to the West in the blood, bones, and ancestral memory of a people forcibly transported from the Akan regions of West Africa. I recall this wisdom in the stories of Anansi, the spiderman, a character who was both a trickster and a sage who embodied traits necessary for survival.

Bono Kingdom

There was once a kingdom in West Africa known as the Bono Akan kingdom. It was located in the area of what is now Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The Bono are the largest group of Akan. It was the chief of this Kingdom, Nana Kojo Adinkra, who invented the Adinkra symbols.

The earliest dated cloth with Adinkra symbols is from 1817. The next kingdom which evolved out of the Bono Kingdom was the Denkyira Kingdom. The Ashante kingdom became the dominant rulers after freeing themselves from the Denkyira rule. Hence, the Adrinkra legacy comes down through the Akan Kingdom, four hundred years later to the Ashante from the Bono Akan kingdom.

Adinkra has a continuous legacy on the continent of Africa. There has been a resurgence of its usage by descendents in diaspora. Adinkra have featured in Hollywood blockbuster movies such as Black Panther, Avengers.

In its natal homeland Akinkra symbols adorn and guide like a beacon, for those who seek. The beauty of the Akan derived symbols may adorn clothes worn, or the door you go through. The energy of the geometry and wisdom of the proverb is a guide for right living.

These symbols are a guide to living in harmony with each other and nature. All cultures have a book of rules, and it is up to the members to embrace or reject those rules.

For me, the journey is one of recognition, the more I look into myself, the more I understand we are all connected. Eco-therapy and Horticultural therapy are my preferred tools in conjunction with contemplation and meditation. Looking into these symbols is an extension of the unity of Nature

The symbols have practical and spiritual significance for us all. As Terence, African Roman playwright ( 159 BC) said:

“Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto. 

I am human, I consider nothing human alien to me.

— Terence (Publius Terentius Afer), Heauton Timorumenos, Act 1, scene 1, line 77

And so it is with Adrinka. My journey began as an young anthropology student with a keen interest in the way signs and symbols communicated ideas. The semiotics of Roland Barthes (1915-1980), (Public Library), layered on Marshal McLuhan’s (1911-1980), (Public Library): ” The medium is the message.” was clarion call to look deeper into various anthropological theories expounding on the way societies use signs and symbols.

If you have the passion for something, the way to go is to go deep, peel away its layers. Examine it from every angle, then re-examine again it until it reveals it connects with you.

So simple and so profound, Adinkra symbols carry energy and essence. The wisdom of connection with our space and nature is captured in Adrinka through aphorisms and proverbs. The symbols are often from the archetypes in nature.

Adinkrahene

I will start the series with Adinkrahene. It is the symbol of greatness, charisma and leadership. As I have already mentioned, the concentric circles of the Adinkrahene is the origin symbol.

It is has to be more than coincidence that concentric circles feature in many indigenous cultures, like the Pachamama symbol of Peru, as a symbol of nature, the universe and unity. The circle is the source, of all the adinkra symbols, and represents leadership. The middle circle represents the sun, and like a droplet in a pool of water the concentric circles flow outward. This embodies the Concentric Circle Theory

Leadership

There are many ways to lead, therefore Adinkrahene, “Adinkra King” or “King of the Adinkras” connotes variety leadership qualities within each of us. We are all leaders because this leadership comes from the Source of all things. We lead with our bodies, hearts, and emotions. Our breath is like the ebb and flow of the tides, we draw in, then let go, always in contact leaving the circle unbroken.

Acts of leadership may not necessarily generate money, or only be inherited by certain bloodlines. Just as we are all called to serve, we are all called to lead. It may not be every day, but the potential is with us every minute of the day.

The qualities of leadership are in the geometry: balance, equality enhance and benefit the whole as it moves to through the borders of the next concentric circle. Like the sun at the centre, leadership has far reaching consequences.

For the spiritual seeker, embracing Adinkra, is much like delving into Kabbalah or the Tao. One has the choice of brushing the surface or immersing oneself deep in metaphysical acrobatics. The proverbs reflect a guide for balance within the self, and at the same time acts as a cohesive force for members of the community.

Supersymmetry and the Nature of Reality

Scientists such as Ron Eglash discuss how the symbols incorporate elements of geometric transformations.

“The symbols involving Life always use the arc of a logarithmic spiral as they have generalized that spiral as a geometric abstraction of the essence of biological growth. “

Ron Eglash

This realm of science and adinkra is fascinating. I don’t calm to understand all the hard science, but theoretical physicist, James Gates and his colleagues incorporates them into their Supersymmetry, Supergravity, and Superstring theory. It involves the nature of reality and the idea that the universe is a simulation. I have researched the experiences of those who were clinically dead for some time and were subsequently revived, and the findings in Supersymmetry science seems to tie in with their experiences.

Adinkra speaks to the divine within each of us. It allows us to focus on our connection to the collective.

As above and so below

When I look at the Adinkrahene I see the interconnectedness of all living things. I noticed it is in our eyes. It also embodies the Herematic Principle of Correspondence. Everything moves out from the centre and eventually returns to the centre. How we view the world is how we react to it.

Final Thoughts

Delving into the Adinkra symbols is a process where the journey is just as important as the destination. Their history, and specifically the foundational symbol Adinkrahene is key to understanding their relevance in today’s world.

By sharing the well researched spiritual, philosophical and scientific concepts held within the symbols, as well as my interpretation of them, it is hoped that these symbols can be considered a call to action for each of us.

The message within the Adinkra are still relevant in our modern world. Diving into them like a free diver allows us to experience increased understanding. By contemplating an Adinkra symbol, (its angles, art, design), in conjunction with the proverb, you find that which you seek.

Research and Further Reading

The African Worldview and Spirituality – Mark D. Kelland

Adinkra cloth – Khan Academy

The Spread of Adrinkra – Google Arts and Culture