EXPLAINING AGWU “THE ENERGY OF CREATIVITY” & AGWU POSSESSION IN IGBO SPIRITUALITY

What does " Agwu Ima Mmadu" Mean?

Our ancestors referred to Agwu as the energy of creativity, an energy that influences an individual's cognitive abilities, an energy that makes an individual stand out from his or her peers, an energy that inspires an individual and transmits cosmic knowledge from the universal mind to an individual it is cosmically tethered to.

Sometimes, Agwu is referred to as a mmuo kpasa, but Agwu itself is not an energy of confusion, rather it exists in duality, and its second counterpart is known as "Uru/ Ulo Agwu". This aspect of Agwu encourages an individual's vices as a way to deter an individual from reaching their Agwu's full potential, therefore, when Agwu in the Igbo sense is striving to positively influence an Individual, Ulo Agwu is dedicated to preventing it, by channeling an individual away from positive virtues that would strengthen his or her Agwu.

"Agwu ima mmadu" loosely means being affiliated or tethered cosmically to this force, and through this affiliation, an individual would be able to achieve greatness or serve the universe or the community. To avoid any confusion, note that every individual has an Agwu because Agwu translates to Akonauche/Knowledge but some individuals are more tethered to a specific Agwu more than others, hence, these individuals have been destined to stand out and be greater than their peers.

There are different types of Agwu, ranging from Agwu Ahia( for business men & women) to Agwu Dibia ( here we have Dibia Afa or Mkporogwu) and Agwu Nka n'Uzu (here we have technocrats, creators, artists, scientists etc).

Our ancestors used the ritual of " Iru Agwu" to consecrate this Agwu energy and create an interface for communion and acknowledgment of this Agwu energy, they also represent Ndi-Ulo Agwu and acknowledge them using the left hand because they are considered as "Ihe lulu alu"- "Vices".