Rev. Henry Lyons Photo: St. Petersburg Times	"Everything is about Money and Power" -- Rev. Henry Lyons Tehuti Speaks on the Rev. Henry Lyons Affair By Grisso Most of us saw the sorry spectacle on the television news shows, March 16, in which the Rev. Henry Lyons tearfully resigned his position as head of the National Baptist Convention (NBC), the largest American African religious organization in the United States. The resignation was precipitated by his conviction on racketeering charges, specifically the theft of $4 million from several corporations that sought to do business with the NBC. He was also accused of misappropriating to his own use hundreds of thousands of dollars that had been donated to the NBC. His financial misdeeds came to light in July, 1997 when his wife set fire to an expensive home that Rev. Lyons owned with another woman. The ensuing scandal brought more to light than financial misdeeds, as it would appear that Rev. Lyons had a fondness for fine ... fine women, fine cars, fine jewelry, fine homes ... all of which landed him in a fine mess. The whole sorry saga evokes a mix of conflicting emotions. There is the sadness evoked by the spectacle of a life unraveling on nationwide television. But if the sense of personal tragedy causes one to feel sympathy for Rev. Lyons, there is also a sense that he brought it upon himself, he hurt many people, and he betrayed a sacred trust. But beyond the conflicting emotions, what lessons may we draw from this episode? And what words of wisdom does the traditional African spiritual tradition have to offer our brother in this ... what must be for him ... dark hour? Tehuti and Divination For answers to these kinds of questions, I turn to Tehuti, the ancient Kamitic (Egyptian) god of wisdom. Through a process known as divination, it is possible to establish communication with Tehuti, and to obtain answers to questions difficult to obtain through other means. I have posed the following questions to Tehuti, and the answers, which represent the card/s pulled, are as shown: Q. What are the most important lessons that Rev. Lyons came to this incarnation to learn and master?: N++10++ Q. Comment on Rev. Lyons' behavior in the matter which led to his criminal conviction: 4-N++ Q. What is the most important lesson that we, as a people, should draw from this episode?: 9++6H Q. What is the most important lesson that Rev. Lyons should draw?: 8-1+ Q. What is the state of Rev. Lyons' spiritual health at this time?: 8H Q. What are the most important healing principles to which he should adhere in attempting to improve his spiritual health at the present time?: 7+8H Q. What is the best advice that Mrs. Lyons needs to hear at this time?: 0--2H Q. Comment on the spiritual health of the NBC: 0+1- Q. What is the best advice that the NBC needs to hear?: 8H The numbers shown for the cards pulled represent the deity, or the energy, which governs the situation inquired about. The sign (plus, minus, or hetep) is the suit, which indicates how the energy in question is manifesting. In somewhat oversimplified terms, a positive suit indicates the energy in question is manifesting in positive aspect, and a negative suit the opposite. "Hetep" is a Kamitic word which means, literally, "peace." In this context, a card in hetep suit drawn as the first card means that the energy in question is the sole energy governing the situation, and no second card need be pulled. Otherwise, two cards are pulled to obtain Tehuti's answer to a question. The first card represents the main energy governing the situation, the second card represents the secondary energy that modifies or qualifies the first. There are 14 deities or energies represented in the deck, each in five suits, for 70 cards altogether. Thus, to answer any of our questions, Tehuti may choose from among approximately 4,000 possible answers. It would be nice if he could talk to us directly, but when coupled with the cosmological framework (regarding which, see African Cosmology for an introduction) that support them, the cards seem to provide a rich enough vocabulary to provide useful spiritual insight into whatever questions may be bothering us. The diviner's in-tuit-ion (a word which, by the way, appears related in its origins to the word "Tehuti") and logical intellect are needed to apply the results of the divination inquiry to the matter inquired about. It is not a mechanical process, and the diviner seeks actively to be receptive to divine guidance on the meaning of the cards pulled. From these questions and answers, I divine as follows: Rev. Lyons' Incarnation Objective The predominant energy (N++) governing Rev. Lyons' life purpose in his present incarnation is that governed by the deity Nekhebet. Nekhebet's energies are tied ultimately to the subtle electro-magnetic forces that are part and parcel of planet earth and life on it. These operate clearly at the physical level and correspond to the earth's magnetic field. But they operate on more subtle levels also, and lie at the base of the art that the Chinese call "Feng Shui" -- the art of designing living and working spaces so as to be in harmony with these forces. At another level, subliminal messages ride these same energies. These are the kinds of messages embedded in audio tapes or films that are not consciously heard or seen, and which therefore slip past the defenses of the conscious mind, but which register directly at the level of the unconscious, with powerful effects that may be observed and measured. This is a real phenomenon, and has been exploited to profitable effect by the cinema theatres, department stores and the like, to make one buy that which one had no intention of buying -- Coke and popcorn at the movie theatres, for example -- or to discourage theft in department stores. At yet another level, this kind of energy is that which is employed in the practice of common witchcraft (whether with good or evil intent) and which is associated with what are commonly called psychic phenomena. We thus see one of the key aspects of this energy, namely its ability to eclipse the will. One's vulnerability to psychic energies, whether due to subliminal messages, consciously projected witchcraft, or the subtle fluxes of energy that Feng Shui concerns itself with, is a function of one's own psychic vitality, and also of one's own "will power." In the Kamitic cosmology, the will is identified with the sun, and the strength of one's will is said to depend upon one's "solar vitality". Nekhebet's energies are said to be capable of causing a "solar eclipse" in one's person, making one vulnerable to the subliminal and other messages that ride Nekhebet's energies. And in the same way that a solar eclipse is a spectacular event that lasts but a short time, Nekhebet's energies are associated with sudden disruptive events, like accidents, foul play, etc. One's will power, or solar vitality -- which is what is required to withstand the negative effects of Nekhebet's energies -- depends a great deal on one's overall holistic health... eating right, sleeping right, getting enough exercise, drinking enough water, getting enough oxygen to the cell tissues, and getting enough sunshine. This is true for everyone, but it is especially the case for Rev. Lyons, for the second card that came up in his case signifies Geb (10++), the deity that governs precisely those issues that go to physical health. A secondary meaning of the Geb energies is resources, which includes money, capital, and finance in general, and also people and friends, to the extent that people and friends, too, are resources that may be called upon in times of need. A third meaning of the Geb card is one's environment... physical, social, and emotional. Putting these two cards together, it is remarkable how they match the major facts of Rev. Lyons' life that have become known. The subliminal and subtle forces of Nekhebet provide psychic protection, but equally may eclipse the will, bringing about the errors of judgement that create a cumulative burden of misdeeds. It then takes but one accident, or that final straw, that breaks the camel's back, and all comes crashing down. A whole life then unravels. In a person of high solar vitality (strong will) and high psychic vitality, the energies of Nekhebet are protective. One is able to pick up on subtle vibrations, sensing danger well ahead, and therefore being in a position to avoid it. But in addition to being in a position to avoid danger, one is often also, with Nekhebet's psychic's gift, in a position to capitalise on psychic foreknowledge. But like with so many gifts, it is a double-edged sword. When the solar vitality (will) is weak, receptivity to the subtle energies of Nekhebet can be one's undoing. The demons of lust, avarice, power, depression -- all of the deadly sins in fact -- also come riding in on Nekhebet's wings. One may be walking across a bridge where people jump to commit suicide, and those depressive vibes would be picked up by one having Nekhebet's psychic sensitivity. There might be an urge to jump. But it is one's will that brings one to one's senses, that allows one to shrug off the suicidal impulse that is tied energetically to the the people who thought those thoughts on that bridge before, and acted upon them. In the same way, if one is bombarded daily with the Western witchcraft that is tv advertising, subliminal and otherwise, it is easy, even for a minister of the church, to get caught up in the seductive but spiritually bankrupt messages of materialist excess and indulgence. One might even begin to confuse it with "prosperity," which is a very different thing, although easy to confuse with materialist plenty. It is an error that those who came to learn the lessons of Geb might easily make. And at more than one level. First, at the level purely of physical health, which Geb governs. Get physically out of shape, and one's solar vitality, therefore one's will suffers, and one falls prey to the demons that ride in on Nekhebet's wings. Or one gets consumed with money and power, which Geb also governs, and again one becomes vulnerable to Nekhebet's ability to eclipse the will. Rev. Lyons' Behavior When asked to comment on Rev. Lyons's behavior in the matter leading to his criminal conviction, Tehuti says that he violated the law of Maat (4-), with Nekhebet (N++) in play as the secondary energy. Maat, as most of us now know, is the energy that governs Divine Law, which subsumes concepts of Truth, Justice, Love, giving seeking nothing in return, generosity, etc. Maat is associated with the planet Jupiter, whose expansive energies are what have given us the word "jovial." In its negative aspect, the negatively expansive energies of Maat are associated with self-indulgence: too much of wine, women, song, and general lavishness of lifestyle. Under its influence, one can come into a large fortune, and just as easily lose it all. Another significator of Maat in its negative aspect is that which is clear and acknowledged by Rev. Lyons: "I hurt a lot of people," he is reported to have said. It is interesting also that the Nekhebet energy, previously discussed, which goes to Rev. Lyons' incarnation objective, is the second card in this reading, and is therefore implicated as the energy under the influence of which negative Maat is expressed. Lessons for us as a People But what are we, as a people, to learn from the episode? Tehuti gives a very interesting answer. The two energies to which he draws our attention are the energies of Auset (9++) and Heru (6H). In this context, Auset represents the common man, the masses of the people. Heru represents the king, the leader. Together, these cards are being used by Tehuti to remind us that most of us look to something or someone outside of ourselves to follow -- certainly the common man does -- and to advise us in that respect to look and to follow the true leader. But there are other levels of interpretation as well. In the Kamitic morality play that is used as metaphor to explain these energies and their interaction, Auset is the mother of Heru, whom she raises up to do battle with Set, the evil brother of her dead husband Ausar, whom Set had slain in order to usurp Ausar's throne. Auset searched and searched and found Ausar's body at the bottom of the Nile, and through a process of immaculate conception, conceived by Ausar the son Heru. Heru is then raised as the rightful heir of the throne of Ausar, and it is his divine task to eject Set from the throne and to reestablish the reign of justice and righteousness that his father Ausar had instituted. So the story told by these two cards, Auset and Heru, is at one level that of the masses (Auset) raising up from within their midst the leader (Heru) who would be their savior (re-establish a just and righteous order). But the story operates at other levels as well. The Kamitic morality play refers not only to the kingdom without, but even more importantly, the kingdom within. Each one of us is responsible for raising up the Heru within one's own soul that would establish oneself in righteousness, banishing Set (evil) and restoring Ausar (good) to rulership of the kingdom within. Therefore, implicit in the Heru part of the reading is Ausar. And when, as a people, we look to our leaders as role model, there is an implicit standard of reference by which our leaders are to be measured. The right of leaders to lead is limited. To the extent they are about restoring Ausar to the throne, their legitimacy as leaders may remain intact. But if it is that their behavior shows them to be in service not to Ausar, but to Set, the evil one, their right and fitness to lead is revoked. And such is the case with Rev. Lyons, which Tehuti reminds us. It is interesting in this context also to note the clear correspondence between the Kamitic morality play, and the Christian morality play. Jesus is Heru. Auset is Mother Mary. And, of course, Jesus is about His Father's business. Which is to restore the kingdom of God both within and without, to save individual souls and the world. Rev. Lyons also, as one of Christ's ministers, is supposed to be about his "Father's business." It is clear that in this instance he has failed. But the Kamitic morality play is instructive there as well. The play teaches that Heru does many battles with Set, sometimes winning, sometimes losing. Thus, a single defeat, or even many defeats, does not eliminate the possibility of ultimate victory, of final redemption. But what the Kamitic morality play also teaches is that Heru goes on to final victory over Set only when he lends an ear to Tehuti, the mouthpiece of Ausar, the oracular faculty of wisdom. Many leaders become arrogant in their power, keep only their own counsel, and moreover act as though their right to leadership derives only from themselves, rather than being linked to an external power, higher than themselves. Lesson for Rev. Lyons Personally What is the most important lesson that Rev. Lyons, personally, should draw from this episode. In answering this question, Tehuti invokes two deities: Sebek (8-) and Ausar (1+). We have in part anticipated this counsel. Sebek is the energy that governs cleverness, the logical intellect, communications, beliefs; Ausar, whom we have already encountered, represents the god-head, the omnipresence faculty of the creator, the spark of divinity within that guides our conscience, and which for most of us has been dethroned, lies submerged deep in the unconscious, and awaits resurrection through agency of the Heru (will) within. Sebek is known also as the guardian of the crossroads. For where right-thought and right-belief at the crossroads would lead one onto the right path, it is equally the case that wrong-thought and wrong-belief would lead one down the wrong path. It is why Sebek is also known as the trickster deity. In traditional African religious systems, the Yoruba, for example, where this faculty of spirit is known as Esu, much is made of the trickster deity, who is both feared and revered. No ritual proceeds without homage first being paid to Esu-Elegba, with a plea to "open the door," implicitly a plea to open the right door. For the Sebek/Elegba part of spirit is the master of rationalization, as well as the master of logic and intellect. It is not, however, the master of wisdom, which is the faculty or part of spirit that gives to Sebek/Elegba the premises on which it relies for logical argument, or logical rationalization, as the case may be. What Tehuti is telling us, therefore, is that the lesson for Rev. Lyons in this whole episode revolves principally around the lessons of Sebek: right-thought and right-belief are needed to restore the kingdom of God both within and without. And conversely, wrong-thought, and wrong beliefs (8-) will lead one astray, if if one sincerely wishes (1+) to establish the kingdom of God within. In this context, it has been reported in the media that Rev. Lyons once confided to an assistant: "everything is about money and power." -- a wrong belief that will stand in the way of his efforts to restore the kingdom of God within, and will not help any of his followers either. At the same time, the Geb part of the energetic configuration surrounding the lessons he is to learn in the present incarnation will lead him to assign primacy to money and power, even as the Nekhebet part of this energetic configuration would have brought him the kind of "success" in this respect that would have contributed to the illusion. Rev. Lyons' Spiritual Health What is the state of Rev. Lyons' spiritual health at this time? This time Tehuti says, Sebek hetep. Rev. Lyons, as a minister of the Gospel, has a Bible full of wisdom upon which to draw. But perhaps because one can use the Bible to rationalize almost any wrong belief, Rev. Lyons seems essentially to be the victim of Sebek and Esu in their trickster aspect. I remember listening to a sermon by Rev. Willie Wilson, Pastor of Union Temple Baptist Church in Washington, DC, in which he spoke about the power of "rational lies" to lead us astray in rationalizing false beliefs and improper behavior. This is the essence of what Sebek and Esu in their trickster aspects can do. They may whisper truth in one ear, while shouting rational-sounding lies in the other. See if you fall for it. See whether you invite temptation into your parlor, sit down with it, entertain it. Or... whether you say to it, "hello," but then, just as quickly, and firmly, "goodbye!" Rev. Lyons might do well to get a copy of that sermon of Rev. Wilson. It's on videotape somewhere. The most important healing principles What are the most important healing principles to which Rev. Lyons should adhere in attempting to improve his spiritual health at the present time? Tehuti says Het-Heru (7+), Sebek (8H). Het-Heru is the faculty of spirit -- the deity -- that governs joy and the imagination. Het-Heru means, literally, the house of Heru, for it is in the imagination that Heru, the will, is gestated, and it is in joy and ritual and the raw expression of the life force, which Het-Heru also governs, that may be found the engine that takes Heru where it wills. Spirit works very hard to make manifest that which is entertained or cultivated in the imagination. The way to redemption for Rev. Lyons would therefore seem to revolve first around the cultivation of joy and the imagination in visualizing where he wills now to go. But secondly, such visualization must be grounded on right belief (Sebek hetep), and daily affirmations in support of right belief. Mrs. Lyons How about Mrs. Lyons? What is the best advice that she needs to hear at this time? Tehuti says the two key energies that govern this situation are Amen and Tehuti. In a nutshell, he is saying that Mrs. Lyons should seek to maintain herself in unshakeable inner peace (Amen) and be guided by faith, optimism, and good counsel (Tehuti). She would be well advised to seek the comfort and consel of a trusted friend, relative, or advisor. The advice to establish and maintain herself in inner peace comes in double negative suit, which means that Mrs. Lyons will have great difficulty doing so. Her emotional conditionings will get in the way. But the counsel remains. Amen corresponds to the original, unconditioned state -- the "primordial mist" -- from which all of creation derives, and to which we are all on a journey of return. It is that unconditioned state that represents our true essence, that place deep within each of our souls that cannot be upset by externals, that may remain at peace, and may choose to ignore or transcend our conditioned reflexes and conditioned behavior patterns. No doubt she will be overwhelmed by feelings and emotions that arise from all manner of social conditionings: embarassment and shame for starters, also fear and insecurity. All of these are ultimately impostors, is Tehuti's counsel, for our true essence is unconditioned, and it is the identification with the conditioned reflexes and behavior patterns that is the fundamental cause of failures and evil in the world. National Baptist Convention What about the NBC? Asked to comment on the state of spiritual health of the organization from which Rev. Lyons has just stepped down, Tehuti says Amen (0+)/Ausar (1-). This is an interesting comment. It is saying that the way is opening for the organization to remain at peace, and not to be upset by the events that has shaken it (0+). This in turn depends on the renewal of its identification with the central reason for its existence, in which regard, however, there will be some difficulty that goes to issues of belief (1-), moreso than to issues of emotional conditionings. At another level, since the NBC is a religious organization, Tehuti is commenting also on the raison d'etre of the organization, which is about salvation, the restoration of the kingdom of God within and without ... internally so far as its individual members are concerned, and externally, so far as the wider society at large is concerned. At this level, there is a special relationship between Amen and Ausar: where Amen is the state of God's being before the beginning, also after the end, Ausar is the state of God's being in the phenomenal world, the thingly world of creation. And Amen represents the emotional nature of Ausar, which is a state of unshakeable inner peace, a state that cannot be upset by externals. What are the most important healing principles to which the NBC should adhere in attempting to improve its spiritual health at the present time? To this question, Tehuti says, simply, Sebek hetep. We have already discussed Sebek. The advice is simple: adhere to right thought and right belief, and beware of what Pastor Willie Wilson calls "rational lies." Grisso Grisso (Grisso) is a 48 year old African of the diaspora. He holds an engineering Ph.D to his credit, and is the author of a mathematical treatise on decision analysis under uncertainty. He considers himself a writer, and he is also trained in the traditional African art of divination. (Email: Grisso@TheAfrican.Com).