What Afa Teaches Us About Fasting: Ululu Ete vs Ete Ululu
One of the most beautiful things about Afa is that it often teaches through relationships between symbols and energetic principles rather than through direct explanations.
A single shift in position or state can completely change the lesson.
A perfect example of this can be seen in the relationship between Ululu Ete and Ete Ululu.
At first glance, these may appear to be simple combinations of patterns. But hidden within them is an enlightening teaching about the relationship between the flesh, spirit, suffering, growth, and fasting.
Understanding the States & Symbols
Let's begin with the two foundational ideas.
Ete
Ete is associated with:
A bridge over time and space
A mystical rope
Vibration
Sudden movement or events
Symbolically, Ete represents movement, transcendence, connection, and the ability to move beyond one's current state.
It is the principle that allows transition.
The bridge.
The pathway.
Ululu
Ululu is associated with:
The flesh body
Gravity
Being hooked or anchored
Physical embodiment
Symbolically, Ululu represents the material world or reality.
It is what grounds us.
What weighs us down.
What anchors us to physical existence.
Without Ululu, we could not function in this world.
But when Ululu dominates completely, it can also prevent movement.
When the Flesh Comes First: Ululu Ete
In Afa, Ululu Ete is associated with:
Setbacks
Challenges
Pain
Tears (Anya Mmiri)
This is deeply symbolic.
Notice the order:
Ululu first. Ete second.
The flesh is leading.
The bridge is following.
The anchor is controlling the movement.
The weight comes before the transcendence.
The body comes before the spirit.
The immediate desire comes before the higher vision.
When this happens, life becomes heavier.
The person becomes trapped by:
cravings
impulses
comfort-seeking
fear
attachment
short-term thinking
The bridge still exists, but it is being dragged by the weight of the flesh.
This creates resistance.
And resistance will manifest as setbacks, pain, delays, and frustration.
In this sense, Ululu Ete is teaching us that when the flesh governs everything, growth will most certainly become difficult.
When the Bridge Comes First: Ete Ululu
Now look at the reverse arrangement.
Ete Ululu.
In Afa, this is associated with ideas such as:
Fasting (Ibu Onu)
Womanhood (Nwaanyi Obuna)
Again, the order matters.
Now the bridge comes first.
Movement comes first.
Transcendence comes first.
The higher principle leads.
The flesh follows.
And what emerges?
Fasting.
Why Is Fasting Hidden Inside Ete Ululu?
Because fasting is fundamentally the act of changing the relationship between spirit and flesh.
For a brief period, the flesh is no longer in command.
The constant demands of the body are reduced.
The appetite is not allowed to dictate every decision.
The person becomes less anchored to immediate gratification.
The bridge takes the lead.
The vibration rises.
The connection strengthens.
The flesh remains present, but it is no longer controlling the journey.
This is why fasting appears in spiritual traditions all over the world.
It is one of the most effective ways to reverse spiritual hardship or setbacks i.e. Ululu Ete into Ete Ululu.
The Principle of Gravity
The primary Afa state of Ululu is also associated with gravity.
This is an incredibly powerful metaphor.
Gravity is necessary.
Without gravity, nothing would remain grounded.
But too much gravity prevents flight.
Too much attachment prevents growth.
Too much identification with the flesh prevents transcendence.
The purpose of fasting is not to destroy the flesh.
The purpose is to temporarily loosen gravity's grip.
To remind ourselves that we are more than our immediate appetites.
To create enough space for higher perception.
Why Womanhood Appears Here
One of the more intriguing associations is the connection between Ete Ululu and Nwaanyi Obuna (any female human being).
At a symbolic level, this points toward a principle of receptivity, gestation, and creation.
Women naturally embody processes of carrying, nurturing, and birthing life.
Fasting functions similarly on a spiritual level.
It creates space for something new to be conceived within consciousness.
It empties in order to receive.
It withdraws in order to create.
It becomes still in order to hear.
The symbolism is immense.
The Hidden Formula for Growth
Taken together, these signs reveal a simple formula:
When the flesh leads (Ululu Ete), setbacks often follow.
When higher purpose leads and the flesh follows (Ete Ululu), transformation becomes possible.
This implies that the body is sacred.
However, Afa teaches that the body functions best when it serves the higher self rather than dominates it.
The Real Meaning of Fasting
Many people think fasting is simply the act of not eating.
Afa suggests something deeper.
Fasting is the deliberate reordering of priorities.
It is the act of placing Ete before Ululu.
The bridge before the anchor.
The higher vision before immediate desire.
The spirit before the flesh.
And whenever that happens, new possibilities emerge.
To Sum It Up
The wisdom hidden within Ululu Ete and Ete Ululu is about order.
It is about what should lead and what should follow.
It is not really about food.
Afa teaches that when the flesh becomes the master, life often becomes heavier, slower, and more painful.
But when the higher principle leads, and the flesh takes its proper place, constructive movement becomes possible.
The bridge opens.
The vibration changes.
The path becomes clearer.
Perhaps this is why fasting has always been one of humanity's most powerful spiritual disciplines.
Because for a moment, it allows us to reverse the equation.
To move from Ululu Ete to Ete Ululu.
From being ruled by the decay of the flesh...
To walking across the divine bridge of freedom into a new life.
