BARGAINING WITH THE SPIRITS: RITUAL AS A TOOL OF NEGOTIATION

Defined by formality, repetitiveness and rigidity, rituals in the indigenous religions of Africa are not exempt from these notions. Yet, the oral nature of Africa’s indigenous religions suggests otherwise. Not only are the times and contexts different in each ritual situation, but they are also imbued with nuanced transformations. In Ghana, rituals have undergone significant changes, and fieldwork on any indigenous religio-cultural phenomenon reveals this reality, as illustrated in this study. Although James L. Cox, and other scholars, have engaged the discussion on transformations and innovations in African rituals, they have not paid close attention to how practitioners manage these processes. Thus, this study aims to demonstrate how indigenous practitioners address the definitional scholarly issues of ritual formality, repetitiveness and rigidity, as well as the reality of contemporary social change in ritual performance. This phenomenological study explains how diverse indigenous practitioners in Ghana have relied on ritual itself as a means of bargaining with spirits for transformations and relief during life crises. The study argues that the oral nature of indigenous religions presents practitioners with diverse opportunities, which necessitate special considerations when dealing with ritual innovations and/or transformations in Africa. The study contributes to the understanding of rituals, as well as the innovation and transformation in Africa’s indigenous religions.