Like the tubers that grow underground, much of Tamarind Galaxy is still unknown. But recently, the five paramount stars of the Yam Cluster became visible; Arrowroot, Cassava, Cocoyam, Sweet Potato and the eponymous one, collectively known as the ”Five Pilgrims.” Telescopes across the continent went crazy! Popping their lenses! Falling off their tripods! The scientists too. Sending in press releases, abstracts for conferences, proposals for grants, acceptance letters for seminars. Those scientists were hot! Hotter than Scotch Bonnet Rock on Planet Pepper
But it was glorious, it was great to see, said the astronomer from Ghana, coming to the end of the Q and A segment of a lecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He said they appeared like five happy pilgrims, come to pay reverence at Tamarind Shrine. There they were, amongst the hundreds of other stars within the cluster; prominent, like group leaders; sacred ushers leading the procession to the shrine. He stated that the appearance became talismanic for him; good and positive things began to happen; like someone had given him a portion of cassava leaves.
You see, traditionally in parts of Ghana, cassava leaves were repositories of positivity, the original good luck charm. For safety in the street and for career aspirations, the supplicant would carry a cassava leaf . But for the blessings of love, eternally, the aspirant would place the tuber leaf under his or her pillow.
Following talk of tuber amulet, he went into what would later be known as ”cassava consciousness,” or maybe it began with the plant as talisman and continued, like a stream. He took us from talisman to textile: from a cluster to a cloth. We went overtime, but we were ready to stay longer. He told of us Adinkra, the other great cloth of the Ashanti, traditionally worn for funerals. Each symbol – made from either calabash or cassava – has its meaning; such as Bese Saka, representing kola nuts, signifying togetherness and prosperity. Or Aya, depicting a fern, symbolising endurance. Then he brought it back to the Yam Cluster, with Mpuannum; five tufts of hair generating a hairstyle; as five stars stand paramount in a group of them. Concluding, he took us full circle, with Osram Ne Nsoromma, motif of moon and star, symbolising commonality and harmony.
For the rest of the evening, days after that and now and again, I find myself chanting Osram Ne Nsoromma, like a mantra of hope.
