In Igbo Cosmology, We Have Visible Realm And Invisible Realm. The Invisible World Is Spirit World – Ani Mmuo
Spirits are grouped into four categories:
Chukwu – The Creator
Mmuo – deities
Arusi – spirit forces
Ndi mmuo – the living dead.
Generally, the world of human experience is seen as one fluid coherent unit in which spirits, men, animals, plants and elements are engaged in continuous interaction.
Many people ( my mama tell me say I be Igbo); confused Amadioha and Anyanwu to be Chukwu. They referred to the sun as: Anyanwu Eze Chukwu Okike. But it is God that created both Thunderbolt, lightning, stars, sun and moon. All these deities are children’s and messengers through whom God rules natural phenomena.
God created nature gods: Anyanwu (sun), Igwe(sky), Amadioha (thunder) etc. He gave the world new crops. He made day and night and arranged them into the four-day Igbo week ( Nkwo, Eke, Orie and Afor).
Space, motion, time and order were introduced and controlled by Chukwu. His personal Igbo name: Olisebuluwa( Lord carrier of the world) suggest that God continues to sustain the universe after creation.
Chukwu created other spirits but his own spirit was never created. He created the spirits of each individual person the moment his body is being formed in his mother’s womb.
Chukwu created with the assistance of two spirits: chi and Okike, who are but manifestations of himself. The moment he created a human spirit he gives a chi.
Chi determines and dispenses a person’s destiny and protects and guards him much like a guardian angel.
Okike gives a person his form, character and qualities. Chi and Okike leave the human body after death and return to Chukwu, while the body returns to Aja’ani – Earth deity (mother earth).