The Asantahene still plays an important role in Ghana today, symbolically linking the past with current Ghanaian politics. Akan believe in a supreme god who takes on various names depending upon the particular region of worship. Akan mythology claims that at one time the god freely interacted with man, but that after being continually struck by the pestle of an old woman pounding fufu, he retreated far up into the sky. There are no priests that serve him directly, and people believe that they may make direct contact with him. These include ocean and riverine spirits and various local deities.
Priests serve individual spirits and act as mediaries between the gods and mankind.
Nearly everyone participates in daily prayer, which includes the pouring of libations as an offering to both the ancestors who are buried in the land and to the spirits who are everywhere. The earth is seen as a female deity and is directly connected to fertility and fecundity.