Trusting Your Ori

In my September Post Understanding Your Ori I spoke about the conflict that can emerge between our physical Ori and our Spiritual Ori. This conflict emerges because of our physical nature and the characteristics and forces of the marketplace (L’oja). I recently received an email that touched me emotionally because I could feel the sense of painful desperation that the writer was experiencing. It is one of those emails that provide a teaching and learning moment for all of us. The initial correspondence stated:

A Babalawo was helping returning my love by my birthday that is in 2 days. We have done many rituals. Dirt from his house and scattered at four Corners of mine, a black and white beaded necklace that I broke into nine sections and scattered in 3 days. I wear a green necklace. Water under My bed, white ribbons tied to my bed Posts. Nothing is happening.  Can you help me? (I’ve edited only spelling and grammar.)

When I first read the email I wasn’t sure exactly what the writer was trying to express. In fact the expression helping returning my love conjured up images from Day Two of my Journey to the Root when a young boy named Yemi stepped in front of our car and was killed. As I described in my journal there was a point during the day when Yemi’s father demanded that we drive his family and their dead son’s body to their Church so that the Preacher could raise Yemi from the dead. What exactly did the writer mean? It also concerned me that there was a specific timeline for Orisa to act. I responded:

Ifokanbale! Peace of Mind from Olodumare!

Unfortunately you did not tell me exactly what you and your Babalawo are trying to do (returning my love) and I am unable to address your concerns. I pray that Olodumare, your Ori, and your Orisa will guide you to your chosen Destiny!

Alafia ati Imo! Peace and Knowledge!

While commenting on the lack of clarity about the purpose for the ceremony I wanted to avoid making any statement that might cause the writer to experience any further doubt in either the ceremony or her Babalawo. That is why I provided a link to the On Becoming A Babalawo section of the Ile Awo Orisa web site. Note also the ending prayer does not mention the Babalawo, because the Babalawo is not the Carrier of the person’s Destiny.

The writer’s next correspondence stated simply:

Can you not do this?

Here is my reply:

Ifokanbale!

I can sense your strong desire for this to happen but this is not something that I would be involved in under these circumstances. If I were trying to assist you we would first want to know if this is something that you want OR if this is something that your Ori has ordained for you. [Orimi Apere! My Ori, Carrier of my Destiny!]. As your birthday has now arrived and passed I pray you heart can hear the wisdom and guidance of your Ori. Your Ori will not allow something to happen that is not On Path for you. If you force a matter that goes against your Ori you create cracks and attract negative consequences.

Alafia ati Imo! Peace and Knowledge!

There is a great lesson here to help us understand the nature of Ifa. There is much that we do not know about the writer and her love but it seems reasonable to conclude that at least one of them made the choice to end the relationship. If that is what their Ori has guided them to do, and if you ask Orisa to make them come back to you, what you are doing is asking Orisa to put their physical Ori into conflict with their Spiritual Ori. Can you see that no good could come to you from doing such a thing? To not only summon Orisa to do this for you, but also to put a specific timeline on their actions may reflect a lack of spiritual development. To love someone enough to let him or her go is the highest form of love. If the person that you love cannot achieve their Destiny in their relationship with you why would you selfishly hold them back from their Destiny, the primary reason that they chose to come into the world?

In my opinion the most important thing for the Babalawo to determine is whether the writer’s Ori sanctions the relationship. In other words, perhaps the ebos, rituals, and ceremonies should be performed to bring true love into the writer’s life rather than to return someone against their will. When we ask the Orisa and Imoles to assist us in fulfilling some ambition or goal we must remember that every change in anything changes everything. In order to answer your prayer the entire Universe has to be reconfigured to accommodate a new reality that includes the answer to your prayers. This takes time! Sometimes Orisa will call for a devotee to do an ebo. I tell the devotee to call me when they have completed the ebo so that I can consult to see if the Orisa accepted the ebo. On occasions Orisa will say immediate that the ebo has been accepted. On other occasions Orisa will say wait and consult again in three days or seven days. I always take this to mean that something remains to be done to reconfigure the Universe before the agreement between the devotee and the Orisa is sealed.

The Orisa are not like rich grandparents whose sole purpose in life is to spoil us by fulfilling our every desire. Orimi Apere! My Ori, Carrier of my Destiny! Your Ori is the Carrier of Your Destiny and is determined to guide you to those choices that will lead you to fulfill the purpose for which you chose to come into the world. The Orisa cannot affect change in your life if your Ori does not permit it. The Babalawo cannot affect change in your life if your Ori does not permit it. You cannot affect positive change in your life if you do not listen to and trust your Spiritual Ori.

Orimi Apesin! My Ori, the Most Precious!

Ise Olorun Tobi! God’s Work is Great and Mighty!

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

Witnessing the Power of Your Prayers

Igba Olodumare Nigba! It is the time of Olodumare that is time!

In my Posts for August and October I talked about prayer, Adura: The Power and Benefits of Adura – Prayer, and Things We Pray For (See Blog Archive at bottom of page). I hope these messages help each of you on your personal journey. Aye L’oja, Orun N’ile! The world is the marketplace; the Spirit World is Home! Our journey in the marketplace can be difficult and sometimes, painfully so. If you are a regular reader of my Blog then like me you are a person who believes in a Higher Sentient Being and a Spiritual Reality. Maybe you are a devotee of Ifa, or maybe you are still searching for your Path. I traveled a number of paths as I unwittingly found my way to Ifa. Nothing has been left behind! The knowledge and experiences gained during each stage of my journey have helped to make me the person I am today. As I think back over my journey I can see how the pieces fit together like a quilt or well-designed structure. But as each of the stitches and pieces, the stones and mortar were being put into place the outcome was still unknown to me. When we buy a puzzle at the store you get a picture on the box so that you know what the finished product will look like. The Aye L’oja is not like that! Ooh-no-o-o! That would make this journey thing too easy. Instead, we have to put the pieces together without a pattern or blueprint. Something about the nature of this journey compels us to reach out. We know that we are not personally in total control of our reality, yet something haunts us with the idea that we can influence even what seems beyond our control. As believers we share a sense of a metaphysical, spiritual connection to something that has the power to influence the course of our lives and assist us in creating a beautiful structure even without a pattern or blueprint.

Being able to Witness the Power of Your Prayers is an essential condition for the structure of the Aye L’oja. If Olodumare, Orisa, and Imoles did not answer our prayers, and if Egun did not intercede in our behalf the fabric of the marketplace and the Ase that binds it to the Orun (the Spirit World) would disintegrate. Prayer, ritual, and ceremony are very powerful means of influencing your reality. Of course there are those who say hogwash! But for the devotees who have witnessed the power of their prayers, time and time again, there is no doubt in their mind or heart, and coincidence fails as an explanation. They also know that it is not important to convince others, it is only important that they bear witness to their own truth. Sometimes the timing between the things we pray for and their realization is so close as to make their connection obvious. These occasions fortify you with faith, the strength of faith that can carry you through those occasions when the timing between your prayers and the manifestation of that which you prayed for extends out over a longer period of time. Do you consider that some of the things that you pray for may take time both because of the conditions of the world and because of your own readiness to cope with that reality of that which you have so passionately prayed for? Remember, your Ori is working to protect and guide you at all times!

My own Journey to the Root is not complete! Over the past ten years since I traveled to Ile-Ife much has happened that I’ve not yet shared on the Ile Awo Orisa web site. I consulted with Orisa today to see if the way was open for me to begin that process with you today. The answer was an Absolute Yes! My Posts are based on what I have been taught, what I have read, what I have divined, and what I have experienced that has emboldened me On the Path of Ifa. I am a witness to the Power of Prayer. Ten years ago, as I tell in my Journey to the Root, I knelt in the Sacred Temple of Ifa and made a prayer. It was a prayer of appreciation, devotion, and commitment to make a difference in some way. I did not know it at the time, but that was one of those prayers that would take time and grow in consequence far into my future. I’ll be sharing some of the details of My Journey: 2001 – 2011 on the Ile Awo Orisa web site and on this Blog in the coming months and (I pray) years. I hope you will be checking in. Here is a taste of what we will be sharing!

The History of Ifa dates back to the Beginning of Creation and of this world, Aye L’oja. There have been three cities called Ile-Ife, the present day city being the Third Ile-Ife. The first Ile-Ile was IFE OODAYE (IFE THE GENESIS OF CREATION). The first Council of EMESE was formed in IFE OODAYE when Oduduwa was the first OONI and the Orisa were the first EMESE Council Members. The EMESE Council has remained in place throughout the three cities called Ile-Ife and they are still the Repository, Guardians, Caretakers, and Final Authority on the Ifa Corpus and the Ifa Traditions of Orisa and Ancestor Worship. Each member of the EMESE can trace their lineage all the way back to the members of the original EMESE Council in IFE OODAYE, back to the Orisa. The EMESE have ALWAYS remained in seclusion and are very rarely seen by the public or even devotees. They have authorized the ISORO Traditional Council of Chiefs (also based on lineage to the beginning) to serve as their public face. The EMESE Council is the living Source of the Oral Traditions and Ifa Corpus dating back to the beginning of time.

Upon my return from Ile-Ife I set up the Ile Awo Orisa web site and devoted it to the essence of my prayer made in the Sacred Temple. Little did I know that ten years later; not just ten years later but ten years later to the very day, I would be blessed to become the first every Oluranse Emese. NEVER before in the History of Ifa has anyone been designated with such a title and responsibility. NEVER before has the EMESE come out from behind the veil to speak directly to the world. To say that I am in awe of this answer to my humble prayer would be a complete understatement. Look for more about the EMESE, the ISORO Traditional Council of Chiefs, and the IFA Tradition on the web site. It is now my responsibility to bring The Source to you. Prayer works! I am a witness! Do not give up on prayers that take a long time to manifest, and do not think that you know exactly what they will bring forth.

About My Title OLURANSE EMESE

Oluranse of the Source – "The Voice, Vision, and Authority of Ways and Practices of our Tradition and Culture as well as being the Source of Sacrosanct and Factual dissemination of Information on the Knowledge and Wisdom of Orisas to the New World".

Ise Olorun Tobi! God’s Work is Great and Mighty!

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

Things We Pray For

Homage To The One Who Sends 

and to those who are sent! 

Homage to Orisa and Egun!

The Ifa Corpus would not be as extensive as it is if life was easy. Life is like a minefield full of hidden dangers – death, sickness, tragedy, loss, obstacles, unforeseen evils, and feelings of being overwhelmed. We strive to escape these life experiences knowing that they are present in this world at all times. Or, we can make life choices that invite these experiences into our lives or call to them prematurely. (Aye L’oja, Orun N’ile! The world is the marketplace, the Spirit World is Home!) When we acknowledge our Egun we celebrate the fact that they have escaped these trials with these words.

Ko si Iku - Death is no more
Ko si Arun - Sickness is no more
Ko si Eyo - Tragedy is no more
Ko si Ofo - Loss is no more
Ko si Idina - Obstacles are no more
Ko si Akoba - Unforeseen evils are no more
Ko si Fitibo – Being overwhelmed is no more

When we pray for ourselves and make our daily choices in life these are also the very things that we are striving to avoid. When you chose to come into the world you prepared yourself by choosing your Ori, your Orisa, and consulting with your Egun. The last thing your Egun said to you before you began your journey was “most of what we have told you, you may forget when you take on human form again. Pray so that you can remember.” Setting aside time to pray during the early morning and before you retire is a good practice. But the practice of prayer (Adura) is more than that. Adura is a state of mind that manifests when you recognize that you are not in the world alone; that there are unseen (and sometimes seen) forces that are engaged in this experience right along with you.

Here are some of the Things We Pray For when reaching out (and in) to Olodumare, Ori, Orisa, and Egun.

Jowo fi-fun mi ni (wa) Abo yin!
Please bestow upon me (us) your Protection!

We recognize that L’oja is a potentially dangerous place inhabited by negative forces, some of which are determined at see you fail. Reaching out for spiritual protection should be your first line of defense.

Jowo fi-fun mi ni (wa) Iranlowo yin!
Please bestow upon me (us) your Assistance!

Only foolish and false pride would make one think that they can navigate the L’oja on their own. It is more than an act of humility to reach out for assistance. It is an act of wisdom. The multiple layers of reality intersect with such dynamic consequences that it is wise to seek assistance from sources that have more power than you.

Jowo fi-fun mi ni (wa) Itona yin!
Please bestow upon me (us) your Guidance!

Life is like a maze filled with twists and turns that can take you so far off your Path that you can lose your way for years before you remember why you chose to come. Keeping your Ori open for guidance in each moment of your consciousness enables you to better navigate life’s obstacles, pitfalls, traps, temptations, and dead-ends. 

Jowo fi-fun mi ni (wa) Imoye yin!
Please bestow upon me (us) your Wisdom!

Your challenge in life is to choose! That’s it! Choose! Choose who and how you will be in the L’oja! Choose how you will live this life. In each moment choose the next sentence in your story, the next step in your personal journey. Pray that you might remember and choose with wisdom.

Jowo fi-fun mi ni (wa) Ase yin!
Please bestow upon me (us) your Spiritual Power!

You chose your Orisa as intimate sources of spiritual power to travel with you on your journey into the world. You can choose to live your life mindful of the presence of Orisa in each and every moment of your consciousness. They are always there, connected to you. They are always ready to use their powers in your service at the request of your Ori.

Jowo fi-fun mi ni (wa) Opo Ire yin!
Please bestow upon me (us) your Abundant Blessings!

Blessings can take many forms. Call the blessings of Orun down upon yourself and your loved ones during your journey in the world. Sometimes you need to ask for specific things because of the conditions of your life. But you should also asks that the blessings of Orun be around you each and every moment of your day in all of its wondrous forms.

Jowo fi-fun mi ni (wa) Ife yin!
Please bestow upon me (us) your Love!

Knowing that there are those who love you is a powerful protection against the conditions of the L’oja. Even if or when the people in your life seem to turn against you, you are still embraced by the love of your Egun and the protection of the Orisa who crown you.

Jowo fi-fun mi ni (wa) Iwa-pele yin!
Please bestow upon me (us) Good Character!

Good Character is the only vessel that can contain and hold sacred all else that you pray for!

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

Understanding Your Ori

Your Ori is your Spiritual Master and the Manifestation of Olodumare that is attached to you. Your Ori is your Guide during your journey in the marketplace. It is your Ori that works to navigate you towards the fulfillment of your Divine Destiny. Ori in the Yoruba language means head and in the language of Ifa it means more than your physical head. This traditional Ifa saying highlights what should be understood about your Ori.

Ori inu wa maba tode je!
May our Spiritual Ori not be in conflict with our physical Ori.

It can make you feel like a divided person. As though forces inside of you are pulling and pushing in different directions. You can feel a lack of fulfillment even when appearances would suggest that you should be content, even happy. A feeling that there is still something that remains to be done even though you have no idea what it is. A feeling like whatever it is, it is right there on the tip-of-your-tongue, or on the edge-of-your-thoughts but it just hangs there, unclear. Conflict between your Spiritual Ori and your physical Ori is a product of the body and the marketplace.

The marketplace is full of temptations, distractions, delusions, tricks, and traps that can entice your physical Ori to make decisions and choices that obstruct your progress towards the purpose for which you chose to come into the world. The noise of the marketplace can drown out the messages that your Spiritual Ori is sending to you to assist you in staying On Path. Since the physical body is rooted in the physical world and your physical Ori is seated in the physical body, it (your physical Ori) is sensitive and responsive to all of the drives, appetites, and emotions of the body and the marketplace. But you and I did not choose to come into the world simply to satisfy and appease our own drives, appetites, and emotions. Creation has a higher purpose and so does your life.

It is your Spiritual Ori that is sensitive and responsive to the Ase Orun (the Spiritual Energies of Heaven). It is your Spiritual Ori that connects you to your Eleda, Olorun’s righteous and observant presence in each Human Being. Since your Spiritual Ori and your physical Ori have different sensitivities and respond to different calls, you, the devotee must apply effort to bring the physical Ori into alignment with the Spiritual Ori. This is the purpose of mindfulness, prayer, ritual, ceremony, divination, and sacrifice. In my last Post I offered you an Adura to your Ori. Let me invite you to go back to that Post and think about the words of that prayer in light of my comments in this Post.

Aye L’oja, Orun N’ile!
The world is the marketplace,
The Spirit World is Home!

Ohun Ori wa se,
Koma ni s alai se eo!
What Ori comes to fulfill,
It cannot but fulfill it!

Ka maa Worisha!
Let us keep looking to Orisa!

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

Adura: The Power and Benefits of Adura - Prayer

There is much about life that seems outside of our understanding, comprehension, and control. When this reality about life forces its way into your path there are various ways to react. Some of the ways of handling life’s challenges are constructive, some not so constructive, and some absolutely destructive. Adura falls into the constructive category for the believer and the benefits are not just spiritual. When you pray your mind is focused, your respiration becomes more calm and regulated, and you are usually in a posture that is comfortable for you. When these three conditions are present (because of qigong practice, meditation, yoga exercises, or a period of Adura) your body/mind/spirit goes through the relaxation response, stress fades, and your immune system is invigorated. The more you pray the more your body experiences a positive response.

When you pray you hear your own Adura! Adura is a true expression of your deepest needs and desires (requesting), your joys and pleasures (expressing gratitude), and your silent fears (pleading). As you pray the internal and external vibration and rhythm of your Adura sets up a wave of movement in the Ase that emanates from you. You tend to remember the Adura that you say frequently and are more likely to think about them during the course of your day. The more frequent and sincere the Adura the more powerful is the wave of movement it sets up in the Ase. You are very much a part of the fulfillment of your own prayers.

Even sincere Adura in a moment of crisis have its affect and effect. Maybe some of you heard the recent report of the young boy who drowned while on a trip to the beach with his parents and religious group. The boy was standing in knee-deep water when a riptide came in and pulled him out to sea. I did not get all of the details of the report but when he disappeared beneath the surface his helpless community fell to their knees and began to pray. After fifteen minutes underwater the young boy’s dead body was retrieved from the water. He nonetheless miraculously recovered! If you know that the spoken word can change the Ase in a room (for better or worst) and that even an unspoken positive or negative attitude can alter the Ase Ami (Energy Signature) of a group (for better or worst), and that you can connect with other people, especially family members and close friends, in uncanny ways that go beyond simply scientific explanation, then why should you not know with certainty that Adura is a powerful thing.

In Ifa we believe that our Ori is our little piece of Olodumare’s Infinite Consciousness. Ori is our direct link to The Supreme God and Creator of all that exists. We believe that Olodumare has placed a share of consciousness in every living thing including earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal. Your Ori is your share! A devotee once say to me as a question, we homage Orisa and Egun all of the time but where is Olodumare in our daily practices? It was a very good question and deserved the above explanation of the significance of your Ori. In Ifa we say, your Ori is your God! When you homage your Ori, you are calling on the God, and paying homage to your Ori should be the first and last things that you do each day.

Here is a simple Adura that I have shared with my spiritual godchildren and want to share with you.

An Evening Adura


Ori mi, mo pe e! My Ori, I call you!
Ori mi, mo pe e! My Ori, I call you!
Ori mi, mo pe e! My Ori, I call you!


Iba Se Olodumare! Homage to Olodumare!


I (we) ask that you take my (our) soul(s) into your embrace as I (we) sleep; and nurture it (them) with your love and Ase; and return it (them) to me (us) in the morning. 


Ase! Ase! Ase!

A Morning Adura


Ori mi, mo pe e! My Ori, I call you!
Ori mi, mo pe e! My Ori, I call you!
Ori mi, mo pe e! My Ori, I call you!


Modupe Olodumare! I thank you Olodumare!


I (we) thank you for answering my (our) Adura and blessing me (us) with another chance at life. I (we) go forward into the world seeking your signs and your blessings, overwhelmed by no obstacles, deterred by no resistance, and fearing no enemy, for you are sufficient to guide me (us) toward my (our) destiny (ies). 


Ase! Ase! Ase!

Here is a traditional Adura to your Ori:

My head, we invite goodness.
We run to count children.
My master, I salute goodness.


The confused head is the head that points to the peaceful head.


You saved me Owner of Heaven.
You, till the end of time, support me.
You habitually support being alive.


You saved me, King, who works on my behalf.


Modupe! Modupe! Modupe!

Adura is confidential intercourse with the divine. It is a state of elevated consciousness and heightened awareness. It is a source of comfort in times of distress and the match that lights the candle of hope in times of despair. Adura is a source of both inspiration and motivation. It provides a vantage point from which we can more clearly see the world. It is a vessel of nurturing energy that can quench the thirst of those who are seeking spiritual hydration. Adura is the thread that ties the meaning we give to our inner reality to that of our outer reality and experiences. In times like we live in today, there is great power and benefits in Adura.

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

On Consulting Ifa and Completing the Ebo

The Yoruba cosmology the Universe is divided into two opposing camps or forces, the benevolent supernatural powers and the malevolent supernatural powers. These two opposing groups of supernatural forces are in control of the universe as they strive to dominate the domains over which they have been given authority, and to regulate the affairs of human beings. The result of the ‘nature of things’ is inevitable conflict, friction, and uncertainty in the lives of human beings. To help human beings confront and cope with the inevitable difficulties of life the Yoruba deity called Orunmila (also called by the name IFA) gave to some of the people Ifa Divination (the system of divination used by devotees of this spiritual tradition). In this Post, Ifa will refer to the spiritual tradition and method of divination, and I will use Orunmila to refer to the deity, the Yoruba god of wisdom.

The Sacred Oracle of Ifa or the 256 Orisa Odu carry the aggregated knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors going back thousands of years. Ifa divination provides the devotee with a method of accessing that wisdom in order to solve their relationship problems, avoid difficulties and unforeseen evils, to manage their health, and to fulfill their destiny. The Sacred Oracle of Ifa can be divided into two general categories, the Odu (the configuration of lines or marks that represent a particular Orisa Odu) and the Ese (the stories contained within or carried by the Odu. Each of the Orisa Odu carries eight hundred (800) stories or ese generating a total of 204,800 ese or stories in the Ifa literary corpus). Obviously, the more of these ese the diviner knows, the more resources they have to assist the devotee with their particular concerns. Uninhibited by the passage of time, advancements in science and technology, or cultural context, the Ese Ifa speak of human beings and also animals, birds, insects, and cultivated and uncultivated plants as personified characters in the wisdom stories addressing every aspect of human existence and daily living.

For purposes of our discussion let me identify five characteristics or elements of all of the Ese Ifa, namely, the presence of a diviner (usually the name if given), for whom Ifa was divined (an Orisa, a person, city or town, an animal, insect, or plant is also usually named), the message of Ifa (what the Babalawo said to the devotee), the ebo or sacrifice (that which must be done or given in order to move the Ase in favor of the devotee), and whether or not the devotee completed the ebo (usually stated at the end of the particular ese). This last element is critical in understanding the underlying truth of Ifa. Ifa says that the way to solve all problems is through sacrifice although the devotee may also need to utilize specific strategies and tactics, or change their attitude or behaviors in some way in order to bring the results they seek. In all cases in the Ese Ifa, completing the ebo brings good fortune and failing to complete the ebo results in failure to achieve positive potentials or failure to avert negative energies.

It is my observation that some devotees may feel that Ifa has failed them for two main reasons. First is a lack of patience. Unless the reading has prescribed a particular time-line for something to happen the outcome suggested by the reading could take days, weeks, months, or even years to manifest. The outcome may develop in small stages and unless the devotee is paying attention they may not realize that Orisa are answering their call and addressing their needs (in stages). In which case, they (the devotee) may abandon the wisdom and spiritual energy of the divination and as a consequence weaken their faith in Ifa and their relationship with their own Ori. I often tell my spiritual godchildren that when they consult Ifa and perform their ebo, Orisa goes to work to reconfigure the universe to accommodate the will of their Ori. The wisdom is in the part, to reconfigure the universe. The idea of the entire universe being reconfigured to make room for their new reality puts things into perspective and helps to nurture patient perseverance. Vigilant awareness and looking for signs of change after a reading not only enables the devotee to witness subtle changes that may be indicators of spiritual forces at work in their life, but it also adds the energy of their own positive expectation to the process Ifa prescribed. In other words, their positive expectation is a part of the divination and ebo. The lack of such positive anticipation is a indication of lack of trust, belief, or hope and therein acts counter to the purpose of Ifa divination and the stated wishes of the devotee to have a positive outcome.

The second reason some devotees may feel that Ifa has not worked for them is also tied to completing the ebo. You, as a devotee of Ifa, are in the process of building a relationship with sentient entities, your Ori, the Orisa, and your Egun. That relationship is facilitated by the deity Orunmila, Prophet of Ifa, by Ifa Divination, and by the diviner who consults for you. Of course, Eshu is never left out of the equation. If your friend or relative gave you a gift, and if someone noticed the gift and commented on it, would you show appreciation for their observation and then acknowledge that it was your dear friend or relative who gave it to you? Most people would answer yes to this question or do exactly that. And if the giver-of-the-gift happened to overhear you stating how grateful you are that they gave you the gift, wouldn’t they feel good and immediately exude strong positive energy towards you and the gift? Sometimes the devotee forgets that they are in the process of building a relationship with Olorun, Ori, Orisa, Egun, and their diviner. They may also forget that to receive guidance through Ifa divination is a gift from Orunmila, Olupilese Odu Ifa (Author of Odu Ifa). As a reminder, I include this statement at the beginning of my template-based email messages.

Ifa states that if the person receives Ifa and Ifa assists them in solving their problems, or in accomplishing their goals, they must:

• Acknowledge to the Babalawo that Ifa has helped them
• Show their gratitude in the measure to which they feel they have been helped and according to their means
• Acknowledge to others that it was Ifa that helped to bring about the change in their life 

These three prescriptions strengthen the relationship between the devotee and the various elements of the Ifa spiritual universe. Sometimes, devotees forget that these three elements are also part of their reading and ebo and in forgetting, they fail to complete the ebo and also weaken the potential of the relationship between them and Orunmila, the Keeper of the Secrets of Existence and the Voice of Fate, the One who is also called IFA.
(Recommend reading: Ifa: An Exposition of Ifa Literary Corpus, Wande Abimbola)

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

The Powers of Love and Forgiveness, Pt II: Forgiveness

There is an Ifa story of Orisa Sonponno (Babaluaiye - the Orisa of smallpox and infectious diseases) who was mocked by the other Orisa because of his wooden leg while they danced and drank at a celebration. The story provides a lesson in forgiving others because of an offense, insult, or hurt. In another Ifa story the Orisa Ogun slaughters the people of a town because they would not speak to him nor give him water as he passed through their town. After the slaughter a traveler he met on the road informed Ogun that the reason the people did not speak to him was because they were engaged in a special traditional ceremony during which they were not permitted to speak or engage in other social interactions. The Orisa Ogun felt profound regret for his actions and took to the forest vowing never to again enter a city so that he might avoid future interactions that would be causes for such weighty remorse. This Ifa story provides a lesson in forgiving yourself. No one who passes through this world will fail to encounter moments for forgiveness.

There is another Ifa story that describes events at the beginning of the creation of this world. It tells of the occasion when Olodumare decided that the powers required to maintain this creation should be divided among the various Orisa. Up until that time the Orisa Eshu was the Keeper of the Ase (spiritual powers). Orisa Eshu was dissatisfied with Olodumare’s decision and tried to incite the other Orisa to rebel. The matter was finally settled, as Olodumare would have it. Orisa Eshu’s actions in this story help us to understand why Olodumare would challenge each of us, you and me, with total control over this powerful choice – the choice to forgive, as Olodumare forgave Eshu. Even in the beginning, and even among higher spiritual entities, to whomever is given the power to choose is also assigned the possibility of offense and mistakes. Therefore forgiveness is in our DNA and manifests in our Ase Ami (energy signature).

To forgive means to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone (including yourself) for an offense, flaw, or mistake. To forgive and to forget are not the same thing. Ifa is about balancing the matrices and energy that are manifesting as our life experiences. Ifa prescribes prayers, rituals, ceremonies, and ebos to help the believer affect and move the Ase. When you are filled with anger and resentment towards another person they have power over you because the mere thought of them can cause your entire metabolic system and energy signature to shift in a negative way. This is one of the reasons that Ifa may prescribe a coconut cleansing of your head to cool your Ori. So that you can maintain control over the state of your mind-body-spirit rather than giving that power to others. The first and most important reason to forgive is to lift your own burden. So much of what the believer brings to the priest or Babalawo is rooted in the challenge of forgiveness. Generally people fall into two categories, the forgiving and the unforgiving. The forgiving seem to be able to forgive even the most horrific of offenses, while the unforgiving tend to be angry, resentful, bitter, and hostile even over someone’s foibles, ignorance, impoliteness, lack of maturity, or lack of social etiquette, not to mention more serious offenses. One difference between the two may be whether or not they have been able to forgive themselves for some offense, flaw, mistake, foible, or event in their own life.

When you act as the forgiver you are in the position to bestow a great gift upon yourself or another while at the same time lifting a great burden from your spirit and resolving a disturbance in your Ase Ami. Your capacity to forgive cannot serve you if you fail to use it. This life is going to challenge you because our world exists on the border between chaos and order. You will experience moments of forgiveness. Consider the experience of the one seeking forgiveness. What thoughts, emotions, and feelings are reflected in their energy signature? Are they feeling shame, guilt, remorse, self-esteem issues, regret, depression, and so much more? More than they can put into words. Are they feeling helpless and hopeless about being absolved of their real or perceived crime? Can you see why forgiveness is such a gift? To be forgiven is to be freed from the dark places of isolation that one can go when an offense or mistake breaches the relationship bond between individuals or with one’s own self. So much of how you and I treat the world and how we perceive the world is rooted in our own relationship with our self. You need to forgive yourself first!

We each choose to come into this world in order to create something wonderful for Olodumare to experience. That is our collective destiny. We each come with the power to choose and therein lay the mystery of fate. Your fate is the consequences of your choices. The choices you make regarding your capacity to love and to forgive will be some of the most important choices you will make in your life. In the final analysis, what will take on the most significance about your journey in this world will be the moments of love and forgiveness that you’ve shared with others. Love and forgiveness are not signs of weakness. They are expressions of Olodumare's omniscience and omnipotence as well as the compassion of Creator.

If you feel that you are holding on to anger and resentment or are stifled by remorse and regret please feel free to comment on this Post or write me for information about the coconut ebo for cleansing and cooling your Ori.

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

The Powers of Love and Forgiveness Part I

Ifa is a traditional formula for how to live in the world. It is a guide to bridging the barrier between the material and spiritual worlds. It is a vehicle for a purposeful and successful life journey. In telling the story of the Ifa History of the Beginning I always start with the moment when the Ase became self-aware, manifested consciousness, sentience, and became the entity that we call Olodumare. In that moment of awareness, when Olodumare became aware of itself as the Ase, the Realm of Infinite Possibility and Potential, the first emotion ever experienced by a Sentient Being was Love, Self-Love, Love of Self. This is a moment of tremendous power that precedes the Big Bang of the physical world. Love is an intense feeling of deep affection. The word love comes from the Latin root, libet meaning ‘it is pleasing’. When the Ase became self-aware and looked within itself the first feeling (emotion) that emerged from the Ase was libet, ‘it is pleasing’, (Yoruba – Ife: Love).

Olodumare’s attachment to this powerful emotion is so profound that the Creator ordained that Love shall be one of the only things that cannot be commanded. Even Olodumare cannot command our love for love by its very nature must be given freely from the heart. Only love that is given freely from the heart carries the Ase Ami (Energy Signature) of the Divine and Spiritual Love that was experienced in the beginning and given to us as a gift so that we also might experience its power and beauty. It is this primordial love that gives birth to Olodumare’s determined idea to experience the fullness of the Realm of Infinite Possibility, the fullness of the Ase. It is the determined idea that in turn gives rise to the manifestation of Olofi-dumare, the Creator aspect of the Ase and to the process of creation itself. In this very real sense, Love lies at the very root of creation and of your and my existence. Can you imagine the creation of a loveless creator, an all-powerful sentient being who was passionless, unloving, unfeeling, heartless, and cold? Could such a being create this beautiful system of interlocking realities that you and I witness each and every day?

The First Love was and is self-love! The Ase in its sentient form felt love of self. As it was in the beginning so it is with the architecture of our nature. Just as Love originated from within the Ase, was first directed inward towards the Ase, and then manifested outward, so too your capacity to love others must begin with the love of self. We are not talking about some kind of narcissistic pathology where you have a grandiose view of yourself, your talents, your appearance, or your resources; where you go about your life craving and expecting the admiration of others. Nor are we talking about the kind of sensual or sexual love that emerges from your biological nature for that is not the origin of love nor is it the most powerful kind of love. We are talking about the kind of self-love that emerges from an inner sense of your spiritual nature and of your continuous connection to The Source of your existence. This sense of connection to The Source is present in every child and awaits the tone of love to resonate from the voices that surround it for it to be quickened. Once quickened it will seek to grow to its fullest potential, ‘a heart big enough to care for a world’. Most parents worldwide instinctively shower their babies with love, their voices, in whatever language reverberating the vibration of love. Too many don’t! And even for those who do, times and circumstances change, don’t they? When children do not receive this early cultivation into the love of self their Ase Ami is more susceptible to cracks and their spiritual powers remain weak and underdeveloped. This is why many of the ebos called for in the Sacred Oracles of Ifa relate to solving problems in social, business, family, and intimate relationships. I’ve written quite a bit on cracks on my Peaceful Space Project Blog. When you are filled with this most powerful form of love you are better able to call up love, creativity, sacrifice, commitment, empathy, compassion, and achievement in your self and others. Your Ase Ami reflects more of your connection to the spiritual world over the material world. You think, move, and act on a higher energy plane than you do without it. 

The capacity to feel the aspect of the Ase that we call love is a gift for which you should be grateful. And your love is a treasure that you should both guard and share. Many believers come to the Priests, Babalawos, and Priestesses to consult regarding relationship problems and matters of the heart. Underlying many relationship problems and matters of the heart is the failed attempt to extend love outward before it has been firmly rooted inward. Understanding the origin and source of your capacity to experience love is a first step towards solving social or intimate relationship problems. An important next step is to exercise your power over the second great gift that you have been given, another of your capacities that cannot be commanded, the capacity to forgive. 

To be continued: The Powers of Love and Forgiveness, Part II - Forgiveness

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

What is in a Name? Energy!

I hope you can remember the sound of love in the voice of people who called to you in your childhood and youth. There are a host of feelings and attitudes that can travel on the voice. Some good and some bad! The positive energy vibrations associated with the sounds of respect, confidence, trust, faith, support, and encouragement carry a special quality of Ase that affects each of us in very powerful ways. When those sounds and expressions are attached to your names you are empowered by their Ase and you come to respect yourself. You begin to feel more confident. You become trustworthy and reliable. You learn that you can get up after a fall because you have been encouraged to do so and can call upon that energy vibration. Your name becomes associated with all of these wonderful sounds and their energy signatures are energized when you hear your name called. Of course the opposite is also true but lets not deal with that aspect. If your name was called with a host of negative energy vibrations you already know that some of that energy is attached to the sound of your name. But I suspect that you have managed to call enough love and positive energy vibrations into your life that the energy of the past is no longer attached, at least not to your name or not with the same effect.

Family, friends, co-workers, employers, and neighbors may all call you by various names or nicknames and each name elicits a slight shift in your Ase Ami (Energy Signature). The point here is that when we call the name of a thing we affect the reality of the thing. This notion is well understood in most religious and spiritual traditions where the names of the God and Spiritual Beings should not be spoken in vain or with disrespect. In some traditions special days are set-aside for the entire community to come together and pay homage to an important deity by calling their name, singing their homage songs, and feeding them before the community feast. These activities nurture cohesiveness in the community and fills the members with the Ase associated with the name of that particular spiritual entity. There is another important aspect to a name, especially the names of spiritual beings.

We have discussed in my writings that idea that when two or more entities interact they in turn create (generate) a Quantum Entity that is a manifestation of the integration of the individual energy fields. We have also suggested that there is a vibration or membrane that separates the physical world and the spiritual world. In order to penetrate that membrane we must open a pathway, doorway, or vortex through that membrane. We accomplish that by calling the name of the Orisa and Ancestors we wish to connect with. It is the Name of the thing and the feelings, thoughts, and attitudes that arise in you when you hear or speak that particular name that allows you to make the connection. When your name is called it brings you to attention. When the names of Orisa and Egun are called they also are moved. This is why it is important to remember the Daily Calendar so that you can homage the Orisa on their special days. But more importantly, you should call your guardian Orisa’s names out loud and often because when you do you give power to the Quantum Entity that you share with your Orisa, you strengthen the connection, and because you keep the pathway, doorway, or vortex between the material world and the Spiritual World open to you.

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

Talking with Your Ancestors

In the Ifa Tradition we believe that our Ancestors (Egun) maintain a consciousness, an interest, and a connection to this world that we call the marketplace. Although we are separated by the dimensions of marketplace (oja) versus home (nile) the barrier between these two dimensions is permeable. We can speak to our Egun and they can hear us as they dwell in the Realm of Ancestors. It is also true that our Ancestors can project their Ase (spiritual energy) through that membrane into our world to try to assist us in our personal journey. If you believe that we are spiritual beings who are bound to a physical form in this world by a sentient energy form that we call the soul, and that this soul survives the death of the body, than there is little reason not to believe that you are part of a chain or lineage of souls who have journeyed into the world before you. And further, that your Ancestors maintain a consciousness, an interest, and a connection to this world that we call the marketplace. Your Ancestors have a primary interest in the journey of you and your lineage. Our Ancestors [Egungun – the Spirit of Ancestors] have a primary interest in the journey of the group or humanity as a whole.

This Ifa worldview binds each of us to the past and to the future. It calls us to mindfulness of the highest values, traditions, and aspirations of those who came before us. At the same time, it compels us to be mindful of the choices we make during our personal journey because our choices affect the legacy of our Egun and the conditions under which our descendants will be born (or our Ancestors reborn). The Ifa Ancestral worldview also fulfills several of the essential needs of our species like a sense of belonging and connection. If you understand that once someone returns from the oja to nile, all of what they have done in this world becomes clear to them. They are without confusion as to the consequences of the choices they made during their journey in the marketplace. Confusion cannot pass from this world into the next. Since your Egun can see things clearly their only motivation is Love and their only intention is your Success. Even if the relationship between you and your relatives was a bad relationship when they were alive, you need not fear as to their feelings or intentions towards you once they leave this world.

Many if not most practitioners of Ifa will have a small ancestral altar somewhere in their home. A few pictures going back one or many generations, some family heirlooms, and a clear glass or wooden goblet to offer their Egun a drink of cool water every few days. Setting a small plate at the table at dinnertime and placing a small amount of each food in the plate for your Egun is also a wonderful way of creating mindfulness about this connection that exists between you and the spiritual world. When you create the conditions for mindfulness you open yourself up to the energies that your Egun are sending through. Some of the images that come through in your dreams may also contain impressions that your Ancestors are communicating to you. Listen!

Believing as we do in Ifa, and many other indigenous traditions, that all of the layers of this world and all of the dimensions of creation are connected, we travel in the world not as an individual ego but as a sentient part of a greater fecundating whole. We also recognize that death does not end the relationship between souls. Many of us still carry baggage from our previous relationships with our deceased relatives. We treat death like a permanent barrier between the worlds and believe that we must carry the weigh of our unresolved issues for the rest of our lives. We believe Iku (death) has robbed us of the chance to settle matters in a way that brings us peace and balance. But Ifa says unfinished business can still be finished.

Take a moment each day to talk to your Egun like they were right their in your presence. Share your thoughts, hopes, feelings, and fears with them and you may find that death has power over life but not over love.

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

Seek Ifa Bit-By-Bit

Most of the correspondence I’ve received at Ile Awo Orisa is from visitors to the web site who have experienced my Journey to the Root. It was not obvious to me at the time that my journal would have such a profound affect on so many people. I think each person who takes The Journey finds something that speaks to them in some special way. It is wonderful to feel that as I took this journey, which was such a special experience for me, I was also taking the journey for you, for people that remain unknown to me but nonetheless have become connected to me because my Ori, Orisa, and Egun inspired me to share those eleven days with whomever would come seeking at our web site.

Each day of The Journey revealed another piece to a puzzle, another step towards a goal. For me the goal was to understand the spiritual worldview that our Ancestors developed when the world was still quiet. When they could hear, see, and feel things that are drowned out in our world or that we have forgotten how to recognize as real. The worldview of indigenous peoples is born out of the energy matrix of a natural environment. In today’s world we have to work much harder to see the world in its energetic forms. We have to uncover it layer-by-layer. We have to move towards it step-by-step. We have to Seek Ifa Bit-By-Bit. That is how SE (initials) put it in her email back in November 2007.

My name is SE. I am in Nashville, TN. I went to your website to look for an iriki and prayer to Obatala. As I worship and grow in Ifa, Orisha and Egun, I am open to the wisdom of them and their many manifestations. I am also observing worldwide, the practice of this spiritual tradition.  I am/was impressed with the iwori and information that you have about the Orisha, Egun and Ifa on your site.


I have been and am on a quest for Ifa, Orisha & Egun. The bits that I gather along the way are inspiring and informative. Bit by bit.

The world has changed since I returned home in August 2001. The events of September 11, 2001 and the choices that followed have opened the Door of Misfortune on the world and international travel may be less appealing to many who would love to take their own Journey to the Root. We pray that Olodumare, Orisa, and Egun will inspire humans with the wisdom to heal our world so that we can travel and grow in Peaceful Space. In the meantime, we can continue to share with each other and learn from each other and to seek Ifa bit-by-bit.

It is the process of seeking Ifa, of being aware of the spiritual presence in your everyday life and environment that provides you with the onde (things of power) that you will accumulate on your altars to Orisa. It is through constant engagement with the energetic qualities and characteristics of this reality that you come to understand the unbreakable bond between you, your Ori, your Egun, your Orisa, Olofi-dumare, Olodumare, and the Ase.

Remember, we recommended some valuable resources in the Library section of our web site. We recently added a list of items appropriate for making ebo (sacrifices) to the various Orisa. I invite you again to share your comments to my Post with everyone online or contact me by email and maybe yours will be the email we discuss in one of our Post.

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you

Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)

New Year 2011: Homage and Feed Orisa

Back in November 2004 a site visitor (we’ll call her V) contacted me by email.  V wrote, I've been told that my spirit goes by the name of "Oshun". I would really love to dig deeper into finding out who I am and where I really come from, I just don't know where to begin. I believe that pulling up your website was truly a blessing and anything that you can do to help me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much, and I hope to hear from you soon.

V’s email reflects our common journey in the world. We are all seeking to know whom we are, where we really come from, and of course, why we are here. There are many paths to seek answers to those questions. Ifa is one of them. I believe V is one of many who are pulled to the Path of Ifa Consciousness, and like V they just don’t know where to begin.  That’s where this Blog and your comments take on some measure of importance. Share! Ask questions! Make comments! Although you may live in an area where an Ifa community, priest, or Babalawo is not available, even though each of us may be limited in our knowledge, collectively we are a library of knowledge, wisdom, and experience. Ile Awo Orisa BlogSpot is where you can become an active part of a living library of Ifa Consciousness.

Many peoples around the world are longing to reclaim what was has been lost. Seeking a sense of Interrelatedness, Interconnectedness, and Interdependence with each other, with the earth and her many creatures, with the cosmos, and with the spiritual forces that influence our lives. You, like most of us are probably longing to revitalize your sense of body, mind, spirit integration and harmony. In Ifa, finding balance is based upon the relationship between your Ori, the Orisa(s) that crown your head, and your everyday choices.

The beginning of the New Year is always a good time to set new goals to improve yourself in mind, body, and spirit. New Years resolutions have been made, many are off to a good start, and some have already been broken. If you have been read you hopefully remembered to get a calendar and mark the days of the month that belong to the Orisa(s) who crowns your Ori (head). If you have not been read then you can do a little something each day for the Primary Orisa and in some way your Guardian Orisa(s) may come to you.

On the Yoruba Ifa Calendar (Preview) there is a 4-day and a 7-day calendar. Here are the first four days of the calendar for 2011 based on the current days in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Date, Day, Orisa(s) worshipped on that day

January 1, 2011 – Ogun – Ogun, Obaluaye, Egun, Eshu, Ori
January 2, 2011 – Jakuta – Shango, Oya, Yemoja, Eshu, Ori
January 3, 2011 – Ose – Obatala, Odu, Eshu, Ori
January 4, 2011 – Awo – Orunmila, Oshun, Olokun, Aje, Eshu, Ori
January 5, 2011 – Ogun (and the days continue to repeat)
*****
January 12, 2011 - Awo

Make a habit of marking the calendar each month and of giving an offering of cool water or some other small ebo on the days of your Orisa. Call their name, thank them for the good that they have helped you to achieve and for the evils that they have helped you to avoid, and call upon them to continue to do the same.

Ki Olodumare, Orisa, ati Egun fifun e ni
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!

My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you
Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!

Visit Our Web Site

Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)