Time To Upgrade and Renew

Peace Be With You!

Always hoping there is brightness in your life!

It's time to upgrade my computer and I'll be so glad when that process is successfully completed. I've also told myself that I've earned a short break from publishing my Blogs and need time to rejuvenate and listen to my Ori. That sounds right! At the latest I'll be posting for the New Year. But who knows? Maybe sooner. I will certainly send out an email to those of you on my various Blog email list.

The Blogs will still be live so feel free to visit and reread some of my past Post. Hopefully you will find their relevance unconstrained by time.

Be Well!

Aajiirebi!
May the Unblemished Cloth of Orunmila
Continue to cloth us with the Wisdom
Of the Here and the Hereafter!
Ase! Ase! Ase!

B’ao ku ishe o tan!
When there is life, there is still hope!

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)

Who Can You Trust? Pt II - Consulting Ifa

Ire ati Ayo!
Good Tidings and Joyfulness!

The fact that we have a way of communicating with the Spiritual World (Orun) is a cause for joyfulness. In my view we would be completely lost and at the mercy of our most base instincts if we could not receive guidance from someone who knows better than us, who can see clearer than we can, who has a better vantage point than we do. As we discussed last month that someone is your own Ori, that part of you that is forever linked to the Source of All Things! It is the All-Knowing aspect of your self! Ori is your Divine Mind! When consulting your Ori through Ifa Divination you will find the process to be just like sitting down and having a conversation with a person where you are asking the questions and they are answering you in the format that I outlined in my last Post. 

Here are examples of the various answers:

Absolute Yes!
Mom! Can I spend the night over my friend’s house?
Oh Yes! (Please do!)

Yes Conditional!
Mom! Can I spend the night over my friend’s house?
Yes! But you have to clean your room first?

Balanced Yes!
Mom! Can I spend the night over my friend’s house?
Yes! If you want to – there is no reason that you can’t!

No Conditional!
Mom! Can I spend the night over my friend’s house?
No! Not unless your friend’s mother calls me to tell me its OK!

Absolute No!
Mom! Can I spend the night over my friend’s house?
No! And don’t ask me about it again!

Note that in the examples for Yes Conditional and No Conditional there is something that must be done in order for the way to be clear. In the case of Yes Conditional the way is favorable but some condition must be met for it to be completely open. In the case of No Conditional the way is unfavorable, blocked, and can only be opened if some condition is met. In either case you have to ask questions in order to find out the conditions that must be met. The actual conditions that must be met will obviously depend on the particular situation you are consulting about but there are a few categories that may apply.

When – for example – should I wait and do it at another time?
Where – for example – should I do it here rather than there?
Who – for example – who will receive my offering, is it Orisa Obatala? Is it Orisa Oshun?
What – for example – do I need to do a cleansing first? Do I need to make an ebo (offerings)?
How – for example – should I send a letter? Should I say it face-to-face?

Asking the right question is a skill, an art, and a function of paying attention to the Ase of the reading – listening. Your Spiritual Ori will guide you in the reading if you can get your physical Ori out of the way. Sometimes during readings I will get ‘stuck’ – just don’t know where to go with the reading – what question to ask. When that happens I will just sit quietly for a while until I hear the question in my head. I will often say, ‘I have no knowledge except that which you send to me by inspiration, that which you send to me by way of an angel (Orisa), or that which I am blessed to acquire by way of some discipline. And I wait! On some occasions I will ask my Ori, ‘Am I asking the right questions?’ Sometime the answer to that question is ‘No’, and that guidance will help me to refocus and redirect the reading. Sometimes, when my Spiritual Godchildren get blocked they will ask their Ori is they should take the reading to me. Often, the answer is ‘Yes’.

Remember, this is a very basic introduction to an ancient, comprehensive, and complex system of divination. What I have given you here does not qualify you to perform Ifa Divination for someone else. It is only a tool for you to seek and receive guidance in making choices in your personal life. Only by using the system and following the guidance can you hope to develop an unconditional trust in your Ori, your Orisa, your Egun, and the God – Olodumare – Who sustains us all! The more important the issue with which you are dealing the more important it is to seek out someone who has more knowledge and skill than you.

Aajiirebi!
May the Unblemished Cloth of Orunmila
Continue to cloth us with the Wisdom
Of the Here and the Hereafter!
Ase! Ase! Ase!

B’ao ku ishe o tan!
When there is life, there is still hope!

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)

Who Can You Trust?

Ire ati Ayo!
Good Tidings and Joyfulness!

We all have trust issues, some of us more so than others. You may have trust issues with doctors, lawyers, police officers, organizations, corporations, institutions, or governments, maybe all of these. You may have trust issues with family members, friends, peers, co-workers, dogs, cats, the local gas station where you pump your gas with doubt about the pump’s accuracy, an unexpected situation, or the reliability of a rope and wooden bridge that you have to cross – a 100-ft drop and rocky landing below. Trust, or the capacity to develop and experience trust is fundamental to your and my nature and survival as individuals and as a species. Trust is a very fragile thing, like a butterfly’s wings or a soap bubble. Trust embodies confidence, belief, faith, certainty, assurance, conviction, credence, and reliance. It is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Trust is a special kind of psycho-emotional connection with a person, place, thing, or idea that frees one to act without doubt. Why without doubt? - Because doubt is the shadow of distrust and mistrust. Trust implies acceptance of the truth of a statement without evidence or investigation – he trusted his teacher on this point – she trusted the Babalawo and performed the ebo (sacrifice).

Who Can You Trust? Deciding who and what to trust is part of the navigational challenge of life. The L’oja (marketplace) is a place of both benevolent and malevolent forces. The malevolent forces –both human and metaphysical – will often use illusion, delusion, deception, trickery, lies, and facades to cover their evil intentions. Our choices may unwittingly lead us into situations where difficulties, harm, or even Orisa Iku (Death) may find us – prematurely – wrong place, wrong time. The trust relationship between parents, children, and siblings is innate – and pure until violated. Other trust relationships have to be taught, developed, and nurtured. There is of course an Ultimate Trust Relationship! It is the only relationship upon which you can rely absolutely. The Ultimate Trust Relationship is the one you have with your own Ori! Who Can You Trust? Your Ori! Your Spiritual Ori! Your Inner Head!

IFA (Orisa Orunmila)does not hold a monopoly on divination. Most – if not all – indigenous traditions have had passed down to them through the ages a means by which they could access higher knowledge about themselves and about their worlds – physical and spiritual. Stones, bones, shells, nuts, pieces of wood, smoke, and a host of other items – natural and produced - have been used to bridge the veil between the worlds. Fundamental to these indigenous cultures and their methods of divination is the belief in the existence of a Spiritual Reality and the immortality of the individual soul or the spiritual entity that resides in flesh – for a time. For those of us who are devotees of the Ifa Tradition, Orisa Orunmila has devised and prescribed that traditional methodology for us, Ifa Divination – a way to discover or remember – the intentions of our Ori, the things to trust, and the things not to trust.

Did you know that even the Orisa use Ifa divination to navigate their existence? The Ese Ifa and the Sacred Oracles of Ifa is replete with stories of the Orisa who consulted with their Babalawo so that they could be successful in some endeavor or avoid some difficulty or danger. In fact, even Orisa Orunmila - the Prophet of Ifa, the Author of Ifa Divination, the One Who is Second to Olodumare, the Mouthpiece of the other gods, the Witness of Man’s Choice of Destiny - utilizes Ifa Divination. Since the Destiny of every person has been chosen and decided in heaven, it is considered vital for every person to consult Ifa from time to time so that he or she might know the pleasure or displeasure of his or her Ori, regarding their past, present, and future choices. If you follow this tradition you will be able to tread the path already laid out for you in heaven – your Destiny – without having to beat-around-in-the-bush. It is important to remember that when you consult Ifa all you are doing is using this particular belief-based methodology to find out the wishes of your own Ori. Ifa is merely a mouthpiece – a medium of communication – between you and your Ori. Remember also that the role of the gods (Orisa) is to aid your Ori in leading you to your Destiny in life. Any other god cannot grant whatever your Ori has refused to approve. Even the Orisa have Ori directing their daily and eternal lives.

Iku, Arun, Ofo, Egba, Ese,
Gbogbo won ni nyo Orunmila wo.
Won nwi pe ojo kan
Ni awon o pa a.
Ni Orunmila ba gbe oke Iporii re kale. (Ogunda Meji)

Death, Disease, Loss, Paralysis, and Wickedness
Were all staring at Orunmila.
They said that one day
They would kill him.
Orunmila then set down his divination instruments ready to
Consult his Ori.

For your everyday consulting on small personal matters, during those moments of confusion or indecision, or in the absence of a Priest, Priestess, Iyalorisa, or Babalawo in your area you can use this simple method of consulting using coins or cowry shells.

Personal Consulting

• Select four similar coins (I use quarters when my cowry are not handy) or cowry shells and determine that they will be used only for doing your readings. You might feel like washing them in clean water to add the power of ceremony to your process.
• Place a white cloth down in the area where you will do your reading.
• Call upon your Ori (Orimi Apere! Orimi Apesin! Orimi mo pe e! – My Ori, Carrier of my Destiny! My Ori, the Most Precious! My Ori, I call you!) Repeat this until you feel centered and relaxed – open, focused.
• Homage the Messenger Orisa (Iba se Orisa Eshu! Iba se Orisa Orunmila! Homage to Orisa Eshu! Homage to Orisa Orunmila!) Ask them to hear your questions and your answers and to carry them between the worlds.
• Homage your guardian Orisa(s) (If you don’t know the Orisa(s) that Crown your Head, then say something like, ‘Homage to my Father and Mother Orisa. I cannot call your names but I know that you are present – always. Assist my Ori in guiding me to my Destiny’.)
• State your Questions (Remember, each question has to be asked in a format that can be answered Yes or No. AND, you and your choices must be at the center of your questions. In other words, you are not seeking to find out someone else’s destiny but your own.)
• State your question to your Ori while holding and shaking the cowry or coins in the bowl created when you cup them between your hands. (Always start with your cowry or coins mouth open for each cast. For coins, heads is the open mouth - yes. For cowry, the open mouth is yes.)
• After stating your question cast the cowry upon the white cloth.
• Your answers will come in the following forms:
• Absolute Yes! Certainty - 4 open mouths
• Conditional Yes! Favorable but Uncertain - 3 open mouths + 1 closed
• Balanced Yes! Open without headwinds or tailwinds - 2 open mouths + 2 closed
• Conditional No! Unfavorable - 1 open mouth + 3 closed
• Absolute No! Dangerous to move ahead - 4 closed mouths

I pray that this simple method will enable you to build an even closer relationship with the one entity in which you can place Absolute Trust – your Ori! There is more to say about this simple and very basic way of getting answers and guidance from your Ori so I think we’ll continue this in my next Post. What do you do when your answer is conditional? What does that mean? If you have other comments or questions from this Post send them to me and I’ll try to provide an answer.

B’ao ku ishe o tan!
When there is life, there is still hope!

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)

Sixteen Truths of Ifa (Part II)

Imo ati Anu Omo Orisa!
Knowledge and Mercy!

Continuing from my last Post:

(9) You must never initiate harm to another human being!

This applies not only to physical harm but also emotional, social, financial, or any other form of hardship. DO NO HARM! And, this not only applies to actions that you might take through physical agency but also to actions you might take through spiritual pathways.

It is difficult for some of us to believe or conceive of the mysteries that our Ancestors brought from behind the veil. The religious world has cast a dark shadow over many of the practices of our Ancestors and much has been loss because of our experiences in contact with the western world. Many of us have forgotten that we have the power to affect the world - for better or worst - through powerful spiritual methodologies.

(10) You must never harm the universe of which you are part!

Clearly the world has lost sight of this ancient wisdom. Ifa reminds us through the parables of the Sacred Corpus the humans are part of the fabric of ONE creation. The Western Cornucopia Worldview sees humans as a species apart and the earth and other living things as here to serve our selfish purposes. Ifa tells us that if we persist in that thinking we are bound to destroy ourselves and suffer greater and greater hardships on the road to that eventual destruction. Ifa reflects an ecological philosophy of thought.

(11) Your Temporal and Spiritual capacities must work together!

We are designed with two hands, two feet, two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and a mouth that serves two purposes – taking in and putting out. Likewise our hands, feet, eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth can serve two masters – our physical Ori and our Spiritual Ori. Remember the Ifa saying – Ori inu we maba tode je! May our Spiritual Ori not be in conflict with our physical Ori! Of course serving two masters can always create opportunities for conflict – in this case, inner dissonance. The solution is to avoid the dissonance or resolve it in favor of your Spiritual Ori. When you are in doubt, when you feel dissonance seek an answer from your Spiritual Ori by consulting Ifa. Ifa presents you with the choices, options that will lead you to success and leaves it to you to bring your physical Ori in line with your Spiritual Ori – the Carrier of Your Destiny!

(12) You are born with a specific path. It is your goal to travel it. Divination provides your road map!

Discovering your Orisa, being initiated, gathering items of Ifa from your rituals, ceremonies, and those that just come to you, calling your Ori and listening with certainty for its response, all of these are part of your Path. Your journey to fulfill your Destiny will also involve interacting with other people in the complex area of L’oja (the marketplace). The L’oja is full of noise, distractions, temptations, challenges, and obstacles. The L’oja is where the Eniyan (witches) work to destroy humans and their works by throwing confusion in our Path. Ifa Divination provides us with a way of escaping confusion by getting clear answers to our problems.

(13) Our Ancestors exist and must be honored!

Each of us is part of a long chain of souls who have come into this world, lived, and died leaving behind their genetic legacy. We return to this world through our lineage and from that perspective it is possible for you to give birth to a child who is the return of your Great-Great-Great Grandfather or Grandmother. It is by keeping the memory of our Ancestors alive in oral and written tradition that we are able to recognize them when they return in our children and our grandchildren. Death does not end the life of a soul or limit the capacity of the soul to feel its own connection to the ongoing legacy of the lineage. Among the forces recognized in the Ifa Tradition, Egun (Ancestors) are always considered to be a positive force in our lives, always working to our benefit. We are here to honor their legacy, continue its development, and to pass it on to our descendants. 

(14) Sacrifice guarantees success!

In a sense Ifa is a give and take belief system. Most of the Ese Ifa (verses of the Ifa Corpus – Sacred Odus) carry an underlying theme – Sacrifice is necessary to avoid difficulties, solve problems, achieve success, and to fulfill ones destiny. The particular offerings that must be made may vary, the client for whom Ifa has been read may choose to follow the advice of Ifa or not, but sacrifice is always advised. If you understand the Ifa History of the Beginning that I’ve spoken about in previous Posts, and if you understand the significance of Ase, then you can understand that sacrifice is how we can move the Ase and alter the configuration of the Universe. That process is accomplished by making a kind of contract with the Orisa who hold the fabric of creation together. If your Ori permits it, and if Eshu clears the way, you will give the Orisa something, and they will assist you in accomplishing that which you are seeking. Consider the Ifa saying – Riru ebo ni i gbe ni. Airu ki igbe eyan! It is the offerings of sacrifice that brings blessings. Neglect of sacrifice blesses no one!

(15) The Orisa live within us!

Remember Truth 8 – You are part of the universe in a literal, not figurative, way. Yes! The universe has an existence that we can experience as out-there, and that existence has validity in your and my journey in the L’oja. But, there is also a universe in us that is both an extension and a reflection of that outer universe. So it is with the Orisa! The Orisa are part of the sentient matrix of entities that Olodumare called into existence in order to orchestrate and sustain the creation process. Those sentient energy matrices also exist within each of us and we choose to heighten our sensitivity and connection to one (or more) of those Orisa at the time that we choose to come into the world (again).

(16) You need have no fear!

Trusting in the Unseen can be difficult even for those of us who are sincere believers. Trusting in Ifa in the face of fear is the way to eventually overcome your fears and strengthen your faith in the Unseen. Remember the story about The Thief that I shared back in my April Post. Certainly the man who Ifa told to go out and steal like his father before him was filled with fear about following Ifa’s guidance. But he faced his fear with the support of his wife, and learned from his experience that Ifa does not lie and Orisa never break their promises! The way is not always straight but you need have no fear!

B’ao ku ishe o tan!
When there is life, there is still hope!

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)

Reference: The Way of the Orisa – Empowering Your Life Through the Ancient African Religion of Ifa, Philip John Neimark aka Fagbamila, Oluwo of Ifa, Harper-SanFrancisco, ISBN: 0-06-250557-2

Sixteen Truths of Ifa (Part I)

Ire ati Ayo Omo Orisa!

Good Tidings and Joyfulness!

If our foresight was perfect we would have no need for Faith, life could not offer us a challenge, and we could not grow! Olodumare has challenged everything and has also provided a way for everything to succeed. For the plants, animals, insects, the earth, sun, moon, and stars Olodumare’s command is for them to act according to their nature, the nature in which they were created. You and I are also given the same command but our nature is more dynamic, more complex than the nature of other things. We are not separate from them but we are different in that we can make choices that no other thing can make. Because of the complexity of the human drama, Olodumare gave us a Path to follow that can assist us in avoiding, evading, deflecting, and blocking unanticipated or undesired events and circumstances. That Path is Ifa! Lets consider 16 Truths of Ifa.

(1)    There is a single God!

There are many who draw a sharp dichotomy between the so-called Monotheistic (believing in One God) and Polytheistic (believing in many Gods) religions. In Ifa, as in other indigenous belief systems, there is a Single Supreme God. This Supreme God then orchestrates creation through forces, agency, and agents. There is no real distinction to be made here. Both Monotheistic and Polytheistic religions believe in an Omnipotent Sentient Being who works through forces, agency, and agents.

(2)    There is no Devil!

Although Ifa exposes and addresses all of the frailties of humans it does not proclaim us to be born sinners or born in sin (Original Sin). Quite the opposite! The History and Corpus of Ifa make it clear the humans can be grand beings with the potential to ascend into ascendant beings. We are not created to be victims of God’s wrath! We are created to fulfill the legacy of creation, to choose to overcome the forgetfulness brought on by the dynamics of the L’oja (marketplace), and to live in harmony with the agency and agents of Olodumare.

(3)    There is no Predestination!

Except for the day you were born and the day you are supposed to die, there is no single event in your life that cannot be forecast and, when necessary, changed. That means your fate in this life is dependent on your choices. Ifa points out to you what those choices are in any given situation.

(4)     It is your birthright to be happy, successful, and fulfilled!

There is the potential for good and the potential for bad in the L’oja. Ifa provides the navigational system to fulfill your birthright and achieve happiness, success, and fulfillment in this life. Ifa says, Ohun Ori wa se, koma ni s alai se eo! What Ori comes to fulfill, it cannot but fulfill it! You and I are born to be successful in fulfilling our chosen Destinies.

(5)    You should grow and obtain wisdom during the process!

Creation and the life that we share are full of mysteries and layers upon layers of spiritual wisdom and temporal knowledge that embrace and reinforce each other. We are not here to waste time in foolish things. That does not mean that we should not take time out to have fun. We should! But we should also keep uppermost in our mind that knowledge is power and is necessary to manage a world.

(6)    You are reborn through your blood relatives!

This is the reason you must pursue knowledge while on your journey. And the reason you should never feel alone. Your Egun, Ancestors from generations and ages ago are with you as you make this journey! Accumulated knowledge can travel back with you each time you return. Imagine that you could give birth to your great-great-grandfather as he returns into the world carrying the wisdom of all of his rebirths (much of it to be forgotten in the birthing process). And imagine that one day in the future one of your descendants will give birth to you as you too make your return journey.

(7)    Heaven is Home, the Earth is the marketplace!

Ifa says, Aye L’oja, Orun N’ile! The World is the Marketplace, The Spirit World is Home! Our journey is cyclical between interconnected realities. We move from home to the world and return home again before returning to this world or realm. We choose to come!

(8)    You are part of the universe in a literal, not figurative, way!

In the beginning there was nothing but the Ase, the Black Material of the Darkness from which all things come. It first manifested sentience and the Ase became self-aware, Olodumare. From this beginning all things have come into existence according to a plan. That plan is essentially the same for all things – interconnected, interrelated, and interdependent.

We’ll discuss the next eight Truths next month!

B’ao ku ishe o tan!
When there is life, there is still hope!

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)

Reference: The Way of the Orisa – Empowering Your Life Through the Ancient African Religion of Ifa, Philip John Neimark aka Fagbamila, Oluwo of Ifa, Harper-SanFrancisco, ISBN: 0-06-250557-2

The Way Is Not Always Straight

Ire ati Ayo Omo Orisa! 

Good Tidings and Joyfulness!

In my last Post we spoke about your Destiny and your Fate, and the role your Ori plays in assisting you to align your Choices and therefore your Fate (the consequence of your choices) with your Destiny. When you consult Ifa to assist you in that alignment the guidance you are given may not always make sense to you. After all, if it all made sense you would have had no need to consult in the first place. Ifa does not challenge you but life does and so the journey that your take in following Ifa’s guidance may not be along a straight and smooth road. Perhaps a story can help to clarify this important point.

Your brain thrives on associative links, your mind needs to complete pictures, and your imagination loves stories. The 256 Orisa Odu provide the seeker with wisdom and guidance in the form of stories that are at once the Yoruba history of the beginning, and a library of metaphors and analogies that give insight and solutions to the affairs of human beings. Bi owe, bi owe, ru Ifa soro! (Like proverbs, like proverbs, is how Ifa speaks) This is one of the stories the late Baba Chief Adelekan shared during his visit with me. Where the commentary On Becoming A Babalawo speaks to the training, responsibilities, and character of the Babalawo, this story speaks to the faith that one must be able to place in Olodumare, Orisa, Egun, and the Babalawo.

The Thief

There was a man and his wife who lived in a prosperous town.  A town that was prosperous for everyone but him. Everywhere he looked the people were flourishing, but his own condition remained the same - poor. In time the man's condition drove him to consult with his Babalawo. Ifa advised that in order to be successful the man had to follow in the profession of his father. This honest man was somewhat confounded by the Ifa reading and went home to discuss the matter with his wife.

How can you follow in the footsteps of your father, she asked - when your father was a thief? The man, sincere in his faith, and his wife, sincere in her love, agreed that he should follow the instructions of the Babalawo. They devised a plan. The man would travel to the nearby town, enter the king's palace, and steal something of great value. One night the man snuck into the king's chambers. Meanwhile, the king had taken a younger wife and was spending private time with her in another room. However, the king's other wives were quite jealous and angry over his decision and actions, and were devising a plan to poison the king.

As the man snuck into the king's chamber, the group of angry wives came in and he hid in the ceiling rafts. As he hung above their head, he heard their plan and saw them place poison in the king's food. When the king returned, the wives began encouraging him to eat. As the king got ready to put some of the poison food in his mouth, the man fell from the ceiling. Everyone jumped back in surprise. The king demanded the man's identity and an explanation for his presence in the king's palace and chamber. The man explained his circumstance and what he had overheard.

In gratitude for saving his life, the king gave the man both wealth and status, and he was allowed to return home to his wife.

What a wonderful reminder that Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors have no desire to harm us. Like the circumstances of my Journey to Ile-Ife, the Path that Ifa chooses for us to arrive at our intended destination may not be straight, and in fact may sometimes look like we are being asked to travel in the opposite direction. In this story, the man’s physical Ori asked him, how could you, an honest man, become a thief? His Spiritual Ori asked how could you, a faithful man, not follow the guidance of Ifa?

I tell my spiritual godchildren:

Trust the Process!
Ifa does not lie!
Orisa never break their promises!

Certainly the decision that the man and his wife came to was not made easily. Their decision was made based on their faith in Ifa, and the knowledge that what the man’s Ori permits to come through in the reading is intended to guide him toward his destiny. Certainly the man and his wife had to overcome their fears and practical concerns in order to choose. That is what we each have to do each and every day of our lives. We have to choose!

B’ao ku ishe o tan!
When there is life, there is still hope!

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)

Your Destiny and Your Fate

Ifokanbale! Peace of Mind from Olodumare!

Many of the inquiries that I receive are from individuals who are seeking to discover or confirm the Orisa that Crown their Ori. Many other questions have to do with how one can know when they are On Path to fulfill their Destiny. Although Ifa can provide us with the answer to these questions through the use of Divination, the craft of the Babalawos, Iyalorishas, Priests, and Priestesses, many of us live in areas where such assistances is not available. How unfair it would be, not simply unfair but unjust, for the Olodumare to put the longing for Ifa in your heart and then to not provide you with a means of satisfying that longing? No soul is abandoned in this world. We all have the opportunity and means to be guided if we seek guidance. That opportunity and means are provided to you by your Ori, your direct link to the Spiritual World (Orun).

Orimi Apere!
My Ori, Carrier of my Destiny!

According to Ifa, before you came into the world you chose your Ori, your Orisa(s), and a purpose for coming (your Destiny).  Your Ori is the divine guardian of your commitment to fulfill your Destiny. It is your Ori that whispers to you while you are in the process of making your choices once you come into this world (L’oja – the marketplace). Your Ori is always trying to guide you toward your Destiny with the least amount of deviation from the Path that has been prescribed for you. It is your Ori, not your Orisa that is the Carrier of your Destiny. Your Orisa and their helpers and allies assist you by carrying out the will of your Ori or that which your Ori permits.

Orimi Apesin!
My Ori, the Most Precious!

For the abovementioned reason, your Ori is the Most Precious thing that you brought with you into the world. It is the first that you should call to in the morning and the last that you should speak to at night. A believer once asked me, where is Olodumare in our prayers and consciousness. My answer, your Ori is your direct link to the Creator and the purpose behind your existence. Olodumare is the One who instructed Ajala to fashion Oris so that this link or connection between the Creator and His creations could be inviolate. When you acknowledge your Ori you are also paying Homage to the One Who is the Author of your existence. We call Olodumare’s name and pay Homage to Olorun as the Creator. We demonstrate that our acknowledgement and praise is sincere by following the protocols that the Creator has put in place for our assistance and success in this world. That means call on your Ori, paying homage to Orisa and calling on them for assistance through your prayers (aduras) and sacrifices (ebos), and turning to your priests or Babalawos when their expertise and special knowledge is required to seek Orunmila’s guidance. Ultimately, in order for your prayers, ebos, or divinations to be of any positive consequence they must be in harmony with your Ori, the Carrier of your Destiny! The Most Precious!

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

Ori comes to fulfill a chosen Destiny. The concept of Destiny is challenging for many people. First you have to get past the issue of predestination, the idea of the divine foreordaining of all that will happen, which of course flies in the face of the notion of free will and choice. The second obstacle that the concept of Destiny presents is expressed in the second question I mentioned above – how do I know if I am fulfilling my Destiny? Destiny and predestination is not the same thing. Where predestination implies an absolute framework for every cause and consequence, Destiny implies that there are certain events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future. It refers to the hidden power that controls what will happen in the future. As believers in Ifa, we believe that we each come into the world to fulfill a certain destiny, Your Destiny, My Destiny. In other words, there are certain things that you WILL experience, do, and accomplish in life because they are the reason that you chose to come.

Destiny

Many of us think of our Destiny as some grand threshold that we will cross and all of a sudden life will be different, everything will become clear, and there will be loud music playing in the background in celebration of our grand accomplishment. Maybe, but not necessarily so! Your Destiny always lies before you and yet you are living it everyday. Think about that for a while! Your Destiny involves the things you say and do, the people you meet, the goals you achieve, the challenges you overcome, the hard lessons you learn, and everything else that is a part of your everyday life. The final chapter of your Destiny is not written when you reach some professional goal, receive some public acknowledgment, or retire from the last job you’ll ever work. The final chapter is not written until you complete your journey in the L’oja and return to Orun N’ile (Home in Heaven). Your Destiny is about the life that you live everyday because just as other people are being used to help you remember and fulfill the purpose of your journey, you are also here doing the same thing for other people. People that you meet and interact with everyday in dozens of difference circumstances.

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

Fate

Often people use the terms destiny and fate interchangeably. We should make a clear distinction between the two terms. Your Destiny is the motivating force for your journey in the world. Your Spiritual Ori (inner head) is the Carrier of your Destiny and speaks to you with feelings, impulses, tendencies, desires, wishes, ideas, and inclinations to move and guide you towards Your Destiny. But! You have a Spiritual Ori and a Physical Ori! Your physical Ori is that which binds your consciousness to the world (L’oja) and it is subject to the influences of the marketplace. The challenge confronting all of us is to align the Choices of our physical Ori with the guidance of our Spiritual Ori. Our Destiny lies before us, our Fate (the consequences of our choices) emerges from our past, and destiny and fate overlap in the present. You are living your Destiny and shaping your Fate everyday with every choice.

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)

How Ifa Speaks: The Sacred Odu Ifa

Alafia Omo Orisa! Ifokanbale!

The work of the Emese and the Isoro Traditional Council of Chiefs as the Caretakers, Guardians, and Repository of the Ifa Tradition of Orisa and Ancestor Worship continues amidst considerable social and political turmoil in Nigeria. We pray that Olodumare, Orisa, Irunmoles, and Ancestors protect them while they are awake and while they sleep. Ase! Ase! Ase!

The Council recently sent me the first part of a series of teachings on the History of the Sixteen Major Odu Ifa. You’ll find a link to the Emese Library at the bottom of this Post. The information in the Emese Library is presented without comment and edited only for punctuation and formatting. The Ile Awo Orisa Blog is a good place for us to explore our thoughts, comments, and questions that the library materials evoke.

Bi owe, bi owe, ru Ifa soro!
Like proverbs, like proverbs is how Ifa Speaks!

The Orisa Orunmila, also called Ifa, is the Source of the Ifa Literary Corpus. The Odu Ifa are called the children of Orunmila. The Sacred Odus and the Ese Ifa (Ifa verses) within them were caused to be by Olodumare for the purpose of helping Orunmila in the human world for the mission he is being sent from Orun, that is, to assist humans in achieving their chosen destinies. Orunmila and the Odus accomplish this task by speaking to us in proverbs and using the Orisas, humans, objects, animals, plants, birds, insects, trees, and other aspects of nature to teach us through the example of others. Even the Sacred Odus themselves are part of the exemplary tales in the Sacred Oracles of Ifa.

The history begins by telling us that ‘things are subject to change’. This fact is made clear because according to the history Olodumare changed the order of the Odus after testing their character and Ori. The order of the Odus, according to the Sacred Order of Orunmila was based on the behaviors and choices of the Odus. So it is with you and me! In Ifa we believe that our journey in life depends on both predestination (the choices we made in heaven before coming into the world) and individual effort (the choices we make once we come into the world). As you read the history of how Eji Ogbe came to be the first of the Sixteen Major Odu Ifa the importance of your and my individual choices will become very clear. In Ifa, predestination is always associated with Ori (inner head), and Ori is considered to be the symbol of the power of free choice that you received in heaven before making your journey. You will also be able to see How Ifa Speaks to us in the Ifa Literary Corpus.

In Ifa, we also have a strong belief in the existence of supernatural powers that can affect our lives for better or for ill. Your Ori is your guide to assist you in maintaining the support of the good supernatural powers, the gods (Orisa) and the Ancestors (Oku Orun). It is also your means of protection from the negative (evil) supernatural powers, the Ajogun (the Belligerent Enemies of Humans) and the Eniyan or Eleye (Witches). When you read the History of Oyeku Meji you will see how Ifa reminds you that your life in this world requires that you interact with these supernatural powers in order to achieve your destiny. This Odu Ifa talks more about heaven and death. Just as Eji Ogbe is more concerned about the earth, so Oyeku Meji is more concerned about heaven. Together they show you the two legs that you must stand on in order to successfully walk your path in life and achieve your chosen destiny.

Iba se Orunmila, e leri ipin, ibekeji Olodumare!
Homage to Orunmila, Witness of Fate, Second to the Creator!

Link to Emese Library

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)

Making A Difference: Compassion

Ifokanbale Omo Orisa! 

Although the Ifa New Year is in June of each year let me wish a Blessed and Prosperous New Year 2012 of the solar year.

This is a first for me! My only appeal to you over the past year of this Blog has been for your comments. In this Post I want to ask for your assistance in a small charitable act. If you have read Day 5 of my Journey to the Root you will remember Baba Adelekan’s appeal and mission to turn the attention of the worldwide community of Ifa devotees towards the Sacred Shrines, Groves, Temples, and Icons of the Ifa Tradition, all of which are in need of restoration and upkeep. Every religious or spiritual community holds dear that which lay at the root of their tradition and beliefs. Baba asked why should the worldwide community of Ifa devotees be any different in their devotion to the Source? As you know from my journal and the Ile Awo Orisa web site Dedication his words left a very deep impression on me and set the course of the past 10 years of my life.

Having traveled to Nigeria I know something of the conditions there and can only imagine how difficult things are in the present climate of political and religious conflict. The Emese and Isoro Council maintain the indigenous culture and the Ifa community tries to remain distant from the social chaos. It is sometimes easy for you and I to forget how difficult daily life is for our Ifa brothers and sisters around the world and in Nigeria in particular. Every now and then you might catch something in the news that causes you to reflect and then the moment is gone. I had an experience a few months ago that brings me to this particular Post on Making A Difference.

Only two members of the Isoro Council use computers and cell phones. The Emese and Isoro Council are the Repository, Caretakers, and Guardians of the Ifa Tradition and Culture and still live in the ways of our most ancient of ancestors. My contact with the Emese is through them. A few months ago I received several emails from Baba Ayobamidele in which many of the words were misspelled. We had corresponded many times before and I knew his command of the language. As I got to the end of the letter I read, please excuse the misspelled words. Some of the keys on this computer do not work. (I’ve translated so you do not have to decipher the original email.) It was one of those moments that remind you how different life can be for people around the world, and how blessed you may be in your own circumstance as compared with others.  It flashed through my mind how far my contacts have to travel to the University even to get access to a computer. It was like when I came back from Southeast Asia, witnessing the level of austerity and poverty, and then coming home witnessed the absolute lack of appreciation and sense of entitlement on the part of many people in the US, young and old.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Compassion is an elevated level of empathy that brings about a desire and determination to make a difference in the conditions or circumstances of another, to assist them in mitigating their difficulties, pain, or suffering, to help them alter their reality. When I read Baba’s apology for the condition of the computer I experienced compassion for his circumstance and immediately felt the desire to make a difference. I thought it would be wonderful if I could send two or four new or used laptop computers to the Isoro Council so that our ongoing communication would not be so difficult. Then I thought if I could do it myself I would without hesitation but since I’m not able to do it myself let me appeal to my readers. There must be thousands of readers (six degrees of separation) who have upgraded to a new computer and still have that older but fully functional model lying around being unproductive. We only need two to four!

Got any ideas? Or maybe you are one of those people and want to and can make a difference. If you would like to help in this small but very meaningful charitable act to support your access to the Emese, the Repository of the Ifa Tradition and Culture please email me.

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)