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!

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