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!
Itona, Imoye, ati Opo Ire!
My Olodumare, Orisa, and Ancestors bestow on you
Guidance, Wisdom, and Abundant Blessings!
Adura: An Ifa Prayer Book For Beginners (Preview)
