Rules For Ifa Divination

[XXPANTHAXX]

Orthodox perspectives of ancient African spirituality say that in order for people to communicate with the Orisa Baba Orunmila, one must be initiated to Ifa. Traditionally speaking this is very important in order to gain the ability to perform divination or readings for others. For many people, the spiritual readings consist of little more than fortune telling. People will try to get a reading to determine who they should marry or where they should live or what kind of car they should buy. Marry the person who best reflects your goals in life. Live where you can afford and is most convenient to your lifestyle. Buy a car you can afford. No one needs divination for such rudimentary questions. And Orunmila, assistant to the Supreme Being Olodumare, doesn’t have time to spoon feed people answers for things that really don’t matter.

The objective of any true reading from Orunmila is to help an individual develop his or her spirituality. The development of spirituality is paramount to our time here on Earth. Spirituality helps prepare us for the next phase of our existence that comes when we pass away and lose our grip on this thing we call life. To not properly prepare means that we cannot advance. We will flunk. And when we fail to develop, like in grade school we are held back and will have to take another stab at this level of existence again and again until we get it right. Readings are how we get instructions to make improvements in our character where we are lacking. Readings are important in this day and age where there is so much pressure to conform to the materialism of the modern day world. Divination and readings are very important.

The people who perform these readings, the diviners, have a very important role to fill. The diviner’s main concern is supposed to be to help guide people along their path of spiritual development. But many times the diviner can get distracted. The client that comes in for a reading is going to pay good money for their reading. If a diviner doesn’t meet the client’s expectations they just might take their business elsewhere. If a client wants to contact Orunmila to find out if it will be okay to buy that Escalade with the twenty two inch chromed wheels then take the money and tell them they have the blessing from Ifa. Obviously, in order to develop spirituality, the client must see the folly of chasing material goods. No real divination is needed to answer that question. But there are diviners who take their ability much more seriously. And there are clients who take the opportunity for divination a lot more seriously as well.

Traditionally speaking the person who becomes a diviner must be initiated to Ifa. The person who wants to be a diviner must be initiated as a child of Orunmila. There are a number of steps and prerequisites that must be satisfied in order to reach this level of spiritual development. But it culminates in somebody who has already been initiated getting paid handsomely to perform an initiation ceremony for the client. The entire process can take a seriously long time and cost a good sized fortune. Ask just about anyone who studies the old school ways of Ifa and they’ll tell you that only people who pay for the initiation ceremony and jumps through these hoops will be able to communicate with Orunmila and learn the secrets to divination. And the way the vast majority of people practice divination is that they get out a special tray or some obi or some ikin or an opele chain or some other medium where they can throw trinkets like dice on a craps table.

The problem with this line of thinking is that if Orunmila wanted to communicate with somebody today, he may not be in the mood to wait for somebody to study all the teachings that other people say must be studied and pay all the money that other people say must be paid in order to get some initiation ceremony performed. If Baba Orunmila wants to communicate with you, chances are he’s got what it takes to bypass all the human trappings that people say must be done. And if Orunmila really wanted to bad enough he wouldn’t wait for the individual to find his dice to make a roll. Orunmila has so many ways to at his disposal to make an appearance to an individual’s consciousness that it boggles the mind. Orunmila is the assistant to the Supreme Being for god’s sake (pun intended). He is the master of fate. He isn’t limited to the rules of communication that we apply to ourselves. And to be honest, we are not limited to the rules we place on each other either.

Conversely, simply because we’ve gone through all the hoops that the community of Ifa worshippers says are necessary in order to become a diviner doesn’t automatically make us a diviner. A person can study odu verses and spiritual text from now until the end of time. However, if the individual s not right in his or her relationship with Orunmila, if they do not embrace social consciousness, if the person does not practice personal integrity, Orunmila would not trust that individual to be his manifestation of spiritual instruction. It wouldn’t matter of the individual had the biggest Orisa pots, the shiniest opele chain, or the biggest Orisa shrine, Orunmila would only be wasting his time with the person who manipulates others in the name of Ifa. And while these people think they are getting over, Orunmila is not a fool. Only people with the fortitude to maintain their good character will have his trust to guide others. And those that are diviners for their own selfish purposes will have to account for their actions.

Like most of the rules we’ve learned about African based spirituality, the limitations we put on ourselves are not based on spiritual fact but on the opinions or ideas that somebody with a little clout got in their head a long time ago and managed to push onto others until it become accepted as law. We have been hoodwinked into thinking that we have to live by each others rules. We have been duped into thinking that the Orisas are limited by our rules. Students of Ifa need to unlearn the box of boundaries we have put on our selves for it is not a natural construct of our relationship with the spiritual world.

[XXPANTHAXX]

Name 1 2 3 4
Ogbe I I I I
Oyẹku II II II II
Iwori II I I II
Odi I II II I
Ọbara I II II II
Ọkanran II II II I
Irosun I I II II
Iwọnrin II II I I
Ogunda I I I II
Ọsa II I I I
Irẹtẹ I I II I
Otura I II I I
Oturupọn II II I II
Ika II I II II
Ọsẹ I II I II
Ofun II I II I
Sixteen Principal Afa-du
(Yeveh Vodoun)
Name 1 2 3 4
Gbe-Meji I I I I
Yeku-Meji II II II II
Woli-Meji II I I II
Di-Meji I II II I
Abla-Meji I II II II
Akla-Meji II II II I
Loso-Meji I I II II
Wele-Meji II II I I
Guda-Meji I I I II
Sa-Meji II I I I
Lete-Meji I I II I
Tula-Meji I II I I
Turukpe-Meji II II I II
ka-Maji II I II II
Ce-Meji I II I II
Fu-Meji II I II I

Ifá is a system of divination that originated in West Africa among the Yoruba ethnic groups. It is also practiced among believers in Lucumi, (sometimes referred to as Santería), Candomblé, West African & Diaspora Vodoun, and similarly transplanted Orisa'Ifa lineages in the New World. In Togo, it is known as Afa, where the Vodou deities come through and speak. In many of their Egbes, it is Alaundje who is honored as the first Bokono to have been taught how to divine the destiny of humans using the holy system of Afa. Interestingly enough, the Ewe spelling “Afa ” is also a sacred Dravidian (Tamul, Afro-Elamite) word meaning “breath, or spirit of life” (Massey, 1994 p. 245). The Ifa Divination system was added in 2005 by UNESCO to its list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity". This article is about the religious practice of divination. ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... The Yoruba (Yorùbá in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (ede Yorùbá). The Yoruba constitute approximately 21 percent of Nigerias total population,[1] and around 30 million individuals throughout the region of... Lucumi is another common name for the Yoruba religion. ... “Lukumiâ€� redirects here. ... Ilê Axé Iya Nassô Oká - Terreiro da Casa Branca Candomblé is an African religion practiced chiefly in Brazil but also in adjacent countries. ... The term Voodoo (Vodun in Benin; also Vodou or other phonetically equivalent spellings in Haiti; Vudu in the Dominican Republic) is applied to the branches of a West African ancestor-based religious tradition with primary roots among the Fon-Ewe peoples of West Africa, in the country now known as... This article is about the type of spirit. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Map showing the Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage by country designation as of 2005: red (countries with 4 designations), orange (3), yellow (2) and green (1). ...
Contents

* 1 Overview of divination system
* 2 Divination process
* 3 Odu Ifa
* 4 Vocabulary
* 5 Names
* 6 Resources
* 7 External links

Overview of divination system

The Yoruba divination system enabled diviners to invoke Orunmila, the Yoruba deity of wisdom, prophecy and ethics, and Esu (Eshu), who as messenger of the gods lends his authority or ase to the oracle for the purpose of clarifying the future and providing direction to those seeking guidance. Ifa divination rites provide an avenue of communication between the spirit world and that of the living. The mythology of the Yorùbá is sometimes claimed by its supporters to be one of the worlds oldest widely practised religions. ... This article is about the religious practice of divination. ... In Yoruba mythology, Orunmila is an Orisha (Orisa), and deity of prophecy. ... Look up deity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Esu is an alternate spelling for the Yoruban god Eshu ESU is also an abbreviation for: East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania The English-Speaking Union Electrostatic unit, an alternate name for the statcoulomb Electrical Safety Upgrade Elite Strike Unit Emergency Service Unit Enormous State University Electrosurgical Unit, an alternate name... Eshu represented in concrete with his features made with cowrie shells. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...


Performing Ifa divination is called Dida Owo. Dida Owo is performed only by an initiated priest called a Babalawo (male Ifa priest), sometimes called Awo. Babalawo is directly translated as "father of the secrets". It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Iyanifa. ...


Divination process

Special instruments are used to assist in the divination to transcribe Orunmila's wisdom through the diviner. The items used for divination include: In Yoruba mythology, Orunmila is an Orisha (Orisa), and deity of prophecy. ...

* a group of sixteen Ikin, commonly known as palm nuts, which are used to create binary data
* a vessel for the seeds
* a divination tray (opon Ifa).
* a tapper instrument (iroke Ifa)
* beaded belts for the babalawo to wear.

The tray and tapper are used in Ifa divination, a central ritual within Yoruba religion. This tray, adorned with carved images and dusted with powder, serves as the template on which sacred signs (odu) related to the personal concerns of a diviner's client are traced as the point of departure for analysis. In contrast to those transitory signs, the more permanent backdrop of the carved motifs on the tapper and tray constitutes an artistic exegesis of the forces that shape human experience and the universal needs fulfilled by such quests for enlightenment. Species Elaeis guineensis Elaeis oleifera The oil palms (Elaeis) coomprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. ... A Hexdump of a JPEG image. ... Exegesis (from the Greek to lead out) involves an extensive and critical interpretation of a text, especially of a holy scripture, such as of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the Talmud, the Midrash, the Quran, etc. ... . It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Spiritual enlightenment. ...


To initiate the ritual, the babalawo places the tray in front of him and taps rhythmically on it with the pointed end of the tapper, invoking the presence of past diviners and of Ifa (also called Orun-mila) the god of divination. A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ...


There are a variety of palm nuts that are available, but only specific kinds may be used for Ifa divination. The palm nuts are grouped in one hand, then the diviner attempts to shift them all to his/her other hand at once, and counts the remaining Ikin left, hopefully to discover that either one or two remain. (Odu, which are the foundation of the binary data, can only be marked with either one or two palm nuts, remaining in the diviner's original hand. As this process goes on, the diviner marks single or double marks in wood powder spread on his divination tray until he or she has created one of the 256 odus that are available.


Each of these odus is associated with a traditional set of Ese (verses), often relating to Yoruba mythology, which explain their divinatory meaning. These verses represent thousands of years of observation and are filled with predictions, and both mundane and spiritual prescriptions that resolve issues found in that Odu. The mythology of the Yorùbá is sometimes claimed by its supporters to be one of the worlds oldest widely practised religions. ...


After obtaining the Odu that governs a situation or event, the diviner then determines whether the Odu comes with Ire (which is poorly translated to mean good luck) or Ibi (which could be viewed as obstacles or impediments to success). After this process the diviner now determined appropriate offerings, spiritual disclipines and/or behavioral changes necessary to bring, keep or compel success for the person receiving divinatory counsel.


Odu Ifa

There are sixteen major Odu, when combined there are total of 256 Odu that govern all situations, all circumstances and all actions and consequences in life. These form the basic of Yoruba spiritual knowledge and the foundation of all Yoruba divination systems.


Interpreting Odu is fairly easy. Where I is an odd count or a "heads" result, and II is an even count or a "tails" result, the sixteen basic patterns and their Yoruba names are set forth in the sidebar.


The babalawo recites a series of proverbs and stories from the Ifa poetry that go with that choice. The final interpretation is made by the person seeking guidance, who decides how the verses that the babalawo has recited should be applied to the problem at hand. Though the number of symbols is different, the Chinese I Ching divination system also bears some resemblance to Ifa divination. Like the Chinese I Ching, Ifa combines a large body of wisdom literature with a system for selecting the appropriate passages from it. Unlike the I Ching, however, Ifa poetry is not written down but passed down orally from one babalawo to another. Alternative meaning: I Ching (monk) The I Ching (Traditional Chinese: 易經, pinyin y jīng; Cantonese IPA: jɪk6gɪŋ1; Cantonese Jyutping: jik6ging1; alternative romanizations include I Jing, Yi Ching, Yi King) is the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. ... Alternative meaning: I Ching (monk) The I Ching (Traditional Chinese: 易經, pinyin y jīng; Cantonese IPA: jɪk6gɪŋ1; Cantonese Jyutping: jik6ging1; alternative romanizations include I Jing, Yi Ching, Yi King) is the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. ... Wisdom literature is the a genre of literature common in the Ancient Near East. ...


Vocabulary

* Awo. Ifa Priest, male or female.

Akapo. Student or apprentice under a Babalawo It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Iyanifa. ...

* Babalawo. Male Ifa Priest
* Bokono. Male Priest of Afa/Vodoun
* Amengansie. Female priestess of Afa/Vodoun
* Iyanifa. Female Ifa Priestess
* Dida Owo. casting Ikin Ifa.
* Ohunte Ale. Inscribing or marking Odu on the Opon Ifa
* Opon Ifa. Divining tray
* Orunmila. Prophet that developed and spread Ifa divination system. Now considered a deified Ancestor that embodies principles of Ifa.
* Orisa. Primordial energies from which all living things emanate from; The Deities that represent various manifestations of the ONE God, Olodumare.
* Iya Nla. Ìyá àgbà, The bearded woman, the Womb of Creation, Womb of existence, the fearful power, the Mother of the closed calabash, the Mother of the gourd, who teach humankind through Awon Iya Wa how to acquire the cosmic knowledge to understand life, balance and the harmony on their life.
* Irunmole. The Primordial deities, first sent to earth to make the world habitable for humankind, also the full spectrum of deities (Orisa) created by Olodumare (the Creator) for worship and veneration numbering 400+1 as an infinite number of natures manifestation and recreation.
* Dafa. means to cast Ikin Ifa (sacared holy palm kernel) for divination purpose and divine direction in life
* Apetebi. is the wife of a Babalawo AND / OR the wife of a Babalawo Ikin Ifa, she is one of the few titled positions within the Yoruba tradition and holds an important position within the tradition and culture, she will assist her husband in the worship and appeasement of his Ifa, and help to teach children the fundaments of worshipping Ifa as a philosophy
* Ayafa. very similar to the Apetebi and can also be Apetebi, but this wife is often "married" to the Ifa of a Babalawo and can also be married to another man, or even a female child before marriage age or the girl child of a Babalawo who by "marrying" to Ifa, this is a symbolic ceremony and will convey certain blessing and protection to the female.

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Iyanifa. ... Iyanifa is a Yoruba title that denotes a Priest of The God or Orisha of Wisdom Orunmila (IFA). ... In Yoruba mythology, Orunmila is an Orisha (Orisa), and deity of prophecy. ... This article is about the type of spirit. ... In Yoruba mythology, Oloddumare is a creative force that drove the establishment of existence and the entire universe. ...
Names

Ifa priests and worshippers among the Yoruba people or those who believe in Ifa bear names related with Ifa, typically, but not necessarily, begin with the word, ‘Ifa’, like Ifadairo, Ifabiyi, Ifadare, Ifabunmi, etc. The first "I" in these names may be omitted to form Fadairo, Fabiyi, Fadare, Fabunmi, Falola, etc. The prefix "Awo" is also used in names ascribing Ifa or its priesthood - Awolalu, Awodele, Awolowo, Awosika, etc.


Resources

* Awo Fasina Falade Ifa: The Key to Its Understanding ISBN 0966313232
* Chief Fama Fundamentals of the Yoruba Religion (Orisa Worship) ISBN 0971494908
* Chief Adedoja Aluko The Sixteen (16) Major Odu Ifa from Ile-Ife ISBN 978373766X
* C. Osamaro Ibie Ifism the Complete Works of Orunmila ISBN 1890157058
* William R. Bascom: Ifa Divination: Communication Between Gods and Men in West Africa ISBN 0253206383
* William R. Bascom: Sixteen Cowries: Yoruba Divination from Africa to the New World ISBN 0253208475
* Awo Fa'Lokun Fatunmbi Awo: Ifa & the Theology of Orisha Divination ISBN 0942272242
* Iyanifa Ileana S. Alcamo "The Challenge growing within the Orisa Community" ISBN 1890157317
* Hunter-Hindrew, Mamaissii V. Mami Wata: Africa's Ancient God/dess Unveiled. 2nd Edition." ISBN 0-9716245-4-2
* Rosenthal, J. ‘Possession Ecstasy & Law in Ewe Voodoo" ISBN 0-8139-1805-7
* Maupoil, Bernard. "La Geomancie L'ancienne Côte des Esclaves
* Alapini, Julien. Les noix sacrées. Etude complète de Fa-Ahidégoun génie de la sagesse et de la divination au Dahomey
* Iyalaja Ileana Alcamo (2007). The Source Iya Nla Primordial Yoruba Mother,Athelia Henrietta Press, Inc.

ISBN 1-890157-41-4

* Dr. Ron Eglash (1997) American Anthropologist Recursion in ethnomathematics, Chaos Theory in West African divination.
* Dr. Reginald O. Crosley (2000) The Voudou Quantum Leap ISBN 1567181732

A plot of the trajectory Lorenz system for values r = 28, σ = 10, b = 8/3 In mathematics and physics, chaos theory describes the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamical systems that under certain conditions exhibit a phenomenon known as chaos. ...
External links

* OrishaNet: First and largest Orisha website written by a Lucumi Babalawo
* The Palo and Lukumi Organization - Website written by Lukumi Orisha-Ifa High Priest, aka: Babalawo
* UNESCO Heritage Masterpieces
* Online simulation of Ifá divination, with the names of the odus
* Ile Orunmila Temple
* Ile Ifa Jalumi
* Ara Ifa: Ijo Orunmila
* Ifá divination tools in African art
* Afa in Mami Wata Yeveh Vodoun
* Iya Nla
* International Council for Ifa Religion The International Council for Ifa Religion