Ifa: The Spiritual Tradition of Orisa and Ancestor Worship
Ifa and Orisa Worship, Part V
April 2018
Homage To The One Who Sends and to those who are sent! Homage to Orisa and Egun!
Ifokanbale Omo Orisa! Peace of Mind from Olodumare Children of Orisa!
Ire ati Ayo!
Good Tidings and Joyfulness!
I honor your gods, I drink from your wells, I bring an undefended heart to our meeting place. I have no cherished outcomes, I will not negotiate by withholding, and I am not subject to disappointment. I am here! And They are all here with me! Ase! Ase! Ase!
Lord of my Ancestors, I have no knowledge except that which is given to me through inspiration, that which is sent to me by way of an angel, and that which I am blessed to acquire by way of some discipline. I thank you for guiding my words, my thoughts, and my actions so that all that I say and do may serve to point the seekers in the right direction. Ase! Ase! Ase!
The Ifa Spiritual Tradition of Orisa and Ancestor Worship has persisted for thousands of years, among millions of people, across multiple generations. The reason that it has persisted is simple. It is because Ifa brings to devotees and even to non-devotees a volume of knowledge and protocols of behavior that are effective in helping us to explore the possibilities, understand the mysteries, seize the opportunities, and overcome the challenges of everyday life. As I have stated in previous Posts, ‘Religion is not an end in itself! It is a means to an end!” And that end is the ongoing pursuit of joy, happiness, and success that is in the nature of every human being. In my personal experience, and from the experiences reported to me directly by my Spiritual Godchildren and others, Ifa delivers! (See, The Purpose of Religion, Parts I, II, & III, September, October, and November 2017 Posts).
In fact, the word ‘religion’ does not provide a comprehensive enough representation of the Ifa Spiritual Tradition. Yes, the Ifa tradition has its beliefs, its holidays, its rituals and ceremonies, and its priesthood, like other ‘religious’ systems. But Ifa is indigenous, originating and developing naturally among the Yoruba people of what today is Nigeria, West Africa in the ancient and sacred city of Ile-Ife. The Yoruba are the largest population of Black Africa and the creators of one of the most far-reaching cultural traditions to have spread across the modern world. The Yoruba believe that they are descendants of gods and goddesses dating back to the time when these spiritual entities inhabited the earth and lived in the midst of human beings. For more on this particular point, visit the Emese Library and read the section About the Emese.
Unlike other ‘religious’ traditions that tend to position the followers as helpless and often unworthy creatures, and to focus the attention of the believers on a life after death and on an unseen God passing judgments and decrees from somewhere up in the sky, Ifa provides us with a down-to-earth navigation system for tapping into the Ase (spiritual power) that exists in every aspect of creation, inanimate objects, insects, plants, animals, environmental and cosmic forces, universal laws, and scientific knowledge. Ifa empowers the devotee to act as Eda ti Orisun (a creature of the Source), Omo ti Orisun (a child of the Source), and Iranse ti Orisun (a servant of the Source). Ifa provides a dynamic strategy for the devotee to follow. That blueprint includes the use of:
Logic – reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity (does it work).
Intuition – the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.
Insight – the ability to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing without clear or explainable reasons.
Inspiration – being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative (divine influences).
Linear and non-linear reasoning – the ability to reason with, or without, progressing from one sequential stage to another. The ability to make use of rational and non-rational reasoning.
Objective and subjective observations – the ability to observe the phenomenal world with, or without, being influenced by personal feelings, or opinions, in considering and representing facts.
Material and spiritual practices – relating to the tangible and intangible aspects of reality.
As human beings we have been given all of these mental and energetic tools to assist us in navigating our journey through life. Ifa not only recognizes these gifts, talents, and capacities but also encourages their use. As mentioned in previous Posts, it is the role of our Spiritual Ori to activate these capacities and the role of our physical Ori to carry them out. It is the role of the Orisa to support the will of our Ori, with Egungun (the Spirit of our Ancestors) acting like a strong breeze in the sail of our boat. There are 401 Orisa in the Ifa Corpus but there are only a few who have the responsibility of Crowning the Head of a devotee and supporting the will of their Ori. These primary supporting Orisa are Eshu Elegba, Obatala, Yemoja, Ogun, Oya, Shango, Oshun, and the Prophet of Ifa, Orisa Orunmila. The Orisa are often compared with angels when trying to help the uninitiated to understand the Ifa tradition, but in reality, in the Ifa Spiritual Tradition, the Orisa are viewed as gods, and of those just mentioned, the most important are Orunmila (the god of divination, and the Keeper of the Secrets of Existence) and Eshu Elegba (the Guardian of the Gates of Good and Bad Fortune, the Keeper of the Ase of the Orisa, the god of the crossroads, of choice, chance, and change, and the Messenger of Olodumare, Egun, and Orisa).
Eshu is considered to be the closest to Orunmila among all of the Orisa. However, it should be noted that there is not a clear hierarchy among the Yoruba deities and the expression ‘most important’ must be taken as relative and conditional or circumstantial (depending on the situation or matter at hand). Because Eshu is the Keeper of the Ase of the Orisa, his approval must be sought in order for anything to happen, i.e. in order for the other Orisa to exercise their powers. This establishes the important relationship between Orunmila and Eshu, and it is for this reason that when Orunmila declares through divination that an ebo must be performed, it is Eshu that receives the largest portion of the offerings.
Divination is central to the Ifa Tradition and to the relationship between Ori, Egun, and Orisa. Through the use of divination the devotee can find meaning and purpose in the resolving the energies of the past, navigating the choices of the present, and anticipating and shaping the conditions of the future.
An Ifa poem states:
Ifa ki I’oni,
Ifa lo I’ola,
Ifa lo I’otunla pelu e,
Orunmila lo n’ijo mereerin Oosa d’aaye.
Ifa is the master of today,
Ifa is the master of tomorrow,
Ifa is the master of the day after tomorrow.
To Ifa belongs all the four days
Established by Oosa on earth.
When a child is born in the Ifa Tradition, the Yoruba consult Ifa to determine the Orisa(s) that will ‘crown the head’ of the child and support them throughout their journey in the world. Divination will be used throughout life to seek the guidance and support of Ori, Egun, and the Orisa(s) in all important decisions and affairs, like sickness, taking a journey, deciding on family matters, occupation and work issues, and whatever else the devotee considers important or about which they feel a degree of uncertainty. In the Yoruba Spiritual Tradition, Orunmila (also called Ifa) acts as the intermediary between the devotee, the other gods, and the ancestors. In other words, Orunmila is the manager of the entire system of interaction between the physical and spiritual realms.
To be continued:
Ref: Ifa: An Exposition of Ifa Literary Corpus, by Wande Abimbola, Athelia Henrietta Press, 1997 ISBN: 1-890157-00-7
Aajiirebi! May the Unblemished Cloth of Orunmila Continue to cloth us with the Wisdom Of the Here and the Hereafter!
Ase! Ase! Ase!
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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!
