The Thirteenth Truth of Ifa: Our Ancestors exist and must be honored!
May 2020
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!
Thank you for visiting our website and for reading our blog! We pray you find some of what you are seeking to remember.
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 (by choice) 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 as an example. It is by keeping the memory of our Ancestors alive in oral and written tradition, and in ceremonies, that we are able to recognize them when they return. 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 is the Egungun (Spirit of the Ancestors).
Accordingly, the Egun (Ancestors) are always considered to be a positive force in our lives, always working to our benefit. We can choose to honor their legacy, continue its development, and to pass it on to our descendants, or we can choose to break the chain of wisdom that lies waiting to be accessed in every cell of our Ara Ojubo (Body Temple). One of our greatest powers in this reality is our Power to Choose, to Choose to See (ori – sha, to choose – to see). This Truth of Ifa acknowledges and celebrates the eternal presences of Egungun and our ongoing connection to our particular ancestral grouping or lineage.
I have written extensively on the subject of Ancestors and Ancestor Worship in previous Posts. Let me excerpt from some of those previous Posts as a reminder of the fact that ‘Our Ancestors exists and must be honored’.
In Ifa, we believe in the existence of ‘Supernatural Forces’, ‘Spiritual Entities’ that have the capacity to influence our journey in this world. There are both good and evil Supernatural Forces. The good Supernatural Forces are the Orisa (gods) and the ‘Egun’ (Ancestors) and both of these are always working to support our success in life and to protect us from the evil Supernatural Forces as long as we do not neglect to fulfill our duties to our fellow human beings, to the other creatures of the earth, to the environment, to the good Supernatural Entities, and to our Ancestors. Should we fail in our spiritual duties of daily living we can insight the displeasure, even anger of the Supernatural Entities but Ifa offers us a way to appease them through the offering of Ebos and the carrying out of spiritual rituals and ceremonies.
It is certainly worth asking if this current COVID-19 Pandemic is an indication, and example of what can happen and will continue to happen if humanity continues to fail in managing and balancing these Supernatural Forces.
There is an Ifa verse from the Sacred Oracles that translates:
“If one has a problem,
One should take it to one’s ancestors.
He shall protect you;
One’s dead father never fails to protect one.
She shall protect you;
One’s dead mother never fails to protect one. …”
We are never truly alone in this world! We are connected to the past, present, and future just as each cell in our bodies in connected into the oneness that manifests as our physical self.
The ‘good’ Spiritual Entities, gods (Orisa) and Ancestors (Egun) do not work against the interest of human beings and therefore, from the perspective of Ifa, they are regarded as friends, always willing to act to protect us from our own failures and forgetfulness, as well as from the evil Supernatural Powers.
Ifa tells us that whatever our pursuit, whether it be to overcome difficulty, avoid tragedy, or accomplish some desired goal, we should turn first to our own Ori, and second to our Egun (Ancestors).
Ifa looks at the nature of the physical world, the physical universe, and then asks the questions, “How can we act and interact with the essence of this reality in such way that we can live the best possible life?”
“Can metaphysical and spiritual principles influence and affect the physical laws of the universe?”
“Is the physical reality a collection of individual and separate pieces, or is it an integrated whole governed by a unifying principle?”
These are important questions. These are the questions that arise when we begin to understand that life is not something that happening to us, beyond our control, but rather an experience that we are creating through our own choices and ways of thinking about the L’oja (the marketplace).
The cycle of life and death is one of those areas of human concern that extends into the substantial and the insubstantial realities, the physical and the spiritual. The physical aspect of death seems pretty clear. The heart stops beating, the brain and heart stop sending out its bio-electromagnetic signals, the Ase (vital force of life) stops circulating through the body, rigor mortis sets in, and the body begins to decay. The laws of the substantial reality have been satisfied.
What about the insubstantial reality?
Is there something that persists after the death of the body?
Is the body the entire entity or is there something more, something unseen but nonetheless real?
What is the purpose of life, anyway?
Is there something like what we call a soul?
If so, does it die with the body or does it live on in some other reality or dimension of this reality?
Does this soul entity have awareness?
Or, is its very nature awareness, consciousness?
Can we as living beings contact and interact with this the entities of consciousness that exists after the death of the body?
Do these entities have an interest in the activities of the living? Are they able to initiate contact with us?
Ifa declares certain truths to assist us in our life journey.
(1) Our journey in the world does not begin or end with us but is part of a chain of lineage dating back to the very origins of human existence.
(2) Those who have lived this journey before us are still aware, conscious, and caring.
(3) Those who came before us support our success during our journey in this physical reality.
(4) We have a responsibility to acknowledge and honor those who are the predecessors of our lineage, our Egun (Ancestors).
(5) We can and should seek the assistance of our Ancestors in dealing with the circumstances and conditions of our lives.
(6) Past, present, and future are not separate, individuated parts but rather an integrated matrix of divine energies that cannot be divided one from the other.
How do you participate in Ancestor Worship and honor your Egun?
It can be as simple or elaborate as you wish to make it. Pour cool water in a crystal or wooden goblet on a regular basis and thank your Egun for their part in your life and for supporting the will of your Ori. Reserve that goblet exclusive for communion with your Ancestors. Place a small plate at your dinner table and share your meals with your Ancestors by placing a small portion of food in their plate. Reserve that plate exclusively for connecting with your Egun. Call the names of your Ancestors to include them on special occasions and during special ceremonies like weddings, graduation celebrations, and the birth of children. Pictures and an altar for your Egun can be powerful elements of Ancestor Worship but are not a necessary part. The main idea is to be aware, conscious of the insubstantial reality, and to have faith and eventually, the certainty of knowledge that the insubstantial reality can influence and affect the substantial reality.
Isopo is a Yoruba term that means ‘connectivity’ – the state or extent of being connected or interconnected. Things that are connected have access to and the possibility of communication with each other. Things that are connected are linked or related to each other. Things that are in a state of Isopo feel an affinity (a spontaneous or natural liking or empathy for someone or something) with each other. We should always stop and think about the things we believe, why we believe them, and how we understand or perceive the things we believe.
Open up your heart and mind! Expand your sense of self beyond your individuated physical body! Seek the wholeness, the totality of who you are, and in doing so you will unlock the doorway, the vortex through which Egungun can communicate with you.
Egun mi! Mo ni (your name) pele o!
Ma ja kiki won Orun, mo dupe!
Igbo Baba!
Igbo Yeye!
Egun mi! Fi fun mi ni Ori ire, te de iwa pele.
A dupe! A dupe! A dupe!
Ase! Ase! Ase!
My Ancestors! I (…) salute you!
All respect to the powers of Heaven!
Honor to the fathers!
Honor to the mothers!
My Ancestors! Bestow upon me the wisdom to become a person of good character!
I thank you! I thank you! I thank you!
Ase! Ase! Ase!
How do we increase our chances of living a fruitful and successful life. The Fourteenth Truth of Ifa further points the way - Sacrifice guarantees success!
I would love to hear some of your comments, experiences, and questions regarding this Post and process. Please feel free to contact me to share your results with this exercise.
I hope you will reflect on this message and share your comments and questions with me for our future Posts on this and other topics.
Support Ifa
If you would like to donate to any of the annual Festivals or to any of the Ifa Temples, Shrines, School, Electronic Communications Center Initiative, or general funds, please contact me by email and I will provide you with the bank transfer information so that you can make your donation directly and securely.
Karl Stone Art Collection
Another way that you can support the activities of the Ifa Community is by purchasing something from the Karl Stone Art Collection. These Art pieces make beautiful additions to your home decorations, and great gifts for special occasions. A portion of your purchase will be donated to the Isoro Traditional Council of Chiefs in Ile-Ife and a portion to Ile Awo Orisa. (View Art)
Modupe! Thank You!
Aajiirebi! May the Unblemished Cloth of Orunmila Continue to cloth us with the Wisdom Of the Here and the Hereafter!
Ase! Ase! Ase!
Click on the Contact Us link above or below to email your comments or questions.
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!
