Contemplations on the Odu Okanran Ogbe (okana sode)

In life, there is very little more dangerous than a true believer
Irrational acts are justified in the name of faith
Blinders allow only a limited view into the nature of things
Heavily tinted glasses change the colors of life
A one dimensional world with no interplay between light and shadow
They live in a painting of a small room, stuck for centuries without change, the same table, the same chair, the same window, the same view
Atheist or theist alike, without fluidity and openness in their views
They paint their canvas with one broad brush stroke, in one color, on one side
Insisting that there is no other possible way to see the world
Gleefully destroying buildings, people, ideas, all while insisting theirs is the only true world view
There is a god
There is no god
I am right
You are wrong
There are only two things we know to be fully true,
We are born
We die
and even those we take on faith
Perhaps we are all just energy
never living or dying,
but simply taking form momentarily
inhabiting a receptacle for the briefest of moments
then discarding that receptacle
and in the moments in between
we are subject to the limitation of the receptacle
unable to fully grasp the enormity of it all
Perhaps
we are just synchronicity
-- Marcos GhostBaba Sanchez

Faith, enlightenment, Ifa and Eji Ogbe

Ifa can only help those seeking enlightenment
If you seek to gain anything but wisdom
You will be like the man who seeks to capture the sun by grasping at it's reflection in the water
For a moment, you may feel as if you succeeded, but when the water becomes still, the sun will re-emerge, leaving you with nothing but a wet hand
If Ifa is all possibility
then it is also possible that it doesn't exist
Faith is not enough, it's a crutch that creates weakness
Enlightenment is the only thing we must seek, even if it leads us to conclusions we are not comfortable with
-- Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

Contemplation on the Odu Oshe Meji (ose meji)

I am at a loss for words
you have me speechless
how can I describe the feelings I have
but to say, seeing you is the dawning of a new day, bright and full of life
your absence brings the darkness of night, where only my dreams bring news of you
You are me, and I am you
forever connected
father
son
I know you will understand my choices... someday
No matter where I am, know that you can always reach inside your heart and I will be there
My blood is your blood
My soul is your soul
We will always be one
Stand on my shoulders and let me lift you above the clouds
So you might soar to places I only dreamed of
I will always love you
as only a father can
forever connected
you are me
and I am you
-- Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

Contemplation on the Odu Iwori Oshe (Iwori wowo)

Money is a courtesan who can not be wooed
No matter the depth of one's love of her, she will not love back
She knows no boundaries and owes allegiance to no one
and yet
when she looks at us, her gaze lulls us into submission
when she speaks, people everywhere stop and listen
when she moves, our bodies and minds fill with thoughts of lust
Her attentions can take a man from obscurity to prominence
but stand in her disfavor and even the most powerful of men crumble
Fickle, no one knows how many her paramours number, and yet, no one cares
She is a poppy, whose sweet nectar can turn a free man to a slave, chasing after an illusion
Be warned, she does not like being second, and her love is fleeting
Once the dance is done, you will find yourself alone on the ballroom floor, grey and withered, only to see her unaged, in the next room surrounded by a pack men all vying for her favor
Money is a courtesan who will not be wooed
-- Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

Contemplation on the Odu Iwori Aweda (Iwori Ogunda)

I was trained to dance, and I danced.
I was trained to play music, and I played.
I was trained to sing, and I sang.
But none of these were my gift, they were merely tricks I learned to perform.  Gifts given to others, though sometimes I'd secretly wished they were mine.
In time my gift appeared to me, a stranger long a part of my life, but never recognized
My gift was the intricate dance of fingers, pen and paper
My gift was the creation of a symphony of ideas
My gift was the voice that changed thoughts into sounds
Sometimes we wish for a gift that was given to another
but in time
with an open heart and mind
we might see the gift that was given to us.
If we are smart enough to recognize that gift
we must fulfill our destiny and give that gift to the world
- Marcos Ifalola Sanchez