Contemplations on the responsibility of Ifa

Ifa is not joy, nor is it suffering, but both simultaneously. Ifa is never easy. Initiation into Ifa may be a joyous celebration, but the true practitioner leaves this state quickly only to realize that Ifa is a tremendous burden. Ifa is like the yoke thrown upon an ox who plows forward hoping to make dry earth yield a crop that will nourish the soul of the world.  -- me 

Taking the "I" out of Ori ...

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe,

I should start by saying, that though I try to help others, I probably don't do enough, and I'm certainly not perfect. That said, after spending several years online in various chat rooms, list-servs and websites, to this day it is a rarity to see people talking about community service, charity, the role of the Orisa traditions in helping others, beyond those questions meant to help themselves directly or in-directly. Sure, we see the occasional talk about a sick child/person being helped, even an osha done for "free", or someone in need getting a free reading, but they are overshadowed by what I think of as the Botanica 'buy your solution' mentality.

Perhaps buying our salvation is a self fulfilling destiny in our Botanica consumer culture, which is just an extension of the larger multi-billion dollar self-help industry. Go to the botanica, buy a love candle to get a lover back, don't move on... take a wealth bath and feed Esu, don't work harder and educate yourself...wear an Oshun ileke and attraction perfume to bring new love, don't get yourself out to meet new people and care for your growth...Receive the guerreros and feed Oshoosi to stop that lawsuit/police conviction, don't own up to what you did and lead a good life...kill your enemy using sarabanda, don't press charges or mind your own business or avoid them...The list goes on.

Have we simply created our own multi-million dollar Orisa salvation industry? We'll make you feel good, and give you the answers you want to hear, but not base any of it in reality and tell you the hard things that you yourself need to do? (because then you might not come back to us for more work). Now, Botanica's fill a need as suppliers, but have you seen some of the "candles", "oils" and "baths"? These items create a aura of quick fixes that insidiously and subtly invade our thoughts. Sure there are those that won't accept anything but the mystical help of the "other" to do things for them, but can't that be tempered with sound advice from the oracle like. Get a job...Go for job training...find a different lover...move out...leave your enemy alone, and if they bug you, press charges...find a hobby...better yourself...give to your community...

Certainly not everyone is like this, there are wonderful people in this tradition, some of them own Botanica's. But, has this mentality pervaded our tradition in so many subtle ways that we no longer realize it. Even amongst the priestly ranks the "me" or "I" is prevalent. We see it in these conversations: "my godchild isn't listening to me"...You have to do Osha..Respect my "crown"...I'm "crowned" with XYZ Orisa...I "gave birth" to you...In "MY" ile, this is the right way to do it... So the question needs to be asked, where has the community gone? Where has charity gone? Why are we so focused simply on "crowning"/initiating? To what end does that truly serve? Why is it that we believe that Ebo solves everything? and the most difficult question of all:

Where did we lose focus on development of the self? And when did we forget that we are part of a community and have a responsibility to help others, priest and layperson alike?

Ifa says we are a community, and we have a responsibility to our community. We are not unlike so many of the other religious traditions of west and east, we have a communal calling, we re responsible for more then ourselves, we have simply forgotten it, and as is so easy in our consumer culture, we have focused on our own problems. As priests, we have even more responsibility, not only to help others, but to help others understand that they too are responsible to their greater community at large.

In Osa Ogunda Ifa says:

The anthill is the place of deliberations of the eerun ants.
Asuwa, a grouping together in harmony, is the place of deliberations of human beings.
It was through the principle of grouping together, that the earth was created.
It was through the principle of grouping together, that heaven was created.
And it was in the form of collectivities that beings descended on earth.
All inclusive was the grouping together when beings were first created.
All embracing was the grouping together when beings were completed.
Formed into collectivities were beings, when they rained down on earth.
All goodness became a grouping together in harmony.
The grouping together of the strands of hair covered the head.
The grouping together of hairs on the chin became an object of attention.
The grouping together of trees became a forest.
The grouping together of the eruwa grasses became a savannah.
The grouping together of beehives hold up the roof of the house.
And the grouping together of the Ita ants led to their covering the earth.
Alasuwada, Great Being who creates all beings in groups, we ask you humbly,
That you grant us things gathered in groups
So that they bring together all things good for us.
Bees for swarms
Eeran plants grow together on the farm.
Brooms are formed from bundles of twigs.
Eeran grass grows in bunches on the plains.
And the elegiri birds form flocks

It is as a grouping together that we encounter the grassland
It is as swarms that the locusts consume the farm
It is in several colonies that we find termites in their mounds
It is in groves that we encounter the ekunkun trees on the water's edge
It is in clusters we find oore grass at the riverside
It is in schools that we find egbele fish in the ocean
It is in groups we encounter the dragon fly
And the adosusu leaf is never found alone

Dews pouring lightly, pouring lightly
Were used to create the world
And likewise was done to create the earth.
So that goodness of togetherness could come forth at once.
Indeed all goodness took the form of a gathering together in harmony.

Now, if one Ori encounters good,
It will spread out and touch two hundred
If my Ori is good
It will spread out and touch you
And if your Ori is good,
It will spread out and touch me
For if just one Ori experiences good
It will spread out and touch two hundred.

Asuwa ni toyin
Asuwa leeran nhu ninu oko
Asuwa ni to susu owo
Asuwa leeran nhu ninu aare
Asuwa ni ti elegiri

Asuwa laa bodan
Asuwa lesu nfiijoko
Asuwa opo suu laa ba ikan inu ogan
Asuwa laa ba ekunkun let omi
Asuwa oore lodo
Asuwa laa ba lanilani
Asuwa laa beja egbele lokun
Ewe adosusu kii duro loun nikan

Iri tu wili, tu wili
Lfi dale aye
la bu da ile
kire susu ko wa su piripiri
ire gbogbo d'asuma

Nje, bori kan ba sunwon
A ran igba
Ori mi to suwon
lo ran yin
Ori yin to sunwon
Lo ran mi
Bori kan ba sunwon
A ran igba

Certainly Ifa believes that all beings need to be in groups to survive, that was how they were created. Which means, we are not only responsible to ourselves, but to the group that allows us to survive in the world. So what does Ifa say is our responsibility? Ifa lays out for us in Irosun Iwori, not only our path to ending the cycle of re-incarnation, but what Olodumare sees as our goal in this world.

Irosun Iwori says:

Let us do things with joy.
Those who want to go, let them go.
Those who want to stay, let them stay.
Surely, humans have been chosen to bring good into the world.
The All-knowing One, priest of Orunmila, divined Ifa for Orunmila.
He said the people of the world would come to ask him a certain question.
He said that Orunmila should sacrifice.
Orunmila heard and complied.
One day all kinds of people, good and those who do not allow good in other people's lives gathered.
They then went to Orunmila
They said: "Coming back and forth to earth tires us, Orunmila.
Therefore, please allow us to rest in heaven."
Orunmila said: "You cannot avoid going back and forth to earth,
Until you bring about the good condition that Olodumare has ordained for every human.
After then you may rest in heaven."
They asked "What is the good condition?"
Orunmila said: "The good condition is a good world:
A world in which there is full knowledge of all things;
Happiness everywhere;
Life without anxiety or fear of enemies;
Without clashes with snakes and other dangerous animals;
Without fear of death, disease, litigation, losses, wizards, witches or Esu;
Without fear of injury from water or fire;
And without fear of poverty or misery.
Because of your wisdom, your compelling desire for good character and your internal strength.
The things needed to bring about the good condition in the world then are:
Wisdom that is fully adequate to govern the world;
Sacrifice; character; the love of doing good for all people, especially those who are in need,
And those who seek assistance from us;
And the eagerness and struggle to increase good in the world
And not let any good at all be lost.
People will continue to go to heaven;
And they will go back and forth to earth after their transfiguration,
Until everyone has achieved the good condition.
Thus, when the children of Oduduwa gather together,
Those chosen to bring good into the world are called human beings or the chosen ones

K'a fi'nudidun see
Eni maa lo ki o maa lo
Eni maa dehin ki o maa dehin
Dandan eniyan ni a yan ki won mu're lo saye
Morantan awo Orunmila l'o difa'f'Orunmila
O ni awon omo-aye nbowa bileere oro kan
A niki Orunmila rubo
Orunmila gbo; o rubo
Nijokan oniruru eniyan, awo eniyan rere ati awon eniyan ma jeki l'eniyan sunwon gbarajo
Won to Orunmila wa
Won ni ipaara aye yi su wa Orunmila
Nitorinaa ki o jowo jeki a simi si orun
Orunmila ni eyin ko le sai maa paara ode-aye
Titi eyin yoo gi de ipo rere naa ti Olodumare ti yan fun gbogbo eniyan
Lehinnaa ni eyin yoo simi si orun
Won ni: kini ipo rere?
Orunmila ni ipo rere naa li aye rere:
Aye amotan ohun gbogbo;
Ayo nibi-gbogbo;
Wiwa laisi ominu tabi iberu ota;
Laisi ija ejo tabi eranko buburu miran;
Laisi iberu iku arun, ejo, ofu, oso, aje tabi Esu;
Laisi iberu ifarapa omi tabi ina;
Ati laisi iberu aini tabi osi,
Nitori ogbon yun iwarere ati agbara inu.
Ogun ti yoo gbe wa de ipo rere naa
Ogbo ti o po to eyiti a le fise akoso aye
Irubo, iwa, iferan oore-sise fun gbogbo eniyan, ni pataki julo awon ti ise alaini,
Ati awon ti o nfe iranlowo lodo wa;
Itara fun ati sisa ipa lati fi kun ire ti o wa ni aye
laijeki ire eyikeyii ti a ti ni lo.
Awo eniyan yoo maa lo si orun.
Won yoo si maa pada wa s'ode aye lehin iparada won,
Titit enikookan yoo fi de ipo rere naa
Nitorinaa nigbati awon omo Oduduwa pe jo,
Awon ti o yan lati ko ire wa s'ode aye ni a npe ni: eniyan

Ifa is a communal experience. Ifa expects us to respect our community. Ifa expects us to help those around us in need as much as we help ourselves, if for no other reason so that we may reside in Orun with our ancestors, our celestial community.

Ifa has a message beyond money, beyond self-aborption, beyond power and beyond politics.

Ifa is a way of life.

If we choose to listen, Ifa can teach us how to live with ourselves as a part of a larger community for the betterment of all.

Odabo,
Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

On being Awo Ifa

I was asked what is means to be a Babalawo, to which I responded:

Orunmila was the only true Babalawo, we can only stand in light hoping that before the sun sets our shadow will match even a fraction of his stature.

Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

Politics and religion, my view

I recently had a conversation with someone about politics and religion and the following statement I made covers it quite well:

Politics and religion are identical twins separated at birth . . . in growing up apart their belief systems may be different but they have the same DNA. - Obara Meji

Lessons . . .

Through my words, I am set free . . .

If you would have asked me years ago what I would be when I grew up, I don't know that I would have known. I think I would have likely said a lawyer, although I've always felt spiritual, and I've always felt the call to lead people. What do I do now? I am a marketer, who knows the power of words to move people to action, or inaction.

What am I now?

I am a priest who knows the power of words, but also knows the power of the the divine.

I am an Orisha priest - an Awo Orisha

I am an Ifa priest - a Babalawo

Most important of all, I am a priest of life

Is that how I define myself? Yes, it is. Perhaps that's a strange way of identifying oneself, but I feel moved by that which I can not understand. Marriam-Webster defines priest as:

one authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion especially as a mediatory agent between humans and God.

We all, in our own right should have a direct relationship with God, whoever or whatever we think that is. I call God Olodumare according to my beliefs, derived from the traditional Yoruba religion. My role in Ifa is to regularly commune with the divine in order to help interpret the messages left for us. My role in Ifa is to guide and help people develop. My role in Ifa is to do what I can to help improve myself, those who come to me, and if possible, the world.

If you would have asked me years ago if I would be religious? I would have said no. But I can't see the wonders of the world without seeing how they are all representative of something greater then me. Is that religion? not necessarily, religion is just belief system that attempts to define as much as is possible, that which is greater then us, and define the parameters for how we relate with that. Is religion stiff and unmoving? It can be, but as with the world, in order to survive, we must sometimes adapt, perhaps that's Olodumare's greatest lesson.

Am I anti-lucumi?? January 04, 2007

I was recently asked to leave a ceremony because I was accused of being anti-lucumi, so I decided to set the record straight. I am NOT anti-Lucumi.

The past two years have been a process for me of coming to grips with my religious practice and who I am. Having been raised on the idea that it is important to question with a critical eye and not simply accept everything at face value has been a large part of who I am and who I continue to be. A part that is not particularly valued in the hierarchy of most organized religions, including the Lucumi.

My original Ile was many things, some good, some bad, however for me, in the end, not a place in which I felt I could learn and grow. However, being attached to a Botanica (store that sells santeria/lucumi religious items), it gave me access to the public face of the lucumi religion, and acted as a focal point for those who were in or seeking to be in the religion. As such, I was constantly bombarded by the politics and stories of strangers who would wander in to talk about their experiences.

I didn't work there full time, but was there on weekends and during ceremonies, at which time many people walked into the store seeking help or advice. The stories came flooding in, from people who had been literally abused, to those who had wasted away thousands of dollars on "ceremonies" or "trabajos" that were in the end meaningless. From people who received invisible elegbas to those who received spiritual cauldrons or prendas which had nothing more then sticks, rocks and dirt in them.

"Didn't you know, your neighbor cast a spell on you" or "yes, I can make them love you" and all for only $750 or $2000 or I'll make you a priest for only $16,000. It was more a story of the politics of money, then that of religion. Needless to say, it left my image of the religion tarnished at the best of times, bleak at the worst. And these stories were not only from the bay area, but also from LA, Miami, NYC and more. Bad news travels . . .

My own Ile of course was not devoid of politics. Without getting into anything specific, I had seen questionable practices which I felt were more driven by the almighty dollar then anything else.

Add to that my own personal experiences and I'm often amazed I still practice this religion. From drunk Apwon (singer) at tambors (religious drumming events), to priests swearing and fighting in front of Orisha during ceremonies, to people being charged outrageous sums of money to be initiated, to priests pretending to be mounted, to "shunnings" of godchildren who did little wrong, the list goes on.

Needless to say, it left bittersweet emotions. I loved the religion, but I could do without many of the "priests" and practitioners.

Being a questioning person I wondered. I wondered why things were done a certain way, I wondered why ceremonies were changed, I wondered if things were changed only to survive, why practices couldn't revert to their original state once it was again possible. I questioned, and I learned that question and criticism are not traits valued in the lucumi tradition. There was a pervading feeling that the religion was created in Cuba, and anything African was bad (perhaps a racism from the predominantly light skinned latinos practicing today). I was amazed at the myths that were propagated about the origins of things, with little scholarly investigation.

I'm certainly not perfect, and I'm not interested in stirring the pot just to stir it, but in order to better ourselves and our practice, sometimes it's important to ask questions and not simply practice religion through rout memorization. So, this lead me to ask hard questions, point out questionable practices, and wonder why "elders" didn't really do anything.

From conversations with elder Cubans, it seems that things have changed from the earlier days in Cuba. America has put it's stamp of individualism and profit on the religion both here and in Cuba (don't get me wrong, Nigerians are all about money too, but that's not what we're talking about right now). Back in the old days, the ratio of priest to practitioner was different, with far fewer priests, but ones who were more studious. Here in the US, everyone wants to be Queen bee and no one wants to be a worker. We initiated priests like Ford model T's. Can the primarily community oriented Orisha worship survive in the individual capitalistic society of the USA?

It also seems to me like the production line, the speeding up of initiations has increased the number of priests, but has not increased the quality of priests. In fact it's had a somewhat adverse affect. There are more priests who are undertrained (if trained at all), and due to designs in the system, they are gathering their own "godchildren" for initiation. Like amway, the layers are increasing, and there is little time between generations for the new one to gain the true knowledge that prepares them to do what they have undertaken. Every new layer takes them farther away from the top. Like america, babies are having babies. Why can't we slow down.

These were my experiences and some of my thoughts, and in the beginning, my online posts had a slightly bitter tone, but as time passed, and I passed to Ifa, I shifted my thinking. I apologized. I suppose in part because I was not the diplomat for the job, nor was I capable of reforming a system that had no interest in reform. There was also my new focus on Ifa, and traditional African practice. In the end I realized two things.

It is not the lucumi religion that bothered me, but the practice of some people, and there will always be bad people in all religions.

The lucumi are their own sect of the Orisha traditions, and should I decide not to practice, then I should not be critical of the system they are happy with.

Am I anti-lucumi? no
Is it a practice I can reform? no
What then am I? I am a practitioner of Ifa.
Would I work with a lucumi priest? Yes, those that are ethical and respectful of me.

Ifa is Ifa, Lucumi or Traditional, I've had some good and some bad experiences with Lucumi Babalawo, but I hope that I will be able to work with my Lucumi brothers to promote Ifa and increase the knowledge of ritual, liturgy and theology for the betterment of the world.