Nigerian smoked catfish / pescado ahumado , Esu offering Lucumi and YTR

One of Eshu's favorite offerings and a part of almost all Lucumi ceremonies is Pescado Ahumado, smoked fish (Catfish to be specific). It's incredibly easy to make, and sooooo much better than what you get at a botanica, which is usually some dried out old crumbly garbage. Here are some links to better understand and perhaps make Eshu extra happy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-f97jvFBF8

and also a nice article

https://freshtodommot.com/blogs/life-hacks-tips/nigerian-smoked-fish


Ashe!!

How to greet a priest in the Lucumi / Santeria tradition

I posted this in response to question on facebook, but realized it should really be stand alone. In the lucumi/santeria community, aleyos always greet Santeros/as with the greeting "Benedicion" (blessings in spanish) and if an informal setting, they cross their arms and touch each shoulder to the priest's opposite shoulder. In a formal setting, you would dobale (or prostrate yourself on the ground). If you have a male Orisa as your guardian Orisa, you lie face down in front of them, if a female, you first lie on your right side, then on your left (arm supporting head) as they touch your shoulders and say their blessing. If you don't know who "owns" your head, it's assumed to be Obatala and you do the male prostration. 

Younger priests usually greet elder priests with that same "Bendicion".  Aleyos and santeros/as greet babalawos by saying "Iboru Iboya Iboshishe" or the Yoruba language version "aboru aboye aboshishe" and touch the floor with their left fingers. Iboru Iboye Iboshishe and Aboru Aboye Aboshishe are the same (different pronounciations), and the mean "May ebo (offerings) reach heaven, may ebo be accepted, may what ebo was made for come to pass"

The response made by santeros/as or babalawos who are greeted is "A wa wato" or in Yoruba "Ogbo ato".  Awa wato and Ogbo ato are really the same thing and mean essentially "may you have long life". Babalawos who are from a Nigerian (not afro-cuban) lineage may go a bit longer and say "Ogbo ato isuri iwori wofun", which means many you have long life with the blessing of the odu Iwori Wofun" That particular Odu is Iwori Ofun and is famous for turning war into peace.

I hope that is helpful for the beginners in this tradition.

Treatise on the role of Orisa priest and devotee in consulting Orisa Oracles

Aboru aboye aboshishe,

A recent exchange made me realize that I've not really seen anyone talk about the role of the Orisa priest in consulting Orisa oracles. It seems that such an important topics usually remains in the realm of ritual, where teacher and adept talk about what hands to pick, what prayers to say and what Ebo to offer. Even less is said to the non-priest who sits on the mat to listen to what the Orisa (Ifa or Others via Ikin, Opele, or Dinlogun) have to say, and ask those important questions that must be asked.

So what then is the role of the Babalawo or Olorisha? In my mind, we have simple responsibilities, though they are not easy. We, as priests, are responsible for:

1. Being correctly initiated/ordained and trained

Ethics demand that we portray ourselves as what we are suited and capable of doing, nothing more, nothing less.

2. Knowing the correct ritual and procedure
3. Being skilled in the art of interpretation
4. Understanding that our role is not as personal advsior, but as interpreter of what the Orisa/IFA says
5. Always being impartial (that's why I always give the adherent who's consulting the oracle the option to speak their request directly to the ibo in whispers I can not hear)
6. Facilitating the process of offering Ebo in order to remove obstacles
7. Acting with Iwa Rere and Iwa Pele (cool character and cool head) and suggest others do the same
8. Helping those who need help, and when necessary for those in dire need and without funds, doing it even though your only payment is the knowledge that Orisa, Egbe, Isheshe and Olodumare have seen your act of kindness made in their names for the good of another human being
9. Not puting undue stress on the client, or pressure them into doing things that aren't appropriate or necessary.
10. Making clear that initiations are always the choice of the client, even if the Odu calls for initiations, devotees should never be pressured into initiations or ceremonies. Other than ebo, clients (and their Ori) must be fully prepared before they undertake deeper steps into the religion.
11. Maintaining ethical boundaries, don't over charge, don't take psychological, physica or sexual advantage of your clients, the list goes on, but the point is always maintain your ethical integrity.
12. Keeping your ego in check, we don't know it all, we aren't perfect, and we are not the Orisa

That all said what is the responsibility of the devotee in this process??

1. Do not ask that which you already know the answer to, or ask flippant, trivial or immoral questions
2. Support your Awo Ifa or Awo Orisa with reasonable payment, and don't claim poverty then go out and waste money on unnecessary items or services
3. If you are going to d'afa or have a dinlogun divination, expect there is a good chance you will have an Ebo to perform, and it is your responsibility to perform that Ebo (If you are given an answer to help you, don't expect to be helped if you don't perform the required steps)
4. Understand that everything told to you during D'afa or 'dinlogun divination is advice, your can take it or leave it, but it is meant to help you
5. Ask questions, but think deeply about what you want to ask, and know that the Orisa won't always give your the answer you want to hear.
6. Show respect to the Orisa and to the Awo Ifa/Awo Orisa who are assisting you
7. Don't expect quick fixes or impossible solutions. If you deal drugs, don't expect the Orisa to keep you out of jail. If you are lazy don't expect the Orisa to give you a high powered, high paying job. If you were arrested for embezzling funds, own up to your dirty deeds and don't expect the Orisa to get you out of it (though perhaps they can help you get leniency)
8. Don't follow blindly, it's ok to ask questions, priests aren't perfect, nor are we the Orisa incarnate on earth, we are people, with all the faults that people have

It is Ika Ofun that tells us:

ni dá ilë, á bá ilë læ

Ìká funfun 
Ìká Òfún 
A dífá fún àgbààgbà mêrindínlógún 
Wôn ñ relé Ifë wôn ñ læ rèé tæræ ogbó 
Àwæn lè gbó, àwæn lè tô bí Olódùmarè ti rán wæn dá Ifá sí 
Wôn ni wôn á gbó, wôn á tô shùgbôn kí wôn pa ìkìlö mô 
Wôn ní kí wôn má fi esúrú pe esúrú 
Wôn ní kí wôn má fi esùrù pe esùrù 
Wôn ní kí wôn má fi odíde pe oode 
Wôn ní kí wôn má fi ewé ìrókò pe ewé oriro 
Wôn ní kí wôn má fi àìmöwë bá wôn dé odò 
Wôn ní kí wôn má fi àìlókò bá wôn ké hàín-hàín 
Wôn ní kí wôn má gba èbùrú wælé Akálá 
Wôn ní kí wôn má fi ìkoóde nu ìdí 
Wôn ní kí wôn má shu sí epo 
Wôn ní kí wôn má tö sí àfö 
Wôn ní kí wôn má gba öpá l’ôwô afôjú 
Wôn ní kí wôn má gba öpá l’ôwô ogbó 
Wôn ní kí wôn má gba obìnrin ògbóni 
Wôn ní kí wôn má gba obìnrin örê 
Wôn ní kí wôn má sörö ìmúlë l’êhìn 
Wôn ní kí wôn má sànán ìbàntê awo 
Wôn délé ayé tán ohun tí wôn ní kí wôn má e ni wôn ñ e 
Wôn wá bërë síí kú 
Wôn fi igbe ta, wôn ní Örúnmìlà ñ pa wôn 
Örúnmìlà ní òun kô l’òun ñ pa wôn 
Örúnmìlà ní àìpa ìkìlö mô wæn l’ó ñ pa wôn 
Àgbà re dæwô re 
Àgbà mi dæwô mi 
Àgbà kìí wí fún ni têlë kí ó tó kan ni 


Ika Ofun 

ENI DA ILE A BA ILE LO. 
Those who break the trust shall suffer. 

1. They (16 elders) walked to Ile Ife in order to request long life. Will we live as long as Olodumare (God) was their question to Ifa. They (the Babalawos) warned, do not call esuru ( a type of yam) esuru (Which means do not say what you do not know). 
2. They warned the elders, do not call esuru (the sacred stories) Esuru. (Which means do not do rites of which you do not have the basic knowledge). 
3. They warned them that odide (the parakeet) should not be called oode (murcielago). (Which means, never mislead the people. Do not send a person on a false road). 
4. They warned them not to say that the leaves of the Ceiba are leaves of the Oriro tree. (Which means never deceive the people). 
5. They warned them not to try to swim when they do not know how to swim. (Which means do not pretend to be wise when you are not). 
6. They warned them to be humble and never be egocentric. 
7. They warned them not to enter the house of AKALA (title of a chief in Ifa) with bad intentions. (Which means not to be false). 
8. They warned them not to use the feathers of Ikoode (sacred parrot's feathers) to clean their bottoms. (Which means not to break Taboo/Prohibitions).
9. They warned them not to defecate in Epo (food for Ifa/Orisha). (Which means always keep the sacred instruments clean). 
10. They warned them that they should not urinate in Afo (the place where palm oil is made in Yorubaland). (Which means keep the Temple clean). 
11. They warned them not to take the blind man's cane. (Which means they should always respect those who are weaker and treat people well and with due respect). 
12. They warned them not to take an old man's cane. (Which means to respect the Elders and treat them well). 
13. They warned them not to go to bed with the wife of an Ogboni (title of a Politician/Judge). (Which means respect the moral laws). 
14. They warned them never to go to bed with the wife of a friend. (Which means not to betray a friend). 
15. They warned them not to be gossipers. (Which means never reveal secrets). 
16. They warned them not to disrespect, or ever go to bed with the wife of a Babalawo. (Which means respect those who occupy important positions). 

When the Elders arrived upon the Earth, they did exactly the things that they were forbidden to do. They began to die one after another. They screamed and accused Orunmila of assassinating them. Orunmila said that it was not him who was killing them. Orunmila said that the Elders were dying because they did not follow the Commandments Of Ifa. Your Eldership is your responsibility. My Eldership is my responsibility. Eldership does not tell a person ahead of time before it touches one.


Aboru Aboye Aboshishe
marcos Ifalola

YTR Ifa does NOT believe in "reinitiations", thoughts on Oba accord of miami ...

Aboru aboye aboshishe,

First I will state, the people involved in the initiations that cause all this ruckus do NOT represent all of the YTR/Indigenous Orisa worshippers, and I can't understand why everyone thinks they do. I can only assume this event was used to further other people's political agendas, or in an act of retribution for hurt feelings.  Second, it may seem ironic, but I totally agree with the lucumi that it was uneccessary for anyone to "redo" anything.

Last and most important, I will cite the Odu Ogbe Ate in it's entirety in English and Yoruba to show why Ifa (at least) says "re-initiation" is wrong:

Ogbe Ate:

Ogbe, come and be initiated in order to be comfortable
To take a hand of Ifa and then be fully initiated is the pride one has in Ifa
These were the declarations of Ifa for Orunmila
When he planned to initiate his child
Orunmila was advised to offer sacrifice
He complied
When I received a hand of Ifa
My father then performed Itelodu for me
Lack of wisdom
Lack of deep thought
These are what compel people to be initiated repeatedly on three occasions
After being initiated
The issue of Esu Odara needs to be taken seriously
Why must Esu Odara be given extra considerations?
After being initiated
We must not use a worn out twisted rope to climb a palm tree
We must not jump in the river without knowing how to swim
We must not take undue risk which may cost life
We must not snatch the wife of Awo
We must not snatch the wife of medicine man
We must not have ilicit carnal knowledge of a ritualists wife
We must not plan evil against our friends with his wife
We must not lie to our Oluwo
Any matter that had been exhaustively addresses, we must not raise it again
Orunmila was the person who initiated Akoda
He also initiated Aseda
He equally initiated Araba
Only Orunmila Agboniregun
Was the person we do not know who initiated
Now, after I have been initiated
I will complement it with self initiation
All those things that are my taboos
I will surely avoid them
I have been initiated
I will re-initiate myself, by myself...

Yoruba
Ogbe waa te k'ara o ro wa
Mo gba mo te ni iregun Ifa
Dia fun Orunmila
Baba yoo te omo re n'ifa
on ni ko sakaake, ebo ni sise
O gbe'bo, O rubo
Nigbati mo gba
Baba a mi si te mi
Ailogbon ninu
Amiero nikun

Nii mu'nii wo igbdu leemeta
Bi a ba te Ifa tan
Eese ti oro Esu Odara fi ku, Ifa?
Bi a ba te Ifa tan

A kii fi ajaku igba a gu ope
A kii be ludo lai mo we
A kii ri iku nile ka tori boo
A kii fe obinrin Awo
A kii  gba aya isegun

A o gbodo mu obinrin abore wole kelekele loo fe
A o gbodo ba obinrin imule eni seke
Oluwo eni kii bi ni loro ka se
Koiko ti erin gberi mo

Orunmila lo te Akoda
O te Aseda
O te Araba
Orunmila Agbonniregun Olojo ibon
Oun nikan soso la o mo eni to tee

Nje bi a ba te mi tan
Maa tun'ra mi te
Eewo ti a ba ka fun mi
Maa gbo
Tite la te mi
Maa tun'ra mi teo
####

You notice a few things, one is this line


When I received a hand of Ifa
which affirms a version of Awofakan in YTR/Indigenous Yoruba practice

and second
Any matter that had been exhaustively addresses, we must not raise it again
Which is the Yoruba version of don't ask what you already know as the lucumi say. BUT, with the very important caveat that it must have first been "exhaustively addressed"

The rest is somewhat self explanatory... We too, do not believe in "re-initiation", For the record, so what is all this nonsense really about??

marcos ifalola

Is Pinaldo (cuchillo) necessary?? A question of lucumi theology...

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe,


I recently entered into a conversation about the much talked about and controversial "Pinaldo" or "Cuchillo" ceremony of the lucumi. Here are my thoughts on the subject, one which is both difficult and important.

Pinaldo does not have an equivalent in Nigeria, though there is a professor/babalawo, with a clear lucumi agenda that has a paper that tries to assert (with many five dollar words) that there is a link from the kuanaldo (Ifa "cuchillo" ) ceremony to one in nigeria since there are some similarities to ijeshon. His agenda is clear as he tries to promote the argument about "lost" ceremonies "kept" by cubans to assert some higher level of authenticity to Cuban Lucumi practice. The link does not seem clear to me in my reading of the paper.

The story I've heard is that there was a famous santera (see david brown's work, he has names dates etc) who had a break with the existing system of the time, in which Ologun (achogun) were the only ones with authority to sacrifice. This already varies from Yoruba practice since each Orisa has their own separate priesthood, and they don't require outside priests to offer their sacrifices. That said, the Achogun had such a chokehold on the system that she decided to break away and created the pinaldo ceremony to "authorize" others to do what they did with the "knife".

It seems a very likely/credible story. I've done pinaldo lucumi, and worked in a few. It's 85% the same as kariosha. With obvious differences... I won't go into detail in this public area... Publicly though, there's a fancy table where all the santeros sit who have pinaldo (even if you're a santero, if you don't have pinaldo, you can't sit at the table) and obviously Ogun speaks for the first time through his own caracoles.

All in all, not very exciting, but just as expensive as your kariosha. I've heard all sorts of justifications like "it gives you the right to use the knife for sacrifice" (ok fine). Or, my favorite, it's a "confirmation" of your Osha... What??? You have all the Odu you were born with, if everything was done correctly, why would you need to "confirm" your Odu?? You were only born with one Odu, so all the new Ita is giving you is a more current "snapshot" of your life, with the exception of Ogun, who if he's speaking for the "first" time with caracoles, is a new Ita, and his ewoo/advice stands for life (according to lucumi theology).

I'll additionally point out there have been lots of "elder" santeros I've met who didn't have Pinaldo (usually because of cost), they seemed to be doing just fine. However, I need to point out, the Lucumi are well within their rights to create ceremonies they deem theologically necessary. Was this? perhaps yes, perhaps no... It may have been strictly political, may not have. We'll never know for sure.

The real question is, do today's priests deem it to be a theological necessity? Do they agree with ceremony's existence? Like with ALL religions, it's up to the Lucumi priesthood to decide whether this ceremony lives or dies, whether it is a necessity, or something that's outlived its purpose. The difficulty of course lies in the fact that as a decentralized religion, there is no governing body. This means that if a tradition or ceremony dies, it dies a more organic/chaotic death, not one which was deemed so by a ruling body. This of course makes the process more complex and lengthy.

We can see an example of this if we look at the whole year in white. Slowly, as the newer generations come about, there has been a relaxing, or even forgetting of the "rules" to the point where I see people who are touching during their year, use any utensils/plates to eat, some who only wear white for 3 months. I'll note here that wearing white for a year is not a part of initiation in Nigeria (though it is often worn during the ceremonies), however it was pointed out that some priests are given a mandate during their Ita to wear white always, or for a year or X period of time. This is how I believe the year in white, and many other traditions/taboos (Sango and Oshun priest's not "touching" each others "crown") got started. ie one priest passes their ewoo to their godchildren, and it propagates as general rule, instead of being specific to one person).


Some food for thought...
Aboru aboye aboshishe
Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

Isese (Isheshe) 2008 festival and interviews

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe,

Here is a wonderul taping of the 2008 Isese day in Nigeria. Some good explanations, including the Yoruba calendar New Year! Plus several other clips of different parts of the Isese day...



second part (you'll see trad Y dobale)


Notice in the third section, Ifa, Sango, Obatala and other Orisa worshippers working in harmony on Isese day!! and a casting of Obi kola






Ase o!
Marcos Ifalola

Letra del Año / Odun Ifa what and why?

Aboru, Aboye, Aboshishe

It's the time of year when we see much of the Lucumi world alight with the question, "Do you know what the Letra of the year is?" and "is that the one from Cuba? or Puerto Rico? and which part of Cuba?". This ultimately leads people to ask me time and again, two very important questions:

Why is the letra del Año de Ifa Lucumi at a different time then the traditional Yoruba Odun Ifa?

Which "letra" is the one I should follow?

To answer the first question, fundamentally, the letra del Año de Ifa Lucumi and the traditional Yoruba Odun Ifa are essentially the same ceremonies, though there are some differences which have no significant bearing on the questions posed. They are meant to offer sacrifice to Ifa, and to seek Ifa's guidance over the coming new year. But why then are they at different times?

To start with, let's talk about Odun Ifa in traditional Yoruba Ifa. In my Ile, we do the Odun Ifa usually in August, though the day isn't exact, and can vary from year to year. Typically, although not exclusively, Odun Ifa coincides with the new yam festival (first harvest of the yam, an important staple in the Yoruba diet) and due to the nature of agriculture, is not on a fixed day. As with many cultures, the first yam is given to the Gods/Orisas as an offering, asking that the yield be plenty and that the coming year offer the community health, wealth, ample food, and other blessings. In this light, as followers of Ifa, we ask the same. Additionally, since there are poisonous tubers, some contend that the offerings are made to ensure that Ifa protect people from the consumption of such tubers.

The Odu Ogbe Ate (Ogbe Irete) tells us:

Correctness is the essence of true ritual
Those who, accepting this teaching
Offer libation first to Mother Earth
And then to lips
Sail though life over smooth calm waters
Was divined for Kufodo, he who serves liquor in pitchers

Ka ta a'le
Ka ta e enu
Otara-tara ni ishon odo
Dia fun Kufodo
Omo Oloti ape

From this Ifa tells us to always make offerings to mother earth, because she is the one who feeds us (entering through our lips). This is why the new Yam festival is so important, and why Ifa's guidance is always sought in the new year.

As to the Lucumi doing their Odun Ifa on the new year, no one will know for sure, but I suspect (since slavery was an enourmous factor), it was likely that it was impossible for the slaves to get away for even a moment during "harvest" time, as this is when they were probably worked the hardest. Further, as the slave owners celebrated the new year, and there was likely not much work done, it was probably a convenient time, and further, represented the "new year" of the culture which was forced upon them. I'm sure there are many theories, this being only one, but many of the sentiments are the same, celebration of a new year to come, and hopes of peace, health, prosperity etc.

With regards to the second question, "Who's 'letra' should I follow?" the spread out nature of worshippers in today's world complicates things a bit. Odun Ifa are traditionally done for the community, but not what we think of as "community", which has extended itself across the globe based on technological advances. It is the physical community in which one lives, works, grows old, etc. and this is an important distinction.

In an older post I spoke about "distance divination" and the importance of physical presence in Ifa divination, I belive this to hold true in the Odun Ifa. The prognostications of Ifa are meant for the people who are a part of the community that is performing the rite. This is a complication highlighted by globalization and the spreading of Ifa across the globe. But it's important to note that even in Nigeria, there is no "ONE" magic Odun Ifa (letra) for all of Nigeria. Odun Ifa is performed across Nigeria, and even at different times for different communities.

I believe that the desire to feel community and connection has caused many people to look to Cuba or Puerto Rico to provide their guidance, but I don't think that Ifa intended it that way, and Odu don't necessarily cross oceans or land masses. There are exceptions of course. For instance, I am aware of my Oluwo's Odun Ifa, and listen to the advice that comes from it, but that is because my Ifa was born from his, and I and my house are spiritually connected. That said, if some day my community becomes large enough, I will begin to perform my own Odun Ifa, and as soon as I do, the Odu/advice from my Odun Ifa will be the only one that is of consequence to me and my community.

So certainly if your initiations happened directly in a particular community, it makes spiritual sense to draw import from the advice of their Odun Ifa, even if you have large physical distances. However, if you don't, that advice is not meant for you. Just as you wouldn't take the advice given to someone else during their private d'afa as meant for you (unless you came up specifically by name in that person's reading).

I believe it is important that people create better communities, and begin the process of performing their own Odun Ifa (with the proper training in whichever tradition they follow), so that Ifa can accurately and appropriately guide his followers each new year.

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, a community. Which means, we are not only responsible to ourselves, but to the group that allows us to survive in the world. So we hold together our community and offer sacrifice during Odun ifa...

Aboru, aboye, aboshishe
Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

Oriki Ori

Aboru aboye aboshishe,

As I've mentioned in the past, Oriki are praise poetry used when greeting Orisa, Egun, etc (see my Oriki Orunmila). Here is another Oriki written by me which you can feel free to use when praising your own Ori.

Oriki Ori:

Ori o,

When I look for my path, it is you who walks beside me

may we walk in harmony and not stumble upon each others feet

When I am in my darkest hour, it is you who shine a light

may our depths of sorrow always be matched by heights of joy

When I am lost and without direction, it is you who takes my hand

may wisdom reign in the kingdom of our soul

When I am alone in the darkness I ask

my Ori, what are you?

you are the other reality inside

you are the owner of righteous intuition

you are my power to observe, reason and inspire

you are my one real identity

you are me

Ori o

bless your omo

Ase o

By Awo Marcos Ifalola Sanchez
Aboru Aboye Aboshishe

The path of initiation in Ifa: Lucumi and Traditional Yoruba

Aboru aboye aboshishe,

After a few conversations including a longer one with my Oluwo in Nigeria, I thought that it would be quite useful to post my understanding of the processes of initiation into Ifa for both Lucumi/santeria Ifa practitioners and traditional Yoruba Ifa practitioners. I'm not doing this to say that one is right, and one is wrong. They are their own interpretations of Ifa, and while they agree on many things, this particular area of ritual/theology, they differ quite a bit.

For Lucumi practitioners, the process goes like this. One can be introduced to Ifa through their "madrina/padrino" if they have ilekes first, or they can go directly to a Babalawo, if they are not yet affiliated with a house. Having a divination session is something every Lucumi practitioner that works with Ifa eventual does, with varying degrees of frequency. Everyone, at some point, who is associated with lucumi Ifa can and should receive Ifa via Awofakan (ceremony for men) or Ikofa (ceremony for women). For women, Ikofa gives them their birth Odu, and can dictate only one more potential initiation, that of Apetebii (wife of Orunmila). Becoming an Apetebii is however, a requirement for any women who is the wife of a Babalawo.

For men, Awofakan (owo ifa kan-one hand of Ifa), gives them their birth Odu, unless it is determined they have an Odu which destines them for the priesthood of Ifa. If this is the case, and they observes the taboos of Ifa for his priests, he would do his Itefa (Ifa initiation) during which he receives his true birth Odu and Odu of priesthood (which he uses to identify himself). Of course having an Odu for the priesthood comes with responsibility, please see my article on this for further information: http://ifalola.blogspot.com/2008/06/on-having-right-odu-for-priesthood.html

I will also mention here that during Ikofa or Awofakan, it is perfectly acceptable to determine a person's "guardian Orisa", instead of having a separate "plante" to do this. In lucumi Ifa, homosexuals are forbidden from the Ifa priesthood, as are women. I don't say this to get into a debate about it, it's simply religious law, but it does not forbid either from going to Ifa for divination, help or Awofakan/Ikofa.

In traditional Yoruba Ifa practice, Ifa worship begin dramatically earlier. Everyone who comes from an Ifa worshipping family should first do their Ese'ntaye 7 days after birth, (like I just did for my son). Ese'ntaye [meaning "stepping on the earth"] acts as a guide for your early life, revealing personality, direction on what they will do, and Ewoo (taboo) for the child, as well as their Ifa name.

This is where traditional Yoruba Ifa varies from Lucumi Ifa. In traditional Yoruba Ifa, all men who can/have the resources, should Te'Fa, or Itefa (initiate Ifa, like the lucumi) either either in the Itelegan style (where the man does not see Odu the mythical wife of Ifa, not done in the Lucumi system) or Itelodu (where the man does see Odu, equivalent to Lucumi initiation into the Ifa priesthood). However, if they do not have the resources they should Ishefa (this is the traditional Yoruba equivalent to the Lucumi Awofakan-owo ifa kan). If they took the second route and only did their Ishefa, they may receive an Odu in Ishefa that says it's compulsory that they do their Itefa (similar to the cuban system) in which case they are required to do their Itefa anyways.

This is where things truly diverge because, in traditional Yoruba Ifa, once one has done their Itefa (either Itelegan style or Itelodu style), they are not considered a Babalawo, but only an initiated follower of Ifa. It is only through the Odu they receive during Itefa (their true birth odu) that it is determined whether they will be allowed to be an Ifa priest (and thus a Babalawo) and learn the deeper secrets/knowledge of Ifa. This is radically different from the lucumi interpretation which says once you Itefa you are a Babalawo. To clarify, in my own case, even though I had Odu for babalawo in my Awofakan (received via lucumi priests), since I did Itefa Traditional Yoruba, I didn't truly know whether I was going to be allowed to be a Babalawo until I received my birth Odu in Itefa (which I didn't understand at the time!). So it's my Odu of Ifa (birth Odu received in Itefa) that allows me to be a Babalawo. The logic is perfectly clear to me, it's only in receiving your birth Odu that you know your path. The unfortunate thing is that many go to Nigeria to Itefa thinking then they are a Babalawo (and perhaps are sometimes misled to believe so), but this is not the case, you are only a follower of Ifa unless being a Babalawo is your destiny. The commonality between Lucumi Ifa and traditional Yoruba Ifa is that being a Babalawo is a destiny, not a choice, the only difference is which Odu determines that, and what the timing and meaning of different ceremonies are. So even if you want to be a Babalawo and go to Nigeria to Itefa, it's your birth Odu that determines it. If you decide to be a Babalawo anyways without the Odu, you are simply going against your destiny, which is completely contrary to Ifa theology, and why would you do that?

I still maintain, before calling yourself a Babalawo, you must adhere to the commitments and Ewoo (taboo) of a Babalawo and if you are committing Ewoo (taboos) you should not act as a practicing priest nor call yourself a Babalawo without respecting those ewoo. In traditional Yoruba Ifa, treatment of homosexuals is varied, most typically they are viewed as acting contrary to Ifa and nature and are outright shunned. There are other who don't believe this and work with homosexuals, however all factions bar homosexuals from being Ifa priests. This comes in part from the requirements of Ifa priests (ie, having an apetebii (being married to a woman), having children, and from other things. There does seem to be a don't ask, don't tell or look the other way policy as of late, and some folks who were shunned by Lucumi practitioners have taken to going to Nigeria where they are not known. This does not mean that traditional Yoruba Ifa accepts gay babalawos, just that some people are working around the system.

Women follow this path, first receiving ese'ntaye, then Isodu (the Ide (bracelet) of Ifa and one ikin - an Ijebu practice, which is exactly like some Lucumi lineages) for those who are not a Babalawos wife. When receiving Isodu, the Babalawo casts his own ikin to determine the woman's Odu. In receiving this Odu, it can be determined she needs to Itefa and become an Iyanifa, a position not recognized by Lucumi Ifa. Iyanifa are female Ifa priestesses that can Te'Fa, but are NOT allowed to see Odu (the mythical wife of Orunmila). In some areas, she can cast Opele (divine), but not Ikin. In all areas an Iyanifa learns Ifa verses and other rituals of Ifa.

If the woman is married, the Babalawos Odu is the Odu of the house, but she receives an Odu during her Apetebii ceremonies which tells more about her specifically, including whether she should Te'fa and become Iyanifa. All Babalawo are required to have an Apetebii (ie, be married) and during said ceremony, the women are ritually married to both the man and Ifa.

Other important notes are that Ishefa (owo ifa kan) would be given to the child of a babalawo within a month of birth, but can be received 1 - 2 years, 3 at most later. Itefa is typically done around puberty (when he becomes a man) but can occur anytime after that.

In Ogbe Ate, Ifa says:

A kii ji ni kutukutu
Ka ma mo Odu to da nu s'aiye
D'ifa fun Olupo Alaelu
Eyi t f'eyin ti
To n fekun surahun ire gbogbo
Eyi ti ti ile aye ni lare kokooko bi ota
Won ni ko sakaale ebo ni sise
Ko si lo ree te ifa
O gbe'bo o rubo
Ko pe, ko jinna
Ire gbogbo wa ya de tuturu
Ifa de o, Alase
Ope abise warawara

Translation:

It is not advisable for one to wake up in the dawn of one's life
without knowing the Odu that gave birth to one
Divined for Olupo Alaelu
Who reclined and was weeping in lamenation of his inability to achieve all Ire in life
He whose life was as hard and tough as pebbles
He was advised to sacrifice
He complied
Before long, not to far
All IRE in life came to him in abundance.

I hope that this helps clarify some of the processes and differences in Lucumi and traditional Yoruba Ifa practices. It's been a learning process for me as I shed some of my own layers to learn how things are done in my particular path.

Odabo
Marcos Ifalola

Oriki Orunmila

Aboru aboye aboshishe,

Oriki are praise names/poetry created by the yoruba. These are created and chanted to praise the Orisa at anytime, when greeting them, sometimes during divination, during our prayers. Below is an Oriki for Orunmila written by me:

Oriki Orunmila

Orunmila Ooo
Agboniregun
Orunmila, small man of Igeti town who stands on 16 Ikin to peer over mountains
Husband of Odu, who's children leave footprints in the sand
only to be washed away by the waves of eternity
Chief, who leads by following Ifa's wisdom
Follower, who shines his light on our destiny
like the full moon illuminates a path even in the darkness of night
Teacher whose nimble fingers hold the knowledge of the world with dignity
He who understand that as people, one seeks another to become two, and two fulfill their destiny and beget one.
Orunmila Oooo
Agboniregun
Small man of Igeti town who stands on 16 Ikin to peer across the sea
shine your light from the beach to help guide my Ori

By Awo Marcos Ifalola Sanchez
Aboru Aboye Aboshishe

Isomoloruko - Yoruba naming ceremony

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe,

Please take a few minutes to check out this very informative documentary on the Yoruba naming ceremony (Isomoloruko). This is different from the Esentaiye that is done for Ifa devotees, but an important part of Yoruba culture.
Enjoy ... Ifalola (If the video does not display, you can go to http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=176904134 directly)

Discourse on Ifa Symbology and Meaning III: The markings of Odu Ifa.

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe,

In the last installment of this discourse we began to look at the deeper meaning of the Opon Ifa and the markings which are made upon it as the Awo Ifa interprets the Ifa Oracle. We began by looking at the verse Otura-rera (Otura Ogunda) where Ifa says:

Igbo teere kan ko
Odan teere kan do
Ona were-were-were kan ibi a n re
Dia fun Alaiku
Omo ayelohun kere
Oruko ti aa pe Opon-Ifa
Won ni ko rubo si laiku araa re
o gbe'bo, o rubo
Ko pe ko jinna
E wa ba ni laiku kangiri
Aiku kangiri laa ba ni lese Ope

The slender forest reached the farmland
The slender savannah reached the brook
The small footpaths reached our destination
These were the declaration of Ifa to Alaiku (that which will not die)
Offspring of he who possesses a strong clear voice
The name given to Opon Ifa
He was advised to offer sacrifice for longevity
He complied
Before long, not too far
join us where we enjoy everlasting life
Ever lasting life is enjoyed at the foot of Ope, the holy palm tree

The first three lines of this stanza reveal several important ideas, first that we are on a journey, but most importantly that that journey involves a change, in this case metaphorically speaking, a change in our path (as referenced in the early article on symbology with the marking of the crossroads on the Opon Ifa). The Opon Ifa represents the acknowledgment of the ever-changing forces of nature and the change in Odu from one reading to the next. This is beautifully expressed in the third line where Ifa says, "the small footpaths reached our destination", which is meant to be a visual metaphor of the markings of the Odu in the Iyerosun. Like small footprints in dirt or sand, we mark the Odu on the Opon Ifa, and with the final push of our finger in the Iyerosun, we reach our final destination, the Odu, which marks the energy/scenery that is present in our lives.

The stanza goes further in referencing the Opon Ifa as Alaiku (that which will not die), telling us that, no matter our own destiny to rejoin our ancestors in Orun, Opon Ifa, and by extension, Ifa, will not die, it is here before us, it will remain after. Or, as the stanza indicates "where we enjoy ever lasting life" a clear reference to Orun. And as finale, the stanza references the holy palm tree, where Ikin are gathered for use in communicating with Ifa, the medium of communication.

The question then moves to how and why do we make those markings in the Iyerosun upon our Opon Ifa? An Awo Ifa in his studies of the process of divining with the holy Ikin is taught to hold the 16 Ikin in his left hand and attempt to grab as many as possible into his right. If there are no Ikin in his left hand, he makes no mark. If there is one Ikin in his left hand, he makes two marks. If there are two Ikin in his left hand, he makes one mark. If there are anymore then two, he makes no mark. So what is the significance of this process?

First and foremost, this is the process for divining the word of Ifa, in which Odu is birthed. This is a critical concept to understand, because though we know all Odu exist all the time, as they are the accumulation of the knowledge of the world, and represent all possibility, they are not all applicable to a person at a given time. We know that the process of Ifa divination is done in order to determine which Odu is pertinent to a person’s Ori. Further, because the amount of information in a given Odu can be vast, it is the job of the diviner to navigate their knowledge of Odu in order to determine what messages in particular are important for that person’s Ori.

This is all to say that the energy of a given Odu is born during the process of divination, and like people, that energy has a limited lifespan and will pass. Which is why we don’t keep getting the same Odu over and over again each time we Da’fa (divine Ifa) for someone.

So why then are there only two events which cause a diviner to mark the iyerosun on the Opon Ifa? Since we know that the process is about birth (also as evidenced by the interplay with Odu, Orunmila’s wife, who is by no coincidence of the same name) then we know that there are only two numbers that are of importance and I'll explain clearly why they are important.

One person seeks another in order to become a pair, so that they may procreate.

The pair procreates so that they produce another being.

In those two sentences of sublime simplicity, we see why Ifa chooses only 1 Ikin and 2 Ikin as significant. Further, it shows us why one is marked as two, and two is marked as one.

The odu Odi Meji tells us:

Ojo nla ta’di shasha
A difa fun won ni’di’kunrin
A bu fun won ni’di’binrin
Nijo ti won nmekun oju she’rahun t’omo
Idi ni a apa asha
Igba idi di meji
Nn la a bi’mo

Success depends on perseverance
See how rain drops wear out granite
Thus declared Ifa to the husband
The same was declared to the wife when they sorrowed daily for lack of children
Commence your efforts from bottom upwards
For when two ends meet
A child is born

The most important revelation in this verse is that in the beginning it treats the husband and the wife as separate. It cryptically talks about commencing efforts from bottom upwards, which I believe means to look at themselves fully bottom to top, to see where their problems lie, and when they both can meet as a couple, in understanding of each other, they might be able to truly unite and create one. The key take away is the progression, single person, through understanding joins harmoniously as a pair, and when the pair are in harmony, they produce one.

Further, we see another connection to the "1 to 2 to 1" in the workings of Ifa in Irosun Meji where ifa says:

Eni poroporo laa godo
Eji poroporo laa gosun
Dia fun Baba boo-lejo-o-ba-Ipin-re-wi
Oro o kan Eegun o
Ko k’Oosa
Eledaa eni loro o kan

One person pounds the mortar
In twos do we pound camwood
These were the declarations of Ifa to Baba who is advised “if you have any problems, consult your destiny”
The matter is not that of Eegun (ancestors)
Nor that of the Orisa
It is with destiny, fully and completely

The first line of this ese is a reference to the lone person making their destiny (the pounding of the mortar is done in order to do make food). The second is a reference to the person having gone to the Awo Ifa for divination. We know this because; camwood is the true wood used for Iyerosun, pounding is a reference to the Awo’s fingers pushing into the iyerosun on the Opon Ifa to make the mark of the Odu, it takes two people for there to be a consultation and lastly, the next sentence pronounces that the person must consult their destiny. The last three sentences are a reminder that no matter what the ancestors or Orisa may tell us, it is our own destiny (and thus ourselves alone) that can take the steps towards resolutions. One with problems, needing the second to consult Ifa. Two in consultation, which can only be resolved by the one person. One to two, two to one.

So Ifa creates balance by creating a closed circle. That Odu Ifa marked upon the Opon Ifa, creates a mirror in which we are able to see our problems clearly in hopes that we can find a resolution. Ifa will show us the truth in ourselves.

Aboru aboye aboshishe
Marcos Ifalola Sanchez – http://ifalola.blogspot.com

Thoughts on Osun in Trad. Yoruba and Lucumi practice

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe,

Someone was posing a question about Osun of lucumi (not Oshun), this connection occurred to me. Osun for traditional Yoruba practitioners lies only within the realm of Ifa, other Orisa priests don't own/consecrate the staff of Osun (though it often looks similar to the staff of Osayin, which is also iron, and also has birds, but is in fact different. Osayin satff usually have only birds, often 16, an Ifa Osun, held only by Ifa diviners, usually has only one (sometimes two) and the conical shaped bells, the whole staff then prepared with medicines).

The bird at the top of an Ifa Osun is referred to as the "bird of Ifa." and is said to invoke the power of the hawk (asa), symbolizing the diviner's ability to address problems expediently and effectively. Now this is where it gets interesting. If as Wande Abimbola notes in his book on Ifa Corpus, one of the main purposes of Ifa is to get in touch with one's Ori, as evidenced in ogunda meji when Ifa says:

Death, disease, loss, paralysis and wickedness
were all staring at Orunmila
they said that one day
they would kill him
Orunmila then set down his divination instruments ready to consult his Ori

Iku, arun, ofo egba, ese
Gbogbo won ni nyo Orunmila wo
Won nwi pe ojo kan
Ni awon o pa a
Ni Orunmila ba gbe oke Iporii re kale

If then the hawk on the top of the Osun is meant to represent the Diviners ability to see, get in contact with Ifa, in this case to understand the wishes of a devotees Ori, it's a quite simple leap to see where the lucumi use Osun to represent Ori (or "crown" as they refer to it) and further to say that Osun "falling" is representative of a message for the aborisa who's Ori/"crown" it looks after. The one big difference is that in the diaspora other Orisa priests took up "preparing" Osun, even though Osun for Traditional Yoruba practitioners is only in the realm of Ifa.

Odabo
Ifalola

Discourse on Ifa Symbology and Meaning II: Place of Ori in Ifa Divination

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe

It has been the subject of many a debate inspired first by the advent of phone psychics and furthered with the mass appeal and broad acceptance of the Internet, world wide web and email. Where and when is distance divination (divination sessions in which you are not physically present) appropriate or is it appropriate at all? This idea leads us to the more important question, which is, what is the role that Ori plays in the process of D'afa (Ifa divination). Ori and Ori Inu being relatively new topics in the diaspora, and a sometimes elusive and esoteric things, I'd like to start out with an Ese Ifa to show just how important and significant our Ori is to us.

The odu Irete Ofun says:

Atefun-tefun
Dia fun Okanlenirino Irunmole
Won nlo sode Apere
Atefun-tefun eyin oni
Awo Ori lo dia fun Ori
Ori nlo sode Apere
Won ni ki won sakaale ebo ni sise
Ori nikan0nikan ni nbe leyin ti nsebo
Ebo Ori waa da ladaju
Nje Ori gbona j'Orisa
Ori ma gbona j'Orisa
Ori nikan-nikan lo ko won l'Apeere
Ko si Orisa to to nii gbe
Leyin Ori eni
Ori gbona j'Orisa

He who prints the chalk on the back of crocodile
He was the Awo who cast Ifa for the 401 Irunmole
When going to Apere (a state of perfection)
He who prints the chalk on the back of crocodile
The Awo of Ori who cast Ifa for Ori
When Ori was going to Apere
They were all advised to offer sacrifice
Only Ori responded by offering the sacrifice
The sacrifice of Ori had been abundantly rewarded
Ori is higher then all Orisa (deities)
It is only Ori which reaches Apere, the perfect state
No other Orisa (deity) can give support
Outside of one's Ori
Ori is higher then all Orisa (deities)

If we begin our look at the ritual process of d'afa with the understanding that Ori is higher then all Orisa, it helps us to place the correct importance on the devotee and their physical location. In any D'afa, we always begin with the chanting of prayers, marking of symbols on the Opon Ifa in Iyerosun, and manipulation of the Ikin. I'll go deeper into these processes in a separate piece, but for now we'll focus on the most basic explanation of why they are done. The Opon Ifa, is essentially a portal, an opening through which one can relay the messages of Ifa to a devotee. In Otura-rera (Otura Ogunda) Ifa says:

Igbo teere kan ko
Odan teere kan do
Ona were-were-were kan ibi a n re
Dia fun Alaiku
Omo ayelohun kere
Oruko ti aa pe Opon-Ifa
Won ni ko rubo si laiku araa re
o gbe'bo, o rubo
Ko pe ko jinna
E wa ba ni laiku kangiri
Aiku kangiri laa ba ni lese Ope

The slender forest reached the farmland
The slender savannah reached the brook
The small footpaths reached our destination
These were the declaration fo Ifa to Alaiku (that which will not die)
Offspring of he who possesses a strong clear voice
The name given to Opon Ifa
He was advised to offer sacrifice for longevity
He complied
Before long, not too far
join us where we enjoy everlasting life
Ever lasting life is enjoyed at the foot of Ope, the holy palm tree

The first three lines of this stanza reveal several important ideas, first that we are on a journey, but most importantly that that journey involves a change, in this case a change of scenery, but metaphorically speaking, a change in our path (as referenced in the early article on symbology with the marking of the crossroads on the Opon Ifa). The Opon Ifa represents the acknowledgment of the ever changing forces of nature and the change in Odu from one reading to the next. This is beautifully expressed in the third line where Ifa says, "the small footpaths reached our destination", which is meant to be a visual metaphor of the markings of the Odu in the Iyerosun. Like small footprints in dirt or sand, we mark the Odu on the Opon Ifa, and with the final push of our finger in the Iyerosun, we reach our final destination, the Odu which marks the energy/scenery that is present in our lives.

The stanza goes further in referencing the Opon Ifa as Alaiku (that which will not die), telling us that, no matter our own destiny to rejoin our ancestors in Orun, Opon Ifa, and by extension, Ifa, will not die, it was here before us, it will remain after. Or, as the stanza indicates "where we enjoy ever lasting life" a clear reference to Orun. And as finale, the stanza references the holy palm tree, where Ikin are gathered for use in communicating with Ifa, the medium of communication.

So it is that the Babalawo first awakens the spirit of the Opon Ifa, through prayers, and the markings of certain symbols upon it. After that process, the Awo Ifa awakens the spirit of Ifa through the Ikin which were given to people so that they may communicate with Ifa in order that they may know their destinies and have a means to correct/perfect them. The Babalawo begins with the ritual counting, ensuring that he has only 16 Ikin, which represent the 16 Major Odu Ifa (meji's). Through a variety of gestures/movements done while praying, the Babalawo awakens the spirit of Ifa within the Ikin, which are considered to be Ifa's mouthpieces (in the same way the cowrie(merindinlogun) are mouthpieces of the Orisa). The vibrations of the chants, spoken from an Awo who has been initiated, combined with the rubbing of the consecrated Ikin in their hands and on the Opon Ifa, are the rituals for arousing Ifa so that Ifa may birth/reveal for the devotee the Odu and the Odu's energies which are affecting them and their destiny at that moment.

We now arrive at a critical moment with regards to our question. We understand that Ifa is meant to reveal peoples destinies to them, and help them navigate the difficult waters so they may achieve happiness and success in life. Though we know that Ifa is everywhere and embodies all knowledge, the babalawo, just before casting Ifa, gives the Ikin to the devotee to hold, pray to, and finally touch their head (Ori) and their chest. It's this seemingly small, but extremely significant act which acknowledges the importance of the devotee in D'afa. By praying to the Ikin, and by touching our Ori with them, we let Ifa know that it is the devotee's Ori's destiny which is in question, and upon that question Ifa must answer. This is the first in a series of critical steps that are required for Ori to make so that Ifa may focus on the questions at hand and also so that the first Odu cast by the Babalawo is for the person's Ori, and their Ori alone. It is also the moment in which a person's Ori gives consent to the D'afa and as we are reminded in Ogunda Meji:

Ori pele
Atete niran
atete gb'ni koosa
Ko soosa ti i da ni i gbe
Leyin Ori eni

Ori, I hail you
You who do not forget your devotees
Who blesses devotees more quickly then the other Orisas
No Orisa blesses a man
Without consent of his Ori

Once the first Odu is marked on the Iyerosun, the energy of the Odu which is manifesting is made clear, like footprints in sand show the direction and destination of a person. At this point, the Babalawo, and Ifa actively engage the person's Ori in order to determine whether the energy of the Odu comes with ire or ibi (osogbo for lucumi pracitioners) through use of the Ibo (determinants). Here it becomes critical for the person to be actively engaged in the process of d'afa, because what most people don't understand, is that the process of d'afa is as much about consulting Ifa as it is about consulting one's Ori (as noted in the above Odu). And further, one's Ori (though their choice of destiny, and through their choices made here on earth) can bring about ibi, avoid ibi, achieve ire and ruin ire. This is made clear in the Odu Oyekun Meji which says:

Owo ewe o to pepe
Ti agbalagba o wo akeregbe
Ishe ewe be agba
Ki o ma she ko mo
Gbogboo wa ni a nishe a jo mbe 'raa wa
A dia fun Orunmila
Eyi ti akapoo re
O pe lejo lodo Olodumare
Olodumaree waa rannshe si Orunmila
Pe ki o waa so idi naa
Ti ko fi gbe akapoo re
Nigba ti Orunmila de iwaju Olodumare
O ni oun sa gbogbo agbara oun fun akapo
O ni Ipin akapo ni o gbo
nigba naa ni oro naa
Too waa ye Olodumare yekeyeke
Inuu re si dun
Pe oun ko da ejo eekun kan

A child is not tall enough to stretch his hand and reach the high shelf
An adults hands can not enter the mouth of a gourd
The work an adult begs a child to do
Let him not refuse to do
We all have work to do for each others good
Ifa divination was performed for Orunmila
About whom his devotee
Would make complaint to Olodumare
Olodumare then sent for Orunmila
To explain the reason why
He did not support his devotee
When Orunmila got to the presence of Olodumare
He explained that he had done all in his power for his devotee
But that the destiny chosen by the devotee made his efforts fruitless
It was then that the matter
Became quite clear to Olodumare
And he was happy
That he did not pronounce his judgment on the evidence of only one of the two parties.

We see that even Orunmila can not change someone who has chosen bad Ipin (destiny), be it while on Aiye, or before coming to earth in Orun at the house of Ajala. So it is critical at this point that Ori (and by extension Ori Inu or spiritual head) be present in order that you first, are connecting Ori to Ifa so that they may communicate, secondly that your Ori is there to communicate it's own wishes and knowledge of your destiny through the manipulation of the Ibo (determinants i.e. small rock, cowrie, seed, efun etc. that are given to you to see if Ire or Osogbo occur and yes/no questions), and lastly, so that once you have that knowledge, your Ori can assist in the process of appropriate ebo, addimu, ewoo to bring ire and avoid osogbo (again through usage of the Ibo). And, we are further reminded, though we might desire a certain result, if our Ori is not in alignment with destiny, we may not be able to achieve it regardless of Ebo, intention or desire, which is no fault of the Babalawo.

This I believe outlines the interplay between Ifa and Ori Inu, and shows the importance of being physically present when D'afa is performed, so that the revelations of Ifa are clear and in alignment with the Ori Inu and Ipin of the person. Certainly, being Eleri Ipin (witness to creation) and holding all the knowledge of the world, Ifa doesn't "need" the person to know what's goin on. However, in order that the person's Ori Inu is in alignment with Ifa, it's critical that it be present to represent itself, and fully hear and respond to the revelation Ifa makes for it. It is this interactive process, that makes the Ifa oracle an accurate and responsive form of divination truly like no other.

Are there exceptions? Can "distance" D'afa be performed?

Yes, however these are just that, exceptions. They should not be a regular form of divination and in my opinion performed only by people you have a formal connection to. Ideally, i believe that one should also have a metaphysical connection to the Babalawo and their Ifa through initiations like Isefa, Awofakan, Ikofa, Itefa, so that Ifa has made a formal recognition of your acceptance of the practice, and there is a metaphysical link to the Ikin that will be used to divine for you. But I stress that these should be exceptions and not normal practice. Receiving divination by phone or email separates the devotee and their Ori Inu from the process, and as we know in all Orisa practices, the physical connection to the Orisa is as important as the metaphysical one. If it were not, we could simply initiate ourselves and declare that we are priests, which we all know, is not possible, only Orunmila is the one who we do not know who initiated. An excerpt for the Odu Ogbe Ate states:

Orunmila was the person who initiated Akoda
He also initiated Asheda
He equally initiated Araba
Only Orunmila Abonniregun
Was the person we do not know who initiated
Now, after I have been initiated
I will complement it with self initiation
All those things that are my taboos
I will surely avoid them
I had been initiated
I will re-initiate myself, by myself...

Odabo,
Marcos Ifalola Sanchez

Treatise on Ebori and Ori: Feeding your Soul

In today's world of speed and complexity, we often hear people talking about how one should "feed one's soul." Even more often in American culture we hear about soul food, that home cooking that warms the belly and nourishes the body, and is so closely associated with the Southern African American culture. Two ubiquitous but seemingly disconnected ideas; one a metaphor, the other a cuisine. Where do they come from? Well, I can't tell you for sure, and I imagine that many cultures have their own version of these ideas. What I can tell you is that they are absolutely Yoruba theological concepts, and soul food, an outgrowth of the African American experience (many of whom descended from Yoruba slaves), holds a strong connection to Yoruba theology.

Section I: Ori

Let's start with the Yoruba concept of Ori. While its literal meaning is "head," there is also a more esoteric meaning for the followers of the Orisa tradition. Ori is in fact the closest equivalent in Orisa theology to one's soul, as evidenced most clearly by the idea that Ori chooses one's destiny. When one's Ori is in Orun, awaiting to make its descent to Earth, it goes before Olodumare to receive its vocation and pick the destiny it (Ori) will fulfill on Earth with Orunmila as witness (Eleri Ipin -- witness to creation). These two steps are included in the seven overall steps taken by Ori before its descent to Earth, as written in the Odu Ogbe 'yonu: 1. having d'afa performed by heavenly Awo, 2. performing prescribed ebo, 3. receiving one's vocation and ewoo, 4. getting to the gate of heaven, 5. digging one's "ditch of losses," 6. filling that ditch with one's gains, and finally 7. choosing one's destiny and Ori at the house of Ajala (Obatala Alamo ti i mo -- Obatala, the clay owner that molds destiny). For more on this process see: "The Healing Power of Sacrifice" by Chief Yemi Elebuibon.

During the process of choosing one's destiny at Ajala's castle, one has the opportunity to pick from a variety of pottery heads, but not all are equal, some are deformed, some are fragile and weak, some are half baked, and some are well made. It is quite difficult to discern the differences in heads, and we are told to look to Ifa for guidance in our choice before and eventually afterwards on Earth (since Orunmila was witness, Ifa can reveal the deficiencies and prescribe sacrifices/actions to strengthen one's Ori and fulfill one's destiny). This idea is reflected in Yoruba culture's use of the words Oloriire and Olori Buburu (owner of fortunate Ori, owner of bad Ori).

After incarnating on Earth, one's destiny is forgotten, and our lives are spent attempting to find and fulfill it while on Earth. There doesn't appear to be specific reference to descending and ascending levels of destiny, but there is an assumption that one will choose a destiny that is befitting of the ideals of Iwa pele and Iwa rere (cool character, gentle character) which can be seen in the Odu Irete Ofun. It can also be safely assumed that picking a destiny that is positive and fulfills many of the ideals set forth in Odu Ifa (helping those less fortunate, helping one's community, bettering oneself, etc) is best.

This assumption also plays a part in how one becomes revered Egun and eventually Orisa. Unbeknownst to many in the diaspora, Orisa and Isheshe are an expanding corpus of beings. Through one's actions, one may become a revered Egun and, after many years of being worshipped, may become Orisa. Demonstrating the positive choices of one's Ori can raise it even in death, so that even Orisa have Ori (thus linking the words Ori and Orisa). It also clarifies the traditional Yoruba view of Ori as being elevated with respect to any Orisa, because even Orisa have Ori, and their Ori guide them. Ori may be foreign to many in the diaspora, but it's important to understand that, through making poor choices, our Ori can in fact trump even the best laid plans and guidance offered to us by Orisa.

The odu Irete Ofun says:
Atefun-tefun
Dia fun Okanlenirino Irunmole
Won nlo sode Apere
Atefun-tefun eyin oni
Awo Ori lo dia fun Ori
Ori nlo sode Apere
Won ni ki won sakaale ebo ni sise
Ori nikan0nikan ni nbe leyin ti nsebo
Ebo Ori waa da ladaju
Nje Ori gbona j'Orisa
Ori ma gbona j'Orisa
Ori nikan-nikan lo ko won l'Apeere
Ko si Orisa to to nii gbe
Leyin Ori eni
Ori gbona j'Orisa

He who prints the chalk on the back of crocodile
He was the Awo who cast Ifa for the 401 Irunmole
When going to Apere (a state of perfection)
He who prints the chalk on the back of crocodile
The Awo of Ori who cast Ifa for Ori
When Ori was going to Apere
They were all advised to offer sacrifice
Only Ori responded by offering the sacrifice
The sacrifice of Ori had been abundantly rewarded
Ori is higher then all Orisa (deities)
It is only Ori which reaches Apere, the perfect state
No other Orisa (deity) can give support
Outside of one's Ori
Ori is higher then all Orisa (deities)

This Odu not only solidifies the understanding that Ori is a separate being, but that Ori is the highest of all Irunmole, and the one who remembered to perform sacrifice for its salvation. There are two other important things to note in this Odu. First, it introduces the idea of the perfect state and the notion that attaining the perfect state is something that Ori and all beings strive towards. This is a critically important concept that is sometimes forgotten in the diaspora. The second, is that it introduces the idea that the Ori is the one thing that can support one. My interpretation is that, while Orisa may be able to affect things, ultimately, one's Ori is the most important thing to have working in support of the goal of achieving the state of perfection. Without its support, even Orisa can't save you.

We further see evidence of Ori's place in theology in the Odu Ogunda Oworin:

Okun kun nore nore
Osa kun legb-lebge
Ol'Owa nr'Owa
Alasan nr'Asan
Agba imole wo ehun oro, o ri pe ko sunwon
O gi irunmu d'imu yayaya
O gi irungbon di aya pen-pen-pen
D'ifa fun isheshe merin
Ti won nse olori oro n'Ife
"Nje, kinni a baa bo ni Ifa?"
Isheshe ni a ba bo, ki a to bo Orisa
Baba eni ni isheshe eni
Iya eni ni isheshe eni
Ori eni ni isheshe eni
Ikin eni ni isheshe eni
Odumare ni Isheshe
Isheshe, mo juba ki nto s'ebo

The ocean is full
The lake is full
Travelers proceed to Owa (a town)
Travelers journey to Asan (a town; in other words, people travel to their destinations)
An elder considers the everlasting effect of a statement and realizes that it is bad
He covers his nose with his mustache
He covers his chest with his beard
Divined for the four primordial energies
Leaders of the sacred cult in Ile Ife (the ancient tradition, reference to Ogboni)
"O! who should we worship?"
The primordial forces should be appeased first before appeasing the Orisa
One's father is one's primordial force
One's mother is one's primordial force
One's Ori is one's primordial force
One's Ikin Ifa is one's primordial force
God is a primordial force
Primordial forces, I give my reverence before I perform ebo

Again we see that Ori is placed above even Orisa and ancient customs dictate that one praise first their Isheshe (mother/father (one's egun), Ori, Ikin (Ifa), and God), for without them we don't exist. Further, we have to acknowledge that Ori is a force that is reborn as we try to fulfill our destiny, hopefully learning with each incarnation, as is shown by the Yoruba names Babtunde/Yeyetunde (father/mother returns) given to those children who through divination are seen to be reincarnated ancestors.

Seeing this evidence, it appears that Ori is:

An entity in and of itself
That which chooses our destiny
That which chooses what is to become our Earthly head
That to which we must pray for guidance
An entity which is so closely associated with us/our being/body, that you can't in fact separate the two, though clearly it is also something that transcends traditional ideas of "consciousness"
An entity that we worship
An entity that transcends our worldly selves and travels back and forth to Orun

Section II: The Soul

Merriam-Webster's definition of the word "soul" is:

soul
Pronunciation: \ˈsōl\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English soule, from Old English sāwol; akin to Old High German sēula soul
Date: before 12th century
1: the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life 2 a: the spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe 3: a person's total self

If we look at the Yoruba concept of Ori and compare it to this definition, it seems fair to say that Ori is in fact the Yoruba concept of the "soul." So how does this tie into "feeding the soul" and "soul food"?

In order for our Ori to fulfill its destiny and rise above any pitfalls that may occur by chance or design (through our choice of destiny), it is important to consult Ifa, adhere to Ifa's advice and, when appropriate, offer the sacrifice (ebo). In other words, we cannot simply walk through life and let things happen -- we have to take an active role. We must act in order to advance ourselves and our Ori. Without action, Ori is stagnant. Action can take many forms, literal and symbolic, from observing ewoo, to performing certain acts, changing our behavior, and leaving a food offering. Whatever the action, it is a source of energy for us and our Ori. That's why in the Odu Irete Meji it's said:

Iwo ote
Emi Ote
D'ifa fun baba a lese ire
Ma a l'ori ire
Won ni ko ru'bo si ilaiku ara re
O ru'bo
Ko i pe
Koi jina
E wa ba wa laiku kangere

You are a presser (an initiate)
I am a presser
Divined for the Baba with good feet
but not with a good Ori (destiny)
he was advised to make ebo for good fortune
He made the ebo
Not too long
Soon after
Join us in everlasting lives

Ifa let's us know that with a good foundation (feet) even if our Ori (destiny) is not good we can make ebo (sacrifice) in order to lead a fruitful and fulfilling life. As I mention in earlier articles, it's important to understand that ebo is sacrifice, and that sacrifice is performed not only by "giving" something tangible, but sacrifice can also be an action. Ifa reminds us of the idea that we are responsible for our deeds in the Odu Irosun'geda:

Aja sunwon, aja fideyin
Agbo sunwon ti roro
Agbo ti o sunwon ka lo ile
Ka lo re e magbo bo baba eni
A difa fun ori, a bu fun iwa
Won jo n torun bo waye
Iwa lapo gbe wa re bo n rele aye
Tara gbe iwa re pon
Iwa lapo gbe iwa re

The dog is beautiful up to the teeth
The ram is beautiful up to the dewlap
A ram without a dewlap is better to be offered
as a sacrifice to ancestors
Divination was performed for Ori and character
Who both traveled from heaven to the world
Deeds are sacks; carry your own

Ifa also reminds us in Ogbe Yeku that we should adhere to advice:

Eni taa pe ko rubo
To ba rubo
Lose de ara re ara re lo se de
Eni ta a ni ko se rere
To ba se rere
Lo se de, ara re lo se de
Eni ta a pe ko rubo, ti ko rubo
Lo se de, ara re, ara re lo se de

Whoever is told to perform a sacrifice
If he performs it
He does so for himself
Whoever is told to be good
If he is good
He does so for himself
Whoever is told to perform sacrifice but refuses to do so
Does so at his own risk

So what, you are probably still asking, does all of this have to do with soul food and feeding the soul? We've established that Ori is the Yoruba equivalent to the soul, and Ebori is the ceremony in which one "feeds" one's Ori, thus "feeding the soul." Feeding and praying to one's Ori is prescribed time and time again in Odu Ifa, because the soul, like all other things in life, needs to be attended to. Nothing is self-sustaining, food strengthens us, strengthens our Orisa and that bond, and so we must do Ebori in order to strengthen our Ori. While Ebori includes foods/blood offering/prayer, feeding one's Ori is also accomplished by actions and the performance of good deeds. We strengthen our Ori by taking the time to do something for our Ori, taking the time to do something for ourselves, observing our Ewoo, enhancing our knowledge, being compassionate and also taking time to do something for others and our community.

And so it is that the Yoruba were very likely among the first people to capture the idea of soul food, or feeding the soul, as a quintessential part of their theology. Our actions can elevate our Ori on their road to becoming revered ancestors. We should remember, at the end of the day "we can't take it with us," and we must evolve so that our Ori is worthy of being a shoulder upon which our future generations can stand. Nourish your Ori, feed it well.

Ela moyin 'boru, Ela moyin 'boye, Ela moyin 'boshishe
Marcos Ifalola Sanchez
with inspiration from my apetebii Ifatolu