To Give . . .

Aboru aboye aboshishe,

A recent conversation claiming that only Africans and African descendants were allowed to practice Ifa left me a bit sad. On reading Odu this morning, I came across this Odu which hit me deeply and left me feeling heavy.

Oworin Odi

Gba ohun iye; danii
Gba lailewu
Bi a ba bi eni
K'a fi ohun naa fun olohun
Ire ni aigba fun ara eni
Won ni: t'o a ba ri won
Eniti nfi ojun fun olojun
Ko ma yee ni lowo

Accept a thing of value and hold on to it
Keep it safe
and when we are asked for it,
we should give the thing to its owner
Goodness lies in not keeping it for ourselves
they said: May we see our ancestors
and that anyone who returns things to their owner
Will never be empty handed.

Orunmila gave Ifa to all the people of the world, so that they may always have a way to fix their problems and align themselves with their destinies. May those of us that have been given Ifa to hold, keep it safe and give it back to the people, that we and they never be empty handed or left without a way to help themselves.

Aboru Aboye Aboshishe
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

Further thoughts on Odu Ifa and cultural relativism

Aboru aboye aboshishe,

As I read one of my books this morning I had alot of really interesting revelations, one of which surrounded this idea of Odu and cultural relativism. I do believe there is much truth in the understanding that certainly not every Odu is meant to be universally accepted as law/mandate. And that in fact, I believe a priests main obligation, aside from worship, helping others, and divining, is to interpret the will of Ifa. As a backdrop to further this idea let's discuss Ifa's apparent support of slavery in the Odu Ogbe-shee (Ogbe Oshe)

Oju ti a pon Awo, aponku ko
Osi ti n ta Awo, atala ni
Bo ba pe titi
Aso Feyin ti
A o foro yii serin rin
A o na'se mejeeji gboro-gboro-gboro
Dia Fun Orisanla Oseeremagbo
Ti yoo loo f'aro sakora eru
Won ni k sakaale, ebo ni sise
O gbegbo, o rubo
Nje eru ti mo ra funfun lo nse
Eru ti mo ra lo la mi
Eru ti mo ra, funfun lo nse o

The suffering of an Awo is not forever
The poverty of an Awo shall turn to prosperity
Before long, we shall recline in comfort
And laugh over this matter
These were the declarations of Ifa to Orisanla Oseeremagbo
When going to but a cripple as his first slave
He was advised to offer sacrifice
He complied
Now, the slave I bought is a nice slave
The slave I bought had brought me prosperity
The slave I bought is a nice slave

--------
Clearly this Odu establishes slavery as an accepted Yoruba practice, and provides for remedies to deal with an ill-mannered/bad slave. This would of course be the obvious and literal interpretation and also establishes as codified in Ifa's tenets, the history that the Yoruba were active participants in the slave trade, playing a key role in the middle passage. Just as with the dilemmas raised by literal interpretations of the Bible, we have to consider deeply and profoundly what Ifa is trying to say. Is it condoning slavery at all times? Or, is it simply using the language of the day to show a culturally and contextually relevant message, from which we can extract our own message, leaving out that which is no longer socially acceptable?

As a Babalawo, and a person of the 21st century, slavery is not acceptable to me, nor to the social norms that surround me. That said, the interpretation of this Odu would be that Ifa is trying to say two important things. One, the Awo (which would represent the adherent being divined for) may be having a difficult time, but Ifa says this will not last forever. Two, the adherent has a problem with people who work directly for them (and who probably are direct reports) and the only way to deal with this problem is by doing ebo, and by remembering that they need to have patience (suffering is not forever). These are today's messages of Ifa for this Odu.

I go through the exercise of interpretation to make a point, Ifa is fluid, and while certainly I believe there are some moral absolutes, Ifa is not so rigid as to think that everything must be taken literally and verbatim. Because of the changing environment, almost all Odu Ifa require some level of interpretation be it major, such as this, or minor to get its point across. Whoever thinks of Ifa as black and white misses the beauty and difficulty in trying to comprehend infinity.

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

The ever expanding corpus of wisdom we call Ifa

The ever expanding corpus of wisdom we call Ifa.

We should start this conversation with a well known mantra I've repeated many times: Within Ifa is housed all the wisdom and knowledge of the world past, present, and future. Acknowledging this statement as a truth, we eventually have to ask the question, does the corpus of Ifa Ese/Iyere/Oriki/Ofo expand, and how does that happen?

As a conversation starter I'd like to remind us of the old adage, "there's nothing new under the sun", which I believe holds true for peoples interactions with each other. While certainly there are new inventions, and we find out new things everyday, if we look at the interactions between people; love, hate, war, jealousy, passion, peace, these all seem to have been themes amongst all people from time immemorial as we see in the painting of the pyramids, the bible, the writings of Plato, and most importantly for those reading this, Odu Ifa.

If we can, but for a moment, raise ourselves above our given situation, we are apt to see one of these themes projecting itself on us. So in that way, Odu Ifa, when interpreted by ourselves or a priest, can show us the outcome, warn us of the pitfalls and provide us with a solution to our quandary. And so this leads in to our first question, does the Ifa as a corpus expand?

I believe that like all things in life, yes. it does. Though the larger themes remain, once we get into the details of interpretation of these issues, there is fluidity as can most aptly be seen in the examples of infanticide of twins, slavery and human sacrifice. We have clear evidence that infanticide was practiced based on the idea that twins were considered to be an abomination of nature. Not until the reign of Sango (Shango) was the practiced banned, and the view on twins reversed. Human sacrifice was documented (as with every culture at some point in time) and not halted until some say as late as the late 1800s in some remote areas. Slavery was also a very common practice among the Yoruba until the late 19th, early 20th century's. Ifa has to grow and morph in order to stay consistent and relevant to its followers. Clearly, morality can change, and that change is reflected in Odu Ifa.

Ifa, as all religions, is not an immutable force. There are larger issues which goes beyond the growth and development of Odu Ifa, such as the meaning and interpretation of ese Ifa, how that affects ritual and liturgy, and when has something gone "too far" or is no longer culturally relevant. These are critical issues when thinking about not only the advancement, but propagation and long term survival prospects for the Orisa traditions. Without any central authority and an increasing gap in practices from "ile to ile" one has to wonder how long the bonds of cohesion can continue without a significant break. I would argue that already, whether acknowledged or not, there are changes that have occurred, marking distinction between the cuban lucumi and US lucumi worship and between US traditional Yoruba and Nigerian traditional Yoruba worship. That assessment is based on my conversations with several elders of Cuban decent (ie, having lived in cuba for a large part of their lives before moving here), conversations with my Oluwo in Ibadan, and my observations of US practices (people like Philip Niemark of American Ifa).

William Bascom touches on the idea of cultural relativism when says "Each listing (of Odu Ifa) reflects deities of importance locally, suggesting considerable regional cariation in the Ifa verses because of their adaptation to local belief systems" (p.45 Ifa divination). After which he goes on to cite verses that are similar, but with different deities based on where they come from.

So if we agree that while the themes of Ifa (love, hate, etc) may be finite, the ways in which they manifest in our lives are unlimited and with great variation. It now becomes important to ask the question, how do Patakin/Ese Ifa develop? Again we note William Bascom in "Ifa Divination" where he says:

"A Meko (area in Nigeria) diviner explained that new verses are learned when one dreams the he is divining; when on awakes in the morning, he repeats what he did in his dreams. This is confirmed by Epega, who says that new verses may be derived from dreams, and also that some individuals are born with Ifa verses "inside them," so that as soon as they are taught the figures and a few verses of Ifa, they introduce new verses. Thus while no new figures can ever be added, there is no end to the knowledge of Ifa (Epega, n.d.: XVI, 6). If new verses can be introduced from dreams or through individual creativity, it is clear that all cerses need not be derived fromt he corpus of African Folklore." --Ifa divination, William Bascom P.137

While I believe this practice to be true of traditional Yoruba Babalawo, I don't believe lucumi Awo Ifa would agree, though, arguably something happened as evidenced by certain lucumi verses that either do not conform to traditional verse or use items/people/situations that would be completely foreign to Yoruba culture (espiritismo, palo, homosexuality, modern inventions). This idea of dream teaching is supported In Chief Elebuibon's (a well known Babalawo) book "Iyere Ifa: Tonal poerty, the voice of Ifa" in which he mentions this under the section talking about memorizing Ifa:

"It is a belief that the acolyte or priest memorizes these verses, his capacity to memorize is increased every day. Ajagunmole (he-who-teaches-the priest-through-dreams) is the great Ifa priest in heaven. He holds the responsibility for guiding the righteous and the upright by giving them retentive memory. It is believed that those who lose their memory or are unable to recite the Odu very well might have offended Ajagunmole." (Chapter 8, p101)

In supporting the idea of dream learning, and possible creation of new Ese Ifa, he takes it one step further in creating a divine link between heaven and earth though which Ifa verse is transmitted from Orun to Aiye.

Further, Bascom in the end of his work "Ifa Divination" recites several "Ese Ifa" that specifically talk about whites (europeans) and modern inventions such as trains and flashlights. These are classic examples of new additions. What is interesting though, is that he added it under a section labeled "parodies" (clearly not giving it the same weight) and not under the corresponding Odu, perhaps his own particular judgment on the merit of these particular verses. If, however, one were to conform to the style of other Odu more strictly, and not use "modern" terms/objects, it would be difficult to detect and thus enter the Odu Corpus without objection.

From a philosophical perspective, if we combine the fact that humans can only memorize so much, and Odu encompasses all knowledge past, present and future, it should be no surprise that the Corpus gets updated (as evidenced by many lucumi patakin) and added to. It seems to me that being an oral tradition alone makes the process highly susceptible to purposeful or inadvertent change, whether people want to acknowledge it or not (play a game of telephone to illustrate this). Clearly, if you've sat in a lucumi Ita (and I've sat in at least 20 or so, with 5 different Oriates including esteemed Cuban elders with 55+ years of Osha and relative newcomers with only 18 years as a priest) you can see that things have been added to the Odu corpus (not Ifa in this case). You will hear about jesus, doing "misas", getting rayado in palo, the Abakua, etc, and in Traditional Yoruba Ifa you may hear about Muslims or Christians. This is clearly interpretation or the addition of cultural relevance to the process.

Whether we like it or not, we are subjects of doublespeak when talking about the purity of our practice on the one hand, then complaining about invented Orisa, or accepting certain things which are clearly european/judeo christian influences on the other. Further, we see that this is an evolutionary and changing practice simply by looking at the process of becoming Orisa. I say this because at least as I was taught in the lucumi tradition, Orisa were not an expanding rank. However, when I read some Yoruba theology and eventually had a conversation with my Oluwo, I came to understand that actually, Orisa are not so stagnant, and in theory at least, there can be additions to the Orisa we worship. A person dies, eventually they might be worshiped as Egun, after many many years that egun might eventually become Orisa. This of course is perfectly supported by all Orisa practitioners (lucumi and traditional Yourba) acceptance of the Orisa Sango, who we all know and acknowledge was a deified King.


Both the traditional Yoruba and lucumi practices are equally prone to these issues. The real question is how will the clergy control this evolution and what practices are accepted, and which are not, in such a way that doesn't jeopardize the integrity of the Ifa.

Aboru aboye aboshishe,
Ifalola

Sacred Odu Ifa texts and rituals, what is our responsibility?

Aboru aboye aboshishe,

In a recent dialog, I was confronted with non-Ifa priests (though priests of other Orisa) who condoned the reading of sacred Ifa Awo (secrets). I realized that perhaps there needs to be a clarification, at least of my interpretation on Odu Ifa and ritual. The issue here is not the public knowledge of the stories/religious texts of Odu Ifa (ie the ese Ifa / patakin / Iyere etc.), on that I am clear. As texts, stand alone, they are important works that in their own way should be preserved by all, for all. In fact, as was correctly pointed out by another Orisa priest, when one goes to an Ita, or has an Ifa divination performed, even the uninitiated will hear the Ese/patakin. This is part of the basis comes for people being able to learn ese Ifa before initiation in the traditional Yoruba context (the other is training as the start of religious life, instead of initiation). Additionally, whether this priest realized it or not, he pointed out there is a tacit acceptance of this policy by lucumi Awo Ifa, since an aleyo, can in fact, potentially memorize or at least paraphrase an Ese ifa chanted/spoken in a divination session.

These religious texts, or as i think of them, the word of Ifa, are divinely inspired texts that explain human nature to humankind. These are in fact the domain of all people. In that we agree. They should be shared and analyzed and studied for their meaning both physical and spiritual. From this point on though my opinion on public availability stops.

Beyond the word of Ifa lies the inner realm, a realm whose study is the sole purpose of the Ifa priesthood. Within this realm lies both the inner esoteric meanings of the word of Ifa and the rituals which have been created by the priesthood in order to amplify, contain or diminish the energies which the Odu summon. These divine and sacred rituals have been created through divine inspiration, interpretation of Odu Ifa and observation of heavenly and earthly signs. This art and science contains powerful rituals and observations that are not meant for the uninitiated because they have not been trained in their use, and in how to counter their potentially damaging effects. In theory, Ifa priests should be ethical practitioners, and are bound to heed the word of Ifa and Ifa's code of ethics as prescribed in many Odu, which is another safe guard in their use. We see this oath in the holy Odu Iwori Meji:

Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Bi o ba te Ita tan
Ki o tun iye e re te
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma fi eja igba gun ope
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma fi aimowe wo odo
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma fi ibinu yo obe
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma ji kanjukanju jaye
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma fi warawara mkun ola
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, maseke, sodale
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma puro jaye
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma se igberaga si agba
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma so ireti nu
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, ma san bante Awo
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni
Awo, bi o ba tefa tan
Ki o tun iye e re te o
Iwori teju mo ohun ti nse ni

English
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
If you undergo Ifa initiation (Itelodu)
Endeavor to use your wisdom and intelligence
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not use a broken rope to climb a palm-tree
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do no enter into the river without knowing how to swim
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not draw a knife in anger
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not be in haste to enjoy your life
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not be in a hurry to acquire wealth
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not lie, do not be treacherous
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not deceive in order to enjoy your life
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not be arrogant to elders
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not lose hope
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, do not make love to your colleague's spouse
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you
Awo, when you have been given Ifa initiation
Initiate yourself again by using your wisdom and intelligence
Iwori take a critical look at what affects you

Here, my view is clear, Non-awo Ifa are not bound in the same way to these code of ethics (we take an oath to Odu and Ifa, which has horrible consequences when broken), they are also not trained to deal with these rituals and their consequences, and most important, may make grave errors for lack of training and initiation, resulting in horrible problems for them, and their clients should they be acting on their behalf. For these reasons, these rituals and inner meanings are not meant for Ifa laypeople (ie., any person who is not an Ifa priest, including priests of other Orisa). These same arguments could also be made for the secret rituals, inner meanings of other Orisa priests, but for this moment I only speak of Ifa.

Respect for this sacred and holy knowledge should be upheld for without respect, we have nothing and will surely end up worse then when we started. I would call upon people to lead by example, if not, your example will only end up creating confusion and shows little respect for those whose shoulder you yourself are standing on.

Respectfully,
Ifalola

Discourse on meaning and symbology in the Ifa Divination System

I would like to start this discourse with a few simple questions:

If one practices Ifa, does one have to believe in the creation stories and stories of Odu Ifa?

My answers is quite simply, yes . . . but more often as metaphor then as literal. In order to clarify that statement, I'll include here the Merriam-Webster definition of a metaphor:

met·a·phor
Pronunciation: \ˈme-tə-ˌfor also -fər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English methaphor, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French metaphore, from Latin metaphora, from Greek, from metapherein to transfer, from meta- + pherein to bear — more at bear
Date: 15th century

1: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money); broadly : figurative language — compare simile2: an object, activity, or idea treated as a metaphor : symbol 2
http://m-w.com/dictionary/metaphor

Assuming this definition, I propose that priest and layperson alike must learn to decipher each and every story and determine their literal and metaphorical meanings. As priests we are burdened with the job of helping to guide this process through our knowledge and connection to Ifa and the Divine. Once those meanings are determined, the most important job is left, sorting out what is meant literally and what metaphorically. This is where the real difficulty begins, and where rifts and divergence occur, especially without the central authority as seen in many other organized religions. Though, arguably, the Araba of Ile Ife is meant to play this role, he has not attained what I see as a critical mass in recognition, that would allow him to make decisions.

This all said, I personally believe these stories were created, and subsequently modified, as contextually and culturally relevant modes of explaining complex ideas and understandings of creation, and human existence. Like the bible and other Divinely inspired human treatises, Odu Ifa are the codification of an accumulated wisdom gathered through the ages. These Itan, Ese, Iyere are then interpreted based on accepted cultural norms (cultural relativism), and presented to the adherent during divination based on the Odu revealed by Ifa. Do I believe that a rooster was lowered to the watery planet we call earth, and by scratching at the patch of dirt that was placed with him he created the mountains and land? Well, in a metaphorical sense, yes. Literally, I don't see it, but isn't it strange that before any scientific evidence (which now exists) the Yoruba first understood that the earth was a watery place? They understood that water was a requirement for existence. I also find it interesting that the chicken scratching at the earth and spreading land as a metaphor is not so dissimilar from our understanding of volcanoes spewing molten lava in violent eruptions, which became the landmasses we know today. Interesting metaphor within which lies a complex scientific comparison.

Extracted from each ese Ifa, Itan, Iyere is a kernel of knowledge, a truth, a problem laid bare and the solution to overcoming that barrier or understand that problem. Sometimes it’s done literally, sometimes in metaphor.

If we further examine the ideas of "creating and modifying" and "contextual and cultural modes" of Odu Ifa, we see Ifa, as with all religions, is not an immutable force. We are presented with a larger issue beyond development of Odu Ifa (ese, iyere, itan), which is, what does it mean to interpret ese, ritual and liturgy, and when has something gone "too far"? These are critical issues when thinking about not only the advancement, but propagation and long-term survival prospects for the Orisa traditions. Without central authority (though I alluded to one earlier) and with an increasing gap in practices from "ile to ile" one has to wonder how long the bonds of cohesion can continue without some break. It does appear that whether acknowledged or not, there are already changes that have occurred, marking a distinction between the cuban style and US style of orisa worship and perhaps even the US and Nigerian style of Orisa worship. That assessment is based on my conversations with elders of Cuban decent (ie, having lived in cuba for a large part of their lives before moving here), Oluwos in Nigeria, and my observations of US-based practitioners.

I think bascom touches on the idea of cultural relativism in his statement on ese Ifa saying "Each listing reflects deities of importance locally, suggesting considerable regional variation in the Ifa verses because of their adaptation to local belief systems" (p.45 Ifa divination). After which he goes on to cite verses that are similar, but with different deities based on where they come from . . .

As to the creation and modification of Odu Ifa, there are two noted authors that speak to it. William Bascom in "Ifa Divination" says it does happen periodically and while I believe this to be true of traditional practice, I'm not sure whether lucumi Awo Ifa would agree. Though, arguably something must have happened to allow additions of certain lucumi verse that either do not conform to traditional verse or use items/people/situations that would be completely foreign to Yoruba culture. Bascome says:

"A Meko (area in Nigeria) diviner explained that new verses are learned when one dreams he is divining; when one awakes in the morning, he repeats what he did in his dreams. This is confirmed by Epega, who says that new verses may be derived from dreams, and also that some individuals are born with Ifa verses "inside them," so that as soon as they are taught the figures and a few verses of Ifa, they introduce new verses. Thus while no new figures can ever be added, there is no end to the knowledge of Ifa (Epega, n.d.: XVI, 6). If new verses can be introduced from dreams or through individual creativity, it is clear that all verses need not be derived from the corpus of African Folklore."
--Ifa divination, William Bascom P.137

In Chief Elebuibon's (a well known Nigerian Babalawo) book "Iyere Ifa: Tonal poerty, the voice of Ifa" he mentions this in the section talking about memorizing Ifa:

"It is a belief that the acolyte or priest memorizes these verses, his capacity to memorize is increased every day. Ajagunmole (he-who-teaches-the priest-through-dreams) is the great Ifa priest in heaven. He holds the responsibility for guiding the righteous and the upright by giving them retentive memory. It is believed that those who lose their memory or are unable to recite the Odu very well might have offended Ajagunmole." (Chapter 8, p101)

This confirms the idea of dream teaching that was told to both Bascom and Epega. And falls into the idea that there is a link between heaven and earth though which Ifa verse is transmitted. It also confirms that, whether actively talked about or not, the corpus of Odu Ifa is an ever expanding one, which may in fact house ese/iyere/etc that represent cultural norms of a time long ago, and are meant to be re-interpreted.

Before I go further, I would like to reiterate that history is precisely that, His Story, and as such, reflects the attitudes and opinions of those who have transmitted it. As we advance as a society it is necessary at times to reconstruct the logic and reasoning behind some of our most sacred acts. This can prove difficult since we have no books to guide us, and direct access through divination, to the Divine and the Awos who have gone before us can be tedious and insufficient. It is also necessary to update our views and understanding as technology and science reveals more to us. Just as we might send someone to a medical doctor now instead of an herbalist, we will also re-evaluate our system to reflect new knowledge or insights. It is in this vain that I move to my next topic in this discussion.

With the basis for the corpus of knowledge laid, we can turn to the question of the technicalities of Ifa and its markings. Ifa is in its essence a binary system. In fact one of the oldest and original binary systems, which happens to also be the basis for how modern day computers work. In a binary system, Two digits, 0 and 1 for computers, or in Ifa I and II, can be used to stand for the two states of ON and OFF, or in Ifa's case existence and non-existence. While Ifa itself is quite complex, and able to handle all the intricacies involved in shades of grey, its basis lies in the simple fact of two possible states of being. I exist or I do not exist, yes or no, positive or negative, known or unknown, these are the most basic states of existence, and are reflected in the markings of Ifa.

So we ask, why 8 markings? To first understand this, we should look at one of the most basic symbols in Orisa worship, the circle and crossed lines



This figure appears in a variety of places, from the Opon Ifa (traditionally circular, though there are modern square and rectangular versions) with the crossed lines marked in Iyerosun, to the “firmas” used within a variety of religious ceremonies. The symbology of this is a critical part of Yoruba cosmogony. We begin with the shape of the circle, which represents a variety of important concepts. First and foremost, by drawing a circle you perform the act of acknowledging and drawing, a representation of the eternal and infinite. Once drawn, a circle has no discernable beginning, middle or end, it simply appears to go on and on without stop. Not only does this represent the concept of never ending flow of time, it is crucial to the Yoruba concept of reincarnation. This is clearly evidenced when talking about the theology of Orun and the way in which we come to earth. It’s also evident in Yoruba names such as Yetunde or Babatunde (mother returns or father returns respectively), which are given to children born shortly after the death of a grandparent, viewed to be their reincarnation as marked by the ceremony of Esentaye done on the third day after a child’s birth.

The circle is also important in that it is a representation of the calabash (igba), and extremely important part of Yoruba culture. In the picture below, we see one beautiful example of a calabash carved with Yoruba motifs throughout. In Yoruba culture, the calabash is consider a container for items, both sacred and profane, but importantly is a symbol used when explaining the universe, which is considered to be a calabash (again, science concurs that the universe as we understand it is in essence an expanding sphere). In that role, the universe is cut in half with the upper half representing Orun (heaven) and the lower half representing earth or the “known” universe (aiye). This plays directly into our diagram of circle with two intersecting lines, the horizontal representing the differentiation between heaven and earth and subsequently life and death. While as a whole, our personal trajectories are on the outer circle, the intersecting vertical line, in Ifa, is a representation of our breaking of the boundary between heaven and earth in order to commune/communicate with heaven and seek counsel of the Divine. The center point of two intersecting lines representing the present moment in which the divination occurs where the two worlds are for an instant brought together.

To add another level of complexity to the discussion, the intersecting lines are also a representation of the crossroads and a manifestation of the Orisa Esu (owner of the crossroads) who traditionally is depicted at the top of an Opon Ifa as seen below.

The intersecting lines are a representation of the crossroads at which the devotee stands, and is the reason they are consulting Ifa for guidance. They stand at the center of the intersection, looking out onto each of their options in four directions seeking counsel on the correct path. Esu oversees this process and is given his due (ebo) to ensure he does not block and removes any obstacles from our way. In that way, the intersection represents the devotee’s present, each line a possible path to the present (their past), originating from the infinite circle, and each line also a potential future path extending out to the infinite circle. And so, as the Babalawo casts Ikin, he draws the ikin 8 times, 4 representing each potential path that lead to the present, and 4 more times representing each potential path that leads to the future. In the circle, as in Odu Ifa, all possibilities of past, present and future are contained.

This notion is further acknowledged by the role the calabash plays as the container of all knowledge, otherwise known as igba Odu, or calabash of Odu. We know that within Odu, is housed, all the knowledge of the world, past, present and future, and that based on our dynamic understanding of the Opon Ifa as crossroads, as Babalawo, we manipulate the symbols through ritual, prayer and the use of sacred objects to access that knowledge and present the devotee with a clear path to success and the overcoming of obstacles.

I believe that for now, this is a first attempt at creating an understanding of the symbology of Ifa which I hope will lead to more conversations, and a deeper understanding of the rites and rituals which we use to communicate and commune with the Divine Ifa.

Ase oo
Marcos Ifalola Sanchez