Candidate in religious studies at boston university and folasade woodbine have created this website to provide a support network and forum for all students and practitioners of yoruba ifa orisa religion, to learn and discuss ifa divination. A babalawo ifa priest uses the ifa divination system to make a spiritual inquiry into ones akashic record to see how a. This range from the marking system of ifa to being a wife of orunmila. Sep 26, 2009 ifa divination was performed for oyeepolu,offspring of those who perform the ancient rites of ife. Consult the digital oracle to get answers to your fears or concerns about your. If oil is the first thing to be poured on the ground. Oct 21, 2014 ifa divination poetry wande abimbola slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. What is ifa religion information and explanations related to what is the ifa yoruba religion and divination system about. The essays, with amazing depth and complexity, situate this practice and the religion it represents into a broader global context. Odu is at once a deity and the term we use for the letters or signs that come up when we perform divination. Discover answers to lifes questions using the ifa oracle an ancient african divination tool and the spiritual foundation for candoble, santeria and vodun. The odu themselves are the oracles of the yoruba divination systems of ifa, obi, and merindinlogun. Iyavassa is a powerful nana buuken priest and can truly see for you until you can see for yourself. The sixteen principal qdu plus the signs in order of seniority are listed below for easy reference.
It is means of communication between the natural and supernatural worlds that is used as a guide to ones destiny. Im no fan of karenga and i was hesitant to purchase because of other suggestions that it is a copy of sacred ifa oracle. Adding this to some wonderful definitions of odu i am compiling. Adobe acrobat professional old dominion university. When combined there are total of 256 odu to solve all problems, situations, circumstances, actions and consequences in life based on the uncountable ese poetic recitations attached to the 256 odu coding.
When one speaks of the yoruba people, culture and their traditions, it is impossible to separate the subject from odu ifa. The purpose of this work is to give plethoral detail of erindinlogun to diviner or practionals who use erindinlogun as mean s of divination. Within the oral corpus of the ifa divination and worship system resides the soul and beating heart of the yoruba people as a whole. The divining powder iyerosun iyerosun is a powder used in the yoruba ifa tradition mainly by diviners in ifa divination practices to mark odu ifa. It cast divination for the major 16 odu ifa corpus. A comparative study of ifa divination and computer science. Ifa divination system intangible heritage culture sector. Folasade woodbine, born and raised in ileife, nigeria, is a student of art therapy at emmanuel college. Oct 28, 2016 fa refers to the system of divination and the verses of the literary corpus known as the odu ifa. Ifa is the oracle of maximum importance to practitioners of orisa lifestyle.
Ifa divination for the annual agbonniregun ifa festival. Conversation with ifayemi elebuibon during his visit to brazil in the beginning of 2016. Dafa, the act of performing the divination system of the yoruba of nigeria is the fundamental way in which the babalawo or iyanifa commune with the wisdom of the orisa orunmila, also sometimes called ifa. He wrote a number of books in portuguese including a welldocumented study of herbs associated with odu ifa. In this work babalawo obanifa will comprehensively examine the interpretation of odu ifa eji oko in erindinlogun divination system. About the araba araba ifayemi was born in osogbo, osun state, nigeria. They form the basis for the yoruba ifa divination system used to guide daily life, personal and societal growth, sound decisionmaking, morality, and. The paper establishes that ifa trays from isaleoyo bear distinctive features when compared with other ifa trays in yorubaland such as those of ijebu and osogbo. It provides guidance on how to proceed through uncertain times. Ifa divination is a system of divination that relies on a corpus of oral literature known as odu ifa. This paper is a study of the images and patterns on ifa divination trays from isaleoyo.
Nov 27, 2017 ifa divination is operated by means of the configuration called odu. This tray, adorned with carved images and dusted with powder, serves as the template on which sacred signs odu related to the personal concerns of a diviners client are traced as the point of departure for analysis. It is revealed to babalawos in the form of what we call odu ohdew. Ifa festival is a scholarly, informative, and unique african perspective on the richness of ifa, a divination system of several west african peoples, especially the yoruba of southwestern nigeria. Within the situations or circumstances one may find oneself in. Jaap verduijn has been a student of ifa since 1982, becoming an avid collector of ifa texts ese odu ifa almost immediately, and a practicing ifa diviner not much later. Highlighting some elements of technological knowledge in ifa and its divination system. If i were to personify ifa, i would say ifa was the first feminist in the traditional yoruba society. This book presents a broad account of the present knowledge of the history and outlines the system of islamic law. Babalawos or iyanifas use either the divining chain known as opele, or the sacred palm or kola nuts called ikin, on the wooden divination tray called opon. Opele ifa divination chain chief yagbe awolowo onilu. This information is crucial towards guiding us on how to get the most out of this life. It is a complex system dependent on an oral corpus known as odu ifa. Odu ifa corpus learn about the foundation of ifa religion.
Consult the digital oracle to get answers to your fears or concerns about your current or future situations. This is your chance to work with someone who is not only an orisa lifestyle practitioner and a counselor but also a personal mentor and professional consultant who offers many levels of coaching, consulting and training for educators, human services professionals, devotees and priests both beginners and advanced. Sep 30, 2014 he made several trips to africa where he received ifa and was given the name awo fatunmbi. Ifa divination is operated by means of the configuration called odu. Ifa is a pragmatic spiritual science and study of how things come into existence codified a millennia ago by orunmila bara agboniregun spirit of destiny. This tray, adorned with carved images and dusted with powder, serves as the template on which sacred signs odu related to the personal concerns of a diviners client. Yoruba ifa divination performed at the house of chief obaloja in ilaorangun. Ifa divination ifa is a pragmatic spiritual science and study of how things come into existence codified a millennia ago by orunmila bara agboniregun orisha of wisdom. Central to this study is the iconographic description and interpretations of isaleoyo divination. This beautiful odu teaches us about the power of our words, the importance of our legacy that we leave behind and our own purpose in life. Ewe oogun agba lagba iyami protection hex removal soap. These ese come from wande abimbola, a prominent ifa scholar and priest. Home reading of the year ifa divination for the annual agbonniregun ifa festival.
It would also be most helpful to know your mental processes when interacting with odu. This ancient corpus contains the history, cosmology, worldview, linguistic heritage, medical tradition and ethical legacy of the yoruba people and has been preserved orally through poetic form. A divination session with iyavassa and the oracle is transformative. The ifa divination system is applied whenever an important individual or collective decision has to be made. Pdf a comparative study of ifa divination and computer science. Mar 01, 2016 conversation with ifayemi elebuibon during his visit to brazil in the beginning of 2016. Opele divination in my shrine today i will be teaching you the history of opele. The word ifa refers to the mystical figure ifa or orunmila, regarded by the yoruba as the deity of wisdom. These works represent two recent and exciting contributions to the field of african literature. According to wande abimbola in his book, the sixteen major odu 2006, he postulated that odu is the combination of four signs that babalawo mark at each side on ifa divination tray. In anything we do, if we do not guarantee the place of women, that thing will not succeed. Ifa is a pragmatic spiritual science and study of how things come into existence codified a millennia ago by orunmila bara agboniregun orisha of wisdom. Having said this much, i understand that many individuals have come to ifa for many reasons, and others have stumbled upon ifa unexpectedly. Ifa helps repair imperfect ori and helps the individual stay in.
The sacred texts of ifa, repository of the accumulated wisdom of countless generations of yoruba people, are an invaluable source not only for all students of african oral literature and yoruba civilization, but also for future generations interested in the continuing vitality of ifa divination and a yoruba way of life and thought. Ifa divination is the process of divination associated with ifa, an ancient indigenous religion and spiritual tradition conceptualized by the yoruba people many centuries ago. His method of intuitive instruction of ifa is the best that i have found. In the ifa corpus are as many as 256 possibilities 16 principal and 240 minor odu each containing mythological stories which the babalawo narrates in the process of divination. The ifa divination system, which makes use of an extensive corpus of texts and mathematical formulas, is practiced among yoruba communities and by the african diaspora in the americas and the caribbean.
A collection of verses from the 256 ifa odu with commentary fasola, awo fategbe fatunmbi on. Odu ifa is the blueprint of life used to guide humanity towards the manifestation of their destiny in a positive way. The first ten odu are codes for the ten sefirot, and the remaining six odu are the light christ. Ifa is a religion and system of divination and refers to the verses of the literary corpus known as the odu ifa. Orunmila is identified as the grand priest, as he is who revealed divinity and prophecy to the world. There are 256 such possible combinations odu which can occur when we consult ifa. What is ifa definition, the religious concepts and tools used.
I wish you and other babalawo can tell the world about your personal,intimate experiences with ifa. Consult the digital oracle to get answers to your fears or concerns about your current or future. It is through the knowledge of these energies, called odu ifa. Ifa divination system learn about yoruba religious. In yoruba mythology, orunmila is an orisha orisa, and deity of prophecy. Translations are rough but a good resource nonetheless for those who are already practicing. On saturdaysunday june 45 the annual agbonniregun ifa festival was held at oke itase orunmila temple, ile ife. Omo awo online training for ifa and orisa practitioners. It is revealed to babalawos in the form of what we call odu. Opele also known as ireree was a slave to orunmila who bought him from the market to serve as a house help. The ifa concept of divination and the process of interpreting odu the metaphysical foundations of ifa volume 6 by awo falokun fatunmbi 3. Ifa yoruba religion learn about the ancient yoruba pantheon. Osun and the origins of the ifa divination wande abimbola y ifa divination we mean ifa and related systems of divination based on the stories and symbols of the odu such as dida owo divination with the sacred divining chain called opele and et.
In ifa divination, the controller is a sixteen 4 bits package called sixteen principal odu. Jaap does not practice inside the usual orunmila system, but operates as an independent diviner. In the odu ose otura, ifa speaks unequivocally about gender equality not to be confused with gender role, and it goes something like this. Cuttingedge technology for an ancient religion youtube. If you are looking for a course which will empower you with the knowledge to interpreting odu, perform ifa divination like a seasoned omoawo, then this is the. Babalawo obanifa interpetation of odu osa in eerindinlogun divination the following are the sacred messages contain in odu osa in erindinlogun divination system. Ifa says there that some people are trying to take revenge on this person. The opon ifa or tray and iroke ifa or tapper are used in ifa divination, a central ritual within ifa tradition. Through proper interpretation of odu ifa, questions with unknown outcomes can be answered. Each can be regarded as a living entity with a personality and certain attributes. A brief discussion of the wisdom of odu obara meji. Ifa divination, knowledge, power, and performance is a valuable addition to the scholarly literature on ifa. This little website is my way of sharing my love, and understanding of ifa. The odu verses presented are insightfuland necessary especially because there are so many ethical lapses with.
Use adobe acrobat pro software to deliver highimpact communications that combine audio, video, interactive media, and a wide variety of file types into a polished, professional pdf portfolio. Ifa divination tools opon ifa, opele ifa, iroke, irukere. If you need to electronically sign a document, esign is available in acrobat reader. The sanctions of ifa divination, journal of royal anthropological institute, 71, part ii, 1941. Yoruba divination from africa to the new world religion in. The babalawo has finished casting ifa and is chanting the verses of the odu, the pattern of which has appeared in the iyerosun dust on the opon ifa. In addition he made a study of odu related to iyaami osoranga and printed a volume of the verses he collected on this important subject. Secrets of the odus of ifa 3 when this odu is seen, the clients body is cleansed with anil bluecolored mineral balls mixed with water and that water is also. Dafa ifa divination ifa divination gives a clear and precise look into the energies that are involved in any given situation and also provides answers and solutions for how to deal with any given circumstance that can occur in the universe. Ifa via odu will reveal through divination ones current situation speaking to your past, present, and possible futures. He specializes in african and african american religious thought and practice. Search results images for ifa divination tools guided search filters ifa opele african religion yoruba spiritual opon ifa nigeria ifa oracle ikin ifa orunmila. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Edited by john pemberton iii, insight and artistry in african divination.
A babalawo bokono diviner uses the opele in order to communicate with the spirits who are able to identify the causes and solutions to personal and collective problems and restore harmony with the spirits. Onaje woodbine grs and his wife, folasade, demonstrate the yoruba ifa divination process, and how their new app for iphones, ipods. Kabiessi ifagbemi is not a psychic or spirit medium. An introduction to islamic law, joseph schacht, 1964, religion, 304 pages. The ifa divination system is a set of divination acts done by a professional that has been granted authority a babalawo to create and make use of set of rules to communicate with the gods so as to solve peoples problems. Iyavassa teaches you so much the whole way through. The ifa divination system is a set of divination acts done by a professional that has been granted authority a babalawo to create and make use of set of rules to communicate with the gods so as.
Doesnt hold all the odu but more complete than most. If you have been working in a company you are only wasting your time. These form the basis of ifa traditional spiritual knowledge and are the foundation of all yoruba divination systems. The ifa literary corpus, called odu, consists of 256 parts subdivided into verses called ese, whose exact number is unknown as they are constantly increasing there are around 800 ese per odu. She can gets deep inside what is truly going on and guides you in a very nurturing supportive way. The wisdom and secrets that provide guidance and answers to all mankind. The ifa divination system is primarily used to seek information that helps us to make important and betterinformed decisions about potentially life long impactful. Pdf the ifa divination system is a set of divination acts done by a professional that has been granted authority a babalawo to create and.
Ifa said there is a spiritual illness affecting this person in the stomach, blaming same on witches witches. Ogundabede is odu ifa that works for people who must or is involved in not a legal business. Special instruments are used to assist in the divination to transcribe orunmilas wisdom through the diviner. Jan 29, 2016 ifa epistemology as grounded in dialogue with the inner self or ori, of the client was described to me by ohomina and is suggested by wande abimbola in either ifa divination poetry or an exposition of ifa literary corpus in terms of the saying that ori is the ultimate deity with respect to the self and that without oris consent, no other. The babalawo uses the ifa divination system to make a spiritual inquiry into ones akashic record to see how a problem or situation is best resolved. Onaje and folasade met in 2005, when onaje was a fulbrighthays scholar abroad, studying yoruba. A foundational oral literature comprised of a system of signs that contain all potential outcomes in life. Ifa divination, babalawo reading, babalawo divination, odu ifa. She truly cares about supporting anyone who is seeking to know more about. Ogundabede was a thief that was successful in his business. It is termite dust from the irosun tree, the irosun tree is a special tree that is said to have a connection to the spirit realm. God is a computer programming language a machine code consist of hexadecimal instructions that control, construct and govern the harmonious world.
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