Egbe Tiwalade

Atlanta, GA

Ifa ~ Orisha:
A Traditional African Spiritual System

Ifa is an indigenous, earth centered African

spiritual system which was conceptualized by the
Anago people (Yoruba speaking people of Nigeria, West Africa). Ifa
means wisdom. It is one of many traditional Afrikan spiritual
systems that have collectively grown into the seventh largest
worship worldwide (175,000,000). It is the traditional African
spiritual system most commonly practiced by Diasporan African as a
result of the slave trade routes, and the tenacity of Yoruba speaking
people to hold on to their culture and beliefs.
In the new world it takes many forms and is referred to by various
names. The names will vary depending upon the location and the
local language spoken and include: Traditional Ifa, Lucumi, Santeria,
Candomble, Macumba, Winti, Vodun, Anago, Shango-Baptiste, and
Orisha Worship.
Ifa is a deeply philosophical tradition, full of symbolism and
symbolic ritual. It is as simple as it is complex. Traditional African
spiritual systems predate Western traditions by thousands of years.
Much of what today would be called metaphysics in the West, exists
in Ifa and other traditional African spiritual systems - from ancient
Kemetic (Egyptian) spirituality to Akan spirituality among the Twi
speaking people of modern Ghana.

Let us not engage the world hurriedly,

Let us not grasp at the rope of wealth impatiently.
That which should be treated with mature judgment,
Let us not deal with in a state of uncontrolled passion.
When we arrive at a cool place, Let us rest fully.
Let us give continuous attention to the future.
Let us give deep consideration to the consequences of things.
And this because of our eventual passing.
~ Holy Odu Eji Ogbe

All African spiritual traditions share many of the

same concepts, worldview, practices, and beliefs.
Three of these are:
Belief in the Creator (Olodumare)
Veneration of the Creator through its creation

(Orisha)
Veneration of Ancestors (Egun)

It is often easier to understand new things by comparing and

contrasting them to things you already know. In the FAQs that
follow, we compare or contrast Ifa to the Western religious
tradition(s) with which the reader is more likely to be familiar.

What is a persons purpose in life

according to Ifa?
Ifa teaches that ones purpose is to fulfill
ones destiny. Ifa teaches that you chose your destiny before your
birth, but that you must navigate through life to rediscover it and to
fulfill it, in this lifetime, here on earth.

I lift up my arms and walk in joyful satisfaction.

This was the teaching of Ifa for Orunmila.
They said Baba would not be able to carry out his responsibility
to the end of his life.
But I will carry out my responsibilities to the end of my life.
And so I lift up my arms and walk with dignity and measured
movement.
~Holy Odu Eji Ogbe

How does one fulfill ones destiny?

Ifa offers many tools to help one fulfill ones destiny,
but one thing is essential for you to fulfill your
destiny, and that is to be of good character.
Ifa teaches that it is impossible for you to fulfill your destiny without
a lifelong effort to cultivate within yourself two things: the Gentle
Character (Iwa pele) and the Good Character (Iwa rere).

If we have money and do not have character,

the money belongs to someone else.
Character Iwa is what we are looking for.
If we have children and do not have character,
the children belong to someone else.
Character Iwa is what we are looking for.
If we have a house and do not have character,
the house belongs to someone else.
Character Iwa is what we are looking for.
If we have clothes and do not have character,
the clothes belong to someone else.
Character Iwa is what we are looking for.
All the good things we have, if we do not have character,
these good things belong to someone else.
And so its character that we are looking for.
~Holy Odu Ogbe Tura

How does one develop the good and gentle

character?
Again, there are many tools within Ifa to assist a
person to stay on their path, but Ifa teaches that one must stay
centered, aligning oneself with ones inner divinity or higher
consciousness.
Ifa refers to this higher consciousness as ones Ori. Ori literally
means head in Yoruba, but refers to ones divine self, higher self,
personal divinity, or the divinity within. There are various
affirmations, prayers and rituals to protect and honor ones Ori. (Ori
inu = Inner head).
Ori, place me in good condition.
My feet, carry me to where condition is favorable.
Where Ifa is taking me to, I never know.
Cast divination oracle for Sasore
In the prime of his life
If there is any condition better than the one I am in at present,
May my Ori not fail to place me there.
Prayer to Ori

An Ibori or house of the head worn ceremonially on the head of

Royalty to symbolize and to protect the wearers Ori

Is Ifa a monotheistic or
polytheistic tradition?
It is both. Some would call it Diffused Monotheism.
The Creator (Olodumare) is the one ultimate reality, but the Creator
is infinite and too expansive to be grasped by our finite minds.
In Ifa, we understand the Creator (as much as we can) by
understanding its creation. We learn about the whole by observing
its parts. Within the natural world one can find valuable analogies
between it and our human experience. There are lessons of life to
be learned by understanding the interplay of river, rock, and tree;
thunder, ocean, and mountain.
In order to teach the life lessons extant in the natural world,
elements of the natural world are personified. This has allowed for
the development of a compendium of myths and fables called
Pataki through which the wisdom within the culture is transmitted.
These personified aspects of the natural world are called Orisha.
Did you recall that Ori means head? (divine self, consciousness)
Well, Sha is said to means selected or choice or others say
guardian.

You can think of the relationship between Olodumare and the Orisha
as you might think of the relationship between the God (Jehovah)
and the Saints in Roman Catholicism.
Each person has an Orisha that owns his head. Ones head
Orisha is determined by Ifa clergy through divination. You can
think of the concept of ones head Orisha as analogous to a person
having a patron saint.
Many researchers find this similarity between Orisha and Saints
fascinating. It is even more interesting that Ifa predates Catholicism
by several thousand years.
One can hypothesize that this similarity indicates diffusion of ideas
from Africans in the Nile Valley to people of other parts of the world
- West African Bantu speaking people migrated along rivers that
used to traverse the Sahara from the Nile Valley to the coast and
the ancient Kemetic origin of many Roman Catholic religious
concepts is well documented by a cadre of scholars.

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Support me, my Ori.

Make me prosperous, my Ori.
Ori is humankind's supporter before deities.
Prayer to Ori

Were Saints used to hide the practice

of Ifa?
Yes. Huge populations of African
prisoners of war, mainly from the
kingdoms of Benin and Yoruba in western Africa, were enslaved and
shipped to the Caribbean to work in mines and on cane plantations.
The plantation owners baptized our ancestors as Roman Catholics
and prevented them from practicing their ancestral religious
traditions. But, recognizing similarities between the saints and the
Orisha, our ancestors simply substituted saints names and
continued with their old worship. Today, there is little if any
syncretism with Catholicism in the US, but in certain Ifa
communities within Catholic countries (South American and the
Caribbean), the shedding of the syncretism has been a much slower
process.
Orunmila says there should be a gathering together
Like trees do to form a forest.
I say there should be a gathering together.
We find monkeys in groups.
We find wild pigs in groups.
We dont even find one who keeps silent walking alone.
Nor do we find the greedy one walking alone.
Ifa says we should gather together and not walk alone.
~ Holy Odu Oyeku Meji

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A few of the Orisha that are more commonly recognized in the Diaspora

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Do you meet in a Church or other

building?

Yes.
In the Diaspora, the community had to meet either out of doors at
night or in someones home. The community meets at an ile (eelay), the Yoruba word for house. This is typically the home of an
initiated Ifa clergy member.
This tradition arose because of
the necessity for secrecy to
avoid physical harm,
persecution, prosecution and
imprisonment for practicing the
culture.

Annual Oshun Festival Dance

The Lovett School
Atlanta, GA

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Traditional Ifa is a decentralized belief system, with no template for

rituals, no symbol, and no doctrine.
Spirituality is not compartmentalized, but is pervasive throughout
everyday life. Much of Ifa devotion occurs in the home at the family
shrine or at outdoor shrines.
The community gathers
together for various rites of
passage and to celebrate the
holidays and festival days that
are recognized within the
culture.
The Ile, as a meeting place, is a
Diasporan African construct for
the reason cited above.
In modern times, many Iles hold
weekly or bi-monthly ingatherings in additional to
coming together on traditional
festival days.

44th Annual Oshun Festival ~

Oyotunji Village Sheldon, SC

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Is there a sacred text associated with Ifa?

Yes. The Ifa literary corpus, called Odu,
consists of 256 parts subdivided into verses
called ese.
Ifa literally means wisdom. Ifa is personified as the Orisha called
Orunmila. He is known as the seer and diviner who the interpreter
for Olodumare, the Creator. The word Ifa refers to the extensive
corpus of text called the Odu Ifa, and the system of divination
associated with it.
The Odu Ifa is both an oral and written text, and is at least eight
times the length of the Bible.

Odu Ifa translation

by Dr. Maulana Karenga

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What is Ifa divination?

In contrast to other forms of divination that
employ clairvoyance, clairaudience,
clairsentience, and other forms of spirit
mediumship, Ifa divination depends heavily upon a system of signs
and numeric combinations that are interpreted by a diviner (an Ifa
clergy member or priest). The Ifa divination system makes use of
mathematical formulas and the Odu Ifa texts, and is applied
whenever an important individual or collective decision has to be
made.
In 2005, the Ifa divination system was recognized by UNESCO and
registered on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Ifa divination tray (opon

Ifa), tapper (iro Ifa), and
divination chain (opele Ifa)

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Where does veneration of ancestors fall

in importance within IFA?
Being connected with ones own Ori, (ones
highest and best inner self), is essential to staying centered and on
ones path. But when one needs direction, support, or help working
through a challenge, one goes to ones ancestors (Egun, Egungun)
before all else even before Orisha. ANYONE can set up an ancestral
shrine whether claiming Ifa or not.
Ones Egun shrine can be as simple as one candle, a cup of water and
a photo, or a name written on a piece of paper.
It is through you and your lineage that your ancestors continue to
live and have immortality. Your ancestors are closest to you and,
thus, they have to greatest concern for you and your well being. You
knew them, or at least knew
about them and their lives,
choices, personalities, and
ideas.
It is the contemplation of
what those ancestors would
do, and the advice that they
would give, that will
provides you with the wisest
and best direction in life.
Colorful Egun Festival Costumes

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If we have a problem,
we should take it to our ancestors.
They will protect us;
Our paternal ancestor will never desert us.
She will protect us;
Our maternal ancestor will never neglect us.
He will protect us;
Our Ifa teaching will never forsake us.
It shall protect us.
Our Ori, our inner head, will not abandon us.
~Holy Odu Eji Ogbe

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Does Ifa have priests (clergy)?

Olosha.
Yes. Priests are called Olosha
Ifa is an initiatory spiritual system.
Growth within the tradition is marked by a series of initiations.
initiations
Olosha are usually initiated to one Orisha (usually their head Orisha)
- some to more than one Orisha.
There are small initiations that lay people may go through over time.
Initiation to the priesthood is the culminating in
initiation.
itiation. The need
for and timing of any initiation is determined by divination, and
through consultation with ones own Ori.
Male Olosha are commonly called
Babalosha (Father of the Orisha) and
females are referred to as Iyalosha
(Mother of the Orisha).
ha). The exception
is that men initiated to the Orisha
Orunmila. They are called Awo or
Babalawo.. Women initiated to
Orunmila are called Iyanifa
Iyanifa.
African culture is family
mily and child
centered and many of the words used
to describe relationships within Ifa
mirror familiar relationships. For
example, the Olosha (Priest) that leads
an Ile (House) is referred to as
Godmother or Godfather by
members of the Ile.

Iyalosha Osun Tinibu,

Ile Tiwalade
Atlanta, Georgia

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Pay homage; give respect to women.

Indeed, it is woman who brought us into being
Before we became recognized as human beings
The wisdom of the world belongs to women.
Give respect to women then.
Indeed, it was a woman who brought us into being.
Before we became recognized as human beings
~ Holy Odu Osa Meji

Is there an Ifa worship

service?
Yes. It is called a Bembe.
Members of one or more Iles (houses) come together to give honor to
the energy represented by a particular Orisha. It is an in-gathering
with lots of drumming, dancing, singing, and the sharing of food.

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Does Ifa proselytize?

Do adherents evangelize for new
members?
No. Ifa is grounded in lineage. A person is born into Ifa.
Diasporan Africans are assumed to have been born into Ifa because
it is overwhelmingly likely that an African in the Americas has at
least one ancestor who can be traced to the region where Ifa and
related systems originated.
It is considered inappropriate for a devotee of Ifa to tell a Cherokee
person who is a member of the Jaguar cult that his ancestral way is
wrong. It is considered inappropriate to suggest to someone who is
not of Ifa lineage and culture that the Creator cannot hear her
prayers unless her prayers are recited in our particular language.
For an Ifa devotee, it is wholly appropriate that an Arab person to
practice Islam, or for an East Indian person practice Hinduism, as is
consistent with their respective ancestral ways.
Practitioners of Ifa have long been victims of cultural imperialism
and are averse to inflicting the same harm upon others. A belief
system is one of several institutions that are a part of every culture,
and cultural integrity is essential for the survival of a people.
Olosha council anyone who comes to them for assistance without
any attempt to convince a person to leave their church, mosque,
synagogue, temple or shrine.

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The hand of the child cannot reach the high shelf.

And the hand of the elder is too large to enter the mouth of the gourd.
The work the child humbly asks an elder to do,
The elder should not refuse to do.
All of us have work to do for each others good.
~Holy Odu Osa Meji

If Clergy are called Olosha, what are lay people

called?
Many people who are not a member of an Ile (Ifa
house), seek counsel from Olosha, attend Bembes,
festivals and rites of passage, but have not gone through any
initiations. They are supportive of the community and the culture
and they are treated with great hospitality, as is the African way.
These people are referred to as Aleyo. Aleyo literally means
stranger.
Aleyo should dress modestly to attend Bembes and women will tend
to wear dresses. One can never go wrong wearing all white to a
bembe! Aleyo are not expected to know or demonstrate all of the
etiquette of the culture.
If an Aleyo is an elder, great deference will be shown to her within

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the more African traditional Iles (Ifa houses) found in the US and in
Africa.
Once an Aleyo goes through a lay initiation, he is called Aborisha.
Aborisha make a commitment to learning and living the culture, as a
way of life.
He can then identify Ifa as his spiritual tradition or as his religion, if
he so chooses.

Which initiation would I receive to be

considered Aborisha?
Any lay initiation serves as a declaration
of your path. Initiation and timing of an
initiation is determined in combination by you, an Olosha (clergy),
and Ifa divination. Typically, Elekes (symbolic, beaded necklaces)
are received first.
Traditionally, in West Africa, a
person would study for 40 years
or more under the tutelage of
one Olosha (priest) before being
considered an Olosha of one
particular Orisha. Each city had
a patron (or matron) Orisha.
Not all Orisha were recognized in
every city. Of the hundreds of
Orisha, Only the Olosha (priest)
of about 20 30 Orisha were

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represented among those Africans brought to the new world during

the Maafa.
The Olosha recognized that in order to keep the tradition alive,
practices had to be altered to compensate for the new situation in
which they found themselves. They no longer had the luxury of 40
years time to train new Olosha. They practiced the tradition and
even spoke their native language under threat of death. Thus, the
Olosha began lay initiations in order to quickly transmit the culture
more widely to the people.

An important initiation for a lay person is the

receipt of Elekes.
Usually, the first
initiatory ritual one
experiences is his receipt of Elekes
(beaded necklaces). Depending upon
the Ile, the initiation may take from half
a day, to three days (typically one day).
Elekes are not jewelry and worn inside
of ones clothes unless one is at a
communal event.
Elekes are five in number and represent
the energies associated with five very
important Orisha:

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Eshu/Elegba
(red & black [crossroad]; choices,
deception)

Obatala
(white [sky]; wisdom, intellect,
discernment)

L to R: Elekes representing
Eshu, Obatala, Oshun, Yemonja
and Shango

Oshun (honey colored, yellow [river]; beauty, female fertility,

youth, love)

Yemonja (or Yemaya) (blue & white [ocean]; motherhood,

nurturing, protection, correction)

Shango (red and white [thunder/lightning]; leadership, action,

intensity, strategy, male fertility)

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A Pataki
Obatalas Gift to Shango or How Shango Got his Colors
After Shango defeated Ogun, he returned to his
carefree life of womanizing and partying. Ogun
went back to his forge and to his work. The two
avoided each other whenever possible, but when they
did come across each other there was a thunder in
the sky and lightning. After hearing of the feud
between the two brothers, Obatala summoned
Shango to him.
"Omo-mi (My son)," said Obatala to Shango, "your feud with your brother
brings me much sadness. You must learn to control your temper."
"It's his entire fault," said Shango, "he has not only offended my mother, but he
went after Oya and tried to come between me and Oshun."
"My son, he was wrong in offending his mother," said Obatala, "but he is not
totally at fault. Oya was his wife and Oshun tempted him. Don't you think he has
suffered for his trespasses? For his offense against his mother he has been
condemned to work without rest for his entire life. That is a grave punishment.
You are not totally innocent; you took his wife and his mistress. Then you stole
his ram and his color."
"He killed my dog. Now he can claim dogs for his own!" exclaimed Shango.
"I understand your resentment," said Obatala, "but understand that
uncontrolled power can be very destructive. Your power is great, but you need
direction. That is why I am giving you this gift."

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Obatala took off the necklace of white beads he

always wore and removed one of the beads and gave
it to Shango.
"Wear this white bead, a symbol of peace and
wisdom, with the red beads of your own necklace. I
give unto you the power to control your power wisely.
Your aim shall be justice and not vengeance. No one
and nothing will ever overcome you."
From that moment forward Shango wore a necklace
of red and white beads and has sought justice instead
of revenge.

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Receipt of Eshu/Elegba is another

initiatory ritual for Aborisha.
Eshu is received in the form of a cement
head. Eshu is important and is the first
Orisha to be recognized, acknowledged,
acknowledged
and propitiated.. Eshu represents your crossroads, choice, decision,
deception (self-deception).
deception).
Eshu is personified as the guardian of the crossroads. Crossroads is
a metaphor for the point of decision and choice. Eshu is the one that
makes you play at your own risk. He is the one who tests you and
watches you make your dec
decision
ision when youre stuck at a crossroad
and dont know which way to go.
If you make the wrong decision, Eshu will open the door to make you
pay your consequences.. While you are paying
for your mistakes, he tests you again to see if
you will continue to do wrong or take the
right path. If you succeed and take the right
path, he will unlock the door to happiness
and fortune. If youve heard of a maze
maze, then
you can associate it with Elegba.
Our lives are shaped into mazes to see which
path we choose. Elegba is the guardian that
sits at every corner and turn of the maze. If
you make the wrong move, he will open the
path to the wrong outcome. If you take the correct path, he will open
the path that you are seeking.
He can cause confusion, but at the same ti
time
e bring clarity as the
pataki (story lesson) on the next page illustrates
illustrates

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A Pataki
Eshu and the Two Friends
Once there were two farmers who lived side by side in a small village. They each
had their own stall, on opposite sides of the road. But being good friends, they
enjoyed passing the time together as people came by to shop. They always made
their decisions together, they always agreed, and they vowed never to fight.
One day, Eshu, looked upon these two friends. Their lives go well and they
prosper, he said, but life does not go in a straight line. Sometimes there are zig
zags. Life without contradictions is not the destiny of human beings. These two
must come to know if their friendship is a strong tree they can depend upon, or
whether it is nothing, but a hollow reed.
Market day came and on that day, Eshu prepared himself for his visit. He dressed
himself and then he spun around and put a hat on his head. One side of the hat
was red, the other black. Eshu strolled down the road to the marketplace until he
saw the two farmers talking, one to the other, from across the road. Dancing a
little dance, and singing a song, he passed between them.
After he had gone by, the farmer to the left said to his friend, Did you see the
fellow who just passed by? I liked his song, but what about that black hat he was
wearing? Ive never seen one like it. The other farmer looked at his friend. Oh,
I saw that man pass. I liked his song too, but he was wearing a red hat, so you
must have seen a different fellow. The first farmer stared at his friend. I can
tell you, he just walked by, and his hat was black as the tar of my gum tree.
Then the second farmer said, My friend, I do not like to contradict you, but you
are entirely wrong, because the hat he was wearing was red as the berries Im
selling from my basket. The first farmer stepped away from his wares and
walked to the middle of the road. You really must be seeing things, he said,
because the hat was black.

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The second farmer stepped onto the road. Are you telling me Im wrong? That
hat was red, red, and only red! and he tapped his friend on the shoulder. Do
you get my point? Oh, I get your point, said the first farmer. The man with
the black hatI saw him, and theres no doubt about it, so take that! and he
pushed his friend back a little harder. Back and forth, they pushed and shoved
until before you know it, the two of them were rolling in the dust of the road,
pummeling each other with their fists.
A crowd gathered around them and tried to pull them apart, but things just kept
getting worse. The fight continued, but suddenly, the crowd heard someone
coming down the road singing a song. The song got louder and louder, and even
as the fight was raging, people turned to hear it...
Suddenly, the man with the hat burst through the crowd and stood before the two
farmers.
See, my friendsfor all these years you have worked together and lived like
brothers. Now you are willing to break up your friendship, but before you do,
watch what I have to show you! And very slowly, the man began to turn around
and around, revealing both the red side and the black side of his hat, spinning
faster and faster, until he vanished.
Both farmers sat up, as the crowd departed. The first farmer stood up and held
out his hand to the other. My friend, he said, What a mistake was made here.
I was seeing only one side, and that was mine. The second farmer smoothed the
dust off his friends shoulder cloth. I too, my friend, was only seeing one side,
from my side of the road. Now we know always to look at both sides of the dancer
before we decide what color hat he is wearing!
They finished selling their goods and then set off down the road together. Before
they entered their homes, they made sure to leave a special offering to the shrine
of Eshu, who showed them to look one step beyond their own place on the road
before losing a friend, or a good day of work at the marketplace.

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A third initiation is the receipt of The

Warriors.
The Triad called The Warriors is Ogun,
Ochosi, and Osun. Sometime Eshu is
received with the Warriors.
The Warriors are
Ogun (black and green iron,
ore, machete, occupations
dealing with cutting, barbers,
surgeons, war)
Ochosi (blue and yellow bow
and arrow, hunter, sharp aim,
justice, law suits)
Osun (no colors, metal rooster
perched high vision, focus,
foresight, watchman)

Osun sitting high

Head of Eshu,
Ogun pot containing his tools

Symbolism of the grouping of the Warriors:

Eshu sits at the crossroads of choice.
Ogun clears the path (with his machete)
Ochosi point in the right direction (with his arrow), keeping you on
the path
Osun warns of obstacle and the unanticipated on the path (from his
high perch)

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Hand of Ifa or Icofa is a major

initiation
It may take
one to two
days. It is
conducted by an Awo (Priest of Orunmila).
It involves a very extensive divination
reading. One is given insight into one
destiny and ones guiding Odus (Odu Ifa
verses) are determined.
Ancestor Pot (Iku Pot, Egun Pot)
Egun is the collective representation of our
ancestors. The word egun literally means
bones.
Your ancestors are your birthright. No
initiation is necessary for you to
venerate them. As stated above anyone
can set up an ancestral shrine can set
up and ancestral shrine which can be as
simple as a white candle, a cup of water
and a photograph, or a name written on
a piece of paper.
However, some people formally
receive their ancestors ritualistically
through receipt of an Egun pot. It is a
means by which you elevate your
Egun pot
ancestors and can be a ritual with great
meaning for those for whom ancestor veneration is very personally
significant.

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Let us not lie against a companion.

Let us not break a commitment to an associate.
And this because of our eventual passing.
~Holy Odu Oyeku Meji

Ide (beaded bracelet)

An Ide is a bracelet of alternating beads of the
colors of Orunmila typically worn on the left wrist. It
is tied on the wrist by an Awo. Anyone can receive
Ide - aleyo or aborisha. The colors are yellow and green or green and
brown or green and terra cotta. Colors vary depending upon the
persons Ile (Ifa house) and upon the city from which the Ile
originates. An Ide is a symbol of protection.

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A Pataki
Iku (Death) and Orunmila Have Dinner
Iku (death) was going around the land taking people before their time. The
people appealed to Orunmila, the Orisha who knows the day of everyones death,
to intervene. So Orunmila invited Iku to dinner to ask him to stop taking people
willy-nilly. Iku reminded Orunmila that there was nothing Orunmila could do to
stop him. Orunmila realized that could not stop death, but he had been given the
power to prevent the premature death of his devotees by Olodumare. Orunmila
reminded Iku of this fact, and told Iku that from that day forward, Iku was
forbidden to visit, prematurely, anyone wearing the Ide of Orunmila.

We hope that these few pages have given you a basic understanding
of Ifa ~ Orisha Worship and the New World traditions derived from
it.
We close with a few questions that seem to come up commonly on
the web, and with a list of a few references for your review.

Se Alafia ni! (peace)

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How many Ifa~Orisha adherents are there worldwide?

There are an estimated 175 million
adherents of what is referred to as
Traditional and Diasporic African
Religions, placing traditional African
spiritual systems collectively as the
seventh largest spiritual community
worldwide. Practitioners of Ifa
specifically, are estimated to number as
many 40 million worldwide. Figures in
the US are debatable - since there are still many religionists who will
not admit openly to their practice, due to prejudice and legal
suppression. (Source: Adherents.com)
Do I have to join an Ile to get a reading?
No. Olosha (Clergy) regularly see clients
who are not Aborisha (Members)
If Im a member of a church, do I have to
quit?
No. Many, many people practice parallel
worship.
Do you believe in the Devil?

R&B artist, DAngelo

wearing Elekes

No. Yoruba belief has no oppositional set

up - good versus evil, God versus a Devil.
One strives to develop good character and good works during your
lifetime. There are concepts of negative energies - most generated by
human foibles.

35

How do I deal with an Ifa practitioner as an employer, co-worker,

teacher, health practitioner, corrections officer?
The same way you would deal with people of other faiths - with
respect. If they are wearing bead necklaces - refrain from touching
them. If they have their heads covered - respect that the same way
you would respect the yarmulke of a Jewish person, the turban of a
Sikh or the kufi of a Muslim.
Can becoming an Ifa-Orisha practitioner fix all my problems
(marital, sexual, health, job related)?
No. No. No. Ifa is not Iyanla, Fix my life, but with work, you may
improve your condition.
How is my family going to deal with me
receiving elekes or joining an Ile? (They
are Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal,
Jewish...etc.)

The former Rhonda

Harris took the name
Iyanla in 1983, after her
initiation. Iyanla is a
title meaning Great
Mother

It depends - dont expect them to be

enthusiastic unless they have prior
knowledge or are very open-minded. The
stereotypes they have been fed by the
media, will probably take time for them to
unlearn - and some family members may
never accept your choice - but its your
life. There are many families who were
initially opposed, but after attending open
rituals were moved to acceptance.

36

How do I begin to honor my ancestors?

Though this may sound off topic - the first thing to do is identify
them and learn to call their names.
Many people who come into an ancestral religious system enter
without thinking about the fact that we are living as a result of the
actions of those who went before us - who supplied our DNA. As
such you should sit down and begin to draw up a simple family tree.
Find a space in your home that you can delineate as a small shrine,
which is often on the floor, to your family dead, and place upon it
items that may represent them or be symbolic of who they were, this
can include photos, but doesnt have to. You can place flowers,
make food offerings and light candles at this altar. When making a
big meal - it is customary to place the first food to the ancestors
prior to serving the living. A small portion of food is usually served
on a chipped or cracked plate and set aside on a counter, out of the
way and perhaps covered with a napkin. However, a candle, name,
and small vessel of water will suffice.
________________________
Video Resources:
Ancestral Voices: Esoteric African
Knowledge (trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LqxM
egWSqI
American African (trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lio1Vw
wmG_o
The African Difficulty with Sacredness
Dr. Ama Mazama (Diop Conference
Excerpt)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlBD73SiHY

Culture, Spirituality and Nourishment

Iyalosha Akalatunde (start 8:47 to 16:30)
http://youtu.be/VpFXUeJDPvE?t=8m47s

Web Resources:
Egbe Tiwalade Atlanta - Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/The-AtlantaOrisha-Ifa-Egungun-African-TraditionMeetup/