OLODUMARE ("oh-LO-doo-mah-ray"): You may call him God, Yahweh, Allah, Jah, Elohim, or one of many other names

or titles. We call him Olodumare or Olorun ("awLAW-roon"), as the Yorubas of West Africa have done since the creator breathed life into humans. IFA ("ee-FAH"): The oracle of God, provided to guide humans in all matters of life, Ifa is the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom -- knowledge of all that was and all that is, and all that will be -- and wisdom to understand this knowledge and how best to use it. Because of the significance of Ifa in the Yoruba culture, the religion of the Yorubas is often called Ifa. ORUNMILA ("aw-ROON-mee-la"): Teacher, prophet, priest of priests and king of kings, and witness to creation, Orunmila is the role model for all priests of Ifa. Such a priest is called babalawo ("ba-ba-LA-wo"), which means "father of secrets". Orunmila is the spiritual leader, sent by Olodumare, to show humans how to live right and good on this earth and earn a good place in heaven. He does this by delivering the messages of Ifa to help us in any situation of life. Orunmila is the one who delivers Ifa to the world. Because of his close and unique association with Ifa, Orunmila himself is often referred to as Ifa. ORISA (aw-ree-shah): Agents of Olodumare, the angels, sent from heaven to aid in the workings of the Earth and the lives of humans. Each of the orisa has certain special skills and specific tasks assigned by God. We honor the orisa, as it is the work of Olodumare that they expedite in helping us during our earthly lives. EGUNGUN (ay-GOON-GOON): The society of revered ancestors, the honored departed of one's family lineage. As our forefathers and foremothers paved the way for us and worked together to grow their families, we would not exist without them. It is through our ancestors that Olodumare blessed us with life. As they lived this earthly life already, and have experienced things that we have yet to encounter, we venerate our egungun as the foundation upon which we stand. We appreciate all they have done to make our families what they are today. We call upon them, to draw from their experiences and knowledge, to help us live well and righteously. EGBE (egg-beh): Comrades of heaven, or astral mates, are the very close spiritual friends that each of us has in heaven. Just as we may have a small group of best friends on Earth, we also have such great friends in the spirit world. Like the friends we have on Earth, we can call upon our egbe to help us through troubled times or just to enjoy and celebrate our good times. The best of friends are with us for both. So it is with one's egbe, your best friends in heaven.

A NOTE ABOUT EVIL AND THE ABSENCE OF SATAN: In traditional Ifa, there is no hell and there is no Satan or devil. Olodumare (God) is the creator of all things and all forces. The breath of Olodumare gives life to all that exists in heaven and earth. The result of Olorun's life-force is balance. It is harmony, equal and opposite potentials in all things, forming what we know as all things in nature, physics, and basic mathematics. Even the smallest definitive particle of matter, the atom, is built of negative and positive forces which have formed in harmony to make one cohesive thing. Disrupting that balance results in destructive energy, causing severe disaster. Such disruption is called atomic explosion. Conversely, balanced flow of potential results in productive energy. We see the results of such productive energy in the use of lighting, heating, machines, appliances, and other things. The productive energy is generated by a balanced flow of sub-atomic particles, in which the balance of negative and positive potentials within each atom is maintained. Each human, as well as each spiritual entity, has negative and positive potentials. Good and evil are the results of using these positive and negative potentials toward productive (good) or destructive (evil) energy. We see the results of productive energy in acts of love, kindness, nurturing, generosity, and helping. In expediting such acts, our potentials remain balanced. The results of our own destructive energy are seen in acts of greed, violence, cruelty, and bigotry, to name a few. In these acts, our potentials are pushed out of balance. We ruin ourselves and hurt others around us. The only evil we can ever face is that evil which we may become if we choose imbalance and destructive energy. We can end up battling our own evil or the evil of others. Regardless, evil is only the result of a choice. It is not something brought on by the guidance (or misguidance) at the hand of some purely malevolent entity. There is no devil, in this physical world or in the spirit world, to blame for the evils in human history. A purely malevolent entity can not exist, exercising it's destructive energy. When the atomic bomb is used, it's negative and positive potentials are forced out of balance and it's destructive energy destroys the designated target and everything around it. In doing this, the bomb itself, the source of the destructive energy, is also destroyed. Hence, any purley malevolent entity is also not balanced, and would destroy itself. With this knowledge, humans can not continue to disclaim responsibility for their own choices. We can not continue to blame some non-existent demonic entity for the evils committed on earth. We must be responsible people, making our choices wisely, and doing our best to promote human life. We must choose balance over imbalance, good over evil. It is all within our own potential. 2005

Awo Ojelola Ifasakin