Diversity is at the core of the name of our creator – Olodumare; which means Rainbow. Consider this for a few minutes; all those beautiful and visible colors of the spectrum represent us all, and those colors which our eyes cannot see represent the spirit world. Without this diversity of cultures and traditions; our forefathers would have had little chance of preserving what little information each was able to bring to the “New World”. It is therefore, important to understand that Ifa plays a significant role in the lives of Orisa priests and devotees no matter where they come from or the color of their skin.We have all been created by Olodumare, and Ifa is our means of knowing the will and advice of our creator.

It is important for Awo (Ifa priest in training) and Babalawo (Ifa priests) to know a great deal about the work of Awoloorisa (Orisa priests), especially Owo Merindilogun. And it is imperative for Awoloorisa to become educated in the tasks and deliberations of the Ifa priesthood, especially Ifa Divination. A degree of mutual awareness, knowledge, and understanding is absolutely critical to the development and progression of Yoruba Traditional Culture in this and future Centuries. Read the rest of this entry

Many people define Odú as the physical symbols used to mark the signs received during the divination process. Oth­ers equate Odú with the verses associated with each symbol that form part of the body of the Ifa divinatory corpus. While both elements reveal a small part of Odú, the greater mys­tery lies far below the surface.

The Odú are the sacred symbols that hold the ase (power/life force) of everything in existence. They are holistic maps that chart the dynamic movement of energy and iden­tify the most primal forces of the natural world. The Odú are transcendental mandalas that mark the active and inactive energies of a given situation with startling accuracy. Read the rest of this entry