Ifa Orisa | ifaministries

IFA SPIRITUAL TRADITION

The 801 Irunmole’

In the Ifa Tradition of Yorubaland, West Africa, the attributes of the "Source of All Things" are personified as the sentient Beings called Orisa. (Pronounced, Orisha) In the Sacred Oracles of Ifa, the text and oral tradition of the faith, there are 256 of what westerners would likely refer to as Chapters. From the standpoint of Ifa, these 256 Odus are not merely divisions of the text, but instead represent the wisdom of 256 of the 801 Irunmole' (Divine Attributes of Olorun, God; THE "SOURCE" OF ALL THINGS). Some of the 801 Irunmole’ have been lost in the diaspora, but there are many who have survived and are worshipped by practitioners around the world in various African based spiritual systems.

There are 8 Priniciple Orisa who are considered to be the Spiritual Forces that can 'crown a persons head' (i.e., be our link to home and our guide and protector in the marketplace.)

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The brief descriptions, prayers, and quotes sited in this section

are excerpts from Alufa Sharif's unpublished manuscript entitled,

"SOS Planet Earth":

Thinking in the Cosmology of Yoruba Ifa

The 256 Orisa Odu Ifa

Of the 801 Irunmole’ (Divine Beings) who manifest Olodumare's presence and power throughout creation, 256 of these come bearing messages, warnings, and guidance in the form of stories and lessons found in the Sacred Corpus called the Sacred Oracles of Ifa. Here is a listing of these Orisa who communicate between the Spiritual World and the world of the "Marketplace".

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EGUN

EGUN= Ancestral family members and those of Lineage of Osha.

Egun is the collective representation of the Ancestors. We often call our Ancestors by the name, Egun, which in Yoruba language means bones.

In the Yoruba Orisa tradition, Ancestors are the foundation of all things. They are the link between what

is seen and not seen on the earth plane. You can talk to them and ask for their help and guidance when you need it. Because they were once alive as humans, they have a good understanding of our needs, desires, and wants even from the other side.

However, asking for help must first be balanced with honoring their lives. In the Orisa tradition, as in many other traditions around the world, we commemorate the work, struggles, and triumphs of the people who lived before us.

"Egun" are the spirits of departed ancestors, whether related by blood or by religious lineage. Honoring one's ancestors can be viewed in simple or in complex, metaphysical terms, which we will examine here.

When an individual is born, their soul incarnates, that is, takes on a physical body. This soul comes from a constellation of energy that continuously incarnates within a family line. This is a very broad concept, because all family lines eventually return to one people. However, it is commonly believed that familiar energies tend to stay together, which is why we bear the traits of our recent ancestors. While the soul is here, it gathers wisdom and knowledge through its experiences on this plane. When the individual dies, the spirit dis-incarnates and returns to that constellation of energies, the cull of souls, if you will, to await reincarnation. Because time is not a reality but a series of labels we put on reality to be able to comprehend events in some sort of order, we must understand that all incarnations of all souls exist simultaneously. We are all living one big life. This is why so many people can cite so many varied experiences in past lives and why so many people experience the lives of famous people as their own past lives. This is also the main reason we revere our ancestors: to revere our source, those experiences that our souls have had beyond those which they are having in their current incarnation.

When I give offerings to my grandfather, I am "feeding" that part of myself and my family line that lived the life my grandfather lived. When I continue my relationship with a deceased family member, it is because, in some way, that relative still exists, whether the particular energy that powered the particular body of that family member has reincarnated or not. To have existed at one time is to exist eternally. To deny the importance of the experiences that our souls had and continue to have on other planes of existence is to deny our very selves. When we are told that an Egun has a problem with us or that an Egun wants our attention, what we are really being told is that we are neglecting some part of the experience of our ancestral soul that needs attention and the energy that a particular offering can give. We must remember that those souls, even though they are a part of us, have their own feelings, thoughts, and emotions that remain autonomous. Our Egun can be happy, sad, or upset. They are not static pictures of our past lives. They are still our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and grandparents regardless of our understanding of the metaphysics behind their existence. An important side to our understanding of Egun is to realize the importance of our treatment of each other. To realize that we are all living one big life is to realize that the evolution of each individual is important to the evolution of the community as a whole. To treat each other poorly is to go against the positive evolution of the whole. To foment that evolution, we must create and maintain firm and fruitful connections with all of our relations, living and dead. It is the realization of our interrelated existence and the willingness to contribute to its productive growth that will heal our world and carry us into ever-improving creation."

-Egun-Ancestor Reverence by Shloma Rosenberg (Ibae bae tonun Afolabi /Oni Yemaya )

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Orisa Orunmila

The Prophet of Ifa

Mo juba awo Orunmila.

Iwo ni Iko Olodumare.

Iwo ni Olupilese Awo Odu Ifa.

Iwo ni Ifa.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Igba Owo-Eyo.

Iwo ni Ohun Idarisi.

Iwo ni Oluwa Asiri Iwa.

Iwo ni Orisha Julo Loye.

I humble myself before the mystery of Orunmila.

You are the Messenger of Olodumare.

You are the Author of the Mysteries of Odu Ifa.

You are Ifa.

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of the Cowry Shell.

You are the Voice of Fate.

You are the Owner of the Secrets of Existence.

You are the Most Intelligent Orisha.

The Yoruba believe in Divination. They believe that Ifa is the source of all knowledge and that the Orisha Orunmila is the keeper of this knowledge. It is through divination that man is told what must be done to change things that are negative to things that are positive. Orunmila is deemed the Prophet of Yoruba religion and culture. It was he who developed and expounded upon the system of esoteric worship known to this day as Ifa. Through the study of human nature and divine nature, Orunmila saw that dual levels of potentiality existed. Through him we understand that the study of animate and inanimate, manifest and unmanifested, [‘chaos’ and ‘order’], visible and invisible worlds leads to fundamental understandings of the self-ontology, and that these fundamental understandings bring about the evolution of human spirit, which, in turn, encourages divine behavior, worldly progression, and expanded cosmology.

Orisa Orunmila’s physical origins are shrouded in ancient legend, however, it is believed that he was born of humble West African parents. To the people of the land he was clearly recognized as a divine child, and although poor and crippled, he expressed from the onset divine wisdom and attributes. Orunmila grew to be known as ‘the little man with the big head.’ His great intelligence superceded all known teachings and his divine nature was seen as a blessing of the angelic forces. In the translation of his name is the meaning ‘only Heaven knows the way to salvation'.

It is important to understand that the ‘flesh and blood’ Orunmila, whose influence is evidenced in ‘...ancient Khamet /Egypt’, in the ‘...Essene community of the Judeo-pre-Christian era’, and in the spiritual traditions of most Indigenous People’s of this world, was not the orginator of the wisdom that he spoke. Ifa is from the ‘Beginning’ and is a part of the Consciousness of Olodumare. The guidelines set down by Orunmila are ‘keys’ to closing the gap between Ori (earthly consciousness) and Iponri (heavenly consciousness).

Iba se Orisa Orunmila!

Homage to Orisa Orunmila!

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Orisa Esu (Elegba) (pronounced Eshu)

Lord of the Crossroads

Iwo ni Iko Olodumare ati Orisha ati Egun.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Erin Ona; ariwa, gusu, ila orun, iwo orun.

Iwo ni Olupamo Ase Orisha.

Iwo ni Oluso Enu Abafu, Rere ati Buburu.

Iwo ni Oluwa Ilo.

Iwo ni Oluwa Yiyan, Esi, ati Iparo.

I humble myself before the mysteries of Esu-Elegba.

You are the Messenger of Olodumare and Orisha and the Ancestors.

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of the Four Directions, north, south, east, and west.

You are the Keeper of the Ase of the Orisha.

You are the Guardian of the Gates of Fortune, Good and Evil.

You are the Lord of Flexibility.

You are the Lord of Choice, Chance, and Change.

Esu is that essential quality or characteristic of the ‘Cosmic Essence’ which allows information to be exchanged within the Consciousness of Creator and the Womb of Creation. In the language of Ifa, Esu is the one, “...without whom nothing can be accomplished”. My personal experiences dealing with the Ase of Esu-Elegba have given me a strong sense of his dual nature. I might say that it is Elegba to whom I pay homage when I ask for the Gates of Heaven to be opened so that my voice might be heard in the High Places; and it is Esu to whom I make ebo when taking a journey, or trying to avoid failure. But this would provide too narrow a perspective of this complex sentient Being and the powers that he exercises in the Ase. Epega-Agbede’s descriptions of Elegba and Esu may emphasize my point.

“Elegba or Elegbara is both a cognomen and aspects of the Orisha Esu. Elegba is the trickster and the keeper of Ase. He opens and closes the doors to opportunity. He is the policeman of the spirit world. He has the ability to turn order into chaos. He is the spirit that allows transformation. It is Elegba who offers you choices. It is Elegba who is the divine messenger, carrying prayers, petitions and sacrifices to other Orisha and Spirits. He is always appeased first because he is capable of disrupting or misguiding prayers, offerings, sacrifices and rituals.”

“Esu is the most complex Orisha in the Yoruba pantheon. Known to have twenty-one different aspects, Esu is known as the Trickster. He is the keeper of Force (Ase'). He is the divine messenger, carrying prayers, petitions, food and sacrifices to the Orisa. He is the Policeman of the Orisa, who deals out punishment, when it is due.” Iba Se Orisa Esu Elegba!

Homage to Orisa Esu Elegba!

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Orisa Obatala

Lord of The White Cloth

Mo juba awo Obatala.

Iwo ni Baba Orisha.

Iwo ni Orisha Julo Nase.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ori.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ogbogba.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Mimo.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Alafia.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ti Abo ati

Ako Ipilese.

I humble myself before the mystery of Obatala.

You are the Father of the Orisha.

You are the Most Powerful Orisha.

You are the Owner of the Mystery of Consciousness.

You are the Lord of the Mystery of Balance and Equality.

You are the Owner of the Mystery of Purity.

You are the Owner of the Mystery of Peace.

You are the Owner of the Mystery of the Feminine and the Masculine Principles.

In reality, nothing new has been created since the beginning. There is only the Ase, and through its constant movement, reorganization, and realignment is made manifest the endless expressions of the Womb of Infinite Possibility. Orisha Obatala is one of the divine beings called into existence directly by Olofi-dumare. The name Olofi is used more in Santeria than in Yoruba. But both cosmogonies believe that Obatala was among the first heavenly beings to manifest in the Ase. Before Obatala was commissioned to reorganize this part of the Ase, the earth was ruled by, “...the female deity Olokun who ruled over the vast expanses of water and wild marshes, a grey region with no living things in it, either creatures of the bush or vegetation.”

The place where Obatala first set foot on planet earth is universally agreed by practitioners of Ifa to be the city of Ile-Ife in Yorubaland, Nigeria, West Africa. It is here that Obatala began the work of organizing the form of the human being based upon the wisdom of Olofi-dumare. Olofi-dumare apportioned part of His Ase to Obatala who in turn fashioned the human beings and then called upon Olodumare to come and breathe life into them, which Olodumare did. Not only did Obatala fashion the human beings, but this sentient spiritual force also authored the blueprint for the ecosystem that would govern and sustain all life in this region of the Ase.

Obatala is known as the King of the White Cloth, as he is always dressed in impeccable white clothes. He is a symbol of peace and purity. He is also the father of mankind and the messenger of Olofi. ...in Nigeria he is also known as Orisha-nla.

Orisha Obatala is believed to control the mind and all thought, hence the expression,

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ori

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of the Head

[head here representing the entire experience of Consciousness and Awareness]

Iba se Orisa Obatala!

Homage to Orisa Obatala!

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Orisa Yemonja

The Goddess of the Oceans

Yemonja; Queen of Mothers

Mo juba awo Yemoja.

Iwo ni Ayaba Iya.

Iwo ni Iya Orisha.

Iwo ni Inu Iye Odidi.

Iwo ni Ifihan Ti Abo Ase.

Iwo ni Inu Aiye.

Iwo ni Orisha Obinrin Okun Nla ati Odo.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ti Abo Ipilese.

I humble myself before the mystery of Yemoja.

You are the Queen of Mothers.

You are the Mother of the Orisha.

You are the Womb of all Life.

You are the Feminine Manifestation of the Ase.

You are the Womb of the World.

You are the Goddess of the Oceans and Rivers.

You are the Owner of the Mystery of the Feminine Principle.

Orisa Yemoja represents the highest order of the Love Principle. The prolific creative energy of the ocean is indicative of this generous, allowing, expressive, nurturing, Omnificent energy of the Ase. Although Olofi-dumare is the Masculine creative aspect of Olorun (God), it is the Feminine Principle, the Womb, the Mother, the Ase, that is the essential Source of all life. This reality is symbolically evidenced in the fact that all of the godseekers are conceived female, and then if certain harmones are infused in the early gestation period, the fetus goes through a metamorphosis to become a male. The female is the prototype of the godseekers.

Orisa Yemoja is the Mother of All Life and she has encoded the record of her procreative process in the blood of her children. Both Yemoja (Yemaya in the Santeria tradition) and Obatala are considered ‘cool’ Orisha - having life-giving powers. Yemoja is often represented as a beautiful matron with prominent breasts - indicative of her maternal and nurturing nature. Her colors are blue and white (crystal), and her number is seven. Orisa Yemoja is the matriarchal head of the cosmic universe. She is the amniotic fluid in the womb of the pregnant woman, as well as, the breasts which nurture. She is known to be very stern and temperamental and expresses the protective energies of the feminine force. Her full name is Orisa Yemoja/Olokun, Olokun representing the depths of the Ocean floor and the treasures and secrets that are buried there. Being of the earth-essence, she is proficient in the secret arts (sorcery) and will use them to protect her devotees.

Iba se Orisa Yemoja/Olokun!

Homage to Orisa Yemoja/Olokun!

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Orisa Ogun

The Lord of Iron

Mo juba awo Ogun.

Iwo ni Oluwa Irin.

Iwo ni Alabo Otito.

Iwo ni Ologun Julo Nase, Oluwa Ogun.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Aiye.

Iwo ni Oluwa Ikannu Ina.

Iwo ni Oluwa Ebo Eje-tutu.

I humble myself before the mystery of Ogun.

You are the Lord of Iron.

You are the Defender of Truth.

You are the Most Powerful Warrior, the Lord of War.

You are the Owner of the Mystery of Earth.

You are the Lord of the Fury of Fire.

You are the Lord of the Blood Sacrifice.

There is a Yoruba saying:

“Whichever divinity regards Ogun as of no consequence, will eat his yams with his hands (i.e. unprepared) for times without number.”

It is Obatala who laid out the blueprint for this reality and is the thread of this creation. It is Orunmila who provided the wisdom for the implementation of Obatala’s blueprint. It is Orunmila and Eshu-Elegba who provided a communications bridge between the heavenly and earthly realms, and Eshu-Elegba who provided for a dynamic experience among the ‘godseekers’ by establishing the laws that govern choice, chance, and change. It is Yemoja who allowed Obatala to call forth aiye (earth) from the depths of the sea, and iye (life) from the essence of water. And it is Orisha Ogun who cleared the path of obstacles and stands as the defender of the purity and excellence of Olodumare’s experiences in this reality. It is Obatala who creates blood, Yemoja who uses blood to create life, Orunmila who informs us when blood is to be ‘let’ according to the will of the Orisha, Ogun who ‘lets’ blood, and Eshu-Elegba who regulates the circumstances and controls the forces by which all of these manifestations are expressed.

In many respects, Ogun is considered chief among the Orisha, and is paid due regard right along with Eshu-Elegba. And because of this early service in behalf of the mission of Obatala, Ogun is associated with clearing the path and removing barriers.

Orisa Ogun is the Lord of Earthly Fire, for without control over fire he could not exercise authority over the use of iron, steel and all metals. In order to give structure to the firmament under our feet, and in order to provide the ‘godseekers’ with the tools to work out our existence in this reality, Obatala called upon this primordial sentient being, Orisha Ogun, to help weave the web of the ecosystem that supports life on planet earth. It is the strength of Ogun’s Ase that keeps the land that Obatala raised from the realm of Olokun from dropping back to the depths of the sea.

Iba se Orisa Ogun!

Homage to Orisa Ogun!

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Orisa Oya

Goddess of the Wind

Mo juba awo Oya!

Iwo ni Orisha Obinrin Afefe.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Iku.

Iwo ni Orisha Obinrin Efufulile.

Iwo ni Ologun Obinrin Julo Nase.

Iwo ni Emi Iye.

I humble myself before the mysteries of Oya!

You are the Goddess of the Wind.

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Death.

You are the Goddess of the Tempest.

You are the Greatest Female Warrior.

You are the Breath of Life.

Unlike Yemoja and Oshun who command our attention through their grace, beauty, and majesty; Orisa Oya is the invisible Orisha. In fact, Her face is said to be so terrible that none dare behold it. Oya’s presence and action is reflected in the flight of birds, the swaying of trees, the whistling of the atmosphere, the blowing of dust, the hurling of dirt, the movement of the waves, the sound of music, the spoken word, the cry of a baby, the roar of the lion, the movement of clouds, and the life of fire. It is Orisha Oya who gives us our passport to life breath at birth, and requires its return at death. Oya is therefore, the watcher of the doorway between life and death. She is not death but the awareness of its existence. Orisha Obatala, Yemoja, Ogun, and Oshun are all connected with the blood, but if Oya does not embue the blood with her Ase, the life process can not proceed. Not only is Oya’s Ase essential to the life process of the ‘godseekers’ and other creatures that inhabit this region of the Ase, but she is also the one who carries the pollen of the plants and trees from place to place, either directly in her invisible hands, or in the body of birds that fly in her ever present embrace. Orisa Oya is symbolic of things that are, felt more often than seen. In this sense she is associated with ‘covert’ activities and ‘secret’ operations.

Orisa Oya also represents the destruction of old society making way for the new; and the power to completely destroy cities and fields, reverting them back to their original state. She accomplishes this by sending cyclones, tornadoes, and hurricanes which destroy everything in their paths, forcing mankind to rebuild new cities and towns. It is agreed among the scholars of Ifa that Oya was Shango’s favorite wife, and it is said that, when Sango wants to fight he sends Oya ahead of him to fight with the wind. ...further...without Oya there is nothing Sango can accomplish. When Shango sends his voice of thunder ahead of his approaching lightning, it is the Ase of Oya that gives expression to his voice as thunder which is caused by the sudden expansion of air in the path of an electrical charge. Many santeros [priest of Santeria] believe that Oya is the one who gave Chango power over thunder and lightning. In actuality, Oya is central and essential to the collective workings of the Siete Potencias (7 Principle Orisa). It is Orisa Oya’s domain and responsibility to clean the atmosphere around the planet and the provide the proper balance of gases to sustain all forms of life. No Orisha should be DISrespected or DISregarded, least of all Oya; “...her wrath is so devastating that it must be absolutely avoided. Not only does Orisa Oya carry pollen and dust, but she also carried disease and other agents of death. It is interesting that scientists today are saying that ‘second-hand cigarette smoke’ can be as deadly as cigarette smoking. The depleting ozone layer, nuclear fallout, greenhouse gases, and the like, are all operating in the domain of Orisha Oya.

Iba se Orisa Oya!

Homage to Orisa Oya!

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Orisa Osun (pronounced "Oshun")

Goddess of the Rivers

Mo juba awo Osun.

Iwo ni Orisha Obinrin Odo.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ilaju.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ife.

Iwo ni Orisha Julo Ewa.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Oyin.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Eya Abo Ati Ako, ati Ibare.

I humble myself before the mysteries of Osun.

You are the Goddess of the River.

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Civilization.

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Love.

You are the Most Beautiful Orisha.

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Honey.

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Sex, and Intimacy.

Although Orisha Obatala is the Lord of the Mysteries of Balance and Equality, and the Owner of the Mysteries of the Feminine and Masculine Principles, it is Orisha Osun who is the Owner of the Forces of Attraction, Ibadana (Affinity), between the male and the female. Although Yemoja is the Owner of the Mysteries of Motherhood, it is Osun who manipulates the sexual nature not only of the ‘godseekers’, but of all creatures and creations. As the river’s journey is ultimately towards the ocean, the affinity between male and female creations is ultimately towards reproduction.

The entire abdominal area is sacred to Osun, and for that reason women who wish to bear children propitiate the orisha to help them achieve their desires. But childbearing is only one of Osun’s concerns. The Orisha is also responsible for all abdominal illnesses and operations.

Although Osun is very concerned with ‘reproduction’, she is equally if not more concerned with the overwhelming forces and provocative pleasures that unlock the creative potentials of the Feminine and Masculine Principles. Orisha Osun is Oluwa Awo Inu Didun Ipilese (the Owner of the Mysteries of the Pleasure Principle). Osun is the orisha of unconditional love, receptivity and diplomacy. Osun is associated with honey because it (honey) is both pleasing to the senses and has great powers of healing.

Orisa Osun embodies all aspects of the sexual nature of the female. She is Iwa Wundia (Virginity); the fruit ripening on the vine - approaching its readiness to satisfy the hunger and the senses of the one who is so fortunate as to taste her sweetness. She is Iwa Obinrin (Womanhood); emboding all of the Feminine and Masculine attributes of a mature sentient being, and providing the only canvas upon which the male can outline his accomplishments as a man; she is the ‘mirror’ that reflects the male to himself. If the male fails to respect, nurture, elevate, support, and protect the woman and the fruit of her womb, he has succeeded only in diminishing himself. Osun is also Pansaga Obirin (the Temptress, Prostitute) - who through her pleasures, can tempt man to risk the throne that he has, or inspire him to seize the throne of another. When the Ase became self-aware and gave birth to Olodumare, and when Olodumare experienced the first emotion, Love - the aspect of the Ase that is Orisha Osun was ‘born’.

One of Osun’s symbols is the mirror, but this should not mislead you into thinking that Oshun represents only external beauty. As Mason and Edwards point out, “Oshun is that quality in a woman which emanates beauty in such a way that vision is not necessary in order to appreciate it.” She is “...the idea of excellence as reflected by refinement, taste and delicacy.”

Iba se Orisa Osun!

Homage to Orisa Osun!

* The Special Place of Orisa Osun *

Omo Osun Ayanfe the Iya Ile Awo Orisa, Baba, and I were sitting at the dinner table after entertaining some guests. Baba asked Ayanfe if she knew what medicine she had given to her guests that evening. We looked at each other and thought, reaching for an answer that would not come. After an extended silence, Baba provided us with what then became both fascinating and obvious.

You gave them your food, your water, and your hospitality. These are some of the most powerful medicines of Osun. When Oludumare was sending the first six of the Irunmole to earth, Orunmila counseled them that they should take a female with them. They refused Ifa's advice. When they arrived on earth, they soon broke out in quarreling among themselves and in time they returned to heaven complaining to Olodumare that they could find no peace on earth. Olodumare asked them if they had followed Ifa's advice. So the Irunmole were told that they should return to earth, this time following Orunmila's advice. Orisa Obatala went to Orisa Osun and asked her if she would return to earth with them. Osun refused and then bargained that she wanted chickens and other foods and necessities, and that she wanted to be carried. Three of the Irunmole carried Orisa Osun to earth. It was Orisa Osun, the power of the feminine principle, that brought balance to the condition of the other Orisa and helped to establish the principle that a man should have a wife.

When someone eats your food, drinks your water, and enjoys your hospitality Omo Osun, you deposit your powerful ase in them and they are forever connected to you. If they honor you, what you have given them will be nourishment and healing for them. If they turn against you and speak ill of you, Orisa will make your medicine turn against them.

To this day at the Osun Festival, the High Priestess of the House of Osun is carried by three male attendants on their head.

Iba se Orisa Osun

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ilaju

Homage to Orisa Osun

You are the owner of the mysteries of civilization

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Orisa Sango (pronounced Shango)

Lord of Thunder and Lightning

Mo juba awo Sango!

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ara ati Manamana.

Iwo ni Oluwa Ilu Bata.

Iwo ni Ibinu Olorun.

Iwo ni Oluwa Ifunni ni Imole Lojukanna.

Iwo ni Oluwa Igboiya.

Iwo ni Oluwa Awo Ojo.

I humble myself before the mysteries of Sango!

You are the Owner of the Mysteries of Thunder and Lightning.

You are the Lord of the Bata Drum.

You are the Wrath of God.

You are the Lord of Instant Illumination.

You are the Lord of Courage, Boldness, Fortitude.

You are the Owner of the Mystery of Rain.

Orisha Sango is the Lord of Thunder and Lightning. Lightning has two characteristics that are indicative of the Ase of Sango. Lightening can instantly illuminate the most intense darkness. In the realm of the ‘godseekers’ this illumination takes the form of instant realization or insight. It is often the case that in the darkness, our eyes deceive us into seeing what is not there, or into perceiving what is there incorrectly. Likewise, in the darkness of ignorance, our intellectual perceptions and emotional reactions are often rooted in fear (False Evidence Appearing Real), and in this state of ignorance and fear, we are likely to act in ways that are DIS-tressful at best, and DIS-functional at worst.

Ifa is a way of life based upon the principle of developing personal power. From a psychological point of view, personal power increases through the process of overcoming fear. It is the Ase of Sango that enables the godseeker to distinguish between the truth and the lie, and to face the consequences of making and acting upon that distinction. In this sense, lightning symbolizes the tongue of Sango that reveals to us the basis of our fear and offers us the opportunity to choose whether to proceed on the basis of truth, or on the basis of the lie or misperception. When lightning occurs, its brightness can penetrate our closed curtains and our closed eyes. It is not easy to deny the occurrence of the event. Likewise, when Orisa Sango reveals to a godseeker the fallacy and the reality of their perceptions, it is not easy to deny the revelation. And for this reason, there can be severe consequences to acting contrary to Sango’s gifts of illumination. Ifa teaches that blessings come to those who make choices that are consistent with their highest destiny. Within Yoruba culture it is understood that an individual’s highest destiny is based on those choices that build "iwa-pele", which means good character.

Although Sango is Ibinu Olorun (the Wrath of God), he does not operate without mercy and compassion for the godseekers. As lightning approaches from the distance, the voice of Sango can be heard getting louder and louder. Orisa Sango offers this warning so that the awake godseeker can seek proper shelter from the Wrath of Olorun. Thunder is Sango’s scream and just as it (thunder) warns us of the impending danger of the approaching lightning, inner illumination is always accompanied by an awareness, an inner voice that calls to us, warning us that our attitudes and behaviors are leading us to dire consequences if they are not adjusted to suit the contextual reality.

Orisa Sango is a ‘hot’ Orisha, one of the three warriors, and is the image and Ase of total maleness. Sango is the master of attacking, of going against the winds of defeat, against the odds, to reach his goal. He is compared to the broken field (cross-country) runner whose straightest route is determined by the number of obstacles between him and his goal. Sango is the idea of the strategic attack. He is the idea of illuminating the challenges and attacking its weakest points. Sango respects two things: force and wisdom. This is the reason he respects Ogun and Obatala. With Ogun his respect is seasoned with fear; with Obatala his respect is seasoned with admiration. He similarly wants his devotees to have two things: courage and intelligence.

Orisa Sango is both a Primordial Divinity and a Deified Ancestor. The unique function of Sango within the realm of Awo Orisha is to provide the inspiration and passion for Spiritual Transformation. In this sense, it is Sango who represents your and my motivaton as Godseekers to aspire to the highest ideals and possibilities of this life. The philosophy of Social Darwinism, survival of the fittest, is simply not sufficient to fulfill Olodumare’s determination to experience the Realm of Infinite Possibilities. It is the destiny of every godseeker to achieve iwa-pele although it may not be their fate.

Iba se Orisa Sango!

Homage to Orisa Sango!

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Orisa Osayin

(also known as Ozain or Osain)

Orisha of the forest, wild plants, healing and magic. He is a powerful wizard, master of all spell craft and is found out in the wild, untamed areas of nature. Without Osayin, none of the ceremonies in the religion can happen, it is his magic that is used to conjure the shrines of the Orisas, thru the Omiero, a holy liquid consisting of many herbs, the liquid through which all saints and ceremonies have to proceed. Osayin is the keeper and guardian of the herbs, and is a natural healer. Osayin is commonly understood to be Shango’s godfather who taught him how to spit fire and throw lightning. Osayin’s magic is so powerful that no one can unravel his spells. Consequently he is petitioned for any purpose where unconquerable magic is required. He sometimes appears as a beautiful wood sprite when in female form.

Osain is often depicted as an extremely disfigured, impish man. He has one eye, one hand, one foot, one tiny ear that can hear even a pin drop, and one ear larger than his head that hears nothing. He keeps all of his magic in a calabash that he hangs high in a tree, out of reach.

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Onile'

Onile is the Yoruba Goddess of the Earth. A special society called the Ogboni serves Onile, and one of their particular roles is in settling disputes that involve spilling of blood onto Onile’s sacred earth. She is said to have existed before the other Orishas or Deities. Onile is very similar to the Ibo Goddess Ala. She represents both the fertile and the fallow earth, the beginning and the ending, life and death. Her name, which means “owner of the earth,” is also seen as Ile.

The Yoruba only believe in one god and several Deities (Orisa) under God, (Olodumare). We don’t have gods or goddesses. Onile is not one of these deities. Onile is simply the spirit, essence of the earth. Unlike many other Orisa, Onile never walked the Earth, because she is the Earth, and has never been human.

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Orisa Olokun

Olokun is an Orisha in Yoruba religion, is the owner of all deep waters, his symbol is the seven seas. All riverine divinities in the Yoruba pantheon fall under his authority. As owner of the seas, all rivers by their movements pay tribute to him, the ocean deep, and deposit gold and other riches at his door. He works closely with Oya (Deity of the Winds) and Egungun (Collective Ancestral Spirits) to herald the way for those that pass to ancestorship, and he plays a critical role in Iku, Aye and the transition of human beings and spirits between these two existences.

Olokun has male or female personifications, depending on what region of West Africa He/She is worshipped. He is personified in several human characteristics; patience, endurance, sternness, observation, meditation, appreciation for history, future visions, and royalty personified. His characteristics are found and displayed in the depths of the Ocean. His name means Owner (Olo) of Oceans (Okun).

Olokun is the owner of the phenomenon of nature that covers 71 percent of the earth. He is the highest form of Orisa after Obatala, whom he concedes the right to rule out of respect for Obatala's wisdom age, and tact.

The division of the earth into dry land and water can be also be related to the concept of the two half gourds, which are symbolic of the primary division of the universe. If we view the earth as a calabash which is divided, then Obatala (land) would rule the upper portion, and Olokun (the deep ocean) would rule the lower portion.

As concept in nature, Olokun is the bottom two thirds of the ocean. All of the oceans and seas form an integrated unit and together may be properly called the World ocean. It is this idea of the ocean that Olokun rules. Olokun rules all the waters on Earth, including the domain of Yemoja, his mother. In scientific terms, Yemoja rules the top or euphotic layer of the ocean, which is, that part of the ocean in which light is able to penetrate, to permit the growth of green plants though the process of photosynthesis. Olokun is the bottom two-thirds or meso and bathypelagic levels of the ocean, in which plants are only able to grow through the process of chemosyntheis.

At these levels in the ocean, there is a perpetual darkness, and photosynthesis does not occur. The temperature is cold (34 deg - 37 deg), there is extreme depth pressure, and animal life is limited to predators and scavengers who pray on whatever is available and falls from above. It is the land of the dead, where plants and animals, whose forms are distorted to accomodate the depth pressure and lifestyles of these depths, take on monstrous shapes and sizes. It his here that the mythical monsters were born. This sea area is further represented by mountain ranges, plateaus, ridges, canyons, and crevices, which was until recently, unexplored territory. The advent of recent oceanographic research has permitted man to ascertain the type of terrain beneath the sea, but limited details of the life within. Today, the sea still remains something of a mystery.

The Yoruba approached this mystery by labeling it in Ral, (RAL is a colour matching system used in Europe) and philosophic terms as The Unknown. The proverb, " No one knows what lies at the bottom of the sea," is in itself a statement describing the depth of the oceans and by extention, all things unknown to man. Here lies the double mystery of Olokun. Implicit in the statement about the unknown is the idea that answers to questions about mankind, about nature, about the future itself, lie within the kingdom.

The idea of the dark kingdom implies untold secrets, and Olokun can be called he Keeper of Secrets. As the Keeper of Secrets, Olokun holds the keys to the mysteries about the history of the Trans-Atlantic passage, in which lies the ancestral link about the millions of captive Africans who were lost during the Maafa and who entered the kingdom of Olokun carrying cultural and ancestral links with them. During rituals performed in Olokun's honor, New World Yoruba give a basket full of all types of food to the sea.

Scientist have discovered that at the bottom of the ocean, no erosion occurs and in fact, using the 1981 underwater excavation of the 16th century flagship the Mary Rose, it has been shown that certain artifacts have been fully preserved in the depths of the ocean. This example emphasizes Olokun's role as Keeper of Secrets and preserver of knowledge of the past.

Olokun is also the keeper of secrets of divination. He has an important relationship with diviners, and although he permits the diviner to view some secrets, he even obscures and hides certain secrets from them. He is said to even confound the wisdom of Orunmila on certain levels by darkening the answers to questions. Olokun embodies the principle that there are certain things which are unknowable, and this acts as a check on man's possible arrogance. He is representative of the part of reality that every religious doctrine depicts as the void, the realm of nothingness, and oblivion. It is the possible monstrous fate hidden amidst the darkness that serves as the ultimate check and balance on mankind's activities. Olokun holds the secrets to the past, the present, and the future, and he allows us to use some of those secrets to enrich our lives through divination.

Out of many dwelling places, water is the primary residence of spirits, both human and otherwise. Olokun plays host to the spirits and, in a sense, Olokun's domain can be thought of as a spiritual waiting room where the spirits of the dead wait to be reborn. This idea coincides with the physical characteristics of the ocean; it is perpetually cold and dark, and represents a ripe climate for the suspended animation of spirit.

Olokun is said to give children, and women who are barren go to him. In and agrarian society, children are symbolic of wealth. Olokun is associated with giving wealth in the form of children, in the form of health, and in the form of abundant possessions. As a result of this, Olokun's devotees are mostly women who pray to Olokun for children, for health and for wealth. He is considered to be the holder of vast untapped riches which the rivers deposit, in the form of gold and other minerals, into his coffers.

Olokun is associated with the unknown, the unknowable, and the unreachable. He is a world within a world. As natural phenomena that occurs on dry land, are represented in the ocean, including rivers, volcanoes, earthquakes, streams, mountain ranges, valleys, and plateaus. Without his waters there would be no world as we know it. He is associated with Orisa Oro Ina (fierce fire at the core of the earth), and, in certain Orisa houses in Cuba, is associated with Olokun (o) sa (Olokun's lagoon) a female Orisa who acts as his consort.

Olokun is symbolized by the mudfish which burrows into the mud during the dry season and is an amphibian which is unique in that it lives in water, hops over dry land, and certain species even climb the bottom branches of trees and build nests. The mudfish is symbolic of Olokun's ability to rule both in the water and on land, and also is symbolic of mankind's ascent from the muddy bottom of the sea onto dry land and into the trees. In Benin, the mudfish is represented as the legs of the king, who is said to be the representative of Olokun on the land.

Olokun is also symbolized by red coral, which is colony of tiny animals joined together by the skeletons of their dead ancestors. As coral grows, reefs are formed which purify the water, provide shelter for other sea animals, and encourage growth of wild life communities beneath the sea. Olokun is representative of civilization beneath the sea, which nourish and enrich us by stimulating the production of foodstuffs, jewelry and other useful materials. He is depicted wearing a gown and crown of coral, having mudfish legs, and holding a crocodile in each hand. Olokun is said to live in a palace under the sea with merhumans and fish attending to his every whim. In Benin and Yorubaland, the orthodox view is that Olokun is a male Orisa.

Iya maa bi inu

Ebi a maa ki ti O loro sun

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ASE, ASE, ASESE O