The Function and Structure of Oriki

There is a Ifa-Orisa proverb that says once we have been initiated we need to re-initiate our self
every day. The fundamental step in the ongoing re-initiation process is to maintain daily
connection with Spirit. This is traditionally done through the recitation of morning Oriki. The
word Oriki is from the elision Ori kiki meaning to praise consciousness. Ifa teaches that
everything in the Universe from the smallest sub-atomic particle to the largest star has
consciousness or Ori. The linguistic meaning of kiki in Yoruba is to praise as a way of calling
forth consciousness. When word is repeated in the Yoruba as in ki ki it is a reference to the
fundamental source or the spiritual inspiration for the single word. By saying kiki we are saying
the word is a reference to the fundamental praise of the inner essense of a particular form of
consciousness.

The word Oriki in English can be translated to mean invocation. The purpose of doing
morning Oriki is to start our day in alignment with our iponri (higher self) and to make
connection with those Orisa who guide our destiny. The Prophet Orunmila taught that all
spiritual forms of consciousness that exit in the Universe exist in the Ori of an individual. This
was an early expression of the scientific idea of living in a holographic universe. What this
means in practical terms is that all forms of altered states of consciousness that are invoke
in Ifa-Orisa are a part of every person’s Ori. We do, we cannot receive Orisa from another
person. Orisa lives in our consciousness and is a gift from Olorun or the Source of Creation.
When initiate someone we do not give them anything, we simply unlock that which is
undiscovered.

After reciting daily Oriki it is traditional to do daily divination asking for guidance from the
Immortals. It is also traditional after doing daily Oriki to pray for good fortune, for yourself,
your family, your community and the global village. To make the process management
daily oriki includes a prayer called Odaraji meaning forgiveness. The Odaraji prayer is asking
the Immortals to excuse us from the daily obligation of making offerings so we can receive
direct access to their guidance.

The function of the daily Oriki is to invoke each of the spiritual forces we have received during
the course of our spiritual journey. We make those invocations so we can maintain a high level
of sensitivity and connection with the spiritual forces we have chosen to guide our destiny. Once
we have been initiated we re-initiate our self every day. The daily recitation of oriki coupled with
the daily consideration and critical self-evaluation involved in divination is the foundation of the
re-initiation process. It is the heart and soul of Ifa-Orisa spiritual discipline.
It is traditional to sing Oriki. There is no right way to sing Oriki. The chanting of invocations is
highly personal and different for everyone. We sing the Oriki because when Spirit comes to us
and through us Spirit sings. Altered states of consciousness is the source of music in the world.
Music is a part of the culture of every group of people on the planet. Sound brings creation into
being and the Awo or mystery of Ifa-Orisa is that we can use sound, invocation and prayer to
change our physical reality.

The function of Oriki is to invoke altered states of consciousness that serve as portals for ase or
sacred power to come from Orun to Aye through the portal of human consciousness.

The daily Oriki has eights parts. The first two parts are generally the same for everyone in a
particular lineage and there after the daily Oriki is modified to support the initiations received
by the individual, the family and community. There are over two hundred dialects of the Yoruba
language with a wide range of variation in pronunciation. The Yoruba language taught in Nigeria
schools is based on the dialect spoken in Oyo State. The melodic quality of the language is
indicated by tonal marks on the top of letters. There are three pitches used in the Yoruba
language. In simple terms we can use the musical syllables do, re, me to explain the tonal
marks. Re would be our normal speaking voice and would have no written indicator. Do would
be one musical step under our our normal tone of voice and is indicated by a tonal mark
slanting down from left to right. Me would be one step above our normal tone of voice and is
indicated by a tonal mark slanting up from right to left. The range of variation in the Yoruba
language frequently comes in the arena of tonal marks making this aspect of the language
extremely challenging. I encourage students who are new to the language to concentrate their
efforts on proper pronunciation. The tonal aspect of the language comes with practice and time
spent listening to those who speak the language fluently.