Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
The Hero’s Journey The Ifa concept of Akin L’ona
Lesson 1
The Divine Messenger Opens the Door to Self Discovery: The Ifa concept of Esu
Lesson 2
The Path of Clear Vision The Ifa concept of Osoosi
Lesson 3
Clearing Away Obstacles The Ifa Concept of Ogun
Lesson 4
The Journey Home The Ifa concept of Sango, Obatala and Orunmilia
Appendix The Hero’s Journey and Rites of Passage
 Cover Art by Tenjin Ikeda
(Awo Falase Adesoji Oyasanya Fatunmbi)
www.adesoji.com

Ebora
The Ifa Concept of the Hero’s Journey

by
Awo Falokun Fatunmbi

Acknowledgements
I want to thank Araba Adesanya Awoyade for initiating me into the mystery of the
Spirit of Onile and for his unyielding support of my efforts to grasp the wisdom of our
ancestors.
In terms of making this book possible I want to extend a special thanks to Francis
Chartris for her considered suggestions as an editor and to Awo Fategbe for his editorial
contributions. A warm thank you to Iyanla Vansant who extended a hand during a time of
profound confusion. I am grateful to Iyanifa Yeye Omiadeofun who pushed me to embrace
my destiny. For Iyanifa Ifasina O. Agbede thank you for being my Iya in Orisa may you always
be blessed. To all the members of Ile Iwa pele I thank you for your on going encouragement
and patience.
 To all those who have joined hands to preserve and teach our faith, I say a dupe pupo,
many thanks.
Ire
Awo Falokun Fatunmbi

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Hero’s Journey

The Ifa concept of Akin L’ona
Lesson 1

The Devine Messengers Opens

the Door to Self-Discovery
The Ifa Concept of Esu
Lesson 2

The Path of Clear Vision

The Ifa Concept of Osoosi
Lesson 3

Clearing Away Obstacles

Ifa Concept of Ogun
Lesson 4

Appendix
 Introduction
Ifa is the traditional religion of Yoruba culture, a people originally located along the
northwestern boundary of the African rain forest. Ifa embraces the idea that consciousness
is in a constant state of either expansion or contraction. In Yoruba language, expanded
consciousness is called ori ire and is believed to bring a blessing of children, abundance and
long life. Contracted consciousness is called ori ibi and is believed to create infertility,
poverty and premature death. Ifa teaches that every moment embraces choice, the
opportunity to move towards a blessing or the opportunity to experience a lesson. All
conscious choice is movement towards either ire or movement towards ibi.
The process of embracing good fortune involves the constant death and rebirth of the
old self. Walking the path of ongoing death and rebirth requires courage. In Ifa cosmology,
the manifestation of courage is called akin l’ona meaning the brave man’s road or the hero’s
journey. Courage is the ability to do the right thing in spite of fear. In Yoruba culture doing
the right thing involves embracing the concept of iwa-pele. In the past, I have defined iwa-
pele to mean good character; it has that connotation. The word is an elision of the phrase iwa
ope ile meaning I come to greet the Earth. In traditional Yoruba culture, you only greet an
elder or a teacher. The implication of the word iwa-pele is that the Earth teaches us lessons
needed to develop good character and these lessons include the notion of making the world
a better place to live.
Ifa teaches that every step towards elevation and expanded consciousness is met with
the equal force of opposition. In simple terms, life on Earth means no good deed goes
unchallenged. The will to move beyond the forces of opposition and maintain a commitment
to spiritual growth requires Aki from the elision a ki meaning I give praise. The common
translation of Aki is courage and the word is often used to describe traditional Yoruba martial
arts. Aki is the root of akin. In a cultural context, Akin is a person who demonstrates the ability
to access the courage needed to sustain good character. The implication here is that praising
Spirit requires discipline, dedication and unyielding will power. Linguistically akin suggests
someone who affirms life in spite of all opposition and challenges. Seldom is it difficult to
grasp the right thing to do in any given moment. Fear is generally present when we
encounter communal opposition to good character. If there was no fear, there would be no
need for courage.
Ifa is the preservation of the ancestral wisdom in Yoruba culture that gives guidance
on how to make the right decisions on the journey towards developing good character. Ifa
is not a doctrine of belief; it is a way of looking at the world. From a Yoruba perspective,
looking at the world includes the ability to communicate with Spirit. Messages from Spirit
include visions of the iponri or the higher self. The perception of the iponri is a vision of
individual potential or personal destiny (ayanmo) in full manifestation. According to Ifa
cosmology, we are all born good and blessed children (omo rere) and choose a destiny prior
to incarnation that reflects our essential goodness. This means Ifa has no doctrine of original
sin, Ifa has no venerated martyrs, and there is no doctrine of intrinsic evil. What Christians
call evil is, from a Yoruba perspective, a lack of alignment with the higher self.
 A Yoruba proverb says we become who we are by standing on the shoulders of those
who come before us. This is a sacred obligation. Each generation takes responsibility for
preserving the wisdom of the ancestors and does so by quoting the ancestor before
expressing a personal opinion. Wisdom is defined as the ability to solve problems and
solving problems frequently requires courageous action. In most earth-centered cultures,
meaning those cultures that make an effort to live in harmony with Nature, dissemination of
ancestral wisdom is the foundation for the methodology used to guide consciousness along
the path leading from childhood to maturity and self-actualization. In psychological terms,
modeling heroic ancestral behavior initiates the journey towards, self-discovery and
individualization. The effective completion of this journey carries the potential for making
each one of us a revered ancestor in the collective memory of our descendants. This
potential is rooted in the bond of affection between grandparents and grandchildren. In
Yoruba culture, this bond is called Ife, which is commonly translated to mean unconditional
love. I suspect the word has a broader connotation related to the word Ifa. If Ifa means the
wisdom inherent in Nature, the word ife suggests the expression of that wisdom in everyday
life. In other words, we embrace Ifa to express ife. From the perspective of Ifa, unconditional
love is truth (so tito); everything else is illusion (ori buruku). As elders, we have a
responsibility to teach our children and grandchildren the truth about our essential nature
and to encourage them to pass this truth on to future generations. This cannot be done
where there is addiction to denigration and verbal abuse.
Blessing future generations would not seem to be a difficult task. Unfortunately
Western culture encourages competition, greed and distrust. There are literally hundreds of
hours of television programming each week dedicated to the denigration of the human
spirit. How much programming do we embrace as a culture that elevates and affirms life?
Our choices for entertainment are a reflection of our cultural conditioning which in turn
informs our perception of self. These influences literally shape our perception of the world
around us and if we are not conscious of these influences they can control us to our
detriment.
Ifa says we come to Earth to make it a better place for those who follow us (ire
aye). Based on the Yoruba belief in reincarnation (atunwa), future generations include our
own return to the environment we have previously helped shape. This cyclical process is the
foundation for both Ifa ethics and the Ifa view of history. The cycles of life, death,
transformation and rebirth on a personal level are reflected in the movement between
dynamics and form that characterizes the traditional African cyclical view of history. These
are transcendent patterns called Odu that shape the consciousness of all that is. The essence
of these patterns is coded into the color of the beads associated with Orisa Ebora. The phrase
Orisa Ebora is usually translated to mean Warrior Spirit who brings offerings. In Ifa spiritual
discipline, we make an offering when we are in resistance to change. This means we make
an offering in an effort to find the courage needed to let go of the old self. In Ifa cosmology,
the Spirits or Orisa called upon to guide us toward courage are predominately male. That is
not because men are more courageous than women. Spirit transcends gender. The search
for courage is a movement towards expansion; in Ifa symbolic language Spirits who generate
forces of expansion are identified as male. The male Spirits or Orisa Okunrin who inspire the
search for courage in Ifa include Esu, Ogun, Sango, and Obatala.
 In traditional Yoruba culture, the beads worn by Esu, are red and black, the beads
worn by Ogun are red, the beads worn by Sango are red and white, and the beads worn by
Obatala are white. In Ifa symbolism, black represents a hidden mystery; red is for the fire of
transformation and white is the light of illumination. Based on the meaning of the color
symbols used to identify Orisa Okunrin there is a clear progression in the relationship
between these Spiritual Forces. Esu, as the “Trickster,” brings transformation emerging from
the unknown. Red is symbolic of fire as a source of transformation and black represents the
invisible realm. Ogun, as the Spirit who builds civilization, is pure transformation (red).
Sango brings order and justice to the civilization built by Ogun. White is the color used to
symbolize consciousness in its primal form. Obatala keeps us humble by maintaining a
connection to Source. The full revelation of the mystery of Ebora includes an understanding
of the relationship between each of these male spirits and their female
counterparts. Without an understanding of this relationship there is no understanding of
the Warrior Spirit and the true source of courage. It is the eternal feminine that inspires us
to venerate that which is worthy of preservation and praise. It is the power of the eternal
feminine that compels us to respond to the call of courage.
If there is an esoteric relationship between these spirits coded into the color
iconography of Ifa, it is reasonable to suspect there is a link between them expressed in the
mythic stories that are part of Ifa sacred scripture. This relationship manifests in a story
cycle Joseph Campbell called the hero’s journey. In is classic book, The Hero with a Thousand
Faces, the late mythologist showed how the elements of the hero’s journey are part of the
myth, legend, and folklore of every culture on the planet. They are found universally because
they are reflections of the human condition. This book is an exploration of the hero’s journey
as it is expressed in the Ifa oral scripture of the Yoruba culture.
We are blessed in our efforts to understand Ifa oral scripture by the pioneering work
of Olori Wande Abimbola. His book, Ifa An Exposition of Ifa Literary Corpus, is an in depth
analysis of the traditional structure of the verses. Baba Abimbola describes eight elements
found in most verses.

The first part states the name(s) of the Ifa priest(s) involved in a past divination.
The second part states the name(s) of the client(s).
The third part states the reason for the divination while the fourth part contains the
instructions of the Ifa priests(s) to the client(s) after the divination.
The fifth part then tells whether or not the client complied with the instructions.
The sixth part narrates what happened to the client(s) after he carried out or refused
to carry out the instructions.
The seventh part contains the reaction of the client(s) to the joy or sorrow that
resulted from the process of divination.
At the end of the seventh part of some ese Ifa, there is a repetition of either Parts I-
VII or Part I-IV before the Ifa priest returns to the eighth part.
While the eighth part draws a fitting moral from the story as a whole.
It must be stressed also that not all ese Ifa make use of the eight–part structure
analysed above.
Ifa an Exposition of Ifa Literary Corpus
Oxford Press, 1976 Page 43
 In my reading of the verses, the sixth section is frequently the description of
someone’s personal quest. It is the description of efforts to triumph over adversity with a
recitation of either success or failure in the process. In the hero’s journey anything you fix
in your life becomes medicine for someone else who is struggling with the same
problem. Odu Ifa is an account of the medicine (ase) discovered in the problem solving
process and an oral retention of the history of how well a particular medicine was used to
solve subsequent similar problems. Here I am not limiting the use of the word medicine to
physical illness; I am using the word to describe any process that fixes anything that is
broken. Ebora are those Spirits who assist in the search for the medicine that fixes those soul
wounds that confuse the perception of who we are.

The Hero’s Journey

The Ifa concept of Akin L’ona
Ifa uses an oral scripture to preserve the wisdom of the ancestors. This oral scripture
is essentially an extended poem with two hundred and fifty six sections called Odu and each
Odu has between four and a hundred verses. The verses are used as problem-solving tools
that give insight into the cause and effect polarities shaping a wide range of situations. In
Western theological language, the verses are mythic stories preserving transcendent
principles that can be applied to resolve either inner personal confusion or inter-personal
conflict.
When these stories are grouped together in various sequences they can be used as a
map to guide consciousness through specific areas of personal development. They refer to
issues that can be resolved on a daily basis as well as issues that arise over extended periods
of personal development. They mark the transitions from fetus to baby, from child to adult,
from adult to parent, from parent to grandparent and from grandparent to ancestor. The
hero’s journey is a particular sequence that takes consciousness through the transcendent
cycle of transformation and rebirth. The hero is called to adventure (Ose’ tura), takes
courageous action in a journey through the wilderness (Okanran Meji), discovers sacred
medicine (Okanran Oturupon), and returns to the mundane world with the newly discovered
magic potion (Ofun Ogunda).
This cycle applies to the internal search for courage needed by both men and women
to embrace the challenge of personal development appropriate to each stage of personal
growth. It is based on the Yoruba belief that any problem you fix in your own life becomes
inspiration for someone else. Everyone is mentor to those who are younger, and everyone
is mentored by those who are older. This simple formula keeps the wisdom of the ancestors
a living memory. This means each new generation does not have to re-invent the wheel.
The cycle of the hero’s journey applies to the rite of passage that transforms children
into adults and reoccurs at each stage of personal development. This cycle cannot begin until
the individual becomes conscious of self. This stage of the hero’s journey is described in the
Ifa Odu called Ogunda Meji as transcribed by Chief Wande Abimbola.

I I
I I
I I
II II
Ogunda Meji

Orunmila says that on entering a room with a low door, We automatically bow. Ifa
says the question is;” Who among The deities accompanies their followers on every
journey, Without ever turning back?” Sango replied that he accompanies His
followers on every journey without turning back. They Asked him: “But what if, after
a long journey, walking and Walking, you arrive at Koso, home of your fathers and
they Cook bean soup and make yam pudding and give you kola and A rooster?” Sango
said, “After such satisfaction I return home.” Then Sango was told that he could not
accompany his followers On a long journey without turning back.

The Odu describes similar circumstances for each of the Orisa (Forces in Nature) and
they all admit that they would not accompany the devotee throughout their entire life. The
verse concludes by answering the original question.

Ifa said, “Ori alone accompanies their followers on Every journey, without ever
turning back.”

Ori is the Yoruba word for head. From the perspective of Ifa spiritual tradition, Ori
refers to the full spectrum of human consciousness; it is the integration of both thought and
emotion. To create a state of mental health (ori ire), Ifa teaches the importance of placing
the head and the heart in perfect alignment. The verses of Odu prescribe personal rituals to
diminish any conflict between what a person thinks and what they feel. Ifa spiritual practice
is based on the idea that if consciousness expands it attracts good fortune. According to Ifa
cosmology, the ori is the final arbitrator of all external human influence from parental
guidance, to ancestral spirits who facilitate communication with forces in Nature
(Orisa). This is based on the idea that when the entire community supports growth, the
entire community benefits.
 Ori is also the first Spirit we address in an effort to resolve problems confronting us
in the course of the day. There is an Ifa admonition that says do not ask the oracle what the
head already knows. Baba Wande Abimbola says divination is not a substitute for thinking.
Growth and development is rooted in our ability to trust our own internal resources and our
ability to make ethical decisions that express our intrinsic goodness.
One day I was walking the Araba of Ode Remo. We wanted to cross the bridge; but a
snarling dog blocked our path. The Araba picked up a handful of dirt and marked a symbol
on the dirt. He recited an incantation into his hand, and then tossed the dirt into the dogs
face. The dog ran off, and we crossed the bridge. The Araba identified the problem, he knew
the solution, and he took appropriate action. No divination was required. In all traditional
Earth Centered cultures this is called wisdom (ori ire), and those elders who demonstrate
wise action are considered role models for the personal development of the next
generation. In Western culture, it has become popular to deny any responsibility as a role
model. In traditional Yoruba culture, the communal expectation of being a good role model
is the foundation for preserving the communal concept of good character.
Ifa teaches self-reliance, the ability to integrate the head and the heart to facilitate
clear thinking. According to a Yoruba proverb, proper behavior creates good fortune.

You arrive on time, you walk well, you know how To walk with both feet, and as soon
as your wealth Is spread on the ground you arrive to claim it as your own.

Ifa teaches the concept of atunwa meaning every ori goes through cycles of rebirth or
reincarnation. Prior to each reincarnation the ori chooses a destiny and it is our
responsibility to discover that destiny and bring it to manifestation. In traditional Yoruba
culture, an individual’s destiny is identified three days after their birth at a naming ceremony
called esentaye. Divination at this ritual gives guidance to the parents, the extended family
and the entire village on how to support the destiny of a particular child.
Every Ori organizes information based on its perception of self and world. Perception
is a finite view of infinite reality. This means perception is always subject to change. The
world of our parents is not the world of our children. Ifa says we live in a consensus reality
in which our ideas about what we see are shaped by those around us. If our family reinforces
the idea we are a good and blessed person with unlimited potential, that is who we will be. If
those around us denigrate us in anyway the hex becomes manifest as a family curse.
As children we are dependent on our families for guidance, protection, a sense of
security and the encouragement that leads to the development of positive self-esteem. A
time comes when we learn the skills needed to separate from our parents and start a family
of our own. This shift in communal responsibility carries with it a shift in consciousness. The
way this shift is made becomes an important component of how we process change as
adults. This shift is the first step in Akin l’ona, the hero’s journey which is associated with
Esu who holds the keys to open the door that initiates this journey.
 Lesson 1
In pre-colonial times, Ifa was the foundation of the spiritual, political and commercial
manifestations of Yoruba culture. This means all aspects of Yoruba culture were infused with
a spiritual perspective supporting personal growth, communal ethics and the development
of good character. The training school for Ifa in Nigeria is the extended family where
everyone is taught by those who are older. These teachings include instruction in the
spiritual discipline that supports survival skills and trade skills.
When Ifa was brought to the Diaspora during the middle crossing, it was forced out
of necessity to transform itself. When the Catholic Church sanctioned the international slave
trade, it did so based on the premise that Africans were not fully human and that global
salvation was dependent on the destruction of non-Christian forms of religion and
spirituality. Based on this dogma, Africans in the Diaspora were threatened with extreme
physical abuse and the threat of execution if they maintained the spiritual traditions of their
indigenous cultures. For this reason, Ifa was forced underground, the extended family as
training school was destroyed and much of the oral tradition was hidden, transformed or
lost.
Over the last twenty years, with the assistance and guidance of my elders in Ode
Remo, I have slowly learned some of the lost aspects of Ifa as it is practiced in the
Diaspora. With the blessings of my elders I have made much of this information available in
print and through lectures and workshops. I want to make it clear, based on my experience
in Nigeria, there are huge regional differences from city to city in the practice of traditional
Yoruba religion. The information I make available is from one lineage, and I make no claim
this lineage is the only way to do things; nor do I make a claim it is the best way to do things. I
do say, based on my experience, what I have been taught is holistic and effective.
The lessons in this book include information that is at times different from the
common practice of Ifa in the Diaspora. In an effort to be clear, I have pointed out these
differences as best I can. Because of the rich diversity of our spiritual practice, to say
something is different is not to make a comparison of right or wrong. I have never heard any
of my elders say a single critical word regarding the variety of systems for practicing Ifa and
I have never heard them say a single critical word regarding other religions. My purpose in
pointing out these differences is so we can begin to get some sense of the history of our faith
as it developed outside of Africa. Most of the religions of the world have well documented
histories. These histories include the theological justification for changes in belief and ritual
practice. Because Ifa developed in secrecy we have no definitive historical record.
Based on twenty five years of study, I am of the opinion that some of the changes were
understandable adaptations to the brutality of forced displacement; some were the result of
colonial influences that contradict the original intention of the wisdom of the ancestors of
our faith and some changes were inspired by Spirit to serve the community in a real need for
effective guidance. I present this information in the interest of historical understanding and
in the hope the need for secrecy as a condition of survival will be lifted in the process of
dialogue between the various manifestations of the preservation of the wisdom of traditional
Yoruba culture. We live in a time when there is extreme tension between the professed
intentions of religious freedom and the very real pressure to conform to a single world
view. Conformity breeds dogma, and dogma is in contradiction to the ancient principles of
African spirituality.
It has become common practice in the Diaspora to engage Ifa through a series of
initiations. The first step is usually to receive elekes which are a set of colored beads
symbolizing commitment to Ifa as a primary religious discipline. Typically these beads are
a set of five necklaces representing fundamental forces in Nature called Orisa in the liturgical
language of Ifa. The set of necklaces usually includes Obatala; the spirit of Light, Yemoja; the
spirit of the Ocean, Osun, the spirit of the river, Sango; the spirit of lightning, Ogun; the spirit
of Iron, and Esu the spirit of the Divine Messenger.
In traditional Yoruba culture, everyone is assumed to be a part of the spiritual
discipline of Ifa and Orisa even if they embrace foreign religions such as Christianity and
Islam. For this reason, there is no elekes ceremony in traditional Yoruba culture. Beads are
usually given at the time of full initiation and there is generally only one necklace given
representing the Force of Nature revealed during the initiation process.
The elekes ceremony in the diaspora has developed with the intention of both
representing commitment to the faith and for giving the devotee spiritual protection. Ifa
teaches that every spiritual elevation of the human spirit is met with and equal and opposite
force of opposition. In traditional Yoruba culture, Ifa protective charms are given at various
rites of passage during the life of an individual. These charms are called awure and they are
usually worn under the clothing where they cannot be seen. In the diaspora the elekes
ceremony includes a cleansing, and divination giving the elders of the community a basis for
future guidance. Most lineages in the Diaspora have specific taboos about when, where and
why the elekes are worn. For those who are not part of a spiritual family, protective charms
can be made as a first step on the hero’s journey.
Ifa teaches that humans choose a destiny between incarnations and that this destiny
cannot be altered. Within the boundaries of a given destiny, Ifa teaches that our good fortune
can be enhanced through the development of iwa-pele or good character. In other words,
our optimal good fortune comes as a result of our ori or consciousness making ethical
decisions based on the wisdom of the ancestors. Developing good character and making
ethical decisions requires courage and determination. Charms may be used to strengthen
our resolve and to deflect the forces of greed, jealousy and denigration of the human
spirit. On the other hand, a Yoruba proverb says, Ori buruku ko gbo ose, meaning a bad head
cannot be fixed with soap. This is a caution to make sure that you make and use charms that
support your destiny and not based on an unhealthy need to control others.
 There are unlimited formulas for making traditional Ifa charms. I am presenting
some simple formulas for guiding the creation of awure so those new to the tradition can
begin the process of enhancing their protection from forces of opposition. In making awure
the number of ingredients is important. For simple charms the elements need to be passed
on the sequence of 1,3,4,5,or 6. For more complicated formulas the numbers are 7,9,12 and
21. All charms can be based on the number 16, or fragments of 16 such as 4 and 8.
To make a simple charm for Ogun, get some cotton, a nail, palm oil, red cloth and white
yarn. Set the ingredients on a mat or a piece of white cloth. Ogun is the Spirit of Iron. In
ancient Egypt, the obelisks were topped with a benben stone. These stones are meteorites
with high iron content. According to Egyptian metaphysics, the benben stones brought
microscopic life forms from other planets to the earth beginning the process of evolution. At
the palace of the Oni of Ile Ife, the spiritual leader of the Yoruba people, there is a shrine to
Ogun that has two benben stones buried in the earth. These stones are cone shaped because
they are burned as they enter the earth’s atmosphere. In Ifa metaphysics, Ogun is associated
with the trade of blacksmith and this trade is considered the first step in the development of
culture and civilization. Ogun represents the historical shift from hunter gatherers, to
horticulturalists to city dwelling farmers. This shift is symbolized by the machete creating
roads in the forest. For this reason, Ogun is described as living in all the roads on earth. In
traditional Ifa, Ogun is invoked to protect those who travel from harm and is considered a
source of courage to deal with the uncertainties of any spiritual quest. Rub palm oil on the
nail and place the nail on the piece of cotton. Recite the following Oriki (Prayer) to infuse the
nail with the protective power of the spirit of Ogun. In Ifa, invocations are chanted which
means they may be sung with your own heart song.

Bo san bap on ao lana to.

Bi obi ba poin ao lana to.
B’orogbo a pon ao lana to.
B’yay y aba pon ao lana to.
B’eyin ba pon ao lona to.
Ni jo ti ma lana lati ode.
Orun was se is salu aijem.
Fun ire eda.
Ogun Okunrin ogen ato polowo iku.
Eni tu somo eniyan dolola.
Ogun awo, alaka aye, egbe lehin eni a nda loro.
Ogun gbe mi o.
Ase

Cut down the obstacles on the road.

When the cola nut is ripe it opens the road.
When the bitter cola is bitter it opens the road.
When the palm fruit is ripe it opens the road.
The spirit of Iron gives you his secret.
Dancing outside opens the road.
Heaven comes to Earth for the benefit of all people.
 Spirit of Iron, the powerful one, sufficiently great to protect us from death.
One who makes humans prosperous.
Spirit of Iron, the powerful one, the strong one of the earth.
The protector of those who have been injured.
Spirit of iron support me.
May it be so.

After chanting the Oriki you may say a prayer in your own words asking for specific
types of protection. Wrap the nail in cotton and wrap the cotton in red cloth. Then secure
the red cloth with the white thread. This charm may be carried in your pocket or purse, or
worn around the neck in a pouch. If you are an awo you can mark Ogunda Meji on the opon
Ifa while you recite the Oriki. When you are finished chanting push the iyerosun to the center
of the tray and sprinkle a small amount on the nail.
In Ifa, protection from hexes, gossip and jealously is the providence of Oya, the Spirit
of the Wind. Oya is the guardian of inter-dimensional portals giving us access to protection
from the ancestors. Ifa teaches that negative thoughts have physical substance and this
substance travels on the wind. To invoke the power of the wind is to ask Oya to protect us
from those who use the wind in a negative way. Oya is associated with the metal copper. To
make her charm, take a piece of copper (pennies), a piece of purple cloth, cotton, palm oil
and black string. Rub palm oil on a penny or piece of copper, place it on the cotton and recite
the following Oriki.

Oya yeba Iya Oya. Orun afefe Iku lele bioke,ayaba

Gbogbo le’ya obinrin.
Ogo me ano gbogob gun, Orisa me agba Oya O’yansa.
Ase

Spirit of the wind, elder mother, Heavens wind brings down

The ancestors, you are the Queen of women.
Always protect me with your strong medicine, my protector
Is the Queen of women, the spirit of the Wind and Mother
Of nine.
May it be so.

Say an additional prayer in your own words, then wrap the penny in cotton and wrap
the cotton in the cloth secured by the thread. Some students of Ifa like to wrap charms in
leather, and decorate them with beads. If you are an Awo you can mark Osa Meji on the opon
Ifa then sprinkle the iyerosun on the penny
Once you have created protection for your spiritual journey, it sometimes becomes
necessary to clear away confusion. The Yoruba word for consciousness is Ori. In traditional
Yoruba culture, children are given a naming ceremony when they are three days old. During
this ritual divination is done that identifies the Odu or spiritual energy pattern that forms the
consciousness of the child. This Odu is placed in a basket called an Ori pot and is used as a
focal point for prayers and head cleanings needed to clear consciousness during periods of
confusion and lack of alignment with destiny.
 In the Diaspora, the Ori pot has been symbolically replaced by an Osun which is a
silver cup topped by the image of a chicken. If you do not have an Ori pot or an Osun you can
place a piece of white cloth on a table with a glass of water and use that as a focal point for
prayers related to clearing away confusion. Ifa spiritual discipline teaches the importance
of starting each day by blessing the head. The traditional head blessing used in the morning
is a follows;

Emi ma ji loni o,o,mo f’ori bale f’Olorun

Ire gbogbo maa’wa’ba’me, Ori me da’mi da’iye.
Ngo ju mo.
Ire gbogbo ni t’emi.
Ase

Now that I am waking up, I give respect to the realm

Of the ancestors.
Let all good things come to me.
Inner Spirit give me life.
I shall never die.
Let all good things come to me.
May it be so.

Ifa spiritual discipline teaches that when we move through the world with resistance
to change, the Ori attracts negative emotions that reinforce the resistance. To break this
pattern of resistance, Ifa makes use of a wide variety of head cleanings. The following Oriki
can be used to clean the Ori. While the Oriki is being spoken use the left hand to wipe away
negativity. Place the fingers in the center of the forehead and move them across the top of
the head down the back of the head and past the back of the neck.

Ori san mi.

Ori san mi.
Ori san igede.
Ori san igede.
Ori otan san me ki nni owo lowo
Ori otan san me ki nbimo le mio.
Ori oto san ni ki nni aya
Ori oto san ni ki nkole mole
Ori san mi o
Ori san mi o
Ori san mi o
Oloma ajiki, iwa ni mope
Ase

Inner Spirit guide me

Inner Spirit guide me
 Inner Spirit support me
Inner Spirit support me
Inner Spirit support my abundance
Inner Spirit support my future children
Inner Spirit support my relationship
Inner spirit protect my house
Inner spirit guide me
Inner spirit guide me
Inner Spirit guide me
Protector of Children, my inner character is thankful.
May it be so.

Ifa teaches that everyone chooses a destiny prior to birth. According to Ifa cosmology,
we forget our choices as we come through the birth canal. It is possible, and I believe
important, to reclaim those memories. Most of us who are raised in Western culture did not
have a naming ceremony. We can approach the oracle as adults and inquire about our
destiny, but I find approaching the oracle with this kind of question is only effective if we
have given it some serious thought. We can do this through what I call a vision quest.
Take a day to be alone in nature. Plan a meditation that lasts from sun up to sun
down. Hold the question, “What would I do with my life if money were no object?” I suggest
the question be phrased in this way because in Western culture we have been so conditioned
to be “practical” that many people who meditate on this question get stuck on the notion of
survival and are unable to penetrate deeper into their Ori to discover their essential
being. When a vision comes, it will be charged with emotion. If you come away from the
meditation with “good ideas” but no emotional enthusiasm, you have not connected with
your higher self. Keep scheduling a vision quest until you connect with a vision that
motivates you to manifest it without hesitation. Ifa teaches you cannot create it if you cannot
imagine it and imagination is the first step on the journey toward self-actualization and
personal fulfillment.

The Divine Messenger Opens the Door to

Self Discovery:
The Ifa concept of Esu
In Ifa metaphysics, Esu is the Divine Messenger; the Spirit who allows humans to
communicate with Spirit. Esu translates the language of Nature into the language of humans
and the language of humans into the language of Nature. Ifa teaches everything in Nature
has Ori or consciousness. If you have ever gone to the beach feeling depressed and came
away feeling better by being in the presence of the ocean, then you can say you engaged in
some kind of dialogue or communication with the Spirit of the Ocean. The transforming
factor in this interaction is a Spiritual Force Ifa calls Esu.
The verses of Ifa oral scripture are organized through the use of two quadragrams
made up of single and double lines. Single lines represent light, double lines represent
darkness. These patterns are two dimensional representations of three dimensional energy
patterns that occur in Nature. They represent the polarity between gravity and radiation,
the polarity between expansion and contraction.
The primary energy pattern that incarnates Esu is the Odu Ose’tura, which appears as
follows:

I I
II II
I I
I II

This is the symbolic representation of the energy pattern that incarnates the human
ability to communicate with the Forces of Nature. The Odu is used as a magnet to invoke the
power of the Divine Messenger.
In Ifa creation Myth, the Universe emerges from the Eternal Rock of Creation called
Oyigiyigi. In the beginning, this rock separated into the four calabashes of creation. These
four calabashes interacted with one another to form sixteen sacred principles called Odu.
Odu meaning they are the primal principles of creation. In Ifa, the sacred number seventeen
represents the sixteen primal Odu plus Ose’tura which is the seventeenth Odu of Ifa. This
Odu has the function of calling the Olu Odu to copulate creating the two hundred and forty
omo odu meaning the children of the first sixteen principles. This suggests that Esu, in
addition to being the Divine Messenger, is also the primal seed of creation. Ose-Tura
describes the relationship between Esu and the people of Earth. To be more specific there
are a number of manifestations of Esu and in this verse the manifestation is called Esu O’dara
meaning the Divine Messenger divides and spreads or initiates transformation.

Sore throat takes the good from the plate

Was the one who cast Ifa for all the people on
Earth when they were afflicted with illness. Esu
Says that the sacrifice will be effective if they will
Do as he says. The people of earth came and gave sacrifices
…… From that day on, the world began to be good.

Ifa Divination communication between God and Men in West Africa

William Bascom Indiana University Press 1991 page 466.

Esu, as the mediator between Spirit and humans, has a key role in maintaining
harmony and balance in the world. If humans move to far away from the idea of living in
alignment with Natural Law, Esu as the trickster causes disruption in the form of illness, bad
luck, and disruption. The diseases that are most common in large cities are frequently the
result of poor planning, poor hygiene, over population and greed. These same factors lead
to political disruption and upheaval. Bad luck is described in Ifa as being the result of
personal resistance to embracing personal potential. Ose-tura is saying humans cannot
separate themselves from communication with Spirit without suffering the consequences of
their arrogance.
Ifa also describes Esu as the Divine Enforcer in issues of Spiritual Justice. This means
humans cannot behave in a way that is counter to their essential nature without eventually
paying a price. Esu also has a role as the Divine Trickster meaning Esu can create illusions
based on arrogance designed to teach us humility. Because we live in an infinite universe,
our finite perception of reality does not match the objective circumstances surrounding our
experience. Esu is the force in nature that illuminates awareness of this contradiction. This
awareness brings us the lessons expressed through Esu’s role as Trickster; the Force in
Nature that pushes us beyond the limitations of our perception to broaden our horizons.
Ifa says Esu lives in the back of the neck, the crossroads between the head and the
heart. In Ifa, the back of the neck is called ipako, which literally means, not disjointed. When
we experience tension it is the shoulders and the neck that tighten up. The slang expression
“pain in the neck, “conveys the idea as it is understood in Western culture. Cleaning the back
of the neck is an important step during initiation and initiation is essentially an elevation of
consciousness or a complete manifestation of the hero’s journey in ritual form.
In the role of Esu as Divine Trickster, most of the anthropological literature identifies
the Trickster as a random form of harassment. In some academic literature Esu is described
as “evil”. This description fails to appreciate the sacred function for all Tricksters in all
traditional cultures. The role of Esu as Trickster is to bring each one of us the truth that we
are all interconnected and interrelated. It is a manifestation of eternal truth that no one can
be totally self-reliant. Once you have the idea that you can handle all your problems yourself
you are invoking an encounter with the Devine Trickster. Things occur and we don’t have
all the answers. We deny our vulnerability by resisting change. Our resistance is shattered
and we are left with the feeling of loss of identity. In Ifa the Force of Nature that provokes
this loss is called Esu. In traditional Yoruba culture, the death of the old self is perceived as
a positive experience. It is considered the foundation of all personal growth and elevation.
The reason we can consider Esu a real Force in Nature that resides in each one of us
is because we live in a holographic universe. Every atom contains the enter blueprint for all
of Creation. Ifa teaches that if consciousness exists in humans, then it existed in latent
potential at the beginning of time. This means consciousness infuses all that is and various
forms of consciousness are able to communicate with each other through the Force of Nature
Ifa calls Esu.
This is not some arbitrary, malevolent force that is out to get you if you don’t
behave. That is the Christian “Boogie man “model. The divine trickster is a fundamental
principle of the structure of reality, based on the idea that if you see and egg hatch and
something comes out with wings, there’s a pretty good chance it’s a bird. The universe is not
arbitrary. Elephants do not give birth to tigers. Humans are essentially good; if we move too
far from our essential nature, Esu brings us those experiences that can potentially lead us
back to our essential self. It is the role of the Divine Trickster to suggest we might have a
personal destiny and we might have a purpose for being on Earth.
When Ifa describes Esu as a Trickster, this role is closely associated with the symbolic
function of opening doors and guiding us to a better grasp of our destiny. Ifa elevation
(abori) is the process of elders guiding the novice up the seven steps of initiation. The elders
knock on the door and kick it open before stepping back. This is the door Esu opens; it is not
a physical door. Initiation occurs every time we expand our own consciousness. A door
opens every time we abandon the safe boundaries of self-perception. This can be in the
context of a communal ritual, or it can be in the context of overcoming difficulty in the
world. The door we are speaking of is the door of personal growth.
Ifa uses a circle that contains an equal armed cross as a symbol for
consciousness. Imagine a circle with a cross the size of a baseball. This circle represents the
consciousness of a young man the day before puberty. Then puberty arrives and his
consciousness is forced to deal with the issues of being an adult, raising a family, and finding
a productive role in society. The consciousness of the man who has assimilated these new
roles is represented by a circle the size of a basketball. To get from the baseball to the
basketball requires the death of the old self. The boy no longer exists. In symbolic language
the door to childhood is closed. In his place stands a man. In symbolic language the door to
becoming a responsible adult has opened. This shift in consciousness can only occur if we
tear down the parameters of consciousness that define how we see ourselves in the
world. Nothing in human experience is more frightening than the prospect of letting go of
the old self. Fear causes us to resist change, and prolongs the agony. Ifa calls this ibi or
resistance to change.
When the resistance to change breaks down, we go through a period of death and
transformation leading to rebirth. This process always involves walking through some
doorway, some portal, and some barrier leading us into the realm of the unknown. This is
always true, there is no exception. The process occurs daily if you are conscious of your
relationship with Esu. Ifa says once we are initiated, it is our task to re-incarnate our self
every day. Each day you have to incorporate, assimilate and integrate the life lessons that
occur in the world. Otherwise you become stagnant, you regress and the circle that
represents the parameters of your consciousness becomes smaller. Regression takes effort
and the effort can lead to emotional and physical illness.
As an alternative to resistance there is a doorway we walk through that gives us an
opportunity to leap into the next level of consciousness. The key to unlocking this doorway
is the willingness to confront the fear of the unknown. Confronting the fear of the unknown
always involves embracing the need for change. Embracing the need for change always
requires courage. This is the way of spiritual growth; it is a map of the hero’s journey. When
you see yourself clearly, you grab yourself by the lapels, you look yourself in the eye and you
say, “What do I have to do to take the next step?”
Esu is the Orisa who opens the door for our encounter with the inner self (ori inu).
Historically, one of the reasons why Esu tends to be described as “evil” or “negative” is
because complacency and security are wrongly associated with Divinity. If you don’t like the
experience of growth, if you can’t handle change, the tendency is to blame the Devil rather
than admit to your own lack of courage. If you are unwilling to walk through the door that
Esu has opened, the common human response is to blame the door keeper, shoot the
messenger and ignore the message. Esu as the opener of doors is who we invoke to confront
our fears in the process of self-discovery. The door never opens unless our own ori
understands there is a need for change. Blaming the Devil puts our consciousness in conflict
with itself and this conflict must be resolved for change to occur. The only way to resolve
this conflict is to recognize there is no Devil and that Esu appears in response to our need to
begin the hero’s journey, and that this journey is a joint effort. It is a meeting between the
inner self and the higher self.
The key point in this process is that Ifa is not about sprinkling juju powder that gives
you the courage to confront your fears. If every time you had a problem you came to me and
I sprinkle the juju on your head and the problem goes away, what you would be creating is
dependence on me and not the ability to work through your fear. There is only one antidote
to fear and that is courage. No one can sell you courage and it does not come in a bottle.
There is no antidote to fear and there is no way to invoke courage other than to do the right
thing in spite of the fear.
There is an idea in Ifa that appears in every earth centered religion I have
encountered. It is the idea that everything is interconnected. If you read all the great
mystical writings in literature, they are all about trying to explain how it feels when you
really get the idea of Universal connection. It’s a wonderfully noble and widely recognized
idea. However, it remains an idea until you really experience it. Those who write about the
experience say the prelude to the experience is what I call the Mother of all fears. Ifa literally
calls it, “Fear of the Mothers.” It is the fear of the total loss of self, which it is, followed by a
sense of connecting with everything. Connection to spirit is the consequence of facing fear
with courageous action. Ifa says we are all children of Oyigiyigi the eternal stone of creation.
How does this relate to the idea of Esu as divine Enforcer? You can only move so far
away from the idea of Universal connection before Nature creates counter-balancing forces
guiding you back to center. Esu has the function of Divine Enforcer meaning the one who
keeps Creation conscious of its true essence. We can ask about tragedy and premature death
knowing these are difficult questions. In Ifa there is belief in a bigger picture where Divine
Justice is at work. This perspective is not always clear to human consciousness and for this
reason we turn to spirit for guidance.
The symbolic analogy used in Ifa is Ifa Olokun o saro dayo, meaning the Spirit of the
Ocean always provides for those who live in the sea. Every fish living in the ocean has a home
and food to eat. The creatures who live in the ocean have figured it out; those of us who live
on land are still working on it. The idea of Esu as the Divine Enforcer is that Nature creates
boundaries for those who ignore reality.
Western science has a discipline called Chaos theory which postulates the idea that
things which seem to be symmetrical in the universe have a range of variation when viewed
up close. It also postulates that things which appear random have a degree of symmetry
when viewed at a distance. This means the issues of justice and injustice, chaos and order
are issues of perspective. If you get the big picture, the pieces start to fall in place. Esu as the
Divine Enforcer is what we invoke to get the big picture. You can do things on the short term
that feel effective, righteous and ethical that can have long term negative effects. A southern
proverb says the path to Hell is paved with good intentions. Conversely you can do things
that seem negative in the moment and end up having positive results. It is Esu we invoke to
get perspective on where we are in the polarity.
 Ifa teaches that the entire Universe is created by 256 Odu which are primal
manifestations of consciousness. These 256 Odu create all forms of consciousness because
they all emerged out of the light from the Big Bang (Oyigiyigi). Consciousness includes the
Odu Ose-tura which incarnates Esu. Somewhere inside of you Esu is alive and waiting to go
to work. When we pray to Esu we are facing a rock and we are calling it Esu, in reality Esu is
part of our own consciousness and we are bouncing it off the rock. Because Ose-tura exists
elsewhere in the world, our prayers can attract other manifestations of the Odu. This will
create a convergence of forces that will allow for dialogue and inspiration from sources
beyond our own consciousness. We call this guidance from Spirit.
Nobody in traditional Yoruba culture believes Esu is a rock. The rock is the place we
face when we say our prayers. It is a sacred space created by our intentions. Every
traditional Yoruba home has a room specifically for Orisa (Spiritual representations of
Forces in Nature). Individuals pray every morning to the Orisa in their shrine to support their
personal growth and to support their communal responsibilities.
The thing I did not realize when I went to Africa for the first time was the importance
of the extended family in relationship to Ifa and Orisa worship. First and foremost, Ifa is the
sanctification of the extended family which is an eternal structure that exists forever while
different faces evolve into the role of elders within the ongoing family unit. I did not know
what a family that works as a school for both spiritual training and the development of trade
skills looked like until I arrived in Ode Remo, Nigeria.
The role of grandmother and grandfather are eternal roles within the family that are
assumed by subsequent generations. Children are being trained for the day when they
become grandmother and grandfather. In traditional Yoruba culture, it is assumed that by
the time you become a grandparent you have learned the lessons of good character, have
become a clear messenger for Spirit and you are in constant alignment with the Immortals.
In traditional Yoruba culture, jobs are also sanctioned through initiation. The
profession of blacksmith is sanctioned through initiation to Ogun. The role of herbalist is
sanctioned through initiation to Osanyin. Divination is sanctioned through initiation into
Ifa. Within the extended family, there are different roles that sustain the wellbeing of the
family.
On a communal level there is a sanctification of farming and a sanctification of the
role of those who run the market. All these roles fit into an ideal version of how a family and
a community function. Sanctification means some form of communal blessing; it’s another
way of saying initiation. Sanctification is a communal process that identifies certain people
as carriers of a particular kind of wisdom. This does not make one initiation better than
another. Everyone has a role; and everyone contributes to the well-being of the entire
community.
Superficially, the traditional Yoruba extended family looks like a patriarchy. That is
not true, as women have veto power over what is apparent in public. There is a balance of
power within the structure of community. For example, if you go through an Ifa initiation, it
looks like you are being initiated by a fraternity of men. But the last thing you do involves a
blessing from the mothers. If they do not give their blessing, you are not initiated. You have
to walk past them to come into the world after your rebirth. There is a weave of influences
that sustains the eternal structure of the family. No one is chief all the time. Everyone has
an elder, depending on the circumstances. Life is viewed as a convergence of influences in
which our personal roles shift depending on experience and expertise.
Part of the function of Esu is to maintain the cohesive fabric of the family
structure. Esu can begin to give you a vision of the big picture. That vision gives us insight
on how we can relate as extended family in areas where the family has been damaged. In
Africa there is no word for Uncle and there is no word for cousin. Anybody older than you
are called father or mother, and if you don’t call them father or mother you are being
rude. This is the eternal idea of respect for elders as part of the process of personal
development. Ifa is one particular vision of how to make the family work. There are others,
and they all look to Nature for guidance and inspiration.
Based on the idea of Esu as Divine Enforcer, Ifa teaches the ethical notion that if your
life gets better my life gets better; if you suffer, I suffer. This concept requires an examination
of the possibility that jealousy is inappropriate, competition is inappropriate, gossip is
inappropriate, back biting is inappropriate, diminishing anyone verbally is inappropriate
and denigrating any particular group of people is not consistent with the ethical principles
of Divine Law.
When you find yourself experiencing these emotions there is transformation work
that needs to be done. It is not hard to identify and it is not hard to recognize. The problem
is taking those emotions and transforming them into something worthy of praise. This
requires spiritual power, the ability to place yourself so perfectly in alignment with the
Forces of Nature that surround you that your life becomes constantly transformed. Again,
spiritual power is not sprinkling juju on your head, it is assuming a position in relationship
to Nature that becomes transformative simply because you are a conduit for the essential
balance of Nature Herself. In India it is called dharma; you get blessed by the elders by sitting
in their presence and they don’t have to say anything. It’s all about having the real
experience of spiritual power. In Taoism it is called chi, in Sinto it is called ki, in Hinduism it
is called prana and in Ifa it is called ase. This is a real power that feels a certain way and the
essence of ceremonial work within Ifa is to unlock this power. If you are unable to unlock
spiritual power on your own being in the presence of those who can is of value. Ase will
become unlocked within you merely by being around it. At that point what you call it is
profoundly irrelevant because at that point you will know what it feels like and you will be
able to access it for use in personal growth.
The hero’s journey involves encounters with Esu who pushes us beyond the
complacency of our normal boundaries. This places us in unfamiliar territory where there
is a profound sense of panic, confusion and fear. The only way to successfully interact in this
unfamiliar place is to expand our consciousness; to change our perception of self and world.
Expansion of consciousness always involves the death of the old self and experiencing the
source of the fear of the unknown. In simple terms, the encounter with Esu is a call to
courage. The call to courage is a call to do the right thing in spite of our fear. It is an
exploration of those spiritual realities that guide us towards elevation and renewal.
To understand this shift as a metaphysical principle let us examine the Odu that
incarnates Esu. The Odu is Ose-tura and appears as follows:

I I
II II
 I I
I II
Ose-tura

The Odu are two quadra-grams read from right to left. On right side it is the
metaphysical principle of Ose. This principle gives birth to the Force of Nature or Orisa Ifa
calls Osun. Ose in simple terms is the ability to project your prayers through the use of ofo
ase meaning the power of the word. In traditional Ifa, the power behind effective prayer is
called aje. Ifa teaches that aje is an inherited skill that passes from mother to daughter. This
skill is enhanced and put to effective use in the women’s secret society called Iyami Osoranga
meaning my mother’s bring me the power of astral travel from the elision Iya mi oso ran
ga. The Yoruba word oso means astral travel and astral travel is a component of effective
prayer because it is the ability to project human consciousness into the invisible realm that
sustains creation.
The left side of the odu is Otura which is a manifestation of the Force of Nature Ifa
calls Obatala. The word Obatala from the elision Oba ita ala meaning the King of the road of
light. In Otura we are blessed with mystic vision, meaning we get a glimpse of the
holographic universe that comes in direct response to our prayers. In the process of
divination the right side of the Odu represents that which has manifest and the left side
represents that which exists in latent potential. In Ose-tura spirit gives us the promise of
enlightenment anytime we reach out for clarity and resolution of conflict.
Science tells us that the universe is a huge sine wave and that everything we see is a
manifestation of light. A sine wave can be visualized as a series of W’s linked together. If we
draw a horizontal line through the center of the W’s, we can consider everything above the
line as expansive and everything below the line as contractive. In Ifa mythology, the
polarities between expansive light and contracted light is symbolized by the polarity
between male spirits known as Orisa Okunrin, and female spirits known as Orisa
Obinrin. These are not independent forces; they are part of a continuum that emerges from
a single source. At the place in the wave where the horizontal line intersects the polarity
between expansion and contraction the opposite polarities unite and become one. In Ifa this
place of unity is symbolized by the Uroborus or the snake eating its tail. The tail represents
the phallus and the mouth represents the vagina. In Earth centered religions around the
world, throughout history, the moment of organism is considered the point of unification. In
that moment, Nature embraces the possibility of re-creation; it is the moment of
conception. In Odu Ifa, the unity between Osun and Obatala results in the birth of Esu.
On a personal level, this means when we access the power of prayer we create the
possibility of receiving an answer from Spirit in the form of mystic vision. In order to make
this vision manifest in the world, we need to implement that vision. The first step to
implementation is to open the door that initiates the hero’s journey. In Ifa mythology, Esu is
considered the guardian of the portal that makes this journey possible. Walking through the
door requires courage, because the journey involves completely letting go of the old self. It
requires giving up all dogma, all preconceived ideas, and all the boundaries that define the
self. It requires living in a state of confusion, imbalance, and loss of identity. This is the single
most fearful moment that humans experience. It is a call to courage, which is why the
journey is always associated with the Orisa Ebora meaning Warrior spirits, who guide us
towards Akin l’ona or the hero’s journey.
Osun, the Spirit of the River, gives us the secret of how to project our prayers into the
realm of sprit. She does this by pushing us towards the idea of creating a better life. Obatala
responds to this impulse by showing us what a better life looks like. Esu gives us the courage
to take the first step in making the vision of Spirit a reality.

Lesson 2
The hero’s journey can lead to an increase in personal power, meaning the ability to
do things in the world. Every increase in personal power requires an increase in spiritual
protection. Ebora are the Orisa we turn to for spiritual protection. The Ebora traditionally
include Esu, Osoosi and Ogun. The process for making the Ebora varies from region to region
in Yoruba culture and has an even wider range of variation within the Diaspora. Sanction to
make warriors traditionally requires initiation. We can make symbolic representations of
the Ebora to aid us in the hero’s journey until we are able to receive fully consecrated Ebora
from initiated elders.
To make a symbolic Esu, start by purchasing a coconut. Every coconut has three small
circles on one side. These circles resemble two eyes and a mouth that form the face of the
coconut. Place a white cloth on a small table. Light a candle and place it on the table next to
a clear glass of water. Ask your ancestors for guidance on how to paint the coconut.
Traditionally, Esu is either red and black or black and white. Rub palm oil on the coconut
after it is painted. Place the symbolic Esu near the front door.
When the Esu is completed, you have a place to focus your prayers to the Spirit of the
Divine Messenger who can open the door to place you on the Hero’s journey. If you have an
unconsecrated Esu, use the following Oriki (invocation).

La royo aki loyo.

K’a ma sese are’le tunse.
Ase

You who see Oyo without going to Oyo.

If we have an accident, the chief of this house rectifies it.
May it be so.

Those who have a consecrated Esu should use the Oriki provided by their elders at
the time of receiving Esu. If you have no Oriki for a consecrated Esu, you can use the short
form Esu for Esu Odara who is the father of all Ifa related messengers.

Esu, Esu Odara, Esu Lanlu ogirioko.

Okinrin ori ita, a jo langa langa lalu.
A rin lanja lanja lalu. Ode ibi ija de mole.
Ija ni otaru ba d’ele ife. To fi de omo won.
Oro Esu to to to akoni.
 Ao fi ida re lale.
Esu ma se mi o.
Esu ma se mi o.
Esu ma se mi o.
Omo elomiran ni ko lo se.
Pa ado asubi do.
No ado asure se wa.
Ase

Divine messenger, divine Messenger of Transformation, Divine Messenger speaks

with power.
Man of the crossroads, dance to the drum.
Tickle the toe of the Drum.
Move beyond strife.
Strife is contrary to the Spirits of the invisible realm.
Untie the unsteady feet of the weaning children.
The word of the Divine Messenger is always respected.
We shall use your sword to touch the earth.
Divine Messenger do not confuse me.
Divine Messenger do not confuse me.
Let someone else be confused.
Turn my suffering around.
Give me the blessing of the calabash.
May it be so.

If you find yourself suddenly and unexpectedly thrown into chaos, suffering and
confusion, if you are fearful of your ability to find your center as a result of this disruption,
you can ask Esu for courage with the following Oriki.

Aiya ki if’odo.
Aiya ki if olo.
Aiya enu ona ki fi’onile.
Kaiya mi m aja mo.
D’eru ma ba mi mo o.
Ase.

The Mortar is never afraid.

The grindstone is never afraid.
A homeowner never fears his doorway.
Let me not be afraid.
Let me have no fear.
May it be so.

In Ifa, when we ask Spirit to assist us in some way, it is custom to give an offering. The
reason for this is not because Spirit is somehow dependent on our generosity. The reason
for making an offering is so that our own Ori or consciousness does not get the message we
are asking for something for nothing. If we do this, our ori inu or inner self can receive the
message we are behaving like a thief or trying to get something we have not earned, and this
message will sabotage our efforts and block the blessing Spirit wants to give us.
In the Diaspora, Esu takes candy, rum and cigars as offerings. In traditional Yoruba
culture, Esu is offered palm oil, shea butter, red peppers, snail, corn, bitter cola and gin.

The Path of Clear Vision

The Ifa concept of Osoosi
In traditional Yoruba culture, there is an Orisa, or Force of nature called Osoosi. In the
Diaspora, it is commonly spelled Ochosi. Some writers who speak about Osoosi make the
false claim this Orisa is no longer worshiped in Nigeria. Osoosi remains widely venerated in
Ifa where it is known by a variety of names including Langua.
Looking at the word Osoosi, it is possible to break it down into two words. Oso is the
word commonly used for sorcery. In Ifa, the concept is not pejorative. Oso is the ability to
astral travel. Anyone who has the ability to go out of their body has the ase (spiritual power)
of Oso. Parapsychologists call this O.B.E. or out of body experiences. Oso in Yoruba refers to
out of body experiences that are invoked intentionally. Moving out of your body with
deliberate intention using invocation as the trigger is the spiritual discipline associated with
Osoosi. Osi means left. What we get in English as a literal translation of Osoosi is sorcery left
or out of body to the left. That does not make good sense in English, but it is a very clear
reference in Ifa. Traditional Ifa divination uses a wooden tray divided into four
quadrants. The right side of the tray relates to what has manifest in the present. The left
side of the tray relates to that which is hidden. Right in Yoruba is otun, and left is osi.
Odu Ifa (Sacred scripture) has a right and left component. The marks of the Odu are
a mandala. The simplest way to look at the Odu is to consider the right side represents what
is happening in the visible world. The left side usually represents that which has not yet
come into Being. Ifa is based on the belief that all things which come into Being exist in latent
potential in the invisible realm. This is identical to the Platonic concept of ideal forms. The
clearest example of this polarity would be conscious verses unconscious. What you think is
the problem and what is really the problem becomes an important question in the process
of divination. The analogy applies to every realm of Being. When it rains the weather is
caused by the conjunction of invisible pressure fronts. Earthquakes are the result of the
invisible release of underground pressures. The examples are endless.
We get some sense of Osoosi by examining the oriki or praise poems used for
invocation. In any symbolic reference to the left hand, it is speaking about latent potential
and the manifestation of Spirit as Guardian or Protector. Those Spirits that are described as
right handed bring illumination, elevation and inspiration. Yoruba language is rich with
elisions. An elision is when you take a phrase and run a number of words together to make
one word. When phrases are run together to form the name of a Spirit, the words that are
run together are referred to as the oriki or the true name of the Spirit. Ki means praise, it
also means opening. Ori means consciousness or head. The translation is praising the head,
or opening the head, or opening the mystery that illuminates the head. Oriki as a form of
praise poetry describes the inner essence of Spirit. The oriki of an Orisa is both a key for
creating the name of the spirit and for creating praise names that describe the essence of the
Spirit. An example of Oriki Osoosi is rich with elisions.

Obalogara bata ma ro.

Ara l’emi n f’Osoosi da
Ode ata matase.
Onibebe
Osolikere, Asa la ko gbo ogun,
Odide mataode.
Odide gan fi di ja.

Obalogara bata ma ro describes Osoosi as the chief hunter who overcomes fear. Ara
l’emi n f’ Osoosi da says the body and Spirit of the left handed astral traveler is invocation. Ode
ata matase is usually translated to mean the hunter who never misses, but the word matase
is an elision of mata ase meaning magical power. This suggests that Osoosi has some special
ability related to hunting. Onibebe means owner or guardian of the river bank. Osolikere, Asa
la ko gbo ogun, Odide mataode. Odide gan fi di ja the magician of the forest uses a hawk to
collect medicine and uses the spotted parrot to guide me beyond fear. Birds in oriki are
symbolic references to astral travel.
Osoosi clearly means having an invisible influence through the use of altered states of
consciousmess. Yoruba refer to this ability in British English by saying Osoosi is a
“Lefty”. When I first heard the phrase it took me a while to understand what it meant. I
eventually learned it referred to the ability to effect things without being seen.
A popular song for Osoosi says Osoosi ire, ode mata ode mata. The song translates
Sorcerer of the left hand, brings good fortune, spotted medicine of the forest. Spotted
medicine put in tattoos or scarification is called mata. Scarification is caused by peeling back
the skin, putting a piece of sand utter the skin along with some form of medicine. The
medicine is called ajabo from the elision aja ebo meaning the dog brings the offering. Dogs
are considered messengers of Orisa, so ajabo is the medicine put in the mata to improve
communication with spirit. You make ajabo by getting herbs (ewe), and depending on the
function of the medicine, you gather the herbs appropriate to what you are trying to
accomplish. There are herbs for cleansing, for protection, for illumination, herbs to improve
your memory and herbs to cure illness.
The way ajabo is made is that you get the herbs and you burn the leaves so they are
black and you grind them down with a mortar and pestle. You get a little mixture of material
that looks like gun powder. Then you say the prayers and invocations that enhance the
intrinsic quality of the herbs on the powder. The powder you put in the incision is called
mata.
In traditional Yoruba culture Osoosi is worshiped by hunters and is associated with
the ability to track game and locate rare plants in the forest. For this reason, Osoosi is
frequently referred to as the Spirit of the Tracker. The Yoruba trackers in the rain forest
speak of the ability to walk and to look with their right eye seeing straight ahead and their
left eye seeing an arial view from the top down. They speak of the ability to do this
simultaneously. This is an essential tool for survival in the jungle. The rain forest is filled
with green trees to the horizon in every direction. It is easy to get lost. If you do not know
the area, if you do not have the skills associated with Osoosi, the rain forest can be an
unforgiving environment.
Osoosi as the guardian of the tracker teaches astral travel as a tool for locating things
of value in the forest, specifically herbs and game. In my opinion this skill is not magic. It
represents the optimal end of a particular skill that is latent in all of us. Because there is not
much call for this skill in the West, the potential remains underdeveloped.
The question then becomes, what is the Spiritual significance of Osoosi in the
contemporary urban world and what role does he play along the hero’s journey? Let us
consider the Ifa symbol of the cross in the divination tray. It is among other things, a map of
consciousness. The purpose of Ifa divination is to balance all the elements of
consciousness. The outer rim of the circle represents the sum total of a particular individual
state of consciousness. The four quadrants created by the cross in the circle represent the
elements of consciousness in a state of balance.
Ifa expresses the idea of balancing the components of consciousness by referring to
the relationship between the Ori, meaning consciousness, the Ori inu, meaning the inner self,
and the iponri meaning the higher self. While making the link between the inner self and the
higher self we begin to understand the great expansive nature of human potential. In New
Age language this process is called centering. Aligning the Ori inu and the Iponri is the
preliminary step in the movement towards the altered state of consciousness commonly
called possession. The word for possession in Yoruba is ini which translates to I am, so rather
than being possessed by something other than yourself, you are getting in touch with who
you essentially are. Once you get in touch with your inner self, that becomes a magnet for
similar forms of energy in the universe and that is when possession as a source of non-
personal information occurs. You can be in touch with your inner self and not connect with
Spirit. When you do connect with similar forms of consciousness in the universe there is a
big power surge and the feeling of elation.
How does centering relate to the hero’s journey? Ifa says the Ori that leaves the house
in the morning is not the Ori that comes home at night. This means in the course of any given
day you are going to learn something and you have to integrate new experiences into a
balanced consciousness. Most of the time what we learn does not require a complete death
of the old self so it is a relatively simple process. However certain milestones in our life such
as puberty, marriage, becoming a grandparent require a radical shift in the self perception
and a total death of the old self.
When we encounter Esu and Esu throws us into the realm of the unknown our
consciousness turns to the question of finding our way home, finding the shortest path
towards the newly formed ori inu looking for a way out of confusion, and pain. It is this
moment that we can turn to Osoosi for guidance.
Ifa says after initiation we initiate ourselves every day. That means every time your
consciousness expands, the person who was alive the day before dies and is reborn as
someone more intelligent. This becomes the ongoing challenge of Ifa spiritual discipline, the
death of the old self and the birth of the new self with unyielding consistency. Osoosi keeps
us moving towards greater wisdom, better character and deeper insight into self and world.
The circumference of the circle that defines an individual’s consciousness goes
through a major expansion at puberty. This kind of leap in development can be confusing
and stressful. There are two ways to travel from the centered consciousness of a child to the
centered consciousness of an adult. One is to travel in a straight line from center A to center
B; the other is to explore the infinite ways that we can avoid traveling in a straight
line. Avoiding a straight line means allowing yourself to resist the process by either avoiding
the challenge of becoming an adult or by refusing to face the fear that comes with the
increase in communal responsibility. Avoiding communal responsibility based on a failure
to expand consciousness always leads to crisis. At the moment of crisis we look to Osoosi to
give a vision of the shortest route to the elevation needed to make the transition.
Malidoma Some defined community as any three people who get together for a
purpose. The purpose for a spiritual community is to support each other’s spiritual
growth. The purpose of Osoosi is to support the idea that moving from point A to point B can
occur smoothly and efficiently by traveling in a straight line, by going directly to the heart of
the matter. This all sounds simple and clear, but Malidoma says humans are the least
intelligent forms of consciousness on the planet because we can find all kinds of good reasons
why the shortest route will not work. Psychologists call this resistance. In Yoruba language
resistance is called ibi. The word ibi means afterbirth. When the fetus is in the womb the
placenta is the source of life. After the child is born, if the cord to the placenta is not cut, the
placenta becomes toxic and the child dies. Ibi is the inability to let go of aspects of the former
stage of development that need to be abandoned to insure personal growth.
What we want to do when we are invoking Osoosi is to get a clear vision of the straight
path, or the shortest path, to the next stage of development. When you do Ifa divination part
of what is revealed is the shortest path to elevation. Osoosi is an important factor in almost
any divination experience. Osoosi’s ase or spiritual power is assisting you in the
transformation process. What tends to happen is that people will take a problem and will do
what I call deify it. They will say everybody else who comes to Ifa gets their problem solved,
but my problem is so unique it has no solution. I call this deification because it means the
person lives in the self-styled universe in which God has solutions to everyone else's
problems. Again this is a manifestation of ibi. There is no easy solution to this kind of
resistance, because the idea is etched in stone in the ori of the person who is resistant to
change. Ifa says that people who are in this type of resistance have the ability to manifest
self generated demons called elenini. The reason for creating an elenini is so you can blame
your problems on the Devil.
When you are dealing with Osoosi on a real direct personal level, the shortest path
involves the ability to cut through those rigid ideas that limit our perception of who we
are. In theological terms it is the destruction of all dogma. The word dogma means a fixed
idea about the nature of Creation. Ifa says that all dogma is an expression of arrogance and
all arrogance is considered resistance to growth.
Anytime you have the idea you can’t accomplish something, or have an idea that
diminishes your sense of self, it is Osoosi we invoke to find an alternative vision. Anytime
you deify a negative, the circle of your consciousness gets smaller. You regress rather than
grow. Regression takes effort and eventually leads to suffering and illness. The reason
regression takes effort is because you have to constantly distort your perception of reality to
conform to your negative self-image. This process never works. Things can happen to
challenge your negative self-image and rather than integrate it into your consciousness and
grow, you do not see it, you distort it. Think about how often you have held on to an idea
that is self-destructive, that caused you to miss some manifestation of good fortune. Think
about how it kept you from moving towards a goal because it was more important to hold on
to the negative self-image. An obvious example would be alcoholism. The only way I can get
through the day is to drink. That becomes your deified concept of yourself. Every day you
hold on to that idea your objective perception of who you are and who you could become
diminishes. On some level we all do this. With Osoosi we begin to look for alternatives to
what psychologists call regression and what Ifa calls possession by elenini. In Ifa cosmology,
elenini is a self-invoked and self-generated demon. Self-created demons are the hardest to
banish because they have no real existence. No matter what you suggest as a diviner to the
person with an elenini your suggestions will be ineffective. If you do something effective, a
new elinini appears more clever, more insidious, and more devious that the one before. As a
diviner, when you encounter elenini, you know you can’t kill it; all you can do is educate it,
try and convince the elenini that it is not real.
Understanding the limitations of dogma on self-understanding requires an
explanation of Orun. The Ifa concept of Orun is often poorly translated to mean heaven. I
think Orun is more accurately translated to mean the invisible dimension. There are invisible
light rays that have an observable influence on visual reality. If we make a horizontal line
representing the spectrum of light, the top end is ultra violet and the bottom end is
infrared. Western science tells us we look at the light spectrum somewhere in the
middle. This means there are vibrations of light on the lower end and on the higher end of
the spectrum we cannot see.
Ifa teaches the idea that the realm of Spirit or invisible influences exists on the upper
(Ikole Orun) and lower (Ikole Aye) spectrum of light as well as in multiple dimensions of
reality (Ile Orun). This means we can say there is an invisible dimension that helps shape the
physical dimension. The science of Quantum Physics tells us we live in a ten dimensional
Universe where there are invisible influences beyond the spectrum of light and in my opinion
this is what Ifa means when it speaks of Orun. The word is not heaven, it is not pearly gates;
it is an invisible dimension of our physical environment that has substance, and effect and
real power to shape and influence the world we see.
 Osoosi is the ability to project our ori or consciousness into the invisible realm. In
Yoruba language the invisible realm is described as odudu meaning total darkness. It is what
science calls the void beyond the polarities of time and space. In this realm we can project
our ori in any direction giving us access to the spectrum of time beyond the present
moment. This means we can see the future, and the past. We can see those influences that
influenced our destiny and that will affect our destiny. When Esu pushes us into the realm
of the unknown it is Osoosi who gives us the vision of the road home. In Ifa, the road home
or ile l’ona is a symbolic reference to reclaiming our center, the place of balance between the
head and the heart. It is the process of re-integration, individuation and self transcendence.
What is it that allows us to leap beyond time? In normal states of consciousness we
are controlled by gravity, time and matter, If we have a different field of gravity we
experience a different sense of time; that is to say we would be looking at a different
frequency along the spectrum of light. Both science and Ifa teach that time and space are
perceptual illusions. Everything that has happened or will happen exists in the present
moment and we view sequential time as a result of the effect of gravity on perception. When
you have Oso, the ability to go out of your body, the first thing you are doing is liberating
yourself from the effects of gravity. In addition to being able to go into the forest and see
things in the physical realm, you can also glimpse the invisible realm that shapes life on
Earth. It is my belief that the really wise and adept masters of Ifa including the adepts of
Osoosi see those dimensions of light that literally structure physical reality. If you can
physically enter this dimension you can see those invisible influences and you can affect
them in ways that will appear to be magic to those who are unfamiliar with this
process. Your actions will appear miraculous. They are not. You simply have access to
commonly unused portions of the brain allowing you to see what is normally invisible. If you
don’t know how a car works, the actions of a mechanic can seem like magic. The various
explanations of ritual magic are ultimately issues of perspective. What is described as magic
can be understood as science.
In Ifa there are two ways to enter the invisible realm. One is through the use of eleiye
which is the spirit of a dead bird used to pull yourself out of your body. The other is through
invocation of Osoosi. Ifa has a tradition of little people and odd animals associated with
Osoosi who function as guides in the invisible realm. They are generally described in one of
two forms. One is small people who look like humans in terms of their proportions; except
they’re less than a foot tall. The other is what I call fur balls - tiny round animals covered
with hair.
When these spirits appear visually and spontaneously out in the forest it becomes a
matter of caution. Prior to their appearance there is usually a flash of light similar to the
flashbulb on a camera. When you get into the upper regions of the light spectrum time and
space become distorted. If the fur balls appear, and you follow them you can literally
disappear and reappear somewhere else. This is interesting, because it’s not far different
from the description of UFO abductions. I’m not sure that what we call Alien abductions isn’t
a spiritual inter dimensional phenomenon rather than an outer space reality. More likely it
is the possibility that from time to time we are dealing with both.
The point is Osoosi’s helpers are taking you into the invisible realm and this is a long
and well established tradition in Africa. Osoosi initiates consider it an important and
necessary part of their training process to learn how to travel safely in other
dimensions. Malidoma Some actually speaks of this very eloquently in his book Spirits of
Water. In Africa these experiences are a common aspect of daily life. Baba Some speaks of
his encounters with little people as part of the puberty rite within his culture. It is part of
the process of learning the skills needed to make the transition from being a child to
becoming an adult.
In most African cultures there are certain places that are considered accessible
gateways into the invisible dimension. In Ifa these gateways are called Igbodu from the
elision Igbo Odu meaning womb of the forest. These gateways are usually rocks or particular
trees and when people approach these portals they literally walk into the tree or into the
rock and disappear. They may reappear three or four hours later. This implies a mastery of
the ability to shift dimensions. Igbodu is the place of initiation and different portals are used
to reveal a wide variety of mysteries called awo.
One way to enter the invisible realm is to leave your body. The other way is to stay
in your body and open your visual posers of perception so the invisible realm around you
becomes apparent. The first method involves projecting your consciousness out of your
body and the second method involves taping into higher vibrations of perception. When you
go out of your body you see the physical environment around you. You are aware that you
are not where you should be. When your visual powers begin to open up, you see things in
the environment that should not be there and they are usually transparent in the classic
sense of ghost phenomena meaning you can see through them. The thing that is odd about
this experience is even though the things you see are transparent, they are tactile. If you
reach out and touch it there is a sense of physical interaction.
Osoosi also has the ability to go into possession with the spirit of animals. In the West
this is called shape shifting. When you go into possession with the spirit of an animal you
don’t necessarily look like the animal to other humans. You feel like the animal to other
animals, it is a vibrational shift. This is an important tool for hunting. If you are able to go
into possession with the spirit of the animal, then you have the ability to blend with those
animals in the forest. In this state you are able to communicate with animals and call them
to you. Yoruba hunters with this ability frequently go into the forest and retrieve game
without using weapons.
Because Osoosi has the ability to go into the invisible realm, Osoosi can identify the
invisible spirits of the land we live on. In Africa, Osoosi uses tools and portals which are
indigenous to Africa. When you have a displaced Osoosi, like here in the West, you have some
fundamental issues to resolve regarding the use of ritual technology in the environment. The
first problem is to identify those plants that can be used in a ceremonial way. They are no
longer the plants that were used in Africa because they are not available and not necessarily
effective in another environment. It is possible in the invisible realm to go into dialogue with
plants. You can ask what effect the plants will have on human consciousness. One of the
functions of Osoosi is to identify the function of various aspects of the immediate ecological
support system. Herbs and plants are an essential aspect of Ifa worship. When you go to the
market in Nigeria, there are booths that have hundreds of different kinds of tree bark. Each
sample has a specific function and the name reflects the function. Beyond the plant realm,
rivers, caves and mountains have specific spiritual functions that can be determined through
the invocation of Osoosi.
 When we build Igbodu in the Diaspora the first task is to identify the natural source
of the particular power that we are working with. You do not go to the ocean to worship the
Spirit of the River and you do not go to the mountain to worship the Spirit of the desert. If
you have thousands of miles of flat forest it may not be readily apparent what forces are
strongest in a particular area. It also may not be apparent what the spiritual use of the land
was in the past.
The Catholic Church is notorious for building churches on the holy ground of
indigenous people. This makes access to inter dimensional portals in colonized areas
difficult. Africans in forced exile were much more respectful. They invoked Osoosi to
discover how the land was used before they arrived. They invoked Osoosi to discover the
name of the indigenous Spirits of the land and they honored them in conjunction with the
Orisa of their ancestors. Osoosi was invoked to insure nothing was done in conflict with the
traditional indigenous uses of the land. If you want to honor the sacred spot you are standing
in right now, the way you would find out what was here is to invoke Osoosi and have Osoosi
bring back the information. Osoosi will insure you are not invoking Spirits whose power
conflicts with those Spirits already present which would only neutralize their
effectiveness. For example, If you invoked the Spirit of Fire in a place used in the past to
invoke the Spirit of Water you might negate any spiritual transformation you are trying to
generate.
One of the big unwritten chapters in American history is the relationship between
Native Americans and African Americans, especially during forced exile and the period
immediately following the Civil War. Many Africans moved to Oklahoma and lived on Native
land where we continue to have a large African American, and Native American ethnic
mix. When two cultures get together, they exchange ideas. The relationship between herbs
and the land as it was preserved in Native American spirituality was assimilated into
traditionally African spirituality as it was practiced in the Diaspora. It is my belief that Osoosi
played a significant role in this assimilation process. Osoosi was a spiritual mediator in the
blending of these two traditions. The Language of Orisa in Cuba is a mixture of Yoruba,
Spanish and Native American dialects. That is a telling combination forming its own
dialect.
The exploration of Osoosi is not, in my opinion, limited to life on this planet. The
Dogon people of northwest Africa have a ritual they do every 51 years to celebrate the elliptic
of the dark star that travels around Sirius. They have been doing this ritual for thousands of
years. They have mapped the orbit of Sirius and its companion star and they celebrate the
cycle of both orbits. The first time the Sirius companion star was seen by a telescope was
about ten years ago. It is invisible to the naked eye. This is either a remarkable coincidence,
or the Dogons received the information from extraterrestrials, or they have highly evolved
use of out of body perception. There may be no way to accurately trace the history of this
ritual, but the skills associated with Osoosi might provide a clue.
It is Esu who opens the door to growth by throwing us into the abyss. It is Osoosi who
guides us on the path towards reintegration of the ori by showing us the road leading to
transformation and rebirth. Osoosi as a tracker learns the skills needed to navigate the rain
forest from Oya the female Spirit of the Wind. Those who are initiated into Osoosi frequently
go on an extended vision quest, meaning they enter the forest with a knife and learn from
experience how to survive. They enter the forest in hopes of having a primal encounter with
Oya. In the rain forest the wind carries scent, and the wind carries spirits. Whenever there
is a shift in the wind, all the animals freeze while they take note of the change in the
environment. It is Osoosi’s encounter with Oya that teaches the tracker the mysteries of
astral travel and reveals the mystery of how to view the world through the eyes of a living
animal. The relationship between Osoosi and Oya is revealed in the Odu Okanran Osa. This
verse of Ifa scripture says the brave man knows how to advance and knows how to
retreat. The shortest distance home is always a straight line, but this is not always the safest
way home. The path towards integration of the Ori and the transformation of our perception
of self and world seldom moves in a direct route. Osoosi in relationship with Oya reveals the
value of indirection.

Lesson 3
The function of Ori is to put us at the symbolic center of the Ifa tray to balance our
head and heart. When this balance occurs we solidify our sense of self and world. Because
we are finite beings living in a finite universe our perception of self and world is always
fragmented and incomplete. If our view of self and world becomes rigid we lose the ability
for growth. This rigidity frequently takes the form of religious dogma. Theologians define
dogma as the belief that humans can know God’s will. The Greeks called this notice of the sin
of hubris.
Traditional Ifa refers to dogma as ori buruku meaning consciousness that brings
death. Ifa teaches that ori buruku is the source of ibi meaning it is the source of
misfortune. When dogma becomes solidified it is the task of Esu to knock us out of our
complacency and point towards wider horizons.
Before you can begin a spiritual journey, you have to come face to face with your inner
self. This encounter is extremely fearful because it involves a willingness to totally let go of
the old self. If you are not able to face your inner self you are in a state of Esu ni ba ko, or in
proper Yoruba Esu Ipako meaning the Spirit of the Trickster blocks my growth. According
to Ifa, anyone who is in resistance to growth has tension in the back of their neck. This is the
place that links the head and the heart. When the head and heart are in conflict we are stuck
in a fragment of our consciousness attempting to deify our limited world view. From an Ifa
perspective, it is possible to become possessed by a fragment of your ori meaning you
become stuck in a state of ori buruku. Staying locked in ori buruku takes increasing amounts
of energy leading to either compulsive behavior or some form of addiction used to dull the
pain caused by resistance.
Letting go of the old self opens the door for the possibility of putting thought and
feelings in alignment. In Ifa this is called ori tutu which literally means cool head. In
traditional Yoruba culture, a cool head is one that is free from the heat caused by the tension
that occurs when the head and heart are in conflict. When you experience balance, you are
no longer possessed by a fragment of your consciousness; you are potentially able to
experience the ase that comes from the center of the Ifa tray, meaning you can remember
your fundamental essence. Ifa teaches that we are born good and blessed people who
deserve a blessing of children, abundance and long life. Embracing this idea places you in a
position where it is possible to open the door that will allow you to step on the path of
spiritual growth.
Understanding the path or getting a sense of where the path is taking us is the
function of Osoosi. For me the best way to communicate with Osoosi is by meditating in an
inspiring place in Nature. Take any question that is a source of confusion and sit with the
question from sun up to sun down in a place of tranquility. In Native American spiritual
tradition this is commonly referred to as a vision quest. I recommend holding the question
and fasting as a way to find our link with Osoosi as guide to the invisible realm. Ask the
question, then notice when your mind wanders and ask the question again. Issues of intense
confusion can make us ineffective in the world. In the West we are not accustomed to giving
our self-permission to contemplate spiritual growth. If you ask Osoosi to give you a vision of
the path out of confusion, if you are willing to ask the question and confront your fears, the
prayer will be answered.
You can bring a vision question by cleaning and blessing your head. If you have
initiation into Ifa, say this oriki with Otura Ika marked on the tray.

Ori awo we awegbo ma ni

Ori awo we awegbo ma ni
Ori awo we aweto ma ne
Ori awo we aweto ma ne
Ori awo we awemo ma ne
Ori awo we awemo ma ne
Ase.

The mystery of the head is revealed through fasting.

Fasting is my offering.
They mystery of the head is revealed through fasting.
Fasting will reveal the mystery of my head.
Fasting will reveal the mystery of my head.
Fasting is the offering I make to my head.
Fasting is the offering I make to my head.
May it be so.

For those who have received a consecrated Osoosi with Ebora can use the following
oriki to call the Spirit of the Tracker.

Olog arare, agbani nijo to buru,

Orisa ipapo adun,
koko ma panige.
Ase.
 Master of himself, Wise on who gives blessings,
Spirit of sweet togetherness
Divination guides the Hunter.
May it be so.

Osoosi has two primary manifestations as male and female. My understanding of the
male and female aspect of Osoosi is that the male Osoosi explores invisible dimensions in the
physical universe, while the female Osoosi explores invisible dimensions of the inner self. As
you start to explore these polar aspects of Osoosi you will soon learn they are one because
the path to inner exploration is the path to external exploration and vice versa.
In the Disapora, Osoosi is offered corn and anisette. In traditional Yoruba culture, the
offerings include palm oil, gin, charcoal and cola nuts.

Clearing Away Obstacles

The Ifa Concept of Ogun
Spiritual growth is a journey. To begin the journey there is a need for an opening.
The opening is the door that appears when the dogma you hold is shattered by an experience
that challenges your preconceived notions about self and world. The door appears as a result
of the universal presence of the Divine Messenger, meaning all interaction contains a
potential message from Spirit. The message from the Divine Messenger as the trickster is
always the same. The trickster brings the message there is more to life than you can
imagine. This message can be extremely disruptive and confusing. To work our way out of
confusion and back to integration and clarity, we call on Osoosi to give us a vision of how to
assimilate the message from Esu in a way that will give great depth and clarity to our
understanding of self and World. Once the door is open and you see where the path is leading,
Ifa says invoke Ogun to clear away the obstacles. This is why Esu, Osoosi, and Ogun are
grouped together as Ebora. Their interaction is the fundamental Ifa paradigm for
growth. This paradigm is rooted in the structure of Ori and Ori is protected by Osun; the
source of the symbolic map of consciousness through which the Ebora travel.
The relationship of the Ebora is frequently misunderstood outside of traditional
Yoruba culture. There is in the West a common misconception that the Ebora have a function
to hurt people who upset you. This is spiritual tit for tat based on the notion that the person
with the most powerful Ebora wins. It is a childish notion of spiritual warrior usually rooted
in deep insecurities and fostered by a uniformed media that thoughtlessly associates African
spirituality with the idea of hexing people. In addition to being childish and silly, it has no
basis in traditional Ifa metaphysics. It is true that we can be affected by negative thoughts,
but only if we allow those thought to generate fear.
 If you read the traditional religious literature of Africa closely, you will discover there
is a very ancient, wide spread, cross cultural reverence for the Spirit of Iron. In Yoruba, this
Spirit is called Ogun, north of Nigeria you will sometimes find the Spirit of Iron called Ogun,
and other similar sounding spiritual names. Throughout West Africa there is a tradition of
making the profession of blacksmith a sacred vocation. This tradition is a logical
development of the time when humans were dependent on hunting for survival. Ogun
created tools and the tools lead to farming and farming leads to the stability of cities and the
development of culture. There are indications these trade skills represent a cross cultural
interaction stretching between the Middle East through Africa and across the ocean to South
America. I am referring to interaction that predates the voyages made by Christopher
Columbus. The clearest example is the Olmec culture of what is now Mexico. The sculptures
of this culture in Mexico show indications it was based on cooperation between Phoenicians
and West Africans.
The word Ogun is difficult to translate into English, but we have some indication from
the word oogun. The letter O in Yoruba is used to indicate owner, or one who possess
something. The letter O is also used to suggest that someone or some Spiritual Force has
mastered a particular form of wisdom. The word oogun means medicine. So in a sense the
word for medicine is owner of ogun. I am using the word medicine to mean both physical
and spiritual transformation. If we can look at medicine as something that attacks illness, or
as something that restores vitality, I believe it is a reasonable translation. In a sense you
have Ogun as the suffix of oogun, suggesting it is the source of vitality or the source of
aliveness. In my opinion, this gives us an indication that Ogun is a linguistic reference to the
will to survive. It could also suggest survival of that which asserts its own will to make a place
for itself in the world. English does not have a single word expressing this idea clearly, but
it’s a commonly understood concept in Ifa associated with the Spirit of Ogun.
There is also an element of aggression implied in the word Ogun. In Nature there is
competition for the available resources. To become successful in the survival process,
vitality and assertiveness are required. The relationship between antelope and lions on the
savannah sets up a dynamic in which the lions make sure only the strongest antelope
survive. This is Nature’s way of guiding evolution in the direction of vitality. If we take this
idea and see how it relates to the concept of medicine we can get some sense of the origin of
the word as metaphysical principle. It suggests the development of consciousness as a way
of improving our ability to adapt to our environment.
Unfortunately the notion of survival of the fittest has been used historically to justify
racist ideas. In particular, it has been used as motivation by various groups to rule the
world. Vitality is a part of the human condition, but it does not define the human
condition. Vitality coupled with empathy, compassion and a sense of community is what
ultimately creates a foundation for spiritual growth. The notion of controlling others based
on the creation of weapons to use as a threat is an idea rooted in greed and the mentality of
scarcity. If you believe the world has limited resources than the use of violence to insure
survival might make some sense. Ifa teaches the idea that we live in an abundant universe
and that living in alignment with Nature can insure survival without the need to resort to
violence.
We do have in the theological concept of Ogun the idea of survival through assertive
and aggressive action directed towards maintaining survival. The idea is not the ruling
principle of social organization in traditional Yoruba culture. In the Ifa creation Myth, the
world is described as originally being ruled by Ogun and goes on to say this era of civilization
was a failure. To put the idea in contemporary language we are talking about male
testosterone. It is what I would call the dynamic, assertive aggressive, expansive quality in
Nature itself which is expressed by the Spirit of Ogun. This is an observable Force in Nature
that only becomes destructive when it is out of balance with the nurturing, contracted
qualities associated with female structure. This is why patriarchy does not work. When Ifa
came to the diaspora the influence of patriarchal religions smothered the original African
idea of gender equality.
When Ifa speaks about Ogun it is often in reference to blacksmiths and tool
makers. This is a limited perspective because it suggests a person figured out how to make
use of iron technology and now we are deifying that person. If we limit our perception in
this way, we are missing the primal manifestation of Ogun as a force of Nature. I call Ogun
the spirit of Iron because it is the common translation of the word and because Ogun is the
Spirit who is honored by the tool makers, but he is not limited to the methodology of tool
making.
I believe the historical genesis of the human relationship to Ogun may have emerged
out of the tradition of men as hunters and women as time keepers. This is a separation of
gender roles likely established for practical reasons. Women on their cycle leave a scent
easily picked up by animals making it difficult for women to effectively hunt at certain times
of the month. At the same time, the cycle becomes a built in clock. These two social functions
became separated by gender as a matter of practical convenience. The point is there is no
indication in this separation of functions that men are better than women. There is simply
an indication of aptitude making certain tasks easier to accomplish.
We get another indication about the genesis of our understanding of Ogun by looking
at the symbolism used to represent Ogun. In Ogun’s pot we have an iron cauldron with three
legs, wrapped with a chain and filled with spikes. There is usually a knife and maybe some
tools in the pot. We can look at the pot and ask what do these things represent? With the pot
itself we have the symbolism of the womb, and we also have the idea of three legs. Three is
the symbolic number of Onile or Mother Earth. Ifa says that whenever two Awo (diviners)
meet three are always present; the third being the Earth Herself. Three symbolizes the
relationship to the Earth. This gives us the symbol of the womb supported by the symbol for
the Earth; a clear indication of the relationship between masculine dynamics and feminine
form.
The pot is surrounded by the chain. In Ifa the chain is used as a symbol for the link
between Heaven and Earth; a link that is sustained by the genetic chain of DNA. There is a
piece of red cloth around the pot which is filled with iron spikes. There is some scientific
indication the rust on the iron deposits at the bottom of the ocean created bacteria which
became the source of the first single cell life forms on Earth. This would be the beginning of
evolution and the basis for Ogun’s praise name Oguntobi meaning Ogun is the Father of
all. The seed of life in the womb of the ocean is now symbolized by the iron spikes in the iron
cauldron of Ogun. In the pot, iron spikes or tools symbolize sperm in the womb. The female
component of Ogun is frequently diminished in the West. What is used to consecrate the
Ogun pot is irosun. Irosun is red powder from the camwood tree. In Yoruba, the word irosun
is sometimes used to refer to menstrual blood from the elision ire osun meaning good fortune
comes from the guardian of the head, which I would interpret to mean genetic inheritance
from our ancestors. If you are putting red camwood powder on the Ogun pot you are
symbolizing the primal procreative drive for survival.
Historically, the urge for survival led to the development of hunting, and to the
development of marking time. The value of marking time was the ability to anticipate a shift
in the seasons and to develop adequate protection for winter eventually leading to the ability
to plant crops. We are talking about the primal motivational forces in the development of
human consciousness leading to the development of civilization.
In the Ifa Creation Myth, Ogun’s initial effort to create civilization fails due to an excess
of aggression. Civilization is saved through the efforts of Orunmila who teaches Ogun the
principles of good character. I believe this is a historical memory of the fact that unchecked
procreative, aggressive behavior is not the optimal principle for social organization. We
have the idea of ethical judgments tempering the pure unbridled aggressive nature of Ogun
as a Spiritual force in Creation. The story about Orunmila’s relationship with Ogun does not
mean that Ogun is “evil”, it does not make Ogun “bad”, it does not make Ogun “the devil”, it
does not make Ogun a “blood thirsty warrior”. It does make Ogun part of the bigger picture,
in which the issue of balance becomes important. Every aspect of the wheel must play its
part fully. To emphasize one spoke of the wheel over another is to create dogma, and dogma
is never true.
When Ogun’s power or ase is needed, it needs to be fully expressed in its essence to
find its proper place in the world. One of the ways this is done in traditional Yoruba
communities is to allow the elders of Ogun to make life force offerings. In many Yoruba
communities there is room for specialization. You can have a ceremony for Oya (the Spirit
of the Wind) and when it comes time to make an offering of a goat, and initiate of Ogun can
be called in to make the cut. After that he might leave the ceremony. I am speaking about
what is commonly called “animal sacrifice”. The word “sacrifice” is a Christian term; the
word in Yoruba is Ebo. Sacrifice does not translate to ebo. Ifa does not sacrifice animals
because that suggests the animal is killed and discarded. The Ifa concept of ebo is to provide
a feast for the family or the community. When you live in an environment that depends on
domesticated animals for food, the slaughtering of an animal is always a sacred act, just as
hunting was a sacred act when communities depended on hunting for survival.
In traditional Yoruba communities, Ogun initiates slaughter domestic animals, and
hunt those wild animals that are part of the diet. They sometimes specialize, so not every
Ogun initiate necessarily does both. All Ogun initiates are trained in the spiritual discipline
of preparing sanctified food, meaning food that is blessed during the preparation and
consumption.
When you go through a rite of passage, or a personal transformation, it is the Ifa belief
that the more people pray on your behalf, the more likely it will be that your prayers will be
heard by Spirit. In order to get a lot of people to support your spiritual elevation you feed
them. On the day you announce you have made a commitment to move from being a child to
an adult, you feed the community. After the feast, no one in the community will allow you to
get away with childish behavior. When someone does something foolish, elders will say we
slaughtered a goat to announce the day you became an adult, honor your commitment to that
celebration. This was not a sacrifice it is a part of normal cycle of feeding the community.
 Why would you provide a feast in a ceremonial way? This is based on the idea of
reaffirming our covenant with Creation. When a priest of Ogun slaughters a goat, he
precedes the gesture by saying, “May the Spirit of this goat reincarnate as a goat to feed my
family in the future.” You are acknowledging the interconnected relationship between all
things in Nature. It is not about the blood. The blood is the seal to the covenant. There is a
mistaken notion in the Diaspora that the more blood you use, the more power you raise. In
Africa, they return the blood to the Earth. When the blood is placed in the Earth it has
regenerative value like fertilizer. They take a feather and dip the feather into the blood and
touch the blood to the shrine being fed. Quantity is not a factor. Of course, there are
variations on this process. The point is, food is being prepared for the community; the blood
is incidental. The act of re-affirming our covenant with Spirit only requires a small amount
of blood. It is the sincerity of the ritual act that carries the power and not the quantity of
blood.
There is another aspect of a life force offering essential to understanding the awo or
mystery of Ogun. Based on the Ifa belief in reincarnation, animals pass into the realm of the
ancestors. We pray directly to the animals so our prayers may be taken by the animals into
Orun or the invisible realm. Ifa teaches the idea everything in the world has consciousness
and Spirit can communicate with all things. Ifa also embraces the idea of psychic
impressions. If I touch your shoes I can tell where you have been during the day. Your prayer
against the head of the animal transfers that message to both Spirit and to those who share
in the meal. It is the process of giving our prayers physical substance in the community and
in the realm of the ancestors.
When you make the offering, you are dealing with the power of Ajala the Yoruba word
for warrior. The word Ajala is an elision of aja ala, meaning the dog of light. In Ifa, a dog is
a messenger to Spirit like the Nimbus in Egyptian culture; it is not a derogatory
reference. When you say you are a dog of white light, you are saying you are a messenger of
ethical conduct. In the act of making ebo or offerings you become Ajala. You become the
vehicle in which ethical conduct is incarnated. Light in Ifa is associated with the idea that
everything is connected. To experience light in its primal manifestation is to have a mystical
experience that allows you to feel your connection with all things. This experience comes
into being in the Odu Otura meji. There is no Ajala without the manifestation of Otura
meji. Ala is a symbolic reference to the mystical vision. Aja is a symbolic reference to the
ability to remain connected to spirit to reinforce your original mystic vision with information
relevant to the moment.
The Ifa concept of Ajala includes the component of mystic vision and the Ifa concept
of Ogun includes the component of s’otito s’odido meaning state the facts and tell the truth. In
the folk lore associated with Ogun there is a story about Ogun working as an executioner for
an Oba or king. Someone has stolen one of the Oba’s goats and the Oba’s messenger has
accused a specific suspect who the messenger claims he saw take the goat. The messenger
brings the suspect to the palace for execution. When the messenger arrives with the suspect,
Ogun decapitates the messenger saying it is taboo to lie. Ogun says “I know the suspect is
innocent because I stole the goat.” The mystery of Ogun becomes finding a place that will
open a portal for truth. In Ifa unconditional love or Ife is the only truth, all else is illusion or
ibi. This is not the Ultimate truth of God’s will; it is the relative truth of how to live effectively
in the world.
 Within Ori we find a place to balance between the head and the heart. Balance gives
us a sense of self and World. It is Esu who disrupts our sense of complacency giving us a
vision of self and world beyond our immediate perception. The disruption of Esu throws us
into a world of fear, confusion, panic and dread. Through the invocation of Osoosi our higher
self can guide us to a vision of the path that will lead us out of darkness and into light. When
the steps we need to take are clear, it is Ogun who gives us the will power and determination
to actually walk the path. Ifa teaches when you invoke Ogun you are asking to transform that
which obstructs your growth. These obstructions always originate in ourselves as ideas that
do not accurately reflect the World around us. Ogun clears away inner obstacles that lead to
the transformation of the external environment. In simple terms we are the masters of our
fate.
Odu Ifa does speak of the dangers of Ogun unleashing his ase or spiritual power
without the tempering balance of female spirit. At times people grouped together in
community are confronted with the need to defend themselves. The Odu Osa Ogunda speaks
of a time when it is necessary to go to war. This is symbolically referred to as the time when
the water buffalo stirs up dust. The water buffalo is sacred to Oya the Spirit of the Wind who
is considered the guardian of the forest. To say the water buffalo is stirring up dust is to say
the stability of the rain forest is threatened. In traditional Yoruba culture a threat to the rain
forest is understood as a threat to survival. Oya in turn opens the door to the realm of the
ancestors who have the insight and vision to fix that which is being threatened. The first step
in the process is saying Ogun cannot go to war without the guidance of Oya to protect the
village from extinction. In the verse Osa Ogunda, Oya is described as a shape shifter meaning
she has a spiritual power associated with the women of Iyaami Osoranga. This is the power
of astral travel and the ability to use astral travel as a weapon to torment those who threaten
the stability of the culture.
Approximately two hundred years ago there was a huge reaction to slavery in Nigeria
initiated by the women of Iyaami Osoranga. This moral outrage led to skirmishes with the
British and the eventual end of slavery in Yoruba culture. This moral outrage was formalized
into the ancestral ritual called Gelede. The purpose of gelede is to appease the anger of the
mothers by holding an annual ritual where the social concerns of the mothers are directly
addressed.
In traditional Yoruba culture, warfare is an integrated operation coordinating the
physical warrior skills of the men who are initiated into the martial arts associated with
Ogun, and the women, who are initiated in the martial arts associated with the powers of the
ancestral mothers. Ogun’s martial art is called Aki meaning courage and those who are
skilled in the martial arts are called Akin meaning brave men. The martial arts of the
ancestral mothers are associated with Aje meaning power of the word. The Odu Osa Ogunda
says that Ogun recognizes the shape shifting abilities of Oya and asks her to be his
wife. Together they become a potent force for protecting the village. In other words,
traditional Yoruba warfare is physical combat supported by prayer.
Ifa understands the inner mysteries of warfare and understands that the ase or
spiritual power used to effectively fight a war is not easily turned off. If the energy is not
grounded following a battle, the ase runs the risk of becoming self-destructive. The Odu
Ogunda Ose speaks of the taboo against hurting others, offending others, and punishing
others. All of which are considered different from defending the community from attack. It
is the role of Osun the Spirit of Fresh Water to remind Ogun of this distinction. She does this
by using the medicine of honey to sweeten his soul after the trauma of war. Osun is the
source of abundance, erotic allure and the promise of a good life. It is Osun who Ogun turns
to when it is necessary to dispel the testosterone necessary for being an effective warrior.
Ultimately the purpose of Ogun’s ase is to clear away any and all obstacles leading to
rebirth as expressed in the Odu Ogunda Odi. In this verse Ogun is promised a safe journey,
meaning the removal of obstacles will result in the manifestation of a completely
transformed ori or the emergence of a new self-identity with expanded parameters of
grasping self and world. Odi is the Odu that incarnates Yemoja, from the elision yeye mi oja,
meaning the Mother of Fishes. This is the Ifa Spirit of the Nurturing Mother who gives us a
sense of completion and grace when we have completed the difficult journey of self-elevation
and transformation.
Classic studies of mythology describe this as the hero discovering the boon of
treasure in the wilderness. In simple terms, this means any problem I fix in my life becomes
potential medicine for someone else. In traditional Yoruba culture, everyone older than you
is your mentor and everyone younger is your potential protégé. We learn from experience
and experience gives us the voice of authority to teach others. The Hero’s Journey is
supported by the Ifa proverb that says. “If your life gets better, my life gets better.”

Lesson 4
In many traditional Yoruba villages, there is a communal Ogun pot used as a central
place for making offerings. In the diaspora, the common practice is to use and Ogun pot filled
with metal tools and iron spikes. If you do not have an Ogun pot place a machete in the area
you use as sacred space. You can speak with Ogun by repeating the traditional greeting Ogun
ye, three times.
Ogun is invoked after Osoosi has given us a vision of how to resolve a particular
conflict. For those with a consecrated Ogun pot, I recommend the following oriki.

Ogun Awo, Onile kangun kangun Orun.

O lomi nil feje we olaso nle fi.
Imo kimo’bora, egbe lehin a nle a benbe olobe.
Ba san ba pon ao lana to.
Bi obi ba pon ao lana to.
B’orogbo ba pon ao lana to.
B’yay yay ba pon ao lana to.
B’eyin ba pon ao lana to.
 Da fun Ogun awo.
Ni jo ti ma lana lati ode.
Orun was si is salu aiye. Fun ire eda
Ogun Okunrin ogun ato polowo iku.
Eni Ogun ko gbe bi eni ti ko robi sebo.
Gbigbe ni o gbe ni bi o ti gbe Akinoro to of fi kole ola.
Ogun awoo, alaka aye. Osanyin imole.
Egbe lehin eni a nda loro
Ogun gbe me o.
Ase.

The mystery of the spirit of iron, the Spirit of Iron

has many homes in the realm of the Ancestors.
The water of the Realm of the ancestors surrounds us, it is our
abundance.
Wisdom of the Warrior spirit, come guide my Spiritual Journey
with a strong hand.
Cut down the obstacles on the road.
When the cola nut is ripe it opens the road.
When the bitter cola is bitter it opens the road.
When the fruit is ripe it opens the road.
When the palm fruit is ripe it opens the road.
The spirit of Iron gives you his secret.
Dancing outside opens the road.
Heaven come to earth, for the benefit of all people.
Spirit of Iron, the powerful one, sufficiently great to avert death.
One who makes humans prosperous.
One who is not enriched by the spirit of Iron will find it difficult
get sacrificial kola nuts.
Spirit of Iron enriches me as you enriched Akinoro and made him
an eminent man.
Spirit of Iron, the powerful one, the strong one of the Earth.
The great one of the other world.
The protector of those who are being injured.
Spirit of Iron support me.
May it be so.

If you are initiated and wish to make a life force offering, use the following oriki. The
first oriki asks Ogun to bless the offering and the following oriki will seal the ebo.

Ogun eran rere o

Ma pa wa o.
Gba wa lowo iku.
Ma je k’omo de ri ewu oko.
Ma je k’ode re agbako
 Je ka ni alaafia
Ase.

Spirit of Iron here is your (name the offering)

Do not harm us. Protect us from Death. Do not
Let the young have accidents. Do not let pregnant women
Have difficulties. Let us have peace. May it be so.

A mu lo si otun o ba oyun je.

A mu lo si osi o ba osi je.
Ase.

He fought to the right and spoiled the right. He fought to

The left and spoiled the left.
May it be so.

In traditional Ifa, the offering is eaten. A portion of the offering is taken to one of the
following locations. The offering is not considered accepted unless it is eaten by birds.

IDI EBO (Placement of the offering)

Idi Esu; placed at the base of the divine Messengers shrine.
Orita meta; placed at the crossroads (taken by Oro)
Egbe ona: placed by the side of the road (taken by Orisa)
Ehinkunle; placed in the backyard (taken by Orisa)

Ifa says when we are in alignment with our destiny; we receive a blessing of
abundance. Ogun’s job is to remove those obstacles that stand in the way of receiving the
blessings that are your birthright. This is the meaning of the symbolic discovery of the boon
or treasure in the wilderness. When asking Ogun for alignment with destiny we can use this
oriki.

Bi ojo ba la maa la, afaila ojo.

Nitoripe bi igbin ba f’enu ba’le, a ko ‘fa ile wo’le.
Aija ni’bgin fi Ifa gerere.
Aje nla nwa ni ibo wa gerere.
Aiya ni’gbin fi Ifa gerere.
Ase.

When the day dawns I must be rich, unless the day does not dawn.
When the snail touches the soil with its mouth, it takes into its shell the free food
of the Earth.
The snail creeps along on its chest slowly.
A big fortune is coming to me slowly.
The snail creeps along on its chest slowly.
May it be so.
 I find the ase or spiritual power of Ogun to be very effective in the process of
establishing long term goals. Ifa, as a spiritual tradition, places emphasis on the notion that
we come to Earth with a destiny we choose between incarnations. Ifa teaches that we often
forget our destiny as we make the journey down the birth canal from Ikole Orun to Ikole Aye.
Osoosi is one of the Orisa we can invoke to remember or reclaim a vision of our chosen
destiny. Once that vision is revealed to us, the process of implementation becomes crucial.
For those who have a vision of what they want to do in life, I recommend the
preparation of a five year plan and a prayer board. The five year plan is essentially setting
ten goals that come every six months over a period of five year period. It is important to set
a specific date for completion of each six month segment. It is also important to list all the
tasks that need to be finished to accomplish each of the ten goals.
When I say Ogun removes obstacles to spiritual growth, I am referring to internal
obstacles. On your five year plan, you will have ten important dates set aside to evaluate
your progress. If you meet your goals, celebrate. If you fail to meet your goals, there are only
two reasons for failure. One reason is that you made an unrealistic deadline based on a lack
of information. If this is the case, change the deadline. The other reason is resistance to
success. If you are resisting a goal by refusing to do the work, typically in your own mind
you will have very good excuses that justify the resistance. As long as you keep these excuses
to yourself they will continue to be obstacles. I find if you share your excuses with someone
they will continue to be obstacles. I find if you share your excuses with someone one you
trust, you will immediately see that they are foolish. Speaking your excuses out loud has a
way of dissipating them because trying to convince someone you trust that you cannot do
something simply is not possible.
Once you have completed your five year plan, make a prayer board that reflects the
plan. In Nigeria, folks draw pictures representing their goals in chalk in their shrine rooms. I
recommend people make collage by cutting pictures from a magazine that represent the
accomplishments of your ten goals. These pictures can include the car you want to drive, the
home you want to live in, the office you want to work in, the product you want to make, and
the art you want to create. By making a visual representation of your goals, the pictures will
serve as a daily reminder reinforcing your highest aspirations. The important aspect of a
prayer board is that when you see a reflection of your board in the street you will move
towards it creating your own good fortune. Good luck is being in the right place at the right
time with the skills needed to take advantage of an opportunity. Luck is improved with
clarity of vision.

The Journey Home

The Ifa concept of Sango, Obatala and Orunmilia
Ogun clears away obstacles to growth. When the obstacles are gone, we experience
rebirth. A new person emerges from the confusion that initiated the hero’s journey. This
new person has a different perspective of self and World. In the language of religious
symbolism, this shift in perspective is called either a boon or a treasure. The Hero’s Journey
comes to an end when we bring our treasure back to the community in an effort to elevate
our extended family and for the purpose of making the World a better place.
In Ifa scripture, than task of giving the treasure to the community is the responsibility
of Sango the Spirit of Lightning. In traditional Yoruba culture, lightning is a symbol of Divine
Justice. Ifa is based on the idea that we are all born good and blessed people. If we move to
far from our essential essence, the Spirit of Esu will throw us into confusion. We are only
able to make our way out of confusion if we make effective use of our relationship with Osoosi
and Ogun. In discovering how to make effective use of our relationship with Spirit, we
discover how to live in alignment with nature. In traditional Yoruba culture, living in
alignment with nature is the basis for the communal system of justice called Ogboni. The
word Ogboni means, “Wisdom of the Earth.” Traditional Yoruba culture has two leaders. The
Oni of Ile Ife is the spiritual leader of the culture, and the Alafin of Oyo is considered the Chief
of all Ogboni. This is a little confusing because usually the Obatala elders are the actual
judges of Ogboni while the Alafin has the responsibility of enforcing the judgments of
Ogboni. The Alafin in addition to being the Chief of Ogboni is also the Chief priest among
those who worship the Spirit of Sango.
We could say that it is the task of those who are initiated into the mysteries of Sango
to preserve the treasures discovered by all the ancestors who effectively discovered a boon
at the end of the Hero’s journey. Sango is the guardian of culture, and culture is the collective
wisdom of those who have come before us. In his political role as king of Oyo, the Alafin is
advised by a council of grandmothers called Obinrin Obara meaning the women of Obara.
The word Obara is an elision of oba ra meaning, “bring us male essence.” In traditional
Yoruba culture, male spiritual power is called ba creating the word baba meaning father. The
word Obara is used to describe one of the Odu or scriptures of Ifa. The Odu Obara speaks of
transformation through fire and the need to constantly temper arrogance with humility. The
Obinrin Obara are elder women who make sure the Alafin does not abuse his power by
indulging in arrogant behavior. Before colonialism, the women of Obinrin Obara had the
authority to remove the Alafin from office. Because the coronation of an Alafin must take
place at the funeral of his predecessor, the Obinrin Obara has the right to impel the Alafin to
commit suicide as punishment for abuse of power. The elder mothers of Obara are believed
to represent the balance between male and female power. For this reason, they shave their
heads and dress as men to represent the unity of opposites. These women are
predominately daughters of Oya, the Spirit of the Wind.
The relationship between the Alafin as chief priest of Sango and the mysteries of Oya
is described in the folktale known in the Diaspora as Oba ko so. In traditional Yoruba culture,
the Spirit of Lightning was originally named Jakuta. Sango is a deified ancestor who replaced
Jakuta as the spiritual guardian of justice. The historical Sango was the sixth Alafin of
Oyo. He is remembered as the person who unified the eastern frontier of the Yoruba nation
to defend the Yoruba people from Islamic slave traders. The unification took place after an
extended civil war and when the war was over Sango became the Alafin for the extended
period of peace.
The story Oba ko so says Sango became bored with the peace and asked his brothers
to fight a duel. One of the brothers was killed and out of shame Sango hung himself. At this
point, Oya appears and says, “Oba ka so,” meaning the king is not dead. Oya as one of the
women of the Obara was making the judgment that Sango learned the lesson of humility. It
is one of the functions of Oya initiates to open the door to safe passage into the realm of the
ancestors (Ikole Orun). The story says Sango passed through the portal of the ancestors to
live with his father Obatala. In Ifa symbolism, Obatala is the king of the white light from the
elision Oba ti ala meaning the king of light. Again we have the word Oba from the elision O
baba meaning spirit of the Fathers. We could translate the word Obatala to mean the Spirit
of the fathers is guided by the white light. Ala in this context is not the light of a fire, or the
light of the sun. Ala is pure unformed consciousness, which, according to Ifa metaphysics,
infuses the entire universe with Ori. Ala is the spark of consciousness in all things and is
likely the root word used in Islam to mean God.
To say Sango went to live in the home of his father Obatala is a symbolic way of
describing the last step in the hero’s journey. That step is learning the lessons of
humility. Based on these concepts, traditional Yoruba culture holds the idea that anyone
struck by lightning has unresolved issues of injustice and arrogance. Funerals by those
struck by lightning are conducted by Sango initiates who use divination to find resolution to
unsolved problems.
If we examine the Creation myth of Ifa, Obatala is described as climbing down the
chain from Ikole Orun to Ikole Aye. In my belief the chain is symbolic of the double helix
which is the form found within genes used to store DNA. The journey from the Realm of the
Ancestors to Earth is a reference to the emergence of hidden or latent potential in manifest
reality. When you are in the womb, you have invisible potential as a child, and after you are
born, the potential becomes manifest. Ifa is very clear: the womb is the passageway between
dimensions; it is the doorway that allows for atunwa meaning reincarnation.
In mythological language, the manifestation of any hidden or latent potential is
described symbolically by Ifa as the journey from Ikole Orun to Ikole Aye. Ikole Orun means
greeting the House of the Invisible realm. Ikole Aye means greeting the House of the
Earth. When Yoruba’s are speaking of aye they are speaking of the crust around the surface
of the Earth, not the whole earth. The word for the entire Earth is Onile. Aye is then the
meeting place between the visible and the invisible dimensions. It is the place with the
doorway guarded by Esu, and opens the portal that begins the hero’s journey.
The Ifa concept of Ikole Orun is much closer to what physics calls the fifth
dimension. It is something existing all around us. It is easier to understand it as a different
vibration of light. The spectrum of light is very long, and as humans we can only see a small
band of light in the middle of the total range of frequencies. If you were able to do something
that would allow you to see the full spectrum of light, then you would see the invisible
dimension.
All the Ifa references to ala or white cloth are speaking about the existence of
consciousness buried in the full spectrum of light. We are able to see a narrow band in the
middle of this spectrum. As we become more spiritually illuminated, our vision of light
increases. Those who are able to see the invisible dimension say it is a reality that is co-
existent with us. When you see it, you can interact with it in a very direct way.
Because of the difficulty in translation, it has not been clear to the anthropologist
what is meant by Orun. If you go to Nigeria and the elders start talking about entering Orun
and coming back, you get a sense they are talking about something very real and very
tangible. In some places in Africa there are gateways into the fifth dimension, where people
walk through the portal and disappear from sight, then reappear through the same
opening. These portals are called igbodu meaning, “womb of the forest.” I have seen these
doorways; they are real, and they are the foundation of spiritual growth. According to the
Ifa creation myth, Obatala came from Ikole Orun to Earth down the chain with a seashell, a
five toed hen, sand and ikin (sacred palm nuts used for divination). He poured the sand on
the waters, and then he dropped the hen on the Earth. The chicken started scratching the
sand and made the first land mass. The five toed hen is associated with Osun the Goddess of
Fresh Water and Abundance. This part of the story describes the evolutionary process
leading to the creation of fresh water, which in turn cools the gas on the surface of the Earth
allowing for the development of land. The land is called Ile Ife meaning House of Love which
is also the name of the scared city of Ifa located in south western Nigeria. Geologists say the
flatter the land, the older the land. The area around what is now called Nigeria is one of the
three oldest land masses on the planet.
According to the Ifa Creation Myth, Obatala tried to organize life on Earth with a silver
sword and failed because his tools were too weak. In Ifa symbolism a silver sword
represents the evolution of consciousness. The myth is saying that an over emphasis on
spiritual ideals resulted in a failure to effectively embrace the necessary survival skills to
sustain life.
Following the failure of Obatala, Ogun came to Earth with the secret of the mystery of
Iron and was able to create cities in the forest. But the Ifa myth also says Ogun’s technology
was not fully effective. As a result, Orunmila come to Earth to correct the mistakes made by
Ogun. I believe that this means that he gave guidance on issues of ethical behavior and moral
conduct.
When Ifa says Obatala came from Ikole Orun to Ikole Aye, it is a reference to the
potential of the Earth to transform light into matter and form our ecological
environment. This story states that in the process of Creation, Obatala got drunk and fell
asleep leaving the task to his wife, Yemo. Obatala represents dynamics in light and Yemo
represents form. It is the polarity between electromagnetism and gravity. Electromagnetic
energy pushes evolution forward and carries with it the seeds of decay symbolized by the
idea of Obatala getting drunk. Physics and Ifa both teach the idea that form transcends the
cycle of life, death, transformation and rebirth. This means the Earth maintains invisible
forces of structure while the physical cycles of visible life change. The relationship between
Obatala and Yemo represents the mystery of androgyny, the idea that every human has male
and female elements of Ori or consciousness. For this reason, initiations in traditional
Yoruba culture, for men involve illuminating the feminine principles of consciousness and
initiations for women involve illuminating the masculine principles of consciousness. This
balance is symbolized in ritual by cross dressing meaning male mediums for male Orisa at
times dress in women’s cloths, and female mediums for female Orisa are depicted with
beards. This phenomenon has nothing to do with sexual fetishes; it is a symbolic expression
of balance in Nature.
The introduction of Orunmila into the Creation Myth brings the hero’s journey to
completion. The word Orunmila is usually translated to mean, “Heaven is my salvation.” I
do not think this accurately expresses the metaphysical foundation of the word. If we
examine the elision Orun mi ala, an alternative translation would be, “The Invisible Realm is
my light.” The implication here is a fundamental Ifa concept because there are two potential
relationships humans can have to the realm of spirit. Ifa teaches that life is good and that
humans are born in a state of grace meaning we come to Earth as “omo rere,” meaning good
and blessed children. Connecting with ala means alignment with the basic goodness of the
Universe. Ala created Ile Ife or the house of Love through the mediation of Obatala meaning
“Spirit of the Father who brings life.” The Spirit of the Father who brings life cannot finish
the task without the blessing of Yemo the Goddess who brings form to Light. Orunmila is the
name of the historical Yoruba prophet who revealed the mystery of Ela. The word Ela means
I am the light. In Ifa, possession by Ela is invoked for the process of divination and divination
is the illumination of how we balance those principles that sustain Creation.
Divination is the record of the collective wisdom of those ancestors who successfully
completed the hero’s journey. The scripture of Odu Ifa is the preservation of the
consequences of embracing the notion of becoming a Spiritual Warrior. In traditional
Yoruba culture, the word for Spiritual Warrior is ebora from the elision e ebo ra meaning,
“one who brings the offering.” Frequently, the offering is associated with food presented to
Spirit when we request their assistance. The true offering is the sacrifice of the old self as
the first step in completion of the cycle of life, death, transformation and rebirth.
The only alternative to self-transformation is belief in dogma. We create dogma in the
vain belief it is possible to know God’s will. We gravitate towards dogma when we do not
want to face the fear associated with personal growth. The confrontation of this fear
requires courage and it is this process of accessing courage that compels us to invoke the
Warrior Spirit.
A study of the metaphysical principles associated with Odu is a way to look at the
world and determine the balancing principle that will resolve any conflict and fix any
problem. There are two hundred and fifty six principles used by Ifa to support the idea of
living in alignment with nature. These patterns are all based on four basic principles: life,
death, transformation and rebirth. These basic principles are the underlying concepts used
to create the myths and symbols associated with the hero’s journey.
From a mathematical perspective, Odu is based on the single (I) and double (II) lines
stacked together in four vertical lines. This creates the potential for sixteen permeations. In
simple terms, the principles of life, death, transformation and rebirth occur in four different
dimensions of reality. The first eight Odu represent the descent of ase or spiritual power
from Ikole Orun to Ikole aye. The second eight Odu represent the ascent of ase from Ikole aye
to Ikole Orun. It is the exact same paradigm that is described in the Cabbalistic tree of life. In
the Cabbala there are ten stations, but the last three stations are actually one, meaning we
have the same eight principles moving in both directions.
History is a record of the human attempt to find meaning and value in life. This quest
is the source of cultural manifestations of both spiritual discipline and religious
dogma. Spiritual discipline is the systematic effort to be a better person. Dogma is the
specific content of collective religious belief. Spiritual discipline transcends dogma and
dogma can detach itself from spiritual discipline. Effective spiritual discipline leads to
connection with Spirit. Dogma creates religious tradition.
An existential analysis of religion is used as a tool by theologians to compare the
psychological impact of various religious beliefs on human consciousness. Existentialism is
the study of human actions without consideration of the reality of metaphysical truth. An
existential theologian does not ask the question, “Does God exist?” From an existential
perspective the question has no provable answer. Instead, the existentialist asks the
question, “Which of the Gods embraced by humanity gives my life meaning?” Existentialism
is a modern philosophical movement that was motivated by a desire to free human
consciousness from the restraints of dogma. It was an effort to reclaim personal
development as an element of religious ritual.
Traditional Yoruba Ifa embraces an existential perspective. Ifa as I have experienced
it in Nigeria makes no effort to create dogma based on the understanding of God. In Yoruba
culture, there are no temples to Olorun, there are no invocations for Olorun, there is no
scripture that defines Olorun. As a metaphysical principle, Olorun remains beyond human
understanding. The only way to grasp Olorun is to become Olorun and despite claims to the
contrary, the finite can never become the infinite. In Ifa spiritual practice, we simply thank
Olorun for Creation by saying Ope ni fun Olorun, meaning my blessings come from the Owner
of the realm of the Immortals.
From both an existential and psychological point of view, there are two approaches
to the quest for meaning and value in life. The two perspectives are based on the
understanding of the difference between what we want and what we need. Anyone who
engages in the religious ritual for the purpose of getting what they want develops a personal
world view based on greed, arrogance, self-gratification, the need to dominate others and
the desire to control nature. This perspective creates jealousy, manipulation, isolation
degeneration, ethnocentrism and violence. When this perspective becomes elevated to
religious dogma, it is used as justification for sexism, racism, homophobia, gender phobia,
ageism and pedophilia. Even the most superficial examination of history indicates these
attitudes are the root causes of domestic violence, communal warfare and global
genocide. These conflicts are based on the idea that My God is better than Your God. In Ifa
there is no effort to claim religious superiority over other traditions because the source of
creation forever remains an unknowable mystery. The notion of religious superiority is
always a manifestation of dogma and from an Ifa perspective dogma is the vain effort to
know the unknowable.
The constant arguments between followers of Santeria, Lucumi, Voodoo, Candomble,
etc., reflect a lack of understanding of the fundamental Ifa perspective of God. In traditional
Yoruba Ifa, what you believe is unimportant; how you behave is everything. If a person
exhibits good character, their religious beliefs are of no communal consequence. If a person
claims to embrace an Ifa worldview and does not demonstrate good character, what value is
there in claiming shared dogma? Too often in our religious communities I see communal
functions dominated by bullies who use the implied threat of force and violence to get their
way. Saying no to a bully requires courage, and spiritual discipline is the process of finding
the courage to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way with the right people for
the benefit of everyone.
Ifa in the Diaspora is primarily based on the belief that God will give you what you
want if you learn the magic needed to effectively control nature, Spirit and the consciousness
of others. There is no basis for the belief in the oral scripture of Ifa as it has been preserved
in traditional Yoruba culture. The belief that Ifa is a magical tool for getting what you want
is a product of Western conditioning, Western marketing and Western values imposed on an
ancient spiritual discipline in a way that distorts the original intention of the tradition.
 The idea that you can make magic that will give you whatever you want, whenever
you want is the basis for the idea of sorcery. It is the idea that personal will is as powerful as
Divine will. From the Ifa perspective, sorcery does not work. According to Ifa, sorcery
creates a condition called ori buruku, meaning consciousness of death and
destruction. Those who believe that magic will manifest everything they want are stuck on
the endless search for which there is no conclusion or resolution. The Greeks called this
quest the sin of hubris, the idea that humans could become God. I see too many people in
our communities spending ten, twenty, thirty thousand dollars and more in search of the
magic pot that will provide them with all of their needs. Pots that will fix personal problems
without the inconvenience of engaging in the struggle of personal transformation do not
exist. When the pots do not produce the desired result, the student is told they need to spend
more money to buy more things that are reported to be the source of imaginary spiritual
power. This cycle continues until the student is either disillusioned or broke. It is a painful
cycle to witness and it never ends well.
To effectively market the idea that a pot will solve all your problems requires what I
call the Paper Tiger Syndrome. Self-taught diviners convince their clients they have non-
existent problems which are “magically” fixed by pointless rituals. The Paper Tiger
syndrome sounds like this: 1. you have evil ancestors; 2. you are being hexed by an evil
woman, and 3. make ocha or die. In Ifa, there are no evil ancestors, the best protection from
hexing is to be firmly on your path to destiny, and if you don’t already know you have a fatal
illness, be very skeptical when the news comes from a diviner who charges huge amounts of
money for self-proclaimed cure. I have two milk crates filled with letters from awo in prison
who were told that receiving Ifa initiations would guarantee an acquittal at the criminal
trial. The only effective ebo is not getting arrested and not committing a crime.
The latest installment in this never ending cycle is the trend toward combining the
Orisa traditions of the Diaspora with the Ifa traditions of Yoruba culture. The combination
does not work because it is an attempt to reconcile two opposing points of view, and because
the combination process is usually an excuse for avoiding the challenge of working with an
elder. In Ifa, the purpose of working with an elder is to develop good character and to learn
the sacred technology that supports that process. If we could figure that out on our own
there would be no need for spiritual discipline of any kind. Elders limit what they teach
based on the level of development of the student. Teaching a student who is locked in ori
buruku will only result in the spread of death and destruction. A snail can only understand
good character from a snails’ perspective. When the student is ready the teacher
appears. Not needing and elder is an expression of dogma. It is an expression of the idea
that “I know everything.” In Yoruba culture, good character and arrogance do not mix. That
is why Ifa has and absolute taboo on gossip. Passing judgment on someone who is not
present to defend themselves never fixes anything. Gossip is designed to support dogma and
is always rooted in insecurity. Gossip is taboo for a reason and that reason is at the heart of
the hero’s journey.
In my travels throughout the Diaspora, the most frequently asked question is “Why
are our communities so divisive, antagonistic and hostile?” In the existential point of view,
the answer is simple: our communities are a reflection of the attitudes of some of our elders
and some of our elders are using a paradigm that nurtures disruption. In my opinion, the
dysfunctional paradigm is the product of Hollywood sensationalism, media distortion and
academic bias. It is not the product of Yoruba ancestral wisdom. Ifa is the art of developing
good character so that personal integrity becomes the foundation of a healthy family, so that
a healthy family becomes the foundation of a productive community. If your family is not
healthy, do not blame others. Instead consider fixing your own contribution to the problem.
The Yoruba prophet Orunmila did not develop a spiritual discipline based on the idea
of giving everyone what they want. Orunmila developed a spiritual discipline based on the
idea of giving everyone what they need. In simple terms, divination identifies the lessons
that emerge in the process of developing good character. Ifa teaches that life works, and
those who develop good character are blessed by the Immortals.
The development of spiritual power is a natural consequence of the development of
good character because the Immortals are good and the doorway to Orun is opened by good
deeds. We see God in the kindness we do to each other. When we are rude, arrogant, selfish,
self-centered, manipulative and greedy, the vision of Spirit we see in human interaction is
called elenini. According to Ifa, elenini are self-generated demons who live in the elemental
realm between Ikole Orun and Ikole Aye. They are pure figments of imagination. This does
not mean they are not real; it simply means they can only be banished through the
transformation of individual consciousness. Ifa describes the thin layer of reality between
the realm of the Immortals and Earth as Aye. In Yoruba cosmology, Aye is a thin band of light
that holds the earth in place. This thin band of light has a consciousness of its own and is
extremely malleable. Aye is the basis for the idea that we live in a consensus reality. The
thoughts of everyone on earth at any given moment shape and form the physical world we
live in. Gossip creates demons. In the realm of Aye, demons created by gossip can become
animated, disruptive, visible and destructive. In this dimension, hexing is real. Based on an
understanding of elenini and aye, all hexing is self-hexing. The intention to destroy others
often results in the destruction of self. That is the law of nature. We can protect ourselves
from negativity by aligning ourselves with our destiny. Destiny is a manifestation of Divine
will. Hexing is a manifestation of human will. It is not difficult to determine which is the
most powerful.
Ifa teaches that we choose our destiny between reincarnations and come to Earth
with specific lessons to learn including specific family and communal obligations. When our
Ori comes to earth from the realm of the Immortals as a newborn baby, we forget our destiny
and it becomes our spiritual challenge to remember the lessons we chose to embrace before
starting a particular incarnation. This is the revelation that occurs along the hero’s journey.
Ifa is a spiritual discipline based on the idea that developing good character is the key
to unlocking the mystery of personal destiny. The discipline is based on the belief in
reincarnation, called atunwa in Yoruba. The word atunwa means character is reborn. The
prophet Orunmila taught the idea that no one chooses a destiny to be a bad person. If you
are not sure what your destiny is in a given moment, do the right thing and your destiny will
be revealed to you.
The Yoruba word for good character is iwa-pele. Formed by the elision I wa ope ile
meaning I come to greet the earth. In traditional Yoruba culture, part of the training for good
character requires a younger person to greet an older person and not the other way
around. We greet our elders, and by implication we greet our teachers. The word iwa-pele
suggests the development of good character comes as a result of learning from the
earth. Good character is an expression of living in harmony with the earth. Living in
harmony with the earth means leaving the earth in better shape than when we found it, so
we will have a place to return to, a place that makes it possible for the process of atunwa to
continue into the future.
When I was a child, we used to drink water from the tap. That was because the water
was clean. Western culture does not understand the idea that dumping garbage and
pollutants in the water supply makes the water contaminated and undrinkable. It is far more
desirable to have a cheap means of disposing waste that it is to have access to fresh
water. Greed has replaced the idea of living in harmony with our natural environment.
Taking care of the earth is described by Ifa as a collective process based on the idea
that if my life gets better, your life gets better. If you suffer I suffer. Following initiation, Ifa
diviners in Yoruba culture take an oath saying they will help anyone who asks for
assistance. The oath does not say they will help anyone who can afford to pay for their
services. Ifa in Nigeria is a spiritual discipline designed to guide personal growth, which in
turn shapes family development and becomes the foundation of communal prosperity. Ifa is
not considered a job; it is a way of life. Many Ifa initiates work as farmers or artisans; some
have professional careers as professors, engineers, doctors and lawyers. They all take an
active role in the spiritual development of the next generation.
Ifa is the cornerstone of spiritual guidance for the mental, physical and spiritual
health of the extended family in Yoruba culture. If you went to your fathers’ house to borrow
a lawn mower and he charged you the cost of the mower to use it for the day, you would not
be pleased. Ifa is based on family. If you do not know how to treat the members of your
religious family, consider how you would treat your biological family in a similar situation. If
you saw your mother homeless on the street, you would not leave her in the cold. If your
children have not eaten, you prepare food. If your brother is injured, you drive him to the
hospital. If your sister is pregnant, you regularly check on her health.
Ifa is based on the idea of providing service for the community; it is not based on the
idea of the community providing service to the initiate. We earn a living by embracing a
career, we support the community by being a good parent, grandparent and revered
ancestor. Ifa teaches us how to assume our family responsibilities and to mentor those who
are younger than us. Traditional Yoruba culture used Ifa divination as a tool for helping us
remember our destiny. Ifa divination is not fortune telling. Ifa divination is problem solving.
At times it might look like fortune telling because Ifa describes the inevitable consequences
of specific actions. Predicting the future is not the point, taking responsibility for our actions
is the intention.
The oracle is a problem-solving tool designed to identify what we need, not to give us
a prescription for getting what we want. Learning our lessons is considered part of the
process of developing good character and good character is considered the reason we are
blessed by the Immortals. Those who do not learn the lessons associated with Iwa-pele are
doomed to encounter the same problems over and over again. If a problem is persistent, it
is not because someone is hexing you; it is because you have failed to learn the lesson. It is
because you have refused to walk through the portal that will put you on the hero’s journey.
In the Yoruba language, being stuck is described as iwa-buruku meaning I come to
earth to experience trauma, confusion, disruption and death. This is not necessarily a
physical death as much as it is the death of the inner spirit that comes to those who make
decisions based on greed, arrogance, and self-gratification. Ifa teaches that good character
always brings a blessing of peace, contentment, clarity and unconditional love. These states
of being allow us to quiet the mind, and to learn the value of experiencing stillness. It is in
stillness that spirit reveals itself. There is no revelation in chaos, disruption, aggravation and
jealousy. For those who have been blessed to see elders in traditional Yoruba culture go into
possession, they know the transition into altered states of consciousness is smooth, subtle
and devoid of drama. Possession is the ability to access the full potential of human
perception. Possession does not occur from the outside in, it occurs from the inside out. You
cannot become possessed by that which is not a part of you. Possession by “evil” spirits is a
manifestation of elenini and it is not because someone gave you the wrong spirit during
initiation.
Divination is a problem-solving tool designed to move individuals through the stages
of the hero’s journey. It is the collective memory of ancestor guidance on how to develop
good character, live in harmony with the earth and develop the spiritual power that comes
to those who live in alignment with the will of the Immortals. Life works because the
Immortals are good, and they designed the world to be a place where goodness brings
peace. Death and destruction come from fighting destiny.
The oracle is based on an oral scripture with 256 sections. Each section has between
fifty and two hundred verses addressing a wide range of problems. Each verse has what is
known as an orientation. If the person consulting the oracle is in resistance to the lesson,
they experience ibi, which is a failure to make a change in behavior. Ibi is not punishment
from Spirit for being a bad person. Ibi is self-generated confusion, leading to conflict and
denigration in personal interactions. Making an offering to Spirit does not fix ibi. In Ifa we
make offerings to spirit to celebrate the willingness to transform ourselves and to become a
better person in the world. The responsibility for change always remains firmly in our
hands. The oracle is made up of sixteen principles described earlier as the descent and
ascent of ase. These sixteen principles are grouped together in double sets of Quadra grams
that read from right to left. The first sixteen symbols are the sixteen double Quadra grams
where the right and left sides are identical. In the Yoruba language, the word double is
meji. The sixteen quadragrams are coupled with each other, making the total of 256 symbols
used to represent fundamental energy patterns in Nature. These symbols represent
universal energy patterns that exist in every dimension of being. They can be interpreted in
both the microcosmic and macrocosmic dimensions, based on the African metaphysical idea
of that which is above so is below. The structure of atoms mirrors the structure of stars. The
personal quest is the family quest, the family quest is the communal quest and the communal
quest is the global challenge of living together in abundance.
The 256 matched Quadra grams are two dimensional representations of three-
dimensional patterns that exist everywhere in nature. The energy patterns are represented
in ancient Egyptian symbolism as two triangles in a circle, later introduced into Jewish
culture as the seal of Solomon and the Star of David. This symbol represents two three-sided
pyramids inside a sphere. Imagine a sphere with the apex of one pyramid touching the North
Pole. The base of the pyramid is at 33 degree latitude below the equator. The second
pyramid has the apex touching the South Pole with the base at 33 degrees latitude above the
equator. Approximately half the surface of each pyramid overlaps the other. Both pyramids
have four points of contact with the circumference of the sphere. These points of contact are
called Igbodu in Yoruba, from the elision Igbo odu, meaning womb of the forest. This is the
place where the raw material or ase of creation enters the visible realm from the invisible
realm.
The energy patterns of the Odu have distinct feelings that make them identifiable in
the daily world. As the basis of meditation for understanding the mystery of each pattern,
stand with your arms extended and imagine a circle whose circumference extends to your
fingertips. The apex of the top pyramid reaches the North Pole just above your head. The
base of the pyramid crosses your knees. The apex of the second pyramid spinning to the
right and imagine the bottom pyramid spinning to the left. Visualize each of the points of
contact with the circumference opening then closing. The upper pyramid is the right side of
the Odu, and the lower pyramid is the left side of the Odu.
In Ifa symbolism, Odu refers both to female reproductive organs and any portal
between Ikole Orun (the invisible realm) and Ikole Aye (the visible realm). Odu on the planet
allow light to come from the invisible realm into the visible realm. Science tells us that eighty
percent of the physical matter produced in the moment of Creation is invisible. There is a
conduit between the visible and invisible dimensions that allows light to manifest in the
physical world. Astronomers tell us that planets generate more heat than can be attributed
to solar reflection and internal combustion. This means planets are projecting energy from
the invisible realm, what Ifa calls Ikole Orun.
According to gede, the ancient Yoruba system of astrology, the eight portals of Odu
around the Earth open and close depending on the distance between the earth, the moon,
and sun and the other planets. This was the original purpose of astrology, to determine when
light from creation touched the surface of the earth. In Yoruba language, this light is called
ala; the spirit of light is called Ela from the elision e ala meaning I am Light.
When light emerges from the portals of Odu, it forms a grid pattern over the surface
of the Earth. The grid pattern in Yoruba language is called Ajalorun and Ajalaye meaning
dogs of the realm of the Immortals and dogs of the earth. In Ifa symbolism, a dog is a
messenger of spirit. Light or ala that comes through Odu is not light in a normal sense of the
word. Ala is pure unformed consciousness that is shaped through the power of
prayer. Along the grid pattern, there are places where energy from the invisible realm
crosses, amplifying the phenomena and over time become recognized and sanctified as
sacred space. This phenomenon is especially strong at the time of the solstices. Most ancient
stone temples have rock formations coded into the structure that create specific external
light patterns to indicate when the spirit of light is coming through the sacred portal of the
temple.
The most well-known example of the manifestation of the ala in traditional Yoruba
culture is the annual appearance of Osun at the bend in the Osun River near her sacred
shrine. The appearance of ala in its primal form is neutral; ala becomes Osun at the bend in
the river because the light is molded by the prayers of the elders who greet the light. This is
the reason Ifa places so much emphasis on the development of good character. The content
of our prayer shapes ala. This is the basis of the legends and stories associated with shape
shifting. Negative thoughts create negative spirits, positive thoughts bring fertility and
abundance to the earth until the next time the portal opens. The band of light that forms Aye
periodically becomes consolidated and manifests in a way that can be used to create
abundance, fertility and peace. This is the basis for creation of Ifa sacred shrines and is the
mystery behind the European traditions associated with the Holy Grail.
 The esoteric meaning of Iwa-pele reveals the mystery of Odu, the mystery of the
relationship between Ikole Orun and Ikole Aye. We greet the earth because the earth is a self-
renewing source of abundance. Using the natural abundance of the Earth would not be
considered magic by those who understand and make use of this technology. In Ifa, the
phenomenon is considered an essential element in the structure of reality. In a sense, we
could say every moment of existence is an expression of a magical process. Reality is the
conscious projection of Creation from source as an act of will. This projection creates a bio
feedback loop that allows for the creation of personal destiny. We live in a conscious
reality. The consensus reality can either be unconscious or deliberate. In Ifa spiritual
discipline, consensus reality is conscious, clear and deeply rooted in the idea of Ife, meaning
unconditional love. Ifa is the wisdom we learn. Ife is the wisdom we give back to the
community. Ife is s’otito, the only truth, and all else is illusion (oju buburu) In other words,
Olodumare (God) is the only reality everything else is deception based on agreement.
My study of the quadragrams used in Ifa divination suggests to me that in
combination they tell a story. The late Baba Medahochi, ire lona iponri atiwo Orun, an Ifa
elder who lived in Atlanta, made a brilliant study of the African divination system based on
sixteen principles. In the legends associated with the Holy Grail, the mysteries are hidden in
the Grail Castle described as a fortress with eight white pillars and eight black pillars. I
believe the oldest manifestation of these sixteen metaphysical principles is in the Emerald
Tablet of Toth coming from ancient Egypt. The intact versions of the Tablets list fourteen
principles but two of the principles have double listings, giving a total of sixteen
metaphysical concepts. All of these systems share a common purpose, based on the idea that
sixteen principles guide the development of human consciousness. They are a key to
understanding the physical universe and are used as the guiding formula for alchemy.
One visit to any of the massive pyramids scattered around the planet makes it very
clear that ancient culture had access to advanced forms of technology and science. The
surviving literature from ancient times also makes it clear that all science was considered
sacred and there was integration between spiritual discipline and scientific inquiry. The
integration of spirituality and science was preserved by the ancient art of alchemy. In
ancient times, alchemy was both a spiritual discipline and a method for transforming
elements in the physical world based on the ability to modify inter-dimensional portals of
Light.
Since 1930 there has been a consistent effort to dismiss the value of alchemy and a
consistent effort to distance any association between this sacred technology and systems of
African development. In the 1930’s, African spiritual ideas were plagiarized by German
academics who claimed they originated in Germany and pagan Teutonic culture. The
German distortion of African spiritual ideas became the foundation of Aryanism and the
belief in European racial superiority. In order to support a racist religious dogma the source
of the ideas needed to be suppressed. This was a profound distortion of metaphysical ideas
based on the belief that spirit will give you whatever you want. The German effort to distort
these ideas led to the deliberately deceptive belief that they originated in Greece not
Africa. Even the most superficial study of ancient Greek philosophy makes it very clear the
Greeks themselves attributed their metaphysical idea to African sources. New information
on this history was recently discovered on clay tablets in Iraq. The ancient Sumerian Kings
list is virtually identical to the ancient Egyptian Kings indicating common cultural
origins. These lists are summarily dismissed by academics because they push back the
history of culture by seventy thousand years.
One year before the Gulf war, George Bush issued an executive order making it legal
to possess and sell stolen antiquities from Iraq. Following the invasion of Baghdad by the
American military, corporate offices were protected while important museums were looted
and destroyed, making the continued study of the history of the development of
metaphysical ideas difficult at best.
My explanation of metaphysical principles as it relates to Odu Ifa is based on my effort
to understand the symbolism coded into the verses as it compares to other similar
metaphysical systems. After twenty years of experience using Ifa divination as a problem
solving tool, I am convinced these principles are the foundation for the original
texts. Recently Dr. Oyibo granted an interview where he discussed the source of his ideas in
physics. The great unsolved problem in science was what has come to be known as unified
field theory. This theory is an attempt to create a mathematical formula explaining the
relationship between sub atomic particles and astrophysics. Dr Oyibo has proposed a
formula that is being given serious consideration as the solution to the unified field theory
enigma. In the interview Dr. Oyibo, who is from Nigeria, sources his solution to unified field
theory to his elders in Ifa. This means coded into the symbols of Odu Ifa are the secrets of
creation.
Islam uses the symbols found in Ifa as a system of divination based on the use of the
Koran as a sacred scripture. The Old Testament describes the Ifa system of divination as the
casting of lots. In the story of Exodus, Moses is given two tablets – one is called the law,
commonly known as the Ten Commandments, and the other is called the Testimony. The
Old Testament says Moses destroyed the tablet of the law, it does not say he destroyed the
tablet of the testament. In Cabalistic literature, the Testament is described as the basic
principles of Creation. In Jewish culture, the Torah was the sacred scripture used in
divination. The system of divination use in Jewish culture was brought to Europe by the
Knights Templars and modified into the Tarot deck. We have a number of metaphysical
systems all coming from a common African source.
Despite the use of different religious literature, the metaphysical meaning of the
symbols remains consistent across cultures. The first four Odu symbolize the Creation of the
universe in the moments after what science calls the Big Bang and what Ifa calls the
manifestation of Oyigioyigi, meaning the Eternal Stone of Creation. Ogbe is the symbol of life,
Oyeku is the symbol of death, Iwori is the symbol of transformation and Odi is the symbol of
rebirth. According to Western science, in the first fraction of a second of Creation, the entire
Universe exploded in a ball of light which cooled, transformed itself, and recreated itself
based on evolving laws of physics. In that moment life, death, transformation and rebirth
established the fundamental boundaries of time and space. Time is marked by the inception
and destruction of matter and space is marked by the expansion and contraction of matter
in relationship to the relative juxtaposition of a fixed point. Ogbe, Oyeku, Iwori and Odi create
the dynamics and form that allow for the manifestation of time and space. The remaining
twelve Odu are recreations of the first four at different levels of evolution.
Ogbe can be translated as the Source of life. Oyeku is an elision of o yeye iku meaning
Spirit of the Mother of death. This is not always physical death of the human spirit but
represents and end of a cycle in the evolution of matter; for example, the death of a star
collapsing into a black hole. Iwori comes from the elision I awo ori, meaning I am the mystery
of consciousness it is the Ifa symbol for transformation. Ori or consciousness is described by
Ifa as a constantly evolving phenomenon. A Yoruba proverb says that the ori that leaves the
house in the morning is not the ori that arrives at home at night. Odi is the Yoruba word for
what Hindus call the root chakra. It is the symbol of rebirth, the symbol of the star. When a
simple star made of hydrogen atoms collapses into a black hole, the black hole collapses in
on itself until it becomes a super nova made up of all the elements found in the Universe.
This cycle is based on the fundamental principle that nothing in the Universe is created or
destroyed; it simply goes through the process of life, death, transformation and rebirth.
The second four Odu reflect the first four Odu as they shift during the unfolding of
evolution. Irosun is the Yoruba word for menstrual blood; it represents birth based on
genetic inheritance, the ideal of the emergence and disappearance of different life
forms. Irosun is the idea of life (Ogbe) that results from rebirth, reincarnation and the
evolution of the primal elements of creation. Owonrin is the element of chaos in the
universe. Not all evolution is smooth and effective. In Owonrin we have the possibility of
stable and unstable mutation. Owonrin represents the end of a particular lineage as a result
of internal changes; it is death (Oyeku) in the form of extinction. Obara is transformation
rooted in mutations. In Obara internal change causes a shift in external interaction. For
example, the mutation of fish fins into feet represents an internal change that created a
significant external shift in external interaction. Okanran is a new beginning, a form of
rebirth (Odi) based on the necessity of adapting to a new environment.
In Okanran we have a final descent of ase or spiritual power from the Invisible Realm
to the Visible Realm. This marks the turnaround point; the ase from spirit becomes
conscious and seeks reconciliation and union with Source. Ogunda is the new life of self-
conscious beings who are able to create culture, record history and imagine the essential
nature of their relationship with creation. In Ifa, Ogunda is the guardian of truth, the
protector of that which defines who we are and where we are going. In Ogunda, life (Ogbe)
takes the form of cities and extended communities engaging in cooperative ways to deal with
issues of survival.
The destruction of civilization is generally the result of natural disaster in Osa, the
destructive Forces of Nature bring death (Oyeku) to old and typically ineffective methods of
social organization. In Ika, there is a drawing in of resources following natural disasters. Ika
is the adaptation of what survived the destructive forces of nature as a basis for future
transformation (Iwori). The rebirth of culture comes with a built in immunity to past
problems. Oturupon is the rebirth (odi) of culture following the physical cleansing that
occurs in the wake of an epidemic. In Oturupon, the healing waters of Nana cleanse the
contagion caused by Omolu the spirit of Infectious disease.
The last four Odu represent the life, death, transformation and rebirth of mystic
vision. A culture that survives the forces of natural destruction needs a vision of the future
to guide the collective effort of reconstruction. Otura is the source of mystic vision, the life
(Ogbe) of a new paradigm guiding the community towards closer connection with
spirit. Irete represents the death (Oyeku) of the old vision and the determination to bring in
the new. Ose is the transformation (Iwori) that occurs as a result of the communal effort to
pray for connection to source. Sharing a common vision of the future in which ife is the
guiding principle generates the spiritual power needed to have our prayers heard by the
immortals. In Ofun we experience the rebirth that occurs as a result of the Immortals
answering our prayers. It is the rebirth (Odi) of the entire community, leading to the re-
creation of life as originally expressed in Ogbe making the Odu an unending source of life,
death, transformation and rebirth. A study of Odu is a study of the fundamental principles
that create and sustain life.
Let us review these principles with an inclusion of their symbolic markings. To begin
the process of understanding the metaphysical principles of Ifa, consider this: Ogbe is life,
Oyeku is death, Iwori is transformation and Odi is rebirth as they manifest in the beginning
of time at the moment of creation.

I II II I
I II I II
I II I II
I II II I
Ogbe Oyeku Iwori Odi

These four principles literally create the dimension of time and space in the
universe. Ogbe means spirit of giving; Oyeku from the elision O yeye iku means the spirit of
the mother of death. Iwori from the elision I awo ori meaning I am the mystery of
consciousness and Odi the Yoruba word for female reproductive organs.
The next four Odu are the principles of life, death, transformation and rebirth as they
exist in the process of evolution. Irosun is life as genetic inheritance. Owonrin is disruption
that can be understood as death through mutation. Obara is transformation of the
ego. Okanran is rebirth of self through humanity and completion of the hero’s journey.

I II I II
I II II II
II I II II
II I II I
Irosun Owonrin Obarra Okanran

Irosun means menstrual blood, which brings life to each new generation. Owonrin is
a reference to disruption caused by the hands. It is the possibility of mutation that results in
the death of a species on the brink of extinction. Obara is the spirit of the fathers which
represents transformation of the ego. Okanran is the spirit of the heart meaning the
emotions that allow us to be reborn.
At this point in the progression, the ase has completed the journey from Ikole Orun to
Ikole Aye and the ase intrinsically longs to return to source for a reconnection and
completion. Ogunda is the principle that gives birth to civilization. Osa the principle of
natural disaster is the single most frequent cause of the death and destruction of cities and
cultures. Ika is the transformation that occurs when we assess the damage done to life on
earth through the disruptive force of Osa. It is the first step in the rebuilding process
transforming the rubble into a new civilization. Oturupon is the source of infectious disease
which carries the ase to heal both the body and the Earth. The life and death of cities and
cultures can make it immune from past mistakes. This immunity is the foundation for
collective rebirth.

I II II II
I I I II
I I II I
II I II II
Ogunda Osa Ika Oturupon

Ogunda means spirit of Iron divides meaning the Force for survival gives life to new
forms of social organization. Osa which is understood in Yoruba to be a force for destruction
brings death to old civilization and lays the foundation for transformation and
improvement. Ika literally means drawing in power. It is the transformation that occurs
when we access past mistakes and use the power of the word to invoke an end to old bad
habits. Oturupon brings the illness that creates rebirth in the form of immunity.
The last four Odu represent the human desire to connect with spirit to experience
that from which we come and that towards which we go. Otura gives us the mystic vision
from spirit that enables us to imagine a better life. Irete gives us the determination to hold
on to that which will manifest the vision from Otura. It is the death of that which does not
serve spiritual growth. Ose is the transformation that occurs when our prayers are heard in
the realms of the Immortals. It brings the transformation that occurs when we understand
we are not alone in the Universe. Ofun is the rebirth that occurs when the Immortals answer
our prayers.

I I I II
II I II I
I II I II
I I II I
Otura Irete Ose Ofun

Otura is understood in Yoruba language to mean the spirit of the Source of Mystic
vision. It gives life to new religions, new cultures, new ways of looking at self and
world. Irete literally means bringing good fortune. This is in the positive sense of bringing
something so you will not lose it. It is the determination to be a better person that causes
the death of bad habits. Ose is the principle of abundance; the transformation that occurs
when we understand we live in a consensus reality. The transformation we experience is
the transformation we invoke and that invocation strengthens when it is a collective. Ofun,
meaning the Spirit of White is a reference to ala the unformed source of consciousness in the
universe. Ifa teaches that every problem has a solution and Ofun is the source of the
resolution of all conflict, it is the birth that comes with the mystic experience of being
connected to Source.
The astute mythologist Joseph Campbell recognized these patterns in the folklore,
legends and sacred history of all cultures throughout history. He made a brilliant
comparison of these symbols in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. George Lucas
used this book as the basis for his science fiction epic Star Wars. In the life, death,
transformation and rebirth of Darth Vader, we see the manifestation of Odu Ifa as it relates
to the spiritual growth of an individual person. Anakin Skywalker was born in innocence,
(Ogbe), lost his innocence when his mother was sold into slavery (Oyeku), found salvation in
his training as a Jedi (Iwori) and was transformed into a knight (Odi). As an adult (Irosun)
Anakin Skywalker had a new life as guardian of the Republic. When his mother was killed
(Owonrin), his personal rage (Obara), led him to become the student of the Emperor. Anakin
wanted to resurrect his dead wife; he wanted to learn sorcery; he believed he could learn a
system of magic that would give him whatever he wanted. In the process he lost his soul.
In the Star Wars story, the Republic was based on democratic principles that were
destroyed by the Emperor when he created an empire (Ogunda) and Anakin Skywalker
becomes Darth Vader. The empire was destroyed by the rebellion (Osa) after Darth Vader
refused to kill his son (Ika) and Luke successfully destroys the death star (Oturopon). In the
final scene of the sixth episode, Darth Vader reveals himself to Luke (Otura), abandons his
commitment to the Empire (Irete) prays for forgiveness (Ose) and reconciles with his son
(Ofun).
The popularity of the Star Wars films is, I believe, based on the fact that they were
written using metaphysical principles at the core of our understanding of self and
world. Even though the story is set in a fantasy world, the relationships work and ring true
because they are based on struggles we all go through, recognize and on some level
understand. Throughout the epic, both Luke and Anakin are guided by strong women who
give them a balanced perspective. The warrior fighting injustice in the real world is only as
effective as his internal consciousness allows. The polarity between husband and wife or
between brother and sister are reflections of internal struggles that need to find harmony
and balance in the individual consciousness of both men and women. Consider the entire
Star Wars story as an external expression of one person’s internal quest to complete the
hero’s journey, and the true meaning of the archetypes become clear.
The art of divination is the ability to recognize these archetypes and apply them to
real problems in the real world. I know diviners who claim that for $900 they can make
anyone love you. Suppose for a moment this type of mind control was possible, what would
the value be of any relationship based on the need to manipulate the consciousness of
another? This type of vain effort is symbolized by the relationship between the Emperor and
Darth Vader. The Emperor promised to teach Anakin the secret power of resurrection if he
pledges obedience to the control and guidance of another. Anakin makes the fatal decision
to allow another person to control his actions, and in the process both loses his sense of
compassion and is never taught the secret of the power that lured him into making the fatal
mistake. This is a movie version of what I referred to as the paper tiger syndrome. It never
works.
An alternate world view is to believe that life is good. Spiritual power comes as a
consequence of living a good life. A better way to look at the issue of spiritual power is to
consider that it is the full expression of human potential, based on the idea that life was
meant to work and that life at its source is good. To embrace destiny is to access spiritual
power without being motivated by the need for power. This is the basis of the need for
humility.
How does all this relate to the question of Alchemy? The answer to this question
reveals the deeper aspects of the hero’s journey as originally expressed by the ancient priests
of Khemet (Egypt). Alchemy is generally dismissed in the West as a fantasy with no basis in
fact. Historically, Alchemy was at the foundation of ancient science, spiritual medicine and
rituals associated with the anointing of Kings. Academics know that most of the gold
discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs was both artificially created and electronically applied
to other materials through the use of electrolysis. The secrets of Alchemy have been guarded
and preserved by many of the prominent monarchies of Europe after the discovery of the
secrets by the Knights Templars in the twelfth century based on their excavations under the
temple in Jerusalem.
Ten years ago the secrets of Alchemy were accidentally rediscovered by an Arizona
farmer named David Hudson. The story of this rediscovery is described in detail by Laurence
Gardner in Lost Secrets of the Sacred Ark, Element press 2003. According to Gardner, David
Hudson is an Arizona farmer who was interested in reducing the high sodium content on his
land. After years of chemical analysis, Hudson discovered that the soil included traces of
platinum and clusters of gold, rhodium, osmium, iridium and ruthenium. In an effort to
break the bonding between these elements, Hudson subjected them to extreme heat. He
discovered when iridium was oxidized; it expanded to 102% of its original weight, changed
from dark colors to a white powder and then lost 44% of its original matter, which returned
to the original weight when the material cooled. The loss of weight represents the
transference of energy between the visible and invisible realm as described by the three
dimensional image of Solomon’s seal.
Hudson’s experiments are proof that Ifa cosmology is consistent with experimental
science. The white powder created from iridium by extreme heat is mono-atomic, which
means all the sub-atomic particles spin in the same direction. Most atoms in Nature have
components that spin in opposite directions. (To experience this phenomenon do the double
pyramid meditation with both pyramids spinning in the same direction). Any mono-atomic
structure becomes a superconductor and creates a Mesmer field. A superconductor is able
to draw electricity from the natural environment. This means a superconductor is a free
source of unlimited energy (a demonstrable idea considered impossible by Western
science). A Mesmer field is anti-gravitational, which means a superconductor can be used to
do things like move huge stones to build a pyramid. Creating a highway line with iridium
powder would make it possible for a single person to guide a huge stone over long
distances. The powder does not have to be continuous to create the anti- gravitational field;
it simply needs to be in alignment. This phenomenon was understood and developed by
Nicholas Tesla in the early years of the last century. His research has been classified by the
Federal Government for reasons of National Security. His research is based on the discovery
that energy exists in a vacuum. If you look at electric tables in textbooks on sine waves, you
will see that the mathematics associated with zero point energy has been classified as top
secret by the American Government. This means the secret is known and is being
deliberately suppressed.
 David Hudson invested ten million dollars in a factory to build batteries based on his
rediscovery of iridium-based fuel sources. The factory suffered a mysterious fire and was
shut down by a federal environmental agency (EPA). David Hudson has since gone into
seclusion.
Gardner makes a compelling case that the information discovered by Hudson was a
rediscovery of sacred technology used by the ancient Egyptians as the basis for their
initiatory process and as the basis for their remarkable accomplishments in masonry and
metallurgy. I agree. Even more remarkable is the fact that the white powder made from
iridium was used as initiatory medicine. When ingested, the result was a complete physical
and spiritual death and rebirth. The biblical references to this initiation refer to it as forty
days in the wilderness followed by the ability to see God in a burning bush. The alchemical
medicine is a way to open the window of perception to invisible realms. In Ifa, this window
is opened through the power of prayer.
The Emerald Tablets of Hermes from Egypt are the source of instruction of Alchemy
and, as a correlation with Odu Ifa, can be used as a basis for meditation to unlock the
mysteries of creation. My interpretation of these principles and their relationship to Odu is
included here as a starting point for further exploration.

1. (Ogbe) I speak not fiction, but what is certain and most true.
Commentary: In Ifa, Ogbe, the principle of life, is based on the idea that everything in creation
is inter-related and interconnected. We live in a holographic universe; understanding any
segment of creation reveals all of creation. For the alchemist, Ogbe involves embracing the
philosopher’s stone, understanding the ideas that make alchemy possible and applying them
to life in the world. It is starting with the metal platinum and extracting from it the essential
element.

2. (Oyeku) What is below is like that which is above, and that which is above is
like that which is below for performing the miracle of one thing.
Commentary: In Ifa, Oyeku is the symbol for death or the end of a particular manifestation of
matter. Iridium is difficult to use in its metallic form and is more notable when extracted
from black soil. The primary source of iridium on the planet is from meteorites. In ancient
Egypt, the meteorite was called a Benben stone and was placed on the top of an obelisk as an
object of veneration. In Ile Ife at the Oni’s palace, there is a Benben stone in the shrine of
Ogun. The miracle of performing one thing is a reference to the invocation and manifestation
of that which exists in the invisible realm. In Ifa, Oyeku is also known as Eji Oko, meaning the
first farm; an expression of the idea that everything that exists in the visible realm exists in
the invisible realm in its ideal and primal form. This is the basis for the Platonic idea of ideal
forms. It is also an expression of the idea that nothing in the Universe is created or destroyed,
it is only transformed. This is the ancient African concept that was rediscovered by Einstein,
who expressed the idea in his theory of the conversion of matter. When the alchemist heats
iridium, 44% of the matter disappears until it is cooled.

3. (Iwori) All things are produced from the one, by the mediation of the one.
Commentary: In Ifa, transformation is symbolized by Iwori. Transformation is latent in all
things. The Universe is a giant sine wave and what we see is the visual manifestation of a
fragment of sound. We are the manifestation of the Voice of Creation. When 44% of iridium
disappears while being heated it is transformed in the invisible realm into a mono-atomic
structure. This transformation occurs through the application of heat. In Ifa, Iwori is
described as transformation through fire. Any mono-atomic structure is a superconductor,
meaning it draws electricity from the natural environment.

4. (Odi) All things are produced from this one thing by adaptation.
Commentary: In Ifa, Odi is the idea of rebirth. Ifa teaches that after the moment of Creation,
all birth is rebirth. Everything that exists in the visible Universe is a child of Oyigiyigi, the
eternal stone of creation or what astrophysics calls the singularity of matter and what
quantum physics calls zero point energy. For the alchemist, the iridium found in white
powder is not the iridium found in platinum. The element is reborn in a new form. This form
is both a source of electricity, a source of anti-gravity, a source of transforming elements, and
it is also used for spiritual medicine. In Biblical terms, it is referred to as manna. It is
depicted in Egyptian temples as a small cone held in the hand of a Pharaoh.

5. (Irosun) Its father is the sun; its mother was the moon.
Commentary: Irosun, in Yoruba, is the symbol for menstrual blood. It represents the idea of
genetic inheritance. In the preparation of medicine from iridium, the alchemical texts refer
to the preparation of star fire. In alchemical practice, star fire is a mixture of male and female
reproductive fluids. During the anointing of a Pharaoh, star fire was mixed with crocodile
fat to create a sacred anointment used to unlock latent psychic abilities. In a broader sense,
the sun and the moon represent the powers of expansion and contraction, which give
structure and form to all things in creation. It is also a reference to the heating and cooling
needed to transform metallic iridium into white powder. In Hebrew, the white powder was
referred to as manna, which means, “what is it?” Laurence Gardner is several books make a
compelling case that Akhenaten was Moses. The same idea was expressed in the book about
Moses written by Sigmund Freud. The debate continues, but what is clear is that Akhenaten
rediscovered the ancient art of alchemy and used it as the basis for his transformation of
Egyptian spiritual discipline.

6. (Owonrin) The wind carried it in its belly; its nurse is the Earth.
Commentary, In Ifa, Owonrin is considered the source of Chaos, the inner nature of the divine
Trickster. In alchemy, this is a reference to the idea that iridium first came to Earth as a trace
element in meteorites. It is the source of the African idea that Benben stones are the Seeds
of Creation. It is also a reference to a very ancient mystery. All the ancient stone temples on
the earth are interconnected and inter-related, based on the provable fact that they were
constructed from a common source of mathematics and a common source of measurement
correlated to a common system of astronomical orientation. The creation myths of most
African spiritual traditions speak of Spirit beings that descended to earth and who created
the Earth from power centers located around the planet. These spirit beings are universally
described as either reptilian or some form of serpent. The evolution of the human brain
shows a clear transition from reptilian to mammalian.

7. (Obara) It is the cause of all perfection throughout the whole world.

Commentary: In Ifa, Obara represents transformation of the ego, the idea of humility as a
foundation of good character. In the alchemical formula not every stage in the process is
effective. The creation of white powder from iridium requires patience and humility. The
attitude and emotional disposition of the alchemist is considered an essential element in the
successful completion of the work.

8. (Okanran) Its power is perfect if it be charged into the earth.

Commentary: In Ifa, Okanran incarnates Osoosi, the spirit of the tracker. Oso, the prefix of
the Yoruba word Osoosi, is a reference to astral travel or out of body experience. Oso is the
ability to see what is happening in the invisible realm and to make it manifest on Earth. In
alchemy, proper environmental conditions are critical. Oso is used to determine the right
time and place to proceed with the process.

9. (Ogunda) Separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross gently
and with judgement
Commentary: In Ifa, Ogunda means the spirit of Iron Divides. Iridium is a trace element in
meteorites, which are predominately made of iron. This is the reason there is a Benben stone
in Ogun’s shrine at the Oni’s palace in Ile Ife. The iron contains the sperm that seeded life on
earth. Ogunda means the Spirit of Iron divides; this suggests Ogun knows the mystery of
separating the components of various metals. Ogun in Yoruba culture is the guardian of
blacksmiths who purify metal as part of their craft. This is the essence of the art of
alchemy. In Ile Ife, there is an obelisk representing the Spirit of Oranmiyan. There is a trident
near the top of the obelisk made from iron nails. The nails are several thousand years old
and they show no signs of rust. Tempering iron so that it will not rust is part of the awo or
mystery of both Ogun and alchemy. The secret involves the use of incantations during the
refining process. Modern science has no idea how to make rust-proof iron.

10. (Osa) Ascends from earth to heaven and descends again to Earth thus you
will process the glory of the whole world and all obscurity will fly away.
Commentary: In Ifa, Osa incarnates Oya, the spirit of the Wind. A praise name of Oya is
Ajalorun, Ajalaye meaning the dog of Heaven and the dog of Earth. The dog or nimbus is used
in Ifa to symbolize a messenger of Spirit. When 44% of the volume of iridium disappears
during heating and then reappears during cooling, an inter-dimensional shift occurs. From
an alchemical perspective, the journey from earth to Heaven and from Heaven to earth
perfects the primal element, making it a useful tool for building culture and transforming the
human spirit.

11. (Ika) This thing is the fortitude and all fortitude, because it overcomes all
subtle things, and penetrates every solid thing.
Commentary: In Ifa, Ika represents the power of the word. In Yoruba language, Ika is the
drawing in of all our physical and spiritual resources prior to invoking the Immortals. Ifa
teaches that the power of the word has physical existence in the Universe and is able to shape
and transform the physical world as an expression of consensus reality. In alchemy, science
is supported by prayer. Quantum physics recognized the effect of the observer on scientific
observations. In alchemy, this interdependent relationship is the basis for making the
alchemical transformation that creates iridium in powder form.

12. (Oturupon) Thus all things are created.

Commentary: In Ifa, Oturupon is the natural ability of the physical body to heal itself against
infection and infectious disease. Alchemy is an expression of the Ifa idea that life was
designed to work. It is an expression of the idea that all things come from a common
source. In the words of Dr. Oyibo, everything in the universe is a hydrogen atom grouped
with other hydrogen atoms to form the elements in the elemental table. The process of
transforming lead into gold is not magic; it is an expression of fundamental structure of
creation.

13. (Otura) Then proceeded wonderful adaptations which are produced in this
way.
Commentary: In Ifa, Otura is the symbol for mystic vision. Once you understand the
fundamental laws of Nature, you can apply those laws to any problem. Alchemy is both
science and spiritual discipline because the level of consciousness required to support the
alchemical process can only be obtained through the development of good character. Once
the white powder is produced it can be used to transform the basic elements in Nature, to
transform lead into gold by mixing a small amount of gold with lead and white powder in a
heated cauldron.

14. (Irete) Therefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus, possessing the three

parts of the philosophy of the whole world.
Commentary: In Ifa, Irete is will and determination. Understanding the principles of alchemy
is not sufficient to effect transformation. The application of the art requires discipline,
consistency, persistence and unyielding courage. Hermes Trismegistus is a reference to
ancestral wisdom which in Egypt was preserved in what has come to be called the book of
the Dead. In Yoruba culture, ancestral wisdom is preserved in Odu Ifa. The three aspects of
ancestral wisdom include an understanding of what in Yoruba is called Ori, ori inu and iponri,
the self, the inner self and the higher self.

15. (Ose) What I say about the operations of the sun is complete.
Commentary: In Ifa, Ose is the symbol for abundance. It is the manifestation of the final step
of the alchemical process, applying the principles to create a good life. It is an expression of
that which we know as a person and as a culture in any given moment.

16. (Ofun) There is no sixteenth principle in the emerald tables of Thoth. The
unspoken sixteenth principle is the ability to speak with Spirit, the power
of the moon that comes as a result of mastering the art of Alchemy.
Commentary: In Ifa, Ofun is the symbol for the miracle that occurs when the immortals
answer our prayers, and when they support our request to develop good character and our
request to make the world a better place.
Showing the philosophical similarity between the metaphysical principles of Ifa and
the Emerald tablets of Thoth is not conclusive proof that the two systems of metaphysics are
related. The history of ancient Africa may be lost and we are left with speculation,
expectation, contemplation and inspiration in our effort to understand where we have come
from and where we are going.
What is clear is that Odu Ifa is a symbolic description of the structure of reality. It is
a description that applies accurately to many dimensions of being. As students of Ifa, we
have a choice in our approach to this material. We can embrace the Western paradigm and
pretend it is possible to become a Sorcerer, forever repeating the fatal mistake of Darth
Vader, or we can join hands and explore the original intention of the oracle.
Whether or not Ifa is a magical process depends largely on your definition. Ifa uses
invocation and prayer to accelerate the manifestation of destiny. To those who do not
understand this process as being fundamental to life, death, transformation and rebirth, Ifa
ritual appears to be magic. We have the power to invoke the good fortune that comes to be
magic. We have the power to invoke the good fortune that comes from perfect alignment
with our destiny. When two people pray for the manifestation of destiny, the prayers are
four times as strong. When four people pray for the manifestation of destiny the prayers are
sixteen times as strong. When sixteen people pray for manifestation of destiny, the fate of
the planet evolves and the earth becomes a better place. Sixteen good people joining hands
to pray for elevation is a revelation of the mystery of ife. It is confirmation of the truth that
Ife is the only reality (ire) and all else is illusion (ibi). The hero’s journey leads to only one
destination, the sacred city which in Yoruba is called Ile Ife, the House of love. May your
journey bring you the blessing of ire omo, ire owo ire agbo ato.
Ire
Awo Falokun Fatunmbi

Appendix
The Hero’s Journey and
Rites of Passage
`` The Ifa concept of Ebora as presented in this book is about the internal struggle
leading to elevation, transformation and inner peace. In traditional cultures these struggles
are supported by community and elevated by rituals that occur at significant rites of passage
meaning at times of significant personal development.
The first traditional rite of passage is a naming ceremony called essentaye in Yoruba
from the elision ese en ita aye literally meaning the foot touches the earth. In traditional
Yoruba culture, the foot of a baby is not allowed to touch the ground until three days after
birth when a ritual is performed to seat the child on earth. At this ritual, a child’s left foot is
presented to the Ifa tray. The Ifa tray is a wooden plate covered with termite droppings from
insects who have feasted on the sacred palm nut tree which is the Ifa symbol of the tree of
life. On the tray is marked the Odu symbol for Eji Ogbe. This symbol represents perfect
alignment with destiny. In that moment the entire community comes together to give the
child an experience of collective unconditional love. The reason this is done is simple. Ifa
teaches there is no joy without grief, and there is no grief without community, and there is
no community without trust. The child is introduced to a trusting loving community to
experience the overwhelming sense of support such an experience provides. At the same
time, the baby is introduced to the basic food groups which are enhanced by being blessed
by the elders of the community. Then divination is done to track the development of the
child and members of the community volunteer to provide assistance and guidance where
appropriate. This is the foundation of the Yoruba proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child.”
The naming ceremony is part of the Hero’s Journey because Ifa teaches atunwa which
is the Yoruba word for reincarnation. Ifa teaches that we reincarnate within our family
lineage meaning we are all returned ancestors. At the naming ceremony it is determined if
the child comes from the father’s lineage, the mother’s lineage or in rare instances straight
from Spirit. In this instance, the Hero’s journey is the road between the realm of the
ancestors and life on earth. Ifa teaches that every ancestor chooses an ori before coming to
earth. Ori is the Yoruba word for consciousness and in Ifa individual consciousness includes
the blue print for personal destiny. According to Ifa, our memory of this choice is lost as we
travel down the birth canal and the process of spiritual discipline is the process of
remembering and claiming our chosen destiny.
As children, we need to rely on our parents for survival. It is a time of learning basic
skills that will serve us for the rest of our lives. In a learning environment we need love,
support, encouragement, security and the ability to integrate the lessons that come at us
every day. When a child reaches puberty, they have the ability to make children; they have
the biological tools needed to be considered an adult. This biological shift is accompanied by
a shift in consciousness. Psychologists call this shift individuation. It is the process of finding
a personal identity that is self-sustaining and independent of parental guidance and control.
Traditional cultures consider this transition an important component of the Hero’s Journey
and mark the moment with puberty rites. For women, this rite includes instruction from the
grandmothers on the issue of taking reproductive responsibility. It also includes instruction
on the cultural norms for courtship rituals and a clear definition of women’s responsibility
for the children they birth. For men, the issue is whether or not a young man has what it
takes to provide for and protect their spouse and children. A man’s puberty rite typically
includes a test of courage. These tests are not easily passed and in some cultures failure to
pass can result in injury or death. At this level of intensity the test is real. The test is
administered by the grandfathers. Typically mothers and fathers do not participate in a
puberty rite because the ritual is about separation from the parents.
In Western culture, which does not do puberty rites well, if at all, these issues go
unresolved. It creates what psychologists call a child in an adult body. This condition can
lead to violence, abuse, and addiction, issues that plague contemporary Western society.
These challenges can easily be traced back to a lack of communal support at the key moment
of biological transformation. Puberty rites are a part of traditional Yoruba culture but have
not survived intact in the Diaspora. As communities worshiping Ifa outside of traditional
Yoruba culture, we have an obligation to reclaim this important ritual moment in the life of
developing children. It is a classic Hero’s Journey with all the components represented by
the interaction with the Ebora described in this book.
Marriage is also a rite of passage and considered a manifestation of the Hero’s
Journey. In the marriage ritual, there is a public acknowledgement of having accepted
responsibility for being an adult. It does not always appear to be clear in the West, but the
point of Ifa is to guide men and women into the role of fully functioning adults who resolve
internal conflicts and relate to family and community in a way that reflects the ability to
embrace and model good character. Ifa is not a system of magic. It is a holistic problem
solving paradigm that includes rituals of transformation that might appear magical, but are
in fact designed to unlock a person’s full potential. It is the communal effort to support the
manifestation of personal destiny. That is the point of the Hero’s Journey and that is the
function of Ebora.
Too often, the media portrays the idea of African spiritual warriors as a form of
hexing, juju, or negative magic. This is nonsense and profoundly insulting and clearly Afro
phobic. Ebora have the function of guiding the individual towards the higher self. They have
the intention of assisting us and not directing punishment towards others. We live in a
transcendent universe which we view through finite lenses. That means everything we see,
think, feel, believe and project on to the world is created by the moment. Scientists call this
living in consensus reality. The Holy Odu Osa Tura says the same thing.

Orunmila says: What is truth?

I say what is truth?
Orunmila says : Truth is the character of Olodumare.
Truth is the word that cannot fail.
Ifa is Truth.
Truth is the word that cannot be spoiled.
Mighty power, surpassing all.
Everlasting blessings.

The verse is saying Truth has a universal quality that transcends the finite reality of
human existence. The inference here is that humans speak their truth, and that the truth
changes based on the dictates of good character and the boundaries of consensus. These
boundaries are in a constant state of flux, meaning the Ebora continually challenges us to
expand our horizons. The verse says Olodumare is the only truth and humans approach the
transcendent truth by constantly extending the boundaries and limitations of human
understanding. In simple terms, this means the spiritual life is life in a constant state of flux,
transformation and change. There is a Yoruba proverb that says the head that leaves the
home in the morning is not the head that returns at night.
We wake up and enter the mundane world in a state of complacency. Following an
encounter with Esu our normal perception of self and world is shattered and we are thrown
into confusion. This confusion causes us to seek new answers, new solutions, new
perceptions and new visions of reality. The state of confusion is the most fearful thing we
experience as humans because resolution of confusion requires the reconstruction of our
perception of self. We take these alternative views and apply them to real problems and
remain persistent until we find a solution. The solution to real problems that we discover
on the Hero’s Journey becomes our gift to the community. Ifa says anything you fix in your
life is medicine for someone else. The medicine we find is preserved by creating new verses
for our oral scripture. When you find a solution you save it for future generations.
 When we reach the age of grandparents, the Hero’s Journey becomes a matter of
legacy; what can we teach the next generation to make their stay on earth more
pleasant? That might sound simplistic but it is at the core of the idea of human destiny, what
are you going to contribute to future generations? Atunwa, the Ifa concept of reincarnation,
says we all return to earth through our ancestors. It would be good to return and find the
earth to be a better place.
The final Hero’s Journey occurs as we prepare to become ancestors. Funeral rites are
a rite of passage fueled by the grief of those we leave behind. It is grief that calls the ancestors
to earth to guide the recently departed to the realm of the ancestors. If there is no grief at a
funeral, the dead wander the earth waiting for someone to guide them home. They become
what have commonly been called ghosts. In simple terms, we do not want the community
around us to come to our funeral and express relief that our life is over. That is indicative of
the failure to embrace the Hero’s Journey as a moral imperative. It is the way of the coward,
rooted in jealousy, greed, denigration, self-centered narcissism and the refusal to embrace
destiny.
The true hero resolves internal contradictions then turns to the world and assists
others in the process of resolution and elevation. For me, the warrior heroes of my life time
inspire me to be a better person. I am old enough to remember Gandhi as the subject of
newspaper reports. Martin Luther King opened my eyes to the widespread denigration of
racism as did Malcolm X, Huey Newton and Angela Davis. Nelson Mandela moved me to tears
and continues to push me to be a better person. Russell Means showed me what it means to
defend community. Muhammad Ali demonstrated the power of political resistance based on
personal commitment. Credo Mutwa evidenced the power of the priesthood to transform
reality. David Icke explained the power of truth to transform consciousness. If it were not
for these heroes in my life I would not be who I am. Araba Adesanya Awoyade taught me the
ability of Ifa to guide iwa pele which has been the point of every book I have ever written.
The character of the times defines the nature of the heroes challenge. This reality has
expanded in my life time because we now clearly live in a global village where what happens
in Africa affects what happens in the United States and where suffering anywhere on the
planet changes the quality of life everywhere. In my life time, a dozen families have taken
control of global resources and are using them for their own personal benefit at the expense
of the other nine billion people who struggle every day to survive. In the political arena, the
Hero’s Journey has never been more clearly defined. The global village needs to take control
of global resources and use them to the benefit of everyone. Ifa teaches the universe is
rooted in abundance and life works. I believe that. The symbols of Ifa hold the key to free
energy. The process of accessing free energy is not that difficult. Nicolas Tesla showed us
the way. Those who have attempted to follow his lead have been blocked by the ruling
elite. It is time to ignore that blockade and move into the future. Politically, we are being
manipulated by politicians and the media to believe in demonizing the enemy. That is the
foundation for a divide and conquer mentality that keeps the world at war and the few in
control. Ifa teaches we are all spiritual beings having a human experience, we are the eyes
of God looking back at itself. There is no enemy. Get that, be that, do that, join the human
village. It is not easy and it is what the Hero’s Journey compels us to do.
For those of us who embrace Ifa as a spiritual discipline, our work is cut out for us. Ifa
was brought to the Diaspora during the time of slavery. Ifa is the sanctification of the
extended family. Slavery is the destruction of the African family. A huge wound was afflicted
on Americans of African descent and as a nation the issue has never been addressed in a
healing way. The point lost in all of this is the culture that destroyed African families
destroyed its own foundation in the process. Maintaining this open sore on this topic is part
of a political strategy of divide and conquer. As a disenfranchised group, African Americans
represent a political threat to the status quo. The small groups of manipulators who control
the global economy know this and are constantly flaming the fire of racial tension. Go to the
post office, get the government pamphlet on terrorists, and you will find that the first group
listed is Black Nationalists who have never been involved in terrorism. This is a reflection of
an agenda and the agenda has nothing to do with security.
Following emancipation Jim Crow laws were used to replace slavery with a system of
apartheid that denied the descendants of slaves political power. This injustice came to public
attention in the sixties in what has come to be called the Civil Rights Movement. In response
to ongoing and persistent protest to the status quo, President Johnson passed the Civil Rights
Act. At the time it was common for Southern States to administer literacy tests at the
polls. Typically, these tests were only given to the non-white population and those who were
given the tests universally failed. It was organized political disenfranchisement. The Civil
Rights Act made literacy tests illegal. At the time, the inner cities of America’s urban centers
were supported by a healthy African American middle class who owned businesses in the
segregated parts of the city. President Johnson passed a Model Cities plan in which the inner
cities were condemned and marked for government supported redevelopment. Once the
inner city businesses were destroyed, President Johnson cut off funding for completion of
the work and the condemned property was sold to the private sector. Predominately South
Korean investment groups bought the condemned property, undermined the development
of an African American based economy and propagated the strategy of divide and
conquer. The policy left the inner cities in a shambles creating an epidemic of violence,
crime, drug addiction, sexual abuse, and fragmented families. It was a continuation of the
political control development during the aftermath of slavery under the guise of liberal
reform. Reasonable people can argue the causes of the collapse of the inner city, and the
challenges found there remain real.
The point is this: Ifa Orisa in the Diaspora is firmly rooted in the inner cities and the
systemic problems found there are the focal point of the healing work done by Ifa Orisa
elders outside of traditional Yoruba culture. I am of the opinion that Ifa Orisa is the fastest
growing spiritual discipline in Urban America and a serious force to contend with in the
process of transforming the quality of life in those areas.
It is in the realm of broken social structures, rooted in political manipulation based
on the hidden agenda of divide and conquer, that Esu throws us into the Hero’s Journey. We
are compelled by Esu’s urging to pick up the sword of Ogun to clear away obstacles. This
sword is the sword of reason that is relentless in looking for solutions to real
problems. When these solutions become clear, we use the astral ability of Osoosi to guide us
to the solutions in an efficient manner.
These are not complicated ideas; they are at the foundation of our faith.
We can access the ase, the spiritual power of these transcendent forces or we can continue
to be held in bondage by political forces who do not wish us well. In the language of Ifa, we
say it is the choice between ire and ibi, the choice between affirming life or hastening the day
of death. We see in the lives of real life Heroes that the choices are clear and they give
inspiration for the courage needed to act on those choices.