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What we pratice and believe. Ethics and Behavior
The Yoruba people have a traditional religion that includes the following beliefsEvery man possesses “Ayanmo” (destiny, fate) and that Olodumare is the principal agent of creation.Reincarnation within the family which they call ‘Atunwa’.The ruler of the sky and the earth beneath the sky is Olorun (Sky God) and is orisa to other orisas.Humans are eventually expected to become one in spirit with the divine creator who is also the source of all energy, a state which is also known as Olodumare.An elaborate hierarchy of deities, including a supreme creator and some 400 lesser gods and spirits, most of whom are associated with their own cults and priests.
The Yoruba are an ethnic group who live in West Africa. They are currently estimated to be about 44 million people, the majority of whom live in Nigeria where they account for about 21% of the country's population. It is one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa, and they speak the Yoruba language. Yoruba communities also live in other countries besides Nigeria which include Ivory Coast, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Saint Lucia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Granada, Brazil, and Jamaica among other regions in the world.
Yoruba ReligionThe Yoruba religion system comprises of traditional practices and spiritual concepts which has evolved into a robust religious system. The Yoruba traditional religion believes that all human beings pass through what is known as Ayanmo which translate to destiny or fate. Therefore, according to the Yoruba, humans are eventually expected to become one in spirit with the divine creator who is also the source of all energy, a state which is also known as Olodumare. Besides, every action or thoughts of an individual in the physical realm interact with other living things, and each tries to achieve and find destiny in the spiritual sphere. According to religion, an individual who stops growing spiritually in any aspect of their lives are destined for invisible potsherds. Life and death in the Yoruba religion belief system is a continuous cycle of existence in different forms of physical bodies while an individual's spirit evolves towards transcendence.
The Yoruba people believe that before one is born, they determine their destiny. They decide long before they ever arrive on Earth on what they will be doing in the world, where they will live, and who they will love, and even on how they will die. The religion also states that after one is born into the world all their plans and promises are forgotten and similarly their destiny is even forgotten. An individual, therefore, tries to remember and claim the future they mapped out before they came into the world. God is an all-powerful being who is not limited by gender and is the supreme deity among the Yoruba community. It is believed that he lives in the skies. The communication between people and God (Olodumare) is carried out by the intercessors commonly known as the Orisas.
OrisaThe orisha in the Yoruba religion function in almost the same way as the Catholic Saints and they are the intercessors between the world of humanity and the divine world. They often act on behalf of the worshippers on Earth and even sometimes against them. There are many different types of Orishas in the Yoruba religion, and it is believed that some were present at the time of creating the world while others were actually human beings who transcended into a semi-divine state.
ReincarnationThe Yoruba religion does not emphasize salvation as in the Christian faith but instead focuses on living a good life. According to religion, reincarnation is not something to be escaped as it is in Buddhism but rather a good thing. Defiant people or those who commit suicide and other cruel people are not reborn. Children are believed to be the reincarnation of ancestors particularly the ones they resemble. To emphasize the concept of reincarnation in the Yoruba religion names such as Babatunde which translate to “father Returns,” Yetunde which translates to “mother comes back again,” Babatunji which translates to “father wakes up” is commonly used. Reincarnation according to the Yoruba religion, gender is not an issue, and it is believed that it changes with reincarnation.
AjogunIn Yoruba traditional religion there are beings known as Ajogun which represent the negative forces and they can cause accidents, illnesses, depression, or any other form of calamity in the society and they are almost equivalent to demons. These deities are supposed to be avoided, and people who are afflicted by Ajogun would have to visit a priest (Ifa) to perform some kind of divination rituals and to prescribe a way of getting rid of the troubling spirit. In Yoruba traditional religion every problem has an explanation which could either be an evil spirit, or one has been bewitched, or they could have upset or neglected and orisha who has to be appeased.
Ase (Ashe)The Yoruba religion also has an Ashe which is a force possessed by humans, and gods also possess them. Ashe is a powerful force and can cause change either for good or for bad, and it is contained in virtually everything in nature such as lighting, hurricane, blood, and even names. Ashe is almost similar to the Chi in the Chinese tradition or the Chakras in the traditional Indian beliefs.
Creation In Yoruba ReligionYoruba religion has an account of creation where the truth was sent to find if the newly formed Earth was habitable for humans. The Earth was one of the several creations, and it was found that it was too wet for humans to live. Later on, different divinities which were led by Obatala accomplish the mission of making the Earth develop its crust to support human life. They ensured that the Earth was fertile and capable of supporting plant life. Ethicsand Behavior expected of all Ifa and Orisa followers andpriestsBelow are the 8 traits that every follower and priest of the Ifa and Orisa tradition must incorporate into their dailylives and hold as his/her foundation of ethics. These are the code of ethics that all must imbibe and pass on to theirgodchildren, biological children, family members, extended family, temple members, community, etc. These are thecharacter traits that support every individual in achieving his/her destiny and also affects positively the destinies ofothers around him/her. To not imbibe these traits is to place oneself off the path of achieving one’s destiny.1. Truthfulness: the ability to speak all those words which after being verified are found to be as they were spoken.2. Honesty: the ability to do things with sincerity of purpose, without cheating or hidden agendas, lies or deceit.Doing things with purity of purpose without blemish.3. Benevolence: the ability to act generously and with the desire to do good at all times without any selfishconsideration.4. Understanding: the ability to know and appreciate how others feel under any circumstance or to be able to knowthe details of how something occurred in any situation. The ability to put other’s feelings into consideration at anygiven time or circumstance.5. Hopefulness: the ability to know and be certain that what one is seeking, as long as it is reasonable, will come topass. The belief that tomorrow will be better than today and that yesterday was not as good as or will be asrewarding as today.6. Patience: the ability and willingness to wait or defer gratification or a result. The ability to wait something outand possibly experience pain, suffering, irritation, grief, etc in the process of waiting. Not forcing something tooccur but doing one’s work and allowing the work to bring about fruits at its appropriate time.7. Dedication: the ability to be totally devoted to any course without looking back. Being able to give oneselfcompletely to a cause, belief, or project after deliberating fully before starting.8. Humility: the ability and willingness to express a moderate opinion or view of one’s abilities, virtues, or worth.Apart from the 8 character traits all followers and priests are expected to display in their everyday lives, thefollowing are the 8 character traits that all followers and priests must avoid displaying. The following 8 traits arewhat destroys a person’s destiny and affects negatively the destinies of others.1. Anger: This is a bitter and violent feeling against others and/or what they represent. This is a negative andunproductive feeling against other people based on real or imaginary reasons.2. Hatred: Having a great dislike for others and/or what they represent. It is a very bad or unpleasant dislike forothers.3. Envy: The inability or refusal to accept another person’s good fortune or success. It is the feeling of discontent atother people’s luck or success.4. Wickedness: The art of thinking, speaking and doing evil and/or wicked things against other people based on realor imaginary reasons.5. Pride: This is a vain or personal dignity. This is an exaggerated feeling of pleasure and subjective satisfaction atone’s possessions or achievements often times at the expense of other people’s feelings or disposition. 6. Intolerance: This is the inability or refusal to bear or endure other people or certain situations or attitudes. It isthe unwillingness to allow others to air their views or express their feelings in any way and/or on any issue becauseof those views or feelings being different from one’s own views or opinions.7. Selfishness: The thinking and planning of one’s own personal pleasure, satisfaction, achievement, aspiration, etcwithout any consideration for other people.8. Greed: The desire for all the good things of life for oneself often at the expense of others. It is the desire toconvert what belongs to many to one’s own alone without any consideration for the feelings or needs of the others.Now that the 8 positive character traits we should follow and the 8 negative character traits we must avoid have beenclearly stated above, we shall now share various examples of how the 8 positive character traits should beincorporated into the various aspects of a follower and priest’s daily life during this sojourn on earth.1. Community/Work Place:a. Respect must be shown to all individuals living in one’s community and work place. This includes people not onlyolder in age living in one’s community or who are at one’s work place, but those who hold positions of authorityover one such as: one’s boss or supervisor and those entrusted to protect and serve our various communities such asfire fighters, the police, doctors, judges, teachers, counselors, public officials, military, etc. This respect must also bereciprocal in that those who are older in age or hold certain positions of authority must also demonstrate respect tothose they are caring for, support, are serving, and of whom may be younger in age. Every follower and priest mustbe seen displaying respect to everyone, especially those of other religious traditions, cultures, nationalities, races,and gender.This respect extends itself to our non-human communities as well which includes the communities of variousanimals, insects, birds, plants, trees, water, mountains, deserts, forests, etc. A follower and priest must displayrespect for these life forms and their environments as well. Why? Because if these life forms and their variousenvironments are not given respect, we as humans will suffer eventually because we are all interconnected and needeach other to live well in this world. Respect therefore is not just something that should exist from human to humansociety but from human to all other types of non-human societies. As a matter of fact, we all live on the mother earthso we in reality are all sharing the same home so respect MUST be given to all those sharing this beautiful planet.We must therefore see everyone and everything as our family member living under the same rooftop.If one truly imbibes and places into practice the 8 positive character traits, one will see that to show respect willbecome something of simplicity even when one may have differing views than another person, culture, race, creed,etc. In imbibing the positive character traits one will also truly understand the greater picture in that it is necessarywe all learn to respect one another for all of our betterment and well-being. We must always keep the big picture inmind in that our sole purpose here is to do good and leave this world better than we found it. If you find yourselfdoing something that is causing more harm than good or no good at all, then some self-reflection may be in orderand a new course or action must be taken. No follower or priest must be engaged in any work or activity that causesimbalance, chaos, or social ills of any type in society or that oppresses anyone or anything. Respect is key for thesethings to be avoided.2. Marriage/Family/Extended family:a. According to Ifa, marriage is the union between a man and a woman and the man and woman’s families and ofwhich the relationship must last well beyond the gestation period. In other words, it is not an individual affair or ashort lived venture. Furthermore, followers and priests must be aware that marriage is something that should not bejumped into. Ifa should always be consulted before any marriage takes place. Why? It is Ifa that will give the finalapproval of whether the man’s and woman’s destinies are compatible or not. All followers and priests mustunderstand that destiny compatibility is the most important factor to consider before marriage and especially whenhaving children. Why? If two people’s destinies are not compatible, rest assured that their lives, those of theirchildren, those of their families, and by extension the community will be impacted negatively in one way shape orform because of the incompatibility. When two people’s destinies are incompatible this signifies that the two peopleare NOT meant to be with one another as spouses and to go against this would lead to very severe consequences, themost severe consequence being placing oneself off the path to one’s destiny . All followers and priests must ensurethat there is destiny compatibility before marriage to ensure that each person involved in the marriage will be able toachieve his/her destiny and by extension affect positively the destinies of their future children, their families,extended families, and community.*Although Ifa consultation is the best way to ensure destiny compatibility between two people, Ifa does provide uswith a general list of people, supported by Odu Ifa, whom we should not have sexual relations with let alone marry.These people are:-one’s mother-one’s father-one’s biological sibling-one’s biological cousin to the 7th generation-one’s biological aunt or uncle-one’s biological grandparents-those of the same sex-children or prepubescent youths or youths not yet of marrying age or mature enough for marriage-one’s spiritual followers, students, or apprentices-house servants, maids, butlers, etc-any children or youths under your care or supervisionTo have sexual relations let alone marry one of the above is to engage in something called Oko Akiikoo or the farmthat is a taboo to cultivate. Serious consequences concerning the person’s destiny are affected by having sexualrelations with let alone marrying any of the above.b. Ifa expects all couples, once the above has been complied with and confirmed before marriage, to support, love,and work hand in hand in being good spouses to one another, being good parents to one’s children, and beingindividuals who contribute to the betterment of each other’s families and the community they belong to.c. The man and woman must show mutual respect for each other’s roles within the nuclear and extended familystructure, and the community. The couple must strive to always find peaceful means of resolving conflicts betweenone another, must not hold grudges, must learn to truly forgive one another when one has erred, must promise not tobring up past offenses especially those that had already been resolved, must promise not to embarrass or demeantheir partner in private let alone in public or around others, or cheat or lie to their partner in any way. Therelationship must be fortified with honesty, humility, compassion, truthfulness, love, understanding, and respect forthe other’s destiny and role in life. Each spouse must support the role and purpose of the other spouse’s destiny. Onemust never do anything that would cause his or her spouse from getting off path in their destiny. The couple mustsupport each other in achieving each other’s individual destiny because in doing so, he/she will be supporting his/herown destiny, that of their children, that of their families, and that of their communities.d. Children must be taken care of, socialized, and be allowed to be disciplined by not only the biological parents butthe extended family and the community. This is mentioned because although it is very important for every child tohave their biological parents in his/her life to train them, the extended family and community also needs to assist inraising such a child to ensure the best possibly trained child who will one day be a shining example of a communitymember. Through the parent, extended family, and community raising the child, the child is ensured to receive thebest orientation of life and truly feel connected to the community they live in. This care and support of children byone’s biological parents, extended family, and the community also ensures that no child will be given up foradoption or that no pregnancy is terminated because of lack of parenting skills, lack of maturity, lack of support, orlack of money.e. Elders, especially those who have reached an age where they may not be able to fend for themselves, feedthemselves, bathe, cook on their own, clean their homes, change their own clothes, etc MUST be taken care of bytheir children, those in the extended family, and those in the community. All followers and priests are responsible forcaring for those who once cared for them. To place one’s father or mother in an institution for strangers to take careof them is NOT what Ifa or the Orisa will support. Why? One’s father and mother took care of you when you couldnot change yourself, feed yourself, bath yourself, fend for yourself, or do anything for yourself. Ifa and the Orisaimplore all children and family members to care of their elders, the same way that those elders once took care ofyou. Not having the time or money is not an excuse for I’m sure one’s parents also struggled with time and money,but they made a conscious choice to still raise you and not give you away for others to do the work for them.3. Religious Community:a. All followers and priests are obligated to demonstrate respect to their elders and seniors in their respectivereligious communities but not only this, but of those not within their own respective religious communities. Respectmust be demonstrated to all religious elders and seniors irrespective of the region they come from, their language,dialect, variation in ritual or ceremonial practices, color, creed, etc. Elders too within these various communities areobligated to respect the youths within their own groups and the youths in other religious groups. These guidelinesare not just to be applied from one Ifa or Orisa group to another but to those who practice other faiths and religionsas well.b. Within our own tradition however, Elders, regardless of years of initiation, experience, knowledge, or no initiationwhatsoever need to be given the most respect, even before a youth or middle aged person who has more years ofinitiation or knowledge than the elder. Elders must be treated with respect firstly simply because of their age. Insaying this, one’s grandmother and grandfather, for example if not initiated would be attended to firstly and be giventheir due respects first even before a priest who is younger in age than one’s grandparents. Age is what should begiven respect to first and all others will fall in line after this.c. There must be mutual respect between all Mentors and their students within our religious communities. Studentsmust be humble, patient, honest, truthful, disciplined, committed, and hardworking. It is these virtues that one’smentor will respect and it is those students who will be taught rituals, rites, medicines, etc that will distinguish themamong other future priests. Because a student is bright and learns quickly or has the money to pay for or the time toacquire the knowledge does not automatically mean that the mentor will give it to the student. No student must everdemonstrate entitlement. All students must realize that what they are taught will match with the character theydemonstrate to their mentor.Mentors too must respect their students and treat them and teach them according to how they behave. If a student ismischievous, lies, cheats, steals, is disrespectful, is not loyal or committed, appears to be in a rush to acquireknowledge, is not reliable, is impatient, is eager to achieve titles, begin working alone, or making money, etc. Thementor has the full right and duty to reprimand the student and discipline them accordingly in which the end resultmay be dismissal from studies. If however, a student is honest, truthful, hardworking, committed, serious, humble,patient, and truly sacrifices to learn, the mentor is obligated to teach this type of student those rituals, rites,ceremonies, medicines, etc. that will distinguish them among other priests. Mentors must not abuse or takeadvantage of their students in any way. Mentors must not cheat, lie to, lead on, sleep with, misinform, or givemisinformation to their students. They are obligated to also be honest, humble, patient, truthful, compassionate, andbe like parents to their students. They must also serve as role models to all their students. The following message isfor all students to understand and put into practice.According to the Late Baba Awo Ifa;mu;yi¾i;wa; O®ke¾mu;yi¾i;wa; Aki;nyo;ômiloô, the first A®pe;si¾n Awo ofE®Ùgba;land, under whom I, Solagabde Popoola, was privileged to study extensively, there are four types/groups ofelders among Awo. These elders are:i. Those who have extensive knowledge of Ifa; but who have bad character. We need to study theirIfa; and ignore their bad character.ii. Those who have poor knowledge of Ifa; but who have good character. We need to study their goodcharacter and ignore their poor Ifa; knowledge.iii. Those who have extensive knowledge of Ifa; and at the same time have good character. We mustbecome their slaves and disciples.iv. Those who have poor knowledge of Ifa; and at the same time have bad character. We must givethem their due respect as A®gba¾ Awo but maintain our social distance from them.4. General Lifestyle:All followers and priests are expected to live by the tenets of Ifa and the Irunmole/Orisa in particular the philosophyof Alasuwada. What does Alasuwada require all of us to do? Let’s first take a look at what the word means as wellas other phrases connected to Alasuwada.a. Alasuwada: He who molds destinies together Ala: owner, Asu: molder, Iwa: destiny, Da: togetherb. Eniyan: the human racec. Alasuwada Eniyan: He who molds together the destinies of the human raced. Asuwada Eniyan: The molding together of the destinies of the human raceNow that we know what Alasuwada means and particularly what Alasuwada Eniyan and Asuwada Eniyan mean,how does this apply to us as practitioners?Ifa, which knows how nature functions, implores each and every living thing here to work together in harmony andrespect each other’s roles/destinies. Many scholars and academics who have studied African Culture and manyIndigenous cultures from other parts of the world have discovered that most early humans lived according tosomething called Communalism or Communal living. In Osa Ogunda as well as many other Ifa verses, we can findthat Communalism or Communal living was the basis of ethics, morals, values, and Iwa Pele for Ifa and Orisafollowers and priests. This is a lifestyle of living that implores all devotees to learn how to coexist in harmony withall around them both animate and inanimate life.It is ONLY through working together, applying the teachings of Alasuwada, and imbibing the virtues of Iwa Rere orIwa Pele that we will all achieve and maintain equilibrium here in the world and achieve not only our individualdestinies but those of our family, community, nation, and the world. Alasuwada teaches us that through communalliving, the individuality of a person does not disappear but actually emerges stronger because that person’srole/destiny will be seen clearly by others and respected for the betterment of all. Let all followers and priests followAlasuwada as their foundation for living so that each and every person’s destiny and other creature’s destinies willcomplement and be in balance with one another.Below is a verse from Osa-Ogunda that shares with us how each and every follower and priest should be interactingwith all forms of life during this sojourn.Iri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili-wiliKoo tu reke-rekeDia fun OrigunTi nloo s’eda ibu orun ati aye ni’gba ijinjiIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili-wiliKoo tu reke-rekeDia fun Olu-IwayeTi nloo p’ero si ibu orun ati aye in kutukutu owuroIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili-wiliKoo tu reke-rekeDia fun Baba-Asemu-Egun-SunwonTi nloo yan ipa fun ibu orun ati aye ni’gba iwaseIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili-wiliKoo tu reke-rekeDia fun Olofin-OteteTi yoo tuu iwa wa si’le ayeNi’jo to nloo gba ado iwa l’owo OlodumareNi’jo ti won yoo tu iwa s’ayeHoro eepe kan sosoO wa di agbon eepe kanAgbon eepe kan lo da ayeIri tu wili tu wiliLa fi da ayeOun la bu da ileKi ire susu o waa su piripiriIre gbogbo wa d’asuwaOrigun lo bi Olu-IwayeOlu-Iwaye lo bi Baba-Asemu-Egun-SunwonBaba-Asemu-Egun-Sunwon lo bi Olofin OteteOlofin Otete lo ru agbon eepe wa sile ayeOlofin Otete gbe agbon eepe da Ile-IfeIre gbogbo wa d’asuwaSikan ni MogunAgiriyan ni Morere eerunAsuwa ni Morere eeyanAsuwa da AyeAsuwa da OrunAsuwa da sileAsekun-Suwada ni’gba iwa a seAsekun-Suwada ni’gba iwa a gunAsuwada ni’gba iwa a roIrun pe susu won gb’oriIrun agbon pe susu won a di ojontarigiOmi pe susu won a d’okunOdo pe susu won a d’osaIgi pe susu, won a di’gboEruwa pe susu, won a d’odanIrawo pe susu, won a gb’orunAgbon pe susu f’owo t’ileIta pe susu bo’leGiri-giri o tan ni’le aladiGiri-giri o tan l’agiyan eerunAsuwa ni t’oyinAsuwa ni t’adoAsuwa l’eeran nhu ni’nu okoAsuwa ni ti osusu owoAsuwa l’eeran nhu ni’nu ahereAsuwa ni ti ElegiiriOpo eniyan tii la a pe l’ogunAsuwa laa b’odanAsuwa l’esu fii je’koAsu opo suu laa ba yindinyindin ni’nu ile e wonAsu opo suu laa ba yaya l’agiriyanAsuwa opo suu laa ba ikan ninu oganAsuwa opo suu la ba ekunkun l’eti omiAsuwa opo suu laa ba labelabe l’okoAsuwa opo suu laa ba oore l’odoAsuwa opo suu laa ba lamilamiEwe adosusu kii duro l’oun nikanAsuwa opo suu laa ba ebeAsuwa opo suu laa ba Igi ErimiAsuwa opo suu laa ba eja egbele l’okunAsuwa opo suu laa ba egungunAkaraba egungunBo ba si je l’odoGbogbo eja ni te leeAlasuwada mo pe o oKi o ran iwa susu waKi o ko ire gbogbo wa ba mi oB’ori kan ba sunwonA ran Igba oOri Origun-Aseda sunwonO ran miB’ori kan sunwonA ran igbaOri mi to sunwonLo ran yinOri i yin to sunwonLo ran miB’ori kan ba sunwonA ran igba-Osa OgundaTranslation:May the dew burst out quicklyMay the dew burst out rapidlyMay the dew burst out continuouslyAnd be vast throughout the expanseThese were the declarations of Ifa for OrigunWhen going to coordinate the creation of the vast expanse of the universe during the dawn oftimeMay the dew burst out quicklyMay the dew burst out rapidlyMay the dew burst out continuouslyAnd be vast throughout the expanseThese were the declarations of Ifa for Olu-IwayeWhen going to sooth and pacify the hotness of the universe during the dawn of lifeMay the dew burst out quicklyMay the dew burst out rapidlyMay the dew burst out continuouslyAnd be vast throughout the expanseThese were the declarations of Ifa for Baba-Asemu-Egun-SunwonWhen going to assign roles and provide order to the vast expanse of the universe during thedawn of creationMay the dew burst out quicklyMay the dew burst out rapidlyMay the dew burst out continuouslyAnd be vast throughout the expanseThese were the declarations of Ifa for Olofin OteteWhen going to steer the boat of existence to the earthAnd when going to collect the miniature gourd of destiny from OlodumareWhen going to steer the boat of existence to the earthA grain of sandTransformed into a basket full of sandA basket full of sand is what was used to create the earthMay the dew burst out quicklyThis was the command used to create the universeIt was also used to create the landSo that clusters of goodness and wellbeing would gather henceforthAll goodness and wellbeing clustered in harmonyOrigun begot Olu-IwayeOlu-Iwaye begot Baba-Asemu-Egun-SunwonBaba-Asemu-Egun-Sunwon begot Olofin-OteteIt was Olofin Otete who carried the basket of sand to the earthOlofin Otete created the land of Ife (for habitation)(Olofin Otete- Primordial name for Oduduwa)Indeed, all goodness and wellbeing clustered in harmonySikan insects swarm around Ogun shrinesThe anthill is the abode of antsGroups of human beings cluster togetherThe creation of the planets were manifested in clustersLikewise that of the heavensLikewise that of the earthTo multiply and arrange during the dawn of lifeTo multiply and organize from the very beginning of existenceAll creations have been occurring in clusters since the beginning of timeHuman hair clusters together and situates itself on the headA man’s facial hair clusters together and becomes thick and bushyDrops of water cluster together to become mighty seasBrooks cluster together to become lagoonsTrees cluster together to become forestsGrasses cluster together to become savannahsStars cluster together and situate themselves in the heavensHornets cluster together to reside on the wall of a houseRed ants cluster together on the groundThe nests of Aladi insects are never bereft of occupantsAn anthill is never bereft of antsBees cluster into swarmsAdo insects cluster into swarmsTo act as a group is the character of the eeran grass on the farmTo act in multitude is the attitude of the broomEeran grass grows in clumps in the farmhouseElegiiri usually fly in flocksA large number of people moving together is an armyBanyan plants are found in tuftsEsu (locusts) devour plants in swarmsMaggots are found clustered in their abodesYaya insects are found clustered in anthillsWhite ants are found clustered in large anthillsEkunkun are found clustered in waterBlade grasses are found clustered on the farmOore plants are found clustered by the riversideDragonflies move in swarmsAdosusu plants do not grow in singles but in tuftsA heap of earth for planting is seen in clustersIn clusters do we find Erinmi treesIn clusters do we find baby fish in the oceanIn clusters do we find the Egungun (ancestors)The Akaraba fishWhen it eats in the waterAll other fish will follow it in drovesLo, the maker of this perfect order, Alasuwada, I beseech youPlease send a conglomerate of good essencesAnd bring abundant blessings and Ire to meIf one Ori is goodIt will extend to 200 othersThe Ori of Origun the creator is blessedAnd it affects me positivelyIf one Ori is blessedIt will extend to 200 othersMy Ori that is blessedHas affected you positivelyYour Ori that is blessedHas affected me positivelyIf one Ori is blessedIt will affect 200 othersWhat was shared above are the general rules set by the International Council for Ifa Religion that govern the practiceof Ifa and Orisa worldwide for followers and priests. These provide a moral map and ethical framework that can beused to find our way through difficult issues in the practice of Ifa, Orisa, and herbal medicine. We shall now share asimilar set of 16 guidelines and rules but specifically for (Priests) Iyanifa, Babalawo, and Olorisa that must beadhered to.1. Honesty: A priest must strive for honesty, report exactly what Ifa or the Orisa say and will not falsify themessages of Ifa or the Eerindilogun or misrepresent facts. He/she must not deceive his/her client, colleagues orthe public. If an Ifa Priest or Olorisa does not know the correct interpretation of an Odu, the ethical thing will beto consult their mentor for guidance or have the client continue with a more adept priest who can help.2. Objectivity: A priest must strive to avoid bias in presenting Ifa and Orisa teachings, injunctions and other areasof Ifa and Orisa knowledge where objectivity is required.3. Integrity: A priest must strive to keep promises and agreements and act with sincerity of purpose andconsistency of thought and action.4. Competence: There must be proper training under a competent Babalawo, Iyanifa, or Olorisa or accredited Ifaor Olorisa college/institution of training and graduation before practicing Ifa or Orisa work. A priest mustmaintain and improve his/her own competence and expertise through lifelong education and training. Goingthrough Ifa or Orisa initiation alone does not automatically confer on an initiate the title of Babalawo, Iyanifa,or Olorisa and does not permit him/her to practice as a Babalawo, Iyanifa, or Olorisa without first going throughthe training and graduating.5. Carefulness: A priest must avoid careless or avoidable errors and negligence. He/she must strive to carefullyand critically examine his/her Ifa and Orisa work in relation to that of other Ifa and Orisa priests and ethics ofIfa and Orisa practice. A priest can also seek the assistance of other priests in handling certain spiritual issues inorder to ensure the spiritual wellbeing of the client.6. Openness: A priest must strive to share knowledge, ideas, tools and resources within Ifa and Orisa groups andbe open to criticism and new ideas.7. Respect for Intellectual property: An Ifa and Orisa priest must honor patents, copyrights and all forms ofintellectual property. A priest must not convert another person’s work into his/her own work. Due reverence andacknowledgment must be given where necessary.8. Confidentiality: A priest must strive to protect confidential Ifa and Eerindilogun divinations/readings of his/herclients and other confidential communications.9. Humility and Respect: A priest must strive to be humble at all times as demonstrated by the Holy ProphetOrunmila. A priest must respect his/her colleagues and elders (especially), acknowledge their presence and treatthem fairly. The council does not condone any form of disrespect to the elders whatsoever. Elders too must alsobe respectful of the youths.10. Social Responsibility: A priest must strive to promote social good and inter-personal relationships within Ifaand Orisa gatherings/fellowships with a view to engendering peace and tranquillity.11. Non-discrimination: A priest must avoid discrimination against colleagues in the practice of Ifa and Orisa onthe basis of sex, ethnicity, race, language, dialect, or country or region of origin.12. Vulgarism/Profanity: A priest must avoid any form of obscenity, swearing, bad language, or any type ofprofanity around Ifa and Orisa shrines or in temples and other sacred places. Ifa/Orisa rites and rituals that aresupposed to be secret must be held sacrosanct and on no account must pictures or videos of these be displayedin the social media for public consumption. There are some rituals and rites that are ok for the general public toview or listen to but please check with your mentor before placing such videos or recordings for the generalpublic to see or hear. The use of vulgar language in general out in public should also be desisted by a good Ifaand Orisa priest as this shall not be tolerated, especially within Ifa and Orisa gatherings, ceremonies, festivals,rites, etc.13. Violence and evil: No Ifa or Orisa priest shall engage in violence or any act of terrorism. The Council isvehemently opposed to these types of acts irrespective of the circumstances. A priest in particular must not thinkor plan evil against a fellow Ifa or Orisa priests, practitioners and any other person of the public.14. Patience: A priest must strive to imbibe the virtue of patience and maintain good character (Iwa Pele) in allhis/her dealings at all times.15. Extortion: A priest must not collect or extort money from the client or any member of the public under falsepretence.16. Ifa and Orisa Initiations: A priest must not single handedly initiate people into Ifa or Orisa as the process ofIfa and Orisa initiation is a life changing one for the person to be initiated. Assistance of other competentBabalawo, Iyanifa, or Olorisa MUST be sought in this regard. To initiate by oneself without the assistance ofother adept or competent priests is regarded as unethical.As we develop and grow in character as Ifa and Orisa followers and priests it is important to know that there is avery strict protocol to training to become a priest. In accordance with traditional Ifa and Orisa practice, initiationalone DOES NOT make one a priest. It is only after one has been trained, tested, and has graduated that one can callhim or herself a priest. Below is the process that ALL would be Ifa priests go through before being bestowed the titleof Babalawo or Iyanifa and being allowed to practice on his/her own. The structure to become an Orisa Priest issimilar but is geared more toward the rituals and rites related to the Orisa one is initiated into. Below is the generalstructure of training to become a Babalawo or Iyanifa (Ifa Priest).7 Steps to becoming a Babalawo or Iyanifa1. One is introduced to the Opon Ifa, the Opon Ifa is opened for the Omo Awo, and a solemn pledge is made to studyIfa and abide by Ifa’s philosophy, ethics, and principals.2. The Omo Awo will begin to learn how to use the Ifa determinants and learn how to cast and identify the varioussignatures using the Ikin or Opele.3. The Omo Awo will be given Ifa verses to memorize and they will be trained in dissecting the various verses inorder to give their future clients an accurate message. They will also memorize the various Ebo, Akunlebo, Ipese,Etutu, etc that are attached to each Ifa verse. The amount of Ifa verses to be memorized before being allowed tograduate depends entirely on the Baba Ifa one is mentoring under. Some will expect only 4 verses per Odu Ifa whichis the minimum allowed in most places, while others may expect 6 or 8 verses before being allowed to graduate.4. The Omo Awo will be taught how to offer Ebo or Ebo Riru (ritual performed on the Opon Ifa consisting ofrecitation of various Ifa verses), perform Akunlebo or Ibo (feeding of the divinities), Ipese (feeding of the elders ofthe night), Ibori (feeding of Ori), Etutu, etc.5. The Omo Awo will be taught how to make various Akose, Atese, Ise Ifa, Oogun, Ajajo, etc.6. The Omo Awo will be taught how to perform Ose Ifa, Odun Ifa, Ikosedaye, Itelodu, Igbeyawo, Isinku, etc7. If the Omo Awo has not yet been initiated into Ifa, the Omo Awo will be initiated into Ifa and given their finalrites of graduation called Ayeye Aseyori Awo. If the Omo Awo was already initiated into Ifa, they will receive theirfinal rites of graduation called Ayeye Aseyori Awo. Even after graduation, the Omo Awo is expected to do aninternship of one to three years before practicing on his/her own.Note: Before graduation takes place, the Omo Awo will be drilled extensively on all they have been learning undertheir Baba Ifa. If the Omo Awo does not pass, they will be asked to continue their studies in those areas they lackedcompetence and will be retested at a later date.Aboru aboye…
The Yoruba are an ethnic group who live in West Africa. They are currently estimated to be about 44 million people, the majority of whom live in Nigeria where they account for about 21% of the country's population. It is one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa, and they speak the Yoruba language. Yoruba communities also live in other countries besides Nigeria which include Ivory Coast, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Saint Lucia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Granada, Brazil, and Jamaica among other regions in the world.
Yoruba ReligionThe Yoruba religion system comprises of traditional practices and spiritual concepts which has evolved into a robust religious system. The Yoruba traditional religion believes that all human beings pass through what is known as Ayanmo which translate to destiny or fate. Therefore, according to the Yoruba, humans are eventually expected to become one in spirit with the divine creator who is also the source of all energy, a state which is also known as Olodumare. Besides, every action or thoughts of an individual in the physical realm interact with other living things, and each tries to achieve and find destiny in the spiritual sphere. According to religion, an individual who stops growing spiritually in any aspect of their lives are destined for invisible potsherds. Life and death in the Yoruba religion belief system is a continuous cycle of existence in different forms of physical bodies while an individual's spirit evolves towards transcendence.
The Yoruba people believe that before one is born, they determine their destiny. They decide long before they ever arrive on Earth on what they will be doing in the world, where they will live, and who they will love, and even on how they will die. The religion also states that after one is born into the world all their plans and promises are forgotten and similarly their destiny is even forgotten. An individual, therefore, tries to remember and claim the future they mapped out before they came into the world. God is an all-powerful being who is not limited by gender and is the supreme deity among the Yoruba community. It is believed that he lives in the skies. The communication between people and God (Olodumare) is carried out by the intercessors commonly known as the Orisas.
OrisaThe orisha in the Yoruba religion function in almost the same way as the Catholic Saints and they are the intercessors between the world of humanity and the divine world. They often act on behalf of the worshippers on Earth and even sometimes against them. There are many different types of Orishas in the Yoruba religion, and it is believed that some were present at the time of creating the world while others were actually human beings who transcended into a semi-divine state.
ReincarnationThe Yoruba religion does not emphasize salvation as in the Christian faith but instead focuses on living a good life. According to religion, reincarnation is not something to be escaped as it is in Buddhism but rather a good thing. Defiant people or those who commit suicide and other cruel people are not reborn. Children are believed to be the reincarnation of ancestors particularly the ones they resemble. To emphasize the concept of reincarnation in the Yoruba religion names such as Babatunde which translate to “father Returns,” Yetunde which translates to “mother comes back again,” Babatunji which translates to “father wakes up” is commonly used. Reincarnation according to the Yoruba religion, gender is not an issue, and it is believed that it changes with reincarnation.
AjogunIn Yoruba traditional religion there are beings known as Ajogun which represent the negative forces and they can cause accidents, illnesses, depression, or any other form of calamity in the society and they are almost equivalent to demons. These deities are supposed to be avoided, and people who are afflicted by Ajogun would have to visit a priest (Ifa) to perform some kind of divination rituals and to prescribe a way of getting rid of the troubling spirit. In Yoruba traditional religion every problem has an explanation which could either be an evil spirit, or one has been bewitched, or they could have upset or neglected and orisha who has to be appeased.
Ase (Ashe)The Yoruba religion also has an Ashe which is a force possessed by humans, and gods also possess them. Ashe is a powerful force and can cause change either for good or for bad, and it is contained in virtually everything in nature such as lighting, hurricane, blood, and even names. Ashe is almost similar to the Chi in the Chinese tradition or the Chakras in the traditional Indian beliefs.
Creation In Yoruba ReligionYoruba religion has an account of creation where the truth was sent to find if the newly formed Earth was habitable for humans. The Earth was one of the several creations, and it was found that it was too wet for humans to live. Later on, different divinities which were led by Obatala accomplish the mission of making the Earth develop its crust to support human life. They ensured that the Earth was fertile and capable of supporting plant life. Ethicsand Behavior expected of all Ifa and Orisa followers andpriestsBelow are the 8 traits that every follower and priest of the Ifa and Orisa tradition must incorporate into their dailylives and hold as his/her foundation of ethics. These are the code of ethics that all must imbibe and pass on to theirgodchildren, biological children, family members, extended family, temple members, community, etc. These are thecharacter traits that support every individual in achieving his/her destiny and also affects positively the destinies ofothers around him/her. To not imbibe these traits is to place oneself off the path of achieving one’s destiny.1. Truthfulness: the ability to speak all those words which after being verified are found to be as they were spoken.2. Honesty: the ability to do things with sincerity of purpose, without cheating or hidden agendas, lies or deceit.Doing things with purity of purpose without blemish.3. Benevolence: the ability to act generously and with the desire to do good at all times without any selfishconsideration.4. Understanding: the ability to know and appreciate how others feel under any circumstance or to be able to knowthe details of how something occurred in any situation. The ability to put other’s feelings into consideration at anygiven time or circumstance.5. Hopefulness: the ability to know and be certain that what one is seeking, as long as it is reasonable, will come topass. The belief that tomorrow will be better than today and that yesterday was not as good as or will be asrewarding as today.6. Patience: the ability and willingness to wait or defer gratification or a result. The ability to wait something outand possibly experience pain, suffering, irritation, grief, etc in the process of waiting. Not forcing something tooccur but doing one’s work and allowing the work to bring about fruits at its appropriate time.7. Dedication: the ability to be totally devoted to any course without looking back. Being able to give oneselfcompletely to a cause, belief, or project after deliberating fully before starting.8. Humility: the ability and willingness to express a moderate opinion or view of one’s abilities, virtues, or worth.Apart from the 8 character traits all followers and priests are expected to display in their everyday lives, thefollowing are the 8 character traits that all followers and priests must avoid displaying. The following 8 traits arewhat destroys a person’s destiny and affects negatively the destinies of others.1. Anger: This is a bitter and violent feeling against others and/or what they represent. This is a negative andunproductive feeling against other people based on real or imaginary reasons.2. Hatred: Having a great dislike for others and/or what they represent. It is a very bad or unpleasant dislike forothers.3. Envy: The inability or refusal to accept another person’s good fortune or success. It is the feeling of discontent atother people’s luck or success.4. Wickedness: The art of thinking, speaking and doing evil and/or wicked things against other people based on realor imaginary reasons.5. Pride: This is a vain or personal dignity. This is an exaggerated feeling of pleasure and subjective satisfaction atone’s possessions or achievements often times at the expense of other people’s feelings or disposition. 6. Intolerance: This is the inability or refusal to bear or endure other people or certain situations or attitudes. It isthe unwillingness to allow others to air their views or express their feelings in any way and/or on any issue becauseof those views or feelings being different from one’s own views or opinions.7. Selfishness: The thinking and planning of one’s own personal pleasure, satisfaction, achievement, aspiration, etcwithout any consideration for other people.8. Greed: The desire for all the good things of life for oneself often at the expense of others. It is the desire toconvert what belongs to many to one’s own alone without any consideration for the feelings or needs of the others.Now that the 8 positive character traits we should follow and the 8 negative character traits we must avoid have beenclearly stated above, we shall now share various examples of how the 8 positive character traits should beincorporated into the various aspects of a follower and priest’s daily life during this sojourn on earth.1. Community/Work Place:a. Respect must be shown to all individuals living in one’s community and work place. This includes people not onlyolder in age living in one’s community or who are at one’s work place, but those who hold positions of authorityover one such as: one’s boss or supervisor and those entrusted to protect and serve our various communities such asfire fighters, the police, doctors, judges, teachers, counselors, public officials, military, etc. This respect must also bereciprocal in that those who are older in age or hold certain positions of authority must also demonstrate respect tothose they are caring for, support, are serving, and of whom may be younger in age. Every follower and priest mustbe seen displaying respect to everyone, especially those of other religious traditions, cultures, nationalities, races,and gender.This respect extends itself to our non-human communities as well which includes the communities of variousanimals, insects, birds, plants, trees, water, mountains, deserts, forests, etc. A follower and priest must displayrespect for these life forms and their environments as well. Why? Because if these life forms and their variousenvironments are not given respect, we as humans will suffer eventually because we are all interconnected and needeach other to live well in this world. Respect therefore is not just something that should exist from human to humansociety but from human to all other types of non-human societies. As a matter of fact, we all live on the mother earthso we in reality are all sharing the same home so respect MUST be given to all those sharing this beautiful planet.We must therefore see everyone and everything as our family member living under the same rooftop.If one truly imbibes and places into practice the 8 positive character traits, one will see that to show respect willbecome something of simplicity even when one may have differing views than another person, culture, race, creed,etc. In imbibing the positive character traits one will also truly understand the greater picture in that it is necessarywe all learn to respect one another for all of our betterment and well-being. We must always keep the big picture inmind in that our sole purpose here is to do good and leave this world better than we found it. If you find yourselfdoing something that is causing more harm than good or no good at all, then some self-reflection may be in orderand a new course or action must be taken. No follower or priest must be engaged in any work or activity that causesimbalance, chaos, or social ills of any type in society or that oppresses anyone or anything. Respect is key for thesethings to be avoided.2. Marriage/Family/Extended family:a. According to Ifa, marriage is the union between a man and a woman and the man and woman’s families and ofwhich the relationship must last well beyond the gestation period. In other words, it is not an individual affair or ashort lived venture. Furthermore, followers and priests must be aware that marriage is something that should not bejumped into. Ifa should always be consulted before any marriage takes place. Why? It is Ifa that will give the finalapproval of whether the man’s and woman’s destinies are compatible or not. All followers and priests mustunderstand that destiny compatibility is the most important factor to consider before marriage and especially whenhaving children. Why? If two people’s destinies are not compatible, rest assured that their lives, those of theirchildren, those of their families, and by extension the community will be impacted negatively in one way shape orform because of the incompatibility. When two people’s destinies are incompatible this signifies that the two peopleare NOT meant to be with one another as spouses and to go against this would lead to very severe consequences, themost severe consequence being placing oneself off the path to one’s destiny . All followers and priests must ensurethat there is destiny compatibility before marriage to ensure that each person involved in the marriage will be able toachieve his/her destiny and by extension affect positively the destinies of their future children, their families,extended families, and community.*Although Ifa consultation is the best way to ensure destiny compatibility between two people, Ifa does provide uswith a general list of people, supported by Odu Ifa, whom we should not have sexual relations with let alone marry.These people are:-one’s mother-one’s father-one’s biological sibling-one’s biological cousin to the 7th generation-one’s biological aunt or uncle-one’s biological grandparents-those of the same sex-children or prepubescent youths or youths not yet of marrying age or mature enough for marriage-one’s spiritual followers, students, or apprentices-house servants, maids, butlers, etc-any children or youths under your care or supervisionTo have sexual relations let alone marry one of the above is to engage in something called Oko Akiikoo or the farmthat is a taboo to cultivate. Serious consequences concerning the person’s destiny are affected by having sexualrelations with let alone marrying any of the above.b. Ifa expects all couples, once the above has been complied with and confirmed before marriage, to support, love,and work hand in hand in being good spouses to one another, being good parents to one’s children, and beingindividuals who contribute to the betterment of each other’s families and the community they belong to.c. The man and woman must show mutual respect for each other’s roles within the nuclear and extended familystructure, and the community. The couple must strive to always find peaceful means of resolving conflicts betweenone another, must not hold grudges, must learn to truly forgive one another when one has erred, must promise not tobring up past offenses especially those that had already been resolved, must promise not to embarrass or demeantheir partner in private let alone in public or around others, or cheat or lie to their partner in any way. Therelationship must be fortified with honesty, humility, compassion, truthfulness, love, understanding, and respect forthe other’s destiny and role in life. Each spouse must support the role and purpose of the other spouse’s destiny. Onemust never do anything that would cause his or her spouse from getting off path in their destiny. The couple mustsupport each other in achieving each other’s individual destiny because in doing so, he/she will be supporting his/herown destiny, that of their children, that of their families, and that of their communities.d. Children must be taken care of, socialized, and be allowed to be disciplined by not only the biological parents butthe extended family and the community. This is mentioned because although it is very important for every child tohave their biological parents in his/her life to train them, the extended family and community also needs to assist inraising such a child to ensure the best possibly trained child who will one day be a shining example of a communitymember. Through the parent, extended family, and community raising the child, the child is ensured to receive thebest orientation of life and truly feel connected to the community they live in. This care and support of children byone’s biological parents, extended family, and the community also ensures that no child will be given up foradoption or that no pregnancy is terminated because of lack of parenting skills, lack of maturity, lack of support, orlack of money.e. Elders, especially those who have reached an age where they may not be able to fend for themselves, feedthemselves, bathe, cook on their own, clean their homes, change their own clothes, etc MUST be taken care of bytheir children, those in the extended family, and those in the community. All followers and priests are responsible forcaring for those who once cared for them. To place one’s father or mother in an institution for strangers to take careof them is NOT what Ifa or the Orisa will support. Why? One’s father and mother took care of you when you couldnot change yourself, feed yourself, bath yourself, fend for yourself, or do anything for yourself. Ifa and the Orisaimplore all children and family members to care of their elders, the same way that those elders once took care ofyou. Not having the time or money is not an excuse for I’m sure one’s parents also struggled with time and money,but they made a conscious choice to still raise you and not give you away for others to do the work for them.3. Religious Community:a. All followers and priests are obligated to demonstrate respect to their elders and seniors in their respectivereligious communities but not only this, but of those not within their own respective religious communities. Respectmust be demonstrated to all religious elders and seniors irrespective of the region they come from, their language,dialect, variation in ritual or ceremonial practices, color, creed, etc. Elders too within these various communities areobligated to respect the youths within their own groups and the youths in other religious groups. These guidelinesare not just to be applied from one Ifa or Orisa group to another but to those who practice other faiths and religionsas well.b. Within our own tradition however, Elders, regardless of years of initiation, experience, knowledge, or no initiationwhatsoever need to be given the most respect, even before a youth or middle aged person who has more years ofinitiation or knowledge than the elder. Elders must be treated with respect firstly simply because of their age. Insaying this, one’s grandmother and grandfather, for example if not initiated would be attended to firstly and be giventheir due respects first even before a priest who is younger in age than one’s grandparents. Age is what should begiven respect to first and all others will fall in line after this.c. There must be mutual respect between all Mentors and their students within our religious communities. Studentsmust be humble, patient, honest, truthful, disciplined, committed, and hardworking. It is these virtues that one’smentor will respect and it is those students who will be taught rituals, rites, medicines, etc that will distinguish themamong other future priests. Because a student is bright and learns quickly or has the money to pay for or the time toacquire the knowledge does not automatically mean that the mentor will give it to the student. No student must everdemonstrate entitlement. All students must realize that what they are taught will match with the character theydemonstrate to their mentor.Mentors too must respect their students and treat them and teach them according to how they behave. If a student ismischievous, lies, cheats, steals, is disrespectful, is not loyal or committed, appears to be in a rush to acquireknowledge, is not reliable, is impatient, is eager to achieve titles, begin working alone, or making money, etc. Thementor has the full right and duty to reprimand the student and discipline them accordingly in which the end resultmay be dismissal from studies. If however, a student is honest, truthful, hardworking, committed, serious, humble,patient, and truly sacrifices to learn, the mentor is obligated to teach this type of student those rituals, rites,ceremonies, medicines, etc. that will distinguish them among other priests. Mentors must not abuse or takeadvantage of their students in any way. Mentors must not cheat, lie to, lead on, sleep with, misinform, or givemisinformation to their students. They are obligated to also be honest, humble, patient, truthful, compassionate, andbe like parents to their students. They must also serve as role models to all their students. The following message isfor all students to understand and put into practice.According to the Late Baba Awo Ifa;mu;yi¾i;wa; O®ke¾mu;yi¾i;wa; Aki;nyo;ômiloô, the first A®pe;si¾n Awo ofE®Ùgba;land, under whom I, Solagabde Popoola, was privileged to study extensively, there are four types/groups ofelders among Awo. These elders are:i. Those who have extensive knowledge of Ifa; but who have bad character. We need to study theirIfa; and ignore their bad character.ii. Those who have poor knowledge of Ifa; but who have good character. We need to study their goodcharacter and ignore their poor Ifa; knowledge.iii. Those who have extensive knowledge of Ifa; and at the same time have good character. We mustbecome their slaves and disciples.iv. Those who have poor knowledge of Ifa; and at the same time have bad character. We must givethem their due respect as A®gba¾ Awo but maintain our social distance from them.4. General Lifestyle:All followers and priests are expected to live by the tenets of Ifa and the Irunmole/Orisa in particular the philosophyof Alasuwada. What does Alasuwada require all of us to do? Let’s first take a look at what the word means as wellas other phrases connected to Alasuwada.a. Alasuwada: He who molds destinies together Ala: owner, Asu: molder, Iwa: destiny, Da: togetherb. Eniyan: the human racec. Alasuwada Eniyan: He who molds together the destinies of the human raced. Asuwada Eniyan: The molding together of the destinies of the human raceNow that we know what Alasuwada means and particularly what Alasuwada Eniyan and Asuwada Eniyan mean,how does this apply to us as practitioners?Ifa, which knows how nature functions, implores each and every living thing here to work together in harmony andrespect each other’s roles/destinies. Many scholars and academics who have studied African Culture and manyIndigenous cultures from other parts of the world have discovered that most early humans lived according tosomething called Communalism or Communal living. In Osa Ogunda as well as many other Ifa verses, we can findthat Communalism or Communal living was the basis of ethics, morals, values, and Iwa Pele for Ifa and Orisafollowers and priests. This is a lifestyle of living that implores all devotees to learn how to coexist in harmony withall around them both animate and inanimate life.It is ONLY through working together, applying the teachings of Alasuwada, and imbibing the virtues of Iwa Rere orIwa Pele that we will all achieve and maintain equilibrium here in the world and achieve not only our individualdestinies but those of our family, community, nation, and the world. Alasuwada teaches us that through communalliving, the individuality of a person does not disappear but actually emerges stronger because that person’srole/destiny will be seen clearly by others and respected for the betterment of all. Let all followers and priests followAlasuwada as their foundation for living so that each and every person’s destiny and other creature’s destinies willcomplement and be in balance with one another.Below is a verse from Osa-Ogunda that shares with us how each and every follower and priest should be interactingwith all forms of life during this sojourn.Iri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili-wiliKoo tu reke-rekeDia fun OrigunTi nloo s’eda ibu orun ati aye ni’gba ijinjiIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili-wiliKoo tu reke-rekeDia fun Olu-IwayeTi nloo p’ero si ibu orun ati aye in kutukutu owuroIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili-wiliKoo tu reke-rekeDia fun Baba-Asemu-Egun-SunwonTi nloo yan ipa fun ibu orun ati aye ni’gba iwaseIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili tu wiliIri tu wili-wiliKoo tu reke-rekeDia fun Olofin-OteteTi yoo tuu iwa wa si’le ayeNi’jo to nloo gba ado iwa l’owo OlodumareNi’jo ti won yoo tu iwa s’ayeHoro eepe kan sosoO wa di agbon eepe kanAgbon eepe kan lo da ayeIri tu wili tu wiliLa fi da ayeOun la bu da ileKi ire susu o waa su piripiriIre gbogbo wa d’asuwaOrigun lo bi Olu-IwayeOlu-Iwaye lo bi Baba-Asemu-Egun-SunwonBaba-Asemu-Egun-Sunwon lo bi Olofin OteteOlofin Otete lo ru agbon eepe wa sile ayeOlofin Otete gbe agbon eepe da Ile-IfeIre gbogbo wa d’asuwaSikan ni MogunAgiriyan ni Morere eerunAsuwa ni Morere eeyanAsuwa da AyeAsuwa da OrunAsuwa da sileAsekun-Suwada ni’gba iwa a seAsekun-Suwada ni’gba iwa a gunAsuwada ni’gba iwa a roIrun pe susu won gb’oriIrun agbon pe susu won a di ojontarigiOmi pe susu won a d’okunOdo pe susu won a d’osaIgi pe susu, won a di’gboEruwa pe susu, won a d’odanIrawo pe susu, won a gb’orunAgbon pe susu f’owo t’ileIta pe susu bo’leGiri-giri o tan ni’le aladiGiri-giri o tan l’agiyan eerunAsuwa ni t’oyinAsuwa ni t’adoAsuwa l’eeran nhu ni’nu okoAsuwa ni ti osusu owoAsuwa l’eeran nhu ni’nu ahereAsuwa ni ti ElegiiriOpo eniyan tii la a pe l’ogunAsuwa laa b’odanAsuwa l’esu fii je’koAsu opo suu laa ba yindinyindin ni’nu ile e wonAsu opo suu laa ba yaya l’agiriyanAsuwa opo suu laa ba ikan ninu oganAsuwa opo suu la ba ekunkun l’eti omiAsuwa opo suu laa ba labelabe l’okoAsuwa opo suu laa ba oore l’odoAsuwa opo suu laa ba lamilamiEwe adosusu kii duro l’oun nikanAsuwa opo suu laa ba ebeAsuwa opo suu laa ba Igi ErimiAsuwa opo suu laa ba eja egbele l’okunAsuwa opo suu laa ba egungunAkaraba egungunBo ba si je l’odoGbogbo eja ni te leeAlasuwada mo pe o oKi o ran iwa susu waKi o ko ire gbogbo wa ba mi oB’ori kan ba sunwonA ran Igba oOri Origun-Aseda sunwonO ran miB’ori kan sunwonA ran igbaOri mi to sunwonLo ran yinOri i yin to sunwonLo ran miB’ori kan ba sunwonA ran igba-Osa OgundaTranslation:May the dew burst out quicklyMay the dew burst out rapidlyMay the dew burst out continuouslyAnd be vast throughout the expanseThese were the declarations of Ifa for OrigunWhen going to coordinate the creation of the vast expanse of the universe during the dawn oftimeMay the dew burst out quicklyMay the dew burst out rapidlyMay the dew burst out continuouslyAnd be vast throughout the expanseThese were the declarations of Ifa for Olu-IwayeWhen going to sooth and pacify the hotness of the universe during the dawn of lifeMay the dew burst out quicklyMay the dew burst out rapidlyMay the dew burst out continuouslyAnd be vast throughout the expanseThese were the declarations of Ifa for Baba-Asemu-Egun-SunwonWhen going to assign roles and provide order to the vast expanse of the universe during thedawn of creationMay the dew burst out quicklyMay the dew burst out rapidlyMay the dew burst out continuouslyAnd be vast throughout the expanseThese were the declarations of Ifa for Olofin OteteWhen going to steer the boat of existence to the earthAnd when going to collect the miniature gourd of destiny from OlodumareWhen going to steer the boat of existence to the earthA grain of sandTransformed into a basket full of sandA basket full of sand is what was used to create the earthMay the dew burst out quicklyThis was the command used to create the universeIt was also used to create the landSo that clusters of goodness and wellbeing would gather henceforthAll goodness and wellbeing clustered in harmonyOrigun begot Olu-IwayeOlu-Iwaye begot Baba-Asemu-Egun-SunwonBaba-Asemu-Egun-Sunwon begot Olofin-OteteIt was Olofin Otete who carried the basket of sand to the earthOlofin Otete created the land of Ife (for habitation)(Olofin Otete- Primordial name for Oduduwa)Indeed, all goodness and wellbeing clustered in harmonySikan insects swarm around Ogun shrinesThe anthill is the abode of antsGroups of human beings cluster togetherThe creation of the planets were manifested in clustersLikewise that of the heavensLikewise that of the earthTo multiply and arrange during the dawn of lifeTo multiply and organize from the very beginning of existenceAll creations have been occurring in clusters since the beginning of timeHuman hair clusters together and situates itself on the headA man’s facial hair clusters together and becomes thick and bushyDrops of water cluster together to become mighty seasBrooks cluster together to become lagoonsTrees cluster together to become forestsGrasses cluster together to become savannahsStars cluster together and situate themselves in the heavensHornets cluster together to reside on the wall of a houseRed ants cluster together on the groundThe nests of Aladi insects are never bereft of occupantsAn anthill is never bereft of antsBees cluster into swarmsAdo insects cluster into swarmsTo act as a group is the character of the eeran grass on the farmTo act in multitude is the attitude of the broomEeran grass grows in clumps in the farmhouseElegiiri usually fly in flocksA large number of people moving together is an armyBanyan plants are found in tuftsEsu (locusts) devour plants in swarmsMaggots are found clustered in their abodesYaya insects are found clustered in anthillsWhite ants are found clustered in large anthillsEkunkun are found clustered in waterBlade grasses are found clustered on the farmOore plants are found clustered by the riversideDragonflies move in swarmsAdosusu plants do not grow in singles but in tuftsA heap of earth for planting is seen in clustersIn clusters do we find Erinmi treesIn clusters do we find baby fish in the oceanIn clusters do we find the Egungun (ancestors)The Akaraba fishWhen it eats in the waterAll other fish will follow it in drovesLo, the maker of this perfect order, Alasuwada, I beseech youPlease send a conglomerate of good essencesAnd bring abundant blessings and Ire to meIf one Ori is goodIt will extend to 200 othersThe Ori of Origun the creator is blessedAnd it affects me positivelyIf one Ori is blessedIt will extend to 200 othersMy Ori that is blessedHas affected you positivelyYour Ori that is blessedHas affected me positivelyIf one Ori is blessedIt will affect 200 othersWhat was shared above are the general rules set by the International Council for Ifa Religion that govern the practiceof Ifa and Orisa worldwide for followers and priests. These provide a moral map and ethical framework that can beused to find our way through difficult issues in the practice of Ifa, Orisa, and herbal medicine. We shall now share asimilar set of 16 guidelines and rules but specifically for (Priests) Iyanifa, Babalawo, and Olorisa that must beadhered to.1. Honesty: A priest must strive for honesty, report exactly what Ifa or the Orisa say and will not falsify themessages of Ifa or the Eerindilogun or misrepresent facts. He/she must not deceive his/her client, colleagues orthe public. If an Ifa Priest or Olorisa does not know the correct interpretation of an Odu, the ethical thing will beto consult their mentor for guidance or have the client continue with a more adept priest who can help.2. Objectivity: A priest must strive to avoid bias in presenting Ifa and Orisa teachings, injunctions and other areasof Ifa and Orisa knowledge where objectivity is required.3. Integrity: A priest must strive to keep promises and agreements and act with sincerity of purpose andconsistency of thought and action.4. Competence: There must be proper training under a competent Babalawo, Iyanifa, or Olorisa or accredited Ifaor Olorisa college/institution of training and graduation before practicing Ifa or Orisa work. A priest mustmaintain and improve his/her own competence and expertise through lifelong education and training. Goingthrough Ifa or Orisa initiation alone does not automatically confer on an initiate the title of Babalawo, Iyanifa,or Olorisa and does not permit him/her to practice as a Babalawo, Iyanifa, or Olorisa without first going throughthe training and graduating.5. Carefulness: A priest must avoid careless or avoidable errors and negligence. He/she must strive to carefullyand critically examine his/her Ifa and Orisa work in relation to that of other Ifa and Orisa priests and ethics ofIfa and Orisa practice. A priest can also seek the assistance of other priests in handling certain spiritual issues inorder to ensure the spiritual wellbeing of the client.6. Openness: A priest must strive to share knowledge, ideas, tools and resources within Ifa and Orisa groups andbe open to criticism and new ideas.7. Respect for Intellectual property: An Ifa and Orisa priest must honor patents, copyrights and all forms ofintellectual property. A priest must not convert another person’s work into his/her own work. Due reverence andacknowledgment must be given where necessary.8. Confidentiality: A priest must strive to protect confidential Ifa and Eerindilogun divinations/readings of his/herclients and other confidential communications.9. Humility and Respect: A priest must strive to be humble at all times as demonstrated by the Holy ProphetOrunmila. A priest must respect his/her colleagues and elders (especially), acknowledge their presence and treatthem fairly. The council does not condone any form of disrespect to the elders whatsoever. Elders too must alsobe respectful of the youths.10. Social Responsibility: A priest must strive to promote social good and inter-personal relationships within Ifaand Orisa gatherings/fellowships with a view to engendering peace and tranquillity.11. Non-discrimination: A priest must avoid discrimination against colleagues in the practice of Ifa and Orisa onthe basis of sex, ethnicity, race, language, dialect, or country or region of origin.12. Vulgarism/Profanity: A priest must avoid any form of obscenity, swearing, bad language, or any type ofprofanity around Ifa and Orisa shrines or in temples and other sacred places. Ifa/Orisa rites and rituals that aresupposed to be secret must be held sacrosanct and on no account must pictures or videos of these be displayedin the social media for public consumption. There are some rituals and rites that are ok for the general public toview or listen to but please check with your mentor before placing such videos or recordings for the generalpublic to see or hear. The use of vulgar language in general out in public should also be desisted by a good Ifaand Orisa priest as this shall not be tolerated, especially within Ifa and Orisa gatherings, ceremonies, festivals,rites, etc.13. Violence and evil: No Ifa or Orisa priest shall engage in violence or any act of terrorism. The Council isvehemently opposed to these types of acts irrespective of the circumstances. A priest in particular must not thinkor plan evil against a fellow Ifa or Orisa priests, practitioners and any other person of the public.14. Patience: A priest must strive to imbibe the virtue of patience and maintain good character (Iwa Pele) in allhis/her dealings at all times.15. Extortion: A priest must not collect or extort money from the client or any member of the public under falsepretence.16. Ifa and Orisa Initiations: A priest must not single handedly initiate people into Ifa or Orisa as the process ofIfa and Orisa initiation is a life changing one for the person to be initiated. Assistance of other competentBabalawo, Iyanifa, or Olorisa MUST be sought in this regard. To initiate by oneself without the assistance ofother adept or competent priests is regarded as unethical.As we develop and grow in character as Ifa and Orisa followers and priests it is important to know that there is avery strict protocol to training to become a priest. In accordance with traditional Ifa and Orisa practice, initiationalone DOES NOT make one a priest. It is only after one has been trained, tested, and has graduated that one can callhim or herself a priest. Below is the process that ALL would be Ifa priests go through before being bestowed the titleof Babalawo or Iyanifa and being allowed to practice on his/her own. The structure to become an Orisa Priest issimilar but is geared more toward the rituals and rites related to the Orisa one is initiated into. Below is the generalstructure of training to become a Babalawo or Iyanifa (Ifa Priest).7 Steps to becoming a Babalawo or Iyanifa1. One is introduced to the Opon Ifa, the Opon Ifa is opened for the Omo Awo, and a solemn pledge is made to studyIfa and abide by Ifa’s philosophy, ethics, and principals.2. The Omo Awo will begin to learn how to use the Ifa determinants and learn how to cast and identify the varioussignatures using the Ikin or Opele.3. The Omo Awo will be given Ifa verses to memorize and they will be trained in dissecting the various verses inorder to give their future clients an accurate message. They will also memorize the various Ebo, Akunlebo, Ipese,Etutu, etc that are attached to each Ifa verse. The amount of Ifa verses to be memorized before being allowed tograduate depends entirely on the Baba Ifa one is mentoring under. Some will expect only 4 verses per Odu Ifa whichis the minimum allowed in most places, while others may expect 6 or 8 verses before being allowed to graduate.4. The Omo Awo will be taught how to offer Ebo or Ebo Riru (ritual performed on the Opon Ifa consisting ofrecitation of various Ifa verses), perform Akunlebo or Ibo (feeding of the divinities), Ipese (feeding of the elders ofthe night), Ibori (feeding of Ori), Etutu, etc.5. The Omo Awo will be taught how to make various Akose, Atese, Ise Ifa, Oogun, Ajajo, etc.6. The Omo Awo will be taught how to perform Ose Ifa, Odun Ifa, Ikosedaye, Itelodu, Igbeyawo, Isinku, etc7. If the Omo Awo has not yet been initiated into Ifa, the Omo Awo will be initiated into Ifa and given their finalrites of graduation called Ayeye Aseyori Awo. If the Omo Awo was already initiated into Ifa, they will receive theirfinal rites of graduation called Ayeye Aseyori Awo. Even after graduation, the Omo Awo is expected to do aninternship of one to three years before practicing on his/her own.Note: Before graduation takes place, the Omo Awo will be drilled extensively on all they have been learning undertheir Baba Ifa. If the Omo Awo does not pass, they will be asked to continue their studies in those areas they lackedcompetence and will be retested at a later date.Aboru aboye…