I made ifa in cuba with ofun meji, my odu is oshe cana and after i made ifa nobady had anserds for my odu, i made ifa in 1998 and never have the onor of work with ifa,i need to know wy babalaws do not know abaut oshe cana,i need to know my odu. Empowering your life through the ancient african religion of ifa by philip j. Awon odu ifa meerindinlogun to fi sile naa ni won ntele. It says to us be able to suffer without surrendering and persevere in what you do odu, 150. I have no animosity towards any gender or sexual orientation. The holy odu irosun ose reveals the primacy of ifa according to the fon tradition of dahomey. A collection of verses from the 256 ifa odu with commentary by fasola, awo fategbe fatunmbi isbn. Aboru aboye i am interested in purchasing an exploration of odu ifa i am a future awo, and i love reading the poetry and understanding the lesson within the odu ifa. While casting the oracle is restricted to initiates, noninitiates and initiates alike may use this as a study guide on the 16 odu, the sacred scriptures of the ifa religion. All the gods contributed what gold they had, and orunmila supplied the articles for the bag. Jaap does not practice inside the usual orunmila system, but operates as an independent diviner. English an additional spanish edition will be released in the near future containing over 1,024 verses of ifa from all 256 odu ifa, in english and yoruba, this book is a much needed resource for all ifa diviners and. Odu ifa says that one who makes a small sacrifice will have a small result odu, 45. Awon orisa bi ogun, sango, oya, obatala, esu ati bee bee lo je awon ti orunmila nba wa jije ati mimu.
In addition he made a study of odu related to iyaami osoranga and printed a volume of the verses he collected on this important subject. This 735page book, with 1,200 verses many odu including both yoruba and english, provides a good and reliable source of ifa and is a culmination of seven years of compiling and 16 years of. Odu ifa is a vast body of literary prose and poetry that encapsulates the experiences and wisdom of the yoruba. Odun ifa is the annual ifa festival, during which rites and ceremonies are performed. Eewotaboos and living life within the tradition of ifa.
An introduction to islamic law, joseph schacht, 1964, religion, 304 pages. In this process of scrapping, scrub and swallowing gave birth the ifa word. An interpretation of ifa that recognizes that the teachings of ifa allow that only a man can be initiated as a babalawo. Furthermore, odu ifa is referred to as the sacred text of the spiritual and ethical tradition of the yoruba people karenga, 1999. Shop more products from ifa books by egbe iwapele on storenvy, the home of independent small businesses all over the world. Sep 30, 2014 he made several trips to africa where he received ifa and was given the name awo fatunmbi. About 25 years ago, i noticed that some of my books were not available, so i finished some of them. The book provides coverage of ifa history, and an extensive sample of ifa verses, both in the original yoruba and in english translation.
The ifa religion teaches us, through a study of odu, that it was. Handbook of black studies, molefi asante and maulana karenga, eds. The next 240 odu ifa are combinations of the first 16. The reason why from holy odu ifa awogbemiga fasina bogunmbe, awopeju bogunmbe on. The holy odu irosun ose reveals the primacy of ifa. For most american readers, we get information on religious practices from europeans on the television, but to read this text on ifa for yourself makes you to understand the absurdity of some previously held notions on african religions, in particular. Odu ifa pdf the secret of ifa divination and the teachings of orunmila are embodied in the odu, a collection of stories having a. The development of the 16 tetragrams universal ifa.
May olodumare, orunmila, the orisha, and our egun continue to bless all the members of oyeku ofun. Jaap verduijn has been a student of ifa since 1982, becoming an avid collector of ifa texts ese odu ifa almost immediately, and a practicing ifa diviner not much later. Awon pupa represents spiritual forces of fire and fierceness and is related to the blood, to the passions, and is the principle that actively infuses any form of germination with power. In miami florida with the traditions brought to cuba in the 1800s. Its sacred narratives and divination focus have been welldiscussed, but less attention has been given to the rich resource it.
Secrets of the odus ifa is the first english translation of the 256 odu texts of ifa. The ifa divination system, which makes use of an extensive corpus of texts, is practised among yoruba communities. Popular ifa books showing 150 of 106 the way of orisa. It would also be most helpful to know your mental processes when interacting with odu. In this odu, it is prohibited to smoke in the igbodu ifa. Volume 1 the 1st series sacred odu ifa kindle edition by adedayo ologundudu. The holy odu is a collection of odus from the ifa literary corpus. When he reached the end of the chain he saw he still had some distance to go. Yoruba beliefs spiritual tenets of ifa black spirituality religion general discussion. These sacred teachings have been passed down orally for thousands of years only to be first written about in the 20th century. Jaap verduijn finally is publishing his odu ifa collection, fully illustrated by brenda beek. University village bookstore old dominion university. These ese come from wande abimbola, a prominent ifa scholar and priest. This first edition of the iwori book, contains 88 ifa verses and their metaphysical.
Each one of the 256 odu has its specific divination signature, which is determined through a procedure held by thebabalawo using sacred palmnuts and a divination chain. Secrets of the odus of ifa 3 when this odu is seen, the clients body is cleansed with anil bluecolored mineral balls mixed with water and that water is also thrown onto the floor, is left there for a short while, and finally, it is mopped up. Get the best deals on ifa books when you shop the largest online selection at. When all was ready, obatala hung the chain from a corner of the sky, placed the bag over his shoulder, and started the downward climb. Oluwo ifa, mufu awoseyi akinpelu tun tesiwaju wipe awon ko eko ifa yi lodo baba awon ti.
Curujey, zazafran, hiedra, orquidea, and all parasitic plants proverbs of the odu. Im no fan of karenga and i was hesitant to purchase because of other suggestions that it is a copy of sacred ifa oracle. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Leyin igbati orunmila ti lo, awon babalawo ni won nbase ifa lo. If youre writing a book on the 256 odu ifa and you barely have 200 odu cited, then id say youve failed to deliver what you promised. These three books are a foundation for learning the art of divination and for using effective prayers and invocations in the process of making offerings. Babalawo cowrie shell divination divination divinity ebo eewo eledumare esu ewe ifa ewe oogun friendship god grace gratitude ifa ifa divination ifa initiation ifa religion igbodu ikin ifa irunmole itelodu iwa pele joan rivers ochun odu ifa olodumare ori orisa orunmila osun oxum positive thinking power of prayer prayer religion spiritual beliefs. I wrote them to be used as reference books for the ongoing study of the elements of ifa ritual. Seek wisdom beyond sacrifices, sit down with spiritual teachers. Osun and the origins of the ifa divination wande abimbola y ifa divination we mean ifa and related systems of divination based on the stories and symbols of the odu such as dida owo divination with the sacred divining chain called opele. May 18, 2017 open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.
Interpreted directly from verses of odu ifa, the book looks at 30 different stories and the morals the stories seek to relay. Each one of the 256 odu has its specific divination signature, which is determined through a procedure held by thebabalawo using sacred palmnuts and. While both elements reveal a small part of odu, the greater mystery lies far below the surface. When this odu is seen, the person must stay in their home and not make any unnecessary trips out onto the street for a period of 7 days, between the hours of 12 noon and 6 p. Eewotaboos and living life within the tradition of ifa april 6, 2014 by farinade 11 comments the yoruba tradition of ifa is very clear about eewotaboosand every person initiated into ifa, itelodu, or who has a naming ceremony at birth, is given their taboos to guide them in life. They are rendered into english and arranged in alphabetical order. Awo, dafa and oriki and different in that they focus on the use of ifa sacred technology. Borun awaniri lorin oni ifa awo beheni, awo kanibi ifa awakeni, ifa oribaye, awo abiwa abani awo iworisa iworibosa adifafun baba ajagunan elese olofin amego agboni alogun gbogbo aaye olofin ala merere kaferefun obatala, lodafun odu iworiboka iworiboka adifafun orunmila, iworiboka loko adifafun arunmila, adie eleba, baba boka eunugun ashaba gaga. This becomes the universal application of ifas 16 signs. This collection contains a small sampling of the entire corpus with 2 ese verses for each of the 16 major odus and 1 ese verse for each of the. Suffering that befalls a person, will not kill him, tough times that befalls a person. Ifa n gbaye lo ogberi ko mo ifa is spreading globally but the nonbelievers are unaware.
Containing over 1,024 verses of ifa from all 256 odu ifa, in english and yoruba, this book is a much needed resource for all ifa diviners and adherents why did we feel the need to publish this book. Chapter 7 the cosmological view of man or the spiritual anatomy of man metu neter vols i ii iii study group. Mar 30, 2015 many people define odu as the physical symbols used to mark the signs received during the divination process. So, also you require obligation from the firm, you may not be confused any more since books the sacred ifa oracle by afolabi a. University of sankore press, 2006 paperback edition. The ifa literary corpus, called odu, consists of 256 parts, which are subdivided into verses called ese, whose exact number is unknown as it is in constant growth ther are around 800ese per edu. Ogbe ika are the two odu combined together during ifa divination and these two odu ifa are ogbe which is also known as ejiogbe or ogbe meji and ika or ika meji. Ifa, a system of divination, is one of the cults comprising the traditional religion of the yoruba. Produced by old dominions office of strategic communication and marketing, monarch mailer features the universitys top news stories and events. Maulana karenga nowhere is the profundity and beauty of african spirituality more apparent than in the odu ifa, the sacred text of the spiritual and ethical tradition of ifa, which is one of. Awo falokun begins to unravel the sacred history and the concept relating to the immortals to bring the reader a full appreciation for the path of ifa. Also, a central moral quest in the ifa spiritual and ethical tradition is to achieve iwapele, a gentle character or. The odu ifa, the sacred text of the spiritual and ethical tradition of ifa, is one of the great sacred texts in the world and a classic of african and world literature.
Iwe ise wiwo pelu etutu ati lilo awon odu ifa lati owo ogbeni. Others equate odu with the verses associated with each symbol that form part of the body of the ifa divinatory corpus. The merindinlogun is the primary oracle used by theorisha priest. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone.
Monarch mailer is an enewsletter published monthly for friends of old dominion university. The series of odu ifa books will, once completed, count between 3000 and 3,500 pages, a collection larger than any other hitherto published. Ifa says this person should offer a sacrifice, for the sign that is cast here. The odu ifa are patterns of binary code, opened and closed nodules, which represent all of the energies contained in igba iwa, the calabash of existence, or. One is introduced to the opon ifa, the opon ifa is opened for the omo awo, and a solemn pledge is made to study ifa and abide by ifas philosophy, ethics, and principals. This fully illustrated odu book is the fourth in a series of sixteen books.
Odu ifa africas sources of knowledge digital library. He made several trips to africa where he received ifa and was given the name awo fatunmbi. The 16 mother odus as universal ifa ayele kumari, phd. Adding again a single line and double line to the trigrams then produces the 16 tetragrams. Ifa divination trays from isaleoyo openedition journals. The tales are ancient in origin, yet are as relevant and applicable today as they were in ancient times. Design, layout and drawings in the books are created by his talented student and by now fullyfledged colleague brenda beek. These 16 tetragrams represent the 16 fractals or fractions of light reflected on the moon by the sun. He wrote a number of books in portuguese including a welldocumented study of herbs associated with odu ifa. The yoruba believes that the supreme essence or force from which all creation emanated is recognized as olodumare or olorun which means owner of heaven or lord of heaven, the supreme head of all divinities. The stories, ebos sacrifices and interpretations of ogbe and ika are told to the divinee by the babalawo. This fully illustrated odu book is the first in a series of sixteen books. In ifa metaphysics the universe is a result of the power of expansion and of contraction. The divinity of odu ifa was captured in the account of karenga.
In addition to funfun and dudu is awon pupa, the mystery of redness. Empowering your life through the ancient african religion of ifa paperback by. I wish you and other babalawo can tell the world about your personal,intimate experiences with ifa. Empowering your life through the ancient african religion of ifa paperback. This is a benevolent universe on this odu ifa oyekulogbe says. The odu verses presented are insightfuland necessary especially because there are so many ethical lapses with. Code of ethics specifically for ifa and orisa priests. Adding this to some wonderful definitions of odu i am compiling. Odu is at once a deity and the term we use for the letters or signs that come up when we perform divination. The omo awo will begin to learn how to use the ifa determinants and learn how to cast and. Ifa says this persons blessings will come in a very curious way and she will become rich in odu irosun meji. The odu verses presented are insightfuland necessary especially because there are so many ethical lapses with priests. Ifa says the person with this odu ifa should offer sacrifice to ifa, sango and ritual to awon iyami. She said, when she made this money, she repaid her debt.
This second edition of the ika book, contains 70 ifa verses and their metaphysical observations. A women or homosexual is excluded by the ifa odu s. The ifa concept of altered states sold by ifa books by egbe iwapele. The spiritual and ethical tradition of ifa of ancient. Unlike other recent translations of the yoruba odus, this book preserves the format and content of the lukumi system of cuba.
In schools, they only read leaflets or some texts given by teachers. A tree knot fears no rain cast ifa for olodumare agotun the ruler who created the wellbalanced earth that cannot be. That is why it is associated with ifa, who is also life, existence. Within the west african cultural spirituality of the yoruba, ela is known as the spirit of light and manifestation meaning all things came into.