The custom of Ifa consultation part 1

Ifa must be consulted at all time for guidance or injunction by single individuals groups and/or communities. Examples abound in Ifa corpus and a few of these will be highlighted.

Why or on what do we consult Ifa on?. The following explains that.

A: Strife- - (Personal or communal) :
Many verses belong to this group and Ifa's  prescriptions have been known to work very well. In irosun - meji we see how various numerous kinds of misfortune and strife besieged the twin Cities of Ife and igbo in ancient times.

2: Marriage and selection of mate:
Here, the families of the Bride- to- be and the Bridegroom- to- be solicit for divination separately or jointly. Sometimes expected problems are highlighted. Sometimes they are advised not to get married to each other due to incompatibilities from various point of life. Some examples are written here. (Note: CONSANGUINEOUS MARRIAGEIS OUTLAWED BY IFA).
● When Ifa says that the situation  of the marriage is propitious; that is, the marriage is positive and can go ahead. In this case it is said that Ifa says good.

● When Ifa says that the marriage is propitious but there  are conditions that need to be fulfilled to qualify the spouses - to- be for their married life. Idin- gbe is one of the Odu that presents. It shows a situation in which Ifa also provides for the seeker, precise advice on the conditionally to be fulfilled in order to have a happy married life.

Lajumbala(name) was seeking for a fruitful  soulmate  and he decided to go for an Ifa consultation.  He was told by Ifa to get married to an older woman for him to have a happy married life..  (idin gbe)

● When Ifa says that the prospects for a happy married life are dim. Here,  the couple is advised to refrain from marrying each other. The prescription is usually the only one that works or else Ifa prescribes a way to solve the problem, through ebo and other means. In these situations,  as will be shown below, Ifa is sometimes very clearly unequivocal.

In  a case expressed in a odu, Ifa is unequivocal,  ifa even prescribes that the couple refrain from getting married,  no matter the reasons they may want to do so. This kind of directive is usually based in the part on Ifa's ability to provide prophetic direction for those who seek clarification and/or guidance for the future as all prospective marriages should be.

3: Oke Iponri ( state in spirituality) :
This is the State In sprituallity of a person. This has several implications for the person's life and well being. The state in spirituality is actually  an evaluation of a person's present well being spiritual and mental their state of preparedness for the future demands as well as their propensity for making  the  best if present situations.  At the spiritual level, Oke Iponri determines a person's impending  situations and advices accordingly.  In other words,  one might say that oke Iponri  is equivalent  to the sounding of Ifa's opinion on one's state of spirituality for general well being.  For several verses of odu Ifa,  It was gathered that clients who were  in good state of health went to the babalawo  to check their Oke Iponri. For example, If a Babalawo  sees death lurking behind a client or his family relations  or friends, neighbors, the Babalawo gives Ifa's prescription of what needs to be done to avert the impending disaster. Some do comply and some don't.  At times if the  odu Ifa  that appears sees no problem, the client is simply discharged to go home and enjoy his or her life.

 It is therefore clear that Ifa also provides a form of preventive care that involves evaluation diagnoses and prescriptions for spiritual and mental, physical  health .  The Odu of Ifa therefore serve multiple functions. Knowing and understanding the Odu of Ifa is therefore paramount  importance for the student Babalawo and for the people served.