Posts

Showing posts with the label Odu Ifa

10 things you must never do as an Ogunda-Bede Initiate

Image
1.  Y ou must never abandon Ifa for any other religious faith :  This is because Ifa has  been  giving you support and elevation on so many occasions and Ifa believes that you should follow the religion that has supported you to overcome your obstacles and to gain success.   2.  You m ust never tell lies :  Ogunda bede abhors lies and as advises all its initiates never to tell lies. In the same vein, you must never move with those who are dishonest and those who cheat others . Failure to abide by this may bring forth unconsummated fortune.   3.  You m ust never pay good with evil :  In other words, Ogunda bede children must never be an ingrate. Paying good with evil may lead to your  downfall, and in most cases, slow and painful disaster.   4.  You m ust never steal :  Deter yourself from any act of stealing as Ogunda-bede frowns upon it. Indulging in this kind of anti-social act may incur the wrath of the divinities....

Who is an Ìyánífá?

Image
Categorically and assertively, the word or term ìyánífá is never a new one; it is as old as the word or term known as Babaláwo or Ifá, but certainly, it is not the opposite of or synonymous with Babaláwo. But, sadly, the etymological meaning and the actual definition of ìyánífá is being badly altered and influenced, presently, by many pseudo Babaláwos (both in Yorùbáland and in the diaspora), objectively to promote Western values and ideas; and to also massage the ego and adress what they identified as "identity crisis" being faced by the so called "emerging" female Ifá Diviners and the ever rising number of female Ifá Devotees in Western world and Diaspora in general. Traditionally, Ìyánífá refers to any woman (irrespective of age or spiritual background) married to any practising Babaláwo (Ifá Diviner /Priest) commonly called "Apẹ̀tẹ̀bí aya Awo" choosen by the Babaláwo for the singular purpose of serving as Ìyánífá (Godmother) during the "Ìtẹ̀f...

Ifá practice and perversions of natural order -- Oloye Fakunle Oyesanya

Image
Every community or society has social norms which can be descriptive or injunctive in nature. Norms can refer to what is commonly done or what is commonly approved and disapproved. The practice of Ifá entails living and doing things in accordance with the tenets and norms of Ifa. It involves the application of Ifá teachings as contained in several verses of the 256 Odù Ifá, which are used to problem solve and exhibit such teachings in thoughts, speeches, and actions.  These teachings include morality, ethics, philosophy, sociology, general human behavior, and character building. It is normative as an Ifa practitioner to continue to align himself/herself with what is commonly approved and/or expected in Ifá practice, as “conformity to the norm” and avoid any acts which may cause an individual to deviate from the normal Ifá course, whether it be in thought, action, and/or experimentation.    The word “perversion” is derived from the Latin pervertere, which means “to tur...