Greetings to you all in the name of Ifa,
please PASTOR AIO can you tell me more about this ODU called OTURUPON IKA.i will be very great full to know the eewo of the odu and more about the ODU itself

Im so happy i found this site.
I hope that nobody beats me up for this,but im one of the unawakened blacks you all speak about.
Ive been living and abiding by the religion of the "slave-master"(lol)
UNTIL i realized that nothing really in USA especially religion was pure.
It didnt feel real, I just wasn't connecting with it the way i thought i should have been.
I listened , but in the back of my mind something was bothering me, until i finally just opened my mind, cleared it of the ignorance and listened to my thoughts and what they were telling me, And just as clear as water i heard. Go home!
Immediately I knew where to go to be spiritually satisfied.

Im only 17 so my resources are kinda limited, but i would like to know alot more about Ifa or just everything from ancient - modern day African traditions
. I dont expect people on here to teach me about all of that, but it would be helpful if you all could steer my studies in the right direction. Where do I start?!

Thanks

bu u guyz remember, not anyone can followv Orisa. This set of Gods will only apply to a particular tribe,i.e., The Yorubas. u cant have a Chinese man follow Orisha. Thats jus insane!!!! The Chinese have der own form of Paganism (Chinese traditional religion). Pagan religons r different from christianity or islam bu all Pagan religions r similar in d essence, BUT each ""form"" of Paganism applies only to a paritcular tribe and cannot be jus implied by anyone. Remember: Pagans do not seek converts. We r not lyk dem greedy monotheists. We r happy so long as EVERYONE in ""our"" tribe r following our religion. Thats our only goal. We r not here to compete with other religions. just to educate our tribe about our true culture and traditions. This worship is deeply embedded in d blood of d tribe. So plz dont make aa mockery of your religion by worshipping sumthin else  For Hausas, i suggest u visit Maguzawa Hausas lyk me n learn more about our traditional religion since its alwayz better to have person-person contact. U can visit d Sarki chiefs. theyll tell u everything. For Fulanis, i suggest meetin up with d Woodabes. Its d same with all other tribes. ANYONE WHO WANTS TO REVERT BAK TO PAGANISM, PLZ CONTACT PAGAN MEMBERS OF ""YOUR"" TRIBE THAT STILL FOLLOW THEIR TRADITIONAL RELIGION N PRACTICES.   u nid to go to d roots first b4 u start with anything. just go into d bush. visit d poor places. Find out if der r any survivng members still practicing d old religion. Ofcourse, d Yorubas dont nid to this since their religion is more mainstream and widespread. But for d rest, u must work for ur faith.

PAGAN 9JA, can you please start a thread that teaches about traditional Hausa religion. I am very interested.

.

sure. ill start one soon Pastor AIO, so i can give a little brief intro on d Maguzawa-Hausa faith. However, most of d practices and rituals involved cannot be revealed and communicated via d net since dey require practices dat have to be done. seekers of d true religion must visit d Maguzawa and find out more through person-to-person contact. Also, this religion is only for Hausa so my dear Igbos, Yorubas n d rest, please contact ur own ppl and atleast ""try"" to research about ur individual faiths and dont be hesitant. its not black-magic or evil stuff dat ur pastors have ben saying all these years. these r peaceful n nature-oriented religions whose goal is the truth. i hope u find enlightenment in ur own inner self.  

Hausa muslims n christians who r interested in reverting, i will give yall a brief, n d rest of d work is up to u. go n seek d faith of ur ancestors. rest assured.

@ PASTOR AIO,

I am really interested in knowing about myself ( Ori ) I am reading articles online on IFA just to gain more knowledge and I came across yours. I really like your post and comments and I hope you continue in this manner, I have something bothering me which I will like you to look into, I just want to know the Ifa verses of Ogbe Ofun, prayer of Ogbe ofun, the taboos of Ogbe ofun and the rules and regulations of Ogbe ofun if there is any. I hope this wont take lot of your time but I will be glad to receive all this from you. thanks alot!
Ifa agbe wa oo
Reply

pastor AIO , i am still waiting for answers to my request please.i would be grateful if you can enlighten me more on that ODU

Hi Fotyfyzy,

I think Pastor AIO might be in a better position to answer but I once read something about this.

Oturupon Ika relates to promiscuous people. Attached is an Excel sheet with various Ifa Odus.

http://www.orula.org/Orula/OturuponWiki.nsf/Pages/Oturupon-ika

The link above on Oturupon Ika is in Spanish but Google translate can give you an idea in poor but manageable English

omo awo:

@ PASTOR AIO,

I am really interested in knowing about myself ( Ori ) I am reading articles online on IFA just to gain more knowledge and I came across yours. I really like your post and comments and I hope you continue in this manner, I have something bothering me which I will like you to look into, I just want to know the Ifa verses of Ogbe Ofun, prayer of Ogbe ofun, the taboos of Ogbe ofun and the rules and regulations of Ogbe ofun if there is any. I hope this wont take lot of your time but I will be glad to receive all this from you. thanks alot!
Ifa agbe wa oo
Reply

Hello OmoAwo, sorry for the late reply. I don't really know that much about Ogbefun so I don't think that I could be of much help. However I do think that there is a very restricted limit to what you can learn about yourself from reading books and articles online. You're probably better off keeping a diary, and meditating on your life's concerns.

fotyfyzy:

pastor AIO , i am still waiting for answers to my request please.i would be grateful if you can enlighten me more on that ODU

Sorry again for taking so long to respond. Again Eturupon Ika is another Odu that I know very little about. I know that Eturupon generally goes on about women and childbirth. I wish I could be of more help.

wow

Hi you all

I am writing a fictitious  Novel, The Novel expresses my own fictional views. It tells the story of Nike an Ajebo girl, a thief, a missing sacred statue and members of a cult who would kill to protect their secret one so strong that if they are careless it could lead to their lineage been wiped out. It talks about how the purest religion was corrupted and mixed was mixed with juju which is black magic  and members initiated and worn to oath to protect the secrecy of an ancient wisdom which could be used to mark out one destinies part. everyman should be entitled to own his own divinity board and divinity chain so that he can seek guidance whenever he please and should only visit a priest when he wants further guidance.

Here is just a little part of the book i do hope you all enjoy it, 


Nike gets bored of sitting at home so she jumps into her Benz and drives to her friend’s house. Her Ajebo style transcended in all she did; she drove a pink colored Benz pimped with stunner rims. She gets there, comes down from her car and taps on the door. Her friend Kemi, a fair damsel with a little tribal marks comes to the door and peeps through the peephole then opens the door and embraces her.
“Guess who drives a Benze” nike said spinning they keys in her hand and twisting her waist.
“This chic you like shakara” Kemi replies mocking her that she likes to show off
“Yes oh yes oh  I am the latest car owner baby” Nike replies with a smile.
They both rushed towards the car and Kemi inspects it smiling and extents her hand in the air and Nike gives it a clap “Na you be the latest big chic” Kemi praise her speaking in pidgin English. The go into the house Kemi offers her a seat and walks to the bar to get a bottle of choice wine. They open it up and began drinking as they engaged in gossiping about boys they think are cute and watching MTV and E. After a while they get tired of it all so they decide to go to the cinema. So Kemi and Nike get in the car and zoom off.
Princess Adeshola goes to see Ogunshola her love, they sang and danced for a moment and she tried to kiss him but he resisted she asked him what was wrong and he told her shedding tears that he would be going away on a very risky mission that could even cost him his life. Princess Adeshola feels his pain and begins to cry also he brings out a white handkerchief and wipes off her tears. She suggested pleading with her father the king but he forbid her telling her he was sure he would return safe and sound. Then he quoted a verse of  sacred chant of Ifa.
He excused himself from her telling her he has to go for prayers.
Yinka the vegetable seller had finished gathering all the things she was told to buy. So she rushed to Iya’s house and meets a queue so she joins in. She stood for hours waiting for her turn. Iya came out told them to all wait that she wants to go for lunch on coming out she sees Yinka.
“What is the matter again?   I don’t like seeing women my age lining up to see me”
“Sorry oh! I have bought the things”
“Come inside my sister” Iya demanded
Yinka follows Iya inside and Iya mixes the concoction for her. Yinka kneels down “Eshia" to thank her and she rushed off.
Princess Adeshola is at home looking sickly and depressed her mother tries to cheer her up but nothing was working so she leaves her alone. Princess Adeshola goes down on her knees and begins to pray to Orunmila begging him to protect Ogunshola after which she lays on her bed in tears till she sleeps off.
Tunde wakes up from his bed as if in shock, looks at his wrist watch and rushed for his phone, dials a number and began to make final arrangements for the exchange. He grabs a piece of bread from his table eats, it then puts on his coat, corks and loads his gun. He gets into his car and is on the move to the venue of the deal. 
Nike and her friends are laughing their Bottom off in the cinemas they were watching a comedy.  After the movie, they stop to get snacks and suddenly Nike realizes time has gone and she has to pick up stuff at the market. She pleads with Kemi to take a taxi home and explains she had to get vegetables for her home so she waves her goodbye and goes to her car and steps on the pedal.
Ogunshola arrives at the Babalawo’s place and gives him a white handkerchief, the shell of a tortoise, a kola nut with four splits and a stone. The Babalawo collects them and dips them in a very large pot which sat on top of fire wood without fire.
Then he said to him:‘ what about the last item?’. “Awo I would get them sir” Ogunshola replied
The Babalawo said to him “Do that in time so we can conclude, you know this is an urgent matter”
The Guards arrive in Lagos and they bring out a pot of water and dipped their heads into it and boom they received the knowledge of Tunde’s location. They switch on the ignition and began the chase.  They are stopped by an unarmed police man he asks for their particulars they show him the note but he questioned its authenticity so being in a hurry they hand him the sum of five hundred naira and speed off.
Yinka tucks in her grandson to sleep then grabs her sack of goods, puts in on her head, and begins to journey to the market on foot.
Nike gets stuck in traffic and she started getting anxious hoping she would be able to get to the market before the vegetable gets finished and suddenly a bus with men who were a little bit more in hurry than she is forcing their way in front of her car and scratch it in the process. She gets angry and rains curses at them but they don't give a damn for they were ‘The Guards’ and had only one thing in mind, Tunde. She reaches the market but found it difficult to find a parking space as she roamed up and down for a while till a hustler finds a space for her. She parks there, hands him a hundred naira note, takes a look at the scratch, hisses and rushes into the market.

The Guards get to Tunde’s house and meets his absence, in anger they tear up the place finding nothing so they brought out the pot and did their little trick and discovered he was just a couple blocks away. Instantly on foot they ran towards his location full of the intent to kill and recover. Tunde is about closing the deal with some white creeps who know the real value of these aged distinct sculptures, when all of a sudden he hears thunder. The Guards had arrived spraying random bullets in all directions he grabs the statute and took to his heels while shooting back at them. He succeeded in killing one guard. This angered them and they shot dead all the white men and his entourage and began to chase after him. He rushes out, tries to open his car without success, his heart beat was racing he was breathing heavily and scared to death no job had ever been so risky for him but this was his retirement. He pushes the key harder still attempting to open the door but he sees them gaining on him so he continues on his feet. He removes a device that looks like a SIM-card from his pocket and sticks it on the statute. He continues running but this dude was not giving up  then looks before him low and behold he sees a Benz parked close to the market not completely wound up its obvious the owner must have been in a hurry so he tossed the device in the car and continues running.

The market was rowdy and noisy as buyers and sellers negotiated and trader advertise their wares by chanting in loud tones, one had to be careful so that you don’t accidentally step on another foot or be stepped on for the floor was covered with dirt.  Nike is getting tired of walking around the market in search of vegetables in vain and soon she sees a woman with a few.
“Good evening o!” Nike greeted the seller

“Welcome my daughter”

“How much is this vegetable”

“Three hundred naira”

“It’s too much let me pay two hundred”

“No! For everything pay two hundred and eighty”

“Madam please let me pay two hundred and fifty”

“Ok bring the money”

The seller was Yinka and she was about wrapping it for her when another aged lady comes in and the women exchange a friendly embrace. It was Iya, Yinka thanks her for today and asked her what she came to do and Iya explains that she came to buy vegetables and couldn’t see any. The ladies spoke in Yoruba and since Nike didn’t know how to speak the language and she didn’t understand it either but all she noticed was that all of a sudden the woman handed over the vegetable to the other woman.

“You cannot do that!” Screamed Nike.

Nike gets angry and goes into a rage raining curses at the Iya not knowing what she is as they struggled for the vegetable. Then Iya in anger spits on her face after saying things Nike could not understand. Nike walks out in anger and begins to get a funny sensation with a funny sound that sounded like the howl of an injured animal than all of a sudden there is pandemonium as one of the butchers in the market place chops off his own wrist. A policeman accidentally shoots a woman selling tomatoes and an angry mob chases after him. Nike struggles hard to get out of this madness, gets into her car and zoomed off all of a sudden an electricity pole falls down the wire struck a stationary vehicle and it lights up in flames. Little did she know that Iya had placed a curse as old as history on her called KASALA. Kasala is a spell that creates a bad omen around the individual it is placed on. It makes things of doom to happen all around the individual but shields the person from its effect.

As Nike leaves the market, she remembers asking her father why he didn’t teach her the Yoruba language as a child and instead of replying her he gave her a teach yourself Yoruba book. She could remember that the book began with the history a description of the Yoruba in English. It said that Yoruba is a Niger-Congo language. It is spoken primarily by people who live in southwest Nigeria and eastern Benin. Members of the Yoruba Tribe were mainly farmers and are well known as traders and for their crafts. Many masterpieces of woodcarving and bronze casting, which date back to the 13th century, were produced by the Yoruba people. Their religion has numerous gods which are worshiped. In the 17th century the Yoruba established a well-built state, the Oyo kingdom, between Dahomey and the Niger River. Oyo disintegrated into numerous petty kingdoms during the first half of the 19th century. Toward the end of the 19th century, the Yoruba came under British control. They now number about 27 million make up one-fifth of the population of Nigeria. They live mostly in the city of Ibadan. As she could remember, when she was done with that, the real part where she was supposed to learn, the Yoruba words, bored her so she ignored the book.  For a second or most she applauded herself for being able to remember all this.

Tunde still races as fast as he can, he suddenly trips but he gets up and continues. He hears gunshots but he isn’t ready to look back for he must live to fight another day. He gets to a corner, takes  a pause to  shoot back at them but his shots are aimless so he continues and this time he trips again but this time he gets up to notice he is surrounded by the Guards. They search him for the artifact and could not find it so they began to beat the living daylight out of him and he confessed he put it into a car. One of them went to get the bus and they forced Tunde into it promising to kill him as soon as they recover the artifacts. Once again put their head into the pot and saw Nike driving so they went after her.

Nike is confused, angry and depressed. “What a day!” She said to herself, wondering the explanation she was going to give to her mother for not buying the vegetable. She rings up Kemi and tells her all that happens, Kemi laughs at her, she gets angry telling Kemi it wasn’t funny at all. She once again gets the weird sensation as she hears the howls of a wounded animal.  Next thing she hears a very loud horn she looks behind her through the help of the car’s rear view mirror only to see a tanker which break fails and crashes into a group of cars which light up in flames.

The Guards with Tunde in their bus are caught up behind her. Several cars crash into one another as they attempt to turn to escape the inferno. The Guard driving is doing a great job as he tries to maneuver quickly a big bus called the Lagos BRT bus crashes into theirs damaging the bus seriously. The environment gets covered with smoke which prevented good sight. The Guard crew struggled to come out only to notice they couldn't find Tunde. He had taken advantage of the situation and slipped away.

Nike was still in panic she felt the weird sensation once again but this time the howls were louder and she looks right in front of her she had lost focus and has moved into the wrong lane another car was coming directly towards her she screamed in fear but the other car turns away from her and crashes into a new by store. She parks her car and comes out to help but suddenly there is an angry mob about to lynch her so she runs into her car starts it and began to move but some idiots stood in front of her. She tried pressing the break but it didn't work and soon bodies of the four fools were sent flying in different directions. Nike is in her car scared to death crying her eyes out and making sure she doesn't look back.

Iya gets to her doorstep she meets a crowd of people waiting for her she pleads with them that she is tired but they pleads back with her she gets angry and shouts at them and one woman within their mist bursts into tears saying to her “Iya God gave you this gift we know you are tired but our loved ones are dying, please help us please I beg of you” Iya is overwhelmed with compassion she picks up the woman and begins to attend to them one by one. More people come, she takes permission from them and chops her vegetable and puts a soup on the fire. She gets carried away with her client and the smell of smoke brings the soup back to her attention she rushes puts out the smoke and she remembers Nike. Her mind flashes on an Ifa Verse.


Inu bibi ko da nkan fun ni,
Suuru ni baba iwa,
Agba to ni suuru,
oun gbogbo loni,
Adifa fun Orunmila
Baba nlo re fe Iya,
Ti nse Aremo Olu Iwo

Anger has no gain
Patience is the best form of behavior
Someone who has patience
The person has everything
Cast divination for Orunmila
He was going to marry suffering
The first child of the king of iwo


She feared for her as she thought how to break the curse but Nike has to be present for it to work. She attends to her remaining clients and sleeps hungry.


Remember fiction so just tell me if you like the story line,

Ahubelem. A. A

Se Alafia Ni,

I'm excited to have found this site and I'm looking forward to great conversations and enlightenment. I'd first like to ask Agbo Ato is your title of an Egun Priest? Next I'd like to respond to an earlier post regarding folk searching for the truth. As an Egungun (Ancestral) Priestess, I have had the Ancestors reveal to me that there will be a serge of folk looking/searching for the truth. It's described as people leaving institutions and trying to find their way home. This is a forum waiting for those seeker. A forum of truth that I will be honored to participate in and learn from. The Ancestor's are wanting to communicate and wanting to heal. They will start nudging at us so we need to listen and do the work. Lastly, are there any Odu's (Oyeku Meji maybe) that can be directly linked to the Ancestors.

Modupe

Iya Odutola

tOdutola:

Se Alafia Ni,

I'm excited to have found this site and I'm looking forward to great conversations and enlightenment. I'd first like to ask Agbo Ato is your title of an Egun Priest? Next I'd like to respond to an earlier post regarding folk searching for the truth. As an Egungun (Ancestral) Priestess, I have had the Ancestors reveal to me that there will be a serge of folk looking/searching for the truth. It's described as people leaving institutions and trying to find their way home. This is a forum waiting for those seeker. A forum of truth that I will be honored to participate in and learn from. The Ancestor's are wanting to communicate and wanting to heal. They will start nudging at us so we need to listen and do the work. Lastly, are there any Odu's (Oyeku Meji maybe) that can be directly linked to the Ancestors.

Modupe

Iya Odutola

I hate to see people get disappointed. It is only fair that I make it clear to you quickly that this is not the forum where you'll find any kind of surge of seekers, talk less of 'great conversations and enlightenment'. This is a nigerian forum and as such you'll need to prepare yourself for all manner of inane, tribalistic,shallow, petty, rude and aggressive behaviour.

But that aside, I extend a warm welcome to you.

Thank you Agbo Ato. I'll brace myself. But there are trends that are very enlightening. Especially your explanation of the flow and structure of Odu. I received a deeper level of understanding after reading it and can now use this structure of Odu when addressing students. And most important is the reverence of the ancestors and the recording of Odu. Using Odu in the text form. Folk seem to overlook the instruction of the text and delve into the abyss of orisa energy. I'm not saying its a bad thing to work with just energy (since this maybe some folk calling), I'm saying that with out the understanding and foundation of Odu things can go hay wire, Your thoughts,

Mó jubá!
Dear brothers, especially the Pastor AIO; is a pleasure to read.
The original African religion IFA Orisá, has different interpretations in America. All of them differ in some respect with the original cult, but that is due not only to the persecution and prohibition of worship in times of slavery, but for geographical reasons, lack of certain ritual elements that should be adapted, and so on. and so on. These cults are Batuque (southern Brazil) Candomblé (north-central Brazil), Santeria (Cuba) and Voodoo (Haiti) among others. They are all different, but are rooted in the original Yoruba worship.
If any brother considers it important to delve into the subject, I will make with the greatest pleasure.
I'm really happy to have found this forum and very grateful to the moderators and brothers.
Se alaafia!

tOdutola:

Se Alafia Ni,

I'm excited to have found this site and I'm looking forward to great conversations and enlightenment. I'd first like to ask Agbo Ato is your title of an Egun Priest? Next I'd like to respond to an earlier post regarding folk searching for the truth. As an Egungun (Ancestral) Priestess, I have had the Ancestors reveal to me that there will be a serge of folk looking/searching for the truth. It's described as people leaving institutions and trying to find their way home. This is a forum waiting for those seeker. A forum of truth that I will be honored to participate in and learn from. The Ancestor's are wanting to communicate and wanting to heal. They will start nudging at us so we need to listen and do the work. Lastly, are there any Odu's (Oyeku Meji maybe) that can be directly linked to the Ancestors.

Modupe

Iya Odutola

Ptolomeus:

Mó jubá!
Dear brothers, especially the Pastor AIO; is a pleasure to read.
The original African religion IFA Orisá, has different interpretations in America. All of them differ in some respect with the original cult, but that is due not only to the persecution and prohibition of worship in times of slavery, but for geographical reasons, lack of certain ritual elements that should be adapted, and so on. and so on. These cults are Batuque (southern Brazil) Candomblé (north-central Brazil), Santeria (Cuba) and Voodoo (Haiti) among others. They are all different, but are rooted in the original Yoruba worship.
If any brother considers it important to delve into the subject, I will make with the greatest pleasure.
I'm really happy to have found this forum and very grateful to the moderators and brothers.
Se alaafia!

Another related thread that I like is this one:
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-135166.0.html

Thank you very much dear brother!
It is very useful, but still be in Spanish and a lot of information that is not easy.
A friendly greeting!

obara:

I I
II II
II II
II II


This is the 7th odu in Ifa. The first six were Eji Ogbe, Oyeku Meji, Iwori Meji, Odi Meji, and then Irosun meji and Owanrin meji.

Obara talks about poverty and destitution, and suffering. He is known as As'ise La. He who makes money through suffering, or who is saved after suffering. There is plenty of hardships predicted.

It also talks about bluffing and bluffers. Nothing is what it seems in this Odu. There is sleight of Hand, deception and lies. There is danger of being cheated.

It warns against loquacity and ITK. Also speaks against alcohol because people have a tendency to talk more than their mouth when they drink. There are plenty arguments and when you tell the truth it is often not believed.

The solution to a lot of the problems often involve a ritual called Iwe'ri. That is washing of the head. Ori which is our gameplan in life can get contaminated by external factors in life. Just like Baptism in christianity, Ori can be washed in water to get rid of the contaminations.



Osolo Awo Awon
Lo difa fun Awon
nijo ti n lo ree weri Ola Lodo

Osolo the Awo of Awon
divined for Awon
On the day he was going to wash the Head of Wealth in the River.

Ara ro Oun bayii?
Won l'ara o ro o
Won ni sugbon ko rubo fun Osun

Will my affairs be cool (will my body be cool)
They said that his affairs will be cool
but he has to give ebo to Oshun.

He offered the sacrifice, life was cool, He started having children, He took all his children to Oshun. 'The Children of Awon must not die', they declared. Oshun took care of him and his children.
He was dancing and rejoicing, praising the babalawos, and the babalawos were praising Ifa. He said this is just what his babalawos had said:

Osolo Awo Awon
Lo difa fun Awon
nijo ti n lo ree weri Ola Lodo

Osolo the Awo of Awon
divined for Awon
On the day he was going to wash the Head of Wealth in the River.

Osolo is Here, the Awo of Awon, Do you all not know that it is a good Ori that Awon washes in the river?

There is a song that they sing after the washing.

Ise tan o
Oro li o ku
Mo de inu omi, Mo we ise nu.

Poverty is ended
Wealth is what remains
I've been into water, and washed poverty away.

Why are there Yoruba names with appended names of Orisha as prefixes and not Ela's? Is it a taboo, and if so why?

Greetings Pastor,

Would you explain the difference between Ifa worship and Orisha worship. How does the systems differ in divination. Do the systems of divination differ from region to region? Say for instance; what is the difference in Orisha divination in Africa verses other regions?

the versions practiced in South America and Haiti are mixed with christian elements. it is not the pure form.

Merindilogun; is this an African System?

that is part of Ifa Orisha, i think. i am not Yoruba. you should probably ask Pastor AIO.

Modupe,

Do you know the functions of the Merindilogun system? From my understanding there are only certain Odu that can be read. Is this so? And if so, why cant the system indulge Ifa in totality? Why cant all Odus be read?

tOdutola:

Merindilogun; is this an African System?

Hi Odutola, yes o, Dinlogun is an african system.  It is the divination system of the Orisha cults.  Orisha is different from Ifa.  Ifa incorporates Orisha, but then Ifa incorporates everything.  There is even christianity and islam in Ifa. 

Pekutu yeke pekutu yeke
awo Jesu lo difa fun Jesu
Nijo ti ntorun bo wale aye

Pekutu yeke pekutu yeke
The Awo of Jesus divined for Jesus
on the day that he was from heaven coming down to the world

This verse is from Owanrin Ogbe. 

A lot of people are not really aware of the differences.  In fact each orisha has a cult all of it's own.  Obatala devotees have their temples and their priesthoods, Sango devotees have their temples and their priesthoods, etc etc.  Priestesses are called Iyaolorisha, and priests are called babaolorisha. 

In Ifa too, the priests are called Babalawo and Iyalawo.  The two religions each have their own divination systems.  Ifa has Ifa and the Orisha have the Dinlogun.  There are so many divination systems in yorubaland.  Ranging from simple casting of lots, to a system called Ibo to the Ifa with all it's intricacies.  Ifa and dinlogun both share their basis on the number 16 (hence the name erindinlogun).    However the divination tools are different.  Ifa uses Opele and Ikin.  Orisha priest use cowries shells which they throw and then count the number of shells facing up. 

The various Odu have the same name but they are arranged differently.

I am at the moment going through the Ifa order which starts at Eji Ogbe then Oyeku, then Iwori, Odi, Irosun, Owonrin, Obara (we're on Obara at the moment), Okanran, Ogunda, Osa, Ika, Eturupon, Otura, Irete, Ose and finally Ofun.

The Orisha order is as follows.

Okanran - 1
Eji Oko (another name for Oyeku) - 2
Ogunda -3
Irosun - 4
Ose-5
Obara -6
Odi - 7
Eji Ogbe -8
Osa - 9
Ofun -10
Owanrin -11
Ejila (another name for Iwori) - 12

The Orisha system is very much a numerological system and bears a lot of resemblance to the numerology in other cultures.  The numbers of the odu are very important. 
There are four more numbers 13 to 16 simply called etala, erinla, arundilogun, and erindinlogun.  They represent the odus ika, eturupon, otua, and irete.  Orisha priests do not read these odu.  The issue is often referred to an ifa priest if these come up. 

From now on I'll try to bring in some verses from Orisha lore as well as Ifa as I continue through the Odu.  I'll stick to the Ifa order though.

wow interesting. Pastor AIO, you are no pastor. you are Chief of Babalawos!

Wonderful clarity Pastor, thank you. Just a couple of more questions. From what I'm understanding Orisha worship is not inclusive of everything and Ifa is. Are the limits of practice for Orisha worship just reading those particular Odus or are there any other limits?

tOdutola:

Wonderful clarity Pastor, thank you. Just a couple of more questions. From what I'm understanding Orisha worship is not inclusive of everything and Ifa is. Are the limits of practice for Orisha worship just reading those particular Odus or are there any other limits?

Intersting read, I have been following this thread and learning.

tOdutola, you have to pay pastor ooo, for all this knowledge he is dropping here. If na pastor be christian and na church he dey teach like this dey collect tithes, pastor for don hammer o.

Oh so true, Ooooo to Pastor, Ooooooo.

tOdutola:

Wonderful clarity Pastor, thank you. Just a couple of more questions. From what I'm understanding Orisha worship is not inclusive of everything and Ifa is. Are the limits of practice for Orisha worship just reading those particular Odus or are there any other limits?

Each individual Oosa has it's own cult with it's own priesthood and taboos. For instance Obatala devotees do not drink alcohol. This does not apply to Sango or Ogun devotees. etc etc. So each one has it's own limits. The priesthoods specialise each in dealing with their own Oosa.

Check out a book called Dinlogun by Chief Kola Abiola. It goes quite deep into Orisha cults. The book is published by Zungo publications, Newyork.

The following is another verse of Obara Meji but this time it is from the Dinlogun.

Ojogan omo a f'idi ja
Omo won l'ale Ife

Ojogan the child who fights from the base
Their child from the land of Ife

Nigbati o nbe l'ori ikiti ise
ti gbogbo araiye ma nfiya je

When he was on a mountain of destitution
and the whole world mistreated him

A se ja rubo ni gbeni
Ai ru kii gbeniyan

In fact it is offering of ebo that save ones
failure to offer does not save anyone.