Ifa divination can be fun!

... or if it ain't fun, it ain't ifa!

Which is the exact reason why we begin this site with a useful Ifa text quote, which will help you to make your life fun! The quotes rotate either daily, hourly or with every new page view... depending on my mood as your friendly neighbourhood webmaster. After you have digested (or ignored) the quote, please read on... otherwise I will have lived in vain (wide grin)!

"If we neglect our duties towards others, it doesn't improve our own lives either; if we pay too much attention to ourselves, it goes to the undeserved detriment of others. If we refuse to do our part of a shared job, people will eventually begin to avoid us; if we walk away from all kinds of work we do not deserve an honorable place in society." (Ika-Oyeku)

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 07:14
Video of Ifa cast in Dilogun, plus binomial distribution!

Hit the title link of this message to see the video I made to show that, underneath every cast with Sixteen Cowries AKA Dilogun AKA Owo Merindinlogun, the diviner can read two double Odu Ifa. Usually only the "mouths up" are simply counted to arrive at one of the 17 possible patterns that can be cast with 16 cowries, but that is limiting yourself too much. Again: the proficient Dilogun diviner also reads two double Odu Ifa in every singe cast of his/her cowries.

Apart from voice comment I also give written comment, including some stuff on binomial distribution of 16 cowries, showing which patterns are most likely to appear... 7, 8 and 9 being the absolute champions. Of course good divination contains much more than just chance and probability, but if you visit a diviner who often throws 7, 8 and 9 there's a fair chance that he's not guided by Ashé, but simply showing the results of probability.

Monday, April 16, 2012 at 06:28
Newly translated Odu texts coming up soon!

On account of life and me having been bickering for a while about who would fuck whom (we finally figured it out: we will take turns), I haven't been doing much public work lately. Don't worry though: behind the curtains much has been going on, and soon you'll find a lot of newly translated Odu texts here!

Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 04:11
New information on the Four Cowries AKA Obi page!

I have expanded my page on Four Cowries or Obi divination with explanations on how to read "underlying" Odu Ifa with Four Cowries. It enlarges the scope considerably! Just hit the title link of this message and you'll be taken there. Enjoy!

Friday, March 2, 2012 at 04:25
The digital opele is fully operational now! Instant online divination!

My random generator AKA digital Opele AKA "Digipele" (wide grin!) is operational: if you hit the title link of this message you'll be taken to its page! In contrast with what some of you might think, it's pretty serious stuff. There's certainly no more bullshit going on than with a traditional Opele, and probably even less. I want it to STAY serious... that's one of the reasons why it is not free, asking a (modest) fee keeps most of the morons out. Not all though... that's why you can't keep pushing the button again and again and again... to keep another bunch of bonobo's out of trouble! Anyway, read the page - it's all there.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 10:40
The ultimate Opele: random generator for Odu Ifa

Okay!!! I'm happy! I've got all 256 Odu Ifa entered into my electronic opele AKA random generator, with access to all texts of my Ifa Corpus right here on this site. Although all 256 Odu's are there, it will take a long time for all the TEXTS to be there... but eventually the nearly 1000 pages that are still to be translated will appear on this site and subsequently be automatically entered into the digital opele. I've been experimenting with its workings - not (yet) in formal divination because some invocations and Oriki stuff needs to be completed first, but a lot of trial runs where, in order to kinda stay out of trouble, I "dariji'd" myself out of the obligations brought up by the appearing Odu. With the right approach ANY random generator like my digital one, will be treated by Ifa like ANY other random generator like the well-known opele. Ifa doesn't let itself be limited by our concepts, traditions and ideas. Just like you can't close Odu, you can't close Ifa itself. It's always on the move... and waaaaay ahead of us!

In fact I know for sure already: Ifa doesn't give a fiddler's fugg whether an Odu is produced via Ikin, Owo Merindinlogun, Opele, or a randomly working computer. In fact (wouldya believe it?!) I am beginning to have the impression that Ifa actually prefers the digital random generator! It can't get any randomer than that, the system seems to think... it completely rules out any possible influences from the diviners hand or mind! Ladies, gentlemen and everybody in between: I'll keep you posted!

Older posts

Log in

Ifa is an ancient, levelheaded religion and a way of life, grounded in the West-African Yoruba culture. Ifa recognizes complex combinations of spiritual and metaphysical forces called Orisha's, more or less (probably less...) comparable with the archetypes of Jung's psychology.

In the Ifa tradition, Orunmila is the spiritual force that was present when Olodumare (God) decided to create the earth and populate it with human beings. Orunmila knows all the secrets of creation, the forces of good and evil, and the possibilities to deal with those; he represents the moral and ethical order in the universe, in contiuous interaction with Eshu who represents the creative disorder behind all sorts of evolution.
Initiated persons, when using metaphysical techniques, are able to communicate with the Orisha's. This is called Ifa divination, a spiritual experience that helps lead a balanced life in a world that is full of conflicts and contradictory interests.

Ifa Divination, whaddayaknow?!

Ifa divination knows 16 metaphysial principles that may be combined in 256 ways. Each principle or Odu is a window on reality; through divination the Awo (Ifa priest) determines the window behind which the client stands, in order to help him or her see their situation in the right perspective. The Odu that is applicable to the client's situation of the moment comes out through the casting of an oracle chain (Opele), sixteen palm nuts (Ikin) or sixteen cowrie shells (Owo Merindinlogun); a second, sometimes a third cast supplies additional information on how to interpret the first Odu.

Each of the 256 combined Odu's contains several texts; those Odu's that are important during the consultation are clarified by one or more of these ancient myths and historical tales. The texts give, among other information, "prescriptions" for daily life, tailored to the client's specific situation. During Ifa divination all kinds of questions may be asked, preferably formulated in such a way that they can be answered with "yes" or "no". As it happens every question, even those containing multiple choices, may be divided into subquestions that can be answered with a clear yes or no.

Besides diagnosing problems, in most cases Ifa divination also offers their solution. Often this is pointed out by the texts, while in other instances the Awo's knowledge and experience give the first impulse to solution. The ultimate purpose of divination is to help the client live in harmony with his/her destiny, which is not a fixed and narrow path, but an extensive navigation map from which one may choose the very best road!

What the Awo thinks he's doing

Specialists in Ifa divination are called, depending on their initiation(s), Babalawo, Omolawo and/or Awolorisha. The translations would be something like "Father of the Mystery", "Child of the Mystery", and "Mystery of the Orisha". The position of diviner is not gender-specific; many Owo Merindinlogun (Dilogun) diviners both in Africa and in the diaspora are female, while mainly but not exclusively in Africa also female Opele and Ikin diviners are not unheard of.

The Awo is consulted on important issues in daily life, like spiritual development, material prosperity, marriage, health. Their advice is also asked for decisions or choices on making a journey, change of jobs, buying a house, or choosing a partner. It is not necessary to be a follower of Ifa to consult an Awo. Actually almost nothing is required by Ifa, except the development of good character. As an initiate in the mysteries of his/her Orisha the Awo speaks a universal language, communicating with the client's conscious and unconscious self, and with external spiritual forces.

The Awo never stops learning; their study is a lifelong process. The more the Awo learns, the better he/she is able to counsel, diagnose problems, prescribe traditional or non-traditional remedies, and perform rituals on behalf of those who consult them. Depending on where one lives, the rituals may get either less or more emphasis than in Africa. This should not be regarded as a deviation, but as an example of the remarkable adaptability of this ancient tradition, that for the Awo is a way of life as well.