Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Irete-Ogbe - How Odu Became Orunmila's Wife Part 11 by Awo Falokun


"Together Orunmila and Odu went into the world.  Odu said I will teach you my taboo.  Odu said you must not let your other wives see my face.  Odu said she would fight whoever looked at her face.  Orunmila said he would honor her taboo."
       
Commentary:

There are different variations on this verse and there is widespread debate on the nature and meaning of this taboo.  Here we see the taboo against letting women see Odu is not directed against all women, it is directed against women other than Odu.

Some of the debate on this topic advocates the notion that only men can look inside the Odu pot and because only men can look the pot this taboo somehow makes men more powerful than women, or more spiritually developed; any number of similar variations.

The purpose of looking into a pot is to receive the ase or spiritual power of that pot and to allow the ase of the pot to transform the ori or consciousness of the person who is blessed to view the ase.  If Odu represents primal feminine spiritual power than men who look into the pot during initiation do so as a way of expanding their own consciousness to include an experience of the feminine perspective.   If a woman looked into the pot it would only serve to show her something that she already has, there would be no transformation.  Nothing suggests, implies or infers anything at all about the relative worth of men or women.  It is simply a reaffirmation of the message implied by the name of the diviner’s suggestion a model for cooperative effort.

This section of the Odu is also an implied reference to a rule of order in Ogboni.  It is one of the functions of Ogboni to assign an elder mother from Iyaami to protect the awo of a particular community.  The elder mother is usually the first wife of the awo.  However there can be exceptions, in particular when an awo is married to a non-traditional woman who does not participate in Iyaami ritual.
       
"Odu told Orunmila she would transform his burdens into good fortune.  Odu said she would heal all things.  Odu said she would change anything that went wrong and make it right."

Commentary:

This verse is simply saying Orunmila who has access to the tools for divination and therefore the knowledge of how to fix a problem must still rely on Odu for the spiritual power to implement that knowledge.

I would argue that those awo who claim Ifa is only for men have not made a close reading of Odu Ifa.  In my opinion Irete Ogbe is just one of many Odu that stress the value of men and women working together.

Commentary:

"Odu told Orunmila if he honored her taboo she would makes things good in the world."

Honoring the taboo means both not letting the uninitiated look into the Odu pot and insuring that men integrate the feminine perspective into their own ori.  The feminine perspective is not so much a gender issue as it is a symbolic reference to the need for Ifa priests to embrace the qualities of empathy, compassion and the unconditional love of a mother to a child.  These qualities are needed to insure that the power of Odu, the power of the primal female ase, is used in a positive way that elevates the entire community and not just the needs of a single person.

On the level of topographical metaphor some scientists have recently suggested that the structure of DNA is coded into gravity.  That means whenever evolution creates a planet with water the fundamental forces of nature conspire to produce life.  The scientist who advocate the idea that DNA is coded into gravity say that this structure is transformed into physical reality when the form of DNA comes in contact with water and light.  We have the Forces of Nature of feminine water meeting masculine light.

The verse is clearly making a reference to the fundamental nature of pro-creation and making the point that this interaction is coded into Ifa ritual.

Ire,

Awo Falokun



Thursday, March 26, 2015

Irete-Ogbe - How Odu Became Orunmila's Wife Part 10

"Odu entered the house of Orunmila and called to him.  Odu said Orunmila I have arrived.  Odu said I have many powers.  Odu said she did not want to fight with Orunmila.  Odu said if someone asked for her to help them fight Orunmila she would not help.  Odu said she did not want Orunmila to suffer in anyway.  Odu said she would fight anyone who wanted to make Orunmila suffer."

Commentary:

On a social level this verses is affirming a commitment by the women's secret societies to support the public work done by Orunmila.  It is an affirmation of acceptance of the principles of good character advocated by Orunmila and a commitment to preserve and protect Ifa as the fundamental principle for social organization.

"Orunmila said, not bad."

Commentary:

Orunmila is acknowledging his appreciation for this support.  The notion that Iyaami should be considered a group of evil women is total nonsense not supported by Ifa scripture and the teachings of the prophet Orunmila.  The denigration of Iyaami started with British colonialization.  The women of Iyaami are the guardians of the crown of the Oba or traditional Yoruba kings.  The crowns are adorned with the icon of Iyaami.  There is no way that any culture let along Yoruba culture is going to adorn the regalia of political leaders with icons representing evil in the world.

The British demonized Iyaami because they were afraid the elder women of Iyaami would block their efforts to exploit Nigerian resources.

Ire,

Awo Falokun

Sunday, March 22, 2015

"Ogun: Chief of Strength" by Awo Fategbe Fatunmbi


Ogun! Obi rere o
Fun wa ni alaafia
Ma da wahale silu
Ase

Ogun! We give you kola
Give us peace
Do not make trouble in our town
ase
Oriki

Ogun awo, Olumaki, alase ajuba
Ogun ni jo ti ma lana lati ode
Ogun oni’re onile kangun-kangun
ode Orun, egbe lehin
Pa san bo pon ao lana to
Imo kimo ‘bora, egbe lehin a nle a benge logbe
ase

Ogun, chief of strength, owner of power, I salute you
Ogun dances outside to the open road (dance is a metaphysical force)
Ogun, owner of good fortune, owner of many houses in the realm of the ancestors, help those who journey (Ogun has much “wealth” in Orun that he will bless you with)
Remove the obstructions from our path
Wisdom of the warrior spirit, guide us on our spiritual journey with strength
ase

“The unique function of Ogun within the realm of Orisha awo is to remove all obstacles that stand in the way of spiritual evolution, which includes the evolution of all there is. In order to do this, Ogun must sacrifice all that stands in the way of spiritual evolution. Because of this sacred responsibility, Ogun is considered the Guardian of Truth. Ogun does not protect the truth as what we would like it to be; he guards the truth of what is. It is the process of making this distinction that lies at the core of Ogun’s mystery (Falokun Fatunmbi).”

Ogun is, in Yoruba mythology, one of the oldest Orisa. He is the Spirit of hunting, iron, and warfare. Ogun is the force which helped humans adapt to the world. Ogun’s ase is physical force, hotness, quickness, directness, sensuality, firmness, protectiveness, loyalty and tenacity. Ogun is firm, forthright and honest. He has no mercy on cowards.  He is supremely creative. When we think of Ogun, usually two main concepts come to mind; two different images.

First is as a violent warrior, fully armed with weapons and charms, and ready for battle. The other is as the ideal man, virile, courageous, brave, a man who protects and nurtures his children, who pursues truth and justice relentlessly, and creates civilization. In Ogun we find three basic philosophical principles regarding idealized human. One is Ogun’s metaphorical solitude. Each of us, in the end, are on a solitary journey, the hero’s journey to self realization. We are also ultimately responsible for our day to day survival supported by our own inner strength. Another principle regarding the ideal human is taking a leadership role, extending our responsibility for self to that of the community or group. The third is iwa pele. We will be judged by our achievements and accomplishments both at the individual level but more importantly in service to others. Although seemingly paradoxical, these themes of aggression and civilization are actually complementary. War is an act of civilization building. Creating societies is a violent act. Ogun’s basic truth is that death is essential to life. When is death good and when is it bad? Ogun is an ambivalent Orisa who reflects the contradictions of human nature.

The light shining on Ogun’s
face is not easy to behold
Ogun, let me not see the red of your eye
Ogun is a crazy Orisa who still asks questions after 780 years!
Whether I can reply, or whether I cannot reply
Ogun, please don’t ask me anything

Ogun has many faces. “Ogun meje l’Ogun-un mi.” “The Ogun that I know are seven in number.” Ogun is the Spirit of Iron, and we can analyse the qualities of iron to get a glimpse of Ogun’s qualities. Iron is unique in its ability to be transformed in profound ways. It can go from red hot liquid to cold and unyielding very quickly. It always maintains its inner “ironess” thru all its transformations.  The incredible ability to undergo radical changes in temperature, color, and temper are the essence of iron and Ogun. The tools made from iron also reflect Ogun, as they are usually used in quick strong, decisive movements. However, to limit Ogun to the Spirit of Iron, is to cut short his history, as iron smelting is a recent technological achievement. Similarily, to reduce Ogun to the God of War, is to limit his divine responsibilities. Orisa exist at all levels and expressions of the divine, in creation and in the invisible realm. At the level of universal energy, Ogun is primal energy; the expansive and unstoppable energy of evolution. Ogun is that force of nature that keeps matter in motion. Ogun is always bringing something new into the world, whether it be a new political order, a new technology or a new settlement. The word Ogun, with the appropriate tonal changes, can be translated to mean war, inheritance, medicine and perspiration. Once Olodumare gives a being life, it is Ogun who sustains that organism. In a well known itan (story) from the Yoruba creation myth, Ogun came to earth with the other 401 irunmole. Obatala came down to the world first, but when he started to cut his way through the forest, his silver cutlass was not up to the task (too soft). So Ogun took over with his iron cutlass. Ogun took the leadership role and directed the other irunmole. Ogun’s philosophy is that we must act with courage and heroism in living and in dying while serving the needs of the community. This story also suggests that Obatala created human consciousness, but Ogun is the force behind its evolution. Ogun is the instigator of beginnings, foundings and innovations.

Ogun Lakaaye
Osin Mole
Oosa to sogbo dile
Oosa to sogbo digboro
Oosa to sakitan doja
ase

Ogun, Chief Lakaaye
Chief Osin Mole
The Orisa who made the forest his home
The Orisa who made the heart of the forest into a township
The Orisa who made a refuse pit into a market

Ogun is also the Orisa in charge of making ebo (blood offerings). In this area he works closely with Esu. Initiates learn the awo of ebo. That is, the successful elevation of the spirit of the animal to Orun with the prayers of the person for whom the ebo is being done, as well as the request that the animal return to earth to feed the people again. This last aspect is part of Ogun’s role as that force that pushes living things to continue to procreate. The assurance that the animal will return assures that there will be food to eat and the species will not die out.

However, it is most probable that Ogun became Orisa through hunters and warriors. Most cultures have a way established to readmit warriors back into society after battle. This involves some manner of ritual purification for the warriors after killing in battle. In Yoruba culture, it is the Ogun worshippers that carry out this task. It would seem that hunting, killing and the need to re-establish order from the disorder of death are the conceptual roots of Ogun (Armstrong).

When we speak of Orisa, it can be confusing because we refer to Orisa in several ways without making clear distinctions. Orisa bring together experience from both the worldly and spiritual realms. So we have Ogun as a primal energy; as a force of nature; as a highly evolved spirit given a job to do by God; as a personified diety, etc. The multifaceted and multidimensional qualities of Orisa are what render any explanation wanting. Truthfully, the only way to know Ogun or any Orisa is through possession by that Orisa, the point where knowledge and understanding merge. Any endeavor to interpret Ogun will be incomplete.

Yoruba cosmology relates that in “Source” there is unity, but in the physical realms polarities are created and these polarities are in constant flux. This is why Orisa seem to be illogical or contradictory at times, for instance Ogun as bloodthirsty warrior and as nurturing protector. All Orisa contain both positive and negative attributes. Ogun kills and he creates. Yoruba thought regards truth as ephemeral, and good and evil as subjective. Ogun kills your enemy; this is good for you, but an act of evil to your enemies’ wife and children. He helps the poor and the powerless by taking from the rich and powerful. In Ogun, rather than illogical opposites, we have the unity of destruction and creation. Through Ogun, this polarity is brought into balance. All Orisa represent polarities and all Orisa provide a theory of how the world works; how balance is achieved both at the universal level, at the societal level, and at the human level.

The following itan of Ogun is full of esoteric information regarding this Orisa. The story is that once upon a time, Ororinna married Tabutu, and they had a son named Tobi Ode (skilled hunter). He became the first Orisa to make the trip from ikole Orun to ikole Aye. The earth was covered with dense forest. The other irunmole followed. Obatala tried to cut a path through the forest, but his silver cutlass was too soft. Tobi created iron and made a cutlass that he used to cut through the forest. From that day on, he was known as Ogun, osin imole, “first among the immortals.” But Ogun did not want to be their leader, he preferred solitude so he went up in the mountains. Ogun in this primordial role as evolutionary energy is mirrored at the human level. Ogun is the hunter/warrior who encapsulates the evolutionary progression from hunting to agriculture and from stone tools too iron, from subsistence horticulture to urbanization and the development of empire. As Ulli Beier put it, Ogun is the symbol par excellence, of the superior, conquering society.

One of Ogun’s primary symbols is the knife (Obe). It is because of this that a major contradiction arises. Ogun eats first, because the knife is the first thing to taste blood in any sacrifice. It is said that Esu must eat first, and in ritual feasts and bloodless offerings, he is presented his food first. However, in blood offerings it is Ogun, the only one allowed to take a life, who eats first, and

it is because of him that the other Orisa can be fed blood. Ogun is the father of metamorphosis, because with his great strength and with the aid of intense heat, he transforms carbon into diamonds, sandstone into marbles, and marble into gneiss. Over time and space, Ogun has taken on more facets. Ogun is the God of War, Energy and Metal. Ogun keeps matter in motion. Ogun is the sustainer of life. Ogun lives in the knife, and with it, clears a path for man. Ogun is the force within your computer. Ogun is technology. Ogun represents the tools that shape man, bringing out a person’s potential, enhancing one’s life. Ogun is our heart beat and the final contraction during birth. Ogun is auto accidents and gun wounds. Ogun is the warrior, hunter and farmer. Ogun is the God of loyalty and life-long friendships. Ogun is the master of secrets, skills, crafts, professions and creations. In Cuba he is San Juan or San Pedro. In Brazil he is Saint George.

Ogun devotees have decorations of miniature iron tools which serve as metaphors for civilization. In the Diaspora, we have taken to contain Ogun in an iron pot with iron tools inside along of course with the stone. The main tools of Ogun are the anvil, which signifies the earth’s ability to transform man. the shovel, which is used fir digging into one’s potential; the machete, which is used to clear path’s and to protect; The rake, which is used to gather and smooth rough areas of the self; the hoe, which is used to cultivate one’s potential; The hammer, which is used to bend or shape one’s faculties; and the pick, which is used to pierce or penetrate the hardened areas of the self. The implements are gifts of Ogun which he uses to help a person through life. They are metaphors for civilization. Ogun represents all occupations in which cutting instruments are used. Ogun helped the divinities to survive in their initial settlement on earth and to effect harmony among themselves as they struggled with new and unforeseen circumstances. Ogun is the Orisa of barbers, doctors, butchers, etc., any occupation that uses knives or blades, or iron tools.

OGUN Oni’ re ni je aj’a,
OGUN ikola a je igbin,
OGUN gbena-gbena`oje igi ni i je!
pa si’le ps s’oko.
Laka aiye OGUN ko laso,
moriwo l’aso OGUN.
Ire kii se ile OGUN,
emu lo ya mu ni’be.
ase

OGUN, the owner of Ire, eats dog,
OGUN of circumcision, eats snail,
OGUN of carvers, saps the juice of trees!
He kills in the house and kills on the farm.
He who covers the world, OGUN had no cloth,
Palm frond is the cloth of OGUN.
Ire is not the home of OGUN,
he just stopped there to drink palm wine.
Ase



No Orisa stands alone, they are all part of a whole. Ogun’s iron tools connect him in many ways to other Orisa. Ogun needs Sango’s fire to make iron from ore as well as to make iron into tools and weapons. Ogun has a strong connection with Osainyin, the Orisa of the herbalists. Osainyin devotees have a staff which has miniature iron implements as well as a bird on top. The bird represents the mystical powers of the herbalists. The Ogun miniature implements represent Ogun’s relationship to the herbalists as warriors receive war charms and protective medicines from the herbalists, and it is Ogun’s ase that is in the charms and medicines (hunters also have many charms and medicines). Much of the warriors and hunters success depends on the efficacy of his charms. Ogun’s iron armlets could deflect the enemies sword from the warriors body and even divert bullets. Ogun’s sword best represents his ase. It contains the essence of the twin aspects of aggression and civilization. It cleared the forest and built the house; it cleared the farm and planted the crops; and it defeated the enemy and crowned the king. Although the Iyami possess the king’s crown and thus are the kingmakers, the king must be given Ogun’s sword in ritual setting before he can sit on the throne.

Hunters who are Ogun initiates learn the secrets of Oya, who is the Spirit of the Wind and also the Guardian of the Forest Animals. In addition, they must undergo training in the secrets of tracking of Osoosi. In this way, we see that Orisa are parts of a whole. Ogun also has a symbiotic relationship with Esu. Together with Osoosi, the Spirit of the Tracker, they constitute the ebora, the warriors. They are invoked to provide us the courage, determination and strength to embark on the path of birth, death, transformation and rebirth. These qualities are expansive aggressive qualities and thus the ebora are male energies, but the inspiration to embark on the path and the source of the ebora’s strength comes from the Divine Feminine. In baba Falokun’s words:

“The relationship between the ebora is a description of the fundamental structure of consciousness itself.  This description is not limited to human perception. It contains clues for grasping the basic structure of the visual carbon based universe. The paradigm is rooted in the structure of ori. The stories associated with Èsù, Òsóòsi and Ogun are expressions of the symbolic language used by Ifá to describe the inner workings of the unknowable knower. The relationship between these three primal Spiritual Forces is an expression of the relationship between the inner self, the self and the higher self in the process of transformation and change. All personal growth moves through the cycles described by Ifá as  or the mystery of those who take our offerings to the Immortals.

Life, death, transformation and rebirth is the way of the world. The Nigeria mathematician Dr. Oyibo recently offered a solution to the problem of unified field theory. This problem has plagued science since the time of Einstein. Unified field theory is a mathematical formula used to describe the interrelated nature of all things. In an interview Dr. Oyibo said the inspiration for his solution to this problem came from the elders of Ifá. Exactly, the Universe is hydrogen atoms going through the process of life, death, transformation and rebirth. Stars are huge furnaces that transform hydrogen into the spectrum of elements. Fire creates diversity, water creates stability, air sustains life, and life returns to its source. Our consciousness reflects this cycle because it is born of Creation. Consciousness did not become manifest in the world with the birth of humans it came into Being at the moment of Creation of the Universe. Everything is Spirit looking for a glimpse of Source.”

Esu is the Divine Messenger, the God of the crossroads who opens the door for our growth, who presents us, through guiding our choices, the correct path.. He personifies the intersection of the visible and invisible worlds, Ogun, on the other hand, is the path itself. He clears the way for us, facilitating our path towards destiny and spiritual growth.

Ogun is a shining example of iwa pele, but is not in any way perfect (in his anthropomorphic self). He (and his children) is not afraid to be himself. Like iron, he is rigid, self assured, and unyielding. Because he is untiring, deliberate and focused, he accomplishes all that he sets out to do. He is strength, but used creatively. Ogun is very creative. Children of Ogun, when trying to figure out how to accomplish something will always think of the physical first. They like to use their hands and their strength. Others marvel at the untiring energy of his children. Ogun sees and makes his own way. He is economy in action; no wasted motion, catch only what you are going to eat. Ogun is the champion of laborers everywhere. One praise name of Ogun is Ogun Onire; Ogun as the source of good fortune. What is being alluded to here is suuru, patience, as the source of ire.

Usually, when divination speaks of patience as related to a problem, it is saying look to Ogun for help. At the core of Ogun’s ase is the slow, steady willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done (baba Falokun). Ogun is the metaphoric representation of transformation brought about by human effort. This benevolent aspect of Ogun is illustrated in a verse from Ogunda Meji:



Ogunda Meji

Alagbara ni noskun Ade was the one who divined for Ogun. He was advised to sacrifice a cutlass, a rooster and a roasted yam. Ifa said that he must always go about with his cutlass because it would be the key to his prosperity. He was told to eat the roasted yam. He did so. He was

thirsty after this and he went to the river to drink water. As he finished drinking he saw two people fighting over a fish they caught. He advised them to be patient and go home and share the fish. They ignored him.The first man told him he came from the east and the second from the west. After listening to their arguments, Ogun became agitated and, to the surprise of the two men, took out his cutlass and cut the fish in two. He told each to take half. The first thanked him and requested him to open a foot-path from where they were to his town and that he would enrich his (Ogun’s) life if he did. He further said that Ogun would receive valuable things that would give him confidence. The other one also thanked him and made the same request. Ogun agreed and he has been known as “Ogun-da-meji” (Ogun creates two), since the day he cut the fish into two.

“Ko si gba ta o ni ku”

Death is the inevitable fate of all humans. There is a popular story of Ogun killing an entire village. He started out protecting the village but loses control. In another version, he kills whole village because of a perceived slight. In both mythical proverbs he moves to the Bush to live alone. One aspect of the story is Ogun’s destructive capacity, that one must be careful when unleashing these forces and the need to remain emotionless, or disconnected. At the metaphysical level, Ogun’s agressive nature signifies the will to survive that exists in all living things. In addition the story speaks to political conflict. The story also speaks to the nature of truth, and the need to be adaptable to new realities, and relates that there is no perfect balance between being in control and out of control. It is by understanding the constructive-destructive cycle of self transformation that each individual must experience for growth that we can understand Ogun the Orisa. Ogun shows us how to balance the need for constraint with the need for freedom (Barnes).

Where does one meet him?
One meets him in the place of battle
One meets him in the place of wrangling
One meets him in the place
where torrents of blood fill with longing,
as a cup of water does the thirsty



Ogun as raw creative energy is not fit to be within civilization, that is to be King like his “brother’ Sango. Sango incorporates Ogun’s war powers and creative abilities, but tempered by Obatala. So Ogun’s color is red, then Sango white and red, and then Obatala, white. As explained to me by my baba, it is like a continuum from the rawness of Ogun to the cool wisdom of Obatala. Even the great leader Sango messed up real bad. He dies and was subsequently reborn with a wider consciousness and closer to Obatala (with Oya’s help).



Ojo Ogun
Si lo, si lo, silo ni ma se aye
Dugbe dugbe a gba ode oorun keke
Ipe npe ju a si kun fe je
Paranganda ni da fomo odo
Abiri, abihun a simu Orisa
Mo ri faaji re!
ase



On the days when Ogun is angered
There is always disaster in the world
The world is full of dead people going to heaven
The eyelashes are full of water
Tears stream down the face
A bludgeoning by Ogun causes a man’s downfall
I see and hear, I fear and respect my Orisa
I have seen your bloody merriment!
ase



Ogun is stickler for justice. Children of Ogun feel the need for justice, and find it very difficult to ignore injustice. He is truth. In Yorubaland, Ogun’s symbol, iron, is used voluntarily in courts of law for the taking of oaths by witnesses to affirm that the truth will be told (like we do with the bible). Few people, who believes in Orisa, would dare lie after swearing to tell the truth on Ogun. As said in the quote at the beginning of this paper, When Ifa speaks of truth, it does not mean some idealistic vision of the way things should be. Ogun searches for the truth about the way things really exist in the world. Ogun represents the power of the Spirit of Evolution to mold new life forms and new structures as creation unfolds. Ogun is a fundamental force of natural law, and is used as a symbol for truth. Many people appeal to Ogun to remove obstacles, both spiritual and physical. This causes Ogun to get a bad rap, because people don’t understand what they are asking for. More often than not, the obstacle in question is within the person his/herself. Since Ogun removes the obstacles regardless, if we are not ready to face truth, the process can be painful.

Yet another aspect of Ogun is his place in Ogboni, the cult of elders that worship the earth, called Onile. Onile is the feminine aspect of Ogun. Being the earth diety and associated with Ogun, gives us the best evidence yet of Ogun’s ancient roots. Woman devotees of Ogun used to worship Ogun in the form of a snake, usually a python. As we know, the python is associated with Osumare, the feminine diety. Snake dieties are usually associated with the earth. Maybe it is this connection  that led to Ogun being a part of the Ogboni earth cult. Ogun’s connection to the feminine earth diety is further elaborated by baba Falokun;

“Ogun in the diaspora is usually seat in an iron pot with three legs, wrapped with a chain and filled with spikes. There is usually a knife and maybe some tools in the pot. What do these things represent? With the pot, we have the symbolism of the womb, and we also have the idea of three legs. Three is symbolic number of Onile or Mother Earth. Ifá says that whenever twoAwo(diviners) meet three are always present, the third being the Earth Herself. Three symbolizes the relationship to the Earth this gives us the symbol of the womb supported by the symbol for the Earth a clear indication of the relationship between masculine dynamics and feminine form. The pot is surrounded by a chain. In Ifá the chain is used as symbol for the link between Heaven and Earth, a link that is sustain by the genetic chain of DNA. There is a piece of red cloth around the pot which is filled with iron spikes. There is some scientific indication the rust on the iron deposits at the bottom of the ocean created bacteria which became the source of the first single cell life forms on Earth. This would be the beginning of evolution and the basis for Ogun´spraise name Oguntobi meaning Ogun is the Father of all. The seed of life in the womb of the ocean is now symbolized by the iron spikes in the iron cauldron of Ogun. In the pot iron spikes or tools symbolize sperm in the womb. The female component of Ogun is diminished in the West. What is used to consecrate an Ogun pot is irosun. This irosun is red powder from the cam wood tree. In Yoruba the word is sometimes used to refer to menstrual blood from the elision ire osun meaning good fortune that comes from the guardian of the head which I would interpret to mean genetic inheritance from our ancestors. If you are putting red cam wood powder on theOgun pot you are symbolizing the primal procreative drive for survival. ”



Ogunda Meji
Gunnugun nii se yigbo yigbo
Akalamogbonii se yigbo yigbo
No one knows where it would be established the next time
Cast Ifa for Lakannigbo
The mother of Oloja merindinlogun
Don’t y’all know?
All observers of rituals
All you observers of rights
Don’t y’all know that we are all Running around because of wealth?
The Vulture (Iyami) is here Gee Ore
It was then that we placed good things on the ground
That the Vulture stepped in
ase

Another connection Ogun has with Ogboni is that the Ogboni act as a system of justice in traditional Yoruba society, and as we know, Ogun is a stickler for justice and a protector of
victims of injustice.

Oni ma ma de omo omibu
Tani o gb’odo l’owo Oni?
Tani gba’le baba omo l’owo omo?
Crocodile (Oshun) is coming, a child of the chief of deep waters,
Who can take the river away from the Crocodile?
Who can take his father’s house away from a child?
Things-are-difficult-at-Morgun-there-are-many-innocent-people-there
Cast the shells for Ogunda who was concerned for the people who were being treated unfairly by the chief.
Ebo of 26,000, cloths to the poor, 3 chickens, 3 pigeons, and a pot of beans to Ogun.
Orisha says a blessing of fair treatment, fair trial, and the speaking of truth
so that no one will be accused of something that they did not do.
Ogunda says there will be a blessing of good fortune and abundance.
Ogunda says there will be a blessing of good fortune,
children and a long life for those who embrace patience.
Ogunda says there is a taboo against anger, and a taboo against harsh judgments.
Ogunda says that the successful child will be praised by the mother.
Orisha says that patience brings a blessing of appreciation.
Ogunda says that the mother will have successful children.
Ebo should be made to the head (Ori) of the children.
Orisha says that the three children took the position of the elders and became chiefs.
Ogunda says that this person must maintain all of their taboos and honor the taboos of others.
Doing so will bring good fortune.
ase

Ogun nurtures and protects the oppressed. Ogun is an outcast and protects society’s outcasts. He makes sure that wealth is shared. He is looked to as a protector who will promptly respond to the appeals of the oppressed in there encounter with an unjust fate. He is looked to for justice within society, and protection from outside enemies. However, Ogun’s hot temper makes him a dreaded figure. While he protects the innocent, the poor, victims of military attack, he inflicts pain on others; the deceitful, the rich who don’t share, and one’s enemies in warfare. Ogun is a solitary figure who lives alone in the forest.



Ese Ogunda Meji

Okelegbongbo-as-ofun-kilo cast Ifa for Ogun. He was told that if he made ebo, he would never die. The whole world would always request that he help them solve their problems. But no one would help him solve his own problems. Four rams, four goats and four covered calabashes were the ebo. Ogun performed the ebo at each of the four corners of the world.
ase

Ogun’s undergarments are red, signifying his furious nature, but on top of this he wears Mariwo, palm fronds. Palm fronds have supernatural connotations, and “soften” Ogun’s image. They symbolize cool, restrained behavior.

I pay homage to Ogun Lakaaye, a divinity worthy of worship
Ogun, who had two very sharp cutlasses, sharp as fire
He used one for clearing an area for making a farm in the forest
The other he used to cut a path through the forest from one place to another
The type of clothing that Ogun wore,
On the day he made his descent from the hill to the plain,
I know very well
He wore a flame red coverlet over a blood red tunic
Mariwo yeyeye Ogun aso;
Alagbade o
Swirling palm fronds are Ogun’s garment;
The Honored One arrives
ase



In a verse of Ogunda Oturupon, we find reference to Ogun’s masculine virility and strength. In this itan, Ogun marries Oba, who is a very powerful woman. She was a terror to men despite her tremendous beauty. Ogun fell in love with her at first sight, as he was attracted by her physical and spiritual strength. But Oba always wrestled any man who attempted to woo her. No man had ever beaten her. So Ogun went to Orunmila for divination and Orunmila gave him some medicines and also told Ogun to take some corn cobs along with him. Ogun threw them on the ground where they were to wrestle, during the match Oba tripped on one of the corn cobs and fell. Ogun pinned her and won and immediately made love to her. That is why Ogunda Oturupon is also known as “Ogundabaturupon”, “Ogun da Oba tu ipon,” meaning, “Ogun fell Oba and loosened her pants” (Ayo Salami).

O se pon janna bi mo s’ile Ijanna
Agbo s’oko luku oko ero oja!
He made his penis lengthen to father a child in the house of Ijanna
We heard how the penis struck those in the market!
Ogun takes lives but also gives it. It is Ogun who cuts the umbilical cord. He is the originator of circumcision:

Olorun placed Ogun and Olure on earth together but Olure wanted to go alone. On her way she came across a large tree felled across the path. She returned to Olorun and asked him to have Ogun move the tree for her. While Ogun was cutting the tree, Olure sat nearby watching. Her legs were partially open and a splinter from the tree flew off of Ogun’s ax and lodged in her vagina. When Ogun finished clearing the path, Olure started on her way but the pain from the splinter was too much so she went back to Olorun and asked that Ogun remove the splinter. Ogun removed the splinter, but a scar remained. This was the beginnings of female excision. Ogun had sex with Olure, but because his sperm did not come out quickly enough, he cut off his foreskin. This was the origin of male circumcision.

In another itan, we see Ogun as hunter and as evolutionary force. Two guys set out to establish a new town. One of them is named Timoyin. In this adventure, Timoyin, who was an Ogun priest,
killed an elephant who was giving birth. Being that this was taboo, Timoyin built a shrine for the worship of the baby elephant and was transformed into Ogun Timoyin, an incarnation of Ogun.

Timoyin would go on to settle what is now Oshogbo with the help of Oshun. The two had two fight off the invading Muslims from the north. Like Esu, Ogun occupies marginal positions. Hunters are marginal men, who wandere the bush and found new settlements. They suffer through bad weather, hunger, fatigue and loneliness, but they maintain a connection to the town as they go back and forth from town to forest. They are the ones who, by exploring far away from home, bring back new ideas and technologies.

Ogun as the god of iron is most interestingly seen in the elaborate ritual attending the establishment of a smelter. The smelter constitutes a shrine to Ogun, and its flames are sacred.

In the powder that ignites the furnace, the smelters mark the Odu that incarnates Ogun – Ogunda, as well as the Odu Ogunda Irete. Ogun’s Odu talks of victory, and success in the face of danger, which speak to the occupation of a smelter who strives to be victorious in creating quality iron, while playing with fire. The smelter straddles the furnace and sacrifices a rooster while chanting invocations, pours the blood over the Odu that was marked in the powder while igniting the furnace and chanting all the secret names of fire. He then spits what he has been chewing; ataare pepper and kolanut on the fire as further chants are said. The chewing of ataare pepper and kolanut activate or fortify “ofo ase” the power of the word. In the saliva of the smelter is his essence, connecting his ase with the Orisa. Through the smelter ritual, humans shape, control and change raw power into socially useful power, reliving the triumph and tragedy of Ogun.

Iba Ogun, Oniporin Aye’
Iba Ogun, Oniporin Orun
Iba Agbaagba me ta iporin
Igba iwa se
Ogun da kete ni popo
O rawo agada ibeje ibeje
Ina giri giri ninu ada
Oorun giri giri oke
Ina sunsu ari je
Oorun sunsu asun lolubo
Ina giri giri inu ada
Akuko rebe rebe Ogun fun o ree!
Kirin o po!
Kirin o jina
Wonron, wonron, wonron!
Ase

Homage to Ogun, the iron smelter of the world
Homage to Ogun, the iron smelter of heaven
Homage to the three patriarchs,
iron smelters when existence began
Ogun put on a big straw hat in an open place
He spun the sword as a warning, as a warning!
The blazing fire in the furnace
The sun shining brightly above
Fire cooks the yam so it is edible
The sun cooks the yam so it wilts (rendering it inedible)
Blazing fire in the furnace,
Here is the red-red rooster
which Ogun presents to you!
So let the iron be well-smelted
Let the iron be well heated
o ring well and long!
ase


Ogun’s sacred objects

Ogun’s sacred elements can be as simple as a piece of scrap iron to the most elaborate shrine. Devotees are known to wear bracelets and necklaces with miniature iron implements. Probably his most widely recognized sacred object is his sword, used to kill as well as cultivate. It has the praise name, “ali su gbo gu kle,” “The road is closed and Ogun opens it.”

Ogun’s otan (stone)
Three or eleven railroad ties
Ogun pot (iron cauldron)
With seven tools
cutlass (machete)
knives
guns
bomb casings
all iron objects

Ogun’s ileke (beaded necklace). Ogun’s ileke is a good example of how ideas and objects crossed over the Atlantic and were in many cases altered and then find there way back to Afrika and alter the original source. Ogun’s beads were red in Yorubaland, but became black and green in the Diaspora. Now, if you get his beads in Afrika, they are black and green in some places. There are natural substances that attract the ase of Orisa. For Ogun of course iron. Other substances are palm oil and Irosun (red camwood powder).

Ogun’s Foods:

For offerings Ogun eats gin, rum, palm wine, palm kernel oil, palm oil, nuts, snail, cola nuts, orogbo, corn, roasted yam, roasted beans, dog, ram, goat and rooster. crickets are taboo.

Some of Ogun’s herbs ( used for cooling him down) are odundun and rinrin. In the Diaspora we also use purple basil, cana santa, pata de gallina, yerba de sangre, yerba mora, pegojo, hueso de gallo, adormidera, siempreviva, anamu, romerillo, amanza guapo, , palo manaju, ebano, quita maldicion, salvadera (you can translate to English using an online translator). These herbs can be crushed in water and used but only on Ogun’s stone. We don’t wash Ogun’s tools like other Orisa.

Ire lona atiwo Orun
Babalorisa Ogun-ori-ota
Awo Fategbe Fatunmbi
Available for Divination

Ori The Ifá Concept of Consciousness

An Ifa World Perspective Book Preview


     
 Or The Ifa Concept of Consciousness
 Ori is the Yoruba word used to describe the vessel that is able to process conscious thought.  In the Ifá description of ori consciousness is an integration of thoughts and emotions.  When an Ifá elder is admonishing someone to think clearly they will typically point to their heart and not their head.  The integration of thought and emotion creates ori ire or wisdom. Ifá says Ologbon a d’omugo l’ai l’ogbon-inu meaning the person who fails to make use of their wisdom becomes a fool.

According to Ifá, ori has four distinct arenas of perception; we think about our internal experience (identify emotions), we acknowledge our relationship with other people and things (evaluate levels of trust and empathy), we examine the past (access memory) and we envision the future (activate imagination).  

The four modes of consciousness can be symbolized by a circle sectioned into four equal quadrants.  In the literature on comparative religion this symbolic representation of inner experience is called a mandala.  In Ifá the mandala of consciousness is symbolized by the circular divination tray.  The quartered circle is a universal symbol of the self that appears in virtually every religious tradition throughout history.  It is found in the sand paintings of Hopi shamans, the healing circles of Tibetan Buddhist, the temple art of Islam, the stained glass windows of Gothic Cathedrals and the markings on the Ifá divination tray. 

In the course of a day the mind flips through the quadrants quickly as a method of processing information.  When we encounter new experience, we examine how it feels, we remember similar feelings, and we consider how the experience impacts our relationships and we imagine the effect the experience will have on future events.  

Ifá says Orisirisi eda lowo le lale yato fun eda tojade lowure meaning at sundown a different person enters the house than the one who left in the morning.  The idea of being on a spiritual path suggests that a person is making use of specific techniques to facilitate the integration of new information and new experience.  Employing the symbolic language of the mandala, we are widening the circumference of the circle by expanding the calabash of personal experience.  

In Ifá many of the techniques used to train the ori are taught in the form of codes of behavior passed from one generation to the next as cultural expectations and through participation in rituals that reveal the mystery of transcendent symbols. Ifá has no monasteries and no universities; the Ifá School of learning is the extended family where everyone takes on the responsibility of being a mentor and teacher to younger generations.  

When casting the oracle, Ifá diviners invoke the four quadrants of the mandala that appear on the divination tray by saying Iba se ila orun, iba se iwo orun, iba se ariwa, iba se guusu.  The east (ila orun) is located on the top of the tray in the realm of the Spirits of air.  The west (iwo orun) is located at the bottom of the tray in the realm of the Spirits of the earth.   The north (ariwa) is located on the left side of the tray in the realm of the Spirits of fire.  The south (guusu) is located on the right side of the tray in the realm of Spirits of water.  Some literature on this subject shows the north on the top of the tray based on the ethnocentric notion that African divination trays use the same orientation as AAA maps.  In my experience those references are inaccurate.  

In psychological terms, air is associated with breathing and our experience of self; earth is associated with survival and our relationships with others; fire is associated with transformation and our ability to vision the future, and water is associated with am biotic fluid and our memories of the past.   The four components of the ori are like spokes on a wheel linking the consciousness of the person to similar patterns of consciousness outside direct experience.  This means ori has access to transcendent realms of perception called Orun in Ifá and often referred to as the collective unconscious in transpersonal schools of psychology.

Ifá divination directs the diviner towards one of the 256 verses of Ifá oral scripture.  The verse identifies the clients most compelling and immediate spiritual lesson.  Once the lesson has been identified the diviner may give the client two symbolic objects (stone and shell) used to determine the orientation of the divination.  This process is believed to be direct communication with the client’s ori.  It is used to determine either if the client will easily assimilate and integrate the four components of ori, learn the lesson and receive the blessing that comes with expanded consciousness, or if the client is in resistance to the lesson leading to potentially self-defeating behavior. Ifá says; Awon ti won segun ota, ko sohun ti yio fa iberu ota meaning those who conquer the enemy within have nothing to fear from the enemy without.  Ifá divination is rooted in the idea of conquering the enemy within.  

The smooth assimilation of the lesson from divination is called ire.  The word for resistance to the lesson from divination is ibi.  In Yoruba the word ibi means after-birth.  Holding on to the placenta after delivery is fatal.  The use of the word ibi in the context of divination suggests the person is holding on to thought forms (dogma) that are resistant to the lesson at hand (ire).  I would describe ibi as opposition to embracing an open-ended worldview.  Ibi is the solidification of dogma.  Solidification occurs because letting go of strongly held beliefs is experienced as loss of self.  It literally feels like a threat to your physical existence.  More accurately it is a spiritual death that lays the foundation for rebirth and continued growth.  The death of the old self is frightening and seldom comes without struggle or resistance.  

Ifá says Iberu ie fa iku ara tabi ti emi meaning fear is the parent of premature death.  Resistance to change requires full time effort.  If you focus all of your attention on ignoring your lessons, there is no time for living in the moment.  Failure to live in the moment is extremely dangerous.  Learning Ifá is a process of embracing modes of behavior that facilitate the smooth transition of ibi into ire.  Anticipating the inevitable emergence of a new self from the death of the old self makes change less fearful.

If ibi is transformed into ire it tends to become solidified in one of the four quadrants of the Ifá mandala.  Someone who is afraid of the future will remain stuck in the past.  The most common example is the adult who refuses to grow up, wanting the lack of responsibilities associated with childhood to continue throughout life.  Someone who is avoiding dealing with developmental problems will constantly run in search of a better future.  I see this manifest when people say my life would get better if only I could win the lottery.  Someone who is fearful of being successful in the world can mask the fear by focusing all their attention on spiritual matters.  They do this in an effort to justify failure in practical matters by saying success is unimportant.  Someone who is obsessed with success could be avoiding dealing with moral and ethical considerations that are part of spiritual development.  The avoidance is often rooted in low self-esteem.  This leads to the false notion that the problem can be fixed by external forms of gratification.   

Divination uses ebo to break the bonds of ibi or solidified dogma.  Ebo includes offerings, healings, cleansings, rituals and initiations as ways of freeing the ori from self-imposed restrictions. Ifá describes this process by saying; mo‘bo Orisa meaning I make an offering to spirit.  If the person is in alignment with their higher self and free from the shackles of dogma Ifá says, mo sin Olodumare meaning I serve God.  

Staying stuck in ibi literally deifies the problem.  Instead of worshipping Source, we worship whatever it takes to stay stuck.  Christians call this idolatry.  As an issue of survival we devote all our conscious effort to creating a world that supports our distorted vision of reality by surrounding ourselves with peers who share our limited worldview.  

If anyone from the circle of support deviates from the norm, they become the scapegoat, someone who is falsely accused of being responsible for the problems of the group.  If the scapegoat refuses to submit to the will of the group they are shunned, banned, avoided and demonized.  In the process we claim to follow the guidance of Spirit and imagine that Spirit wants us to behave in childish ways.  We claim to follow the guidance of Spirit and believe we can control the future.  We claim to follow the guidance of Spirit and ignore our financial responsibilities while pretending to be religious devotees.  We claim to follow the guidance of Spirit by becoming workaholics justifying the obsession for the sake of the family.  Mo sin Olodumare means serving God by being appropriate in the moment.  Being appropriate in the moment can only happen if we see the world unencumbered by delusions generated by dogma.  When any group attacks a member who is not a threat, the group sows the seeds of its own self-destruction.  A healthy community embraces diversity of opinions.  If you want to understand Ifá as a worldview, never demonize anyone, replace criticism with empathy, replace moral judgment with ebo, replace anger with understanding and replace self-pity with the courage to change.  

The fear of change is rooted in a fear of loss of self only when self-perception is rooted in dogma.  Discard the self-limiting ideas and the fear disappears.  Theologians define dogma as a strongly asserted metaphysical principle.  Dogma is commonly associated with religious indoctrination.  From a psychological perspective, most individuals create dogma during their developmental years when their interpretation of life experience is falsely elevated to an inflexible personalized view of the Laws of Nature.  For example a child grows up in a family where the predominate interaction with their parents involves the threat of punishment and physical abuse.   The inherent need to be nurtured comes in conflict with the reality of pain and suffering.  Rather than admit to not being loved, the child decides that love is expressed through violence.  Growing up the child will associate with other children who share the same worldview.  It is often easier to look for external support of a dogmatic principle than it is too deal with the painful truth at the core of a conflict.  As an adult that same child might seek a religious community that sanctions severe corporal punishment of children.  The dogmatic worldview gets reinforced by an extended community and is solidified as God’s Will while being passed down to another generation.  

I refer to the process as deifying an internal conflict.  Nazi’s believed genocide was God’s Will.  There was a time when Catholics believed burning witches was God’s Will.  There are Christians today who believe killing abortion clinic doctors is God’s Will.  There are Ifá priests who believe God hates homosexuals and that women are inferior to men.  Every American President who has declared war does so with God’s endorsement.  Anytime you claim another human being is unworthy of being a part of your community you are invoking what you believe to be God’s Will.  The only way you can convince yourself you are a prophet is to surround yourself with people who also think they know the Will of God.  At this point your personal ibi becomes communal ibi.  Communal ibi makes the job of personal transformation more difficult.  Encouraging communal ibi is the tactic of colonialism better known as divide and conquer.  

Once an unresolved problem is arrogantly elevated to a dogmatic principle there is no impetus for resolution.  If I believe God wants me to be a racist I have no reason to examine racists behavior.  If I believe God made men superior to women, I have no reason to examine my sexism.  If I believe God condemns homosexuals, I have no reason to examine my homophobia.  Once we invoke God’s Will life becomes very simple.  The problem is the ori knows we are embracing a lie.  The more the lie becomes manifest in the world, the more likely ori will send Esu O’dara on a mission to shake the ibi loose and continue the process of growth.

Unresolved conflict leads to tension and anger.  When there is no impetus to resolve the problem the ori looks for an alternative means to discharge the frustration and anger.  At times this will manifest as passive aggression, the attempt to control the behavior of others by pretending to be victim.  To repress the pain of unresolved conflict a person might deaden their senses by turning to alcohol or drugs.  If the person is fortunate, they might encounter a mentor.  Someone who grew up with a similar worldview, who was able to break the shackles of their self-imposed dogma, might reveal how to embrace a more balanced and holistic interpretation of their experience.   

An example that is all too prevalent is the child who is raised to believe sexuality is “evil”.  The inability to reconcile dogma with a natural desire can cause a person to obsess on making sure others do not enjoy what has been denied to them.  The person might avoid the internal contradiction by becoming self-righteous.  They might feel the need to monitor pornography in an effort to protect others from temptation.   If the conflict continues they might feel the need to join the clergy to protect their community from “sin”.  At some point the power of the contradiction will undermine intention and the person may well become caught in a compromising situation.  If the person feels powerless to deal with the internal conflict they will tend to act out their frustration against those who are helpless.  At this point in the avoidance scenario they may even convince themselves that pedophilia is an expression of God’s Love.  

Ifá divination is a tool designed to identify self-destructive tendencies before others in the community are damaged.   Divination cannot work if Ifá is merely perceived as fixing a problem by magically manifesting a desired result without taking into consideration the need for personal transformation.   I am not saying that magical expressions of will power do not work on a short-term basis.  Nevertheless it is important to recognize that it is ultimately self-defeating.  

When I was growing up, in the sixties, the Twilight Zone and Star Trek were popular morality plays.  In some ways they were the American equivalent of the stories associated with Odu Ifá.  Imagine you are on the starship Enterprise.  You encounter a Klingon for the first time.  His name is Dank.  You look directly at Dank not knowing that in Klingon culture looking directly at someone is considered rude.  Dank is offended by your gesture and becomes belligerent.  A fight breaks out; you get a broken nose.  You process that experience by assuming all Klingon’s are bullies.  Sometime later you meet a Klingon named Gar.  You are defensive, your body language signals the message you are prepared to defend yourself, and you get a second broken nose.  Your dogma is now becoming solidified.  Later on you become stranded in space with no food or water.  A Klingon bird of prey comes to your rescue.  You refuse the aid because you are convinced it is a trap.  In the language of Ifá, ibi is creating more ibi eventually leading to premature death rather than a blessing of long life.  You remain stranded never once looking at the consequences of holding on to a worldview that is rooted in a mistake that was originally of your own making.

The negative consequences of holding on to a solidified worldview are described in the story about the two faces of Esu O’dara.  Two farmers who grew up together were best of friends.  When they passed the age of puberty they both went for divination.  Ifá said they must live on adjacent farms because their abundance would depend on mutual cooperation. Ifá said it was Esu O’dara who would teach them the mystery of abundance.  Ifá said they needed to make regular offerings to Esi O’dara to make sure their friendship was not broken.

The two young men could not imagine being separated, they could not imagine being enemies, and they could not imagine living to old age in poverty.  There was no need to appease the spirit of Esu O’dara.  One day Esu O’dara came to the farm of the two young men.  Their land was separated by a narrow path.  Esu O’dara walked down the path with one side of his face painted white and one side of his face painted red.

When Esu O’dara passed one of the young men said, “Did you see that strange fellow with the white face?”

The other responded, “No he had a red face.”

The two men got into an argument that led to a fight that ended their friendship.  One of the tools used to break the bonds of ibi is humility.  From an Ifá perspective humility is the ability to consider another point of view and to make no assumptions about that point of view until it can be tested through direct experience.   In other words test advice before rejecting it.   This requires patience and a cool head.  Ifá says Ibinu ko se ohunkohun iwa susu ni ohun gobgbo meaning anger accomplished nothing; patience is the crown of achievement.  Those who posses patience posses all things.

Another of the tools used by Ifá to avoid creating dogma comes from the holy Odu, Osa’Tura:

Iba se Osa Tura.  S’otito s’ododo, s’otito o si tun s’ododo, eni s’otiti ni Imale yoo gbe o.
Speak the truth tell the facts, speak the truth tell the facts.  Those who speak the truth are those whom the Spirits will help.

In order to facilitate the daily assimilation of new information and new experience, let us look at just one component of this verse of Ifá scripture, the word s’otito.   A loose translation of the word would be to only state the facts.  In the words of psychology, make an objective evaluation of a new event that requires analysis.  Stating the facts means make absolutely no assumptions about anything.
There is an Ifá story about Ogun that clearly expresses the value of s’otito.  In the olden days Ogun served as the village executioner.  One day a messenger of the Oba brought Ogun a man who was accused of steeling the Oba’s dog.   Ogun told the messenger he would only execute someone for telling a lie.  The messenger said the accused denied committing the crime and saw him do it.  Ogun cut off the head of the messenger, freed the prisoner and said, “I was the one who stole the dog.” 

If we examine the fable about the encounter with the Klingons we can create a hypothetical example of how being objective works.  The meeting with Dank ended in violence, the assumption was that all Klingons are rude and aggressive.  The only way this could be verified is if you personally knew every Klingon.  An objective analysis would be to say Dank was rude and violent without extending the parameters of your conclusion beyond direct experience.  Assuming that all Klingons are violent gives the problem no place to go and provides no basis for resolution.  Limiting the analysis to what is objectively know opens the door to a wide range of questions that hold the potential for fixing the problem.  Did Dank have a bad day?  Did I remind him of someone he doesn’t like?  Did he have a violent encounter with another officer from Star Fleet?  Did I unknowingly do something to offend him?  By remaining open to a number of interpretations and by not becoming locked into self-generated dogma the door remains open to gain a better understanding of Dank the person, a better understanding of Klingon culture and in this instance a better understanding of personal insensitivity.  Exploring these options means it will be less likely that the meeting with Gar will start from a defensive posture.  On the day the Klingon ship comes to your rescue you will be able to make an objective evaluation about whether or not to accept the assistance.
Ifá culture trains the younger generation in s’otito through the use of a strict taboo against gossip.  There are always two sides to every story and when someone is complaining about a perceived injustice there is a tendency to describe the event in self-serving terms.  Gossip is designed to get peer support for a dogmatic point of view.  In Ifá culture gossip is considered pointless because it carries no possibility of resolution of a problem.  In my experience an Ifá elder will only listen to a complaint when both parties are present.  If there is no immediate resolution between the parties, the matter is taken to the oracle for guidance from Spirit.  Once a problem has been fixed through divination it is taboo to re-visit the issue.  Participation in this process is part of the training for becoming an elder.  Ifá says; Ika ti ika ka, ko le yamju oro meaning the person who harms others, when they have been harmed, is unable to settle a dispute.

In Ode Remo the Oba meaning eldest father or village chief holds court in the mornings for resolving disputes.  Anyone with a problem can ask the Oba and the elders of Ogboni to settle the conflict.  If the other party is not present, the Oba will send one of his emese (messengers) to retrieve the other person.  Nothing is settled without both parties in attendance.  Those who are in dispute direct all their comments to the Oba who seeks the council of his advisors and then makes a final judgment.  In many ways it is similar to a court of law.  On a smaller scale the same process is used to settle problems within an extended family.  All serious conflicts are resolved openly with both parties and witnesses in attendance.  During the process, the participants are admonished to say only what they know, a traditional Yoruba version of the no hearsay rule followed in Western courts of law.

Removing assumptions from self-analysis is at the foundation of the Ifá concept of self-transformation.  Such rigorous self-examination is an essential process for those who aspire to learn divination.  To take one example, the verses of Odu Ifá make frequent reference to the possibility of good fortune coming from a significant stranger.  Using our hypothetic example, if the diviner has a bias against Klingons, the Star Fleet explorer who comes for divination will not be told to welcome the rescuer from a Klingon bird of prey.

There is an aspect of ibi that periodically showed up during divination that took me some time to fully understand.  It involved the appearance of elenini meaning disruptive elemental spirits.  At first it was not clear to me what exactly was meant by elemental spirit.  Over time I developed a theory based on experience and observation.  It may or may not be true and is impossible to prove because it involves a particular theory about the structure of reality.  The theory helps me dispel elenini so at the very least it is a good working hypothesis.

I believe there is a thin veil of invisible light on the boundary between dimensions of reality.  This light can be understood as pure unformed consciousness.  The light can be easily molded by human thought.  As a result of this interaction there is a global neither world of phantoms shaped by human suffering and despair.  In Ifá when this light is accessed in its pure form it manifests as a beam of light coming from the earth and moving towards the sky.  This light is called Ela from the elision e ala meaning I am the light.  It is the light of Ela that guides the prayers of an awo when they are in an altered state of consciousness meaning connected with iponri which is the higher self.

If a person is avoiding transforming ibi they will look for someone else to blame for their problems.  If there is no one to blame they will create an imaginary demon that they can claim is responsible for the disruption in their life.  If the need to create a demon is strong enough the thought form will take shape and the monster will materialize in the physical world giving apparent confirmation the problem is external and not internal.  

The current psychological literature on demonic possession has gathered convincing data that shows childhood victims of trauma create the phenomena as a form of protection.  If you are being attacked by an adult the best defense is to seek the aid of a monster.  Behind every Satanic possession is a wounded child.

In Ifá this phenomena is called elenini.  Real Spirits always respond to the power of the word.  If you tell Egun or Orisa to leave, they leave.  Elenini does not respond to the power of the word.  The more you try to dispel it in a ritual context the stronger it gets.  If a ritual exorcism is effective, the old elenini is replaced by a new manifestation far more powerful than the original.  
The only way to destroy elenin is starve it to death.  By this I mean you have to slowly work away at the internal conflicts that feed the spirit.   

The only person who can destroy an elenini is the person who created it.  This won’t happen until the person is ready to accept responsibility for the real problem.  If you try and banish an elenini in a ritual context the person who created it will view the ritual as a threat to their identity, they will resist the process by attacking you.  There is no easy solution to this problem.  My best recommendation is to refer the person with the elenini to a mentor, someone who has effectively transformed the real issue.  The ebo or ritual cleansing ends up looking more like a twelve-step program than an offering to spirit.   

It is my hope that as our communities gain more insight into this particular issue; we can share information on effective resolution.  Far too often I see the manifestation of elemental spirits given inappropriate credibility by the extended family and this is extremely disruptive because it can infect an entire community making everyone distracted by the problems of one person.  The pattern becomes especially dramatic if messages from the elenini are given the same weight as messages from spirit.

The whole concept of the extended family as mystery school is based on the concept of mentoring.  If you are teaching someone who is younger than you the idea is that you have gone through whatever experience the student is struggling with, as a result you can give them the benefit of your life lessons.  In simple terms anything you have fixed in your own life can be used as medicine for someone else.  Ifá says; W’otun w’osi l’owo fi m’mo saka meaning the right hand cannot wash itself without support from the left hand.

The idea of mentoring informs the way traditional Yoruba’s greet one another.  It is considered rude and inappropriate for a younger person to ask an older person how they are doing, or how they are feeling.  The reason for this is because in the Ifá mystery school a younger person does not offer opinions or give guidance to an elder.  Based on the admonitions of s’otitio, asking a person how they are doing carries the expectation of an honest answer.  If the older person has a problem the younger person simply is not old enough or wise enough to offer an appropriate solution based on life experience.  If you can’t assist in fixing something there is no point in discussing it.  

In Ifá culture it is not acceptable for a younger person to tell an older person what to do by claiming the message came from spirit.  A message from spirit directed towards a particular person would be taken to the person’s elder for evaluation before being delivered to the intended recipient.  

One day I was walking through Ode Remo in the middle of the afternoon.  It was very hot.  I noticed that everyone but me was inside, in the shade, keeping cool.  I decided it was time to return to the Araba’s house.  On the way home I got sick.  A grandfather came out of his house and asked me how I felt.  I told him I had an upset stomach.  He went back into his house and I continued walking.  When I reached the place where I was staying there was a box of stomach medicine on the front porch.  The grandfather asked me how I was feeling because he was in a position to fix the problem.  How that medicine got to the house before I did, I will never know.

Exercise 

Sit in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.  Examine two new experiences that occurred in the course of the same day.  Analyze your reaction in each of the four modes of thought and write them down.  

Perception of self
Perception of self in relationship
Perception of similar past experience
Perception of possible implications for the future

Under each reaction list your assumptions.  Now review the event and look at your reaction to it minus any assumptions.  Keep your list of assumptions on your shrine or white table.  Begin to notice how similar assumptions continue to reappear in situation after situation.  Take you list of assumptions and burn them in front of your shrine or white table.  Take the ashes to the trash.  Tell yourself you are discarding all beliefs and assumptions that do not serve you well.  Turn around and walk away without looking back.  Do this every night eleven nights in a row.  This may seem like a simple process, but when a discarded assumption rears its head you will remember the walk to the trash bin and let it go.  That is the way the mind works and the reason why Ifá makes use of ritual to transform personal problems.  Ritual is an effective tool for reminding the ori a decision has been made.  If simply telling yourself to change were effective there would be no need to study any spiritual discipline. 
If an assumption remains persistent stand in front of your Ogun pot holding one of his spikes at chest level.  Promise Ogun you will stop making a particular assumption when the spike hits the floor, then drop the spike.  In Ifá an oath to Ogun is considered an absolute taboo.  If you do not have an Ogun take the oath standing at a railroad crossing.

  Get to the point where you are able to go through this process in the moment.  Being objective is the first step in a series of steps that will transform the way you perceive yourself and experience the world.  None of the other steps will work unless this step is firmly internalized and becomes second nature.


Ritual

The tension caused by unresolved internal conflict creates negative ase in our body and around our heads.  Negative thoughts have physical substance in the world and linger around us like dead skin.  Ifá has a complex system for cleaning away the negative effects of ibi or dogma.  A simple head cleaning involves saying an oriki while moving the fingers of your left hand from the middle of your forehead across the top of the head down the neck the flicking the negativity away from your body.  The word oriki literally means to praise the spirit or praise the head.  It is the Yoruba word used to described prayers used in Ifá to invoke spirit. I recommend this oriki be used as a part of the Morning Prayer cycle.  I recommend memorization so it can be used during the day whenever unresolved internal issues threaten to cause disruption.  
Orí san mi.  Orí san mi.  Orí san igede.  Orí san igede. Orí otan san mi ki nni owo lowo.  Orí otan san mi ki nbimo le mio.  Orí oto san mi ki nni aya.  Orí oto san mi ki nkole mole.  Orí san mi o.  Orí san mi o.  Orí san mi o.  Oloma ajiki, ìwá ni mope.  Ase.

Inner Spirit guide me.  Inner Spirit guide me.  Inner Spirit support me. Inner Spirit support me. Inner Spirit support my abundance. Inner Spirit support my future children.  Inner Spirit support my relationship. Inner Spirit protect my house.  Inner Spirit guide me.  Inner Spirit guide me.  Inner Spirit guide me.  Protector of Children, my inner character is thankful.  May it be so.

Make a commitment to yourself in front of either your Ogun shrine or a railroad crossing.  Promise Ogun you will not engage in gossip, at all ever.  Instead decide to deal directly with any person who causes you upset.  Make the commitment for one month then objectively consider whether or not the direct approach is more effective. 

Learn Oriki Ori

Orí san mi.  Orí san mi.  Orí san igede.  Orí san igede.
Inner Spirit guide me.  Inner Spirit guide me.  Inner Spirit support me.  Inner Spirit support me.
Orí otan san mi ki nni owo lowo.  Orí otan san mi ki nbimo le mio.
Inner Spirit supports my abundance. Inner Spirit supports my future children.
Orí oto san mi ki nni aya.  Orí oto san mi ki nkole mole.
Inner Spirit supports my relationship. Inner Spirit protects my house.
Orí san mi o.  Orí san mi o.  Orí san mi o.  Oloma ajiki,  ìwá ni mope.  Ase.
Inner Spirit guides me.  Inner Spirit guides me.  Inner Spirit guides me.  Protector of Children, my inner character is thankful.  May it be so.


Click the link to purchase: Ori The Ifá Concept of Consciousness


Ire,
Awo Falokun

Awo Falokun is available for Ifa / Orisa Initiations and Workshops. Call: 775-741-0188 or email: awofalokun@ifabooksinc.com for more information.

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

Irete-Ogbe - How Odu Became Orunmila's Wife Part 9

"Orunmila made the offering.  On the day Odu arrived at Orunmila's home she found the offering outside the door.  Odu asked who has made this offering to the Earth?  Esu said it was Orunmila who made the offering because he wants to marry you.  Odu took the offering and fed the bird Aragamaga."

Commentary:

Here we have the relationship between Odu, representing raw spiritual power, and Orunmila, representing social order and the development of good character, being facilitated by Esu.

The word good character in Yoruba is iwa pele from the elision I wa ope ile meaning I come to greet the Earth.  We greet the Earth because the Earth is our teacher the Earth teaches us how to live in harmony with self and world.  By seeing the offering Odu is expressing her understanding the Orunmila is a good man, who was attempting to do good things in the world.

In this section of the verse Odu takes the offering and feds Aragamaga.  This is the first reference in the verse between Odu and Iyaami Osoranga.  The bird Aragamaga I would translate to mean the body of female power.  This is a symbolic reference to the collective power of all women.  This power is accessed through Odu or the womb and links all women through Ori or consciousness.  The power of Iyaami is the ability of women to pray in the astral realm as a group.

Iyaami as an Egbe or religious society was set up to do three things.  There first responsibility is to protect the women of a given community.  In the olden days all women were automatically members of the Iyaami Egbe.  The elder women of the community were initiated into the secrets of the Egbe but all women were members.  If any woman was the victim of male violence the elder mother of the Iyaami Egbe would go to the Chief Ifa priest of the village and ask him to mediate.  If the mediation was unsuccessful the women would invoke the collective power of Aragamaga which is the power to prevent a man from going to sleep by inducing nightmares.  After two or three nights of no sleep the abusive man was often willing to consider changing their abusive character.

I believe that the men who misread this verse are often in denial about their own abusive issues.

The bird used to administer justice is described as a black bird.  In Iyaami Osoranga there is also a white bird whose job it is to make sure the power of the black bird is used fairly.  Just because a woman accuses a man of violence does not automatically make the allegations true.

The third bird in Iyaami Osoranga is a red bird who job it is to locate abundance.

When Odu or the portal of female power accepts the offering of Orunmila and feeds it to the black bird the gesture of accepting the offering is recognition of the fact that Orunmila was not a threat to the safety and well-being of women.

This primal relationship is symbolized in Ifa initiations when offerings are made to Iyaami and it is symbolized when portions of ebo (personal offerings) are giving to Iyaami.  This represents a primal covenant between divergent forces in nature and this covenant is reaffirmed during initiation and when making offerings prescribed by Ifa divination.

Ire,
Awo Falokun

Friday, March 20, 2015

Mayowa Adeyemo praises Eledumare (Creator)


Odíderé ayékòótá máa wolè máràba
Odéderé ayébòútó máa wolè máràba
oò ri' báyé nwá doríto dò tó dobúépo
ọmọ ò gbọ́ tí baba mo, baba ò gbó dimọ má, aya ò gbọ́ lọkọ mo
gbogbo rè wá polúkúrámusu nílé ayé o
Elédùmarè e, Olódù só màre
Òbá wá bá wa túnlé ayé se
Káyé ó máse dàrú má
Káyé ó rójú, káyé ó ráàyè
Kóòdè ó gba gbogbo wa nílé ayé
Torílé ayé yìí kansoso la wá
Àjò sì nilé ayé
Gbogbo wa la ó padà relí bóbá dọjọ́ kaa
Elédùmarè o o o
Ìwọ mà lọ̀mọ̀ràn tí moyún ìgbín nínú ìkọrọhua
Ìwọ mà leni tó tọgbọ́n mọgbá orí
Ìwọ mà leni tó dá gbogbo wa rílé ayé
Tí wọ́n ti ń pelé ayé nílé dúníyàn o
Elédùmarè ọba toto bọ bí orí
Bíyá tín bì ó díè kórí ire ó lè wá
Bo lè dámí l'óhùn gbogbo ohun tí mo bá
bèrè lọ́wọ́ ò ré lújúọ tòní o
Oba atérere káré ayé, Ọba kòṣeuntì
Òbàmùbárá matéré bamba
Elédùmarè
Ènìyàn wèròwèsò tí ò sée lowó wàdùwàdù mú
Enítóbá tasè àgèsè pérén
Kódà á sanwó láyé, á wá lo rèé sekà lórun ni
Elédùmarè o o o
Ọba ńlá, tí ò seé gbíjá, ọba tí ò seé gbìjà
Torí mọ súmóba níwọ̀n egbèje
Mo jìnnà sóba níwọ̀n egbejà
mi ò mà róba fín torá róba fiń loba ń pa
Ọba tótó bí aró, ọba rèrè bí osùn
Eléní àtèká gbogbo mekùn oòyè
Òpó àndù oyè
Ọba tí wọ́n kìí bá du oyè láíláí
L'elédùmarè ọba tèmi
Ọ̀bá dákun o gbébè mi
Ọ̀bá dákun o gbébè mi
Káyé ó ńjú fún wa
Káyé ó ńjú fún wa
Kílè yí ó sàn wá
Kílè yíí ó san wá
Kámáse rógun àdáyà
Kámáse rógun àgbédá
Kámáse rógun àkóbá
Lólá Elédùmarè jóo bá jé gbó àdúrà wa
Mose tótó, mo se sákì olú
Gbogbo èyí náà, ko ba lè gbóhùn èbè mi ni
Ọ̀bá dákun wá gbọ́ o o o

Irete-Ogbe - How Odu became Orunmila's wife Part 8




"Orunmila consulted his Babalawo who consulted Ifa.  Orunmila was told, "If we teach a person to be intelligent, that person will be intelligent, if we teach a person to be stupid, that person will be stupid.  Ifa told Orunmila to take Odu as his wife.  The Babalawo said a power is in the hands of Odu.  They said because of this power Orunmila must make an offering to the Earth.  They said the offering must be made for the welfare of all people.  The said the offering must be made so Odu will not kill people, and so Odu will not eat people because the power of Odu is greater than the power of Orunmila.  They said Orunmila must quickly make ebo.  The Babalawo gave him the ingredients for the ebo."

Commentary:

In the previous section of the verse the point is made that the power of Odu is morally neutral from the point of view of human judgment.  This section of the verse is saying that Odu comes in alignment with Orunmila so that the power of Odu will be used for the good of the people.  One of the primary responsibilities of those who are initiated into the mysteries of Orunmila is to provide communal guidance through the study and use of Ifa divination.  Morally judgments are based on weighing the needs of the individual against the needs of the collective.  If all decisions were made based on personal needs there would be little if any communal harmony.  Odu aligns herself with Orunmila to insure harmony in nature and harmony in the world of humans.

Again if we look at Ifa scripture as multi-dimensional metaphor the Concept of Odu is the concept of inter-dimensional transference of ase or energy.  Olodumare from the elision Olo odu osumare meaning the owner of the mystery of the Rainbow Serpent is a reference to Olodumare being the source of physical reality.  The concept of Rainbow Serpent is the concept of the full spectrum of light which in Western Science is created by sound and in Ifa is created by Oro or the power of the Primal Word.  Olo odu is a reference to the primal womb that gave birth to all of Creation.
As topographical metaphor this section of the Scripture is saying that balance is essential in the Natural World to avoid self-destruction.  The physical world comes into Being through the polarity of electromagnetism and gravity and through the polarity of the weak and strong forces that create atoms.  If gravity were to become stronger than light the Universe would crash in on itself and implode.

On a personal level the verse is suggesting there is value in balancing the male consciousness with female consciousness in both men and women.  This is the reason why it is common in many lineages to identify a father and mother Orisa.  It is the integration of these primal forces of expansion and contraction that gives shape to personal identity.

The verse is also saying the power of Odu is stronger than the power of Orunmila and that the power of Odu must be given to men by women.  The reference is the idea that Orunmila must take Odu as his wife.  Some would incorrectly interpret this to mean Orunmila must control Odu.  I believe a better interpretation would be that Orunmila needs to create harmony with Odu.

This harmony is created by men in a number of ways.  When a man enters Igbodu he is presented to Igba Odu or the pot that represents primal female energy.  This presentation puts a man in contact or I would say puts a man in possession with female ase.  The experience of being presented to the Odu pot puts a man’s ori in balance.  It balances right brain, left brain polarity which can be described metaphorically as integrating the male and female aspect of the Ori.

The integration of Ori is the event that allows an Ifa initiate to become an effective diviner.  If a diviner cannot empathize with the female experience he cannot accurately identify the source of problems brought to him by a woman and this inability makes his divination ineffective.

The reference to the idea of teaching someone to be stupid makes someone stupid and the idea of teaching someone  intelligent makes them intelligent is I believe essential to understanding the Ifa system of initiation.

Intelligence is not about how much you know, intelligence is about transforming experience into wisdom.  The process of integration experience into wisdom involves the integration of the male and female aspect of Ori.  Without this integration there is ongoing conflict between men and women that leads to conflict in family which leads to conflict in the community until the world becomes an unsafe place to live.

The current state of violence in the world is a testimony to the failure of culture to teach wisdom.

The verse is saying that if you teach a person to be wise they will use spiritual power in a positive way.  If you teach a person to be stupid they will use spiritual power in a thoughtless and potential destructive way.  The implication here is that spiritual power is given in conjunction with ethical guidance and development of good character as an issue of survival.

Ire,
Awo Falokun

Awo Falokun is available for Ifa / Orisa Initiations and Workshops. Call: 775-741-0188 or email: awofalokun@ifabooksinc.com for more information.

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Mayowa Adeyemo praises Ogun (God of Iron)


Ògún onírè ọkọ ò mi
Irúnmolè tí ń rù mìnìmìnì
Òlómi nílé fèjè wè
Òlása nílé fìmọ̀bímọ̀ bora
Ògún aládàá méjì
Ó fìkán sánko, ó fìkán yènà
Ojó Ògún ń fìkòlé òrun bò wá s'ílé ayé
Asa iná ló mú bora
èwù èjè ló wọ̀ sọ́rùn o
Ògún onílé owó ọlọ́nà ọla
Ògún onílé kángun kàngun òde òrun
Méje l'Ògún mi
Ògún alárá nií gbajá
Ògún onírè a gbàgbò
Ògún ìkọlà a gbà 'gbín
Ògún elémoná nií gbèsun asu
Ògún akirun á gbà wo àgbò
Ògún gbénàgbénà eran ahun níí je
Ògún mákinde ti d'Ògún léhìn odi
Bí ò bá gba tápà á gbàbókí á gba húnkùnhúnkùn
á gba tèmbèrí o jàre
mo ní e má bógúnrún fìjà seré
Ògún òlódodo l'Ògún tèmi
Ọmọ Orórínà, ọmọ Tàbúfú
Morú nítorípé l'ójó Ògún kó délé ayé,
Emu ló kó bèrè o ḿgbà tó délè ìrè o
Ògún onílé owó, Olónà olà
Ògún ónile, kángunkàgun òde òrun
Mo ní e má aàbógùn fìjà sére o o
Ara Ògún kan gó gó gó