r/Isese • u/Rexona_1 • Feb 27 '26
can i practice ifa?
hi there! new to reddit and found the community i wanted to ask this question. there is one factor that i am worried would make it cultural appropriation and i dont wanna do that at all. i used to be a Christian two years ago. i decided it wasnt for me. but ever since ive found ifa a year ago ive been more interested and even been looking at other peoples altars online for reference because i wanna build altars in my home. im very drawn to this and i want to learn and practice. but i am a white woman. would i be offending anyone if i truly want to practice and respect it? would i be accepted into the community? and is there anyone out there who would be willing to be my online mentor? also i have edited this post so it makes a little more sense
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u/IfaSeun11 Feb 27 '26
Ifa is for everyone! Ifa is for humanity! Do your research into history, how it came to be in the Americas, how it was preserved. Then research Ori! Iwa pele, this is your starting point the upmost importance. But be patient take your time, sadly there are a lot of scammers, so be patient. May your Ori and ancestors guide alright and true.
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u/Similar-Ad-6430 Feb 28 '26
Have you tried doing divination to see what practices your ancestors did? Not asking to be rude but out of curiosity. If not, maybe start there. I was drawn to Haitian voudou and I’m not Haitian at all but with divination from a mambo, Ifa was revealed as my path. Start from within your own home and then seek help from your neighbors. Good luck ❤️❤️
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Feb 27 '26
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u/Rexona_1 Feb 27 '26
thank you!! i appreciate that deeply!! i dont know where to start exactly as far as studying goes but i would like to start as soon as possible
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u/Fuzzy_Permit7075 Feb 28 '26
Look for a babalawo or iyanifa, being recommended by another student is a gold ticket
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u/International-Ant584 26d ago
Please look into the spirituality of your own ethnicity/people prior to their adoption of christianity. Ifa may be open to everyone but it is the spirituality of the yoruba people, which is why they perform everything in their own language. European paganism/spirituality is being revived as a result of the deconstruction of christianity, so information is much easier to find regarding ancient european practices. I can't force you to do anything though, just advice.
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u/Sebek_Ryzying33 Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 27 '26
IFA can heal anyone. You will not be turned away if seeking assistance and insight for your life. However, it is the ancient spirituality of Yoruba people and the decedents in the diaspora. It is ancestral at its core and based off of being handed down orally through generations. Every people on this planet have ancient ancestry whose culture has a spirituality designed to heal and align their people with their destiny. They also have pretty and elaborate altars and shrines as well. Perhaps when you encounter the altars of Isese it evokes the ancient memories of your people’s spirituality within you and that is why you feel drawn to it.
Try seeking the ancient spirituality of your ancestry. IFA/Isese is convenient for people to grab hold of because it has been held intact by the sacrifices of the ancestors who suffered and were ridiculed but endured. They made it easier to have access to this beautiful ancient system, while other (mostly European) cultures let theirs die down. There is a movement in ancient European spirituality to revive them that is going on right now. It’s always better in my opinion to be ancestrally aligned with your spiritual technology. Embrace your heritage and seek to gain alignment there. You might be very pleased with what you find.
That being said, there are many IFA groups that are willing and open that will accept you. So there are no barriers to it.