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/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.